Two U of M Medical School studies provide new evidence to battle drug price increases MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (06/18/2021) -- Two recent studies led by researchers from the University of Minnesota Medical School add new evidence to the impact of how drug price increases affect U.S. patients and the overall cost of health care. The first study, published today in the JAMA Network Open, provides new data on how dramatic increases in anti-infective drug prices altered the overall cost of outpatient health care and decreased patient access to appropriate drug treatment. The study protocol was reviewed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and scanned more than 100 million de-identified patient records to find roughly 89,000 cases of interest between 2010 and 2018. The results showed that: A standard-of-care (SOC) drug to treat hookworm increased from $32.77 to $1,660, which correlated with a decrease in patients receiving an appropriate drug from 43 percent to 28 percent. A SOC drug to treat pinworm increased from $14.81 to $130, which correlated with a decrease in patients receiving an appropriate drug from 81 percent to 28 percent. A SOC drug to treat Clostridioides difficile (a control with little price change) remained mostly stable, increasing from $53 to $68, which correlated with an increase in patients receiving an appropriate drug from 69 percent to 77 percent. "Our study shows that dramatic drug price increases lead to much higher outpatient costs and decrease appropriate drug treatment due to access issues and health care professionals switching to a substandard drug," said co-first author of the study, William Stauffer, MD, MSPH, FASTMH, who is a professor of medicine at the U of M Medical School. "More studies need to be done to confirm these findings, but this should increase policymakers attention as they consider solutions to extreme drug pricing." The second study looked at state legislative action on the issue so far. Published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, the research team reviewed all U.S. state laws enacted since 2015 to address drug price increases, as well as state bills being considered in 2020, and found several shortcomings. The study has two recommendations: Transparency laws were the most common type of legislative action, however, many of the transparency bills considered in 2020 don't require transparency until after the price increases occur -- some up to one year after. The study recommends requiring transparency before price increases occur, so that vulnerable patients have time to seek alternative treatment options. Of those states that created affordability review bills, only 22 percent specify OPOE (off-patent, off-exclusivity) brand-name drugs, which are cheaper than patent-protected, brand-name drugs and more prone to price hikes -- as demonstrated by this team's 2020 study. The study recommends creating separate review thresholds for OPOE drugs to ensure they are not misclassified as brand-name drugs, which are allowed higher price increase thresholds. "Prescription drug price increases inflate national health spending and are disproportionately felt by patients who are uninsured or have high deductibles," said Arman Shahriar, a U of M Medical School student and first author of the study. "Despite prescription drug price increases being a known problem for years, little has been done at the federal level, and states have not been unified in their approach. We want to make state lawmakers aware of the current landscape and future directions of this legislation." ### The first study was funded internally by the CDC, and the second study received private support from Arnold Ventures. About the University of Minnesota Medical School The University of Minnesota Medical School is at the forefront of learning and discovery, transforming medical care and educating the next generation of physicians. Our graduates and faculty produce high-impact biomedical research and advance the practice of medicine. We acknowledge that the U of M Medical School, both the Twin Cities campus and Duluth campus, is located on traditional, ancestral and contemporary lands of the Dakota and the Ojibwe, and scores of other Indigenous people, and we affirm our commitment to tribal communities and their sovereignty as we seek to improve and strengthen our relations with tribal nations. For more information about the U of M Medical School, please visit med.umn.edu. This story has been published on: 2021-06-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. New artificial heart shows promising results in 'auto-mode' -- initial clinical experience reported in ASAIO Journal June 18, 2021 - An experimental artificial heart includes an autoregulation control mechanism, or Auto-Mode, that can adjust to the changing needs of patients treated for end-stage heart failure. Outcomes in the first series of patients managed with the new heart replacement pump in Auto-Mode are presented in the ASAIO Journal, official journal of the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer. The study reports on the response to "pressure sensor-based autoregulation of blood flow" in ten patients for up to two years after implantation of the Carmat Total Artificial Heart (C TAH). "The C TAH Auto-Mode with built-in pressure sensors effectively produces appropriate physiological responses reflective of changing patients' daily needs and thus provides almost physiological heart replacement therapy," according to the new research. The lead author is Ivan Netuka, MD, of the Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague. Auto-Mode may increase independence and quality of life in severe heart failure Heart replacement pumps can restore cardiac output in patients with end-stage, biventricular heart failure (affecting both sides of the heart) whose only other option is heart transplantation. However, to enable patients to go home from the hospital and return to their usual activities, the pump should emulate normal heart function, with minimal need for adjustment. To meet that goal, the C TAH incorporates an Auto-Mode that automatically adapts the pumping action of the right and left ventricles in response to pressure sensors located inside the device, based on parameters set by the physician. The goal is to mimic normal physiological responses to changing needs - particularly physical activity. Dr. Netuka and colleagues analyzed the Auto-Mode's performance in the first 10 patients undergoing C TAH implantation in early European clinical experience. The patients were all men, average age 60 years. The C TAH was used as a bridge to heart transplantation in six patients and as a permanently implanted device in four. In all patients, the artificial heart was successfully switched from manual control to Auto-Mode in the operating room. Auto-Mode led to "an immediate appropriate cardiac output response" to the targeted settings. Hemodynamic data recorded by the C TAH showed expected variations in pumping output of the left and right ventricles, in response to changes in pressures and heart rate. Heart rate averaged 78 to 128 beats per minute; blood pressure was normal as well. Over almost five years of aggregate follow-up, medical teams made changes in the Auto-Mode settings just 20 times. Most adjustments were performed during the first 30 days after device placement. Only four were done after the patient went home from the hospital: a rate of about 1 change per 11 months. "The reduced need for device management changes may contribute to greater autonomy for patients outside of the hospital environment and improvement in their quality of life," Dr. Netuka and coauthors write. They acknowledge that their study is an initial experience in a relatively small number of patients. "Nevertheless," they add, "it represents a significant leap towards the next stage more physiological heart replacement therapy. The overall experience of more than four years of device performance represents a positive and promising outcome for the patients while requiring only minimal intervention from the clinicians." The researchers plan further refinements based on the preliminary results; future studies will provide data on response to exercise and hospital readmission rates. A US clinical trial of the C TAH is scheduled to begin soon. ### Click here to read "First Clinical Experience With the Pressure Sensor-Based Autoregulation of Blood Flow in an Artificial Heart." DOI: 10.1097/MAT.0000000000001485 About ASAIO Journal ASAIO Journal, the official publication of the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs, is in the forefront of artificial organ research and development. On the cutting edge of innovative technology, it features peer-reviewed articles of the highest quality that describe research, development, the most recent advances in the design of artificial organ devices and findings from initial testing. Published in eight issues annually, the ASAIO Journal features state-of-the-art investigations, laboratory and clinical trials, and discussions and opinions from experts around the world. About Wolters Kluwer Wolters Kluwer (WKL) is a global leader in professional information, software solutions, and services for the clinicians, nurses, accountants, lawyers, and tax, finance, audit, risk, compliance, and regulatory sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with advanced technology and services. Wolters Kluwer reported 2020 annual revenues of 4.6 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 19,200 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Wolters Kluwer provides trusted clinical technology and evidence-based solutions that engage clinicians, patients, researchers and students in effective decision-making and outcomes across healthcare. We support clinical effectiveness, learning and research, clinical surveillance and compliance, as well as data solutions. For more information about our solutions, visit https:/ / www. wolterskluwer. com/ en/ health and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @WKHealth. For more information, visit http://www. wolterskluwer. com , follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. This story has been published on: 2021-06-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Stronger together: how protein filaments interact Just as the skeleton and muscles move the human body and hold its shape, all the cells of the body are stabilised and moved by a cellular skeleton. Unlike our skeleton, this cellular skeleton is a very dynamic structure, constantly changing and renewing itself. It consists of different types of protein filaments, which include intermediate filaments and microtubules. Now, a research team from the University of Gottingen is the first to succeed in observing a direct interaction between microtubules and intermediate filaments outside the cell, and also in quantitatively measuring this interaction. The results of the study were published in Nature Communications. Microtubules are dynamic filaments that constantly grow and shrink again and, in this way, are responsible for many important processes in cells. The research team observed that intermediate filaments stabilise microtubules: when intermediate filaments are added to microtubules, shrinkage is suppressed and thus the lifespan of the microtubules is extended. To investigate whether this is actually due to direct interactions between the two filaments, a single microtubule was positioned crossed with a single intermediate filament. Dr Laura Schaedel, who shares first authorship of the publication with Charlotta Lorenz (PhD student at the Institute for X-ray Physics at the University of Gottingen), explains: "The intermediate filament was 'pulled' over the microtubule like a bow over a violin string." Lorenz adds, "This allows the two filaments to bind to each other. However, this bond is broken again shortly afterwards due to the pulling. The process of 'tearing apart' provides information about the strength of the bond." Professor Stefan Klumpp from the Institute for the Dynamics of Complex Systems at Gottingen University, who led the project together with Professor Sarah Koster from the Institute for X-ray Physics, says, "In addition, we used models and simulations to show that the direct interaction leads to stabilisation." The stabilisation of dynamic microtubules can be an important issue for biological cells, for example to regulate their local stability. "The interactions that we observed are important because they enable better understanding of cellular processes," says Koster. These results are in turn relevant for understanding many other processes, such as those involved in diseased cells. The new method to take direct measurements of the actual interaction of two different biopolymers can also be applied to other protein filaments, as well as to non-biological fibres. ### Original publication: Laura Schaedel*, Charlotta Lorenz*, Anna V. Schepers, Stefan Klumpp#, and Sarah Koster#: Vimentin Intermediate Filaments Stabilize Dynamic Microtubules by Direct Interactions, Nat. Commun. 2021. Doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-23523-z . Text also available here: https:/ / www. nature. com/ articles/ s41467-021-23523-z (*equal contribution; #corresponding author) Contact: Professor Sarah Koster University of Gottingen Institute for X-ray Physics Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077 Gottingen, Germany Tel: +49 (0)551/3929429 Email: sarah.koester@phys.uni-goettingen.de http://www. uni-goettingen. de/ koesterlab Professor Stefan Klumpp University of Gottingen Institute for the Dynamics of Complex Systems Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077 Gottingen, Germany Tel: +49 (0)551/3926942 Email: stefan.klumpp@phys.uni-goettingen.de https:/ / www. uni-goettingen. de/ de/ 527801. html This story has been published on: 2021-06-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. by Vladimir Rozanskij Sports complex built on the remains of a 1,600-year-old city. The new building is now in ruins. Damages for millions of euros. The opportunism of the ruling family puts very ancient monuments at serious risk. Moscow (AsiaNews) - Two years have passed since Saida Mirziyoyeva, the eldest daughter of Uzbekistan president Shavkat Mirziyoyev, launched her "five projects" in the Bukinsk province, Tashkent region. The first among them was a youth center built on an archaeological site dating back to the 4th century: now the new building is falling into disrepair. The construction of the sports-recreational complex, which began in 2019, included dozens of buildings and a fitness club: according to the most modest estimates for a cost of 2 billion som (about 156 thousand euros). At the foot of the hill where the most modern buildings are located, there is an ancient monument, which testifies to the existence of the city of Samsarak, also called Mukhtepa or Ajdartiepa, although there are no comprehensive historical documents on it. The area destroyed by the construction covers 12,646 square meters, and the economic damage to the ancient city is calculated by the Uzbekistan cultural heritage department at 239 billion som (18.6 million euros). The Bukinsk court sentenced some local public officials, who were blamed for the damage done. The regional prosecutor of Tashkent has put forward a control plan "for the custody and use of the objectives of cultural and archaeological heritage", asking the provincial administration to compensate for the multi-billion dollar damages. As it was impossible to pay these astronomical sums, the court confiscated all the youth center buildings. Now no one knows how to demolish the buildings on the ancient hill, also because the regulations of the Department of Culture itself prohibit the use of excavators and other construction tools on the site. Ironically, the place now features modern ruins that stand on top of ancient ruins. Today only stray dogs and other wild animals live on the presidential project, created by Mirziyoyeva with the high patronage of the Ministry for Technological Development. Uzbek architect and art historian Abumalik Turdiev told Ozodlik that the 1,600-year-old city hill was a subject of ongoing research by archaeologists from all over the world. Samsarak is mentioned in the Baburname, the memoir of one of Tamerlane's heirs, Zahir al-Din Muhammed Babur, according to whom the city prospered in the most flourishing period of Zoroastrianism, the main religion of Central Asia between the sixth century BC and the 10th century AD The city was buried inside the hill, and to avoid further damage it had been placed under guardianship even in the times of the Soviet Union. The archaeological passion, on the other hand, seems to have waned considerably in independent Uzbekistan, where Mirziyoyeva's "five projects" were presented by the official press as "world events" with top-level national personalities at the launch in 2019. News Vietnam Vietnam to receive COVID-19 vaccines from China HCM City launches Covid-19 vaccination campaign HCM City authorities launched the biggest Covid-19 vaccination campaign on June 19 to vaccinate hundreds of workers at the Hi-tech Industrial Park in Thu Duc. Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh, Party Secretary of HCM City Nguyen Van Nen, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long and other state officials visited the opening ceremony. Over 400 workers will be vaccinated on June 19. On June 17, over 800,000 doses of vaccines were transferred to HCM City. This is part of the one million doses of vaccine given to Vietnam by Japan. Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son said they had already worked with the HCM City Covid-19 Prevention Committee, Department of Health and the city CDC to launch the vaccination campaign immediately after checking the status of the vaccine. The city planned to set up 1,000 vaccination sites during this campaign. Over 1,000 teams of five members have been set up with different tasks so far. Priority will be given to frontline workers, teachers, people living in outbreak areas, policy beneficiaries, Vietnamese employees and diplomats abroad and customs and immigration officers. From June 3 until now, HCM City authorities have given the first shot of the Covid-19 vaccine to 13,450 people and the second shots to 4,750 people. News Vietnam Vietnam, Germany ramp up health care cooperation Xi promotes high-quality mutual-beneficial BRI cooperation Xinhua) 16:59, June 18, 2021 BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhua) -- After proposing the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping has been promoting high-quality cooperation of mutual benefits under the initiative. As of the end of January, a total of 171 countries and international organizations have signed 205 cooperation agreements with China on the joint construction of the Belt and Road. April 20, 2021 In his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2021 via video, Xi said that the BRI is a public road open to all, and all interested countries are welcome aboard to take part in the cooperation and share in its benefits. Going forward, China will continue to work with other parties in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, said Xi, adding that efforts will be made to build a closer partnership for health cooperation, connectivity, green development, and openness and inclusiveness. China will work with all sides to promote "hard connectivity" of infrastructure and "soft connectivity" of rules and standards, ensure unimpeded channels for trade and investment cooperation, and actively develop Silk Road e-commerce, Xi said. June 18, 2020 In a written message sent to the High-level Video Conference on Belt and Road International Cooperation, Xi said China will work with its partners to develop the Belt and Road into a model of cooperation for meeting challenges through unity. The Belt and Road will also be a model of health for protecting people's safety and well-being, a model of recovery for restoring economic and social activity, and a model of growth for unlocking development potential, Xi said. "Be it in taming the virus or in achieving economic recovery, we cannot succeed without solidarity, cooperation, and multilateralism. The right approach to tackling global crises and realizing long-term development is through greater connectivity, openness, and inclusiveness," he said. "This is where Belt and Road international cooperation can make a big difference," he said. April 27, 2019 At the leaders' roundtable meeting of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, Xi called for joint efforts of all parties to promote high-quality development of the Belt and Road. He called on all parties to jointly push forward intensive and meticulous implementation, advance the joint building of the Belt and Road, and deliver greater benefits to the people of all countries. Xi also stressed joint efforts to strengthen cooperation mechanisms and forge partnership on connectivity, calling for encouraging the full participation of more countries and businesses in expanding common interests. Nov. 17, 2018 In a speech titled "Harnessing Opportunities of Our Times To Jointly Pursue Prosperity in the Asia-Pacific" at the 26th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting, Xi said thanks to five years of joint efforts, cooperation under the BRI has entered a new phase of full implementation. China will work with all countries involved under the principle of consultation and collaboration for shared benefits to pursue the BRI against high standards so that it will deliver quality outcomes and create even greater development opportunities for the people in the Asia-Pacific and beyond, he said. May 15, 2017 At the Leaders Roundtable of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, Xi called on global leaders to push for win-win outcomes, enhance policy coordination and deepen practical cooperation in the implementation of the BRI. Xi called on countries to build partnerships, stay open in cooperation and resolve differences through dialogue. "Geese can fly through wind and rain for a long time because they fly in flocks," Xi said, driving home the point of forging partnerships against all odds. Facts speak louder than words. Bucking a global COVID-19-driven downturn, China's non-financial direct investment into countries along the Belt and Road jumped 18.3 percent year on year to 17.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2020. Trade is also thriving along the ancient but exuberant pathway, which has helped transport valuable medical supplies to those in urgent need amid COVID-19. In the first quarter of this year, the China-Europe freight train services recorded 3,398 journeys, surging 75 percent year on year. A total of 89,000 tonnes of anti-pandemic supplies had been transported across continents via the services by late March. China is also working with all willing participants to build the BRI into a pathway to poverty alleviation and growth. According to a report from the World Bank, Belt and Road projects could by 2030 help lift 7.6 million people out of extreme poverty and 32 million people out of moderate poverty across the world. With more partners jumping on board for a mutually beneficial journey, there is more to expect in the future: Countries can work together to fight COVID-19, economic slowdowns, poverty, climate change and other common challenges, regardless of geographical or ideological boundaries. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Hongyu) Gallery of Chinese Poverty Alleviation launched online to introduce Chinese experience to Africa 17:07, June 18, 2021 By Wang Lei ( People's Daily Online Johannesburg, June 18 (People's Daily Online) -- On June 18, 2021, the Chinese Consulate General in Johannesburg launched the Gallery of Chinese Poverty Alleviation online. The exhibition will run until Dec. 15. People in South Africa and Africa will be able to watch the exhibition via the website and social media platforms in other countries. The theme of this photo exhibition is "Creating Better lives, Creating Miracles", and tells stories of Chinese poverty alleviation to the people of South Africa and other African countries with vivid pictures, to share the experience of China's fight against poverty, further promote common development and progress, and to contribute Chinese wisdom and solutions to building a global community of shared future. Tang Zhongdong, the Chinese Consul General in Johannesburg, said the website is available in English and Chinese, with more than 100 pictures covering poverty alleviation through industry, ecology, science and technology, education, culture, tourism, transportation, relocation and society. It also features pictures of Chinese enterprises and overseas Chinese in South Africa joining hands with South African people to create a better life. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, China has fought a decisive battle against poverty that is unprecedented in scale and intensity, and has benefited the largest number of people in human history. China is home to nearly one fifth of the worlds population. Its complete eradication of extreme poverty is unparalleled in the history of humankind, Tang said. Poverty is one of the most important problems restricting Africa's development, Tang said, People from China and South Africa have always been good brothers and partners. The specific situation and background of the problems of poverty faced by the two sides are different, but they share the same essence. The purpose of the gallery is to share the experience of Chinese poverty alleviation with Africa, so that they can have a more comprehensive understanding of China and the CPC. People can also watch the exhibition and interact with the official account of the Chinese Consulate General in Johannesburg on WeChat and overseas social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. More and more African people will be able to learn about China's poverty alleviation stories and experiences through this gallery. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Xi stresses drawing strength from CPC history to forge ahead Xinhua) 08:59, June 19, 2021 Xi Jinping leads other Communist Party of China (CPC) and state leaders Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, Han Zheng and Wang Qishan to review the Party admission oath after visiting an exhibition on CPC history themed "staying true to the founding mission" at the Museum of the CPC in Beijing, capital of China, June 18, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Friday stressed bearing in mind the course of the Party's struggles, shouldering the historic mission and drawing strength from the Party's history to forge ahead. Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks when visiting an exhibition on CPC history. Themed "staying true to the founding mission," the exhibition debuted on Friday at the newly inaugurated Museum of the CPC in Beijing ahead of the CPC centenary. "The Party's history is the most vivid and convincing textbook," Xi stressed. The past 100 years have seen the CPC unswervingly fulfilling its original aspiration and founding mission, working hard to lay a foundation for its great cause, and making glorious achievements and charting a course for the future, Xi noted. Xi said it is necessary to study and review the Party's history, carry forward its valuable experience, bear in mind the course of its struggles, shoulder the historic mission, and draw strength from its history to forge ahead. Efforts should be made to educate and guide Party members and officials to stay true to the original aspiration and founding mission of the Party, Xi noted. It is necessary for them to strengthen their awareness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership, and remain confident in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, as well as always closely follow the CPC Central Committee in terms of their thinking, political orientation and actions, he added. Xi called on Party members to carry forward the fine traditions and play their exemplary role in uniting and leading the Chinese people, based on the new development stage, to follow the new development philosophy and formulate a new development paradigm, to effectively perform their work in promoting reform, development and stability, and to pool strength to fully build a modern socialist China and realize the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation. Xi was joined by other leaders including Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, Han Zheng and Wang Qishan during the visit. Led by Xi, the leaders reviewed the Party admission oath. The exhibition features four parts, namely the founding of the CPC and the victory of the New Democratic Revolution; the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the socialist revolution and development; the reform and opening-up, and the start of socialism with Chinese characteristics; and carrying forward socialism with Chinese characteristics into a new era, building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and embarking on a new journey toward fully building a modern socialist country. More than 2,600 pictures and more than 3,500 pieces or sets of exhibits reflect the extraordinary 100-year journey the CPC has traveled. Xi and other leaders immersed themselves in the exhibits, files, photos and videos displayed, and learned about them in detail. Among the items are the manuscript of Karl Marx's notes from Brussels, and restoration scenes of the first CPC National Congress and the famous Zunyi Meeting during the epic Long March (1934-1936). Also on display are boards showing the establishment of revolutionary bases, footage from the founding ceremony of the PRC, and weapons used during the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-1953). The exhibition also features data charts relating to poverty alleviation and models of the Huoshenshan and Leishenshan hospitals built in Wuhan to fight the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020. (Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Bianji) China's Xinjiang condemns genocide claims by "Uygur Tribunal" Xinhua) 09:10, June 19, 2021 BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Officials and scholars from northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, as well as relatives of the "witnesses" at the so-called "Uygur Tribunal," Friday debunked and strongly condemned the fake claims of "genocide" put forward at the body's recent "hearing". Elijan Anayat, a spokesperson of the Xinjiang regional government, said at a press conference in Beijing that the "Uygur Tribunal" employed presumption of guilt and fabricated evidence, and their so-called "witnesses" were nothing more than a few actors and actresses. It is reported that the "Uygur Tribunal" held a "public hearing" in London in early June. Marhaba Aolan, a scholar from Xinjiang University, told the press conference that the "Uygur Tribunal" is, in reality, a private company registered in Britain and is anything but a judicial organ. "The 'tribunal' has no legal basis or effect according to relevant international laws, so its so-called 'verdicts' or 'rulings' are pieces of waste paper," she said. She added that the largest contributor to the fund of the "tribunal" is the "World Uygur Congress," which has been plotting terrorist and separatist activities in concert with "East Turkistan" terrorist organizations. A further investigation showed that America's National Endowment for Democracy has also been one of the major funders of the "World Uygur Congress." "The 'hearing' by the 'tribunal' is a total anti-China farce," she said. At Friday's press conference, while officials and scholars questioned the credibility and legal standing of the "Uygur Tribunal," family members and friends of some "witnesses" also countered remarks made at the London "hearing". Akbar Tursun, brother of Mihrigul Tursun, who claimed to have been tortured at a vocational education and training center at the "hearing", said nobody in their family had been to such a facility. "My sister even said I was tortured to death in a training center. How on earth can a sister be like that?" he said. (Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Bianji) Bidens way of slamming Beijing-Moscow relations is humiliating Russia Global Times) 09:17, June 19, 2021 Illustration: Liu Rui/GT US President Joe Biden tried his best to drive a wedge between China and Russia during a press conference after his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Biden said, "Russia is in a very, very difficult spot right now" and Russia "is being squeezed by China." He also said that Russia has "a multi-thousand-mile border with China. China is moving ahead seeking to be the most powerful economy in the world and the largest and the most powerful military in the world. You [Russia] are in a situation where your economy is struggling." Biden may feel embarrassed to talk nonsense like this during the face-to-face meeting with Putin because if he did, Putin would very likely refute him immediately. Such kind of baseless provocation is a humiliation of the Russian people, treating one of the most powerful countries in the world as an idiot. Which country is squeezing Russia strategically? What is the source of Russia's economic difficulties in recent years? A large number of facts are much too obvious. The US has caused waves of harms to Russia and Biden just wants to pass the blame to China. This is an illusion that is possible only under serious political autism and narcissism. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the US carried out an incredibly brutal squeeze on Russia's strategic space. NATO expanded eastward to include all the former Warsaw Pact countries and advanced its position to the three Baltic states which were under the Soviet Union's influence. Russia's strategic space was almost dug up by NATO, and the US' policy to squeeze Russia was extreme. There has rarely been such a vicious unilateral pressure between major powers in history. In the view of many outsiders, Russia has been restrained long enough. But when the US and the West wanted to cut off Ukraine, the "umbilical cord to Russia," Moscow chose to strike back. Russia's economic difficulties are directly resulted from the joint sanctions imposed by the US and other Western countries. According to Russian statistics, the US alone has imposed more than 90 sanctions on Russia. Together with European sanctions, there are currently more than 400 Russian individuals and more than 500 entities on the Western blacklist. The trade volume between Russia and Europe in 2013 was about $410 billion but it dropped to $219 billion in 2020. The US and European sanctions have impacted Russia's energy and military industries and cut off Russia's previous financing channels. Besides, the US and Europe also weakened the ruble, leading to its sharp depreciation. Due to the relatively big uncertainty in the Russian business environment, some Russia's capital continues to flow out while Western investors are hesitant to enter the Russian market. The China-Russia land border is indeed long but it is an undisputed border that is highly peaceful. People from two sides of the border share active economic exchanges. China and Russia are strategic cooperative partners and their mutual trust has a solid political foundation. When facing provocative questions by US journalists, Putin responded clearly that Beijing is not a threat to Moscow and China is a friendly nation. He also said that more importantly, because of the nature and level of China-Russia relations, Russia is not "alarmed" by China's development. Annual trade between the US and Russia is only more than $20 billion, while China-Russia trade is more than $100 billion. While the US imposed a high-tech blockade on Russia, China-Russia high-tech cooperation has become increasingly active. The two countries recently released a road map for an international lunar research station. Last month, leaders from the two countries launched the China-Russia nuclear energy cooperation project via video link. China imported 83.57 million tons of crude oil from Russia in 2020 and the two countries mutually supported each other in energy security. There are too many facts that reveal the US' threats and pressure against Russia. Biden's accusation of China "squeezing" Russia is nothing but false. Face-to-face communication between Russian and US leaders helps the two sides manage their differences, and China welcomes this. But hopefully, Biden and his administration will not expect too much from it and the stupid idea of blasting China-Russia relations. The China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership has gone through tests and became an irreplaceable common strategic resource of the two countries. On the one hand, Putin recognized the constructiveness of the meeting with Biden but on the other, he also said he had no illusions about relations with the US: "There are no illusions and there cannot be any." (Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Bianji) US scientists report earliest known COVID-19 case a solid proof; next stage should be focused especially on the US: Chinese epidemiologist 09:59, June 19, 2021 By GT staff reporters ( Global Times A recent US CDC report found #COVID19 antibodies in blood samples as early as Dec 13, 2019. With more & more evidence surfacing about the coronavirus' origins in places outside China before Wuhan detected it, the world is remapping the history of the #COVID19 pandemic. Infographic:GT More scientific evidence in countries such as the US and France has emerged to suggest that those countries may have had COVID-19 cases way before they officially confirmed. A US government study suggested that the coronavirus may have already been circulating among people one month earlier than it was officially confirmed, and French scientists also presented scientific evidence that the country's cases were caused by an indigenous virus strain prevailing before 2020. Chinese scientists urged that such evidence should not go unnoticed, and should serve as evidence that the next-stage virus-tracing investigations should be focused on countries which reported cases earlier than they previously identified, especially the US. A study of more than 24,000 samples taken for a National Institutes of Health (NIH) research program in the US between January 2 and March 18, 2020 suggested that seven people in five states - Illinois, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin - may have been infected well before the country's first confirmed cases that were reported in January 21, 2020. The results suggest that the virus may have been circulating in Illinois, for example, as early as in December 24, 2019, one month earlier than the US authorities confirmed. The data suggests the virus was in the five states far away from the initial hot spots and areas that were considered its points of entry into the country, the study said. Zeng Guang, chief epidemiologist of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, told Global Times on Wednesday that the US should be prioritized in the next-stage investigation, as the country was slow to test people at an early stage, and it possesses so many biological laboratories all around the world. "All bio-weapons related subjects that the country has should be subject to scrutiny," Zeng said. Ju Liya, chief scientist of the European precision medicine platform in France, also told the media last week that after having studied the genetic sequence of the viruses from earlier patients, they found the outbreak in France was caused by an indigenous virus, which was prevailing in the country even before 2020. She also claimed that the France outbreak had no link with the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the first coronavirus case was reported, as the hereditary feature of the virus strain detected in France is very different from that found in COVID-19 patients in China. In response to a question about the US study, Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a Wednesday briefing that scientific journals and scientists around the world have pointed out similar evidence, including chief Swedish epidemiologists who believe that there were cases of coronavirus in Sweden as far back as November. "It is obvious that the outbreak had multiple origins," said Zhao. The spokesperson said under this perspective, next-stage virus-tracing investigations should be focused on various countries and regions, instead of just one. He also urged other countries to cooperate with WHO on virus tracing, like what China did with the organization. The WHO and some of its scientists confirmed to the Global Times previously that the agency is working with researchers in Italy and a reference laboratory to retest the samples of a study that suggested the coronavirus may have been circulating in Italy since fall 2019. Only China, which upholds the principles of science and justice, had invited the WHO to investigate the virus origins, Zeng noted. He also urged other countries to trace back samples of their previous pneumonia patients, as early as in 2018, to check if there were earlier cases of COVID-19. Aside from pointing directions for next-stage virus tracing, scientists also called Western politicians and media to stop politicalizing the issue, as their deeds are stifling genuine scientific research into the virus origins. US President Joe Biden in late May ordered US intelligence agencies to report to him in the next three months on whether the COVID-19 virus was come from an animal source or from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). Ju said that after she published her paper disproving the connection between France's outbreak and Wuhan, the French government and politicians were angry with her institute. Her institute, which has prominent achievements in virus research and vaccine development, was silenced. Western politicians' playing with the "lab-leak" theory or jab at China for being responsible are just tricks to get themselves away from their mishandling of the pandemic, a Beijing-based immunologist who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Wednesday, noting that their politicalizing the issue is standing in the way of scientists to find answers to the pandemic. (Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Bianji) Central bank to issue commemorative coins in celebration of 100th anniversary of Communist Party of China People's Daily Online) 10:05, June 19, 2021 Front and back of a circular 8g gold coin China's central bank, the People's Bank of China, will issue a set of commemorative coins to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China starting June 21. The nine-piece collection includes three gold coins, five silver coins and a copper alloy coin that comes in two colors. All of them will be legal tender. (Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Bianji) China opens Party history exhibition ahead of CPC centenary Xinhua) 10:26, June 19, 2021 Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, announces the debut of the exhibition on CPC history themed "staying true to the founding mission" at the newly inaugurated Museum of the CPC in Beijing, capital of China, June 18, 2021. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei) BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhua) -- An exhibition on the history of the Communist Party of China (CPC) opened on Friday in Beijing as part of the celebrations for the CPC centenary on July 1. Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, announced the debut of the exhibition at the opening ceremony of the newly inaugurated Museum of the CPC. Wang said the museum and the exhibition aim to show how the CPC has united and led the Chinese people in blazing great paths and making massive achievements during the past 100 years, as well as the fine spirit and precious experience drawn from within. The museum and the exhibition will help guide Party members, officials, and the public to have a profound understanding of why the CPC is so capable, why Marxism works, and why socialism with Chinese characteristics excels, Wang said. About 1,000 people, including representatives of veteran Party members, officials, and people from all walks of life in Beijing, attended the opening ceremony. (Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Bianji) With love and respect, Chinese people cherish memory of Zambia's Kaunda, 'an old and good friend' Global Times) 11:28, June 19, 2021 Kenneth Kaunda, Zambia's founding president and the founder of China-Zambia ties, died of an illness at the age of 97 on Thursday, local time, in Lusaka, capital of Zambia. Thousands of miles away, numerous people in China cherished the memory of the great man who devoted his life to Zambia's independence and development, and who had made remarkable efforts in promoting the friendship between China and Zambia, as well as China and Africa. China deeply mourns the death of Kenneth Kaunda, Zambia's founding president, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Friday. Kaunda was an old and good friend of the Chinese people, having long been committed to the cause of China-Zambia friendship, Zhao noted. On Chinese social media, many netizens, with love and respect to Kaunda, on Friday shared and forwarded a video of Chairman Mao Zedong meeting Kaunda in Beijing in 1974. In the video's nostalgic yellow tone, Mao warmly shakes hands and talks with Kaunda, who wears a Mao's badge. Mao put forward the well-known "Three Worlds" theory in the meeting, expressing China's willingness to make friends with developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Standing firm with China Born in April 1924, Kaunda was an internationally renowned leader of African independence movements, politician and social activist, who had made historic contributions to the independence of Zambia and the liberation movements of southern Africa. He had also been activity pushing forward the friendship and cooperation between Zambia and China throughout his life. He announced that Zambia would establish diplomatic relations with China on October 24, 1964, the day after Zambia declared its independence. With the efforts of both sides, China and Zambia soon officially built diplomatic ties and sent ambassadors to each other on October 29 that year. Kaunda always stood firmly with China. He had greatly contributed to the restoration of the lawful seat of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations. He once remarked at the UN rostrum that it was wrong for the UN to have no representatives from the People's Republic of China. Kaunda had slammed the allegations of Westerners that China was "grabbing resources in Africa." Amid the 45th anniversary of the establishment of China-Zambia diplomatic relations in 2009, he told Chinese media that [some Western forces] who were accusing China of coming here to grab wealth, had actually been coming to the continent for hundreds of years to grab economic benefits. China, instead, has helped many countries in Arica, including Zambia, to struggle for independence, and is continuing to work with the countries to help them develop their economies, Kaunda said. He cited the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA), saying the project developed by China in the 1970s was part of the contributions of China to the development of Africa, and a model of the friendship between Africa and China. "That's what China is doing - helping us, as friends, genuine friends," Kaunda said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency in October 2009. In November 2009, Kaunda was honored with the China-Africa Friendship Award in Beijing, and was chosen as one of the "Five African People Who Deeply Moved the Chinese People." The creative term "all-weather friend," which vividly describes a friendship that remains strong under all kinds of conditions, was firstly put forward by Kaunda. Decades later, "all-weather friend," often mentioned by leaders of China and some African countries on various occasions, has become a special witness that highlights the long-standing China-Africa relations, observers said. Friendship with generations of Chinese leaders Kaunda had visited China several times from the 1960s to the 2010s. He met and talked with Chinese leaders in Beijing or Lusaka, keeping consolidating and promoting China-Zambia ties during the decades. Kaunda became the first witness of Chairman Mao's "Three Worlds" theory in his second visit to China in 1974. "In my view, the United States and the Soviet Union belong to the first world. The in-between Japan, Europe and Canada belong to the second world. The third world is very populous. Except for Japan, Asia belongs to the third world. So does the whole of Africa and Latin America," Mao, then 81, told Kaunda. Kaunda responded that he agreed with Mao's analysis, saying it was precise and accurate. Through the years, China, as a member of the Third World, has been firmly supporting Third World countries, including Zambia, in their struggles against hegemony and interference by the Western superpowers and pursing self-development. File photo:Xinhua People's Daily reported that President Hu Jintao had a thorough, warm and sincere communication with Kaunda in 2007 in Lusaka, with the two looking back on history and the friendship between the two countries. President Hu warmly greeted the 83-year-old Kaunda on February 4, 2007 in Lusaka. He told Kaunda: "You are an old friend of the Chinese people. You and the older generations of Chinese leaders including Chairman Mao Zedong, Premier Zhou Enlai and Comrade Deng Xiaoping have forged a profound friendship. I am very happy to see you today." Kaunda replied that it was great to be able to greet leaders from China - Zambia's all-weather friend - in Lusaka. The Chinese people have always been Zambia's genuine friends, he said. "There is an old Chinese saying: Don't forget the well-digger while drinking water. The Chinese government and people will never forget your outstanding contribution to the development of China-Zambia and China-Africa friendship," President Hu responded emotionally. Hu praised that "during your tenure as President of Zambia, the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, built by China, Zambia and Tanzania, has become a monument in the history of China-Zambia, China-Tanzania, and China-Africa relations," according to People's Daily. File photo:Xinhua When Kaunda visited China in 2011, relations between China and Zambia experienced nadir following the new party taking office in the African country. On November 24, Kaunda met with then Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping in Beijing and Xi gave him a deep impression. Kaunda said he was worried about the situation then. But Xi said to him that the all-weather friendship between the two countries, established by the old generation of leaders of China and Zambia, plays a vital role and has profound influence in China-Africa ties, Kaunda said. Xi told Kaunda that China has always cherished the traditional friendship and has attached great importance to China-Zambia relations. Kaunda said that Xi is a sincere and down-to-the-earth person, expressing his desire of keeping the friendship between the two countries. Kaunda said he clearly remembered what Xi had said that he was willing to work with the new Zambian government to deepen friendship and promote pragmatic cooperation. Remembered by diplomats and netizens From diplomats to ordinary netizens, Chinese people shared precious memories with Kaunda on Friday and expressed their respect to this old and good friend. Former Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Yang Youming remembered clearly the first time he met the late leader when Yang arrived in Lusaka to assume his post in 2014. Kaunda had bright and sharp eyes that nobody could tell he was in his 90s. They took a group photo with smiles, as Kaunda required. When Yang and his colleagues said goodbye to Kaunda, the old gentleman did not respond but trotted down the hallway and stopped at Yang's car, looking back with a proud face. He wanted to see the Chinese diplomats off. File photo Another impressive moment Yang shared was October 2014 when the country celebrated its 50 years of independence. Surrounded by flame-like Poinciana blossoms in the streets, Kaunda waved a white handkerchief to the crowds and said "one Zambia," the people shouted "one nation" back; he then spoke louder, the crowds responded louder. "One Zambia, one nation" is the principle Kaunda made for the young multi-ethnicity country to be united. Yang had once invited Kaunda to spend Spring Festival with them, and prepared vegan food for him. Kaunda used to eat meat, but when he was expelled from a butcher's by white colonizers, Kaunda vowed to himself that he would never eat meat again. Kaunda liked music and singing, and sang at the banquet "a song of unity," which he wrote and later became a household melody, dubbed as a second national anthem. The song encouraged 73 ethnicities in Zambia to unite and develop in stability. When Yang left his post, he went to say goodbye and Kaunda saw them off as he always did. "I waved back, feeling we can meet again. I never imagined that it was farewell," Yang wrote. On China's Sina Weibo, a user described Kaunda as "a real hero who had the courage to fight colonial powers and safeguard national dignity." A star fell from the sky and a real fighter who had battled against the West rested, wrote another. He was from the time of Chairman Mao and the founder of China-Zambia friendship! A Weibo user posted with emotion. The friendship lasts until today despite some winds and rain. No need to mention the famous Tanzania-Zambia Railway built with Chinese assistance, Chinese companies today develop farms in Zambia, offering job opportunities and train locals to become technicians in the country's agricultural upgrade. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese government and companies have offered medical supplies and technical support for treatment and disease control. (Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Bianji) China's State Council appoints, removes officials Xinhua) 13:41, June 19, 2021 BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhua) -- China's State Council announced the appointment and removal of officials Friday. Qiu Qiwen was appointed vice minister of ecology and environment; Zhao Chongjiu was appointed vice minister of transport; Tan Zuojun was appointed deputy head of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council; Gong Weibin was appointed provost of the National Academy of Governance. Zhu Tianshu was removed from the post of vice minister of veterans affairs, and Sun Da was removed from the post of deputy head of National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. (Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Bianji) China mourns death of former Zambian president Xinhua) 13:49, June 19, 2021 BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhua) -- China expresses its deep condolences over the passing of Kenneth Kaunda, former president of the Republic of Zambia, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday. Kenneth Kaunda, the first president of Zambia after the country gained independence, died on Thursday, aged 97. Spokesperson Zhao Lijian told a news briefing that Mr. Kaunda was a globally renowned leader, statesman and social activist of the elder generation of African independence movements. He made historic contributions to Zambia's independence and the liberation movements in southern Africa. "We extend deep condolences on Mr. Kaunda's passing, and sincere sympathy to the government and people of Zambia, as well as Mr. Kaunda's family," Zhao said. Mr. Kaunda was the founder of China-Zambia relations and was long committed to the bilateral friendship. He was an old and good friend of the Chinese people, Zhao said. China stands ready to work with Zambia to push forward China-Zambia and China-Africa friendly cooperation, he added. (Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Bianji) Mainland condemns DPP's collusion with external forces to seek "Taiwan independence" Xinhua) 14:02, June 19, 2021 BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhua) -- A mainland spokesperson on Friday condemned Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority for not caring the people's health in the island amid the COVID-19 epidemic but acting as a "pawn" for anti-China forces in the United States. The DPP is preoccupied with the urgency to collude with external forces to seek "Taiwan independence" in disregard of the health of Taiwan people amid the COVID-19 epidemic, said Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. The DPP authority does not feel ashamed of giving away the interests of the Chinese nation in order to seek "Taiwan independence," and is pushing Taiwan people into an abyss, Ma said. "Their political attempts will end up in failure," he said, reiterating there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is part of it. Ma urged the U.S. government to act on the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques and stop sending wrong signals to secessionist forces on the island. (Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Bianji) Russia to allow entry of Chinese citizens Xinhua) 14:05, June 19, 2021 MOSCOW, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said Friday that China will be put on the list of countries whose citizens can enter Russia, ending a 16-month travel ban over COVID-19 concerns. Golikova told a briefing that the country's COVID-19 response center has made the decision, which waits to be officially approved by the prime minister. As part of anti-coronavirus measures, Russia imposed a temporary entry ban on Chinese nationals with visas for work, private visits, study and tourism since Feb. 20, 2020. Russia is expanding the list gradually as the country is cautiously opening borders to more countries. (Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Bianji) China's migrating elephant herd shows returning trend Xinhua) 14:07, June 19, 2021 The aerial video screenshot taken on June 18, 2021 shows a herd of wild Asian elephants in Eshan County of Yuxi City, southwest China's Yunnan Province. China's famous herd of wandering elephants has shown a trend of returning south after their northward trek of some 500 km in Yunnan Province, an expert said. The herd entered Eshan County in the city of Yuxi at 9:48 p.m. Thursday. They traveled 13.5 km northwest, according to the headquarters in charge of monitoring their migration. (Xinhua) KUNMING, June 18 (Xinhua) -- China's famous herd of wandering elephants has shown a trend of returning south after their northward trek of some 500 km in southwest China's Yunnan Province, an expert said. The herd entered Eshan County in the city of Yuxi at 9:48 p.m. Thursday. They traveled 13.5 km northwest, according to the headquarters in charge of monitoring their migration. A male elephant, which strayed 13 days ago, is about 24.7 km away from the herd now. All 15 elephants are safe. Shen Qingzhong, an expert with the headquarters, said despite a preliminary study suggesting a returning trend, the herd's specific routes are still to be determined after further research. The elephants traveled about 500 km from their forest home in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture before reaching Kunming, the provincial capital, late on June 2. For over a month, authorities have sent police to escort the herd, evacuated roads to facilitate their passage, and used food to distract them from entering densely populated areas. Asian elephants are primarily found in Yunnan and are under A-level state protection in China. Thanks to enhanced protection efforts, the wild elephant population in the province grew to about 300, up from 193 in the 1980s. (Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Bianji) U.S. fails to recognize its own human rights' violations, says senior UN advisor Xinhua) 14:24, June 19, 2021 by Xinhua writers Xiong Maoling and Zhu Junqing WASHINGTON, June 18 (Xinhua) -- The United States, instead of recognizing its own violations of human rights, criticizes other countries with "biased" human rights application, a senior United Nations (UN) advisor told Xinhua in a recent email interview. "All countries should strive to honor and achieve the human rights identified in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), and the political standards embodied in the UN Charter," said Jeffrey Sachs, who is the director of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. The United States falls short of these in three ways. "First, the U.S. fails to honor the economic rights in the UDHR, for example the right of healthcare for all," said Sachs, who is also the director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University. "Second, the U.S. society has deeply engrained racism and throughout its history has violated the rights of African-Americans, Native Americans, and other minority groups," he continued. Third, the United States failed to abide by the standards of the UN Charter, and was "even invading into other countries or overthrowing their governments," he said, adding that the UN Charter calls for mutual respect and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. "The U.S. government promotes 'universal values' but, alas, doesn't understand them very well," he said. From the year 2001 to 2018, Sachs served as special advisor to UN Secretaries-General Kofi Annan, Ban Ki-moon, and Antonio Guterres. The long-time UN advisor said he is in favor of searching hard to find common ground globally and identify and honor universal values for all humanity. "I am against the biased application of human rights by which the U.S. criticizes other countries without recognizing its own deep flaws and violations of human rights," he said. Sachs added that when there are questions and concerns raised about human rights, these should be handled by the UN Human Rights Council, "not by unilateral actions by any individual country." He also noted that he doesn't believe that countries should make unilateral threats and unilateral sanctions -- as the United States has imposed on many countries -- or impose unilateral tariffs, as the United States did on Chinese products. "If there are to be sanctions, they should be applied by the UN, according to the UN Charter, rather than by individual nations," Sachs said. He noted that as this is the 21st century, it is "very important" that scholars and moral leaders of all nations actively discuss the idea of universal values, in order to find areas of agreement across cultures and nations. Calling the UDHR a very important "starting point," Sachs said the declaration was based on the values of many cultures. "I think that it is important for all countries -- the U.S., China, the European Union, and others -- to live by the standards of multilateralism, including the two key pillars, the UDHR and the UN Charter," Sachs said. "In that way, we can have a world of peace, cooperation, prosperity and human dignity," he added. (Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Bianji) Starting new cold war 'dangerous' By Zhao Huanxin (China Daily) 15:41, June 19, 2021 US senator challenges fast-growing views of zero-sum struggle with China It is "distressing and dangerous" for the political establishment in Washington to drum up a new cold war with China, a trend that risks jeopardizing the interests of both countries along with the cooperation the world badly needs, a prominent US politician said on Thursday. In the article Washington's Dangerous New Consensus on Chinapublished in Foreign Affairs, US Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont challenged what he said was a "fast-growing consensus" emerging in the United States that views US-China relations as a zero-sum economic and military struggle. "The prevalence of this view will create a political environment in which the cooperation that the world desperately needs will be increasingly difficult to achieve," wrote Sanders, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats and twice ran unsuccessfully for the party's presidential nomination in 2016 and 2020. The chair of the Senate Budget Committee said the unprecedented global challenges the US faces are shared global challenges, which require increased international cooperation, including with China. But he said a growing bipartisan push for a confrontation with China will set back US goals in security, prosperity and the international system and risks empowering authoritarian, ultranationalistic forces in both countries. "It will also deflect attention from the shared common interests the two countries have in combating truly existential threats such as climate change, pandemics, and the destruction that a nuclear war would bring," he wrote. Sanders, the longest-serving independent in US congressional history, cautioned Americans must resist the temptation to try to forge national unity through hostility and fear. He claimed the rush to confront China has a recent precedent in the global "war on terror" waged the last two decades. "Almost two decades and $6 trillion later, it becomes clear that national unity was exploited to launch a series of endless wars that proved enormously costly in human, economic, and strategic terms and that gave rise to xenophobia and bigotry in US politics," he said. Divided nation Unsurprisingly, in a climate of "relentless fearmongering" about China, the US is experiencing an increase in anti-Asian hate crimes, Sanders explained. "Right now, the United States is more divided than it has been in recent history. But the experience of the last two decades should have shown us that Americans must resist the temptation to try to forge national unity through hostility and fear," he added. Confronting China has become one of the few issues that unites both parties in Congress at a time of intense partisan division. Last week, the Senate passed The US Innovation and Competition Act, one of the largest industrial bills in US history to ramp up technology manufacturing aimed at outcompeting China. It was one of the hundreds of bills introduced on Capitol Hill over the past five years aimed at shaping US-China policy. In his article, Sanders said casting China as an existential threat to the US served some purposes. "We are already hearing politicians and representatives of the military-industrial complex using this as the latest pretext for larger and larger defense budgets," the 79-year-old wrote. Sanders acknowledged developing a mutually beneficial relationship with China will not be easy. "But we can do better than a new Cold War," he concluded. The subject of a climate change crisis has been a muse for many analysts to reflect on a likely cold war between the world's two leading economies, who also happen to be the biggest greenhouse gas producers. "Whether a literal war results or not, one thing should be clear enough: if the two greatest carbon emitters can't figure out how to cooperate instead of picking endless fights with each other, the human future is likely to prove grim and dim indeed," said Tom Engelhardt, an author and a fellow at Type Media Center, a nonprofit in New York. While "containing" China is the foreign policy focus of the moment in the US, "this is the very time when what truly needs to be contained is the overheating of this planet", he wrote in "We Don't Have Time to Waste on Cold Wars", published in The Nation magazine last week. (Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Bianji) Coming from a private collection assembled across almost two decades, the Reference 2499 timepieces represent a first: never since the start of this millennium has a complete set been presented at auction. According to Phillips representatives Aurel Bacs, Senior Consultant, and Alex Ghotbi, Head of Watches, Continental Europe & Middle East, the Patek Philippe Reference 2499 in any version is considered one of, if not the most iconic and desirable trophy watches to crown any collection. It was made for close to 35 almost 35 years and only 349 examples are known a production of less than one piece per month. A natural heir to Reference 1518, the first series-produced perpetual calendar chronograph launched in 1941, Reference 2499 was issued between 1950 and 1985. The first edition featured square chronograph pushers like its predecessor, applied Arabic numerals and a tachymeter scale; the second had round pushers, applied baton-type or Arabic numerals and a tachymeter scale, the third came with round pushers and applied baton-type numerals; while the fourth was fitted with round pushers, applied baton-type numerals and for the first time a sapphire crystal. Reference 2499 (Series 1) Patek Philippe In this quartet presented at The Geneva Watch Auction XIII, the Series 1 model is distinguished by a second-generation case, more robust than its predecessor, produced by Wenger from 1954 onwards and of which only 23 are currently listed. The Series 2 model is particularly rare, being one of only nine known examples in rose gold. Sold in the early 1960s in Germany hence its German calendar , it was kept by the purchasers family until 2010 and has had three owners to date. The model representing Series 3, which was most important in terms of quantity, features a dial with a signature and a hard enamel dial exuding a vintage character much appreciated by collectors. As for the Series 4 model, one of the six known examples with a German calendar, it dates from 1985, the last year of production before the successive introductions of Reference 3970, Reference 5970 and the current Reference 5270. Reference 2499 (Serie 4) Patek Philippe Reference 3974, the star lot in the upcoming Hong Kong Watch Auction XII, was launched by Patek Philippe in 1989 to celebrate its 150th anniversary. It was the Manufactures first series-produced self-winding minute repeater and perpetual calendar wristwatch, and one of the most complicated in the world at the time. It corresponded to the great post-quartz crisis comeback of mechanical horology, which it celebrated with particularly prestigious traditional complications. Out of an estimated total production of 120 timepieces, only five are known to exist in rose gold, including the one that will be presented in Hong Kong 13 years after its last auction. Powered by Caliber R27Q, a 467-component movement only 6.8mm thick, this masterpiece is housed in a case made by a leading late 20th-century producer Jean-Pierre Hagmann, who notably distinguished himself in the creation of chiming watch cases. Thomas Perazzi, Head of Watches, Asia at Phillips, explains that this is a lot in perfect condition, with all four stamped hallmarks still present. behind the lugs. Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, said Friday that China sincerely hopes that all parties in Myanmar can resolve differences through political dialogue as soon as possible under the country's constitutional and legal framework. As a close neighbor, China follows the situation in Myanmar very closely and has been working on all parties in Myanmar and actively engaged in UN Security Council consensus-building, Zhang said during informal talks held at the Security Council on the situation in the member country of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Zhang said China supports ASEAN in conducting mediation in "the ASEAN way" and playing a positive role in easing the situation in Myanmar. The envoy said what happened in Myanmar is the country's internal affairs, and sanctions will only aggravate tensions and confrontation and further complicate the situation, which is by no means constructive. The international community should, on the basis of respecting Myanmar's sovereignty, political independence, territorial integrity and national unity, uphold objective attitudes, support the efforts by the countries in the region, avoid sanctions and interference, and create a sound environment for Myanmar to solve its problems, he said. Meanwhile, the UN General Assembly on Friday took the rare step of calling on member states to "prevent the flow of arms" into Myanmar, where the military detained the country's president, and civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, on February 1. The resolution stopped short of calling for a global arms embargo but demanded that the military "immediately stop all violence against peaceful demonstrators." The resolution also calls for a restoration of democracy in Myanmar and the release of all detained civilian leaders. "We absolutely must create the conditions for democracy to be reinstated," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres before the vote on the resolution, which he hoped would send a "very clear message" from the General Assembly. On Wednesday, the Biden administration filed a document in federal court dismissing the suit, formally bringing the yearlong court fight to an end. "These actions represent a complete vindication for Ambassador Bolton, and a repudiation of former President Trump's attempt, under the pretext of protecting classified information, first to suppress the book's publication, and when that failed in court, to penalize the ambassador," Bolton spokeswoman Sarah Tinsley said. Justice Department lawyers who sued over the book had insisted that the manuscript contained classified information that could damage national security and that Bolton, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, had failed to complete a prepublication review process designed to prevent the disclosure of government secrets. The Trump administration sued last year to block the release of Bolton's book, "The Room Where It Happened," and to recover copies of the book that had already been distributed. The book, released in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election, offered a behind-the-scenes and unflattering account of Trump's foreign policy dealings. It described how Trump asked China's President Xi Jinping to help the American's reelection prospects and how Trump pressured his Ukraine counterpart for politically charged investigations. The Justice Department has abandoned its lawsuit against John Bolton, former President Donald Trump's short-term national security adviser, over his book that officials argued disclosed classified information, according to court documents and Bolton's representatives. Prosecutors also dropped a grand jury investigation over the book's publication, Bolton's lawyer said Wednesday. Bolton's lawyers say he moved forward with the book after a White House National Security Council official, with whom Bolton had worked for months, said the manuscript no longer contained classified information. That official, Ellen Knight, described in a letter submitted to the court last September how Trump administration officials repeatedly exerted political pressure in an unsuccessful effort to block the book's release. She described an unusual process of delay tactics and legal maneuverings. Knight, a career government records professional, said through her lawyer that after she had determined that the manuscript no longer contained classified information and was ready for clearance, she learned that a political appointee with no experience in the prepublication review process had been assigned by the White House to conduct a new review. That official subsequently flagged hundreds of passages in Bolton's manuscript that the official believed were still classified. A federal judge last year rejected the Justice Department's efforts to halt the book's release, partly because hundreds of thousands of copies had already been distributed. But the judge expressed concern that Bolton published the book before receiving a formal clearance letter, which Knight said was blocked by the White House. Besides suing Bolton, the Justice Department opened a criminal investigation over the book, though that inquiry has now been dropped, said Bolton's representatives. A department spokesman declined to comment on Wednesday. Bolton's lawyer, Charles J. Cooper, described the government's efforts to block the book as part of a "politically motivated order" by Trump. "By ending these proceedings without in any way penalizing Ambassador Bolton or limiting his proceeds from the book, the Department of Justice has tacitly acknowledged that President Trump and his White House officials acted illegitimately," Cooper said in a statement. The book generated substantial attention even before its publication after news broke during Trump's first impeachment trial that Bolton had written how Trump had linked the supply of military assistance to Ukraine to that country's willingness to conduct investigations into Trump's Democratic rival, now-President Joe Biden. Those allegations were at the heart of an impeachment trial that ended with Trump's Senate acquittal in February 2020. Bolton, though, refused to testify at impeachment proceedings. Bolton's time at the Trump White House was unsurprisingly rocky. A noted national security hawk, Bolton was an odd choice for Trump, who advocated ending the United States' overseas military operations. The two continued to clash in public comments long after Bolton left office. The UN General Assembly on Friday called for a stop to the flow of arms to Myanmar and urged the military to respect November election results and release political detainees, including leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The General Assembly adopted a resolution with the support of 119 countries, several months after the military overthrew Suu Kyi's elected government in a Feb. 1 coup. Belarus requested the text be put to a vote and was the only country to oppose it, while 36 abstained, including China and Russia. "The risk of a large-scale civil war is real," UN special envoy on Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener told the General Assembly after the vote. "Time is of the essence. The opportunity to reverse the military takeover is narrowing." Some countries that abstained said the crisis was an internal issue for Myanmar, others did not think the resolution would be helpful, while some states complained it did not adequately address the plight of Rohingya Muslims four years after a military crackdown forced nearly a million to flee Myanmar. European Union UN Ambassador Olof Skoog said the UN resolution sent a powerful message -- "It delegitimizes the military junta, condemns its abuse and violence against its own people and demonstrates its isolation in the eyes of the world." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had earlier on Friday pushed the General Assembly to act, telling reporters -- "We cannot live in a world where military coups become a norm. It is totally unacceptable." The military cited the government's refusal to address what it said was fraud in a November election as the reason for the coup. International observers have said the ballot was fair. New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Sunshine and a few clouds. High 94F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Sunny to partly cloudy. High 94F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Woburn, MA (01801) Today Showers this morning, becoming a steady rain during the afternoon hours. Cooler. High 62F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers after midnight. Low 57F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%. PRESS RELEASE 12500 N.E. Tenth Place Bellevue, WA 98005 JPFO.org 800-869-1884 info@jpfo.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 18, 2021 Contact: Floyd Neeland Human Rights Restoration Can Only Be Good JPFO Applauds Texas Constitutional Carry Media clamor against Freedom-To-Carry is ignorant (again*) Every time gun freedoms expand reporters get apoplectic Criminals carry guns without any government permission slips Why should the public have less freedom than hardened villains? *21st state to liberate gun rights gets same phony blood-in-streets fear mongering CNN, MSNBC, the networks and the newspapers are in an uproar asking pointless questions about guns and rights they publicly admit they have no knowledge about: "How can a state allow anyone to carry a gun without a license?" You mean you don't know? How can you be a reporter and ask such a question? Didn't you even try to find out? "No one in the state supports such an insane policy," they blather! If that were true, the policy would never have seen the light of day. Obviously someone must support itlike the legislature, their constituents, and the Governor. Constitutional Carry has broad national support for all the right reasons, wild-eyed media-fueled fears never materialize. The so-called "news" media is broadcasting their wholesale ignorance of the subject, instead of learning about the issue and broadcasting facts. Guns save lives. Constitutional Carry is a great idea, it expands freedom. Arizona launched the term in 2010. The very idea that fundamental rights cannot be exercised without a government license is so anti-American, reporters taking that position should be fired without delay or reeducated. Who are these people? Would they mandate testing to vote, or own Bibles, or any books? An educated public is a great idea, but a person without an education must not be denied any rights or privileges. It's just an incentive to make education widely available, again, for all the right reasons. JPFO supports marksmanship as a prerequisite for a high school diploma. On what basis would you argue against that? Contact JPFO to intelligently discuss the issue. ##### Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership, http://www.jpfo.org is Americas most aggressive civil-rights organization, dedicated to destroying the notion of 'gun control' as any kind of credible public-policy position. So-called 'gun control' does not control guns and doesnt control criminal behavior. What it does is disarm the innocent, leaving them helpless in the face of criminals, tyrannical governments and genocide. History repeatedly proves this fact. Founded in 1989 by Aaron Zelman as a response to the Holocaust, JPFO speaks with the moral authority and tenacious commitment of survivors of persecution, and knows that surrendering your personal and family safety to government protection courts disaster. You dont have to be Jewish to fight by our side, you just have to love liberty. Support JPFO, speaking truth to power https://store.jpfo.org/11-donations HAMMOND Federal prosecutors are again demanding imprisonment for former Portage Mayor James E. Snyder. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill R. Koster is asking U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly to impose a lengthy sentence July 16 on Snyder for bribery and tax evasion. Defense attorneys have already demanded the judge order Snyders acquittal, or at least a new trial on the bribery count. His defense team has previously expressed confidence Snyders guilty verdicts will be overturned on appeal. They are expected to offer further argument next week on the issue of sentencing. While Koster doesnt enumerate how long a prison term Snyder deserves, she previously called on the court, two years ago, to sentence him to 47 months. Her memorandum to the court, made public Friday, now only states that Snyders sentence should fall within the federal sentencing guidelines in such cases. She said an earlier guideline calculation put Snyders anticipated sentence between 46 to 57 months. Koster argues that justice demands Snyders imprisonment to deter other elected officials from public corruption. She said the government has twice proved Snyder solicited and accepted a $13,000 bribe in 2014 in return for steering a $1.125 million garbage collection contract to the Buhas Great Lakes Peterbilt firm. Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute She said Snyder also obstructed the Internal Revenue Services efforts to collect unpaid taxes on a private mortgage company he ran. Snyder, 43, a Republican, spent much of his childhood in Northwest Indiana. He graduated from Fairhaven Academy in 1996 with a high school diploma and Fairhaven College in 2000 with a degree in theology, Koster states. Voters elected Snyder mayor of Portage, the areas third largest city, in 2011. A federal grand jury indicted Snyder in late 2016 on two counts of bribery and one count of corrupt tax interference. A federal jury in early 2019 found him guilty of the tax violation and one of the two bribery counts. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Van Bokkellen overturned the bribery conviction later in 2019. Sndyers retrial on the bribery count began earlier this year. The second jury found Snyder guilty March 19 after 10 days of testimony, argument and jury deliberation. Gallery: Recent arrests booked into Lake County Jail (The Center Square) Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita vowed to keep fighting against the Affordable Care Act despite the U.S. Supreme Court decision to uphold government health care program. The court said Texas and other plaintiffs lacked legal standing in the case of California v. Texas. It did, however, leave the door open to future challenges. In a tweet Thursday, Rokita said Obamacare has driven up health care costs by hurting competition. Once again, SCOTUS has declined to weigh in on the merits of this insidious government takeover of our healthcare, otherwise known as Obamacare, which has drastically driven up cost by squelching competition & choice. Well continue to push back against this unconstitutional law," Rokita tweeted. The courts majority opinion, written by Justice Stephen Breyer, found the plaintiffs in the case held no legal standing because of a lack of sufficient evidence of damages presented to the court. The court did not rule on the merits or legality of the Affordable Care Act itself. [The plaintiffs] also argue that the minimum essential coverage requirement is not severable from the rest of the Act. Hence, they believe the Act as a whole is invalid, Breyer wrote in the majority opinion. We do not reach these questions of the Acts validity, however, for Texas and the other plaintiffs in this suit lack the standing necessary to raise them. Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute The U.S. Supreme Court's reversal Thursday does not settle the matter. Chief Justice John Roberts, along with Justices Clarence Thomas, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, joined Breyers majority opinion that the state of Texas had no standing. Thomas also filed a concurring opinion. In his concurring opinion, Thomas largely agreed with the majority opinion, which he joined, but also criticized the court for its previous decisions on the merits of the Affordable Care Act. The plaintiffs failed to demonstrate that the harm they suffered is traceable to unlawful conduct, Thomas said. Although this Court has erred twice before in cases involving the Affordable Care Act, it does not err today. The Center Squares Jack Birle contributed to this report. As events around Chicago's Southeast Side and south suburbs mark Juneteenth this weekend, Calumet City Mayor Thaddeus Jones says the discussion about slavery and racism must continue. Juneteenth which has been declared both a state of Illinois and federal holiday this week marks the day in 1865 when slaves in Texas learned of the Emancipation Proclamation, issued almost three years earlier by President Abraham Lincoln. Jones plans to take part in two Juneteenth events on Saturday, one at Sand Ridge Nature Center, 15891 Paxton Ave., South Holland, and another at Schrum Memorial Middle School, 485 165th St., Calumet City. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Cook County Commissioner Stanley Moore also are among the elected officials who will appear at the Sand Ridge Juneteenth Celebration, which runs from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. That event also includes programming at nearby Camp Shabbona Woods. On the schedule are: Storytelling with Kucha and Baba Tony, from 10:30-11:30 a.m.; Migration Stories, presented by Faith in Place, focusing in the migration of monarch butterflies, from noon-1 p.m.; Faces of the Underground Railroad from the Little Calumet Underground Railroad Project, from 1:30-2:30 p.m.; Dances of West Africa, presented by NAJWA Dance Corps, from 3-4 p.m.; and Black Chicagoans: 1850-1900 and Our Impact on the Civil War and Beyond, presented by local historian Shermann "Dilla" Thomas, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. The Schrum event runs from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and will include food giveaways, kids' activities and music. Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute Jones said there also will be discussions about the background of Juneteenth talks that must continue about racism and slavery, including Illinois' slave codes. "The fight is not over," Jones said. "We're looking at some of the victories and some of the challenges ahead. ... (Juneteenth is) a defining moment (and) a reflection of how we got here. ... "The work is not done. Calumet City is prepared to do the work and lead the way in discussing racism." Moore also will take part in another Juneteenth event at St. Francis de Sales High School, 10155 S. Ewing Ave., Chicago. That celebration runs from noon-5 p.m. and will include a food drive and giveaways. Gallery: The Times Photos of the Week Press Release June 19, 2021 De Lima denounces successive killings of minors by authorities Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has denounced the reported killings of young individuals slain amid the Duterte regime's crackdown on illegal drugs and anti-insurgency campaign, particularly the recent death of minors during the operations of police and military in Laguna and Surigao del Sur, respectively. De Lima, a staunch human rights defender, called for an urgent and serious investigation into the successive reports of killings of children by authorities, including the death of 16-year-old Jhondy Maglinte Helis and 12-year-old Angel Rivas and their companions in separate operations by the authorities recently. "Last month, it was an 18-year old with autism. On Tuesday, a 12-year old Lumad was killed in an alleged indiscriminate firing by the military. On Wednesday, a 16-year-old boy was killed in a police operation. Nanlaban daw," she said. "There should be prompt and effective investigations of these EJKs of our children, and perpetrators should be held accountable. Tama na ang kultura ng patayan at impunidad!" she added. According to rights group Karapatan, three people from the Lumad-Manobo tribe namely Willy Rodriguez, Lenie Rivas, and 12-year-old Rivas were harvesting abaca when forces of the 3rd Special Forces Battalion of the Philippine Army opened fire on the victims in Lianga Town last June 15. The 4th Infantry Division, which oversees the 3rd Special Forces Battalion, denied Karapatan's claim, insisting that the incident was an encounter. Meanwhile, according to reports, police claimed that Helis and his companion, Antonio Castillo Dalit, who is among the most wanted persons in Laguna, were killed when they shot it out with policemen who were serving an arrest warrant against Dalit for alleged violation of Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. Helis' family, however, denied the police's claim that he fought it out with the policemen who were serving an arrest warrant, with Helis' aunt, Nylla Maglinte, saying that the minor was handcuffed and begged the police not to kill him prior to his death. De Lima pointed out that serious investigation about these incidents is necessary to find out the truth behind the recent deaths during police and military operations and ensure accountability. "These killings of young individuals are another proof of failure of the State to protect children, youth, including indigenous peoples from summary execution and extrajudicial killings," she said. "Authorities who made lapses in their operations or participated in varying degrees in the perpetuation of extrajudicial killings should be held accountable. Kapag hinayaan lang ito, parang kinunsinte na rin natin ang mga pang-aabuso at pinalakas pa ang loob ng mga gumagawa ng brutal at ilegal na pagpatay ," she added. Last May, De Lima also called for a swift and thorough investigation into the killing of an 18-year-old man with autism by the police officer in Valenzuela City. A news conference on Xinjiang-related issues is held in Beijing on June 18, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua] British tribunal set up by anti-China forces and groups of secessionists A public hearing by a "Uygur tribunal" on accusations of so-called genocide in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region is illegal and the people who gave "testimony" are just actors, Xinjiang officials said on Friday. Xu Guixiang, a spokesman for the Xinjiang regional government, said the British tribunal, opened on June 4, was set up by Western anti-China forces and East Turkestan organizations, groups of secessionists advocating Uygur "independence". It has invited a dozen so-called anti-China experts and scholars to prove a nonexistent lie of "genocide" by the Chinese government against the Uygur ethnic group. "It is simply a shameless act by people who treat the law as child's play," he said at a news conference in Beijing. The attempt to put the label of "genocide" on Xinjiang can be called the biggest false accusation in human history. Such absurd claims have trampled on international law, interfered in China's internal affairs and seriously hurt the feelings of people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang, he said. More than 20 "witnesses" have given their "testimony" at the "hearing", which is beyond common sense and comprehension. Their ability in fabricating and lying has reached its peak, Xu said. Marhaba Aolan, a professor at Xinjiang University, said: "As a Uygur university teacher, I strongly condemn and oppose the witnesses who have claimed that they have been tortured, abused and sexually assaulted when they were detained in Xinjiang." She said the tribunal is not a judicial body but a private company registered in the United Kingdom under the name of "Uygur tribunal". Its largest donor is the infamous "World Uyghur Congress", an anti-China separatist organization, she added. "It has no basis or validity in international law, so any ruling or verdict by the court will only be a piece of useless paper." Elijan Anayat, another spokesman for the Xinjiang government, said based on the presumption of guilt, this pseudo tribunal fabricated evidence and invited so-called witnesses and victims who are just a few "actors" that have been exposed many times. Some of the witnesses have relatives or friends in Xinjiang who have been sentenced with crimes including homicide, rape and drug dealing, but they claim that their relatives have been "persecuted" or put in "concentration camps", he said. "It is unbelievable for some Western countries and international organizations to regard their false stories as evidence and it is also laughable for the court to put the habitual liars as witnesses." The family members of the so-called witnesses also refuted their claims at the news conference. Habiba Yimit, wife of one of the witnesses, Mahmut Tawakkul, said his claim that he has been tortured in prison is a complete lie. Habiba said she had been with her husband every day before he left the country suddenly and he has never served in prison. Their oldest daughter of their three children had leukemia and the couple took her to Urumqi for treatment. However, Mahmut did not care about the daughter or the family and suddenly disappeared, she said, adding that she learned afterwards that he joined a terrorist group abroad. "We suffered great difficulty since you left and our life only got better thanks to the government's help," she said. "You abandoned your elderly parents, three children and me." Marhaba Abdughopur, younger sister of Shamshinur Ghopur, said she was very angry when she heard the absurd claim made by Shamshinur that women in Xinjiang who have given birth to three or more children should have their uterus removed. "As a gynecologist, I have never seen or heard of that," Marhaba said. "Our parents have eight children and I also have three children. Her fabricated story has never happened in Xinjiang." The anti-terrorism and anti-extremism efforts made by Xinjiang over the years have borne fruit and the region has not seen any terror attack in four years, Xu said. It is the largest guarantee for human rights, he added. Cui Jia contributed to this story. After over a month of imposing lockdown curbs to check the COVID-19 surge, the Telangana government on Saturday decided to lift the shutdown in the state from Sunday in view of a decline in coronavirus cases and also reopen educational institutions from July 1. The state cabinet, which met on Saturday, took decisions to this effect and directed officials of all departments to remove all restrictions imposed during the lockdown, an official release said. The decision was taken after examining reports submitted by medical and health department officials that COVID-19 cases have come down in the state and the virus is now under control,it said. Telangana on Friday reported 1,417 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the tally to 6,10,834, while the toll rose to 3,546 with 12 more deaths. According to the release, the cabinet took note that the virus is coming under control in neighbouring states as well. On June 8, the Cabinet had decided to extend the lockdown for 10 days (up to Saturday). The state government had first imposed the shutdown from May 12 during the second wave of the COVID-19 spread and extended it subsequently. As part of the lockdown that came to an end on Saturday, relaxation has been given from 6 AM to 5 PM with a grace period of one hour (up to 6 PM) for people to reach home. The education department has been directed to reopen all categories of educational institutions from July 1 with students allowed to attend classes physically. In view of the decision to reopen educational institutions, the cabinet has asked the education department to prepare guidelines on different issues, including students' attendance and online classes and release it at the earliest, it said. Observing that the decision (to end lockdown) was taken with the view that the livelihood of common people should not suffer, the cabinet sought support and cooperation from people, reminding them that COVID-19 precautions like wearing masks and maintaining social distancing should be followed. Also Read: Rahul Gandhi turns 51, decides not to celebrate birthday in view of COVID-19 pandemic You can now buy the original source code for the World Wide Web, written by Sir Tim Berners-Lee, in an auction starting at $1,000. Berners-Lee will be auctioning the source code signed by him as an NFT or non-fungible token in an auction by Sotheby's. The NFT will be offered in a standalone online auction titled 'This Changed Everything'. The London-born computer scientist invented the World Wide Web in 1989, revolutionising sharing and creation of information in what is seen as one of the most significant inventions since the printing press appeared in Europe in 15th century Germany. "The NFT - completely unique on the Ethereum blockchain - is composed of four elements; the original time-stamped files containing the source code written by Sir Tim; an animated visualization of the code; a letter written by Sir Tim reflecting on the code and the process of creating it ; as well as a digital "poster" of the full code created by Sir Tim from the original files using Python including a graphic of his physical signature; all digitally signed," Sotheby's said in a release. Also read: WazirX announces India's 1st NFT marketplace amid crypto boom The files referenced by the NFT contain code with approximately 9,555 lines, whose contents include implementations of the three languages and protocols invented by Berners-Lee that remain fundamental to the World Wide Web today -- HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol), and URIs (Uniform Resource Identifiers), as well as original HTML documents that instructed early web users on how to use the application. The auction will open from June 23-30, with bidding starting at $1,000, and will benefit the initiatives supported by Berners-Lee and his wife. NFTs have exploded in popularity in recent months, including at auction. A digital-only artwork by American artist Mike Winkelmann, known as Beeple, sold for nearly $70 million at Christie's in March. "Why an NFT? Well, it's a natural thing to do as when you're a computer scientist and when you write code and have been for many years. It feels right to digitally sign my autograph on a completely digital artefact," Beners-Lee was quoted as saying in the release. Also read: Meet Vignesh Sundaresan, the Tamil immigrant who bought Beeple's NFT art for $69.3 mn Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Community memebers walk through the Field of Honor looking for the flags honoring their loved ones on June 29, 2019 at the lot on the corner of North Highway 123 and Cedar Street. Cotton plants and kidney cells were the dominant research topics aboard the International Space Station today. NASA TV will also broadcast a preview on Monday of two upcoming Expedition 65 spacewalks. The orbiting lab is hosting a variety of life forms to help researchers understand how weightlessness affects biology. Observations provide insights often advancing health and improving conditions for humans on and off the Earth. During Friday morning, NASA Flight Engineer Shane Kimbrough harvested cotton plants growing for the TICTOC botany study. The investigation looks at gene expression and root growth in microgravity which may improve both space agriculture and cotton cultivation on Earth. The Kidney Cells-02 investigation is under way this week following its delivery aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon resupply ship on Saturday. NASA astronauts Mark Vande Hei and Megan McArthur collaborated on the biotechnology study today that is seeking treatments for conditions such as kidney disease and osteoporosis affecting both astronauts and Earthlings. Commander Akihiko Hoshide and Flight Engineer Thomas Pesquet worked on a variety of science hardware on Friday ensuring orbital research continues at full pace. Hoshide, currently on his third spaceflight, serviced medical imaging gear the crew uses regularly for eye checks. Pesquet, who is working his second station mission, stowed a small incubator after the completion of a study exploring how drugs work in space. The European Space Agency astronaut then swapped samples inside the Fluid Science Laboratory for a foam study potentially impacting consumer products, fire safety and the petroleum industry. Kimbrough and Pesquet will go on two spacewalks set for June 16 and 20. The duo will spend six-and-half hours on both excursions installing a new pair of solar arrays robotically-extracted overnight from the Cargo Dragon's trunk. NASA TV will go live on Monday at 2 p.m. EDT with station managers discussing the upcoming spacewalk activities to augment the station's power system. Over in the Russian segment of the space station, cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov worked on a variety of communications gear during the morning. After lunchtime, the duo split up to inventory cargo transferred to and from the ISS Progress 77 cargo craft and inspect the Zvezda service module. On-Orbit Status Report Payloads: AC Touch: Per standard procedure, the crew touched both the coated and uncoated coupons for this long-term investigation. Boeing Environment Responding Antimicrobial Coatings tests an antimicrobial coating on several different materials that represent high-touch surfaces. Some microbes change characteristics in microgravity, which could create new risks to crew health and spacecraft systems as well as creating the possibility of contaminating other planetary bodies. The samples remain in space approximately six months then return to Earth for analysis. BCM: The crew set up the appropriate robotics hardware in research mode, and performed test 1 and 2. These sessions are nominally planned to be completed once per month, starting 2 weeks after a crewmember's arrival on ISS. The Standardized Behavioral Measures for Detecting Behavioral Health Risks during Exploration Missions (Behavioral Core Measures, or simply BCM) experiment initially examined a suite of measurements to reliably assess the risk of adverse cognitive or behavioral conditions and psychiatric disorders during long-duration spaceflight, and evaluated the feasibility of those tests within the operational and time constraints of spaceflight for two crewmembers. Subsequent subjects perform a subset of the original activities to measure the performance capabilities of deconditioned crew members to complete either individual or crew telerobotic operations within the first 24 hours after landing. This information could help characterize what tasks a crewmember who has spent months in weightlessness can reasonably be expected to perform after landing on the surface of Mars. FSL (Fluid Science Laboratory): The crew performed the steps necessary to exchange 4 Compacted Granulars sample cell units (SCUs) with 4 Foam Coarsening SCUs. They also exchanged a board in the Video Management Unit. FSL Soft Matter Dynamics - Hydrodynamics of Wet Foams (Foam Coarsening) aims to investigate bubble size and rearrangement dynamics for "wet foams". Microgravity offers the opportunity to investigate such "wet" foams, which cannot be stabilized on Earth because of drainage. Moreover, microgravity conditions are essential to study rearrangement phenomena, such as coarsening and coalescence, disentangled from drainage. Kidney Cells-02: The crew performed sample fixations and sample insertions into the MELFI for preservation. Effects of Microgravity on the Structure and Function of Proximal and Distal Tubule MPS (Kidney Cells-02) uses a 3D kidney cell model or chip to study the effects of microgravity on formation of microcrystals in kidney tubules. In microgravity, these microcrystals are expected to remain evenly suspended, allowing better observation of their effects. Astronauts living in microgravity can experience dehydration, stasis, and bone demineralization, all frequent contributors to kidney stones. Results could support design of better treatments for conditions such as kidney stones and osteoporosis for astronauts and people on Earth. Lyophillization-2: The crew removed the processed sample tray from the sample chamber and stowed it for return to the ground. Lyophilization-2 in Microgravity (Lyophilization-2) examines gravity's effects on freeze-dried materials. Lyophilization, or freeze-drying, is a common method for formulating pharmaceuticals with improved chemical and physical stability. On Earth, the process leads to formation of layers with structural differences, but if such stratification is due to gravity, it may not occur in microgravity. This investigation, which follows up on previous work, may result in improved freeze-drying processes for pharmaceutical and other industries. Molecular Muscle Experiment-2 (MME-2): Following the completion of the 5.5 day experiment run, the crew removed the Experiment Containers (ECs) from Kubik-5 and transferred them to cold stowage. The Molecular Muscle Experiment 2 (MME-2) uses a validated model organism, the C. elegans worm, to study human health changes in space. MME-2 tests a series of drugs to see if they can improve health in space, as well as evaluating if a specific molecule controls some of the health changes in space. TICTOC harvest: The crew took the final set of photos of the plant growth chambers, and then performed the harvest. In the harvest activity, some of the plants were fixed for return, and others were frozen for return. Fixation refers to a group of techniques which are used to preserve various aspects of the samples for later analysis. Target, the retail store, is funding the investigation Targeting Improved Cotton Through On-orbit Cultivation (TICTOC) that studies how root system architecture affects plant resilience to stress, water-use efficiency, and carbon sequestration during the critical phase of seedling establishment. Roots play a central role in plant stress resistance and survival, but their growth patterns depend upon gravity. This investigation examines how environmental factors and genes control development of roots in the absence of gravity. Systems: IROSA Extraction: Yesterday, the Robotics ground controllers (ROBO) powered up the Mobile Servicing System (MSS) and maneuvered the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) to extract the ISS Power Augmentation (IPA) payload in the Dragon trunk. After reconfiguration maneuvers the ground teams performed an inspection of the ISS Roll-Out Solar Arrays (IROSA). The SSRMS was then moved to the Payload ORU Accommodation (POA) pre-grapple position but was unable to begin grapple operations due to issues with the POA camera. Today, ground teams met and decided to install IROSA on the POA this evening. Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Drain/Fill: Today, the crew set up the recycle tank to drain to a -. Following the setup the ground performed the tank drain using the Urine Transfer System (UTS). Once the ground specialists completed the transfer, the crew verified the recycle tank was empty, terminated the drain, and repositioned the fill/drain valve to fill. The crew also swapped the in the offload spot of the UTS. Thermal Amine Scrubber (TAS) Sampling: The crew purged and took samples of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the TAS effluent. TAS is a system used to remove CO2 from air on-board the ISS, by using actively heated and cooled amine beds. The system includes elements that reduce loss of water vapor, and recover CO2 for use in electrolysis to produce oxygen. Completed Task List Activities: JAXA video message Today's Ground Activities: All activities are complete unless otherwise noted. Atmosphere Revitalization System (ARS) Lab Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Zero Calibration Mobile Servicing System (MSS) Hover Maneuver [Planned] MSS maneuver for SSRMS walkoff to MBS PDGF 4. [Planned] Look Ahead Plan: Saturday, June 12 (GMT 163) Payloads: Payload NAS deep clean, TICTOC closeout Systems: Crew off-duty day Sunday, June 13 (GMT 164) Crew off-duty day Monday, June 14 (GMT 165) Payloads: AC Touch, APEX-7, CIR manifold bottle replace, COSMIC logger replace, Cubesat deploy photos, Lyo-02, RTPCG-2 Systems: Dragon cargo ops EVA tool config EVA cuff print EVA camera config EVA Robotics procedure review Today's Planned Activities: All activities are complete unless otherwise noted. Removal of Molecular Muscle 2 Experiment Containers from Kubik 5 Insertion of Molecular Muscle 2 Experiment Containers into MELFI TICTOC Plant Harvest Part 1 Lyophilization Sample Tray Removal Disconnection and stowing of Kubik 5 Nanoracks Module Photography Disconnection and stowing of Kubik 6 Columbus Rack Fronts restore Health Maintenance System (HMS) OCT2 Troubleshooting Atmosphere Revitalization System (ARS) Thermal Amine Scrubber (TAS) Sample Behavioral Core Measures ROBoT-r Test 1 Urine Transfer System Offload EDV Swap Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Drain Charging EVA Camera D4 Battery HDD4 Board Exchange for the Video Management Unit MkII (VMU2) FSL Facility Core Element release in preparation of SMD or RUBI operations Internal Thermal Control System (ITCS) Node 3 Return to Ground Sampling Kidney Cells-02 MELFI Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Tool Configuring LSG Primary Crew Restraint Fold Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet are scheduled to exit the International Space Station's Quest airlock Wednesday for a spacewalk to install and deploy the first of six new solar arrays to help power the orbiting laboratory. Live coverage of the spacewalk will air on NASA Television, the agency's website, and the NASA app beginning June 16 at 6:30 a.m. EDT, with the crew members scheduled to set their spacesuits to battery power about 8 a.m., signifying the start of their spacewalk. During the planned six-and-a-half hour spacewalk, Kimbrough and Pesquet will work on the far end of the left (port) side of the station's backbone truss structure (P6) to upgrade the 2B power channel with the installation and deployment of an ISS Roll-Out Solar Array (iROSAs). Two of the new solar arrays arrived at the station in the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft as part of the company's 22nd commercial resupply services mission to the station. On June 10, operators in the Mission Control Center at NASA's Johnson Space Center used the station's robotic Canadarm2 to extract the solar arrays from Dragon's trunk in preparation for the installation. On Sunday, June 20, Kimbrough and Pesquet will install the second array to upgrade the 4B power channel on the P6 truss. The new solar arrays will augment the existing arrays, which are functioning well but have begun to show signs of expected degradation as they have operated beyond their designed 15-year service life. The first pair of solar arrays were deployed in December 2000 and have been powering the station for more than 20 years. This will be the 239th spacewalk in support of space station assembly. Pesquet will be extravehicular crew member 1 (EV 1), with red stripes on his spacesuit, while Kimbrough will be extravehicular crew member 2 (EV 2), with an unmarked suit. Canadarm2 will be used to maneuver the arrays into place, commanded from inside the station by NASA astronaut Megan McArthur with NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei serving as backup. The spacewalks will be the seventh and eighth for Kimbrough, and the third and fourth for Pesquet. The pair arrived for a six-month science mission at the space station April 24 with NASA's SpaceX Crew-2 mission aboard the Crew Dragon Endeavour. On-Orbit Status Report Payloads: Oral Biofilms in Space (OBIS): The crew hydrated the OBIS assembly session packs 6-10 with fluid flow from Fluid Bag 1 into the Fluid Chamber for 30 minutes. The mixture was allowed to sit for 4 hours and then the fluid flow was reinitiated. The session packs were then incubated for 20 hours. Fluid Bag 1 is a fluid medium containing chemicals designed to promote bacterial growth within the Fluid Chamber. Effect of Environmental Stressors on Oral Biofilm Growth and Treatment (Oral Biofilms in Space) studies the effect of gravity on the behavior of oral bacteria, including the structure of the bacterial community, and changes in bacterial response to common oral care agents. The findings could support development of novel treatments to fight oral diseases such as caries, gingivitis, and periodontitis. The investigation also could provide insights into how microgravity affects the microbiome of other mucosal surfaces in the body. Systems: Mobile Base System (MBS) Payload/Orbital Replacement Unit (ORU) Accommodation (POA) Video Recovered - Over the weekend, teams developed a command-from-scratch to work around a software error in Mobile Servicing System (MSS) version 10.2 which prevented POA video from being routed to the ground. The new commands were tested, approved yesterday morning, and successfully executed on-board yesterday afternoon. POA video is now available for ISS Roll Out Solar Array (IROSA) Flight Support Equipment (FSE) POA removal and installation tasks in support of this week's EVAs. Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Preparations: The crew performed several activities in preparation for tomorrow's 2B IROSA install EVA. The crew setup the Equipment Lock (E-LK) and Robotic Workstation (RWS), installed batteries into the EVA Pistol Grip Tool (PGT) and performed an EVA tool audit. Lastly, they completed a procedure review and conference with ISS ground teams. Completed Task List Activities: None Today's Ground Activities: All activities are complete unless otherwise noted. Ground support for RSA water transfer Atmosphere Revitalization System (ARS) Thermal Amine Scrubber (TAS) Vacuum Leak Check [ACTIVE] Look Ahead Plan: Wednesday, June 16 (GMT 167) Payloads: OBIS Bag2 initiate (NASA) AC Touch (NASA) Systems: 2B IROSA EVA Thursday, June 17 (GMT 168) Payloads: OBIS Bag3 initiate (NASA) Food Acceptability (NASA) ManD print of AstroVest parts (NASA) Lyo-2 Sample stow and install (NASA) Food Physiology Brief (NASA) Standard Measures Presleep Question (NASA) NRCSD-20 Deployer removal (NASA) ISS HAM (NASA) Systems: EVA tether inspection Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Long Life Battery (LLB)/Metal Oxide (METOX) Installation EVA debrief Rechargeable EVA Battery Assembly (REBA) charge In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Pre-Treat Tank Remove & Replace Friday, June 18 (GMT 169) Payloads: JAXA Moderate Temp PCG Sample prep (JAXA) AC Touch (NASA) Food Acceptability (NASA) NanoRacks Module-83 Photo (NASA) Standard Measures Post Sleep Question (NASA) PK-4 disk audit (Joint) Systems: Robotics Procedure Review Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Procedure Review EVA tool configuration ROBoT training Today's Planned Activities: All activities are complete unless otherwise noted. Health Maintenance System (HMS) Periodic Health Status (PHS) Pre EVA Examination Dragon Cargo Transfer Robotics Procedure Review Equipment Lock (E-LK) Preparation Extravehicular Activity Station Support Computer Relocate Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Tool Configuring Extravehicular Activity Pistol Grip Tool Battery Installation Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Tool Audit Solid Combustion (SCEM) OS Troubleshoot Oral Biofilms In Space (OBiS) Assembly Hydration Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Procedure Review Oral Biofilms In Space (OBiS) Fluid Chamber Power Down Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Procedure Conference Artemis HEREA Power Down Extravehicular Activity (EVA) iPad Contingency Procedures preparation Robotic Workstation (RWS) Setup RSA Water Transfer Urine Transfer System Offload EDV Swap Oral Biofilms In Space (OBiS) Fluid Chamber Power On Oral Biofilms In Space (OBiS) MERLIN OBiS Assemblies Insertion Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. Berlin (Germany), June 17, 2021 (SPS) - In the midst of Morocco's aggression against neighboring countries and the European Union to gain support in their policies contrary to international legality, the Secretary of State for Global Spain, Manuel Muniz has warned that the position of his countries, with legal and historical responsibility in the process of decolonization of Western Sahara, "has not changed and will not change. According to the EFE news agency, the Secretary of State has clarified in a meeting with journalists, held in Berlin, that Spain's position is "perfectly framed in the Security Council resolutions" and in "the international consensus." he has defended that it is the same position that "has remained unchanged for decades." "We support from the beginning what the United Nations Security Council has requested, which is that a dialogue be carried out between the Saharawi and Moroccan sides on the status of the region and that it be mediated by the (United Nations Mission for the referendum in Western Sahara) MINURSO , says Manuel Muniz in statements collected by EFE Algiers, 19 June 2021 (SPS) - The latest developments of the Sahrawi issue as well as means and ways to strengthen the support to the Sahrawi people were Thursday at the heart of a political-diplomatic meeting in Algiers. Organized jointly by the embassy of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) and South Africas embassy in Algiers, the meeting was marked by the presence of 15 accredited ambassadors to Algeria representing African, Latino-American and Asian countries. Speaking on this occasion, the Sahrawi ambassador to Algiers presented a report on the latest developments of the Sahrawi cause, pointing out the achievements made by the Sahrawi people since the violation of the ceasefire on 13 November 2020. Taleb Omar emphasized the important victories that have been accomplished so far as well as the successive defeats of the Moroccan system. For his part, charge daffaires at South African embassy Patrick Rankhumise reaffirmed the countrys support to the struggle of the Sahrawi people, dubbing important this meeting. Time has come for the international community to assume its responsibilities and impose courageous decisions in order to force Morocco to respect the charters of the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) in favor of the Sahrawi peoples right to self-determination, because it is a decolonization cause. The diplomats participating in this meeting have unanimously raised the delay in the implementation of the decolonization process in Western Sahara, calling on the UN to fully fulfill its role, which is the compliance with the law and legitimacy. (SPS) 062/090/700 Dubai-based Elcome International, one of the worlds largest providers of maritime systems integration, technical support and shipboard services, has announced the opening of its second office in Europe. Based in the Spanish port city of Algeciras, the facility will offer sales and technical support for the companys growing portfolio of ship navigation, communication, satellite connectivity and coastal surveillance systems. Strategically located on the northern side of the Strait of Gibraltar, the Port of Algeciras is one of the worlds busiest transshipment hubs and is the largest port in the Mediterranean Sea. With nearly 30,000 vessel visits annually, the port handled over 107 million tonnes of cargo and 5.1 million TEUs in 2020. Shipboard services will include annual radio surveys and annual testing of Automatic Identification Systems (AIS), Voyage Data Recorders (VDR), Long-range Tracking and Identification Systems (LRIT), as well as Ship Security Alert Systems (SSAS). This is Elcome's second European facility after it opened base in the Spanish city of Seville last year. With the addition of Algeciras, the company now operates a global network of 24 offices with over 500 employees in 11 countries from the Strait of Gibraltar to the Singapore Strait. Elcome has also appointed Jose Antonio Sanchez as technical manager for its burgeoning European business. He will be based in the new Algeciras office and will support large projects in the commercial and defence segments. Sanchez has a strong background in electronics engineering and ship service management. He earned a degree in radio electronics engineering and a Master of Business Administration. Most recently he was on-site communications superintendent for an Australian navy program. On the strategic move, Executive Director Jimmy Grewal said establishing the new office in Algeciras and placing a technical manager in Europe were important strategic moves for Elcome. "It gives us a direct service presence in one of the worlds most important seaports and will enable us to provide expeditious and local service for our customers across Europe and Africa," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Egis, a major international group in the construction engineering and mobility services sectors, said it has completed the work on the Salalah Independent Water Project (IWP) in Oman. The Salalah IWP was implemented under a build-own-operate framework and included a greenfield development and construction of a sea water reverse osmosis (SWRO) plant with a total output capacity of 113,650 cu m per day of potable water in nominal conditions and 120,000 cu m per day during exigency periods. Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) had earlier entered into a 20-year water purchase agreement (WPA) in relation to the implementation of the Salalah IWP with a consortium of Acwa Power, Veolia Middle East and Dhofar International Development & Investment Holding Company (DIDIC), the project company. Egis said its primary focus was to support OPWP during construction in ensuring that the project company fulfilled its obligations under the WPA by providing supervisory consultancy services and HSE audits. This contract was signed in January 2019 and the works were finalized and handed over in March this year. The overall objective of the project was to supply drinkable water to the Dhofar Governorate to meet the increase in demand. "Along with OPWP and Didic, we were able to work in fluidity and high collaboration facing several challenges during the course of the projects duration. Agility in adapting to the unforeseen events played a key role on succeeding in completing the Salalah IWP project," said a company spokesman. All the plant acceptance tests were successfully performed and concluded early this year, he stated. A major player in the infrastructure consulting, engineering and operation, Egis provides know-how in the areas of transportation and mobility, sustainable city construction, buildings, water, the environment and energy. "We are still involved with ongoing continuous support to OPWP for another IWP project located in Sharqiyah. This project is expected to be completed in July," he added.-TradeArabia News Service The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have issued a new version of the Aviation Health Safety Protocol providing clear operational guidance and risk-based recommendations for health-safe air travel to complement the European Unions key initiatives, such as the EU Digital COVID Certificates. The new version of the document, published on the ECDC's website, takes into account new evidence and information such as the circulation of variants of concern (VOCs) and the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination programmes. The new version also emphasises the need to keep non-pharmaceutical measures in place such as the wearing of medical face masks, hygiene measures and physical distancing, said the statement from ECDC. It is intended to provide support to national authorities in the member states and to aviation stakeholders and is based on the latest scientific evidence, epidemiological situation and policy developments, it added. In line with current scientific evidence and the European Council recommendation, the Protocol proposes that people who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or who recovered from the disease in the last 180 days should not be subject to testing or quarantine, unless they are coming from an area of very high risk or where a Variant of Concern is circulating. For travel from such destinations, the requirement for a negative test could be considered. This could be either a Rapid Antigen Detection Test (RADT) taken no more than 48 hours before arrival or a PCR test no more than 72 hours before arrival, said ECDC in its statement. Also, the use of Passenger Locator Forms to facilitate contact tracing is still considered very important. In addition, physical distancing of at least one metre must be maintained and medical masks must be worn at all stages of the journey, it stated. Hand and respiratory hygiene measures also need to be observed. All these measures are recommended for EU air travel, but also for air travel to and from third countries, it added.- TradeArabia News Service Help India! Niala Mohammad, a Senior Policy Analyst at a Congressional Briefing at Washington, D.C. said the demolition of two mosques in Uttar Pradesh last month, one by officials defying a court order, was particularly alarming for USCIRF. Indian Supreme Courts verdict last year handing the site of a mosque, demolished in 1992 by Hindu extremists, for building a Hindu temple in its place, was also alarming, she added. USCIRF was concerned about religious freedom conditions in India, particularly in Uttar Pradesh. TCN News Support TwoCircles A new law criminalizing inter-religious marriages in Indias Uttar Pradesh state on grounds of unlawful religious conversions is discriminatory and impacts religious freedom, an official with the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has said. It often results in violence and [abets] efforts to prohibit interfaith marriages using the false narrative of false conversions, Niala Mohammad, Senior Policy Analyst, USCIRF, said at a Congressional Briefing at Washington, D.C., this week. The law was particularly concerning not just for its discriminatory purpose but also because of its vague and potentially wide-reaching impacts on religious freedoms in the state. Hindu nationalists had launched inflammatory campaigns decrying interfaith relationships or engagement, including calling for boycotts and censorship of media depictions of interfaith relationships. These efforts targeting and de-legitimizing interfaith relationships have led to attacks and arrest of non-Hindus and violence towards any interfaith interaction, she said. Ms Mohammad said the demolition of two mosques in Uttar Pradesh last month, one by officials defying a court order, was particularly alarming for USCIRF. Indian Supreme Courts verdict last year handing the site of a mosque, demolished in 1992 by Hindu extremists, for building a Hindu temple in its place, was also alarming, she added. USCIRF was concerned about religious freedom conditions in India, particularly in Uttar Pradesh. The Briefing, titled State Repression on Civil Liberties in Uttar Pradesh, was attended by policy staff of Members of the US Congress and officials from the US Department of State, among others. It was organized by Amnesty International USA (AIUSA), Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR), India Civil Watch International (ICWI), Dalit Solidarity Forum (DSF), International Christian Concern (ICC), Justice for All (JFA), and Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations of North America (FIACONA). Ms Mohammad said Indias restrictions on foreign funding of NGOs had impacted religious freedoms in UP with the result that religious minority rights violation is occurring frequently and civil society lacks the freedom to document these or raise voice against them. That is why, she said, USCIRF had recommended that the US Department of State-designate India as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), for engaging in and tolerating systemic, ongoing and egregious violation of religious freedom, and impose targeted sanctions on individuals and entities responsible for severe violations of religious freedom by freezing those individuals or entities assets and/or barring their entry into the United States. Ms Mohammad said disinformation and intolerant content about Muslims, Christians, Dalits had emboldened intimidation, harassment and created incidents of mob violence. She cited hateful rhetoric from government officials and images circulated on social media at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic last year for spreading such hate. Govind Acharya, India Specialist with Amnesty International USA, referenced the brutal police attack at Aligarh Muslim University, a historic educational institution in Uttar Pradesh, following peaceful protests against the CAA-NRC. Amnestys investigation showed that the police blocked ambulances, he said. The crackdown at AMU and other parts of Uttar Pradesh is one way to violate human rights using police brutality during the CAA protests. Joining the briefing from Uttar Pradeshs capital city of Lucknow, human rights activist and Magsaysay Award winner, Sandeep Pandey said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths government had turned Uttar Pradesh into a police state where every problem is viewed as a law and order problem and functions in a way in which victims are made into accused and ordinary citizens are criminalized. He recalled that UP Police killed 22 Muslims, many in firing on protesters who had hit the streets against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) which were perceived to be discriminatory especially against the Muslim community Over 700 people were arrested on charges of destruction of property, rioting and attempt to murder in what were mostly false cases. Nikhil Mandalaparthy, Advocacy Director, HfHR, said the love Jihad laws had led to mass arrests of young Muslim men and empowered Hindu extremist groups to carry on attacks. Hena Zuberi, Washington, D.C. Director for JFA said the BJP had used communalism and anti-Muslim rhetoric in the past and that rhetoric has led to the attacks and deaths. Citing lawsuits against mosques across Uttar Pradesh, she said such petitions will evolve as an issue in central politics and we feel these will be used by the BJP to attract the majority Hindu population and cause violence against the Muslim community and their places of worship. John Prabhudoss, FIACONA Chairman, said Christian organizations were literally choking in Uttar Pradesh as village churches are being burnt and [Christian] families are beaten. Many lawyers defending such victims were being targeted and had gone into hiding, he added. Roja Singh, DSF President, said dominant caste members were assaulting Dalits in Uttar Pradesh to wield power. Anti-Dalit violence, including rapes, which has one of the highest crime rates against Dalits, is a manifestation of entitlement and ownership of Dalit bodies. Joining the Briefing from New Delhi, Indian journalist and author Bhasha Singh said Uttar Pradesh had become an ideal laboratory for converting India into a Hindu nation in which there should be no dissent, no space for a woman, no space for a Dalit, for a minority, there is no space to express or to do their rightful duties. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses an informal plenary meeting of the UN General Assembly to commemorate United Nations Day at the UN headquarters in New York, on Oct. 26, 2020. (Eskinder Debebe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua) BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday sent congratulatory messages to Antonio Guterres and Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa over Guterres' re-election as United Nations secretary-general. In his messages, Xi said that as the most universal, representative and authoritative inter-governmental international organization, the UN plays an important role in international affairs. China expects Guterres to continue to fulfill his obligations laid out in the UN Charter, uphold an objective and just position, firmly preserve multilateralism and make greater contributions to world peace and common development. The major pilgrimage scheduled for mid-July. 450,000 requests for participation have already arrived in 24 hours. There will be a total of 60 thousand faithful who will have the nulla osta. They will need to have Saudi citizenship and be immunized against the coronavirus. Use of robots "to avoid any human contact". Riyadh (AsiaNews) - To avoid possible contagions - and related outbreaks - of Covid-19 on the occasion of the Hajj, the major pilgrimage to Mecca scheduled from 17 to 22 July, the Saudi authorities are using robots to enforce distancing social. In fact, machines will distribute the bottles of holy water to the (vaccinated) faithful participants, about 60 thousand according to the latest estimates provided by civil and religious leaders. A number far fewer than the 2.5 million in the past, but more than just 10 thousand who received the green light last year, when the pandemic caused fear of the cancellation of the event. The use of small robots, black and white, for the distribution of bottles is already being introduced in these days: each will have three support trays through which faithful and pilgrims can stock up "between bewilderment and amusement". The purpose is to guarantee "a service, avoiding any form of human contact" underlines Bader Al-Loqmani, responsible for managing the water of the sacred spring of Zamzam, which flows in the Great Mosque of Mecca, and considered miraculous according to Muslim tradition. Currently, there are 20 robots, but others will be added in the days of greatest influx of pilgrims. So far there have been just under 500 thousand cases of the new coronavirus in Saudi Arabia and almost 7,600 victims. In a nation of 34 million people, health authorities have so far administered over 15 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. Ministerial sources explain that only "people between 18 and 65 years of age, without chronic diseases and immunized" can participate in the major pilgrimage. Evidence of recovery or receipt of one or both doses of the vaccine must be provided at the time of application. And, for the first time, women will be able to register and apply for participation without the protection of the "mahram", the male guardian. Just 24 hours after online registration opened, over 450 thousand requests arrived, as confirmed by the ministry for Hajj and Umrah (the minor pilgrimage). Of these, 60% are men and 40% are women. Only 60 thousand faithful with citizenship or residence permit in the Saudi kingdom will be able to access and priority will be granted to people over 50 who have never had the opportunity to make the pilgrimage so far. Registrations must be completed by 23 June next. Every year millions of faithful visit the sacred places of Islam in Mecca and Medina during the seven days of pilgrimage. For Riyadh it is not just a religious event, but an enormous economic inducement: it is estimated that at least 12 billion dollars related to religious tourism enter the coffers of the Wahhabi kingdom. In March last year, during the early stages of the pandemic, Riyadh asked for trips to sacred places to be suspended. However, after a few weeks, the authorities have granted 10,000 permits to Saudis and foreigners with residence, compared to the thousand assumed at first. It is a toned down pilgrimage and, for the first time in modern times, forbidden to Muslims abroad. The Hajj is considered one of the five pillars of Islam and every good Muslim should do it at least once in his life. Saudi Arabia has often politically exploited permission to reach Mecca; for years the Syrians have been forbidden to travel to the Muslim holy city. The crisis between Riyadh (Sunni) and Tehran (Shiite), still in progress between the two great regional powers, in 2016 effectively blocked the journeys of Iranian citizens to the kingdom. In the past, Riyadh's leadership was targeted by some imams who claimed the Saudi government used money from religious tourism to finance Islamic terrorism. by Vladimir Rozanskij Four regions, including that of the capital, are the first to have adopted the measure. Population suspicious of vaccine. Only vaccinated allowed access to schools and universities: the remainder will have to follow lessons online. The Orthodox Church reticent on immunization campaign. Moscow (AsiaNews) - Four Russian regions are the first to have decided on the obligation of vaccination for different categories of citizens, especially public workers. The first to decree the emergency measure was the capital, on June 16, when mayor Sergej Sobjanin extended the measure to about 60% of the operators of the municipality and to many workers employed in services, commerce, transport and the sector banking. The first dose should be administered by 15 July; the second by 15 August. Given the surge in coronavirus cases in Russia in recent weeks, the decision was also supported by the central government, according to a statement released on June 17 by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. In the last 24 hours alone, the health authorities have registered over 17,000 new cases of contagion, with 453 deaths, 78 of which in Moscow alone. Several positive cases were also detected after vaccination. Despite the pressing campaign of the Russian authorities, and the availability of the Sputnik vaccine since the end of 2020, mass immunization is slow. Most of the population is suspicious about the use of the drug. Their concern is also fueled by the upcoming election campaign. Yesterday President Vladimir Putin finally set the date for September 19. Schools and universities are also moving towards very strict positions regarding the obligation of vaccination. The most prestigious cultural institutions, such as the Higher School of Economics and the Moscow Academy of Sciences, plan to only allow vaccinated students and teachers to attend lessons. Those who prove to have antibodies after coronavirus infection are also admitted. These measures were supported by the Council of Rectors of the universities of Moscow and the province of the capital. All live events will be abolished, such as university open days, party evenings for diplomas and degrees, summer schools and conferences. All events must take place online, as was the case during the hardest phases of social isolation of the past year. From September 1, activities will resume in schools in hybrid mode, admitting only the vaccinated, who will be the only ones to be able to use all school and university services, while the others will have to be satisfied with online activities. The school authorities believe that technological updating, thanks to the pandemic year, is now sufficient to guarantee the right to education for everyone, vaccinated or not. In any case, schools will have to make data on the infected and on those who will be assigned to the isolation regime available. The Moscow Ministry of Health will organize special medical staff for regular checks in the capital's schools, and to offer free vaccination services, with all types of vaccines available. Foreigners and visitors will not be able to enter schools and universities; rectors and directors will have to take charge of continuous information and recommendations on mass vaccination. The Russians continue to be very insensitive to the issue. The Orthodox Church also retains rather negative positions regarding the use of vaccines, despite the continuous deaths of members of the clergy, even at high levels of the ecclesiastical hierarchy. Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Deacons are not "half priests", nor "luxury altar boys", but people dedicated "to the service" of the people of God, they are "available" and "docile", open, but humble, they are Good spouses and good fathers and also good grandparents and sentinels who help the Christian community to see Jesus in the poor and distant, as he knocks on our doors through them. These were Pope Francis words during a meeting with the deacons of Rome this morning together with their families (in the photo). Francis spoke of the "ministry of the deacon" starting from Lumen gentium, for which "hands are laid upon you not for the priesthood but for service" (n. 29). This difference is not insignificant. The diaconate, which in the previous conception was reduced to an order of passage towards the priesthood, thus regains its place and its specificity. The mere fact of emphasizing this difference helps to overcome the scourge of clericalism, which places a caste of priests 'above' the People of God ". Following the conciliar indications, it can be said that the diaconate "thus leads us to the centre of the mystery of the Church. As I spoke of the 'constitutively missionary Church' and the 'constitutively synodal Church', so I say that we should speak of the 'constitutively diaconal Church'. If this dimension of service is not lived, in fact, every ministry empties itself from within, it becomes sterile, but does not produce fruit. And little by little it becomes worldly. Deacons, precisely because they are dedicated to the service of this People, remember that in the ecclesial body no one can rise above others. The opposite logic must apply in the Church, the logic of abasement. We are all called to lower ourselves, because Jesus lowered himself, he made himself the servant of all. If there is a great one in the Church it is he, who made himself the smallest and the servant of all. It all starts here. In short, one could summarise diaconal spirituality in a few words, that is, the spirituality of service: willingness on the inside and openness on the outside. Willingness on the inside, from the heart, ready to say yes, docile, without making life revolve around ones own agenda; and open on the outside, looking at everyone, especially those who are left out, those who feel excluded. Yesterday I read a passage from Don Orione, who spoke about welcoming those in need, and he said: In our houses - he was speaking to the religious of his congregation - in our houses everyone who has a need, any kind of need, anything, even those who have pain, must be welcomed. And I like that. To receive not only the needy, but those who have pain. Helping these people is important. I entrust this to you. Regarding what I expect from the deacons of Rome, I would like to add three more brief ideas - but do not be afraid: I am coming to the end - which are not so much things to do, but rather dimensions to cultivate. Firstly, I expect you to be humble. It is sad to see a bishop and a priest showing off, but it is even sadder to see a deacon wanting to put himself at the centre of the world, or at the centre of the liturgy, or at the centre of the Church. Be humble. Let all the good you do be a secret between you and God. And so it will bear fruit. Secondly, I expect you to be good spouses and good fathers. And good grandparents. This will give hope and consolation to couples who are going through difficult times and who will find in your genuine simplicity an outstretched hand. They will be able to think: "Look at our deacon! He is happy to be with the poor, but also with the parish priest and even with his children and his wife! Even with his mother-in-law, thats very important! Doing everything with joy, without complaining: it is a testimony that is worth more than many sermons. And out with the complaints. Without complaining. "I had so much work, so much". Nothing. Send these things away. Away. The smile, the family, open to the family, generosity. Finally, thirdly, I expect you to be sentinels: not only to know how to spot the poor and the distant - this is not so difficult - but to help the Christian community to recognise Jesus in the poor and the distant, as He knocks on our doors through them. It is also a catechetical and prophetic dimension of the sentinel-prophet-catechist who knows how to see beyond and help others to see beyond, and to see the poor who are far away. You can make your own the beautiful image at the end of the Gospels when Jesus asks His disciples from afar: Have you nothing to eat? And the beloved disciple recognises Him and says: It is the Lord! (Jn 21:5,7). Whatever the need, see the Lord. So you, too, recognise the Lord when, in so many of his smaller brothers and sisters, He asks to be fed, to be welcomed and loved. I would like this to be the profile of the deacons of Rome and of the whole world. Work on this. You have generosity, and go forward with this. The ultra-conservative exponent who was beaten by Rouhani in 2017 is ahead in the vote count in the Iranian elections. Against contact between men and women in the public spaces and the standard bearer of an "economy of resistance", he declared that he was better suited than the reformists to implement the "nuclear deal approved by the Supreme Leader". Tehran (AsiaNews / Agency) - As was widely announced the ultra-conservative Ebrahim Raisi is the new president of Iran. But in an election in which he voted less than half of those eligible. While counting is not yet completed, the other three candidates still in the race have already conceded victory given that Raisi is at around 62%, well above the 50% threshold needed to avoid a run-off. However, the data on abstention is also high: many seem to have heeded the call to boycott the vote after many of their candidates were excluded from the race by the Council of Guardians of the constitution. No official figures on turnout have been released, but around 28 million voters out of the 59 million eligible voters cast their ballot. This figure is much less than the 73% of voters who went to the polls in 2017 for the presidential elections that returned reformist Hassan Rouhani, with the defeat of Raisi. And the turnout was certainly lower than the all-time low of 57%, reached last year during the parliamentary elections. Outgoing president Rouhani - who has already held the office for two terms and will hand over to Raisi in August - has "congratulated the people for choosing him". Former head of the judiciary and very loyal to Supreme Guide Ali Khamenei (who could succeed) the new president - who is 60 years old - is remembered for having been part of the committee that, since 1988, has sentenced thousands of dissidents, militants and opponents to death after the war with Iraq. Raisi was already among Iranian officials subjected to sanctions by the US government. He has always supported a line of closure towards social reforms and ties with the West. In 2014, for example, Raisi sparked debate in Iran for his defense of the rules imposed by the government of Tehran to limit contact between men and women in the public space: "This is a good way to create a suitable work environment for the promotion of women ". As for economic policies, he called for "an economy of resistance", with "more attention to agriculture than to foreign investment". Raisi has instead shown himself open to possibilities in the ongoing talks on the restoration of the nuclear deal - signed in 2015 and then blocked by Donald Trump in 2018. During the last debate before the elections, on June 12, he declared that "he will abide by this agreement approved by the Supreme Leader, adding that "a strong government" has more chances to implement it than one led by reformists. In an interview with state TV, however, he added that in his foreign policy the national interest will be a priority and "he will spare no effort" to end "the oppressive sanctions". The General Assembly passed a resolution condemning the military coup asking member states to prevent the influx of weapons. But China and Russia - the major suppliers - have abstained. Today Aung San Suu Kyi turns 76 as a prisoner, while her supporters take to Yangon streets with flowers in their hair. New York (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The UN General Assembly passed a resolution yesterday evening calling on member states to "prevent the influx of weapons" into Myanmar. The text was approved with 119 votes in favor and one vote against, Belarus; 36 countries including China and Russia abstained. In the resolution, the military junta is expressly condemned for the coup d'etat last February 1 that overturned the outcome of the elections, won by Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD). It also calls for the release of all political prisoners and an end to the violence. According to data released by the Association for Assistance to Political Prisoners, almost 5,000 demonstrators have been arrested since the beginning of the protests against the coup and 870 people have been killed. The measure adopted by the UN General Assembly to date carries the greatest political weight of those adopted by the international community, but it is in any case not binding. What matters is the fact that Yangon's two largest arms suppliers - China and Russia - abstained. And even among the ASEAN countries - the regional cooperation body of Southeast Asia - Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia and Laos have chosen to abstain. The risk of a large-scale civil war is real, U.N. special envoy on Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener told the General Assembly after the vote. Time is of the essence. The opportunity to reverse the military takeover is narrowing. Skepticism was expressed by the ambassador of Myanmar to the UN, Kyaw Moe Tun, who from the first hours after the coup took sides against the military and today represents the government in exile: while voting in favor, he spoke of a "watered down " resolution, as it fails to call for a real embargo. He also complained that it took three months to get to the vote. The news of the UN vote comes as Aung San Suu Kyi is today spending her seventy-sixth birthday as a prisoner. To stand in solidarity with her in her current plight, supporters paraded today in Yangon wearing a flower in their hair, as a tribute to the leader of the National League for Democracys usual custom. It is Aung San Suu Kyis fifteenth birthday spent under arrest. She is expected to appear again in court on Monday in the trial where she stands accused of a series of crimes including illegal possession of walkie-talkies, corruption and disclosure of state secrets, for which she faces a sentence of up to 14 years in prison. Support local journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. remaining of Thank you for supporting local, independent journalism! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Mabia Johnson Mudika killed by armed separatists in Ndian Facebook Armed separatists in Ndian Division, South West Region of Cameroon have killed Mabia Johnson Mudika, Divisional Delegate of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, open sources say. The 42-year-old civil servant, reports say, was killed Friday, June 18, 2021, three days after he was kidnapped by armed separatist fighters along with five other Divisional Delegates. At around 9 am on Tuesday, June 15, 2021, officials say armed separatist fighters abducted six divisional delegates in Misore-Balue village in Ekondo-Titi Subdivision, near Mundemba. Nwafua Lawrence Forwang, Senior Divisional Officer (SDO) for Ndian Division told Equinoxe Television that those kidnapped include:- -the Divisional Delegate of State Property, Land Tenure, and Surveys -the Divisional Delegate of Housing and Urban Development -the Divisional Delegate of Water and Energy Resources -the Divisional Delegate of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Social Economy and Handicraft -the Divisional Delegate of Economy, Planning and Regional Development -the Divisional Chief of Service for Surveys According to Equinoxe TV, the abductors identified themselves as separatist fighters led by a certain General Ten Kobo who hails from Bekora in Ekondo Titi Subdivision. The SDO for Ndian is quoted as saying that he is in communication with the abducted divisional delegates who are being held in two separate camps. The armed fighters are said to be demanding FCFA 28 million to free those in one of the camps and FCFA 32 million for the others. Reports say those abducted were on a mission to demarcate and plant pillars on a parcel of land to be allocated to the electricity utility company, ENEO. The company seeks to construct a power plant that will stabilize the electricity supply in Ndian Division. Administrative and security officials are said to be working round the clock to free the captives as family members become restless, especially with the death of Mabia Johnson Mudika. On Thursday, a separatist who identified himself as Don Pascho appeared in a viral video demanding a ransom of FCFA 1 billion. However, the leader of the kidnappers is quoted as saying that the top civil servants in captivity will be used as an example. The lifeless body of Mabia Johnson Mudika was reportedly found after the utterance of the rebel leader. The fate of the five other captives remains unknown. The remains of Mabia Johnson Mudika are said to have been transported to Limbe through Idenau. They have been preserved in a morgue. Cameroon-Info.Net recalls that on February 11, 2018, Marcel Namata Diteng, the then Divisional Officer of Batibo was kidnapped by separatists and the government later announced he was assassinated in captivity. Later on March 10, 2018, armed separatists kidnapped Animbom Aaron Akiabom, the then Regional Delegate for Social Affairs for the North West Region. The armed men would go on to kill him while he was in their custody. Cameroons state forces have been battling to dislodge armed separatists who pitched their tents in the North West and South West Regions since Anglophone protests transformed into an armed conflict in 2017. Corporate demands by Common Law Lawyers and Anglophone Teachers led to protests in November 2016. The street demonstrations later morphed into ongoing running gun battles between state forces and armed separatist fighters in the predominantly English-speaking regions, leading to untold destruction of human lives, their habitats, and livelihoods. Tit-for-tat killings, kidnappings, arsons, maiming, and outright terror have become part of daily lives in some parts of the English-speaking regions. Vaccinated people under 18 and Maryland residents who got shots at a federal entity or outside the state are not eligible for the lottery pool. A person needs only have one shot to be entered into the pool and their random number is not entered twice if they got both doses, the rules say. Most DNR staffers are dedicated, hard-working, and caring people but in fisheries management, political appointees are undermining the science and blocking efforts to better regulate crabs, oysters, and rockfish. This is done to prevent adverse blowback from the commercial crab industry. A glaring example of this was the wrongful and embarrassing firing of Brenda Davis, a dedicated professional DNR biologist of 28 years who was working in blue crab management. She was fired for doing her job in 2017 and here is but one of the embarrassing headlines: Longtime Maryland Official Fired After Watermen Meet with Governor. The Washington Post story notes how this occurred after she would not agree to rescind or weaken crabbing regulations. The child told authorities the first time was when Thoms told her to sit on his lap and touched her inappropriately but stopped when someone opened the door. She also said hed make her walk around the house with no underwear and forced her to touch him. Ive talked a lot about how it was important for this news organization to cover the trial of that man, and we have. Reporters Alex Mann and Lilly Price, led by editor Brandi Bottalico and our colleagues at The Baltimore Sun, will continue to bring you the coverage you wont find anywhere else. The Capital understands as an institution this was an attack not just on us or Freedom of the Press, but on this community as a whole. The synergies between regional terrorist groups in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region and the international groups is a matter of concern as per a report by Centre d'analyse du terrorisme (CAT). The report titled 'Pakistani Jihadis and Global Jihad' released on June 18 focuses on the historical and recent links of Pakistani terror groups with transnational terror groups like Al Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The expanding global focus of the regional groups whether Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) is visible from their public statements on international developments, said the report. There is increasing radicalisation in Pakistan that would provide these groups a ready ground for recruiting youth. Moreover, the US withdrawal from Afghanistan is likely to witness a resurgence of the Taliban and greater coordination between Pakistan-supported groups like the LeT, JeM and the Taliban. The report also notes that breaking the political and financial links between Pakistan and local jihadi organisations, some working under the guise of providing social and educational services to the people, is the key to weakening the reach and threat of these organisations. Meanwhile, Counterterror watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has criticized Pakistan's inaction against proscribed terror outfits that continue to function under different names. Pakistan's prosecution of designated terror groups has remained the primary stumbling block since the country's return to the grey list in 2018. (ANI) Also Read: Balochistan: Terrorists attack Pakistan army troops, one soldier killed If you are old enough to remember the hit comedy movie of 1980, Caddy Shack, then you will recall that a gopher infestation was threatening a golf course in Nebraska. The somewhat deranged groundskeeper was tasked with getting rid of the pest. His efforts at eradication include shooting, f A month later, after the hubbub died down, I reached out to Thrasher to say thats not what Id written and to ask if hed be interested in a more nuanced exchange by email. I attempted to start that exchange by saying that one of the jobs of a journalist is to question and challenge emerging narratives and conventional wisdom, to be clear about what we know for sure and what we suspect. Ive never written a column that I didnt wish was better, including this one. But Ive done it as well as I knew how, never forgetting, even when I cursed the constant deadlines or felt bad that I couldnt answer all the email, that there was nothing better than being granted this education and this connection with the world, with all of you. The result of these parallel traditions is that your right to do as you please sometimes conflicts with your neighbors right to do as they please. The only way to manage those conflicts is to preserve a space where both sides get much of what they want but neither gets all they want. It would perhaps be going too far to say that the superb Maev Beaty plays Goneril as a reasonable woman, and for sure, Liisa Repo-Martell's wound-tight Regan is not the kind of daughter whom you want tending to your needs in the nursing home. But I've never felt such compassion for Goneril as when Feore's Lear curses her womb and calls for his daughter's sterility an unwise act of rage that, in this production, is wholly disproportionate to her sin, up until that point. Beaty's Goneril does not greedily suck up her father's division of England; she's just trying to keep a lid on her dad, who is clearly in a whole different place. She's not so different at the start from Sara Farb's no-nonsense Cordelia. You sense all three of these women mentally trying to separate the man from the disease; a tragic bit of mental gymnastics that's increasingly common these days, but no less difficult. While cities across the U.S. were creating or expanding civilian police oversight boards, Republican governors in Tennessee and Arizona signed into law measures that could reduce the independence of those boards. The GOP laws require board members to complete hours of police training or mandate that a majority of board positions be filled with sworn officers. Critics say such steps defeat the purpose of civilian oversight. They try to tell us every day that we are not worthy of what we desire, she said during a pause in her musical performance. Were not worthy of happiness, were not worthy of money. Were not worthy of seeing our dreams come into fruition. But really, if we wasnt worthy, then why would they say that? At 3:15 a.m. Nov. 1, 2019, officers responded to a call of a person shot at the white-stoned home in the 6200 block of South Morgan Street on the South Side, according to a Chicago police report included in a city complaint filing against the buildings owner. Officers found a 26-year-old man lying on the kitchen floor in his own blood with gunshot wounds throughout his body, telling the officers, Get me some help. But prosecutors said they had no knowledge of some of those records until Jackson turned them over in court during his argument for a new trial. Linn made it clear that even if prosecutors had withheld that information before Anthonys first trial, that conviction had been thrown out and they were starting anew. Linn also signed an order giving both prosecutors and defense access to Mixons protected health records. Even if Juneteenth didnt become a legal holiday, we would still be taking up our Friday to do this, said Crawford said. This is a legacy event, and we are going to continue to do it as long as God gives us the opportunity to. You are here: China The All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) has pledged to redouble support for female scientific workers amid a campaign under the theme launched in April. They pledged this at a work conference on Friday. Shen Yueyue, vice-chairperson of the National People's Congress Standing Committee and president of the ACWF, called for increased efforts in guiding women in science to play a larger role in China's endeavor to achieve sci-tech self-reliance and self-strengthening at higher levels. Services for female scientists should improve so that they could concentrate on research and break new ground in science, Shen noted. Three Chinese astronauts aboard the Shenzhou-12 spaceship entered China's space station core module Tianhe on Thursday, embarking on the country's first crewed mission during the construction of the station, a space trip that has won congratulations from space agencies and scholars across the world. "Roscosmos sends sincere congratulations to China on the successful launch of three taikonauts on the Shenzhou-12 crewed spacecraft to the new Chinese Tianhe space station" core module, said Russia's state space corporation in a statement released Thursday on its official website. "China has made another confident step forward," Roscosmos said, adding that Russia and China will become "lasting and reliable partners" in long-term exploration of the outer space. "Congratulations to the China National Space Administration (CNSA) on the launch of three 'taikonauts' on their Shenzhou-12 mission to the Tianhe (Heavenly Harmony) space station," the European Space Agency tweeted. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson also extended his congratulations to China on the latest mission. "I look forward to the scientific discoveries to come," according to his Thursday statement on the U.S. agency's website. The Brazilian Space Agency tweeted it congratulates the CNSA on "the successful launch of the first crewed mission to the new Chinese Space Station." "We wish many achievements to China in this challenging space initiative," the agency noted. The crew's planned three-month stay in the station will offer scientists more insights into the living, work and health conditions of an astronaut in microgravity, which in turn "will be useful for future moon missions or Mars missions or further afield," said Paul Francis, an astrophysicist at the Australian National University. The Chinese mission may serve as a boost to international space exploration and cooperation, said Francis in an interview with Xinhua, after the launch. Pablo Hollar, an Argentine expert in aerospace engineering, told Xinhua that China once again sending three astronauts to the outer space is an achievement that attracts worldwide attention. The Shenzhou-12 spaceship, with vastly improved functions compared with the previous Shenzhou series, undertook the country's first round-trip mission to the space station, illustrating the great progress of China's scientific research, said Hollar, who also leads the Aerospace Division of VENG, a company held by Argentina's National Commission for Space Activities. June 15 marked 20 years since the establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a multilateral international institution designed to promote peace, security and dialogue across Eastern and Central Eurasia. Arguably, the SCO is the largest regionalized grouping in the world in terms of geographical coverage and population, with its territory spanning three-fifths of the Eurasian landmass and nearly half of the human population, encompassing China, Russia, Pakistan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia subsequently participated as observer states. The SCO is not an alliance or even a union of sorts, but a product of the need for inter-governmental cooperation and pressing regionalism in East and Central Asia. As an institution, it provides a setting for members to cooperate concerning common interests and portfolios, which allows the augmentation of regional political consensus, stability and prosperity. Unless we happen to live on an isolated or remote property, most of us are part of a neighborhood. We don't choose our neighbours, we might not even like them, but nevertheless we naturally share "common interests" in keeping the area safe, secure and tidy. On this note, imagine a situation whereby a conflict between groups broke out in the neighborhood threatening to disrupt people's lives, or that local houses were being burgled in a crime spree. In such a situation, you would be inclined to work with your neighbors to ensure common solutions to these problems through the appropriate authorities, for the well-being of everyone. This is how you should understand the principle of "regionalism" in international relations. Just like people, countries share metaphorical "neighborhoods" in given parts of the world and subsequently have to learn to live and cooperate on pressing matters of the time. Of course, unlike people, countries cannot simply "move away" if problems become too pressing, and must depend far more on interactions with each other. A disruption in a region can easily undermine the stability, prosperity and well-being of all; therefore in an increasingly interconnected and globalized world, regionalism is a phenomenon whereby countries facilitate means of cooperation and dialogue. Regionalism usually produces "institutions" in given continents or regions, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is one such example, but others include the European and African Unions, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Arab League in the Middle East. These institutions allow their members to come and work together, and establish a set of rules and norms for their participation which navigates prevailing issues, often of a political, economic and security-based nature. Thus, the SCO focuses on East and Central Asia. There are numerous issues of interest and concern necessitating cooperation. For example, a key focus of the past 20 years has undoubtedly been the conflict in Afghanistan, placed as it is in the heart of the region and acting as a gateway between South, Central and East Asia. This means Russia, China, India, Pakistan and other related countries need to work together to contain this issue. This year, Afghanistan will be a key focus in the upcoming summit as the United States has set a troop withdrawal deadline in September, meaning the associated regional powers will need to come up with a blueprint to ensure Kabul's long-term stability. Over the past 20 years, the SCO has played an important role in safeguarding peace and stability of the Eurasian landmass. It has also promoted the building of a new type of international relations highlighting mutual respect, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation. Moving forward, the organization is expected to make more contributions to ensuring regional stability and security and promoting economic and cultural cooperation, so as to achieve common development and prosperity. Tom Fowdy is a British political and international relations analyst and a graduate of Durham and Oxford universities. He writes on topics pertaining to China, the DPRK, Britain and the U.S. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/TomFowdy.htm Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn. You are here: World Flash The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Friday that the country will officially withdraw from the Treaty on Open Skies on Dec. 18 this year. The ministry said in a statement that it notified all the related parties of Russia's pullout on Friday and the decision will enter into force in six months. The ministry recalled Russia's efforts to preserve the arms-control pact and reiterated that the United States is responsible for its collapse. After Washington announced its withdrawal last year, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in January that the country had started domestic legal procedures for the pullout from the treaty. On June 7, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law to quit the Treaty on Open Skies. The multilateral pact, which came into effect in 2002, allows its states-parties to conduct short-notice, unarmed reconnaissance flights over the others' territories to collect data on military forces and activities. You are here: World Flash Ebrahim Raisi, the principlist presidential hopeful, has a big lead in Iran's presidential election, partial results announced by the Interior Ministry showed on Saturday. Iranian Deputy Interior Minister Jamal Orf told a press conference that 28.6 million Iranians out of some 59 million eligible voters participated in the election. With around 90 percent of the votes counted, Raisi has so far garnered over 17.8 million votes in the election, followed by Mohsen Rezaei with 3.3 million. Laura Bethany Buchleiter, a transgender who identifies as female, has been ordained into pastoral ministry by a church in Indiana that has connections to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Buchleiter was ordained at the University Baptist Church of Bloomington in a ceremony that took place on May 23, Christian Post reports. According to some sources, Buchleiter is the first transgender person to be ordained in a Baptist church; however, according to Buchleiter on Facebook: "I'm not the first transgender person to be ordained in a Baptist church, I may be just the second - and the first in a CBF church. I'm very grateful for those who have gone before me and am also very aware that we are all still pioneers in this space." University Baptist Pastor Annette Hill Briggs, who spoke to the Herald-Times in Bloomington said that they're "not ordaining Laura Beth because she is transgender." "Our church self-identifies as a church that listens to the call of the people irrespective of gender or sexual orientation. It's not relevant to us," she said. Briggs confirmed to CP that Buchleiter was ordained after completing a two-year supervised ministry internship and earning a master of divinity degree. She said that Buchleiter has been a member of University Baptist Church for a total of four years and was ordained after gaining "sufficient time and experience to ascertain, experience." Buchleiter's "obvious call of God to pastoral ministry" and a "giftedness for the work," according to Briggs, are both affirmed by the church. Because it was unanimously accepted by the church, Briggs stated that the ordination was a "popular decision." "Ninety-nine percent of the response we have received locally and online has been joyfully supportive while a handful of strangers have been positively vitriolic toward me, our church, and Reverend Buchleiter," she claimed. CP noted that nobody has reportedly quit the church in protest as of the end of June. "None have accepted my invitation to talk together about our differences, that we might witness to our Oneness in Christ, and kindly talk about our differences. Only one person who disagrees with us has reached out in a Christ-like manner," she added. Under the Baptist tradition, individuals are ordained by local congregations rather than by denominational organizations. A spokesman for Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) has said that the organization would not comment on ordinations since it's strictly a local church's business, reports Black Christian News. Briggs, now associated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, also informed to CP that the denomination has no formal position on LGBT matters and thus no institutional resistance is expected to take place. Briggs' church reportedly withdrew from the Southern Baptist Convention in 1999 when it appointed her as pastor despite the SBC's opposition to female ordination. She was the first female to pastor the Bloomington church. The day before the ordination, Buchleiter graduated from Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, reports Church Leaders. Similarly, last month, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, appointed its first transgender bishop in America. In terms of membership, the ECLA is one of the largest churches in the United States, with more than 3.3 million members and 8,900 congregations spread throughout the nation. Transgender ministers? While University Baptist advocates for inclusion as much as other progressive churches do, not all churches and church leaders support the LGBT lifestyle, much less the ordination of a transgender into pastoral ministry. Texas Baptist pastor Robert Jeffress, for example, said Christianity and transgender ideology do not go together, the Christian Post noted. "It's not that confusing," Jeffress said in 2016. "In Matthew 19:4, God's Words are applicable. The Bible says, 'God made them from the beginning male and female,' not male, female and question mark. God has determined how many sexes there are - there are two, not three." And while there are some Christians who think that being attracted to the same sex is part of who they are as a person, Ken Williams, co-founder of Equipped to Love, an organization that aims to "show the truth of Biblically-defined sexuality to the LGBTQ community," says that "God's best plan for us is not to pursue homosexuality." Williams, a former gay man who received Christian counseling and support from his loving pastor and parents, realized that it is possible for a person's sexual desires to be changed. He recounted in his book how he "followed Jesus away from gay," and added that Christ offers "real inner healing and intimate relationship." Churches all over the United States are hosting events to celebrate Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in America after the Civil War. The holiday traces its roots back to June 19, 1865, when Union Gen. Gordon Granger and his troops arrived at Galveston, Texas to announce the Emancipation Proclamation issued in 1863, which freed enslaved African Americans. This week, President Joe Biden signed a law establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday. "Juneteenth marks both the long, hard night of slavery and subjugation, and a promise of a brighter morning to come. This is a day of profound - in my view - profound weight and profound power," President Biden said at the signing of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act. "A day in which we remember the moral stain, the terrible toll that slavery took on the country and continues to take - what I've long called 'America's original sin.'" According to NBC News, the House voted 415-14 on Wednesday to declare Juneteenth a national federal holiday, just one day after the bill passed the Senate without any debate. All 14 no votes came from Republicans. Today, Juneteenth, which is also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day or Liberation Day, is celebrated in venues and churches across the U.S. The Christian Post reported that Garfield Memorial Church of South Euclid, Ohio celebrated the holiday before and this weekend will host a community wide event in collaboration with city officials and citizens. Its lead pastor Chip Freed shared that they will highlight "black-owned businesses and vendors" and will provide a "tent for building bridges, conversations," and other family activities, such as performances and a "kickball with the cops" sporting event. Freed shared that the Garfield Memorial Church in Ohio is a "national teaching church in the Mosaix Global Network seeking to build more healthy multiethnic churches in an increasingly polarized society." The church has 1,200 active members "with no one ethnic group comprising more than 52% of [the] congregation." Freed said he hopes the events would inspire "a sense of historical awareness" and a "spirit of reconciliation." Manchester Church of Christ in Connecticut is set to celebrate Juneteenth to commemorate the end of slavery for the first time this year. The church's Gail Bouffard shared that while the congregation had "historically been predominantly a white one," it has slowly begun to be more diverse. The church co-planned this year's groundbreaking event with its sister congregation, the Northside Church of Christ with the goal of providing "the history of and context for Juneteenth, through the lens of faith." Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church of Montclair, Virginia, which annually held a Juneteenth pilgrimage to Petersburg, Virginia to tour its many historic African American landmarks, has chosen to host a virtual event this year called the Juneteenth Poetry Jam featuring Kim Miller, the first African American Poet Laureate for Prince William County. Mt. Pisgah African Methodist Episcopal Church and Princeton United Methodist Church in Princeton, New Jersey teamed up for their first joint celebration of Juneteenth, which will feature a cookout lunch at Community Park South Pavilions, during which hopes to "build foundations for long-term, harmonious relationships," event co-chair Dana Dreibelbis said. These churches across the U.S. are commemorating the end of slavery by celebrating Juneteenth and acknowledging that there is a lot more work to be done. As President Biden said, "The emancipation of enslaved Black Americans didn't mark the end of America's work to deliver on the promise of equality; it only marked the beginning." Latest reporting from data gathered in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) reveals a "big jump" in the number of vaccine-related deaths. According to the report, 723 new deaths were accounted for on June 11, but the mainstream media continues to ignore reports in its push to get more people vaccinated against COVID-19 with Big Pharma experimental vaccines. According to The Liberty Loft, the VAERS database showed 5,888 dead through June 4, an increase from the previous week's count of 5,165. The number of vaccine-related deaths since the emergency approval of the COVID-19 jab have exceeded the number of deaths recorded for all vaccines combined in the last 29 years. The VAERS database also shows 329,021 injuries that included 43,892 emergency room visits, 19,587 hospitalizations, 5,884 life-threatening cases and 4,538 permanently disabled patients. In early May, FOX News host Tucker Carlson sounded the alarm on the increasing number of vaccine-related deaths, citing the same VAERS database. According to Forbes, Carlson referred to the database run by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which then showed more than 3,300 reported deaths after the COVID-19 shots were administered. Carlson called the number "not even close to normal." Mainstream media was quick to point out however that the VAERS database itself claims it should not be used to officially count the reactions and effects of the COVID-19 vaccine because it "may contain information that is incomplete, inaccurate, coincidental, or unverifiable." Dr. Walter Orenstein, associate director of the Emory Vaccine Center and a former director of the U.S. immunization program at the CDC said however, that the goal of the VAERS database was to "make it as open as possible." "There were conspiracy theories, there were concerns that people were hiding things, and we didn't want to hide anything," Dr. Orenstein told NPR. "It was very important that this system be publicly available so that others could look at it, and make their own conclusions if they didn't trust what the data were that the CDC and [Food and Drug Administration] were putting out." It is important how Dr. Orenstein highlights public trust here, especially after Big Tech's censoring of conservative views in the last five years, as well as as well as mainstream media's dismissal of the Wuhan lab leak theory and effective treatments that former President Trump talked about. Such censoring has also impacted the way COVID-19 and its subsequent vaccines have been reported. Paul Craig Roberts, a former Assistant Secretary of the US Treasury and former associate editor of the Wall Street Journal, argued at Lew Rockwell that the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine uses the virus' spike which induces similar effects to the virus. He reported that the sike is "toxic to endothelial cells, to cardiac pericytes and to brain pericytes," and that when it binds to the ACE2 protein of human cells, it "leads to thrombosis and thrombocytopenia." "The virus seems preadapted to human cells. Humans are the species to which it binds best," Roberts argued, saying that the virus did not bind well to other species such as bats. "In other words, Covid is a virus engineered for humans, and the mRNA vaccines are toxic in themselves." Roberts concluded that coronavirus jabs are "as deadly as COVID-19 itself." In December of 2020, Time reported that the Trump administration signed a $1.95 billion deal under "Operation Warp Speed" to finance Pfizer's development and production of COVID-19 vaccines. The U.S. also engaged in several deals with various pharmaceutical companies, including Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, AstraZeneca-Oxford, Novavax, and Sanofi-GlaxoSmithKline. In total, $12.4 billion has been allotted for COVID-19 vaccines. It's worth noting how Byram Bridle, professor of viral immunology at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, spoke how vaccine developers thought the spike protein present in COVID vaccines was a "great target antigen," but didn't realize that it was, in itself, "a toxin and pathogenic protein." "So by vaccinating people we are inadvertently inoculating them with a toxin," he said. A student has written a letter to English teacher Dana Stangel-Plowe, who resigned from Dwight-Englewood School earlier this month after it promoted critical race theory in the classroom. Stangel-Plowe made headlines when the prominent black Columbia University professor John McWhorter praised her for speaking out against critical race theory being taught to such young minds. "Students arrive in my classroom accepting this theory as fact: People born with less melanin in their skin are oppressors, and people born with more melanin in their skin are oppressed," Stangel-Plowe wrote in her resignation letter, which is now posted on the website of the Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism, the New York Post reported. "Men are oppressors, women are oppressed, and so on. This is the dominant and divisive ideology that is guiding our adolescent students." McWhorter then took to Twitter to praise Stangel-Plowe for standing up against critical race theory in the classroom, calling on "truly antiracist parents" to pull their children out of Dwight-Englewood School, which he accused of teaching students "'antiracism' that sees life as nothing but abuse of power, and teaches that cringing, hostile group identity against oppression is the essence of a self." Stangel-Plowe also blew the whistle on Dwight-Englewood Head of School Rodney De Jarnett who she said threatened the school faculty that he would replace them with people of color if they were not to recognize and abide by the CRT policies of the school. Now, a student of Stangel-Plowe has spoken out in support of her and her stance on CRT in classrooms. According to The Daily Wire, McWhorter shared a letter from a student at the Dwight-Englewood School that was written to Stangel-Plowe in support of her standing up against CRT. In the latter, the student wrote, "I hope you realize how big of an impact you made on our community." The student went on to say that many students at the school are "scared to speak out on their opinions in fear" and that he himself has refrained from speaking out during their classes "in fear of sounding politically incorrect." The student admitted that he observes the "negative effects of this toxic community" on a daily basis. The student's letter also recounts how a lot of white students, particularly male ones, have been made to "feel like horse sh**, like worthless scum undeserving of living" due to the critical race theory teachings at the school. He once stood up against a male white classmate who kept referring to slave owners as "we," as if holding himself accountable for his ancestors' actions. The student argued that most of their parents, despite being white, were also "refugees from foreign countries, whose ancestors were also oppressed and persecuted." The student also expressed his worry about how online campaigns such as "#KAM" or "kill all men" has gained a following amongst the youth and generalizes that all white men are evil. He admitted it was difficult to discuss such ideas with his girlfriend. He argued, "People don't realize how strongly that affects boys in an extremely negative way." The student closed the letter by thanking Stangel-Plowe for trying to change the school for the better. Several states have taken action against critical race theory in classrooms, including Texas, where Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law that "prescribes how Texas teachers can talk about current events and America's history of racism in the classroom," the Texas Tribune reported. Florida's state Board of Education has also banned critical race theory in the classroom, while Tennessee is also looking to discuss a measure to ban CRT teachings to the youth. The United States Supreme Court has ruled on Thursday in a unanimous decision that a Christian foster agency must not be forced to place kids with same-sex couples. The Christian Post said that the judges sided with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Catholic Services in the case "Sharonell Fulton et. al. v. City of Philadelphia" for following their religious beliefs in refusing to place children with same sex couples. The Christian Post explained that the state of Philadelphia ceased in 2018 their affiliation with the Archdiocese's Catholic Social Services, along with that of the Bethany Christian Services of Greater Delaware Valley, since the said organizations refused to place children with same sex couples. The judges' decision reversed that of the U.S. Court of Appeals Third Circuit and stressed that the state burdened the organization for cutting its ties with them. "The refusal of Philadelphia to contract with CSS for the provision of foster care services unless it agrees to certify same-sex couples as foster parents cannot survive strict scrutiny, and violates the First Amendment," the judges said in the decision. "The City's actions burdened CSS's religious exercise by forcing iteither to curtail its mission or to certify same-sex couples as foster parents in violation of its religious beliefs," they pointed out. The decision also pointed out that the "government fails to act neutrally when it proceeds in a manner intolerant of religious beliefs or restricts practices because of their religious nature" such that the law cited on discrimination "lacks general applicability if it prohibits religious conduct while permitting secular conduct," which in turn "undermines the government's asserted interests in a similar way." According to the case's legal counsel Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, Sharonell Fulton and Toni Simms-Busch were some of the foster parents who have long been working in the caring of children with Catholic Social Services as it is regarded as one of Philadelphia's "most successful foster agencies." These Catholic women, the Becket Fund pointed out, have already fostered more than 45 children since they worked with Catholic Social Services. However, Philadelphia stopped placing children with foster parents like Fulton and Simms-Busch in 2018 since it was demanding that CSS either "change its religious practices or close this important ministry." Fulton then spearheaded the filing of the case against the state. "Catholic Social Services' religious beliefs and traditions aren't a policy or set of guidelines it can change. The agency walks with the Catholic Church in its teachings about marriage and family as well as its commitment to serving the local community-and all parts of the human family-as best it can. This is why the agency is committed to serving all children in need-regardless of their race, religion, or sexual orientation," Becket Fund elaborated in the literature about the case. Becket said Philadelphia's cutting of ties with the CSS was ironic for it was done at a time its officials admitted the great need for foster families three years ago. They stressed that CSS has "loving families ready" yet the government is "keeping them on the sidelines" causing the children "with fewer loving homes" and "left hanging." The Christian Post said Chief Justice John Roberts delivered the case's decision and pointed out that the state can grant an exception to the law on anti-discrimination such as in the case of Philadelphia's Catholic Social Services. Roberts said the state failed to show "CSS an exception" and needs to create a system of exceptions in its contract that "undermines the City's contention that its nondiscrimination polices can brook no departures." In their press release posted on Wednesday, Becket Fund said the court "ruled in favor of 'exemplary' foster mothers Sharon Fulton and Toni Simms-Busch" and allowed them "to continue serving children" through their partnership with the 200-year-old CSS. "I am overjoyed that the Supreme Court recognized the important work of Catholic Social Services and has allowed me to continue fostering children most in need of a loving home. My faith is what drives me to care for foster children here in Philadelphia and I thank God the Supreme Court believes that's a good thing, worthy of protection," Fulton announced. Texas Senator Ted Cruz warned on Thursday that China might invade Taiwan and Iran might get nukes as soon as possible because of President Joe Biden's "weakness." Breitbart reported that Cruz was interviewed by Hugh Hewitt in the podcast "The Interview" where he said that there is "a real possibility" that Iran will be developing nuclear weapons while there is a "distressingly high possibility" that the Chinese Communist Party "will militarily invade Taiwan" because the said countries see Biden's "weakness." "Xi sees that weakness as a signal (of) what Biden will do if they invade Taiwan. And there are two things that I am deeply concerned about, that I think there's a real possibility will happen in the next four years, before the end of 2024," Cruz said referring to China President Xi Jinping. "Number one, I think there's a real possibility the Ayatollah Khamenei will develop a nuclear weapon, that they've taken a measure of Joe Biden, they think he's too weak to respond, and so they're going to rush to get a nuke before Biden's gone," he added. "And number two, I think there is a distressingly high possibility that China will militarily invade Taiwan for exactly the same reason, that Xi has taken a measure of Biden, and he doesn't believe there will be any meaningful consequences." During the podcast, Cruz discussed with Hugh the need to defend Taiwan and the 2023 presidential race, as well as, the Biden-Putin summit. U.S. military experts have raised last April the possibility that China will invade Taiwan as it mounts its "power" in Asia as a means to overthrow the United State's hold in it. In an interview with Associated Press, Asia-Pacific Region Senior U.S. military Commander Admiral Philip Davidson said they see "risks are going up." "We have indications that the risks are actually going up. The threat is manifest during this decade--in fact, in the next six years," Davidson said. While Ohio Representative Steve Chabot pointed out during the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Taiwan that there is "ambiguity" in the United States regarding to defending Taiwan if such an invasion occurs considering the lack of clarity on it by the present Administration. "And I must say, strategic ambiguity relative to Taiwan and China is, in my opinion, absurd and dangerous. We ought to be crystal clear that if China attacks Taiwan, we will be there with Taiwan," Chabot stated. Experts said part of the ambiguity lies in the Administration's focus on racism and LGBTQ as most of the executive orders Biden has released since taking office delved on this and not much on the clarity of his international relations and security policies. As a sign of support for Taiwan, Cruz recently authored the bill that allows the wearing of uniforms of Taiwanese officials and the display of their national flag while on official business in the United States. The said bill, Taiwan Symbols of Sovereignity Act has already passed the Senate last June 11. Taiwan News reported that the passing of the bill has lifted the remaining restrictions "on diplomatic exchanges between" the United States and Taiwan. Cruz' bill is part of S.1260 or the United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021 that tackles a series of amendments that includes national security and the enhancement of the United States-Taiwan partnership. The Fulton County Vote Audit reportedly revealed stunning irregularities putting President Joe Biden's win in Georgia in question. WND reported that "more than 100 batches of absentee ballots in Fulton County could be missing" on top of "identical vote tallies repeated multiple times" and "large batches of absentee ballots that appear to be missing from the official ballot-scanning records." WND cited a report from Just the News stating these irregularities. "The issue in Fulton County, which is mostly Democratic, is that the results could impact the statewide race that Biden took by a tiny margin. The significance is alarming since Georgia was one of six battleground states that drew charges of election fraud after the 2020 presidential race results were announced," WND said in its report. Meanwhile, Just The News pointed out that experts see the missing ballots as "election tabulation malpractice" while the state's official "seek to remove" the "county's top election supervisors." Just The News said they personally reviewed the memos on the audit that included the report of Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger's hired contractor and that of the county's handwritten tally sheets for the ballots. The audit report documented "troubling behavior like the mysterious removal of a suitcase of sensitive election data known as polls pads" that is used to authenticate voters. "Several cases (including SC11) were just left out on the loading dock outside the warehouse. Thankfully the seals were intact," read one of the audit's contractor notes based on observance of unsupervised materials docked at the warehouse. WND added that a string of irregularities was similarly reported by Real Clear Investigations that showed that the mail-in ballots were to have "an alarmingly odd pattern of uniformity in the markings for Joseph R. Biden." Fulton County Poll Manager Suzi Voyles pinpointed that the irregularities she observed were "adding to suspicions" on voter fraud. "One after another, the absentee votes contained perfectly filled-in ovals for Biden--except that each of the darkened bubbles featured an identical white void inside them in the shape of a tiny crescent, indicating they'd been marked with toner ink instead of a pen or pencil," Real Clear Investigations said. "Adding to suspicions, she noticed that all of the ballots were printed on different stock paper than the others she handled as part of a statewide hand recount of the razor-thin Nov. 3 presidential election," the report stressed. "And none was folded or creased, as she typically observed in mail-in ballots that had been removed from envelopes. In short, the Biden votes looked like they'd been duplicated by a copying machine." In an interview on Wednesday, Raffensperger said that he has already recommended the removal of the county's top officials since the missing documents obviously show one of two things: gross incompetence or potential fraud. "I have continued to call on the elections director to be removed from his position, and the leadership of Fulton County has continued to fail to act," Raffensperger said in the interview. Raffensperger repeated these sentiments in Twitter last Tuesday. He said, "Restoring confidence in our elections is going to be impossible as long as Fulton County's elections leadership continues to fail the voters of Fulton County and the voters of Georgia. They need new leadership to step up and take charge." This new expose on a string of irregularities come after Georgia Official Mariska Bodison from Fulton County Registration & Elections Office admitted that there were 385 absentee ballot transfer forms missing. Bodison's admission is said to cut"to the very core of public confidence in the outcome of the 2020 presidential" elections. "New revelations that Fulton County is unable to produce all ballot drop box transfer documents will be investigated thoroughly, as we have with other counties that failed to follow Georgia rules and regulations regarding drop boxes. This cannot continue," Raffensperger said on the matter. What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 319-283-2144 or email circ@oelweindailyregister.com. Boneys employees, always willing to help, from left, Jase (produce); Avner (grocery); Ryan (grocery); Sheila (manager Healthy Living); Ryan (manager of Meat/Seafood); Debi (store owner); Bobbi-Lyn (bookkeeping/HR); Roy (manager Produce). Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Litchfield (06759) Today Cloudy. Some light rain will fall throughout the day. High 72F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Cloudy with periods of rain. Low near 55F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. Foodshare surveyed more than 1,400 people and found that 70% never used a food pantry before COVID-19. In addition, 70% reported that they had to choose between paying for food and paying other bills. More than 400,000 Connecticut residents struggle with hunger, according to Connecticut Food Bank, and more than 117,000 children are food insecure. A year ago, Concerned Parents of Color of West Hartford brought to all our attention that the Town Green still bore the name of a known slaveholder. In our day we can redeem this legacy with language that welcomes and celebrates our diversity. This historic land continues to be owned by First Church and leased to the town (for a nominal sum). Last fall the church voted to change the name from Goodman Green to Unity Green. Although there were several other worthy names proposed, Unity Green is intended not as an erasure of this legacy, but as a good choice now, given this legacy. We hope Unity Green will provide a gracious welcome in our town for a diversity of residents now and in the future. We are in a position to make powerful choices today in light of our collective legacy. And we still need to do this together. With intense interest in the new industry expected, licenses will be awarded by lottery. Fees to enter the lottery for a license range from $250 for a food and beverage manufacturer or delivery license to $1,000 for a cultivator license. If an applicant is picked in the lottery, additional licensing fees must be paid. Half of the licenses would be reserved for social equity applicants that come from economically disadvantaged areas that have been most harmed by the war on drugs. Those applicants would pay reduced licensing fees. Businesses involved in the states existing medical marijuana program could pay to enter the recreational market, with fees ranging between $1 million and $3 million. Stackhouse detailed several other instances of sexism and racism. She said she witnessed Bill OConnor ban the playing of rap or hip-hop in the brewery, calling it (N-word) music. In another instance, Bill OConnor called her over to show her pictures he took of topless women from a Key West trip. She was told by OConnors Chief Operating Officer Zach Volkman to refrain from using emoji or girly language in social media posts because it might scare off male customers. There will be a day sometime in the near future when this guide will not have to be published, the authors wrote in the 1948 edition, according to History.com. That is when we as a race will have equal opportunities and privileges in the United States. It will be a great day for us to suspend this publication for then we can go wherever we please, and without embarrassment. If you have a valid excuse, we excuse them, of course, Mills said. But if they just forgot or just didnt want to come, we tell them to come in the next hour so we can have a panel, so we can get these trials going. Though the Federal Emergency Management Agency wrapped up its Norfolk clinic May 22, the local health department has continued using the old Macys building two days a week, said Dr. Parham Jaberi, the interim health director for Norfolk and Virginia Beach. Though that hasnt been prominently advertised, staff have been there to finish some second doses while also offering Pfizer shots to teens, many of whom just became eligible. The CBSE on Thursday announced the formula for assessment, after an approval from the Supreme Court for Class 12 results. (Representational image/PTI) HYDERABAD: The Central Board of Secondary Educations (CBSE) assessment formula for Class 12 results announced on Thursday received mixed reaction from city students. Most of the students this correspondent spoke to expressed concerns over the grading plan affecting their overall final result. Laveena, an outgoing Class 12 student in a private school in the city, said had the exams taken place this year, the result would have been different for most students, and that their performance especially in Grade 11 exams could be the reason behind varying results of most deserving students. Similar thoughts were echoed by students of different schools in the city, who said because students did not put in much effort for the internal Class 11 exams, a 30% weightage for these results could affect the total marks. "I don't think it will affect me personally because my higher education course doesn't require a certain number to be able to pursue a career. But for most students who are going to submit their marksheets under a cut-off criteria, it could result in a difficult situation for them," Manan, another outgoing student awaiting result, said. K. Srilatha, principal at the Global Indian International School, Uppal campus, also said the finalised evaluation system would be useful to students only if the universities and colleges changed their admission process for this academic year in accordance with the evaluation pattern followed in Grade XII. As the pandemic is global, universities and colleges should strategise a comprehensive policy that no student is met with injustice in admission to the next level course. The policy should be in such a way that it balances between rural and urban students. Also, the government and private universities and colleges must enhance seats for this academic year as a special case due to pandemic to meet the increased pass percentage," she added The CBSE on Thursday announced the formula for assessment, after an approval from the Supreme Court for Class 12 results. The results will be based on the student's past academic performance of Class 10, 11 and pre boards, and will be constituted in a ratio of 30: 30: 40 (X, XI, and pre-boards) formula. This means about 40 percent of the weightage will be given to Class 12 pre-boards, and in the rest of the 60 percent, 30 percent will be based on class 11 final exams and 10th exams, respectively. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Fort Hood, TX (76544) Today Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High 91F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Low 74F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%. The so - called "Syrian National Coalition" formed in November 2012 during opposition meetings in the Qatari capital, Doha. The Coalition claims that main purpose is to democratize Syria, but in fact it is a pawn in the hands of the Turkish occupying state, and the political umbrella of the so - called "Syrian National Army" mercenaries of the occupying state, who have committed the most heinous crimes against Syrians. The Syrian Democratic Council revealed in a statement yesterday. "The Coalition criminals worked at all levels to discredit the Syrian Democratic Forces, and expressed their bankruptcy very rudely as the meeting approached. "Biden-Erdogan "began to defame the Syrian Democratic Project by tampering with the security of civilians. Their aim is to distort the heroes of the Syrian Democratic Forces. This time, their crime was to target Avrin Hospital and commit a massacre against innocent civilians, so that their vile media would rush to charge SDF in conjunction with the Coalition representatives' demand their gangs to occupy more Syrian territory. " The Syrian coalition has a major reason to prolong the Syrian crisis. In this context, the co-chair of the Kurdistan Democratic Peace Party, Talal Mohammad, stated to ANHA agency that the "coalition" is a client of the Turkish occupying state, applying its policies towards the north and east regions of Syria: "The Syrian coalition is the main reason for prolonging the Syrian crisis." Talal Mohammad explained that the policy Turkey wanted to pursue through ISIS/Daesh mercenaries in north and east Syria is now trying to implement politically through the Coalition. He said: "The coalition must change its name from the Syrian coalition to the Turkish coalition." Mohammed drew attention to crimes committed in the occupied areas by Turkey and its mercenaries, such as the attack on the Avrin Hospital before the NATO meeting on June 15th. He noted that the main aim of these crimes was to accuse the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF): "Everyone knows that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are not doing this, and the SDF made a statement to public opinion and confirmed that it was not related to the attack that took place." Mohammad explained that recent crimes committed in the occupied areas, attempts to wreak havoc in some areas of north and east Syria, such as in Manbij before the NATO meeting, were planned and aimed at tarnishing the image of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that fought ISIS/ Daesh mercenaries, to stop support for them, pitting world opinion against Autonomous Administration. The coalition represents neither the Syrian people nor even the opposition. Mohammed pointed out that "Coalition" President Nasr Al- Harir claims to be Syrian and opposition, while demanding that an occupying state like Turkey invade areas of north and east Syria, and asserted that the Coalition does not represent Syrians, not even Syrian opposition. Mohammed noted that "the Coalition" had declared itself opposed to the policies of the Damascus Government, but had the same mindset against the Kurds, and had not fought against the Damascus Government. He explained that "if the Coalition's claims are true and its goal is to democratize Syria, it should go to Damascus and Latakia, not to north and east of Syria. The Coalition is a client of the Justice and Development Government and implements its schemes in our regions. " Talal Mohammed asserted that the goal of the President's "coalition" was to implement Turkish occupation state policies in north and east Syria. T/S ANHA 06/18/2021 This cropped image from the film poster was created by JSU Graphic Design Professor Christian Dunn. JSU's Longleaf Studios will premiere the director's cut of "The Fire in Anniston: A Freedom Rider's Story" on June 24, 6 p.m., in Ernest Stone Performing Arts Center. The film's writer, director and producer will be in attendance to answer questions after the screening. Admission is free and open to the public. Produced for Alabama Public Television by Longleaf Studios, in partnership with Prodigi Arts, "The Fire in Anniston" is a one-hour documentary that tells the story of the Freedom Riders who were greeted with violence on their peaceful mission to protest racial segregation in the South. On May 4, 1961, an integrated group of 13 Freedom Riders left Washington, DC to challenge the continued segregation of buses on Southern interstates, despite the US Supreme Court declaring this practice unconstitutional on public buses. When the two buses arrived in Anniston, Ala. on Mothers Day, May 14, a dark chapter in American history was waiting to unfold. A bus full of passengers was lit on fire by an angry mob of Klansman, who held the doors shut with the intention of killing all on board. Fortunately, the passengers were able to escape, but not without enduring a violent beating. A second bus was boarded by Klansmen, who also beat the passengers nearly unconscious. The violence continued as the injured Freedom Riders continued to Birmingham, Montgomery and beyond. The "Fire in Anniston: A Freedom Riders Story" is a compelling historical account of social injustice, the fight for equal rights and the reckoning of a small Southern town. The bravery of those young 13 visionaries started a movement that received worldwide attention. Today, Anniston is redefining itself as a place for redemption and Civil Rights education. In 2017, the Greyhound bus station and the site of the bus burning were declared US National Monuments by President Obama. The film features reenactments by students in the JSU Department of Theatre and Film, while the production included the graphic design talents of JSU Art and Design majors. It was an incredible opportunity for JSU students to work closely with a professional film studio and numerous influential people from the Anniston community to tell the Freedom Riders story from an Anniston perspective, said Seth Johnson, director of JSUs Longleaf Studios, executive producer of the documentary and head of the Department of Art and Design. JSUs partnership with Alabama Public Television provides our students the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience that will prepare them for careers in the film industry. We are immensely lucky to have this opportunity. Qraft Technologies CEO Kim Hyung-sik poses at the New York Stock Exchange during a ceremony to celebrate the listing of the company's artificial intelligence-powered exchange-traded funds in this July 2019 file photo. Courtesy of Qraft Technologies By Park Jae-hyuk Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk's bizarre tweets have long been regarded as major risk factors among the electric vehicle manufacturer's shareholders worldwide, prompting some investors to sue him and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to issue warnings. While most investors have felt it difficult to predict Tesla's stock price due to the weird behavior of its CEO, a Korean startup has drawn attention from Wall Street recently for its artificial intelligence (AI) powered exchange-traded fund (ETF), which sold all of its Tesla stock holdings at peak price and bought them again before the price bounced back. The fund is the Qraft AI-Enhanced U.S. Large Cap Momentum ETF (AMOM), one of Qraft Technologies' four robot-run ETFs listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The other three are Qraft AI-Enhanced U.S. Large Cap ETF (QRFT), Qraft AI-Enhanced U.S. Next Value ETF (NVQ) and Qraft AI-Enhanced U.S. High Dividend ETF (HDIV). AMOM has especially gained popularity for its timely sales and purchases of Tesla shares over the past few months. Amid growing attention on the secret behind its strategy, Qraft CEO Kim Hyung-sik clarified that Musk's tweets had limited impact on the AI program's stock-picking choices, although his messages on social media were parts of data used for analysis. "His tweets were not helpful in predicting Tesla's stock price, so they can be seen as noise," Kim told The Korea Times in a recent interview at his office in Seoul. "They might have affected cryptocurrencies, but not Tesla shares. More important factors were the patterns of the stock price movements, financial data and the news." After the latest monthly rebalancing in June, AMOM sold its entire Tesla stock holdings, just a month after including them in its portfolio. Qraft's robot-run ETFs have also caught the attention of Reddit users this month for buying DocuSign and Biogen stocks, a few days before their prices soared. Kim, who earned a bachelor's degree in electrical and computer engineering and a master's degree in economics from Seoul National University, said it is difficult to explain the reasons behind AI's decisions, because what robots emphasize keeps changing and humans do not meddle with the decision-making once the robots finish their analysis, based on deep learning technologies. He emphasized that the robots were able to adapt quickly to the market changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic last year, in contrast to human-reliant asset management firms that failed to start buying stocks before the bullish run. According to the CEO, both AMOM and QRFT, which marked the second anniversary of their listings in May, have outperformed their benchmark indices, helping the company win greater trust from investors. The other two ETFs have also shown double-digit return rates over the past three months. "The outcomes are satisfactory," he said. "World-class asset management firms, such as BlackRock, Goldman Sachs and Vanguard, came up with similar products, but ours have shown better performance." A banner celebrating the listing of Qraft Technologies' artificial intelligence-powered exchange-traded funds on the New York Stock Exchange is seen in this July 2019 file photo. Courtesy of Qraft Technologies The Qraft CEO said such performances have led more retail investors in other countries, including the U.S., Canada and Europe, to make investments in the company's AI-powered ETFs. However, he admitted that the company's ETFs need to increase their assets under management (AUM) to attract larger institutional investors, whose internal regulations bar them from investing in ETFs without a certain level of AUM. "Smaller institutions and family-run offices began to buy into our ETFs," he said. "The increase in assets has accelerated lately. We expect they will go up further if our AI wins the trust of investors." As part of efforts to promote the company, Qraft has established an office in Hong Kong. Kim said Qraft is considering listing its ETFs in Korea, Hong Kong and Europe. He added that the company finished developing two additional ETFs to be listed on the NYSE in the near future. But he remained cautious about the company's plan for an initial public offering (IPO), although it selected Hana Financial Investment as an underwriter last year and has attracted a combined 30 billion won ($27 million) in investments from the Korea Development Bank, Smilegate, Dunamu & Partners and several other institutions. Qraft will also seek to attract additional investments from foreign investors sometime next year. "We will go public when we make sizable earnings," Kim said. "We can consider an overseas listing, because we have many foreign customers. However, it is too early to talk about this." North Korean leader Kim Jong-un vowed to break through the difficulties facing his country as he concluded a key Workers' Party meeting after discussing ways to deal with food shortages and relations with the United States, state media reported Saturday. Throughout the four-day plenary meeting of the party's Central Committee, the third of its kind this year, Kim discussed how to cope with economic challenges, including food shortages and anti-pandemic efforts. He also discussed ways to deal with the U.S. administration of President Joe Biden, saying the North should be ready for both dialogue and confrontation, and more importantly, confrontation amid the "fast-changing" situation on the Korean Peninsula. As he wrapped up the meeting Friday, Kim "solemnly swore on behalf of the WPK Central Committee that the Party will surely break through head-on the difficulties lying in the way of the revolution," and remain loyal to the revolutionary idea to the end regardless of the "severer difficulties it may be confronted with in the future," the Korean Central News Agency said. The meeting also dealt with organizational issues, including the election of members to the political bureau. Thae Hyong-chol, vice president of the Presidium, was elected as member of the bureau. The North appears not to have discussed who will fill in the new "first secretary" post, a No. 2 position created after the North revised its rules at a rare congress in January. (Yonhap) gettyimagesbank Survey shows 78.2 percent of elderly Koreans live independently By Yoon Ja-young Senior citizens in Korea are healthier, wealthier, more active and confident than ever. If elderly people were typically depicted as passive and dependent, suffering from poverty, the new generation of senior citizens gives off a different image. A woman surnamed Roh, who runs a small hardware shop with her husband in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, lived under the same roof as her husband's mother prior to the mother-in-law's death a few years ago but she doesn't want that lifestyle for herself, her husband and her son's family. "We are still healthy and we can make ends meet with the money we earn. Why would we live together with my son's family? They wouldn't like it, and I wouldn't like it either. My friends say that's the last thing we should do," said the 68-year-old. While it was regarded as a norm under Korea's unique brand of Confucianism for children to live with and take care of their aging parents, many elderly Koreans, or 78.2 percent, now live independently. That is according to a 2020 report on senior citizens released by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs under the Ministry of Health and Welfare. This report is released every three years based on a survey of more than 10,000 people aged 65 or older. The ratio of independent senior citizens has soared by over 10 percentage points from 2008 when 66.8 percent lived separately from their children. The survey shows that only 12.8 percent of senior citizens want to live with their children, compared with 2008 when 32.5 percent supported the idea. Even if they choose to live together with their children, in many cases, they do that to help take care of their grandchildren and not for their own benefit. Furthermore, one out of three senior citizens living with their unmarried offspring said they do so because of their adult children's needs such as financial support rather than their own. That's the case of a 72-year-old woman surnamed Choi, who lives in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, with her eldest son who is a bachelor. She receives 300,000 won ($268) a month from him in room and board but she just saves the money and plans to give it back to him if he ever gets married. To stand on one's own, one must be financially independent. The new old generation fares well in this regard, compared with previous ones. The report shows that they have an average of 15.58 million won in annual income, which is more than double the 7 million won income people in that age group had in 2008. Most of their income is earned by themselves or comes from pensions. Only 13.9 percent of their total income comes from their children, which is a steep drop from 22 percent three years ago. Rather than their children giving them cash handouts, the elderly are often the ones on the giving end. A man surnamed Kim, who has retired from a mid-tier construction company, says he gives his granddaughter 200,000 won for every 100,000 won his daughter gives him. Some wealthier senior citizens even regularly financially support their grandchildren's education. Most senior citizens in Korea, or 96.6 percent, have some real estate, on average valued at 261.8 million won. Four out of five also outright own the house they live in. It compares with the 2019 housing report by the Land Ministry, according to which four out of 10 households here were not owners of their dwellings. Colombian Ambassador to Korea Juan Carlos Caiza Rosero speaks during a ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of the arrival of the Colombia Battalion in South Korea during the Korean War (1950-53), at Gyeongmyeong Park in Incheon, Wednesday. By Kwon Mee-yoo The Embassy of Colombia held a floral tribute in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the arrival of the Colombia Battalion in South Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War, at Gyeongmyeong Park in Incheon, Wednesday. Gyeongmyeong Park is also known as "Colombia Park" since there is a monument dedicated to Colombian forces that took part in the war. Colombian Ambassador to Korea Juan Carlos Caiza Rosero paid tribute to the 5,100 soldiers and marines who arrived in Korea, June 16, 1951, and stood in solidarity with South Koreans as part of the U.S.-led U.N. forces. Colombia was the only Latin American country to send troops to Korea under its own flag. Other attendees in the ceremony include Lee Nam-woo, vice minister of patriot and veterans affairs; Lee Jae-hyun, Incheon Seo District Office head; Choi Jong-wook, deputy director general for Latin American and Caribbean Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and members of the Korean War Veterans Association of Incheon Seo District. According to the embassy, the 5,100 soldiers made a journey of over 14,000 kilometers across the Pacific and arrived at the port of Busan. The ground troops fought in major battles such as Heukuntoryung, Kumsung and Bolmo Hill, leaving 143 men killed in action, 69 missing, 448 wounded in action and 28 as prisoners of war. "This ceremony is of great significance, because it recognizes the importance of the 70 years since the arrival of Colombian forces to the Korean Peninsula, a symbol of the brotherhood and friendship between two nations that have persisted over the time," the embassy said in a statement. "Today this blood bond forged by these men represents an enduring relationship that projects a promising future between the two nations, evident from the strengthening of bilateral relations between the two countries, which have evolved from being allies during the war to being partners in fundamentals areas of cooperation such as entrepreneurship, innovation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution." Firefighters enter a Coupang warehouse in Icheon, June 19, after putting out the fire that started there two days ago. Yonhap A firefighter who was trapped in a fire that tore through a Coupang warehouse was found dead by rescue workers Saturday, officials said. Kim Dong-shik, 52, was found in the second-floor basement of the e-commerce giant's four-story building in Icheon, 80 kilometers southeast of Seoul, shortly after rescue workers resumed their search for the missing firefighter following a safety inspection of the building. Kim entered the basement around 11:20 a.m. Thursday with four of his colleagues to search for people caught in the fire that broke out earlier that morning. As the blaze began to spread, the four colleagues found their way out, while Kim stood at the back of the line to ensure they reached safety, a colleague said. A search for Kim immediately got under way but was suspended soon after as the fire engulfed the building and threatened to bring it down. By Saturday afternoon, the blaze had been brought under control, although it has not been fully put out. "His body was found severely damaged by the fire," a fire official said. "We collected what we could and took it to the hospital." The inferno started in the second-floor basement and was thought to be under control several hours later. It quickly spread, however, as the flames jumped between large amounts of flammable packing material, including papers, boxes, plastics and stickers. Authorities believe the fire was caused by a spark from a power outlet, citing closed-circuit TV footage. Fire officials said Kim went inside wearing an oxygen tank that typically lasts about 20 minutes in a fire. "He would always check the surroundings of a fire scene to make sure his colleagues didn't get injured," Moon Heung-shik, a colleague who had worked with Kim for 20 years, said. "The day before the fire, I saw him training hard at the fire station and said, 'Working hard again!' and we smiled and that was the last time I saw him." The government of Gyeonggi Province, where Icheon is located, said it plans to recognize Kim's death as a death in the line of duty and hold an official funeral. The veteran firefighter of 27 years received multiple government awards for his service and possessed various qualifications related to his work. Kim is survived by his wife and a daughter and a son in their 20s. President Moon Jae-in expressed his condolences to the family, Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman Park Kyung-mee said in a written briefing. "The entire nation came together waiting for the safe return of (Kim), who prioritized the safety of the other firefighters and devoted himself to the rescue efforts," Moon was quoted as saying. "My heart aches." Moon pledged the government's best efforts to prevent a recurrence. Firefighters said they planned to reenter the building to completely put out the flames after using only water cannons from the outside due to concern it could soon collapse. The second floor began to buckle Friday. The warehouse handled deliveries nationwide and a Coupang official said the company has been trying to minimize inconvenience to customers by distributing them to other centers. Coupang CEO Kang Han-seung said in a statement Friday that the company apologizes for "causing concern" and for the damage caused by the fire. He promised to closely cooperate with the authorities in investigating the blaze. Fire accidents are not uncommon in Icheon, home to many warehouses due to its proximity to Seoul. Last year, a fire that engulfed a four-story warehouse under construction in Icheon killed 38 people, mostly construction workers. In 2008, 40 people were killed in a fire ignited by explosions inside a refrigerated warehouse in the city. (Yonhap) Courtesy of Angga Kusuma By David A. Tizzard Even for visually unimpaired people, negotiating the streets and alleys of Seoul in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was not easy. Courtesy of Diane Nars Collection By Robert Neff At night, in the 1880s, the streets of Seoul belonged to women. Men, with very few exceptions, were confined indoors by a curfew which allowed women to roam the streets relatively safe from the view of their male counterparts. (Relatively safe, because, if we are to believe the accounts, the true monarchs of the night tigers and leopards sometimes prowled the streets.) Percival Lowell, an American residing in Seoul during the winter of 1883/84 was one of the exceptions and vividly described his jaunts through Seoul's darkened streets. He also described some of the other exceptions: "There is another class in the community who are permitted freely to roam at nights, blind men. A thoughtful kindness has given them an immunity they could never abuse. Unable to travel fast they can easily be watched; and so blind men's holiday in Korea is prolonged from the twilight on till dawn." Lowell took more interest in the plight of the blind than many of his contemporaries. It appears, from his text, that encounters with blind people on the busiest streets of Seoul were not all that uncommon. "They frequent the streets at all hours; and the manner in which they are both able and dare to cross the city is something little short of marvelous, for they go entirely alone. No small boy or faithful friend shelters them from the crowd, or guides them into passages for the moment clear. Armed only with a long staff, they venture alone into the thick of the city's throng. They walk boldly forward, and somehow escape unhurt; and so erect is their bearing and straight their course, that at first you would never suppose that to them it was always night. Of course, carriages, fortunately, are wanting; there is nothing worse than a bull to collide with. Also the moderate pace of the human travel around them makes matters less dangerous. But allowing for all favoring conditions, the deed is very daring, and the confidence, begotten of consideration, sublime." Lowell made have been impressed with the visually-impaired pedestrians' jaunt through the streets, other pedestrians those who were not visually-impaired may have viewed them with less than compassion. According to Prof. Lim Dong-kwon, a folklorist, it was considered bad luck to meet a blind person in the streets. The West Gate of Seoul, circa 1900. Robert Neff collection It may surprise you to know that King Sejong (r. 1418-1450) honored for his role in the creation of Hangeul was robbed of his vision by diabetes. King Jeongjo (r. 1776-1800) suffered from poor vision and, despite the etiquette of the time, chose to wear his glasses in front of his council. He may have been the first Joseon monarch to openly wear glasses. There were many causes for blindness. As mentioned above, diabetes blinded and, eventually, killed King Sejong. Smallpox a scourge of the past was especially feared for its high mortality amongst children the survivors were often left pockmarked or blind. Sometimes it wasn't the disease but the cure that robbed the victims of their vision. Annabel Nisbet, a missionary, wrote: "The number of children blind from measles and smallpox is appalling. Mothers will not infrequently bind tobacco or cow dung over the poor weak eyes, so that inflammation sets up, and the child becomes blind." In the early 20th century, Reverend James Well recalled an incident he had while treating the governor of his province: "He was suffering from inflammation of the eyes and quite severely. By the use of cocaine and other remedies I felt sure of quickly curing him. On one of my visits I notice a somewhat different medicine and asked what it was. He informed me that it was Korean medicine and that he was using it in one eye and my remedy in the other and watching to see which eye would get well first!" Miss Perry's Home for Destitute Children in the early 1900s. Robert Neff Collection The Australian government said Saturday it was lodging a formal complaint with the World Trade Organization over China's imposition of anti-dumping duties on Australian wine exports, escalating further the trade standoff with Beijing. "The government will continue to vigorously defend the interests of Australian wine makers using the established system in the WTO to resolve our differences," Dan Tehan, minister for trade, tourism and investment, said in a joint press release with the Agriculture Minister David Littleproud. Relations with China, already rocky after Australia banned Huawei from its nascent 5G broadband networking in 2018, have worsened since Canberra called for an international inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus, first reported in central China last year. China, Australia's largest trading partner, responded by imposing tariffs on Australian commodities, including wine and barley, and limited imports of Australian beef, coal and grapes, moves described by the United States as "economic coercion." Last year, Australia launched a formal appeal to the WTO seeking a review of Beijing's decision to impose hefty tariffs on imports of Australian barley. The wine tariffs doubled or tripled its price and made the Chinese market unviable for exporters, the Australian government had said earlier. Australian winemakers shipped just A$12 million ($9 million) worth of wines to China in the four months from December to March, from A$325 million a year earlier, industry figures showed, confirming that hefty new tariffs have all but wiped out their biggest export market. Earlier in June, Prime Minister Scott Morrison called on the WTO to address the standoff between the two countries and days later won the support of the Group of Seven countries for a tougher stance against China's growing impact on global trade. On Saturday, the government said that despite the complaint, Canberra was ready to cooperate with Beijing. "Australia remains open to engaging directly with China to resolve this issue," Tehan and Littleproud said in their release. (Reuters) First year completion and multi-year commitment bonuses are available Currently proceeding with Virtual/Phone/In-Person Interviews Legacy Academy of Excellence Charter School an International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program (MYP) World School is looking for high energy, hardworking, child centered, and flexible certified teachers in grades K-8 for the 2021/2022 school year. Legacy Academy is located in a beautiful, scenic area in Rockford, Illinois across from a lovely park and we have a very welcoming and supportive staff. We are expanding and looking for staff members who can grow with us. We are seeking candidates who are very passionate about teaching; self-directed and self-motivated with excellent writing and oral communication skills. Additionally, the candidates must have a strong work ethic, the ability to pass a federal background check, a current Illinois teaching license (PEL,) a strong sense of responsibility and have the capacity to accommodate the various learning needs of the students served. Legacy Academy seeks individuals who are capable of planning and presenting comprehensive lessons that demonstrate knowledge of differentiated instruction. Legacy is seeking fully licensed (PEL) teachers in the state of Illinois in the following areas: Primary (K-5) Classroom Teachers Middle School Teachers (6-8) with endorsements in ELA, Math, Science, and/or Social Science Fine Arts (Art, Music, Drama), Foreign Language, Physical Education, Technology Special Education Teachers Please send your resume, proof of Illinois licensure (PEL), and letter of interest to Lynn Victorov at l.victorov@legacy-academy.com for consideration. Legacy is currently scheduling virtual and phone interviews. No phone calls, please. recblid tu22x6utw7ukjux3v18smi6xdepty6 Do you want to work for a company who cares about their staff and the Members they serve? Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment? Are you someone who delivers your very best work performance each day? If you answered yes to all of the above, then apply at United Consumers Credit Union! We are seeking qualified candidates for our fast-growing credit union, our UCCU Family, and we want to connect with you! At United Consumers Credit Union, we know your career is important to you, and so is the type of company you choose to work for to be your best. That is why we strive to create a workplace where employees are motivated to deliver their best work each day. Full-Time Teller / Member Service Representative Teller (Member Service Representative) * Full Time* Fast growing Olathe, KS credit union seeking tellers. Friendly Professional Handle multiple tasks Cash handling 10-key Previous cash handling experience required. Previous teller or financial experience a plus. recblid knfvu0jrcp54fynqj5h84ow0moeq72 SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR FULL-TIME Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid (MMLA) is seeking a full-time Social Media Coordinator to support and grow its presence on social media platforms. This position will be based in our Minneapolis office. Until further notice, our offices are closed to the public, and employees are working remotely unless necessary for their job functions. RESPONSIBILITIES: Apply the principles of MMLAs Racial Justice Values Statement in all interactions Collaborate with a small team to coordinate content creation and social media postings Follow the news for current events legal, local, and national and determine the need for original content on all platforms to reflect MMLAs values Plan content with our Legal Services State Support team and other Minnesota Legal Aid offices Identify new opportunities to leverage social media and expand MMLAs reach to clients, job seekers, and other community members Conduct technical trainings on social media systems and software Other duties as assigned QUALIFICATIONS: Understanding of social media platforms, especially Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn Ability to work with colleagues with varying degrees of technological skills Innovative thinking with a willingness and capacity to adapt to changing social media trends Effective verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills Ability to multi-task and prioritize projects with strict deadlines Proficiency using Microsoft Office required Diverse economic, social, or cultural experiences preferred SALARY: $34,908 to $40,681 per year, depending on experience, plus benefits APPLICATIONS: Submit resume and cover letter at mylegalaid.org/employment by July 9th, 2021, or until position is filled. Please include three job-related references in your application. No calls please. Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. recblid dn1ggfhrarqkloyy6pd5ct8j4ripe4 NOW HIRING - HVAC SHEET METAL FOREMAN Well established, family run mechanical/sheet metal contractor company in business since 1974 (licensed and insured) searching for skilled Sheet Metal Foremen in the Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach area. Job Qualifications include: 10+ years experience in the HVAC field. Effective oral communication and social skills. Able to speak and write English. Bilingual in English/Spanish is a plus. Able to work well with others as a team, as well as working independently. Reliable and honest personality and professional customer relation skills used in meetings and onsite inspections. Knowledge of safety regulations and safety practices. Must have own tools for trade Responsibilities include: Supervise and coordinate activities of work crew engaged in the installation of sheet metal and fiberglass products and equipment, as well as quality control. Able to complete projects unsupervised. Interpret specifications, blueprints, submittals and job orders as needed for area of supervision. Perform layout for hangers and ductwork routes. Able to measure and draw fittings for fabrication. Perform ductwork pressure testing process. - Knowledge of AHU equipment change-outs. Full time (40 hours/week with possible OT) We offer competitive wages based on experience. Must have own transportation. Equal Opportunity Employer Drug Free Work Place - Must pass a pre-employment drug test Benefits: We offer health, dental, vision and supplemental insurance, holiday and vacation pay, as well as 401K with match. If you would like to join the HLI team, please reply with either a resume or a description of experience and expected compensation, along with contact information including phone number and email address. PLEASE SUBMIT RESUME ONLINE TODAY! recblid mjvq2momzsu5wt3ob6o5iv1ckq6v3f Magnolia, AR (71754) Today Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. High around 85F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Some passing clouds. Low 64F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Magnolia, AR (71754) Today Scattered thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. High around 85F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Clear to partly cloudy. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. To rebuild more resilient, fair, sustainable and more inclusive economies, the United Nations calls for coordinated action. In that regards, the Minister for Agro-industry and Food Security and the UN Resident Coordinator launched a Green Recovery Project and a national food system dialogue on June 17 2021. The Ministry will implement these through the Food and Agriculture Research and Extension Institute (FAREI), with the technical assistance of the Partnership for Action on the Green economy (PAGE), which brings together five UN entities (UN Environment, ILO, UNITAR, UNIDO and UNDP) to support the nation in in placing sustainability at the heart of economic policy making. We need cross sector efforts both to recover from the pandemicwhich has affected people, economies and the environmentand to address the impact of climate change and pollution. To achieve this, we need to collaborate among international development partners, the private sector, academia, civil society, and communities. The pandemic has also highlighted vulnerabilities around food security and in response, the UN is running a global dialogue on how to improve food systems. The results of national food systems dialogue will hence inform a global Food Systems Summit held in September to agree on solutions that takes all voices into account. The Green Recovery Fund project and the national dialogue on food systems that are being launched today aim to provide appropriate responses to some of these issues., said Her Excellency Ms. Christine N Umutoni, United Nations Resident Coordinator for Mauritius and the Seychelles, during the launching ceremony. The launch was followed by two days of discussion on the elements of a green, fair, and resilient recovery. The online discussions, she added, aim to bring in partners from the western Indian Ocean Islands of Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar and Comoros, because no nation can recover alone. We must have a community-of-nations-approach to achieve sustainable development. Funded by the German government, the Green Recovery Fund project is designed to support the national recovery efforts, building on the results of PAGEs four years of presence in Mauritius to inform policy development, foster national ownership and strengthen national capacities in sustainable agriculture and food systems. Key objectives include improving the business environment and developing incentives to promote a sustainable agri-food industry and the expansion of small and medium-sized enterprises in that sector. The project will support macroeconomic modeling to help predict the creation of green jobs in the agro food sectors and assess the impacts of economic recovery on the sectors. It will also create a diagnostic and rapid assessment toolkit to increase public and private funding for nature-based solutions and smart agriculture that will support sustainable food systems. It will then help develop short production circuits, in part by informing the Governments farm-to-fork strategy, and will build the capacity of private firms in the hospitality and food sectors on new food safety management protocols. Following the launch, which gathered over 130 online and off line participants, a meeting took place between all relevant stakeholders to plan the next steps of the PAGE project, to prepare for the subsequent sessions of the dialogue on food systems, and to plan for a series of knowledge exchanges on the Green Recovery. In the afternoon, a first consultation session on food waste was conducted. The Ministry, FAREI, the PAGE team and the United Nations system agreed to collaborate with other ministries, international development partners, civil society and the private sector to promote national and regional knowledge sharing and to develop joint initiatives on multisectoral recovery that promote resilience, social inclusion and sustainability. These activities will include regional collaboration between Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar, Comoros and of the Reunion Island. Under the leadership of the Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security, the team will organize regular events, starting with a first exchange on the elements of a Green Recovery supported under the PAGE project in Mauritius (on June 18), followed by a series of regular meetings on specific themes related to a green recovery (e.g., how to finance recovery and climate change adaptation, how to promote multi-stakeholder participation, or how to link a green recovery with long-term climate action). In the same time, development partners will coordinate the policy and programmatic support to the Government. Our investment is as much institutional as it is personal, said the Minister of Agro Industry and Food Security, the Honorable Maneesh Gobin. I am very pleased with the support provided by the United Nations, in response to the vision I set out a little over a year ago, in the midst of the global COVID-19 crisis, which was that we needed to get organized to produce more of what we consume and to consume what we produce. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn All persons who missed their 2nd Dose of Covishield/AstraZeneca (Covid-19 Vaccine) at their respective vaccination centre are informed that a new vaccination sessions have been scheduled. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn We can all agree that all Americans should be able to participate in daily life with dignity, respect and without fear of discrimination because of who they are or who they love. It is important to provide express and enduring nondiscrimination protections for the estimated 13 million LGBTQ Americans across virtually every area of daily life. Anti-Christian? I seem to remember stories about a guy who was crucified publicly for calling out religious people because they didnt like being called out. And whats really crazy is this same guy who was attacked for pointing out the flaws of the religious also said something like, Whatever you have done to the least of these, you have done to me, specifically referencing the underprivileged of his day. Our direct support professionals are the reason people with developmental and intellectual disabilities can live in their own homes or supported living while enjoying being part of our community. During the pandemic those workers put their lives at risk to provide vital services to the people they support. : river08 (sh), : Boston : [] Furnished Room in Newton for Rent () : Newton : BBS (Sat Jun 19 12:45:21 2021, ) One Furnished bedroom() in second floor of brand new construction 2 floor Townhouse, located in quiet and safe neighborhood of Newton. -With two big windows sunny bed room have both central AC and heating. -Have you own bathroom -Share large kitchen with small household family. -The room is furnished -Including all utility -Free WIFI access to high speed internet -Free Washer/dryer in the unit. - Plenty free street parking -4 min drive to Mass turnpike, and 20 min drive to downtown Boston, 7 min drive to Newton Center Green line T station. -15 min drive to Harvard sq & 7 min drive to Boston College Newton Campus, -15 min drive to Brandeis University & Bentley College. -2 min walk to 558 express bus stops to downtown Boston -10 min walk to Watertown yard express bus terminal (for Bus 504,502 , 72 and 57) -5 min walk to Stop &Shop supper market/CVS -3 min walk to upper Charles River Reservation Park The room ideally for person working at downtown Boston, Newton, Watertown, Cambridge and Waltham area. Rent: $950 per month including all, and is available now. Prefer clean & quite female professional, student, short term is fine. Please notice female and One Person only for this room this time. If interest please e-mail: xqh[email protected] or call 617 283-4055 ( ,), wechatshawnh14 -- :WWW mitbbs.com [FROM: 146.] : Qiguoji (), : Military : 6/17 114 : BBS (Fri Jun 18 17:57:42 2021, ) https://www.npr.org/2021/06/17/1007625010/a-covid-outbreak-at-the-u-s- embassy-in-kabul-has-sickened-114-people-and-killed- The U.S. Embassy in Kabul says it is suffering from a major COVID-19 outbreak that has largely confined staff to their quarters and is disrupting many of its operations. Earlier this week, the embassy announced that it was suspending in-person visa interviews for Afghans who had worked for the U.S. military. In a note sent to staff, seen by NPR, the embassy says 114 people "have COVID and are in isolation; one has died, and several have been medevaced." The note goes on to say that military hospital ICU resources are at full capacity and that the embassy has been forced to "create temporary, on- compound COVID-19 wards to care for oxygen-dependent patients." Most of the cases involve individuals who are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated. "We are saddened by the deaths of many valiant Afghans, who have been sickened by this pandemic and we in fact grieve the passing of an embassy local staff member," said Ned Price, the State Department's spokesperson. The embassy requests staff to get vaccinated, stay six feet from others, suspends the use of pools and gyms, and demands strict mask compliance from staff. "Wear your masks, correctly! We are seeing a lot of noses." Failure to comply could see staff on the next flight home. The embassy asks them to make sure others are following protocols and to report those who aren't. Eric Rubin, who heads the American Foreign Service Association the State Department's union says he's hearing from members, who are "very concerned that their safety has been endangered by fellow employees, who have chosen not to be vaccinated." "Our understanding is that there is enough vaccine at every embassy and consulate in the world for anyone, who wants to get it," Rubin told NPR. The State Department does not disclose how many people are at the embassy, but it is one of the U.S.' largest. The embassy reportedly faced a smaller coronavirus outbreak in June 2020. The State Department and the embassy in Kabul did add some staff in recent months to handle a surge in visa applications for Afghan interpreters who worked with the U.S. As the U.S. military pulls out C and is expected to fully do so by July, with a symbolic end date of Sept 11 C many of those who helped U.S. forces over the past two decades believe their lives are in danger, with the Taliban controlling greater swaths of the country. Testifying before a congressional committee recently, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there are currently 18,000 Afghans who have expressed interest in moving to the U.S. and about half were in the early stages of their application process. Trying to reassure Congress, he added that while the military was leaving, the embassy would continue with its job and was focused on getting those who helped the U.S. out: "We're not withdrawing. We're staying. The embassy staying. Our programs are staying. We're working to make sure that other partners stay. We're building all of that up." -- :WWW mitbbs.com [FROM: 69.] Sayre, PA (18840) Today Mostly cloudy...isolated thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 71F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy after midnight with light rain possible. Low 58F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Sayre, PA (18840) Today Considerable clouds this morning. Some decrease in clouds later in the day. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 71F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 57F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. State Naga musician, Dieze releases EP Advisor, Er Zale Neikha and Dieze Sothu during the EP release Friday. (NP) Correspondent KOHIMA, JUN 18 (NPN) | Publish Date: 6/18/2021 1:23:44 PM IST Kohima based artist, Dieze Sothu, Friday released an Extended Play (EP) titled, 18 in a brief programme at Ministers Hill, Kohima, graced by advisor for youth resources and sports, Er Zale Neikha. In his speech, Er. Zale stressed on the importance of polishing Gods given talent and encouraged the youths to hone their talents. Citing examples of world famous band like BTS, who had a humble beginning, the advisor said with hard work, sincerity and dedication anyone can achieve their goals. Musician, Dieze said he was inspired by Naga artistes especially Jonathan Yhome to come up with his EP. Dieze, who is a science graduate, said venturing into music was solely out of love for the art as he had no formal education in that field. Each time I put up a music my sole purpose and motive is that someone somewhere out there who is listening can relate to it, said Dieze. The EP, recorded and mixed at Jam Studio 11, Dimapur, consists of six songs including a bonus track while the cover art and design was made by Kekhrie Khamo. Songs in the EP can be found on popular music streaming sites including Spotify. International UN seeks arms embargo in Myanmar The 193-member assembly is scheduled to consider the resolution, which has more than 50 co-sponsors. United Nations, Jun 18 (AP) | Publish Date: 6/18/2021 2:55:51 PM IST The UN General Assembly is expected to approve a resolution calling on Myanmars junta to restore the countrys democratic transition and for all countries to prevent the flow of arms into Myanmar, diplomats said. The draft resolution also condemns deadly violence by security forces and calls on the junta to unconditionally release the ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and all those who have been arbitrarily detained, charged or arrested. The 193-member assembly is scheduled to consider the resolution, which has more than 50 co-sponsors, on Friday afternoon and its sponsors are hoping it will be approved by consensus to send a strong message to the military of global opposition to its Feb 1 takeover and support for a return to Myanmars democratic transition, though any nation can call for a vote. The draft resulted from negotiations by a so-called Core Group including the European Union, many Western nations and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations known as ASEAN, which includes Myanmar. A UN diplomat said there is an agreement with ASEAN to seek consensus, but what will happen with ASEAN members if there is a vote remains unclear. The resolutions approval would mark one of the few times that the U.N.s most representative body expressed itself against a military coup and called for an arms embargo. Canadas U.N. Ambassador Bob Rae, a member of the Core Group, said Thursday that everyone has been working hard to reach a broad consensus on the text, and discussions were still under way on whether it would be approved by consensus or be put to a vote. Myanmar for five decades had languished under strict military rule that led to international isolation and sanctions. As the generals loosened their grip, culminating in Suu Kyis rise to leadership in 2015 elections, the international community responded by lifting most sanctions and pouring investment into the country. Her party was reelected by a landslide in November elections, but the military contends the vote was fraudulent and took over before the new Parliament was seated. Widespread opposition to the juntas rule began with massive nonviolent protests. After soldiers and police used deadly force to crush the peaceful demonstrations, a low-level armed insurrection has emerged in both the cities and countryside. Last week, the U.N. human rights office cited credible reports that at least 860 people have been killed by security forces since Feb. 1, mostly during protests, and that more than 4,800 people - including activists, journalists and opponents of the junta - are in arbitrary detention. Speaking of the draft resolution, Canadas Rae said: I think its a strong statement by the General Assembly about our strong opposition to whats been happening in Myanmar, and our strong desire for a shift back to a process of attaining democracy in the country, civil and economic rights for everybody including the Rohingya. The draft calls on the Myanmar armed forces to respect the will of the people as freely expressed by the results of the general election of Nov 8, 2020. It also said the Parliament should be allowed to convene and the armed forces and other national bodies should be brought into an inclusive civilian government that is representative of the will of the people. Unlike Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, but they do reflect global opinion and supporters of the draft believe it will have an impact. Rae, a former Canadian special envoy to Myanmar, doesnt believe the nation can return to its past isolation since people in Myanmar have developed a taste for openness, for democracy, for participation, and for social and political rights, he said. And I dont think the people are going to lose that taste. And I think that the answer is to do everything we can to sustain democracy. (AP) While men over 50-year-old are prone to suffer the most acute symptoms of coronavirus, women who get long Covid surpasses men by as much as four to one. First Reports of Long Covid-19 As the initial reports of long Covid started to filter through the medical community in June 2020, doctors making efforts to grapple with this mysterious malaise started noticing an unusual trend. While severe cases of Covid-19 - especially those hospitalised with the disease - had the tendency to be mostly male and over 50, sufferers of long Covid were, by contrast, both relatively young and mostly female. Early long Covid reports at a Paris hospital between May and July 2020 proposed that the average age was about 40, and women troubled by the longer-term effects of Covid-19 surpassed men by four to one. A similar gender skew over the past 12 months, has become evident all over the world. From long Covid patients observed by hospitals in Russia and Bangladesh to the Covid Symptom Tracker app, from the UK-wide Phosp-Covid study evaluating the longer-term impact of Covid-19, to the medical notes of specialist post-Covid care clinics across both the UK and the US, a photo has regularly emerged of young to middle-aged women being disproportionately susceptible. Also Read: Smell Training: How Can it Help COVID-19 Patients Recover Their Loss Senses? Female Long Covid-19 Dr. Sarah Jolley - a doctor who runs the UCHealth post-Covid care clinic in Aurora, Colorado, revealed to the Observer that around 60% of her patients have been women. In Sweden, Dr. Petter Brodin, Karolinska Institute researcher who leads the long Covid arm of the Covid Human Genetic Effort global consortium, has a suspicion that the general proportion of female long Covid patients may be even higher, possibly 70-80%. Dr. Melissa Heightman, who runs the UCLH post-Covid care clinic in north London says, "This pattern has been noticed in other post-infectious syndromes, about 66% of our patients have been women. Most of them were in full-time jobs, have young children, and now over a quarter of them are totally unable to work because they're so unwell. It's a bit of a catastrophe economically." ME/CFS As Dr. Heightman points out, this is an old trend when it comes to infectious diseases, rather one which has been abandoned historically. Women are known to be up to four times more probable to get myalgic encephalomyelitis, or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), a condition believed to have infectious beginning in the majority of cases, while studies have also revealed that there is a great possibility of patients with chronic Lyme disease being female. But in spite of this, there have been hardly any attempts to investigate why this is the case. Rather, because these conditions mostly affect women, they have more frequently been dismissed as being psychological in origin. Both chronic Lyme disease and ME/CFS have been ridiculed over the years, by the medical community sectors as forms of hypochondria. Related Article: Capillary Leak Syndrome, Blood Clots Linked to Life-Threatening Side Effects of AstraZeneca Vaccine For more news, updates about COVID-19 and similar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News! A giant 'murder hornet' has just been discovered in a new area of the United States. The dead insect was found in a county of Washington state just north of Seattle in early June by a member of the public. Asian Giant Hornet DNA testing has given a confirmation that it is an Asian giant hornet, or Vespa mandarinia. Since the corpse was exceptionally dry, researchers believe it's been dead for some time, and is probably a remnant from last season. Being male - which does not usually emerge until July or later - increases the case for it being an older specimen. At the time, no one knew there were giant hornets this far south. The first nests of Asian giant hornets were found in British Columbia and the United States in late 2019 and early 2020, right close to the border of Canada. How the hornets got to this part of the world is still unknown, but due to the fact that these pests can behead whole hives of bees in just few hours, they represent a great threat to agriculture and local ecosystems. Since their existence became known, government officials in Washington state have been setting traps actively for these insects and damaging any nests they discover. But up until now, these efforts have been centered mainly on northwestern parts of the state. Also Read: Honeybee's Fear of Killer Hornets Keeps them away from Food Sources Remnants of Asian Giant Hornet Discovered The new corpse, found close to the city of Marysville, proposes officials need to expand their search. Entomologists, hired by the state, are now actively surveying counties further south, to know if a population exists there also. The DNA and coloring of the remnant discovered in Snohomish county doesn't seem to match the hornets found on the Canadian border, which suggests there could be an unconnected, and unrelated invasion in other parts of the state. If that's true, officials need to be aware sooner rather than later. Because giant hornets are such powerful fliers, their populations can be easily spread, which will make it much difficult to locate their nests for extermination. The Trap Entomologist Sven Spichiger from the Washington State Department of Agriculture said: "This new report keeps emphasizing on how crucial public reporting is for all suspected invasive species, but mostly Asian giant hornet." Spichiger added saying they will now be setting traps in the location and urging citizen scientists to trap in Snohomish and King counties. None of this would have occurred without an alert resident taking the time to take a photo and submit a report. Dormant in winter, giant hornets are anticipated to start appearing once again in July. It remains to be seen where they will appear in 2021, but officials in Washington totally expect these pests to have spread to other parts of the state. Related Article: Asian Hornet Warning: Spotted in Hampshire, Dangerous to Bees and Humans For more news, updates about Asian giant hornets and similar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News! According to The Sun, Chinese scientists have forced male rats to give birth in a ""Frankenstein-style"" experiment. In four phases, the scientists from Shanghai'sShanghai's Naval Medical University built a rat model of male pregnancy. Impregnating Male Rats A male and female rat was linked via skin and blood exchange to carry out the experiment. After that, a male rat's uterus was transplanted, and embryos were placed in each male and female rat. After performing a Caesarean section and ""separation"" surgery on the rats, scientists discovered that all males lived for three months. ""For the first time, we built a mammalian animal model of male pregnancy,"" the scientists said in their study report. Our findings indicate the likelihood of normal embryonic development in male mammalian species, which might have a significant influence on reproductive biology research."" Rat's Health According to the researchers, the mice born as a result of the experiment lived to adulthood and did not have any health problems. They did, however, discover some ""abnormal deceased fetuses"" with ""different shape and color compared to normal fetuses"" or ""placentas atrophy or swelling."" Related Article: Germans Did Impossible Thing: Paralyzed Mice Freely Walks Again! Animal Rights Activists PETA, an animal rights organization, came out against the study. ""In this disgusting study, after being castrated and forcefully connected to a female rat, male rats were cut open and implanted with a uterus, and embryos were placed in them - all to see whether they could ''successfully'' produce young,"" PETA Senior Science Policy Advisor Emily McIvor told the Mail Online. These startling tests are purely motivated by curiosity and contribute nothing to our knowledge of the human reproductive system. Animals should not be produced in labs, experimented on, or treated as throwaway things; they deserve to be respected and left alone."" Animal Experiments Animal experiments are commonly used to assess the safety of various goods and to discover new medicines. Unfortunately, many of these studies inflict discomfort or impair the quality of life of the animals involved in some manner. Experimenting on animals creates severe moral issues if it is ethically immoral to cause animals to suffer. "Lab Rats" Because of their morphological, physiological, and genetic similarities to humans, mice and rats have long been chosen for biomedical research animal models. In addition, rodents have a tiny size, are easy to maintain, have a short life cycle, and have many genetic resources. Animal testing is seen as a waste of time and money in scientific research. It is also proven unsuccessful, as 95 percent of medicines that pass animal studies fail in people. As a result, several companies are speaking out against animal testing, and the USDA recently announced that some mammalian testing will be phased out by 2025. However, there is still much more to be done, and it is past time for countries to outlaw animal experimentation entirely because it harms humans. Also Read: 5 Most Famous Cloned Animals in History For the most recent updates from the animal kingdom, don't forget to follow Nature World News! An underwater sonar company was testing its equipment at Folsom Lake, outside Sacramento, California, when they made a surprising discovery: the remnants of a mostly intact plane resting gently on the lakebed. The Shocking Discovery A Seafloor Systems employee, Tyler Atkinson told local CBS News affiliate KOVR: "I spotted something that wasn't normal." After an investigation carried out by the Placer County Sheriff's Office, dive teams made a conclusion that the plane was from a 1986 crash. Initially, the Seafloor Systems employees who found the plane thought it suit the description of a plane that crashed on New Year's Day in 1965 with a captain and three passengers aboard. The body of the captain was discovered, but the three passengers were never found. That plane remains lost, with the Placer County Sheriff's Office encouraging people not to search for it. The sheriff's office said in a statement: "The family members of the deceased from the 1965 plane crash do not wish for others to look for the plane or remains, they would like the last resting place for their family to be at the bottom of Folsom Lake." Also Read: Mega-drought Drastically Affects Colorado River, Risking Water Shortage to 40 Million People Largest Reservoirs in California The shocking discovery, made at one of the deepest parts of the lake, would not have been achievable if Folsom Lake (like many other lakes and reservoirs in California) was not drying out because of continuous and dangerous drought. Folsom Lake is presently at 38% of its total capacity, and other primary reservoirs across California are also at extremely low levels. Some of the largest reservoirs in California, both Shasta Lake and Lake Oroville, are below their average capacity for this time of year. AccuWeather National Reporter Bill Wadell earlier this month made a report from Lake Oroville on the worsening condition at the second-largest reservoir in California and the worry taking root among residents there. In a statement given to AccuWeather, the Placer County Sheriff's Office said the newly-found plane wreck will not be retrieved. Drought Drought is characterized by the absence of precipitation - like rain, sleet, or snow - for a prolonged period of time, leading to water shortage. While droughts take place naturally, human activity, like water use and management, can aggravate dry conditions. What is considered a drought differs from place to place and is largely based on a region's specific weather patterns. Whereas the threshold for drought may be possible after just six rainless days on the tropical island of Bali, yearly rainfall would need to fall below seven inches in the Libyan desert to cause a similar declaration. Developing nations are most susceptible to the impacts of climate change, including drought. Over 80 percent of drought-induced economic loss and damage suffered by developing nations from 2005 to 2015 was linked to crops, livestock, and fisheries. Related Article: Severe Drought Worsens Wildfires All Over the US For more news, updates about extreme drought and similar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News! Roman Catholic cleric, Father Emmanuel Ribeiro, has been declared a national hero. A man of many talents, Fr Ribeiro died at St Annes Hospital in Harare on Thursday morning after a short illness. He was 86. The national hero status declaration was made by Defence and War Veterans Affairs Minister, Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri yesterday. She was accompanied by Zanu PF acting national Political Commissar Cde Patrick Chinamasa, when she delivered the message to the Ribeiro, Mashonganyika and Makaka families in Harare. She described Fr Ribeiro as a friend, a gallant son of the soil, a freedom fighter, great researcher and theologist par excellence. We came as Zanu PF family and Government of Zimbabwe sent by President Mnangagwa to pay our condolences and inform you of the honour bestowed on our friend, Fr Ribeiro after considering his role in the liberation of this country, said Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri. Fr Ribeiro fought for the independence of this country despite being a cleric and he even continued to serve after independence. He had unpleasant experiences during the war as he prayed for prisoners before hanging. He was a friend to the prisoners and had a great influence. He also assisted former President Mugabe and national hero Edgar Tekere to cross to Mozambique. He represented President Mnangagwa when he was arrested during the war. Cde Chinamasa said he last saw Father Ribeiro on Monday when he came to his office to present some papers. He told me about some prison officers who died in prison and what should be done to them. I did not know this was my last day with him, he said. Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri then took the opportunity to teach mourners about the Covid-19 pandemic and the need for every citizen to protect him or herself and others through following the World Health Organisations guidelines that include washing hands, maintaining social distance and sanitising hands regularly. Relatives and friends described the late national hero as friendly, unifier, generous, a novelist, a music composer and great historian into the liberation struggle history. On Thursday, President Mnangagwa described the death of Fr Ribeiro as a great loss to the nation as he served Zimbabwe with distinction. From serving in many rural parishes during the colonial era, Fr Ribeiro later on dedicated his life to catering to the spiritual needs of many freedom fighters, both those who were serving long prison terms and those who were unjustly condemned to death by the countrys erstwhile colonisers. President Mnangagwa was among the condemned and only escaped the hangmans noose because he was under-age. In the case of condemned former prisoners like myself, his figure became one of the only contacts we had with the outside world. Or the only and last human being one would see before one met ones cruel fate at the hands of colonial authorities, said President Mnangagwa. His religious chores as a prison chaplain thus brought him in direct contact with souls in acute distress. Indeed, it exposed him to horrid scenes of settler penal cruelty, scenes which haunted him to his last day in this life. I mourn his passing on as one of the few lucky ones he was able to rescue from the gallows, a development which makes his demise particularly poignant and quite painful to me personally. Fr Ribeiro who reconstructed the last moments of the famous Chinhoyi 7, including tracing their family trees across the country, was at the time of his death tracing final steps of numerous freedom fighters who fell prey to the cruel colonial penal system before independence. Apart from contributing to the reconstruction of the national struggle narratives, Fr Ribeiro also put his life, along with other missionaries, on the line as he fought for the liberation of Zimbabwe Together with the late Sister Aquina, late Moven Mahachi and Sekuru Tangwena, Fr Ribeiro played a critical role which ensured the late Cdes Robert Gabriel Mugabe and Edgar Zivanai Tekere absconded to Mozambique for purposes of leading the struggle after the assassination of Zanu Chairman, Cde Herbert Chitepo, then in exile. Until the achievement of independence, Fr Ribeiros commitment to the liberation struggle was unquestionable. Fr Ribeiro was also a music composer of repute. He composed church hymns, which are part of sermons in the Roman Catholic Church to this day. Critically, Fr Ribeiro assisted in the composition of the national anthem and as an artist was part of the team that designed the national flag. Added President Mnangagwa: He did a lot more than singing; he was an accomplished novelist who wrote in one of our local languages under the then Rhodesia Literature Bureau. Alongside late Archbishop Patrick Chakaipa and late Solomon Mutsvairo, Fr Ribeiro blazed the trail employing national languages for creative writing. It spoke highly of him as an author that his flagship novel Muchadura, became an abiding set-book in schools. Today we mourn the passing of this man of many talents. On behalf of the party Zanu PF, Government, that of my family and on my behalf, I wish to express my deepest condolences to the Ribeiro family. Above all, I tender my sincere condolences to the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Harare, His Grace Archbishop Robert Ndlovu and the entire membership of the Catholic Church in Zimbabwe. We keenly feel and share your pain and grief, praying that the Good Lord rests Fr Emmanuel Ribeiros soul eternally. Fr Ribeiro was born in 1935 in Chivhu and attended Kutama Mission, Gokomere, and Gweru Teachers College. He studied Theology at Chishawasha Mission before enrolling for a Masters Degree at Bloomington College of Music in the US. Fr Ribeiro was trained at Chishawasha Mission from 1952 and was ordained on December 13, 1964. Herald A mother was in critical condition and her child was hurt when they were hit by a car as they walked through the heart of Coney Island on Friday night, police sources said. I hope today you have planted a seed within yourself of self-reflection and how to be kind and loving, said march organizer Valerie Walker. If we love each other, we can do this. We need justice. All people should have a vested interest in justice. Ozzy has spent his entire life giving to those around him, said McConville. And well, today is Ozzys turn to receive and today we are giving him no, we are delivering something that hes been entitled to for over 77 years ... Today, we pay long overdue tribute for the sacrifices he made to our nation and for free people everywhere. Shes very distraught over what happened to her son, he said. He was a great brother, he was always helping everybody in the neighborhood. He loved working on that bike, thats No. 1. Every weekend, always making improvements and put a lot of love into it. The 46-year-old victim was sitting on the steps of his building when an errant shot hit him in the left arm at 6:15 p.m., police said. The gun recovered from the girlfriends apartment was the same caliber as the one cops found in Hors car in September following a Brooklyn traffic stop, but it wasnt the same pistol, a police source said. It tore me apart to watch those children scramble as gunshots were still going off, Adams said at the scene of the shooting on Sheridan Ave. in Mt. Eden. This is New York, not some third-world country. We cant be silent. Our silence is just as dangerous ... Our children must be safe. The rally, which had been advertised on the Palm Beach County Republican Executive Committees website, weaved through a number of streets in Delray Beach, police said. It also passed through a newly painted rainbow-inspired crosswalk. Dane Kallungi was booked Thursday in the Bernalillo County, N.M., Jail on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of 26-year-old Jepsy Amaga Kallungi, who was last seen alive in March 2019. Police found the 38-year-old suspect as he was trying to get onto an Air Force base in Albuquerque, according to KKTV. The committee said a suspect, who had committed serious crimes in the past, had been arrested. No names were published in the statement. Six victims were taken to the hospital with injuries four of whom were in critical condition, while two were critical but stable, police said. Another two or three walk-in victims also arrived at Summit Healthcare and were in also stable condition. Though she declined comment to the outlet Friday, Amy Craven took to the comments section of an unrelated Mooresville Police Department Facebook post last month to say that shes seen footage of the shooting and Craven did not pull a gun and he was complying with orders. Chris was shot with his hands in the air. Im a Black man, Im a gay man, and Im an immigrant, said David, 50, who was born in the U.S. but moved to Liberia when he was 1. And in this country, we create hierarchies of identity, where one identity is more important than the next. And we know that if youre a racial minority, if youre an LGBTQ person, if youre an immigrant, you usually fall to the bottom of the totem pole. We are deeply saddened by the mistake that was made. We are continuing to look at what has occurred and why it occurred. Apologies have been made to the family and we sincerely apologize to others impacted by this error. We will continue to address it with the parents of the student. We will continue to look at our processes to ensure this does not happen again, the statement read. The participation of the liberal mayor is an important sign of support for the rights of sexual and gender minorities in Poland, as many politicians in the largely conservative nation have for long targeted the rights of the LGBTQ community. The two candidates unusual alliance comes just days before the Democratic primary day on Tuesday. The mayoral race is the first major election in the city to be held using ranked-choice voting, in which voters can rank up to five preferred candidates. Check out our special section for the latest news on the critical 2021 elections in NYC. And to have the essential news and analysis sent to your inbox, sign up for our Campaign Diaries newsletter. According to investigators, the two valuable oil paintings were discovered by a 64-year-old man in a large garbage container at a highway rest stop in the Bavaria region on May 18. The latest predictable but shocking news came Thursday. A Chinese security law thats already been used to jail more than 100 dissidents has just been wielded against one of the most trusted news sources in the vibrant, once-free city: Apple Daily, founded in 1995 by pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, who the authorities have already locked up for supposedly taking part in illegal protests. More than 200 officers raided the newsroom, apprehended editors, froze the companys accounts and seized dozens of computers with journalistic material. About 30 articles published by the paper, police say, are evidence of a conspiracy with foreign countries to impose sanctions against China and Hong Kong. The removal of such ideology does not mean that we are no longer oppressed. I am grateful that New York is not a state looking to remove critical historical information from our schools. In fact, our state education leaders have made an explicit commitment to address issues of diversity, equity and inclusion. Our legislators have made an important commitment to cut child poverty in half over the next 10 years. These are important commitments, and we have to ensure that actions follow resource allocations, personnel appointments, policy development to narrow persistent opportunity gaps for every student in the state regardless of demographym from birth to the workforce. I helped spearhead the movement to reopen the citys schools, and my advocacy gave me a front-row seat to the mayors abdication of responsibility. It also allowed me to observe how the mayoral candidates addressed the issue. Each of these candidates will inherit the responsibility of guiding the city through the multiple crises that will mark post-pandemic New York. As voters consider who is the best person for this job, the recent and real-time test of leadership embodied by the push to reopen schools in Spring 2021, when it became apparent that COVID was waning and there was enough time left in the school year to make the return to in-person learning a reality, shows who was willing to jump in to solve a crisis, and who would rather put politics above policy. All good! Seventeen seasons we cant please everyone all the time ... its definitely not easy keeping it going and keeping it great... I get it... thanks for checking it out anyway... and thanks for your feedback it matters ...sending you love, tweeted Pompeo, 51, concluding with emojis of prayer hands and a kiss being blown. And everybody goes to their corners because they dont want to have to deal with the tension and it was uncomfortable, she recalled. You could understand. You know, there were these two bull mooses going at each other. The testosterone was surging and stuff happens. For generations, service members who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or related identities faced brazen discrimination or even worse not just in our Armed Forces, but in so many aspects of their lives, the secretary said. That is the dark history we must overcome, at VA and in America, and it echoes to this day, in horrific incidents like the Pulse nightclub shooting that devastated this community five years ago. For me before, it was kind of at the top of my comfort zone, Bankson said. Ive got to go with what I feel here. You know we are still walking out the COVID residual [economic] effects. There are several other needs that we could put money toward. The Salvation Armys two current shelters one for men, another for women and children have a total of 300 beds that are always full. And the charity is planning to gut the aging buildings in September for a complete renovation and modernization, during which current residents will be housed in local extended-stay hotels and a massive 8,700-square-foot tent facility erected during the pandemic to allow people to stay at least 6 feet apart. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) Concerned with ongoing violence across Ethiopia, the Council of the European Union (EU) has called upon the government and local and regional authorities to ensure a transparent and safe process of the upcoming elections Lome, Togo (PANA) - Discussions between the authorities in Togo and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are expected to continue in the near future with a view to finalising the understandings on a new Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement for the West African country in need of reforms to foster inclusive and sustainable private sector-led growth A look at some of the big movers in the small-cap world this week ( ) delighted investors after releasing what it called "breakthrough" data relating to its Q-Sphera technology. The biotech company, which uses 3D printing to put drugs into injectable microspheres, said the data demonstrated its potential and can open significant opportunities for the technology. "A significant number of latest generation medicines are protein-based and reformulation as long-acting injectables could provide significant benefits to patients, physicians and payors," it said. A strategic review has seen it shift from focusing on just one potential product to expanding its pipeline, which now has nine earlier stage programmes. It was not all good news. Secura Bio, the owner of patents previously licensed to the company, is claiming breach of the terms even though the licence has now been terminated. Midatech says the claims and demands are without any merit and investors seemed to agree, sending its shares up 37% to 37p during the week. Conversely, Best of the Best PLC ( ), which runs online competitions to win cars and other luxury prizes, tumbled 27% to 1,995p as the easing of restrictions hit trading. The company is online-only, which means that its now struggling to keep customers glued to the screen amid the reopening of hospitality and non-essential retail. Looking at the wider market, the AIM All-Share Index was down 0.6% to 1,241, underperforming the FTSE 100 which was flat at 7,137. Next week, AIM sees three new arrivals all due to start trading on Monday. Predictive analytics group Spectral MD Holdings develops AI algorithms to help clinicians make more accurate and faster decisions in the wound care sector; Thor Explorations, already listed in Canada, is a gold exploration and development company focused in West Africa and despite the vintage-sounding name, Victorian Plumbing is an online-only retailer of bathroom products and accessories. Other risers over the past five days included ( ), which soared 61% to 4p after entering a ten-year strategic partnership with Titan Wealth, which will acquire Tavistocks asset management segment for 40mln. Tavistock will act as Titan's retail distribution partner. ( ) shot up 37% to 5p after securing two separate long-term contracts to provide port screening services in West Africa and to provide security services to five airports in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The group also raised 2.5mln through an oversubscribed placing at a small premium. Zephyr Energy Plc ( ) leapt 34% to 5p after receiving two monthly revenue payments for oil wells it acquired in March. They are located in North Dakota and set soon to go into production. ( ) jumped 17% to 430p after reporting strong results in what it says was a transformational year. The semiconductors maker also recommended a final special dividend of 50p a share. On the downside, Pelatro reversed 23% to 40p after placing shares at 40p a pop, representing a 24% discount to the previous closing price. The software developer will use proceeds of 2mln to invest in mobile advertising opportunity and repay debt. Aviation services group Esken slipped 18% to 25p after Stobart Air went into liquidation as plans to sell the airline fell through. Potential buyer Ettyl was unable to raise the finance and Esken said it was not prepared to provide any more financial support. Meanwhile, payment solutions provider Eckoh shed 9% to 67p after posting lower full-year results due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while UK lockdowns caused a fall in recurring revenue to 71% from 75%. A snapshot of some of this week's stories in the mining sector ( ) appointed Peter Cunningham as chief financial officer with immediate effect. Cunningham has been interim CFO at the mining giant since 1 January 2021 when his predecessor Jakob Stausholm was moved up to the top job. ( ) is proceeding with its plans to create a series of joint venture companies with partner Rosgeo. On 26 March 2021, Eurasia signed a binding agreement to create a joint venture with Rosgeo in which Eurasia will own a 75% equity stake in nine platinum group metal and battery metals assets ( ) said geochemical sampling continues to return high-grade surface samples at its Dabakala gold concession in central Cote d'Ivoire. We are making great progress with our gold exploration programmes in Cote d'Ivoire, said chief executive Bernard Aylward. Imperial X PLC ( ) and ( ) have formed a strategic alliance, the Southern US Copper Exploration Alliance, to explore for copper deposits in the US. The alliance will focus on the identification, acquisition and advancement of copper projects in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. The two companies intend to find a partner to develop the projects further. ( ) has identified an electro-magnetic anomaly in Target Area C in the Hukuntsi section of the Kalahari Suture Zone project. Designated Target C1, the conductive anomaly is located 11km from Target A2, which was first announced in April 2020. ( ) said it is close to finalising a debt finance package for the construction of the Araguaia Nickel Project in Brazil Due diligence has been completed by five international banks for the US$325mln sum, Horizonte said, with credit approval expected to be received in the third quarter of this year. ( ) hailed an agreement by which the Minto copper project in Canada, in which it owns a major stake, will list on the TSX Venture Exchange via a reverse takeover. Minto Explorations Ltd will reverse into a Canadian shell company. ( ) said it started exploration activities on the four exploration licences of the Central Menzies gold project in Western Australia. The work included verifying historical drilling results and the acquisition of airborne geophysical survey data. ( ) said it successfully completed the construction of a new water dam at the La Parrilla mine in Spain to resolve the issue of the high water levels. Dewatering of the mine pit is now underway and once water levels are reduced the team will be in a position to safely regain access to high-grade ore areas. (LON: ECR) has announced results from recent soil sampling undertaken within the Historic Reserve #3 at Bailieston in Victoria, Australia. I am delighted to announce further positive exploration news, this time from the implementation of a soil sampling programme utilising an innovative exploration methodology at HR3 that has revealed particularly high gold grades in soils and therefore identified a new target for drilling, said ECR chief executive Craig Brown. ( ) produced 183 tonnes of tin concentrate from its Uis mine in Namibia during the first quarter of the 2022 financial year. The concentrate contained 114 tonnes of tin metal and exceeded the production target. ( )(AQSE:ORCP) returned positive geochemical sampling results from its maiden orientation survey at its 100% owned Jundee East gold project in the Eastern Goldfields region of Western Australia. ( ) signed a term sheet with binding exclusivity with Nesa Capital (Pty) Ltd and Nesa Engineering (Pty) Ltd detailing the proposed formation of a new joint venture company to create a leading regional Southern African champion in the commercial and industrial renewable energy and storage sector. PLC ( ) is continuing with due diligence drilling on the recently acquired Troulli project and results so far have significantly exceeded expectations. (LON;SRES) agreed to sell two Nevada-based gold prospects to ( ). Consideration for the Garfield and Stonewall Properties is 82,000 comprising 20,000 cash plus new Power Metal shares with a value of just short of 62,000 and additional warrants. ( ) appointed Paul Smith as its new non-executive chair, with effect from 21 June. Smith was formerly a senior executive at Glencore and was with the mining and commodities trading firm for nine years. He was most recently head of strategy for the group before leaving in 2020. ( )( ) has commenced a 1,700 metre infill geotechnical drilling programme within the permitted La India open pit in Nicaragua. Two diamond drill rigs have been deployed. ( ) announced the completion of data processing from airborne geophysical programmes on its wholly-owned projects in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. It was another active week in the small-cap oil and gas sector. ( ) provided an upbeat assessment of the secondary reservoir targets in the Saffron-2 appraisal well, whilst drilling continues down to the wells main target. Third-party petrophysical analysis of log data has indicated some 165 feet of net oil bearing reservoir sands, the company said in a statement. Drilling is meanwhile marked at a depth of around 3,850 feet, towards the target depth of 4,550 feet. The well remains on-track for completion by June 23 and production testing operations are planned to follow in July, the company added. i3 Energy Plc (LON:i3) is to drill two new high return wells in the Wapiti production area in western Canada in the coming weeks. The decision to drill the two wells, slated to start in July, is expected to boost output and revenue at an estimated net cost of around US$2.1mln, which i3 noted is just 1.3x the forecasted net operating income for the next twelve months. It is expected that the drill programme will conclude early in the third quarter. The wells are expected to add around 175 barrels of oil per day net to i3. The company has also executed a letter of intent to acquire an additional 230 boepd of production in the Wapit area. These assets, Cardium and Dunvegan, are described as synergistic to the companys existing interests in the area. It subsequently plans to invest in a programme of six well reactivations across Cardium and Dunvegan which is forecast to add 310 boepd, at a capital cost of around US$410,000. Eco Atlantic Oil & Gas Ltd (LON:ECO) (CVE:EOG) said it is looking forward to announcing a new drill schedule offshore Guyana in the coming months. The explorer said its partner and operator of the Orinduik Block, ( ), is confident in the technical advancement and progression towards drill target selection in the third quarter of 2021. It will follow the completion of desktop work this summer to reprocess seismic data. Progress on this timeline will see fresh exploration drilling offshore Guyana in 2022. Zephyr Energy PLC ( ) provided an update on its recently acquired interests in the Williston Basin, North Dakota, where wells are in the process of being brought online for production. The company acquired non-operated interests in the package of wells back in March. In a statement, today, Zephyr said it has received two monthly revenue payments for the producing Iverson 11-14HU well. Four wells two at the S-Bar area and two at Feehan - were drilled but uncompleted (DUC) at the time of the deal and all have now been completed. The S-Bar wells have been brought into production so far and the Feehan wells are expected to be placed into production within the next month. ( ) got the greenlight from the Australian authorities to conduct its proposed airborne gravity and gradiometry survey over EP 145, in the Amadeus Basin in the Northern Territory. It is anticipated that the companys contractor will start the data acquisition programme in the week commencing 5 July 2021. Previously, Mosman noted that it will be the first time that data acquisition will be undertaken across the whole permit, and, it will be used to identify focus areas for future programmes including seismic and potentially drilling. A day earlier, Mosman updated investors on progress on the Falcon-1 well and the Stanley project in East Texas, US. The AIM-listed firm said the Falcon-1 well was re-completed in a new zone last week and can now confirm that the well is producing gas and oil with no reported water. The flow is intentionally restricted with a 5/64 choke well to monitor performance, Mosman said, adding that the production rate with this choke is around 600 metric million British thermal units (MMBtu) per day (around 105 barrels of oil equivalent per day) and that the well has been operating at this level since June 12. ( ) told investors the Greenfield Energy joint venture is now producing around 180 bopd at the Petroteq oil sands plant (POSP) at Asphalt Ridge, in Utah. It added Greenfield expects to shortly reach the targeted production level of 250 bopd, as it processes material with expected higher concentration of oil. The company said that further shipments of oil are anticipated at similar prices to the first shipment, at around US$55 per barrel, though any change would reflect the prevailing oil price at the time. ( ) inked a deal with Baker Hughes to support drilling operations in Georgia. The memorandum of understanding (MOU) sets up a partnership enabling progress for its significant oil and gas opportunities, Block said. The MOU envisages a production-led, multi-well drilling programme. The first project will be a horizontal well at the WR-BA well target location in West Rustavi, where the company is targeting 2.1mln barrels of recoverable resources. ( ) is to invest 1.2mln in Energy Acquisitions Group Ltd (EAG), a vehicle in the sustainable energy sector with plans to acquire an anaerobic digestion (AD) biogas energy project in Northern Ireland. EAG has an agreement to acquire Greenan Generation Limited, which has a 0.5 megawatt AD plant, which creates biogas, and a new joint venture is expected to pursue a series of identified acquisition opportunities in the AD sector. Scirocco highlighted that it is a value accretive investment funded by existing cash resources, in line with its new strategy to deliver shareholder value through acquisitions in the European energy market. Afghanistan is a notoriously difficult country to govern. Empire after empire, nation after nation have failed to pacify what is today the modern territory of Afghanistan, giving the region the nickname Graveyard of Empires, even if sometimes those empires won some initial battles and made inroads into the region. If the United States and its allies decide to leave Afghanistan, they would only the latest in a long series of nations to do so. As the British learned in their 1839-1842 war in Afghanistan, it is often easier to do business with a local ruler with popular support than to support a leader backed by foreign powers; the costs of propping up such a leader eventually add up. The closest most historical empires have come to controlling Afghanistan was by adopting a light-handed approach, as the Mughals did. They managed to loosely control the area by paying off various tribes, or granting them autonomy. Attempts at anything resembling centralized control, even by native Afghan governments, have largely failed. Akhilesh Pillalamarri A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to hold an all-party meeting on Jammu and Kashmir next week, a first such move taken since the abrogation of Article 370 from the region and bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories in August 2019, sources said. However, the schedule is not yet fixed, it is learnt that the meeting may occur any time next week. The meeting will be held in Delhi as the central government wanted to restart the democratic process in Jammu and Kashmir which was bifurcated into two UTs -- Jammu and Kashmir with an assembly and Ladakh without one. Regional parties in Jammu and Kashmir may also agree to participate in the Delimitation Commission proceedings. The commission was set up in March 2020 to redraw the constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir before the next assembly elections are held. However, the National Conference (NC), one of the oldest parties in Jammu and Kashmir, may not join the meeting as it is adamant on the restoration of the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir. Public representatives may also be the part of the meeting. The development comes following a meeting taken by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday in Delhi to review ongoing welfare programs in Jammu and Kashmir in order to bring development with transparency in the region. Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and other top officials attended Shah's meeting on Friday. In a statement, the home ministry said that all-around development and welfare of people of Jammu and Kashmir is the government's top priority. Shah congratulated Sinha and his team for ensuring the Covid-19 vaccination drive has reached 76 per cent of the target in the Union Territory and 100 per cent in four districts. The statement said Shah asked authorities to ensure the farmers in the region get the benefits of the central schemes. Jammu and Kashmir has been without an elected government since chief minister Mehbooba Mufti lost power when the Bharatiya Janata Party withdrew support to the People's Democratic Party-led government in June 2018. Mufti and two other former chief ministers were among hundreds of people arrested in the run-up to the nullification of the Constitution's Article 370 that stripped Jammu & Kashmir of its special status. A communications blackout and a lockdown were also imposed to stem protests against the move. All the restrictions have since been removed. The first major electoral exercise --District Development Council polls -- was held in the region as part of efforts to restart political activities in Jammu and Kashmir last year. All major political parties participated in the exercise. The parties have also shown willingness to engage with the Centre. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday slammed the Uttar Pradesh government for giving a clean chit to an Agra hospital where 22 patients died after oxygen supply was allegedly cut during a drill. She said that the government has closed all the doors of justice. Priyanka, who is also the in-charge of UP Congress, tweeted: "What an irony. According to reports a hospital in Agra conducted mock drill by allegedly cutting the oxygen supply and the BJP government gave clean chit to the hospital doing mock drill of the inquiry. The paths of government and the hospital have been cleared. By not listening to the complaints of the patients families, the government has shut all hope of justice." She also attached a news report claiming that a clean chit was given to the Paeas Hospital, which was caught in a controversy after a video surfaced online. In the video, a man was heard saying to conduct a mock drill on oxygen supply. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit his home state Gujarat on Monday to inaugurate a few development projects, besides taking part in some other functions. "Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be here on Monday. We are expecting that he would here on Tuesday morning as well, though it has not been confirmed yet," state BJP spokesperson Yamal Vyas told IANS. According to the available information, Shah will dedicate two flyovers near Gandhinagar on the Sarkhej-Gandhinagar highway (SG Road), one over the Vaishnodevi Circle and the other at Khoraj, to the people at 10 am on Monday. These two flyovers will greatly reduce the traffic on SG Road. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Deputy CM Nitin Patel are also expected to be present during the ceremony. Thereafter, Shah will inaugurate the newly constructed APMC office at Kalol at 11 am. Shah is also expected to be present at a vaccination centre in Gandhinagar, which is his parliamentary constituency, to give boost to the ongoing vaccination drive. Shah will also visit his adopted villages -- Kolavada and Rupal -- under the Adarsh Sansad Gram scheme and oversee vaccination drives to be carried out in schools. Shah is expected to end his visit with a visit to the Shaktipeeth Vardayini Mata temple in Rupal. A video clip of a massive crowd assembled for the inauguration of a new party office of the Nationalist Congress Party in Pune on Saturday went viral after news agency ANI shared it. Pune's guardian minister and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar was reportedly present at the inauguration. "If 8,000-10,000 people gather in an event then Ajit Pawar has no moral right to urge people to follow Covid guidelines. They filed FIR against other party leaders for flouting Covid norms. Action should be taken against them," BJP's Praveen Darekar, Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council, said to ANI. Pune was one of the worst-hit Covid districts in India. Now, it is under level 2 of the state government's five-level unlocking plan. The weekend restriction is still continuing in Pune. Ajit Pawar on Saturday held a meeting with Pune officials to review the Covid-19 situation of the district. Then briefing reporters about the meeting, he said people should not lower their guard against Covid-19. He also said that officials expressed concern over people heading to Mahabaleshwar, Lonavala and other tourist places in large numbers over the weekends, PTI reported. "I don't understand why people are doing this. There is a need to take Covid-19 infection seriously. A lot of people have started going to tourist places out of the state; some go for trekking. If this continues, there will be no option but to quarantine people going out of the district for 15 days. We may have to issue such orders," he warned. Pune is the home district of the NCP and the partys president Sharad Pawar, but it did not have an office here. The new office is near the Pune Municipal Corporation headquarters. CIA will never be allowed to use Pakistan's bases: PM Imran Khan On Saturday, 19th June, Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan stated that the US will never be peritted to use Pakistan's soil for operations in Afghanistan. In an interview with foreign media, Imran Khan said that he will not allow the USs Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to use bases on Pakistans soil for cross-border missions after American forces withdraw from Afghanistan. Similarly, while addressing a session of the Senate, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also said that Pakistan will not allow the United States to set up a base in Pakistan and that under the watchful eye of Imran Khan, Pakistan is safe. Furthermore, the FM exclaimed that the news was completely baseless. I call upon the nation to bear witness that under Imran Khan, there will be no American base on Pakistani soil. This is a clear policy of our government, Pakistan is in safe hands, he said. Also, Pakistan used to be a part of the problem but now it is only headed towards finding solutions. The horrors of slavery and the harms from subsequent racial injustices cannot be met with symbolic gestures like holidays. Real restitution must come in the form of reparationswhich neither party seems interested in. by Sonali Kolhatkar After the United States Senate and House in quick succession passed a federal bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday to commemorate the end of slavery, President Joe Biden wasted no time in signing the bill into law. Making Juneteenth a federal holiday is a major step forward to recognize the wrongs of the past, said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, expressing what has come to be his partys standard performative gesturing toward historic racial injustices by a party that likes to set itself apart from Republicans via lip service to liberal ideals. To his credit, Schumer added, But we must continue to work to ensure equal justice and fulfill the promise of the Emancipation Proclamation and our Constitution. Ensuring equal justice is precisely the step that would carry real meaning and add teeth to the very short, one-page Juneteenth bill. So why is that critical aspect missing from the bill? There are many historical accounts of how Juneteenth came about, but the most widely accepted one is that enslaved Black people in Texas were the last in the U.S. to know that they had the legal right to be freetwo and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863. The revelation that freedom was at hand came from General Gordon Granger in Galveston on June 19, 1865, and if ever there was a declaration of American independence that carried any moral weight, it is the day that came to be known as Juneteenthrather than the Fourth of July and the syrupy and blind patriotism that accompanies it. When a wave of mass protests against racist police brutality swept the United States last summer after George Floyds killing, corporate America began to acknowledge Juneteenth as an important day, discovering what many Black communities had commemorated for years. Then-President Donald Trump also took credit for publicizing it, saying with his usual audacious ignorance, I did something good: I made Juneteenth very famous. Its actually an important event, an important time. But nobody had ever heard of it. Since most white Americans had likely not heard of Juneteenth, in the 45th presidents mind, that meant nobody had. Trump made the comments in the context of a controversial political rally that his reelection campaign scheduled for June 19, 2020, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the historical site of some of the nations bloodiest racial violence. A year later, Democrats, with their newfound political power, are trying to set themselves apart from Trump and the GOP. Rather than making aggressive efforts to pass a hefty infrastructure bill, a minimum wage increase, or important voting rights reformall of which would more substantially benefit Black Americansthe party is now expecting credit for recognizing Juneteenth as a federal holiday that all Americans can mark. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas who sponsored the Juneteenth holiday legislation went as far saying, what I see here today is racial divide crumbling, being crushed this day under a momentous vote that brings together people who understand the value of freedom. These words are as hollow as the declarations of a post-racial era when Barack Obama was elected to the presidency in 2008. What Democrats are utterly failing to acknowledge is that when enslaved people were declared free, that freedom meant an abrupt end to the horrific injustices wreaked upon generations of Black Americans, but it also meant almost no accountability or justice to compensate for what was done to them, no payment for the centuries of stolen labor, no redress for the violence, terror, family separations, sexual assaults, grinding servitude, and other hard-to-imagine harms. For Democrats to make a symbolic gesture toward racial justice without the financial redress that could actualize such justice is mere posturing. Melina Abdullah, a leader in the Los Angeles chapter of Black Lives Matter and a professor in Pan-African studies at California State University of Los Angeles, made a statement that cuts to the heart of what lawmakers need to hear, saying about Juneteenth, White folks need to sit this one out. Its not yours. Your acknowledgment should come in the form of #reparations. She added, And by white folks I mean government, corporations, and the individual white families whose wealth is built on the stolen labor of Black folks. Her sentiments were widely echoed by other Black Americans on social media. Neither party appears to have the political courage to truly respect the idea of racial justice for Black Americans. Democrats, who take great pride in the symbolism of their history-making half Black, half Indian Vice President Kamala Harris, are also going out of their way to censure and silence Somali American Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota for speaking uncomfortable truths. The liberal party excels in performance over substance and in celebrating Black Americans as long as they help meet diversity quotas but remain subservient to the establishment. In contrast, Republicans have brushed aside all pretense toward respecting racial equality altogether. The rabidly racist Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) almost objected to the Juneteenth bill, saying, it still seems strange that having taxpayers provide federal employees paid time off is now required to celebrate the end of slavery. (One wonders what the senator would deem acceptable instead.) And in Texas, where the original Juneteenth celebrations began and where the day was declared a state holiday earlier this year, Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill championed by Texas Republicans to bar the teaching of critical race theory (CRT) in state schools. It is precisely the academic framework of CRT that has helped to create a broad understanding of why Juneteenth is important, and it is also what can help make the case for why reparations must be central to racial justice. Republicans and conservatives have fought hard to ensure that injustices arising from slavery remain the past and that there must be no accounting for it in the present day. (These are often the same people who righteously insist on preserving Confederate-era statues for the sake of history.) If only it were true that racial injustices ended when slavery ended. But American society has remained hostile to Black communities through persistent, ongoing, debilitating racial discrimination and injustices even today. There has been no serious federal acknowledgment in the form of accountability and compensation either of historic injustices or present-day discrimination. Neither Democrats nor Republicans are bold enough to embark on a project of reparations, and instead the two major parties remain emotionally invested in the myth of American exceptionalism. Marking Juneteenth as a federal holiday is only the first step toward financial redress, not the last. The small town of Asheville, North Carolina, last year launched a program targeting Black residents for housing and business opportunities without actually dispensing what mattersmoney. The city of Evanston, Illinois, earlier this year went a bit further and began issuing $25,000 housing grants to Black residents to compensate for systematic housing discrimination along racial lines. Amherst, Massachusetts, is exploring pathways to reparations, and even states like California are considering steps for financial restitution. Such efforts indicate that the countless Black academics, leaders, journalists and activists who have painstakingly made the case for reparations for decades might be seeing some vindication. Now if only federal lawmakers like Schumer, Ed Markey (D-MA), and Lee would use their political clout to move beyond performative gestures, we might believe they truly care about righting historical injustices in the service of full equality. This article was produced by Economy for All, a project of the Independent Media Institute. Sonali Kolhatkar is the founder, host and executive producer of Rising Up With Sonali, a television and radio show that airs on Free Speech TV and Pacifica stations. She is a writing fellow for the Economy for All project at the Independent Media Institute. 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Sometimes when you head into uncharted territory, you gotta laugh at yourself from time to time. Last weekend I participated in a contest, something I enjoy doing as you might recall. To simplify the process of setting up in a vehicle I'd proposed a bold plan to save space and reduce complexity. I was anxious about reducing the amount of technology because I'd come up with a plan to use a paper log to track my contest contacts. I had visions of operating for the best part of 24 hours and making hundreds of contacts. This was based on the fact that in 2016 I'd done this same contest on my own and made a 138 contacts and scored 18221 points, having moved 17 times. I'd also done the contest in 2018 and for reasons I don't recall, I made one contact over 8 hours. That right there should have been a warning sign that I might not quite get the result I'd been fearful of. Blissfully unaware of the adventure that was unfolding, after driving to the first location, I called CQ for the better part of an hour. Then I called some more. When I was done with that, I called CQ more. 90 minutes in, I made my first contact. That pretty much set the pattern for the next nine hours. At one point we feared that the radio had packed up, but then I made a 2900 km contact with the other side of the country between me in Perth in VK6 and Catherine VK7GH in Tasmania. Around five pm we packed up, having moved location six times, making eight contacts and claiming 64 points, having worked three of the six states I heard. Talk about overblown fears. Looking back, even documenting 138 contacts on paper doesn't seem nearly as daunting after the fact, but that's for another day. I did learn some other things too. I was worried about logging the band correctly, since using a computer that's not connected to the radio requires an extra step when you change band. Using paper the issue wasn't the band, it was remembering to record the time. We didn't have the opportunity to test all the gear before the contest. I was bringing in some extra audio splitters, which didn't work with the set-up we had, testing before hand would have revealed that. We knew that there was a risk associated with not testing before and decided that in the scheme of things it didn't matter and we were right. It didn't. We hadn't much planned for food and pit-stops, but having a GPS and an internet connection solved all those issues almost invisibly. Of course that wouldn't work in an unpopulated area, but we were well inside the metropolitan area of a big city, well, Perth. Using a head-set worked great, though it didn't have a monitoring feature, so my voice got louder and louder and Thomas VK6VCR who took on the tasks of navigating and driving became deafer and deafer as the day progressed. I keep coming back to wanting a portable voice-keyer, a device that you can record your CQ call into and then at the press of a button, play it back so you don't lose your voice whilst calling CQ hour after hour. The challenge seems to be that you need to find a way to incorporate it into the existing audio chain so it doesn't introduce interference. Winning a contest requires contacts and that can only happen if there are other participants. This time around there didn't seem to be that many on air making noise. I think I heard a grand total of 13 stations. Some of that was due to propagation conditions which were nothing like I've ever heard before, but perhaps if I stick around for another solar cycle, that too will become familiar. Atrocious is one word that comes to mind. Continuing our learning, the weather, not just space-weather, actual earth weather, snow, rain, hail and in our case sun. Neither of us thought to bring a hat since the forecast was for intermittent rain. We had no rain, instead had the opportunity to bask in the winter sun. Yes, it's winter here in Oz when it's Summer in Europe. As it happens, our winter temperatures are like your summer ones, but I'll leave it to you to confirm that for yourself. Finally, we have a local phenomenon in VK6. When the sun goes down, the 40m band comes alive with the sounds of Indonesia. Among the radio amateurs are plenty of pirate stations with massive AM transmitters enjoying the conditions, chatting, chanting and what ever else comes to voice. Not conductive to being on-air and making noise, but as far as I can tell, not commonly heard outside of VK6. That said, the Indonesian radio amateur community must have the patience of saints putting up with the interference that their non-licensed countrymen cause on a daily basis. My hat off to you! As I've said all along, this radio thing is about getting on air and having fun and I can tell you, we did. What did you get up to? I'm Onno VK6FLAB This article is the transcript of the weekly 'Foundations of Amateur Radio' podcast, produced by Onno Benschop, VK6FLAB who was licensed as radio amateur in Perth, Western Australia in 2010. For other episodes, visit http://vk6flab.com/. Feel free to get in touch directly via email: cq@vk6flab.com Radio ham in Queen's Birthday Honours list WIA News reports Bill Roper VK3BR was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for service to Amateur Radio in the Queen's Birthday Honours list The name Bill Roper VK3BR will be known to quite a few, particularly older operators in the hobby today. Bill had the great honour of being the recipient of an Order of Australia Medal announced last weekend in the Queen's Birthday Honours list and we in the Radio Amateurs Old Timers Club send Bill our very sincere best wishes on this most prestigious award. Bill has been an experienced banker for most of his life and has continued his contact with the bank through editing a magazine for retired bank officers. He started doing that in 2002. He also he edits a magazine, Old Timers News, for the Old Timers Club. Bill has been a committee member of RAOTC since 2000, editor of Old Timers News, the twice-yearly journal of the Old Timers Club, from sometime in 1990s. He is currently Membership Secretary, a former President of the club, a former Secretary and a Life Member. But Bill has not confined his efforts just to the Old Timers. For quite a few years he was heavily involved in Wireless Institute of Australia activities. He was the Federal Office Manager from 1989 to 1993; Editor and Assistant Editor of Amateur Radio from 1972 to 1978; Treasurer of the Victorian Division 1962 to 1972 and appointed a Life Member in 2005. All the best to you Bill. Our very sincere congratulations on the award and we hope that you will have many happy years yet to pursue your interest in and support of amateur radio. Source WIA News https://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/wianews/display.php?file_id=wianews-2021-06-20 Bill Roper VK3BR citation https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/2009055 Queen's Birthday 2021 Honours List https://www.gg.gov.au/queens-birthday-2021-honours-list Tonga operation postponed After over one year of being QRT since May 2020 due to Covid-19, Masa, JA0RQV, has postponed his June A35JP activity from Tongatapu Island (OC-049) again. He states the following on QRZ.com and his Blog page, June 12th [edited]: "I am so sorry to announce that I finally had to decide to withdraw from Fiji and return to Japan on 14th June 2021, since my flight from 3D2 to A35 can not be approved by Tongan government. I even spent two months waiting for their decision. It is very unfortunate, but due to Covid-19 pandemic in Fiji. I am planning to retry to enter Tonga in August or September this year via ZL..... 73 Masa JA0RQV in 3D2 For more details and updates, visit his Blog page at: http://blog.goo.ne.jp/rqv Farrakhan Shegog (second from right) President and CEO of Young Voices with Action, with sponsors and the organizing committee for this years BlackWallStreet314 festival in the Wellston Loop on Saturday, June 26, 2021. St. Louis 21st Ward Alderman John Collins-Muhammad with Bobbie Jackson the son of longtime resident Dorothy Jackson-Johnson in the city's O'Fallon neighborhood. Johnson also owned the popular Magic Dragon Palace. With the virus infecting more than 650,000 long-term-care residents and killing more than 130,000 across the U.S., nursing homes had a duty to take precautions when COVID-19 was out of control, said Nancy Kass, a public health expert at Johns Hopkins University. But she said she is baffled by the continued heavy emphasis on safety at the expense of residents quality of life, given were not in that state of affairs anymore. Within a few seconds, we lost bike lanes and added back on-street parking to the first six blocks of the road going east from Andrews, which is the section in our neighborhood, Bowker said in an email. But its not just the bike lanes AND the on-street parking- its about the process, respecting our voice, and good-faith. We were not given a heads up that these changes were being discussed seriously. I believe the BSO is currently and should be directing its resources to Broward County, said Broward Mayor Steve Geller. Do I think we have spare resources we should be sending to Texas to guard the border? Of course not. But I am not expecting the governor to call me and ask for my advice on this issue. Lloyd Newell, author of Music and the Spoken Word, observed: So it may help the self-conscious father to know that when his children say, I want to be just like my dad, they dont mean they expect to be perfect. They might mean, instead, that they plan to grow and learn and carry on, even in the face of troubles and setbacks. And they hope that this lesson they learned from their father will also find its way into the lives of their children for generations to come. Good data & proper vaccination need of the hour Experts By Kumudini Hettiarachchi and Ruqyyaha Deane View(s): View(s): Consistent and disaggregated data vital to track epidemic pathway Lockdown has been porous Deaths-by-date important in analysis Sri Lanka has been under a lockdown since May 25 but as many experts underscored a lot of people were going around and no one seemed to know whether they were truly a part of essential services. The experts said that from a public health point of view, the effects of this period of lockdown will only become apparent now because of the time-lag between infection, development of symptoms, case detection and availability of test results, which is a period of multiple weeks. They, however, pointed out that the lockdown has been very porous and that this will compromise its impact. You could argue that what is going on now is affecting daily wage earners more than those people roaming around saying they are part of essential services. Due to this, the lockdown or intervention has not been as effective as it should have been and may need to be extended. Thus, poorly-effective lockdowns affect the daily wage earners even more because the intervention period may have to be extended, one expert said. Currently, the two main issues that require strong focus, the Sunday Times understands are: n The critical need for good data to see where the country stands with regard to COVID-19 n A systematic vaccination programme to ensure that deaths and severe disease are prevented To monitor the progress of the COVID-19 outbreak and the effect of interventions on the outbreak, we need good data that are consistent from day to day, a senior virologist said, citing the example of data from testing of different groups. These different groups include: Exit RT-PCRs or clearance RT-PCRs on those in quarantine, either in their homes or at centres Those suspected of having contracted COVID-19 Patients with fever and respiratory diseases such as pneumonia who come to hospital outpatient departments (OPDs) Special categories at large workplaces such as factories and also prisons Eighty percent of the testing, we hear, consists of exit RT-PCR results, another expert said, stressing that these different groups cannot be lumped together to assessthe trajectory (path) of the outbreak. The virologist pointed out that you have to disaggregate this data to compare daily trends within each category. That is how we can see if the outbreak is expanding or coming under control. There is a need for day-by-day data streams to track what is happening within the community. Exit RT-PCRs will not give the picture at ground level because these are people in quarantine. The pulse of the epidemic whether the numbers are increasing, flattening or coming down will be felt through the number of positives found among those who are suspected of having contracted COVID-19 and patients with fever and respiratory diseases such as pneumonia who come to OPDs, pointed out another. Other experts reiterated that when one figure covers all these groups, it is very difficult to gauge which way the epidemic is progressing. For example, a big outbreak in a prison does not reflect what is happening in the community. The data stream is also compromised to some extent due to testing numbers being flattened out because of testing limitations, the Sunday Times understands. In this context, daily numbers of COVID-19 death data are extremely important as they are probably the most reliable indicator. However, the number of deaths being reported each day covers deaths that took place over many weeks. This is not useful in the analysis of the epidemic trend. The data should be on a deaths-by-date basis, an expert said, adding that only then can a pattern be seen in a meaningful way and also analyzed in a meaningful way. 101 death toll over a period of time DGI People went into shock over reports of 101 deaths from COVID-19 on June 10 (Thursday), which were quickly refuted by the Department of Government Information (DGI) on Friday. A media release from the DGI gave the breakdown of these deaths as: February 6 1; April 1 1; May 15 1; May 16 1;May 20 1; May 21 1; May 22 1; May 26 1; May 27 3; May 29 2; June 1 2; June 2 2; June3 7; June 4 4; June 5 4; June 6 27; June 7 27; June 8 13; and June 9 2. Thirty of the deaths had occurred at home; 57 in hospital; and 14 on admission to hospital. The negotiations over a treaty about Gibraltar's future relationship with the EU might be concluded by the end of this year, says chief minister Fabian Picardo, although he hopes it will be earlier, possibly by the end of September, so that what is agreed could come into effect early in 2022. However, he believes it would be a mistake to set a hard date for an agreement to be reached. When he announced the New Year's Eve agreement in principle, which forms the framework for a treaty and includes Schengen access for Gibraltar, Picardo indicated that he thought the negotiations would take about six months. That date is nearly upon us, but it was not fixed and the start of the talks has been delayed longer than expected. On Tuesday, after media reports that UK prime minister Boris Johnson and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez had met and discussed the negotiations, the Gibraltar government issued a statement to say that it had been aware that the meeting had been scheduled but it was a general bilateral covering a number of matters. "The meeting covered a number of different areas in relations between the UK and Spain and other international issues. It was not specifically about Gibraltar. The issue of the ongoing preparations for the negotiation of the UK/EU Treaty on Gibraltar was, however, expected to be raised by both sides in an encouraging positive spirit of optimism," it said. In an interview with GBC television, Picardo also confirmed that the bridging arrangements at the border will continue after the end of June. When the presenter referred to Spain having "taken matters into its own hands" recently, insisting on wet-stamping passports, the chief minister said he didn't think that was the case. He said the problem appeared to have been that some Spanish departments had looked at their obligations after Britain left the EU, but had not understood the different agreements which had been entered into with regard to the Gibraltar border. It seemed to have been resolved quickly and the management of the border appears to be back to normal now. "This has been our salvation." These words of relief came from the vice-president of the Malaga English Cemetery Foundation, Jaime Aguilera, after the signing on Friday of a two-year collaboration agreement with the Unicaja Foundation. The agreement will guarantee the viability of the historical graveyard through two essential strategies: to curb the deterioration of the site and boost its cultural and tourist activity. The English Cemetery, founded 190 years ago by British consul William Mark to provide a burial ground for non-Catholics, can now embark on a new era following the crisis caused by the pandemic. Health restrictions and a lack of funds to meet the 30,000-euro annual upkeep costs forced the foundation to announce in February the closure of the cemetery from Monday to Friday, drawing attention to the "unsustainable" situation. The foundation now hopes that the "lifeline" offered by the Unicaja Foundation, initially signed for two years, will continue in the long term. While the exact terms have not been published, Aguilera said that the agreement signed by the president of the Unicaja Foundation, Braulio Medel, and the president of the English Cemetery Foundation, Bruce McIntyre, "means we don't have to worry about the main problem, which was the financial one". The Unicaja Foundation said on Friday, "The aim of the agreement is based on the need to improve the condition of the site and contribute to its own promotional projects, widening its visibility and strengthening its position as a cultural and tourist asset, a venue for concerts, exhibitions and guided tours, as well as cultural activities adapted to its unique characteristics." With the agreement taking immediate effect, the cemetery - officially declared a Bien de Interes Cultural (Asset of Cultural Interest) in 2012 and home to St George's Anglican church - hopes to increase its contacts with institutions and businesses "to raise funds to invest in the facilities", added Aguilera. The foundation's talks with other representatives of the cultural sector are "very advanced", he said, with the aim of putting February's "absolutely desperate" situation behind them for good. Aguilera said that they were now "happy" and "grateful" for the message of support received during the last four months. "It's clear that Malaga is fond of the Engish Cemetery and that is very important for us." It was agreed on Wednesday evening that the ocean study vessel that has been searching off Tenerife for clues over the disappearance of two young sisters and their presumed murder by their father would continue a few days more. The mother of one-year-old Anna and six-year-old Olivia had earlier asked the authorities through a family spokesperson to carry on. Last Thursday, the body of Olivia was found on the ocean bed 1,000 metres below by the Angeles Alvarino marine study vessel. At that point, a missing persons inquiry changed to a murder investigation. Police had been running a massive search for the sisters after the mother's former partner, Tomas Gimeno, failed to return them to her on 27 April. Despite Gimeno's boat being found empty out at sea and his earlier movements pieced together, there was still hope that he had merely fled and all would be found alive. Gimeno had called the mother the night of the disappearance, assuring her that she would never see them again. The presumed murders have shocked Spain and sympathy protests and gatherings were held across the country. The search continues for Gimeno's body as well as Anna's. With her visits to Madrid and Lisbon this week, EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyden started a cushy, debutante-esque tour of European capitals, to be thanked in person by recipients of the so-called Covid "recovery" funds. But this description of the grants and loans is starting to look wholly inaccurate, at least in Spain's case. Here, deployment of the Brussels money has nothing to do with pandemic-related damage or pre-existing problems, but everything to do with the EU's own eco and digital priorities. To see just how inappropriate the label "recovery" is for these handouts, imagine the situation on a personal scale. Say you're my benefactor or creditor, of apparently limitless generosity. I've recently been very ill and unable to work for a long period of time. I've lost my job, which was temporary and insecure anyway. I've racked up debts and am back living with my parents. Being an irrepressible optimist, though, I'm looking at my reduced circumstances as an opportunity to improve my pre-illness situation. I want to use the loan you're kindly giving me to retrain and reposition myself in the job market - providing, of course, that I've enough left over once I've settled my debts. Perhaps your generous patronage will even enable me to find a better, more secure position than the one I had before. Yours isn't quite the no-strings attached aid package it looks like, though. Exercising the power you know you possess as creditor, you hint that you'd really like me to spend the money on an electric car and faster internet connection. Neither are really important or necessary to me, but I do as you please anyway. I acquire a silent, rechargeable car and can watch films on my laptop without that infuriating buffering sign. But I'm still jobless, unable to retrain or improve my qualifications and actually even more in debt than I already was. Perhaps I'll need another loan from elsewhere to pay you back. So it is, more or less, with Spain and the EU. Of the 70 billion euros it's receiving in grants, 40% will be spent on energy transition, followed by 30% on digitalization. Just 10% is going on education and training, even though Spain's youngsters have long been referred to as the "lost generation" (the country's 40% youth unemployment level is the highest in the EU). Not much has been said about the 70 billion due in repayable loans, but it's reasonable to assume that it'll be spent in the same way as the grants. Pedro Sanchez has said labour market reforms depend on negotiations with unions and employers, although such negotiations supposedly began shortly after he came to power in 2018. Clearly they've achieved nothing, unlike the clandestine talks that have presumably (?) been held with electric car manufacturers and internet providers. Whatever the purpose of these grants and loans is, it's certainly not recovery. What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 712-243-2624 or email circ@ant-news.com. Unlimited website access 24/7 Unlimited e-Edition access 24/7 The best local, regional and national news in sports, politics, business and more! With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. As a current print subscriber, you receive 24/7 access to our website and online e-edition at no additional charge. All you have to do is activate your access. To activate digital access, you will need your account number. You can find your account number on any recent subscription notice or bill. Emirates is ramping up its operations and expanding services across its network to meet strong leisure travel demand over the summer, as entry restrictions ease for travellers. The airline has been gradually and safely rebuilding its route network and advancing its strategy to optimise its presence in key markets to serve leisure and growing business travel demand, as well as segments of travellers visiting friends and relatives. Today, Emirates serves 115 global passenger destinations, and by the end of July, it will have recovered close to 90 per cent of its pre-pandemic network, operating 880 weekly services across 124 cities. The airline will resume services to seven cities in July including: Venice on July 1; Phuket, Nice, Orlando and Mexico City on July 2; Lyon on July 9 and Malta on July 14. Emirates will also launch flights to Florida's second largest city and one of the world's most popular holiday spots, Miami, starting July 22. His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates Chairman and Chief Executive, said: "Emirates is committed to keeping Dubai, businesses and communities around the world connected and we are working hard to rebuild our network and secure access to more destinations in partnership with various authorities and stakeholders. We are encouraged by the latest developments as many countries have begun to turn the page and reopen for international visitors, and we are seeing strong signs of pent-up demand wherever restrictions have eased. Emirates is nimbly matching up flight services and identifying opportunities to grow our footprint, and provide customers more opportunities to safely get where they want to go this summer, offering best-in-class service, greater convenience and more choice." More flights to top destinations Across its network, the airline will boost capacity and expand its schedules by layering on frequencies for the summer, connecting more customers with popular destinations and adding more choice and convenience as they plan their long-awaited holidays. Emirates will be adding frequencies to 12 cities across Europe, Africa and North America as more destinations re-open for international visitors, and offer quarantine free travel. Emirates destinations with enhanced schedules for July and August include: German cities Munich, Dusseldorf and Hamburg; Zurich; Vienna; Prague; Madrid; Stockholm; Brussels; Lisbon; Chicago and Tunis. In Europe, the airline currently flies to more than 30 cities in 20 countries including popular holiday destinations Greece, Spain, Italy, France and Malta, which offer quarantine free arrivals. In the United States, with rapid vaccine rollouts and the reopening of air travel at a rate outpacing the world, Emirates will continue to build its presence. With the addition of Miami to its network in July, Emirates will operate over 70 weekly flights to the US, offering over 26,000 seats across 12 gateways including Boston, Chicago, New York (JFK and Newark), Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington DC and Orlando. The airline is also ramping up its trans-Atlantic operations Milan-New York and Athens-Newark to meet large passenger volumes and high demand across its premium cabins. An expanded A380 summer network Emirates will also boost its A380 network this summer, bringing its flagship experience to 15 cities on 129 weekly services. During the summer, the airline plans to activate over 30 of its A380s to augment its 151 strong fleet of Boeing 777s. The Emirates A380 experience continues to be sought after by customers, with many going out of their way to book their travel on an Emirates A380 for its signature products, spaciousness, quietness and unmatched levels of comfort. Emirates will be deploying the A380 to the following cities during the summer period: Cairo, Jeddah, Amman, Guangzhou, London Heathrow, Manchester, Frankfurt, Vienna, Paris, Munich, Moscow, New York JFK, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and Toronto. Stepping up of deployment of the A380 demonstrates the importance of the aircraft to Emirates' recovery and growth strategy. The A380 ensures the efficient use of capacity on high demand routes, and enables Emirates to deliver its sought-after A380 experience to more customers, helping the airline to maintain its leadership position in key cities across its network. Emirates customers can rest assured this summer while travelling that their health and safety continued to be a top priority with the latest health and safety measures in place. When flying out of Dubai, customers can take advantage of contactless technology at nearly every step of their journey for an added layer of safety. The airline will also be boosting its digital verification capabilities, providing its customers even more opportunities to utilise the IATA Travel Pass this summer, and customers flying out of Dubai can also enjoy a paperless experience when verifying their Covid-19 related medical records as part of the airline's tie-up with the Dubai Health Authority. Emirates leads the industry with customer centric solutions that make travel planning stress free with even more generous and flexible booking policies, an extension of its multi-risk insurance cover, and helping loyal customers retain their miles and tier status. - TradeArabia News Service Historic B-25 Bomber Visits Paducah By Bill Hughes PADUCAH - Hundreds of people got to see and touch history on Friday when a World War II bomber plane visited Paducah's Barkley Regional Airport.The B-25 Mitchell Bomber, "Show Me," landed about noon, and anyone could take a look at it - inside and out - to get acquainted with the 76-year-old aircraft, which is one of about 30 that are still airworthy. They could also talk to the crew from the Missouri Wing of the Commemorative Air Force.Pilot John Fester is a retired pharmacist who works only one day a week. Between that and his second job as a flight instructor, he looks forward to trips like this because he gets to fly a historic plane. Plus, he gets to meet men who served our country and give them a ride in a piece of history. It's a good trade, because he gets to hear their living history.Fester said, "It's just unbelievable, the stories we hear - all veterans - but the World War II guys, each year we're losing so many, but to hear their stories and knowing that they were around these kind of aircraft. It's, just to me, fascinating, how some of those guys lived, but they've all got a story."He said when he started flying the plane nine years ago, he would be approached at air shows by 10-15 World War II veterans, and now that number is maybe two per show.Fester said, "They need to tell their story, people need to hear it, and realize what they went through and why we're hear today and speaking English and not Japanese or German."One story Fester was looking forward to hearing was from a Calloway County man who will soon turn 99 years old. He was in an LST on the French beach on D-Day, and saw lots of B-25s flying overhead, but had never been in one."That gives me chills just thinking about it," Fester said.While this plane served as a trainer on American soil during the end of World War II and beyond, the B-25 Mitchell aircraft was used in every theatre of the war, including sixteen of the bombers that carried out the, "Doolittle Raid," taking off from an aircraft carrier to make the first U.S. air strike on the Japanese Islands in 1942.Fester said, "It was so versatile as a medium bomber. It didn't need a lot of runway, which was a big deal, but it could carry 3,000 pounds worth of bombs."He was impressed with the crowd and the event on Friday, and hopes that as many people as possible will come see these planes before they can't fly them anymore."Who knows how long the FAA will let us keep doing this?" Fester said. "They're gonna someday say, 'if it's this old, it's gonna have to be in a museum only.'"The Commemorative Air Force sells rides as an ongoing fundraiser to keep the planes running. Fester and the rest of the crew volunteer their time. Murder Suspect's Case Moved To Circuit Court By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - A man facing charges from two recent shooting incidents has had his case moved to McCracken County Circuit Court.Twenty-year-old Rodrrick D. "Lucky" Moore faces murder and assault charges from a June 8 shooting on Colony Drive, where Darrius White died and Jeffery Concentine, Jr., was injured.He also faces four counts of wanton endangerment and two counts of criminal mischief related to shots fired at Cardinal Point Apartments on Saturday, June 5.More was in District Court Thursday for a preliminary hearing, where it was decided to move his case to circuit court. His arraignment is scheduled for July 15.Moore fled the area after the June 8 shooting and was arrested in Blytheville, Arkansas the next day. He reportedly told Paducah Police detectives he argued with several people on June 4 and believed one of them lived in Cardinal Point apartments. Police say he fired four shots at the building about 3 am Saturday. Nobody was injured, but three bullets struck apartments and one struck a vehicle.Moore previously plead not guilty Monday at his arraignment in District Court. One Burglary Suspect Appears in Court, One Absent By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - Two men were scheduled to appear in court Thursday on burglary charges from 2020, but only one of them was there.Raymond Derry and Leonard Greenfield, both of Joppa, Illinois, had arraignment hearings in McCracken Circuit Court, but Derry did not appear. Judge Tim Kaltenbach issued a bench warrant for his arrest. The Massac County Sheriff's Department website shows that Derry is currently in their custody.A not guilty plea was entered for Greenfield, and a pre-trial conference is scheduled for August 30.Both men face multiple counts of burglary related to an investigation in December 2020, when appliances and other items were reported stolen from a storage lot owned by Kentucky Dream Homes on Coleman Road. McCracken County Sheriff's Detectives say they traced a dishwasher to Derry, who arranged to sell it and was arrested. He reportedly said Greenfield was his accomplice. West End Pursuit Suspect's Case Moves Forward By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - A man arrested Sunday after a vehicle and foot pursuit was in court Thursday.The McCracken District Court Clerk says 38-year-old Jonathan White had a preliminary hearing, and his case was transferred from District Court to Circuit Court. His arraignment is set for July 15.White was arrested by Kentucky State Police just before midnight on June 13 on Paducah's west end. Police say they tried to pull over the vehicle driven by White, but it fled the scene before crashing. White and 26-year-old Damareon Prather reportedly fled the scene on foot, but White was quickly caught by troopers. Prather was later arrested by Paducah Police as he hid under a local resident's porch.White faces charges of DUI with aggravating circumstances, fleeing or evading police in a vehicle and on foot, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, trafficking in a controlled substance 1st degree 1st offense, and multiple traffic offenses. Marshall County Awarded $88,000 for Road Projects By West Kentucky Star Staff MARSHALL COUNTY - Marshall County is one of six Kentucky counties that will receive a share of more than half a million dollars for rubber-modified asphalt projects utilizing waste tires.Marshall County was awarded $87,889 for the project.The grant funding will be used for the application of chip seal or asphalt overlay to county or metro government roads. Chip seal is a pavement surface treatment that combines one or more layers of liquid asphalt with one or more layers of fine aggregate. Asphalt overlay consists of a new layer of asphalt applied over an existing road surface.Selected roads have road culverts, shoulders and bases in good condition with minimal repairs needed. One of the roads being surfaced include Dusty Trail in Marshall County.The money for these projects comes from the Kentucky Waste Tire Trust Fund, which receives $2 from every new tire sold in the commonwealth. OPINION: Less CRT, more ABCs? By Jim Waters, Bluegrass Institute LEXINGTON -Northern Kentucky Republican Rep. Joe Fischer is taking heat from some leftists after pre-filing legislation banning teaching or instructional materials in Kentucky's public schools which assumes or suggests an individual by virtue of his or her race or sex is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive; bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race; or is made to "feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress" simply because of race, sex or religion.Bill Request 69 also includes bans on instruction and materials, claiming "meritocracy or traits such as a hard work ethic are racist or sexist or were created by members of a particular race to oppress members of another race" or that the commonwealth or nation is "fundamentally or irredeemably racist or sexist."Advocating "the violent overthrow of the United States government" is also banned.While Fischer's bill was requested by constituents many of them parents opponents of Fischer's legislation are calling foul, claiming decisions about what is or isn't taught in Kentucky schools should be made at the local level, not in Frankfort.For example, the Kentucky Association of School Superintendents (KASS) mistakenly claims "governance structures already exist at the local level" to address these issues and that local decision-making is "critical to the success of our schools because it empowers our parents ..."Parents are not empowered by the current local governance structure in the commonwealth's public schools.The law creating School-Based Decision Making (SBDM) councils governing Kentucky schools prohibits parents from holding the majority vote and thus being empowered to overrule staff if they oppose what's being taught or practiced in their children's classrooms.The councils are "essentially unaccountable to the general public," according to Gary Houchens, Ph.D., who teaches education administration at Western Kentucky University.Houchens, a Bluegrass Institute Scholar, noted recently on KET's "Kentucky Tonight" that while school boards are locally elected, they have "no control whatsoever" over what gets taught in their districts' schools.He reluctantly acknowledged that the current scenario means legislation is needed to ensure parents that "problematic concepts" associated with the controversial critical race theory (CRT) are "limited in the way they're presented in their children's classrooms."If a Kentucky school wants to mimic some local schools or districts in other states by requiring that white students confess their racial guilt prior to graduation or forcing kindergartners to watch a video of dead Black children while warning them about how "racist police and state-sanctioned violence" might kill them at any moment, what recourse other than legislation do parents have under the current SBDM system?Louisville Democratic Sen. Gerald Neal, who also appeared on the KET show, supports giving Kentucky teachers carte blanche in teaching CRT."Who are we in big government to tell folks at that level exactly what is needed?" Neal countered.But Kentucky already has such legislation.Frankfort requires local schools to instruct students about the Holocaust and other subjects like Veterans Day.Just three years ago, Neal and all but a handful of his fellow legislators voted to require schools teach "essential skills" for the workforce like how to dress appropriately, the importance of avoiding drugs and being punctual.Neal, education commissioner Jason Glass, the KASS and other groups say Kentucky has local control and empowers parents when they know very well that SBDM policy prevents such leverage.These same special interests know full well it benefits their leftist ideology to have ultimate control in all educational matters involving our children from where they attend school to whether they're taught CRT, maybe even instead of their ABCs. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-15 17:21:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close New air tanks are being unloaded from the truck during the installation of the new oxygen plant at Mulago Referral hospital in Kampala, Uganda, June 18, 2021. Uganda is running short of medical oxygen as the east African country grapples with the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic, an official has said. (Photo by Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua) KAMPALA, June 15 (Xinhua) -- Uganda is running short of medical oxygen as the east African country grapples with the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic, an official has said. Diana Atwine, permanent secretary at the ministry of health, said in an interview with local media on Monday that there was a high demand of oxygen due to the surge in numbers of COVID-19 patients in High Dependency Units and Intensive Care Units (ICU) across the country. "Yes, it is true we have shortage of oxygen in the country, and that is why we are trying to get more oxygen plants," said Atwine. Local media reported over the weekend that medical oxygen was running out in several districts across the country amid the second wave of the novel coronavirus in the country. "We are working on the procurement of more (oxygen) plants, possibly 10 that can give us huge amounts of oxygen at a go. But that is quite a journey," said Atwine. Meanwhile, Godfrey Baterana, executive director of Mulago National Referral Hospital in the capital, said the demand of oxygen by COVID-19 patients had outpaced oxygen plants manufacturing capacity. "You find (a COVID-19) patient requiring 70 liters of oxygen per minute and yet a normal patient in a normal ICU requires between one and ten," said Baterana. As of Monday, Uganda had registered 63,099 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 434 deaths, according to official data. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-18 06:31:10|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close People line up outside a COVID-19 vaccination clinic in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada, on June 18, 2021. Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends Canadians who received a first shot of AstraZeneca vaccine should get Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for their second shot. On June 1, NACI said AstraZeneca recipients could choose whether to get a second dose of the same vaccine, or an mRNA vaccine. But in new guidance released Thursday, NACI said Pfizer or Moderna are now "preferred" as the second dose. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua) OTTAWA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends Canadians who received a first shot of AstraZeneca vaccine should get Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for their second shot. On June 1, NACI said AstraZeneca recipients could choose whether to get a second dose of the same vaccine, or an mRNA vaccine. But in new guidance released Thursday, NACI said Pfizer or Moderna are now "preferred" as the second dose. "An mRNA vaccine is now preferred as the second dose for individuals who received a first dose of the AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD vaccine, based on emerging evidence of a potentially better immune response from this mixed vaccine schedule," NACI said in a statement Thursday afternoon. The new recommendation is based on growing evidence that a second dose of an mRNA vaccine produces a stronger immune response, and because of the low but serious risk of vaccine-induced blood clots associated with getting AstraZeneca. It doesn't mean people can't still choose AstraZeneca if they want, or if they are allergic to the mRNA vaccines. "People who received two doses of AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD vaccine can rest assured that the vaccine provides good protection against infection and very good protection against severe disease and hospitalization," NACI said in the statement. As of June 5, 2.1 million Canadians had received one dose of AstraZeneca, and 15,186 people got two doses. NACI said Canadians can easily shift to an mRNA-based immunization campaign because Canada is poised to receive a flood of shots from Pfizer and Moderna in the coming weeks, with 14 million more doses set to arrive this month. NACI also said evidence emerging from studies in Germany suggests mixing one dose of AstraZeneca with a second dose of a Pfizer vaccine can actually produce "a potentially better immune response, including against variants of concern" than two doses of AstraZeneca alone. "Evidence continues to suggest a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine followed by a second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine has a good safety profile," NACI said. NACI also recommends that mRNA recipients receive a second shot of whatever product they received first. The second shot should match the first unless "the same product is not readily available, or the product used for the first dose is unknown." It added the two mRNA products can be considered interchangeable. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-18 06:37:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A woman walks in downtown Lisbon, Portugal, June 18, 2021. The Portuguese government announced on Thursday that the entire Metropolitan Area of Lisbon (AML) will be in isolation on weekends, from 3 p.m. on Friday to 6 a.m. on next Monday, in a bid to contain the increase in cases of COVID-19 in the country's capital. (Photo by Pedro Fiuza/Xinhua) LISBON, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The Portuguese government announced on Thursday that the entire Metropolitan Area of Lisbon (AML) will be in isolation on weekends, from 3 p.m. on Friday to 6 a.m. on next Monday, in a bid to contain the increase in cases of COVID-19 in the country's capital. The Minister of State for the Presidency, Mariana Vieira da Silva, said that "the restrictions on circulation in the AML" are intended to ensure that "the high incidence of the pandemic that is felt in this region is not transported out of it." The ban affects 18 municipalities in the AML, with "reinforcement of the general inspection of activities and events" in the capital, said the minister in a statement to the press. According to her, this is a new measure to control the pandemic that "is neither easy nor desired by anyone, but it is necessary" to contain the aggravation of the incidence of COVID-19 in the region due to the "prevalence of the Delta variant" of the new coronavirus. Portugal recorded in the past 24 hours 1,233 new confirmed cases and two more deaths, with 13 more people hospitalized, according to the General Directorate of Health (DGS). Thursday's epidemiological bulletin records a total of 364 people hospitalized, 88 of them in intensive care units, where five more patients were admitted, Lusa news agency reported. It is the highest number of admissions with COVID-19 since April 26, when 365 people were admitted. "Throughout the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, there is high growth. Our objective is no longer to prevent this transmission between municipalities, which is already very high, but to control what is still outside this metropolitan area," said the minister. Unlike the rest of the country, Lisbon has not progressed to the last phase of deconfinement, or easing of COVID-19 lockdown measures, scheduled for this week. In Portugal, 17,057 people have died so far out of 861,628 confirmed cases of infection, according to the latest bulletin from the DGS. Over 6.96 million people have been vaccinated, the Portuguese health authorities said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-18 17:57:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close If the ceramic industry had a poetry contest, this artsy lion might be champion material! Travel back in time and learn some of the ancient Chinese poems engraved on ceramics Produced by Xinhua Global Service Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-18 22:45:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A woman wearing a face mask is seen in Sao Paulo, Brazil on May 25, 2021. (Xinhua/Rahel Patrasso) COVID-19 leaked from lab? "We're completely in want of evidence," Stephen Goldstein, who studies evolutionary virology at the University of Utah, was quoted by Foreign Policy as saying. NEW YORK, June 18 (Xinhua) -- The lab leak theory about the current COVID-19 pandemic just doesn't hold up, reported U.S. news publication Foreign Policy recently. "While the theory was reported, many media outlets also dismissed it as conspiracy mongering. The possibility of a routine lab accident became caught up in the theories about bio-weapons and germ warfare," the publication said in a report released on Tuesday. "Scientists were keen to focus debate on how to deal with the pandemic, not a geopolitical fracas," it said, adding that "beyond those crumbs of truth, however, everything is just speculation." A student wearing a face mask and a face shield attends a class during the trial face-to-face learning at a school in Jakarta, Indonesia, April 7, 2021. (Photo by Agung Kuncahya B./Xinhua) Though the noise keeps on rising, none of this means a lab leak is impossible and "there has been scant new, hard evidence pointing to the lab leak theory," said Foreign Policy in its report. "One of the most effective parts of the lab leak theory is not the quality of evidence but the quantity. Bits and pieces are fired out at a rapid pace, some of them even contradicting each other, before they can be adequately discussed or broken down." "I don't think that we've learned anything new in the last few months," Stephen Goldstein, who studies evolutionary virology at the University of Utah, was quoted by Foreign Policy as saying. "We're completely in want of evidence." Science has confirmed that the COVID-19 virus is a "natural virus," not a bioweapon, added the report. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 00:09:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Undated file photo shows a container ship of Maersk docking in Nansha Port, Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Guangzhou Port Authority) BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhua) -- China will play a crucial role in ensuring that the global logistics industry responds effectively to the climate change challenge, said Ditlev Blicher, managing director of Maersk Asia Pacific. "Decarbonizing transport chains and the related energy value chains demand close collaboration and deliberate joint action from shipping companies, logistics providers, researchers, technology developers, consumers, and legislators to transform the industry and move away from fossil-based technology," Blicher told Xinhua in a recent interview. China has announced that it will strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060, which is a much shorter period than many developed countries would spend. The country is committed to pursuing greener and high-quality development in all respects. Besides China, the decarbonization agenda has become a focus of attention in the Asia-Pacific region recently, according to Blicher's observation. He said that Maersk has heavily invested in rail solutions, which can take potential air freight volumes by rail from China to Europe. The carbon dioxide emissions per kg of rail freight are significantly lower than that of air freight. Maersk last year arranged 210 tailored intercontinental trains from China to European countries, including Germany and France. For both the logistics industry and the company, decarbonization is a strategic imperative, even if they must face challenges such as the cost, distribution, and availability of clean fuel, Maersk said. Around half of the logistics giant's 200 largest customers have set or are busy setting ambitious science-based or zero-carbon targets for their supply chains. The company announced earlier this year that its first carbon-neutral container vessel will be fully operational by 2023 and that it has the ambition to be carbon neutral by 2050. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 00:39:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close OTTAWA, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Canada announced on Friday that the Canada-U.S. border agreement on travel restrictions will be extended for another month to July 21. "In coordination with the U.S., we are extending restrictions on non-essential international travel and with the United States until July 21st, 2021," Canadian Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said in a tweet on Friday. Blair also said the Canadian government is planning measures for fully vaccinated Canadians, permanent residents, and others who are currently permitted to enter Canada and will provide further details on June 21. The new extension comes a day after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and provincial premiers met to discuss the possibility of opening the land border between Canada and the United States, which has been closed for non-essential travel since March 2020. The restrictions, which do not cover trade or travel by air, has been extended several times. The current restrictions were to expire on June 21. Trudeau said on June 13 he had spoken with U.S. President Joe Biden about how to lift the restrictions, but made clear no breakthrough has been achieved. The Trudeau government closed its borders to non-essential travellers in March 2020. Since then, it has adjusted the rules to require COVID-19 testing before and after arrival, as well as a period of mandatory quarantine. Canada also limited international flights to just four international airports in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Calgary in the country. In the fall of 2020, Canada expanded the list of travellers who were exempt from travel restrictions. International students going to a Designated Learning Institution with a COVID-19 readiness plan were allowed to come to Canada to study. The exemptions also included extended family members, as well as travellers coming to Canada for compassionate reasons such as a funeral. In February 2021, Canada also added the mandatory hotel quarantine on incoming international travellers. New airport arrivals were to go immediately to wait for the results of a COVID-19 test at a government-approved hotel at their own expense. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 02:08:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Antonio Guterres addresses the United Nations General Assembly after his appointment for a second term as the UN secretary-general at the UN headquarters in New York, on June 18, 2021. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday appointed Antonio Guterres as the UN secretary-general for a second term of five years beginning Jan. 1, 2022. (Evan Schneider/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua) UNITED NATIONS, June 18 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday appointed Antonio Guterres as the UN secretary-general for a second term of five years beginning Jan. 1, 2022. President of the 75th UNGA session Volkan Bozkir has officially announced the appointment. Speaking to reporters after the appointment, Guterres said that he will take on the responsibility of serving a second term as secretary-general "with profound gratitude and a deep commitment to work together to advance the UN Charter at a time of great peril and promise." Noting that the pandemic "has revealed our shared vulnerability, our inter-connectedness and the absolute need for collective action," the secretary-general said that "our biggest challenge - and at the same time our greatest opportunity - is to use this crisis as a chance to turn things around, to pivot to a world that learns its lessons, recovers fairer, greener and more sustainably, and forges ahead with much more effective global cooperation to address global concerns." Guterres recalled that the "driving theme" in the vision statement which lays out the details for his second term is "prevention," noting that means the "prevention in all its aspects - from conflict, climate change, pandemics to poverty and inequality." Talking about his 10 "inter-related imperatives for action," the secretary-general said that the first starts with "mounting a massive and enduring response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences." "Our single most immediate test will be effectively overcoming COVID-19 and equipping the world to prevent and be better prepared for future pandemics and other existential threats," he said. "The virus is spreading faster than vaccines," said the secretary-general, adding that "we need an all-out effort to ensure vaccines for everyone everywhere - and we need it now." Talking about other points of "imperatives for action," he said that efforts will be made to "leave no stone unturned in the search for peace and security," make peace with nature and press for climate action, and "turbocharge" the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and a more equitable world. "The struggle against inequality is at the core of a new globalization that is fairer, more inclusive, sustainable and human-centric. We will advance our efforts to integrate work within the UN system that straddles across peace and security, sustainable development and humanitarian action, firmly underpinned by human rights," he said. Other action plans will include the protection of human rights, taking gender equality "to the next level," advancing multilateralism and our common agenda, embarking on a "United Nations 2.0." On "United Nations 2.0," the top UN official said that "we will strive for a more integrated, cohesive and joined up UN that also actively brings in outside networks." Referring to his last point for action, Guterres said that "underpinning all our efforts, is the focus on people - bettering the lives of individuals, families and communities. Reaffirming the dignity and worth of the human person. Rekindling a strong commitment to shared and enduring values." Guterres told reporters that "this is a time to strengthen multilateralism. This is a time to understand that each country alone can do nothing, that independently of the divisions that exist, countries must come together." "To rebuild trust is the way to make the impossible possible," the secretary-general noted. Answering the question regarding the vaccination for the COVID-19, the top UN official said that the world needs "a global vaccination plan." "My suggestion is to create an emergency task force at G20 level with the governments of all countries that produce vaccines or can produce vaccines ..." In responding to the question about the lesson that he learned in his first term, the secretary-general said "the most important lesson is that we need to rebuild solidarity and trust, and if there is something I need to do better in the second term, it is to make sure that I do everything I can to rebuild trust, trust among governments, trust between people in the institutions and trust in the United Nations." Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 02:50:07|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, June 18 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. government is investing more than 3 billion U.S. dollars to accelerate the development and manufacturing of antiviral medicines, according to government authorities. The plan, called the Antiviral Program for Pandemics, will respond to the urgent need for antivirals to treat COVID-19 by spurring the availability of medicines to prevent serious illness and save lives, according to a statement of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This plan will support research to identify and accelerate availability of breakthrough treatment options. It also will build sustainable platforms for developing antivirals for other viruses with pandemic potential, said the HHS. The plan provides more than 300 million U.S. dollars for research and lab support, nearly 1 billion U.S. dollars for preclinical and clinical evaluation, and nearly 700 million U.S. dollars for development and manufacturing through the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), according to the HHS. Identifying effective treatment options to prevent people diagnosed with COVID-19 from progressing to serious illness and death are vitally important, even as hundreds of millions of Americans get vaccinated against COVID-19 and cases, hospitalizations and death rates continue to fall, experts have said. Highly effective oral antiviral medicines that can be taken at home early in the course of infection, similar to antiviral treatment for influenza, would save lives and prevent overwhelming surges in hospitalizations, according to the HHS. "New antivirals that prevent serious COVID-19 illness and death, especially oral drugs that could be taken at home early in the course of disease, would be powerful tools for battling the pandemic and saving lives," said NIAID Director Anthony Fauci. "Throughout this public health emergency, we have worked with industry to develop treatments to reduce severe illness, hospitalizations, and deaths, and this proposal will help us go even further to accelerate and deliver more safe and effective treatments that are easy to administer," said BARDA Director Gary Disbrow. Currently, a total of 19 therapeutic agents have been prioritized for testing in rigorous clinical trials for outpatients and inpatients with COVID-19, according to the HHS. Last week, the Joe Biden Administration announced that it will procure approximately 1.7 million courses of an investigational antiviral treatment, molnupiravir (MK-4482), for COVID-19 from Merck, pending approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 03:00:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOSCOW, June 18 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Friday that the country will officially withdraw from the Treaty on Open Skies on Dec. 18 this year. The ministry said in a statement that it notified all the related parties of Russia's pullout on Friday and the decision will enter into force in six months. The ministry recalled Russia's efforts to preserve the arms-control pact and reiterated that the United States is responsible for its collapse. After Washington announced its withdrawal last year, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in January that the country had started domestic legal procedures for the pullout from the treaty. On June 7, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law to quit the Treaty on Open Skies. The multilateral pact, which came into effect in 2002, allows its states-parties to conduct short-notice, unarmed reconnaissance flights over the others' territories to collect data on military forces and activities. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 07:21:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Tseten Lhamo piles cow dung at her home in Qoide'og Village of Yardoi Township, Shannan City, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, June 3, 2021. Tseten Lhamo, 84, is a resident of Qoide'og Village of Yardoi Township. When recalling her life as a serf in the old days, Tseten Lhamo said she had to work for serf owners all year round, and could never have a rest even on holidays. During those days, the most unforgettable thing for Tseten Lhamo is paying rent. She had to rent farmland from serf owners and hand in heavy rent no matter the harvest was good or not. For Tseten Lhamo, who worked endlessly, even wearing new clothes and having a full meal was impossible. Tseten Lhamo was allocated with farmland, housing after the democratic reform in 1959, that she did not even dare to imagine in the past. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje) Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 07:18:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, June 18 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations said on Friday that 3.7 billion U.S. dollars was raised with partners on COVID-19 relief in 2020, a year conflicts and a mounting climate crisis already generated record-high humanitarian needs. UN Undersecretary-General Mark Lowcock, also head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said it "was a year like no other." The world organization and its partners had sought 9.5 billion U.S. dollars in a Global Humanitarian Response Plan for COVID-19 in 63 countries, he said. They raised 3.7 billion U.S. dollars. The OCHA-coordinated Global Humanitarian Overview for 2020 for non-COVID-19 aid called for 38.5 billion U.S. dollars, Lowcock said. Just 19 billion U.S. dollars was funded. More than half of the 17 million people of Syria needed emergency aid, and OCHA mobilized resources, negotiated humanitarian access and advocated for the protection of civilians, he said. "Yemen remained the world's worst crisis in 2020, with 13 million people unsure where their next meal would come from and 16,000 people starving," the chief humanitarian coordinator said, adding that reduced funding forced a downscaling of operations. The climate crisis hit with force in the Sahel and Horn of Africa, the Caribbean and Central America, the Philippines and Vietnam, and in the South Pacific, Vanuatu, the OCHA reported. Violence deepened in the central Sahel with humanitarian support needed in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, OCHA said. In November, hostilities erupted in Ethiopia's northernmost Tigray region. "All our efforts were possible only through the generosity and commitment of our donors and partners," Lowcock said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 12:27:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Major companies in China's light industry registered robust profit growth and rapid expansion in revenue in the first four months of the year, official data showed. Some 111,000 companies with annual revenue of at least 20 million yuan (about 3.11 million U.S. dollars) raked in 427.01 billion yuan in profits during the period, soaring 41.5 percent year on year, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). The operating revenue of these companies totaled around 6.71 trillion yuan in the January-April period, climbing 27.9 percent from a year ago. Exports of China's light industry products stood at 275.75 billion U.S. dollars in the first four months, surging 54.7 percent year on year, according to the General Administration of Customs. In breakdown, exports of home appliances and plastic products continued to expand, marking year-on-year growth of 55 percent and 62 percent, respectively. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 12:43:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BUCHAREST, June 19 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of China (CPC) has transformed a poor and backward country into the second largest economy in the world, greatly contributing to the global economy and human progress, said Romulus Ioan Budura, Romania's former ambassador to China, in a recent interview with Xinhua. "In the past 100 years, the CPC has made outstanding contributions to China's development, world peace, and human progress," the nearly-90-year-old sinologist told Xinhua at his home in Bucharest. He said he learned to sing the song "Without the Communist Party, There Would Be No New China" when he was studying in Beijing in the early 1950s, and he found the lyrics very true. "The song truly illustrates the irreplaceable importance of the CPC to the development of the country and the happiness of the people," said Budura, who acted as ambassador to China from 1990 to 1995. He said the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 was not only the success of the CPC, but also a great event in the history of the entire Chinese nation, greatly improving China's international status and also inspiring other colonial and semi-colonial countries in the world to strive for national independence. Also, the CPC did not blindly follow the development model of other countries. It instead formulated a development path based on its own social reality and national conditions, laying a solid foundation for the country's future development, said the senior sinologist, who served as an advisor to the Romanian president before taking the position as the ambassador to China. "Today, China has not only won a decisive victory in getting rid of poverty, but also has been striving to promote the development of science and technology, and has achieved impressive results in high-tech fields such as communications and artificial intelligence," he said. Having put forward the Belt and Road Initiative and called for building a community with a shared future for mankind, China has contributed its wisdom to responding to various challenges facing mankind, and pointed out the direction of development for the future of the world, Budura said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 13:35:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A health worker prepares a dose of China-donated COVID-19 vaccine in Dhaka, Bangladesh, May 25, 2021. (Xinhua) The region's residents will remember "how China locked down quickly, got its own issues under control and provided vaccines," said a scholar. NEW YORK, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese vaccines have helped some developing countries in Asia push forward their vaccination drives, the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week. Indonesia is heavily reliant on shots made by the Chinese company Sinovac Biotech Ltd., Cambodia has largely used two China-made vaccines to achieve one of the region's highest inoculation level, and the Philippines expects to increase vaccinations with more doses arriving this month, more than half of which will be Chinese, according to the report. A health worker (L) receives a dose of China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine during mass vaccination program for health workers as a main priority group in Jakarta, Indonesia, Feb. 4, 2021. (Xinhua/Agung Kuncahya B.) The region's residents will remember "how China locked down quickly, got its own issues under control and provided vaccines," Evan Laksmana, a senior researcher at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Indonesia, was quoted as saying. Chinese vaccines have also filled part of the void in South Asia, where countries were counting on AstraZeneca shots manufactured in India, but a severe surge in COVID-19 cases there disrupted those supplies, said the journal. Meanwhile, the report said governments in the West focused just on getting their own populations inoculated after millions of doses arrived. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 14:43:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Xinhua writers Wang Jinye, Li Laifang, Lou Chen and Yao Yuan BEIJING, June 19 (Xinhua) -- "Never leave China," Dr. Hans Muller repeatedly told his wife before he passed away in 1994. In 1939, World War II broke out. Muller, a young German with a medical degree from Switzerland, arrived in Yan'an in northwest China and fought side by side with the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese people in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and later in the War of Liberation. He devoted himself to China's socialist construction after the founding of the New China in 1949. Since its founding in 1921, the CPC has attracted many foreign friends like Muller during different periods of revolution, construction and reform. Their interactions with Chinese Communists over the past century have opened a window through which the world can better understand the CPC. Today, the CPC is the world's largest political party with more than 90 million members. The CPC has over the past century led the Chinese people to achieve national independence, bid farewell to a humiliating history of being arbitrarily exploited by foreign powers, and transform China from an impoverished country into the world's second-largest economy, which enjoys all-round moderate prosperity. The CPC, which is about to celebrate its centenary, is leading the world's most populous country toward the goal of great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. INVINCIBLE, INCREDIBLE STRENGTH What are the Chinese Communists like? In 1936, American journalist Edgar Snow journeyed to the northern areas of northwest China's Shaanxi in search of the answer to this question. In a cave dwelling, Mao Zedong and Snow had many long talks. In a period of approximately four months, Snow also interviewed Peng Dehuai, Xu Haidong and other senior CPC officials and ordinary soldiers, and experienced life in the Red Army. In his book "Red Star Over China," Snow mentioned the tenacity with which the Chinese Communists clung to their principles, as well as the invincible, incredible soldiers led by the CPC and the indestructible energy behind them. George Hatem, a U.S. doctor known in China by his Chinese name Ma Haide, visited northern Shaanxi together with Snow. Moved by the bravery of the Red Army, he decided to stay at the end of his tour. He joined the CPC in 1937 and became the first Westerner to gain CPC membership. In order to make a contribution, one must have strong spiritual support, Ma Haide said in his late years. Over the past 100 years, the CPC has stayed true to its founding aspiration and mission, leading the Chinese nation in a tremendous transformation: It has stood up, become better off and grown in strength. The nation has achieved two feats rarely seen around the world: rapid economic growth and long-term social stability. The CPC has arguably been the world's most successful political party over the last century, according to British political scholar Martin Jacques. Corentin Delcroix, a French chef and entrepreneur who has been living in China for 15 years, runs a company in Shanghai. Delcroix said he thought the Western stereotype of communism has stagnated since the Cold War. "A lot of people think communism itself is just scary, without understanding it at all," he said. The judgment of a political party ultimately depends on tangible results. Under the leadership of the CPC, Chinese citizens' quality of life is improving generation by generation, Delcroix observed. "The Communist Party of China makes every effort to think and act for the future of the country," said Shunsuke Nakajima, a Japanese national who has been promoting bilateral exchanges for years and has visited China many times. Hans Muller joined the CPC in 1957, and made an important contribution to the country's hepatitis prevention efforts. Speaking of her late husband, Kyoko Nakamura, who joined the CPC-led army after Japan's surrender in 1945, said that after so many years in China, Muller felt China was a promising country. Israel Epstein visited Yan'an in 1944 as a reporter for U.S. media. He interviewed Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De and other CPC leaders. Epstein believed he shared a similar -- or even the same -- world outlook with the CPC, and was convinced that Yan'an represented China's future. He gained Chinese nationality in 1957 and joined the CPC in 1964. "He supports China because the Communist Party of China is right," said Epstein's widow Huang Huanbi. "What he appreciated most was that the Communist Party is for the poor and helps the people." ALWAYS CARING FOR AND SERVING THE PEOPLE In "Red Star Over China," Snow detailed how and why the CPC had won strong support and trust from farmers, indicating the close bonds between the CPC and the people. In an article for U.S. media, Epstein wrote that the Eighth Route Army, which was led by the CPC, maintained close ties with the people and never took a needle or a thread from the masses. The CPC considers serving the people wholeheartedly to be its purpose. The Party is required to share weal and woe with the people, maintain close ties with them, and safeguard the fundamental interests of the people. Snow once described northern Shaanxi as one of the poorest places in China. Now, it has shaken off absolute poverty along with other impoverished areas thanks to the CPC's targeted poverty reduction policy. China has lifted over 700 million people out of poverty since reform and opening-up began in the late 1970s. David Osborn, an Australian sheep breeding expert, has been participating in China's anti-poverty drive. Over the past few years, he has visited Huanxian County in northwest China's Gansu Province several times to promote breeding technologies that can help raise the incomes of villagers, many of whom were in poverty for generations. "The thought that the CPC has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty is just extraordinary. It is one of the world's great achievements," he said, praising CPC members' readiness to help and the Party's strong executive capability. By the end of 2020, all remaining poverty-stricken counties had shaken off that label. "The Communist Party of China leads the people, and its members are at the forefront. Nothing is impossible," said Hans Muller's son, Dehua Muller, in Beijing. Yahia Mustafa from Sudan contributed to the Arabic translation of Xi Jinping's report to the 19th CPC National Congress in 2017, and noted that the key concepts in the report -- from "a moderately prosperous society" to "a community with a shared future for humanity" -- were all about putting public interests above all else. "The distinctive feature of the CPC is that it puts people first and always cares for and serves the people," said Mustafa, who has lived in China for over 20 years. The people-oriented philosophy of the CPC is also evidenced by the nationwide mobilization to contain the raging COVID-19 epidemic in 2020. The CPC asked its members to take the lead by assuming the most arduous and dangerous jobs in the battle against the virus. Jean Christian Nzengue from Gabon last year joined a team screening fever patients and offering consultations in a community in the southern city of Guangzhou, working closely with many CPC members. "It was dangerous, but the CPC members did not complain because they love their country and want to protect its people," said the cardiac specialist. According to a white paper issued in June last year, more than 39 million CPC members and cadres fought against COVID-19 on the frontline, and nearly 400 died in the process. "China's anti-epidemic fight has clearly demonstrated the solidarity and trust between the people, the Party and the government to a level rarely seen in other parts of the world," said Mustafa. The Party's dedication to the people has boosted public support for the government. A report from Harvard University, based on its 13-year survey in China, showed that the Chinese people's overall satisfaction with the central government exceeded 93 percent. CONSULTING THE PEOPLE Epstein and Ma Haide later became members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top political advisory body, participating in the practice of socialist democracy. They made proposals on health, education and other fields. In 2015, China for the first time solicited opinions from foreign experts during the drafting of the annual government work report. Mustafa, who had worked at the Sudan News Agency for about 10 years, now has an independent understanding of China and the CPC after working and living in China. "In the West, the goal of political parties is to gain political power and serve their own interests. For the Communist Party of China, power is a means to serve the people, and all development strategies and plans are centered on serving the people," he said. Isabel Crook, a Canadian national, and her British husband David Crook, studied CPC-led land reform in 1947. They later trained a large number of foreign-language speakers for China. In 2019, the Chinese government awarded Isabel Crook and five other foreign nationals the Friendship Medal for their great contributions to supporting China's socialist modernization, promoting exchanges and cooperation between China and foreign countries, and safeguarding world peace. What they felt most deeply was that the CPC was good at mobilizing ordinary people, accepting supervision from the masses, and discussing with them, said Michael Crook, son of Isabel Crook and chairman of the International Committee for the Promotion of Chinese Industrial Cooperatives. The CPC has pioneered a socialist political system with Chinese characteristics and continued to improve it to ensure that the people partake in democratic elections, consultations, decision-making, management, and oversight in accordance with the law. Laurence J. Brahm, a senior international fellow at the Center for China and Globalization, said that Chinese democracy, which is different from that in the West, is a system of consensus-building. PATH OF COOPERATION Over the past 100 years, the Communist Party of China has worked arduously for the well-being of the Chinese people and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. In today's world, China's solutions are an important contribution to improving global governance. Michael Lindsay, a British national, aided the CPC in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression by upgrading radio equipment and building radio stations for the Chinese army in the 1930s and 1940s. In 1944, he helped with the launch of an English broadcasting service for the Xinhua News Agency in Yan'an, allowing news of the CPC to be heard across the Pacific. Today, the voices and visions of the CPC are more widely transmitted across the globe, and have won more positive responses and support. China plays an important role in world affairs. Other big countries must cooperate with China to solve global problems such as climate change, biodiversity conservation and pandemics, according to Jim Lindsay, son of Michael Lindsay. The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed more than 3.8 million lives worldwide. While making strategic achievements in its own COVID-19 prevention and control, China has been actively providing aid to other countries. It has exported large quantities of medical supplies and helped other countries fight the pandemic. Its COVID-19 vaccines have become global public goods. Such efforts fit into the CPC's vision of "a community with a shared future for humanity," which has gained wider recognition and support in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 138 countries and 31 international organizations have signed cooperation agreements with China on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which aims to achieve policy, infrastructure, trade, financial and people-to-people connectivity along and beyond the ancient Silk Road trade routes. The BRI has become the world's largest international cooperation platform and a vital public product. David Ferguson, a British national, came to China in 2006. He is now a senior English editor with the China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration and participated in the English editing of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" and several government white papers. After translating a compilation of President Xi Jinping's discourses on the BRI, Ferguson said he believes the initiative has provided a major channel for the world to strive for globalization, peace and stability, prosperity and development. Mustafa noted that "a community with a shared future for humanity" is also rooted in traditional Chinese culture, which stresses the need for humanity to share weal and woe. China not only pursues its own development but also deeply integrates itself into the international community and shares its gains with others, he said. In 2019, the movie "Red Star Over China" was screened in China. And Snow's books remain popular in China and worldwide. China has come a long way from Snow's depiction in the 1937 book. While leading the people toward the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the CPC is also writing a new chapter on the joint construction of a community with a shared future for humanity. Enditem (Xinhua writers Xuan Liqi, Cao Yi, Zhao Xu, Zhang Wenjing, Hong Zehua, Miao Xiaojuan, Bai Xu, Song Rui and intern Fang Anran contributed to the story.) Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 15:22:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Ebrahim Raisi, the principlist presidential hopeful, has a big lead in Iran's presidential election, partial results announced by the Interior Ministry showed on Saturday. Iranian Deputy Interior Minister Jamal Orf told a press conference that 28.6 million Iranians out of some 59 million eligible voters participated in the election. With around 90 percent of the votes counted, Raisi has so far garnered over 17.8 million votes in the election, followed by Mohsen Rezaei with 3.3 million. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 16:40:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Airport workers transport packages of China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine at the Phnom Penh International Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on June 19, 2021. A plane carrying a new batch of China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Phnom Penh on Saturday, giving another boost to the kingdom's inoculation drive. (Photo by Sovannara/Xinhua) PHNOM PENH, June 19 (Xinhua) -- A plane carrying a new batch of China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, on Saturday, giving another boost to the kingdom's inoculation drive. Cambodian health ministry's secretary of state Yok Sambath, who received the vaccine at the Phnom Penh International Airport, said the jab was purchased from Chinese biopharmaceutical firm Sinovac Biotech. "With the subsequent arrivals of the vaccines, we're confident that our vaccination plan will be achieved on schedule," she said. The Southeast Asian nation has planned to inoculate at least 10 million out of its 16 million population by the end of this year or early next year at the latest, she said. The kingdom launched an anti-COVID-19 inoculation drive on Feb 10. To date, some 5.92 million vaccine doses have been administered, with 2.66 million people having been fully vaccinated with two doses, the health ministry said. Cambodia logged 471 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, pushing the national caseload to 42,052, the ministry said. The kingdom also recorded 20 new fatalities, taking the overall death toll to 414 so far, the ministry said, adding that 928 patients had recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 36,868. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 17:39:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HONG KONG, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Three Apple Daily companies and two of their executives were prosecuted for breaching the national security law in Hong Kong on West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts Saturday. The defendants were accused of conspiring with Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, an instigator of Hong Kong riots, and others to request a foreign country or an institution, organization or individual outside the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao to impose sanctions or blockade, or engage in other hostile activities against Hong Kong or the country from July 1 of last year to April 3. Ryan Law Wai-kwong and Cheung Kim-hung were arrested on Thursday along with three other people, who work for Apple Daily Ltd., Apple Daily Printing Ltd. and AD Internet Ltd. While Law and Cheung were brought to the court on Saturday, the other three suspects were released on bail on Friday. A judge said Saturday the case will be adjourned to August 13. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 18:18:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, June 19 (Xinhua) -- A helicopter carrying ballot boxes crashed near Dezful city in the southwestern Iranian province of Khuzestan on Saturday, official IRNA news agency reported. One on board was killed and 11 others were injured, Qassem Soleimani Dashtaki, governor of Khuzestan province, told IRNA. All the injured were taken to hospital, but some of them are in critical condition, Soleimani Dashtaki was quoted as saying. Iranians cast their votes for presidential and city council elections on Friday. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 19:09:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Ma Buyun works in the field at Liqingzhuang Village of Wangbuzhuang Township in Tianjin, north China, June 17, 2021. Ma Buyun, born in 1958, has worked with peppers for over 40 years. After years of hard working, he has not only become a pepper specialist himself, but also established a company to support local pepper industry. Now, the pepper he planted has been exported to over 20 countries and regions. (Photo by Sun Fanyue/Xinhua) Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 19:06:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TAIPEI, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan on Saturday reported 128 COVID-19 cases, including 127 local infections, as well as 20 deaths from the disease, according to the island's disease monitoring agency. Of the new locally transmitted infections, 60 were men, and 67 were women, aged from under five to over 90. They showed symptoms between June 3 and June 18. The 20 deaths were ten men and ten women, aged from their 50s to in their 90s. They passed away between June 10 and June 16. On the same day, Taiwan reported one imported COVID-19 case from India. As of Friday, 49 elderly people had died after receiving AstraZeneca vaccines in Taiwan, undermining the public's willingness to get vaccinated. The agency said a more thorough investigation is needed to determine whether there was a correlation between these deaths and receiving vaccines. The total number of confirmed cases on the island has risen to 13,896, including 12,680 locally transmitted cases. A total of 538 deaths have been recorded, the agency said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 19:16:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RIYADH, June 19 (Xinhua) -- The Saudi-led coalition involved in a war in Yemen on Saturday intercepted a drone launched by Houthi militia toward Saudi border city Khamis Mushait, Al Ekhbariya local TV reported. The coalition renewed its accusation against Houthis of targeting civilians, vowing to take necessary military procedures to protect them. Various Saudi cities, especially those on the southwest border, are frequently targeted by drones and missiles. Some successful attacks reached vital establishments, such as oil facilities and airports, causing fires and property damage, according to media reports. Saudi Arabia has been leading a war in Yemen against the Houthi militia since 2015, in support of the government of Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 19:21:10|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NAIROBI -- Kenya Airways said it will resume operations on the Nairobi-London route on June 26 after Kenya lifted travel restrictions. Julius Thairu, Chief Customer and Commercial Officer said in a statement issued on Friday evening that the resumption of flights to London, Britain, is in line with the airline's plans to grow and expand its routes as restrictions lift which will positively impact the flow of trade and tourism across the region by offering customers convenient travel across the world. (Kenya-London-Flights) - - - - TEHRAN -- A helicopter carrying ballot boxes crashed near Dezful city in the southwestern Iranian province of Khuzestan on Saturday, official IRNA news agency reported. One on board was killed and 11 others were injured, Qassem Soleimani Dashtaki, governor of Khuzestan province, told IRNA. (Iran-Plane Crash-Election) - - - - PUL-E-KHUMRI, Afghanistan -- Taliban militants' offensive to overrun Tala-o-Barfak district in Afghanistan's northern Baghlan province has been foiled and the insurgents have suffered casualties, police said Saturday. "The Taliban rebels launched multi-pronged attacks on Tala-o-Barfak district today morning but police in sharp reaction retaliated, forcing the rebels to flee after suffering casualties, and leaving four bodies behind and three more injured," provincial police spokesman Jawed Basharat told Xinhua. (Afghanistan-Taliban) - - - - ISLAMABAD -- The goods train service between Pakistan and Iran was suspended after a freight train derailed in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province, Pakistan Railways sources said on Saturday. At least six bogies of the freight train, which was on its way to the provincial capital city of Quetta from Iranian Zahedan city, derailed Saturday near Dalbandin in Chagai district of the province, sources told Xinhua, adding that no one was injured in the incident. (Pakistan-Iran-Goods Train Service) Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 20:06:54|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Aerial photo taken on June 19, 2021 shows fire at a warehouse in Capital Governorate, Kuwait. One person was confirmed dead and another two injured after a fire broke out Saturday morning at a warehouse in Capital Governorate of Kuwait, the Kuwait Fire Force (KFF) said. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua) KUWAIT CITY, June 19 (Xinhua) -- One person was confirmed dead and another two injured after a fire broke out Saturday morning at a warehouse in Capital Governorate of Kuwait, the Kuwait Fire Force (KFF) said. KFF said in a statement that seven firefighting teams reached the scene and managed to control the fire. According to the statement, the warehouse has an area of 10,000 square meters and contains iron and wood household utensils. An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway, it added. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 20:43:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close -- Since its founding in 1921, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has attracted many foreign friends, including Edgar Snow and Hans Muller, during different periods of revolution, construction and reform. -- The CPC has led the Chinese people to bid farewell to a humiliating history of being arbitrarily exploited by foreign powers, and transform China from an impoverished country into the world's second-largest economy. -- The CPC has arguably been the world's most successful political party over the last century, according to British political scholar Martin Jacques. -- The judgment of a political party ultimately depends on tangible results. Under the leadership of the CPC, Chinese citizens' quality of life is improving generation by generation. -- While leading the people toward the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the CPC is also writing a new chapter on the joint construction of a community with a shared future for humanity. by Xinhua writers Wang Jinye, Li Laifang, Lou Chen and Yao Yuan BEIJING, June 19 (Xinhua) -- "Never leave China," Dr. Hans Muller repeatedly told his wife before he passed away in 1994. In 1939, World War II broke out. Muller, a young German with a medical degree from Switzerland, arrived in Yan'an in northwest China and fought side by side with the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese people in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and later in the War of Liberation. He devoted himself to China's socialist construction after the founding of the New China in 1949. Since its founding in 1921, the CPC has attracted many foreign friends like Muller during different periods of revolution, construction and reform. Their interactions with Chinese Communists over the past century have opened a window through which the world can better understand the CPC. Today, the CPC is the world's largest political party with more than 90 million members. The CPC has over the past century led the Chinese people to achieve national independence, bid farewell to a humiliating history of being arbitrarily exploited by foreign powers, and transform China from an impoverished country into the world's second-largest economy, which enjoys all-round moderate prosperity. The CPC, which is about to celebrate its centenary, is leading the world's most populous country toward the goal of great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. A bullet train passes by the fields dotted with blossoming plants in Luoxiang Township of Congjiang County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Feb. 23, 2021. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin) INVINCIBLE, INCREDIBLE STRENGTH What are the Chinese Communists like? In 1936, American journalist Edgar Snow journeyed to the northern areas of northwest China's Shaanxi in search of the answer to this question. In a cave dwelling, Mao Zedong and Snow had many long talks. In a period of approximately four months, Snow also interviewed Peng Dehuai, Xu Haidong and other senior CPC officials and ordinary soldiers, and experienced life in the Red Army. In his book "Red Star Over China," Snow mentioned the tenacity with which the Chinese Communists clung to their principles, as well as the invincible, incredible soldiers led by the CPC and the indestructible energy behind them. George Hatem, a U.S. doctor known in China by his Chinese name Ma Haide, visited northern Shaanxi together with Snow. Moved by the bravery of the Red Army, he decided to stay at the end of his tour. He joined the CPC in 1937 and became the first Westerner to gain CPC membership. In order to make a contribution, one must have strong spiritual support, Ma Haide said in his late years. Undated file photo shows George Hatem, a U.S. doctor known in China by his Chinese name Ma Haide. (Xinhua) Over the past 100 years, the CPC has stayed true to its founding aspiration and mission, leading the Chinese nation in a tremendous transformation: It has stood up, become better off and grown in strength. The nation has achieved two feats rarely seen around the world: rapid economic growth and long-term social stability. The CPC has arguably been the world's most successful political party over the last century, according to British political scholar Martin Jacques. Corentin Delcroix, a French chef and entrepreneur who has been living in China for 15 years, runs a company in Shanghai. Delcroix said he thought the Western stereotype of communism has stagnated since the Cold War. "A lot of people think communism itself is just scary, without understanding it at all," he said. The judgment of a political party ultimately depends on tangible results. Under the leadership of the CPC, Chinese citizens' quality of life is improving generation by generation, Delcroix observed. In this combo photo, the left part taken on May 10, 2019 with a drone shows children walking on their way home after school in Nongyong Village, and the right part taken on Sept. 3, 2012 shows children stepping down the hanging ladders to school in Nongyong Village, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang) "The Communist Party of China makes every effort to think and act for the future of the country," said Shunsuke Nakajima, a Japanese national who has been promoting bilateral exchanges for years and has visited China many times. Hans Muller joined the CPC in 1957, and made an important contribution to the country's hepatitis prevention efforts. Speaking of her late husband, Kyoko Nakamura, who joined the CPC-led army after Japan's surrender in 1945, said that after so many years in China, Muller felt China was a promising country. Israel Epstein visited Yan'an in 1944 as a reporter for U.S. media. He interviewed Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De and other CPC leaders. Epstein believed he shared a similar -- or even the same -- world outlook with the CPC, and was convinced that Yan'an represented China's future. He gained Chinese nationality in 1957 and joined the CPC in 1964. "He supports China because the Communist Party of China is right," said Epstein's widow Huang Huanbi. "What he appreciated most was that the Communist Party is for the poor and helps the people." ALWAYS CARING FOR AND SERVING THE PEOPLE In "Red Star Over China," Snow detailed how and why the CPC had won strong support and trust from farmers, indicating the close bonds between the CPC and the people. Undated file photo taken in 1936 shows American journalist Edgar Snow (1st R) on his journey for interviews in the northern areas of Shaanxi Province in northwest China. (Xinhua) In an article for U.S. media, Epstein wrote that the Eighth Route Army, which was led by the CPC, maintained close ties with the people and never took a needle or a thread from the masses. The CPC considers serving the people wholeheartedly to be its purpose. The Party is required to share weal and woe with the people, maintain close ties with them, and safeguard the fundamental interests of the people. Snow once described northern Shaanxi as one of the poorest places in China. Now, it has shaken off absolute poverty along with other impoverished areas thanks to the CPC's targeted poverty reduction policy. China has lifted over 700 million people out of poverty since reform and opening-up began in the late 1970s. David Osborn, an Australian sheep breeding expert, has been participating in China's anti-poverty drive. Over the past few years, he has visited Huanxian County in northwest China's Gansu Province several times to promote breeding technologies that can help raise the incomes of villagers, many of whom were in poverty for generations. Australian animal husbandry expert David Osborn (L) talks with Li Guozhi, head of an animal breeding company, at a sheep pen in Huanxian County, northwest China's Gansu Province, Dec. 3, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Wenjing) "The thought that the CPC has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty is just extraordinary. It is one of the world's great achievements," he said, praising CPC members' readiness to help and the Party's strong executive capability. By the end of 2020, all remaining poverty-stricken counties had shaken off that label. "The Communist Party of China leads the people, and its members are at the forefront. Nothing is impossible," said Hans Muller's son, Dehua Muller, in Beijing. Yahia Mustafa from Sudan contributed to the Arabic translation of Xi Jinping's report to the 19th CPC National Congress in 2017, and noted that the key concepts in the report -- from "a moderately prosperous society" to "a community with a shared future for humanity" -- were all about putting public interests above all else. "The distinctive feature of the CPC is that it puts people first and always cares for and serves the people," said Mustafa, who has lived in China for over 20 years. The people-oriented philosophy of the CPC is also evidenced by the nationwide mobilization to contain the raging COVID-19 epidemic in 2020. The CPC asked its members to take the lead by assuming the most arduous and dangerous jobs in the battle against the virus. Jean Christian Nzengue from Gabon last year joined a team screening fever patients and offering consultations in a community in the southern city of Guangzhou, working closely with many CPC members. "It was dangerous, but the CPC members did not complain because they love their country and want to protect its people," said the cardiac specialist. Gabonese doctor Jean Christian Nzengue (R) is seen with a Chinese colleague, who is also a member of the Communist Party of China (CPC), in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Jan. 18, 2021. (Xinhua/Hong Zehua) According to a white paper issued in June last year, more than 39 million CPC members and cadres fought against COVID-19 on the frontline, and nearly 400 died in the process. "China's anti-epidemic fight has clearly demonstrated the solidarity and trust between the people, the Party and the government to a level rarely seen in other parts of the world," said Mustafa. The Party's dedication to the people has boosted public support for the government. A report from Harvard University, based on its 13-year survey in China, showed that the Chinese people's overall satisfaction with the central government exceeded 93 percent. CONSULTING THE PEOPLE Epstein and Ma Haide later became members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top political advisory body, participating in the practice of socialist democracy. They made proposals on health, education and other fields. In 2015, China for the first time solicited opinions from foreign experts during the drafting of the annual government work report. Mustafa, who had worked at the Sudan News Agency for about 10 years, now has an independent understanding of China and the CPC after working and living in China. "In the West, the goal of political parties is to gain political power and serve their own interests. For the Communist Party of China, power is a means to serve the people, and all development strategies and plans are centered on serving the people," he said. Yahia Mustafa speaks in an interview with Xinhua in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 19, 2021. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) Isabel Crook, a Canadian national, and her British husband David Crook, studied CPC-led land reform in 1947. They later trained a large number of foreign-language speakers for China. In 2019, the Chinese government awarded Isabel Crook and five other foreign nationals the Friendship Medal for their great contributions to supporting China's socialist modernization, promoting exchanges and cooperation between China and foreign countries, and safeguarding world peace. What they felt most deeply was that the CPC was good at mobilizing ordinary people, accepting supervision from the masses, and discussing with them, said Michael Crook, son of Isabel Crook and chairman of the International Committee for the Promotion of Chinese Industrial Cooperatives. The CPC has pioneered a socialist political system with Chinese characteristics and continued to improve it to ensure that the people partake in democratic elections, consultations, decision-making, management, and oversight in accordance with the law. Laurence J. Brahm, a senior international fellow at the Center for China and Globalization, said that Chinese democracy, which is different from that in the West, is a system of consensus-building. PATH OF COOPERATION Over the past 100 years, the Communist Party of China has worked arduously for the well-being of the Chinese people and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. In today's world, China's solutions are an important contribution to improving global governance. Undated file photo shows Michael Lindsay teaching radio skills during a training course to the Chinese army. (Xinhua) Michael Lindsay, a British national, aided the CPC in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression by upgrading radio equipment and building radio stations for the Chinese army in the 1930s and 1940s. In 1944, he helped with the launch of an English broadcasting service for the Xinhua News Agency in Yan'an, allowing news of the CPC to be heard across the Pacific. Today, the voices and visions of the CPC are more widely transmitted across the globe, and have won more positive responses and support. China plays an important role in world affairs. Other big countries must cooperate with China to solve global problems such as climate change, biodiversity conservation and pandemics, according to Jim Lindsay, son of Michael Lindsay. The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed more than 3.8 million lives worldwide. While making strategic achievements in its own COVID-19 prevention and control, China has been actively providing aid to other countries. It has exported large quantities of medical supplies and helped other countries fight the pandemic. Its COVID-19 vaccines have become global public goods. File photo shows experts of the Chinese medical team and local medical staff posing for a photo amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazzaville, capital of the Republic of the Congo, May 26, 2020. (Xinhua) Such efforts fit into the CPC's vision of "a community with a shared future for humanity," which has gained wider recognition and support in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 138 countries and 31 international organizations have signed cooperation agreements with China on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which aims to achieve policy, infrastructure, trade, financial and people-to-people connectivity along and beyond the ancient Silk Road trade routes. The BRI has become the world's largest international cooperation platform and a vital public product. David Ferguson, a British national, came to China in 2006. He is now a senior English editor with the China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration and participated in the English editing of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" and several government white papers. After translating a compilation of President Xi Jinping's discourses on the BRI, Ferguson said he believes the initiative has provided a major channel for the world to strive for globalization, peace and stability, prosperity and development. Aerial photo taken on April 13, 2019 shows a container wharf at Qinzhou port in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming) Mustafa noted that "a community with a shared future for humanity" is also rooted in traditional Chinese culture, which stresses the need for humanity to share weal and woe. China not only pursues its own development but also deeply integrates itself into the international community and shares its gains with others, he said. In 2019, the movie "Red Star Over China" was screened in China. And Snow's books remain popular in China and worldwide. China has come a long way from Snow's depiction in the 1937 book. While leading the people toward the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the CPC is also writing a new chapter on the joint construction of a community with a shared future for humanity. (Xuan Liqi, Cao Yi, Zhao Xu, Zhang Wenjing, Hong Zehua, Miao Xiaojuan, Bai Xu, Song Rui and intern Fang Anran contributed to the story; Video reporter: Yang Dingdu, Sui Lixi, Yang Chi, Huang Yaoteng, Bai Yu, Yu Li, Wang Siban; Video editor: Chen Zhi, Li Zhengyu, Xu Haijing ) Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 22:24:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BAGHDAD, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi President Barham Salih on Saturday sent a congratulatory message to Ebrahim Raisi on his win in the Iran's presidential election, expressing his aspiration for joint action to enhance security and stability in the region. "I extend my sincere congratulations and blessings to you on your election as president of the Islamic Republic of Iran," according to a statement by the Iraqi presidency media office. "The region is in dire need for wisdom and wise men, giving priority to dialogue and seriously considering the interrelated interests of our peoples to enhance them by establishing security, stability, peace, and respect for sovereignty," Salih said, recalling Iran's stand with Iraqis in fighting against terrorism and extremism. Salih's message came after Iranian interior ministry announced that Raisi won the first place with 17,926,345 votes and has been elected as president. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 23:30:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN -- Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raisi won Iran's presidential race by securing over 60 percent of votes, the Iranian Interior Ministry announced on Saturday. "Ebrahim Raisi won the first place with 17,926,345 votes, and has been elected by our dear people as president, to act as trustee of the executive apparatus," Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said in a press conference in the afternoon. (Iran-Presidential Election-Raisi) - - - - RIYADH -- The Saudi-led coalition involved in a war in Yemen intercepted on Saturday seven bomb-laden drones in Yemen, Al Ekhbariya local TV reported. The Houthi-launched drones were targeting Saudi's southern region, it said. (Saudi-Yemen-Houthi-Drones) - - - - KUWAIT CITY -- One person was confirmed dead and another two injured after a fire broke out Saturday morning at a warehouse in Capital Governorate of Kuwait, the Kuwait Fire Force (KFF) said. KFF said in a statement that seven firefighting teams reached the scene and managed to control the fire. (Kuwait-Fire-Casualties) - - - - ISLAMABAD -- Four teachers were injured in firing by unknown gunmen on a school van in Mastung district of Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province on Saturday, local reports said. The gunmen ambushed the school van and attacked it when the female teachers were on their way back home after taking classes, the reports said. (Pakistan-Attack-Teacher) Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-20 00:03:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DHAKA -- Bangladesh resumed administering the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in parts of the country on Saturday thanks to the China-donated Sinopharm vaccines. Those who already registered but have not received their first shots will get priority for vaccination, which resumed in 67 centers across the country, a notice issued by the country's health directorate said. (Bangladesh-China-Vaccination) - - - - ISLAMABAD -- Four teachers were injured in firing by unknown gunmen on a school van in Mastung district of Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province on Saturday, local reports said. The gunmen ambushed the school van and attacked it when the female teachers were on their way back home after taking classes, the reports said. (Pakistan-School Van-Shooting) - - - - HONG KONG -- Three Apple Daily companies and two of their executives were prosecuted for breaching the national security law in Hong Kong on West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts Saturday. The defendants were accused of conspiring with Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, an instigator of Hong Kong riots, and others to request a foreign country or an institution, organization or individual outside the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao to impose sanctions or blockade, or engage in other hostile activities against Hong Kong or the country from July 1 of last year to April 3. (Hong Kong-Apple Daily-National Security Law) - - - - PHNOM PENH -- Cambodia on Saturday confirmed 20 new COVID-19 fatalities, the highest single-day death toll, pushing the total number of deaths in the kingdom to 414, the health ministry said in a statement. The figure topped the previous highest daily record of 15 deaths on June 12, the ministry said. The Southeast Asian nation also logged 471 new cases, taking the national caseload to 42,052 so far, said the ministry, adding that 928 patients recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 36,868. (Cambodia-COVID-19) - - - - NEW DELHI -- India's COVID-19 tally rose to 29,823,546 on Saturday, with 60,753 new cases recorded in the past 24 hours, said the health ministry. Besides, 1,647 more patients died during the period, taking the death toll to 385,137. (India-COVID-19) Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-20 01:37:32|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ADEN, Yemen, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Four newly-recruited Yemeni soldiers were killed and dozens others injured in a Houthi drone attack on a pro-government military base in Yemen's southeastern province of Hadramout on Saturday, a military official told Xinhua. "A military base of the newly-recruited pro-government Yemeni forces located in Al-Wadiah border crossing point in Hadramout was bombed by Houthi drones, causing a huge explosion in the area," the local military source said on condition of anonymity. "The targeted military base fully backed by Saudi Arabia was specifically used for training new pro-government Yemeni army recruits," he added. The Houthi rebels based in the capital Sanaa haven't made any comments yet. Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of Sanaa. The Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict in March 2015 to support Hadi's government. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-20 05:41:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close QUITO, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Ecuador registered 1,191 new cases and 45 more deaths from COVID-19, bringing the number of total cases to 445,586 and deaths to 15,695, the Ministry of Public Health reported Saturday. In its daily report, the ministry also reported another 5,589 deaths considered to be COVID-19 related, but not verified. For the second consecutive day, the province of Guayas led the country in the number of new cases, with 535 infections, most of them registered in the provincial capital of Guayaquil. Since January, Ecuador has been facing increasing infections which has caused the saturation of the hospital system, with intensive care units nearly at full capacity. The government continues to maintain several restriction measures to slow the spread of the virus, but some are slowly being lifted, such as the return of face-to-face classes after educational institutions were closed for over a year due to the pandemic. On July 1, face-to-face work will be progressively resumed in the public and private sectors. A new vaccination plan against COVID-19 began on May 31 led by the new government, which is aiming to vaccinate 9 million Ecuadorians in 100 days. The new administration is looking to achieve herd immunity by inoculating 72 percent of the population to facilitate a return to normal and the reactivation of the local economy. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-20 05:45:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN -- Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raisi won Iran's presidential race by securing over 60 percent of votes, the Iranian Interior Ministry announced on Saturday. "Ebrahim Raisi won the first place with 17,926,345 votes, and has been elected by our dear people as president, to act as trustee of the executive apparatus," Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said in a press conference in the afternoon. (Iran-Presidential Election-Raisi) ---- CAIRO -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry held talks on Saturday with his Libyan counterpart Najla al-Mangoush in Cairo on the latest developments of the Libyan roadmap for a political settlement. "I assert Egypt's support for the interim executive authority represented in Libyan presidential council and the national unity government in performing their tasks during the transitional stage," Shoukry told a joint press conference following the talks. (Egypt-Libya-Peace Roadmap) ---- JERUSALEM -- Israeli Ministry of Health said on Saturday in a statement that Friday's COVID-19 vaccines shipment to the Palestinian Authority was "totally normal." The statement came in response to the Palestinian announcement that it has quitted the agreement reached with Israel and Pfizer company on exchanging anti-coronavirus vaccines with Israel. (Israel-Palestine-Vaccines Shipment) ---- JERUSALEM -- The Israeli Ministry of Health on Saturday reported a COVID-19 outbreak in two schools in the town of Binyamina, 60 km north of Tel Aviv. The outbreak concerns a primary school and a middle school, where 45 students in total were tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the ministry. (Israel-COVID19 Outbreak-Schools) Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 11:54:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JOHANNESBURG, June 18 (Xinhua) -- South Africa has deployed military servicemen in hospitals in the province of Gauteng to help fight against a COVID-19 cases surge, said Acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane in a press briefing on Friday. The minister said the South African National Defence Force medics would move into hospitals and areas where healthcare practitioners are needed. "We have requested additional capacity to assist Gauteng in terms of military health that has moved into the province to assist us swiftly. What this will do is we will be able to release the capacity of the beds that have been held because there was no human capacity," Kubayi-Ngubane said. The minister also said that military members would assist with COVID-19 tracing and testing. Gauteng is currently the country's epicenter of the COVID-19 epidemic, accounting for 60 percent of the country's cases in the third wave. As of Friday, South Africa has recorded 10,510 new COVID-19 cases, representing a positivity rate of 20.5 percent and bringing the country's total cases to 1,796,589. Gauteng sees most of the cases provincially, having recorded a total of 536,848 of infections. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 18:16:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LILONGWE, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Malawi President, Lazarus Chakwera, has declared 7 days of national mourning following the demise of Zambia's founding president Kenneth Kaunda on Thursday. A statement from Malawi Foreign Affairs Ministry released Friday said the Government of the Republic of Malawi has received the news of Kaunda's death with "deep regret". The statement has described Kaunda as "great Statesman and Son of Africa", adding that the Government and the people of the Republic of Malawi join the first Zambian President's immediate family, the Government and people of the Republic of Zambia in mourning his demise. "His Excellency Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, President of the Republic of Malawi has since declared seven days of national mourning, and has further directed that flags fly at half-mast during these days," according to the statement. "Former President Kaunda will be remembered as one of the brave sons of Africa and founding Father of the Southern African Frontline States who diligently fought for the sovereignty of the African countries in general, and Zambia in particular," it said. According to the statement, the Malawi leader will attend the funeral of the late Kaunda in Zambia once the details of the funeral and burial program are announced. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 18:18:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NAIROBI, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Kenya Airways said it will resume operations on the Nairobi-London route on June 26 after Kenya lifted travel restrictions. Julius Thairu, Chief Customer and Commercial Officer said in a statement issued on Friday evening that the resumption of flights to London, Britain, is in line with the airline's plans to grow and expand its routes as restrictions lift which will positively impact the flow of trade and tourism across the region by offering customers convenient travel across the world. The two governments have issued health protocols that travelers are required to adhere to on resumption of the flights. According to the two governments, passengers traveling to the UK must be of British or Irish nationalities or have residence rights in the UK, and they must have a negative COVID-19 certificate three days before travel, book a quarantine hotel package within 14-days before arrival and take two COVID-19 tests if they have been in a country or territory on the red list 10 days before traveling to the UK. Passengers traveling to Kenya from the UK are required to have a negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate conducted within 96 hours before arrival; this excludes children below five years of age. They must self-isolate for seven days upon arrival and take a subsequent PCR test four days after arrival and submit daily health information including results of the second PCR test on the Jitenge, a web-based platform available as an android mobile application, for 14 consecutive days. Kenya banned flights from the UK, effective April 9 in retaliation to a move by the UK to add the country to its travel "Red List". Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 19:29:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, June 19 (Xinhua) -- The eighth edition of the International Festival for Drums and Traditional Arts has concluded in the Egyptian capital of Cairo, with artists from 30 different countries showing their cultures and performances. As the one-week festival came to an end on Friday, Cairo's renowned Saladin Citadel was packed with Egyptian audience enjoying the performances and shows by the artists. Amid joyful atmosphere of a moonlit breezy night, the cheerful shows captivated the audience. "I have almost watched all the performances of the festival ... I'm a fan of this kind of traditional art," Islam Abu al-Magd, an engineer from Cairo, told Xinhua during the closing ceremony. The middle-aged man said the festival brings together different cultures in one place, which allows the audience to meet other cultures. The festival, which aims to promote cross-culture dialogue, was sponsored by the Egyptian Culture Ministry and other related departments, with South Sudan and Colombia as guests of honor this year. With a message of "Drums Dialogue for Peace," musicians, performers and artists managed to share their musical vision and encourage cultural dialogue. "This is my first time to participate in the festival and I'm so proud to be part of this great event," Mejahed al-Ajeed, a member of a Yemeni traditional art troupe, told Xinhua. He said Yemen has great culture and heritage, adding that the festival provided a platform to let people know more about Yemen's traditional art. Al-Ajeed said that art transcends national borders, stressing that "the Egyptian audiences understand and appreciate our performance and gave us wild applause." Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 20:06:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close An airport ground staff and a staff member of Chinese side check the COVID-19 vaccines donated by Chinese Red Cross Society in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, June 19, 2021. A batch of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines, donated by the Chinese Red Cross Society to its Ethiopian counterpart, arrived here on Saturday. (Xinhua/Wang Ping) ADDIS ABABA, June 19 (Xinhua) -- A batch of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines, donated by the Chinese Red Cross Society to its Ethiopian counterpart, arrived here on Saturday. The doses arrived at the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport in the presence of senior Ethiopian government officials, representatives of the Ethiopian Red Cross Society, members of the Chinese diplomatic community in Ethiopia. Dereje Duguma, Ethiopian State Minister of Health, said during the handing over ceremony that a portion of the latest batch of vaccine doses will be used in Ethiopia's conflict-affected Tigray regional state. "We are very much thankful for the Red Cross to work with the government of China and the Red Cross of China to bring this donation to Ethiopia," the state minister said. "Our foremost gratitude and thanks will go to the government and people of China for providing different support since the first few months of the pandemic," he added. Abera Tola, President of the Ethiopian Red Cross Society, also echoed the state minister's remarks as he commended the Chinese Red Cross Society for the much-needed support, as he vowed to further strengthen the partnership among the two humanitarian organizations. "The Ethiopian Red Cross will fulfill its assignment and obligation for delivering this vaccine to the most needy people through the Ethiopian Ministry of Health," Tola said. "On behalf of the Ethiopian Red Cross Society, again and again, I would like to say thank you very much. I hope it will not be the last, I hope it will continue," he added. China has so far donated a total of 500,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to Ethiopia, according to figures from the Chinese Embassy to Ethiopia. The East African country had received the first batch of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines that was donated by the Chinese government back in March. Zhao Zhiyuan, Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia, stressed that as a comprehensive strategic cooperative partner of Ethiopia, China will continue its capacity to Ethiopia's anti-pandemic efforts, and play an active role as Ethiopia undertakes to boost the economy and improve people's lives. "The pandemic didn't stand in the way of China-Ethiopia relations, instead it has brought us even closer together," the ambassador said. According to Zhao, China has donated and is donating vaccines to 88 developing countries in urgent need, and has provided support under COVAX for emergency use of vaccines in developing countries. "Let us continue to work together to put COVID-19 under control, and jointly contribute to the building of a healthy community for all," Zhao said. In addition to the COVID-19 vaccine support, China has been helping Ethiopia in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic since its outbreak in terms of Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs), testing kits as well as training and experience sharing. China donated several batches of medical supplies to Ethiopia last year, and a Chinese team of medical experts has been sent to Ethiopia to support its fight against the pandemic. As of Saturday morning, Ethiopia has recorded 274,899 COVID-19 cases and 4,276 COVID-19 related deaths, according to the latest figures from the Ethiopian Ministry of Health. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 22:38:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's Zanzibar President Hussein Mwinyi has invited businessmen from east Africa and beyond to put up heavy investment on the Islands that will help drive the blue economy. Mwinyi said Zanzibar is open for heavy investment in diverse sectors of the blue economy, including deep-sea fishing, ports infrastructure, marine transport, petroleum and gas, and tourism, said a statement issued on Saturday by the East African Community (EAC). President Mwinyi made the appeal during a CEO Evening Roundtable Engagement dinner on EAC regional integration organized by the East African Business Council on Friday night. In his address read on his behalf by Zanzibar's Second Vice-President Hemed Suleiman Abdalla, President Mwinyi said: " Zanzibar also requires heavy investment in modern agriculture, real estate and conference tourism." "Investment in these sectors will spur business within the East African Community in addition to increasing national revenue and improving the lives of the people of Zanzibar," said Mwinyi. He said that Zanzibar had been a centre of maritime and international commerce for centuries with merchants from the Islands proving their worth in regional and global markets. Peter Mathuki, the EAC secretary general, said Tanzania and Kenya, two members of the EAC, have huge potential for investment in the blue economy with shorelines on the Indian Ocean. Other member states of the EAC are Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 23:21:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ACCRA, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Facing a global shortage of the COVID-19 vaccines supply, Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Saturday urged West African countries to continue the production of the vaccines. Akufo-Addo, also the Ghanaian president, said at the opening of the 59th Ordinary Session of the Heads of State of the subregional bloc that the issue of COVID-19 was a major headache for the leaders of West Africa. Moreover, he added that although the initial supply of the COVAX AstraZeneca vaccines had supported subregional efforts to suppress the spread of the virus, "the quantities received were woefully inadequate." "We must, thus, continue to work on the purchase and production of vaccines in our region. We must encourage Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal which are making the effort to produce vaccines locally. We cannot afford to be naked the next time," said Akufo-Addo. Akufo-Addo said the other issues the ECOWAS leaders would take decisions on at the summit included terrorism and violent extremism, peace and security, maritime security, health and rapid economic recovery after the pandemic. State leaders of the sub-regional group, except the presidents of Mali and Senegal, gathered in Ghana for the annual summit. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-20 00:18:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ACCRA, June 19 (Xinhua) -- West Africa has suffered a total of 700 terrorist attacks resulting in 2,000 civilian and military deaths from 2020 to now, said an Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) official on Saturday. Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, the president of ECOWAS Commission, said insecurity was still a major concern for the region as violent extremism threatened the stability of the region. "Despite the significant efforts made by member states, particularly those on the frontline, terrorist attacks doubled between the first five months of 2020 and 2021," said Brou in his opening speech during the 59th Ordinary Session of the Heads of State of ECOWAS. "These attacks occur largely in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria, spreading to coastal countries, and increasing the number of displaced persons in the West African subregion," he said. "The implementation of the Regional Plan of Action to Combat Terrorism, which you adopted in September 2019, has commenced and should complement the significant efforts made by each member state to combat the menace," he told the heads of state. The official urged that the planned mobilization of funds for the implementation be done early to accelerate the process. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-20 05:05:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry held talks on Saturday with his Libyan counterpart Najla al-Mangoush in Cairo on the latest developments of the Libyan roadmap for a political settlement. "I assert Egypt's support for the interim executive authority represented in Libyan presidential council and the national unity government in performing their tasks during the transitional stage," Shoukry told a joint press conference following the talks. The Egyptian top diplomat stressed the necessity of restoring security, stability, sovereignty and unity of the Libyan territories and "implementing all the stages of the roadmap for the political solution resulting from the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum." Egypt is looking forward to the Libyan general elections scheduled for Dec. 24 and the expulsion of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya "without procrastination," he said. The Libyan parliament approved in March an interim unity government to run the country until the general elections held later this year which are expected to end a decade-long civil war that followed the ouster and killing of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Meanwhile, the Libyan foreign minister described the newly formed unity government as "the government of all Libyan men and women that seeks earnestly and sincerely to express the aspirations and hopes of its people." Al-Mangoush valued Egypt's support for the Libyan peace roadmap, noting the peoples of Libya and Egypt are connected with deep ties as well as a shared destiny throughout history. "We also welcome the arrival of an Egyptian delegation (in Libya) to coordinate reopening the (Egyptian) embassy in Tripoli and consulate in Benghazi," she said at the news conference in Cairo. The two ministers also addressed ways to boost Egyptian-Libyan cooperation in various fields to broader levels. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 13:26:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia registered 14 more COVID-19 deaths over the past 24 hours, the record daily count since the start of the pandemic, bringing the national death toll to 439, the health ministry said Saturday. Meanwhile, Mongolia recorded 2,635 new COVID-19 cases in the past day, bringing the national tally to 91,151, the ministry said. The Asian country launched a national vaccination campaign against COVID-19 in late February, with the aim of covering at least 60 percent of its population of 3.3 million. A total of 1,903,859 Mongolians have so far received their first dose, and 1,684,287 people have been fully vaccinated, according to the ministry. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 15:09:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW DELHI, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Indian sporting icon Milkha Singh, a runner who was fondly called the "Flying Sikh", died late on Friday night of COVID-19 at the age of 91. Singh breathed his last in the country's northern city of Chandigarh. He had tested positive for COVID-19 last month, and his wife Nirmal Kaur had passed away five days ago due to the pandemic. Singh was a four-time Asian Games Gold medalist and 1958 Commonwealth Games champion. He also represented India in the 1956 and 1964 Olympics, and was bestowed with the "Padma Shri" civilian award in 1959. Singh was the first Indian track and field athlete to win gold in the then-British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff in 1958. His most memorable moment was at 1960 Rome Olympics where he finished fourth in the 400m final in a photo-finish. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 15:58:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KUNDUZ, Afghanistan, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Taliban militants' attack on northern Afghan Kunduz city Saturday has been repulsed and the militants fled away after suffering casualties, army spokesman in the northern region captain Abdul Razaq said. "Taliban rebels launched massive offensive on Kunduz city early Saturday but fled away after suffering casualties and leaving six bodies behind," Razaq told Xinhua. The attacking militants were also attempting to explode an explosive-laden military vehicle next to a military base outside Kunduz city, but was identified and targeted by soldiers. As a result a few more militants inside the vehicle were killed, the official added. However, five security personnel had been injured during the firefight which lasted for a couple of hours, he said. The Taliban side has not made any comments. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 19:58:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Four teachers were injured in firing by unknown gunmen on a school van in Mastung district of Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province on Saturday, local reports said. The gunmen ambushed the school van and attacked it when the female teachers were on their way back home after taking classes, the reports said. The injured women were shifted to a nearby hospital, where their condition is said to be stable. No group or individual has claimed the attack yet. Police have cordoned off the area and an investigation to know the motive of the attack has been kicked off. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 20:11:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KABUL, June 19 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan government has appointed two new key security ministers amid growing insurgency and conflicts in the war-torn country, Administrative Office of the Presidential Palace said in a statement on Saturday. "In accordance with separate decrees from the Presidential Office, General Bismillah Khan Mohammadi has been appointed as acting Minister of Defense and General Abdul Satar Mirzakwal as acting Interior Minister," the statement said. Both the newly appointed ministers would soon be introduced to the parliament for obtaining vote of confidence, the statement added. The changes in the key security positions came after increase in security incidents as the Taliban outfit has increased activities since the start of the U.S.-led forces pull out from Afghanistan on May 1. Taliban outfit has claimed capturing more than 40 districts over the past one month. According to Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, five districts have been overrun by the militant group just over the past one week. Security officials, without confirming the fall of districts, said "the government forces have made tactical retreat" and would soon launch counter-attacks to regain the districts. Hundreds of people in the western Badghis provincial capital Qala-I-Naw and in the northern Jawzjan province have taken arms over the past couple of days and vowed to fight against Taliban if the government fails to ensure security. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 21:21:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Brunei reported one new imported COVID-19 case on Saturday, bringing the national tally to 253. According to Brunei's Ministry of Health, the new case is a 22-year-old man who arrived in the country from Indonesia on June 6. Investigation and contact tracing found that there is no close contact as he was quarantined upon arrival. The new case is being treated and monitored at the National Isolation Center with six other active cases, who are all in a stable condition. With the detection of the new case, a total of 112 imported cases have been confirmed since the last local infection case on May 6, 2020. Brunei has recorded 409 days without local COVID-19 cases. There have been three deaths and 243 recoveries from COVID-19 so far in Brunei. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 22:34:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BANGKOK, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Thai people may apply as recipients to the government's Ying Chai Ying Dai (the more use, the more benefit) e-voucher campaign on Monday, government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said on Saturday. The Ying Chai Ying Dai e-voucher campaign, designed to stimulate domestic consumption among Thais aged 18 years and older, opens for application online from the upcoming Monday and will be effective throughout the third quarter of this year, the government spokesman said. About 4 million Thais are eligible to apply for the e-voucher campaign, which is designed to add some 28 billion baht (about 890 million U.S. dollars) in cash flow nationwide, Anucha said. Each eligible recipient will receive a maximum of 7,000 baht (about 222 U.S. dollars) in grant from the government's e-voucher system throughout the campaign period, or a maximum of 5,000 baht (about 159 U.S. dollars) daily. The recipient may use it for the purchase of goods or services at restaurants, department stores, retail stores, convenience stores and service shops, which may join in the campaign nationwide, but cannot turn such government grant into cash, he said. Those who are entitled to the government's co-payment campaign, state welfare cards or other economic relief aid are not eligible to apply for the e-voucher campaign, he said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 22:59:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A medical worker inoculates a man with a dose of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine in Dhaka, Bangladesh, June 19, 2021. Bangladesh resumed administering the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in parts of the country on Saturday thanks to the China-donated Sinopharm vaccines. (Xinhua) DHAKA, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh resumed administering the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in parts of the country on Saturday thanks to the China-donated Sinopharm vaccines. Those who already registered but have not received their first shots will get priority for vaccination, which resumed in 67 centers across the country, a notice issued by the country's health directorate said. Bangladesh suspended administering the first dose of the vaccine on April 26 after India halted export due to a supply crunch. Subsequently, the country's drug regulator authorized emergency use of China's Sinopharm vaccines. The second batch of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines donated by the Chinese government arrived in Bangladesh last week. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-07 17:45:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BISHKEK, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Kyrgyzstan on Monday reported 362 new COVID-19 cases, taking the country's total infections to 107,335. The Republican Headquarters for Combating COVID-19 said that the pandemic has so far claimed 1,852 lives in Kyrgyzstan, including five in the past 24 hours. A total of 100,722 people have recovered from the disease since the pandemic broke out, while there are 3,725 active cases. Up to 1,767 of the active cases remain hospitalized and 1,958 patients are being treated at home, according to the official data. A total of 3,822 tests were conducted over the past day. Kyrgyzstan started COVID-19 vaccine jabs on March 29 after receiving Chinese-donated vaccine. The Central Asia country also received Sputnik V vaccine from Russia in April. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-19 21:41:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LONDON, June 19 (Xinhua) -- A new wave of coronavirus infections is "definitely under way" in England due to the Delta variant first identified in India, a British government advisory scientist said Saturday. "The race is firmly on between the vaccine programme... and the Delta variant third wave," said professor Adam Finn, a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). Acknowledging the recent surge in infections, Finn told the BBC: "Perhaps we can be a little bit optimistic it's not going up any faster, but nevertheless it's going up - so this third wave is definitely under way." Noting that the highest number of cases of the Delta variant being among 16-25-year-olds, Finn said that older people are still "much more likely to end up in hospital". "As far as vaccines are concerned, the main emphasis everywhere at the moment is immunising adults because it's adults that suffer predominantly from this infection," he said. Meanwhile, epidemiologist Mike Tildesley said he is "cautiously hopeful" that hospital admissions in Britain will not be on the same scale as in January. Tildesley, a member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M), another government advisory body, said cases have been "creeping steadily" over the past month "but we haven't yet seen that reflected in hospital admissions and deaths". "I'm cautiously hopeful that whilst we probably will expect some sort of wave of hospital admissions over the next few weeks, it won't be the same scale that we saw back in January." The recent data published by Public Health England showed the AstraZeneca vaccine is 92 percent effective against hospitalization from the Delta variant after two doses, and the Pfizer vaccine is 96 percent effective against hospitalization after two doses. More than 42.4 million people have been given the first jab of the coronavirus vaccine while more than 30.8 million people have been fully vaccinated with a second dose, according to the latest official figures. Experts have warned that coronavirus may continue to evolve for years to come, and eventually it is likely current vaccines will fail to protect against transmission, infection, or even against disease caused by newer variants. To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Russia, the United States as well as the European Union have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines. Enditem Wang Yi Holds Talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Papua New Guinea Soroi Eoe 2021/06/03 On June 3, 2021, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Papua New Guinea (PNG) Soroi Eoe in Guiyang. Wang Yi said, China is the first country that you visit after taking the new post of foreign minister, and you are also the first political leader from a Pacific Island country to visit China after the COVID-19 outbreak, which fully embodies the particular importance of China-PNG relations. As an important country in the Pacific region, PNG is China's good friend, good brother and good partner. This year marks the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Over 45 years, especially since President Xi Jinping's state visit to PNG in 2018, both sides have accelerated cooperation in all fields, and set an example of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between countries of different sizes. Wang Yi said, the most important reason for the even stronger China-PNG ties is that the two countries always treat each other as equals and support each other on issues related to each other's core interests and major concerns. China appreciates PNG for its strong adherence to the one-China policy and just stance of non-interference in China's internal affairs on issues related to Taiwan, Xinjiang and Hong Kong. China will continue to firmly support PNG in safeguarding national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, pursuing a development path tailored to its national reality, and further growing. Wang Yi expressed, as the pandemic is still raging across the world, we must never relax efforts to strengthen international anti-pandemic cooperation. China stands ready to share experience with PNG in combating the virus, offer the country with medical supplies, and strengthen exchanges in public health governance and medical technology, promoting the building of a global community of health for all. China is considering to set up the China-Pacific Island Countries (PICs) emergency supplies reserve, and stands ready to strengthen cooperation with PNG and other PICs in response to major public health contingencies and natural disasters. Wang Yi expressed, China and PNG enjoy high economic complementarity and enormous potential for cooperation. China is willing to align development strategies with PNG, deepen Belt and Road cooperation, strengthen cooperation in fields such as investment, economy and trade, mineral resources, energy, transport, and ocean, and increase exchanges in education, culture and media, as well as at local levels, enriching the comprehensive strategic partnership and delivering greater benefits to the two peoples. Wang Yi emphasized, China pursues an independent foreign policy of peace, rejects the geopolitical games, and never seeks sphere of influence. China always cooperates with PICs on the basis of equality and respect, and it is committed to promoting the development and prosperity of PICs. The assertion that China "coerces" PICs is pure fabrication. As independent sovereign states, PICs have the right to determine their own foreign policy. China will strengthen the all-round cooperation with PICs in the spirit of openness and equality. Eoe congratulates on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and appreciates China's long-term strong support and assistance for PNG's social and economic development, especially for its fight against the pandemic. PNG speaks highly of the phenomenal progress made by the Chinese people under the leadership of the CPC. Understanding that political stability is an important cornerstone of social and economic development, PNG hopes to deepen exchanges on state governance with China and draw upon China's development experience, achieving common development and prosperity and building a community with a shared future between China and Pacific Islands Countries. Eoe said, PNG firmly upholds the one-China policy and always believes that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. Rising sea level in the Pacific poses survival crisis to PICs. PNG thanks China for speaking out in the international community and supporting island countries in addressing severe challenges resulting from climate change. PNG and other PICs firmly oppose Japan's discharging of nuclear waste water into the Pacific, and will jointly resist Japan's irresponsible behavior with China and other countries. PNG is committed to maintaining sound relations with all countries, and its cooperation with China brings tangible benefits to PICs, including PNG. PNG hopes to strengthen cooperation with China in fields such as infrastructure, communication, agriculture, and health, and align the Belt and Road Initiative with "Connecting Papua New Guinea", lifting the development of China-PNG ties to a new high. 1. Can Louisiana Tech pull off another win if Tamicha Jackson or Betty Lennox struggle offensively? Yes. Even though the Lady Techsters barely edged Vanderbilt in the second round, that win proved Tech can have a much more balanced attack. With Lennox scoring just five points, the Lady Techsters had to get production inside, and Ayana Walker did that. The key for Louisiana Tech, however, is for Jackson and Lennox to get other people established early before they look for their own shot. Then, once the inside game gets going, the Lady Techsters can open it up by kicking it back out to Tamicha and Betty. At this point of the year, players need to be able to play 40 minutes and run up and down the floor without getting winded. This is tournament time and it shouldn't be a factor. Where it might have an effect is on Lucienne Berthieu. Since she just came back from an injury, she is going to need some help up front off the bench. 3. Will Iowa State senior Stacy Frese win the anticipated backcourt matchup as the Cyclones take on Penn State? Both backcourts are great, but Frese and Penn State's Helen Darling might cancel each other out. Same goes for Penn State's Andrea Garner and (ISU's) Angie Welle. All four of them may be fantastic, but this game might come down to the 3-point shooting of (ISU's) Megan Taylor or (PSU's) Lisa Shepherd. Or, does (PSU's) Maren Walseth get the better of (ISU's) Desiree Francis or vice versa? I think the teams' third or fourth player is going to have some sort of a key in this one. Historically, this is when Penn State has usually run into trouble in the tournament, but none of the players on the roster this year were around when that has happened. And now that they've come this far, there was probably more pressure for them to win their first two games. What happened last year probably won't be a factor. 5. Which Midwest team makes it to the Final Four? Helen Darling will be enough to get Penn State through. The Gambia has on Monday 14th June 2021 registered eight (8) new cases of the deadly coronavirus, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases ever confirmed in the country to six thousand and sixteen. The cases are composed of 3 males and 5 females with ages ranging from 16-73 years. No new COVID-19 related death was registered, bringing the total number of deaths since March 2020 to one hundred and eighty. This is the 328th national situation report since the confirmation of the first case of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in The Gambia, on the 16th March 2020. Currently there is no one in hotel quarantine, but fourteen active cases. Modou Njai, the Director of Health Promotion and Education at the Ministry of Health, said seven hundred and thirty-eight new laboratory test results were received from the National Public Health Lab and from the Medical Research Council. Of these, Director Njai said eight tested positive, representing a 1.1% positivity rate test. "Two (2) new COVID-19 patients were newly discharged from treatment centres, while 2 got discharged at least 10 days from the day they tested positive but evaded institutional isolation. One (1) case with comorbidity of Tuberculosis (TB) absconded from one of the COVID-19 treatment sites. One (1) COVID-19 patient is currently on oxygen therapy Five (5) new Contacts have been traced and are being monitored," he said. opinion Abuja Rumours have been making the rounds of plans to relocate Technical College Lassa in Borno State allegedly as the result of insurgency in the North East. The rumour is apparently being orchestrated by some mischief makers who don't see anything good in Borno State recovering from the over one-decade destruction by the Boko Haram and the Islamic State West African Province. If there is anything Borno State needs at the moment, it is peace and support for the government of Professor Babagana Zulum. Our people have really suffered, hence the appeal of our people against any form of disruption. We want to categorically state that if there is any form of insecurity in Lassa, where the Technical School is located, it is not more than those in other parts of the North East. As a matter of fact, Lassa is comparably one of the safest parts of the North East despite occasional attacks by displaced insurgents. It should also be noted that the Technical College, Lassa is the only institution of higher learning in the whole of the Margi area in Borno State. Lassa for those who care to know is the center of Western Education that has produced several professors, army generals, security chiefs and educators of various cadre. These were the very reasons that informed the citing of the Technical School in the town. Many people have argued that if there is fairness by successive governments, Lassa deserves the citing of an Advanced Teachers College. It is not surprising that even education authorities in the state have in recent years argued that Lassa is the most deserving and suitable place for a higher education institution in the state. Those orchestrating the rumours of relocating Lassa Technical College are therefore mere enemies of progress bent on sabotaging Professor Zulum's efforts to bring good governance to the people and ensure even spread of development in a state ravaged by insurgency. The rumour of a plan to relocate Lassa Technical College is not only an act of sabotage but an act of distraction in a state that has enjoyed relative calm despite the insecurity foisted on the peace loving people of the state. We urge the hardworking Governor of the State, Prof. Babagana Zulum to stand resolute against the machination of mischievous makers. The Governor should be rest assured that the people of Lassa and Askira Uba will always stand by him and President Buhari at all times. A. A. Gadzama OFR, mni, Chairman, Governing Board, National Institute for Security Studies, Abuja Stakeholders in Nigeria's aviation industry are already keying into preparations for the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) Conference slated for July 28, 2021. The conference with the theme: 'Nigeria Aviation Industry: Management, Policy and Regulation,' is the 25th edition in the series and would be held in Lagos. While the Ministry of Aviation has indicated interest to be part of the event, all the aviation agencies, including: Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Accident Investigation Bureau, Nigeria (AIB-N) and the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria have equally expressed their desire to be fully involved in the whole arrangements. Expressing their commitments to the forthcoming event, the NCAA said it would always support the league at all times. The Director-General, NCAA, Captain Musa Nuhu in a statement affirmed its agency's support and endorsement of the conference. Nuhu said: "We continue to partner with the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) for a successful outing as scheduled. This is in line with our resolve to invest in project(s) that could elicit solutions to the myriad of challenges confronting air travel in the face of the global Covid-19 pandemic. We look forward to fruitful deliberations and a stronger industry." The 25th Conference and Awards 2021 is expected to be attended by over 250 aviation industry professionals; physically and virtually, cutting across the aviation agencies, security agencies, international and domestic airlines operating in Nigeria, aviation support services, travel trade sellers and buyers and captains of the aviation industry in Nigeria. The Secretary, Conference Committee, LAAC, Albinus Chiedu said that top aviation personalities would deliver insightful papers on a wide range of topical issues in aviation at the annual conference. Second prosecution witness, Detective Police Inspector Sheku Ganda, on Monday testified in court in relation to the theft of over one hundred foam mattresses by a senior Correctional Service Officer. The police witness testified that he recognized the accused person in the dock and recalled on the 20th April, 2021, around 2pm when he received a distress call from ASP John Bai Sankoh, who informed him about something that was taking place at Regent Road. "Upon receiving such information, I left with my team of police investigators for Pademba Road, and at the scene of crime, I met Inspector Kanu at the Pademba Road Police Check Point. I also met one driver who identified himself as one of the drivers of the impounded vans, which contained some mattresses," he testified. He continued testifying that Inspector Kanu, who was present at the scene, told him that he was waiting on instructions from Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters. He said before long, the foam mattresses were taken to the CID and at the CID headquarters, he counted 126 foam mattresses which were handed over to the CID for investigation. He said on the next day, statement was obtained from the accused while he also made statement at the CID. During cross-examination, defense counsel, lawyer C. Campbell asked if the witness gave any markings to the foams for him to be able to identify them, but the witness responded that it was only the exhibit clerk who did that. The accused, Abu Bakarr Nyanqui, attached to the Pademba Road Correctional Centre in Freetown, on Monday 14th June, 2021, made his third appearance before Magistrate Sahr Kekura at the Freetown Magistrate Court No. 1. According to the indictment, the accused person on Monday 19th April 2021, at the Freetown Male Correctional Facility on Pademba Road in Freetown, stole one hundred and fifty six pieces of assorted sizes of foam mattresses, property of the Government of the Republic of Sierra Leone. The accused is currently before the court on one count of Larceny by servant contrary to Section 17(1) (a) of the Larceny Act of 1916. Meanwhile, Magistrate Kekura remanded the accused at the Male Correctional Centre and adjourned the matter to Monday 24th June, 2021. Kaduna The police in Kaduna have paraded six suspects in connection to the kidnapping of four and six-year-old children in the state. The suspects were said to have kidnapped a 4-year-old boy on May 14 in Tudun Wada, Zaria while a 6-year-old boy was kidnapped on March 21, in Rafin Guza, also in Kaduna. Parading the suspects, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Muhammad Jalige, said they have confessed to the crime and the victim was rescued unhurt. According to Jalige, the father of the 6-year-old boy, Malam Ismail of Tudun Jukun, had on May 14, 2021 reported at the Divisional Police Station, Tudun Wada that his son Mohammed was kidnapped. He said on May 16, 2021, the abductors sent a letter containing a GSM number to the father directing him to call and pay the sum of N1,500,000 if he wanted to secure the freedom of his son. He said the abductors agreed to collected N50,000 through the account of a POS agent at Zuba, Abuja adding that, "The victim was released on the 19th May, 2021 at about 5pm through a commercial motorcyclist in Gwargwaje area of Zaria Metropolis." He added, "In a turn of events, the victim kept calling the name of one Sani Sa'adu who is their neighbour which raised the suspicion that he might know something about the incident." He said police invited the said Sani Sa'adu, who they discovered to be the principal that masterminded the kidnapping. He said the suspect also mentioned the names of his accomplices -Abdullahi Usman and Usman Idris - all of the same address. On the kidnap of the 4-year-old, ASP Jalige said the command arrested one Jabir Salisu which led to the arrest of Abba Ibrahim and Muhammed Shaibu all of Hayin Naiya, Kaduna. He said the suspects would be charged to court. Member representing Yauri/Shanga/Ngaski Federal Constituency of Kebbi State, Yusuf Tanko Sununu, says bandits are continuously having a field day, killing, maiming and kidnapping people in his constituency. e was briefing journalists in Abuja on the attack and abduction of students and teachers from Federal Government College Birnin Yauri Thursday morning. He said the pervading insecurity in his constituency and Kebbi State was becoming worrisome. "Not long ago we lost over 154 people from my constituency when they traveling in a boat that capsized, and we can only account for 98 corpses with 22 survivor. "A week ago, we had another calamity when bandits mentioned by eye witnesses numbering about 250 to 300, each with AK-47 rifles and using very strong motorcycles, came into my constituency. "They had a field day and operated for more than eight hours, going house to house, room to room, collecting money, handsets, motorcycles and cattle. "That led to a massive influx of internally displaced persons as the headquarters of the emirate in the town of Yauri," he said. The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio has ordered Reynolds Construction Company Nigeria Limited, RCC, to immediately commence remediation works on the collapsed Aleto Bridge along the East-West road in Rivers State axis within 24 hours. RCC is the construction company handling works on Kilometer 6+500, Section 3A of the East-West road where the collapse Aleto Bridge falls in. Akpabio charged the contractor to should go and ensure a free flow of traffic to ameliorate the suffering of the people stranded on the due road due to collapse of the bridge. He said there is need for immediate intervention to make the road passable for already stranded commuters. But while the contractors pleaded on sending engineers to the project site by Friday morning to assess the level of damage on the infrastructure, Senator Akpabio insisted that inspection must commence immediately in order to make the road passable for stranded commuters who are going through pains. Senator Akpabio gave this order in Abuja after an emergency meeting with the contractors, while blaming the development on delay in mobilisation of the contracts for six years. He also recalled that compensation before the commencement of the project was also delayed, noting that, while, 600 million was budgeted for compensation, the ministry later discovered that the actual cost for compensation was N6 billion which it settled last year. The Minister who further blamed the crisis on lack of synergy between his ministry and the ministry of power over the construction of power station appealed to the contractors to quickly intervene to ameliorate the suffering of the people. According to him, "We are putting a lot of pressure on you because you are a reliable partner because if the road is shut down it will affect economic activities. "RCC that is in charge of the project was not mobilsed for six years, we are planning to have a flyover at that section of the road but lack of synergy between ministry and the ministry of power caused the delay. "We discovered we were to pay N6billion as compensation after we have budgeted N600 million for it. "It is the commitment of the ministry to ensure the completion of the road and there is also need for a review because prices of materials have gone up. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "I am appealing to RCC contractors to attend to the section of the road before the bridge, President Buhari's government is a government of solution, they should go and ensure a free flow of traffic to ameliorate the suffering of the people, and we need immediate intervention. But while the contractors pleaded on sending engineers to the project site by Friday morning to assess the level of damage on the infrastructure, the minister insisted that inspection must commence immediately in order to make the road passable for stranded commuters who are going through pains. The Managing Director of RCC, Engr. Nader Yusuf told the minister that the company has mobilsed engineers to the project site to carry out immediate assessment of the damage as demanded. He assured the Minister that road will be made assessable for commuters in the interim while full construction is ongoing. According to him, "Our engineers are already mobilising workers to embark on the project immediately." The Aleto Bridge along the Eleme axis of the East-West road is also the link road to Akwa-Ibom and Cross-River States in addition to over 200 companies operating in Eleme local Government area, especially the Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority,Onne, Nigerian Ports Authority,NPA, Federal Ocean Terminal, FOT and Federal Lighter Terminal,Port Harcourt Refinery, Ndoroma Petrochemical Company among others. Meanwhile, before the unfortunate incident, some stakeholders have raised alarm over imminent collapse of the Aleto Bridge but nothing was done to avert the current crisis. Vanguard News Nigeria The UBA Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, on Wednesday joined the rest of the world to celebrate African children on the International Day of the African Child. The UBA Foundation has been focused on education as one of its main areas of development for almost two decades. Through its Read Africa and National Essay Competition initiatives the Foundation has been impacting lives positively across the African continent. The International Day of the African child was another opportunity for UBA to demonstrate its commitment to the communities in which it operates across Africa, donating thousands of books to less privileged children on the continent. In 1991, the Organisation of African Unity, now known as the AU, announced June 16th, as the International Day of the African Child, to honour the students who courageously marched for their rights to better education in Soweto, South Africa during the Soweto Uprising of June 16, 1976. Speaking during a visit to Ignite Africa Leadership Foundation in Lagos, Managing Director/CEO, UBA Foundation, Bola Atta, was quoted in a statement to have emphasised the role that the UBA Foundation has been playing in the area of education. "One of the best ways to lift people out of poverty is to educate them and at the Foundation, we understand the changes education can bring to a child's life and to the lives of subsequent generations. "Reading books is something never to be taken for granted as there are so many children who don't have the privileged of access to reading materials be it educational or recreational. "We wanted to bring smiles to the faces of thousands of children on this day of the African Child," she added. Founder, Ignite Africa, Kolawole Oyeyemi, who received hundreds of books donated by the UBA Foundation, commended the UBA Foundation saying, "We are grateful to UBA and the UBA foundation for this gesture and the donation of the books as these will help us in our bid to touch lives and give back to the society as we afford children the opportunity to develop through knowledge enhancement." Across Africa in 20 countries, the UBA Foundation donated thousands of books to community centres, schools and hospitals in celebration of the International Day of the African child. A postmortem exam has revealed that former Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo died from acute renal failure, but his family says he may have been poisoned and wants further tests conducted to rule out foul play. Speaking after the results were released on Thursday, the family said it was highly likely that a toxic chemical resulted in Midiwo's death. They noted that his popularity made him many friends and enemies. Chief Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor conducted the postmortem at Lee Funeral Home in Nairobi, a procedure witnessed by a private pathologist hired by the family. Also present were detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, as the family raised concerns that their kin's death may have been due to unnatural causes. Read: Jakoyo Midiwo's family wants probe to rule out foul play Midiwo's relatives said they will ensure toxicology tests are carried out to establish what foreign substance found its way into this body, causing acute renal failure. Prof Jacob Midiwo said that while the autopsy revealed his brother died from kidney failure, the trigger was yet to be established. "Whatever caused the kidneys to fail is yet to be established. It could have been due to microscopic problems in the body or toxicological problems through a foreign chemical. This is what we want to establish." Prof Midiwo said samples were taken and that it may take three weeks for the results of the toxicology tests to be released. Covid-19 claims Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Governance Legal Affairs Kenya By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Earlier, the Midiwo family denied claims that the former lawmaker died of Covid-19. Dr George Jalang'o Midiwo, the former MP's elder brother and family spokesperson, said tests conducted before the Midiwo's death ruled out the virus. Preliminary results indicated Midiwo suffered cardiac arrest but the family raised questions, saying police must investigate the matter to rule out foul play. Midiwo was put on a dialysis machine after his kidney reportedly failed, having suffered acute renal failure. He died at 4pm on Monday. "Midiwo was tested for Covid-19 immediately after he was admitted to Nairobi Hospital on Sunday and the tests came out negative," said Dr Jalang'o, who added that his brother was cautious about the coronavirus. More on this: Jakoyo Midiwo had warned Raila to keep off funerals over Covid-19 fears He told the Nation that since the pandemic struck, Midiwo limited his movements and interactions with the public, and exercised within his home in Gem, walking 15km to 20km every day. His only travel, the family said, was to Nairobi last Thursday to celebrate his children's academic milestones, but he suddenly fell ill and died. His daughter recently graduated from a South African university while his son scored an A plain in the 2020 KCSE exam that he wrote at Nairobi School. Midiwo will be buried on June 26. roudia@ke.nationmedia.com analysis With elections about to finally start, Ethiopia's growing unrest and Tigray's catastrophic conflict highlights an urgent need to build a political consensus. Ethiopia's current government is hoping gaining a new electoral mandate will give them the authority needed to pursue their reform agenda, which includes drafting a new constitution and potentially redrawing regional state borders. This election represents the first true test for the ruling Prosperity Party (PP), led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, since it was formed in 2019 from the ashes of Ethiopia's formerly dominant political coalition, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). Originally scheduled for August 2020, the elections have been postponed twice - firstly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, then recently due to logistical challenges and rising insecurity. Even though voting is now going ahead, it is set to be delayed still further across huge areas of the country, including Tigray, and several leading opposition parties are boycotting the polls - leading many observers to fear that poorly run elections will actively worsen Ethiopia's divides rather than heal them. Against a challenging backdrop This will be the sixth election since Ethiopia embarked on multipartyism some 30 years ago, with previous polls marred by irregularities and claims of electoral fraud. The federal government draws its mandate from elections in 2015, won by the EPRDF with 100 per cent of parliamentary seats, and followed by huge public discontent and large-scale protests. The Ethiopian government strongly defends itself against interference in sovereign affairs, stressing its partners are best served working with them on these issues not against them This resulted in Abiy Ahmed's ascent to prime minister in 2018, heralding sweeping reforms, a pledge to build national unity and democracy, and the launch of the PP. His efforts to make peace with Eritrea and support domestic pluralism led to Abiy receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019. However, the brutal war in Tigray and ongoing armed insurgency by Tigrayan forces have resulted in evidence of mounting atrocities, human rights violations, and an increasingly desperate humanitarian picture, with 1.7 million displaced, more than five million people in need of food aid, and the United Nations (UN) and others warning of an impending famine. Ethiopia's international partners, including the US and EU, have imposed travel restrictions and withheld financial support - and may yet enforce further sanctions should the government not take immediate actions to stop the Tigray conflict, facilitate unhindered humanitarian access, provide accountability for human rights violations, and begin a credible political dialogue process. But the Ethiopian government strongly defends itself against interference in sovereign affairs, stressing its partners are best served working with them on these issues not against them. Ending Eritrea's harmful involvement in the conflict is essential for all, and a solution that in-part addresses Asmara's security concerns will be required to hasten the withdrawal of their forces. Elections both partial and flawed Elections will not take place in Tigray, and neither will they happen in numerous other constituencies where security is precarious, including Benishangul-Gumuz, Western Oromia and several other regions. Polls in the Somali and Harar regions are postponed until September due to irregularities and problems with the printing of ballot papers. In all, 102 out of 547 parliamentary seats - a substantial 18 per cent of the total - are not included in the first round of voting. A problematic two-stage vote held over a three-month period risks arguments over results before the election is fully concluded The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) maintains it has been trying build institutional capacity in impossible circumstances, but there have been shortcomings with its handling of the process. Elections are now taking place at both the beginning and the end of the rainy season which could affect transport and communications infrastructure and result in further delays. Ethiopia's military was responsible for delivering election materials but much of its capacity remains in Tigray. And there was the major challenge of hiring, training and deploying more than 250,000 staff to oversee election activities. Rather than providing a clear result which will calm tensions, deliver much-needed stability, and re-open space for dialogue, a problematic two-stage vote held over a three-month period risks arguments over results before the election is fully concluded, increased electoral violence, and could worsen already damaged relations between the government and opposition groups. Challenges but little change The federal government and NEBE claim this will be Ethiopia's most open, fair, and competitive elections ever. The polls will elect a new lower house of parliament as well as regional state councils, with 46 political parties competing and more than 37 million voters registered to vote. According to the constitution, to form a government means winning 50 per cent plus one of the national total - and as the only party with true national reach, the PP will field almost 2,800 candidates while opposition parties are limited to fewer districts concentrated in their own regional strongholds. So PP is expected to win, but it will be challenged in certain regions. The Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice Party and Balderas for Genuine Democracy are expected to win seats in Addis Ababa and some other urban areas. National Movement of Amhara is expected to challenge the regional branch of PP in the Amhara region. The Afar People's Party will be competitive in Afar, and the Ogaden Nation Liberation Front is expected to contest the Somali region in September. To move forward peacefully, Ethiopia must find a political settlement to accommodate competing ideological perspectives and build a consensual vision for how the country should be governed But in Oromia - the biggest regional constituency - all the major opposition parties have boycotted the election, and senior leaders from the Oromo Federalist Congress and the Oromo Liberation Front are detained and face lengthy court proceedings, meaning PP has practically no opposition for Oromia's 178 parliamentary seats. With many of the region's 15 million registered voters unable to support their preferred party, the real question seems not whether the PP will win but by what margin - and how bad the resulting discontent will get. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Ethiopia Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Political consensus needed The hope is a strong electoral mandate for Prime Minister Abiy provides the government with the confidence it needs to accelerate reforms, including inter-communal reconciliation, and deliver the renewed dialogue it has promised. To move forward peacefully, Ethiopia must find a political settlement to accommodate competing ideological perspectives and build a consensual vision for how the country should be governed based on mutual interests. But given the leadership's track-record of avoiding negotiation with key opposition figures, there seems limited prospect of all opposition parties being included in dialogue, especially those that are imprisoned or that have been designated as terrorist groups, including Oromo and Tigrayan leaders. A victory for the government is unlikely to heal the country's widening rifts, nor resolve the structural issues and ideological competition that have surfaced during Abiy's leadership. Beyond these elections, insecurity and increasing ethnic and regional polarization still threaten the political and economic reform agenda and damage the prospects of a sustainable roadmap for the institutionalization of democratic reforms. With mounting internal and external burdens on the government, it is difficult to see how this election can mend Ethiopia's deep divisions, unify its communities, and appease its international partners. Abiy Ahmed urgently needs to renew his commitment to ending conflict and return to genuine dialogue. Ahmed Soliman Research Fellow, Africa Programme Acquitted by the International Criminal Court on 31 March, former President Laurent Gbagbo is free to return to Cote d'Ivoire. In this Q&A, Crisis Group expert Wendyam Herve Lankoande analyses the issues surrounding his return, scheduled for 17 June. Why is Laurent Gbagbo returning to Cote d'Ivoire? On 31 March, the International Criminal Court (ICC) confirmed the acquittal of the former Ivorian president, who was accused of crimes against humanity. He is now free to return to his country. He was arrested in April 2011 and transferred to The Hague in November that year after the deadly violence caused by his refusal to accept defeat by Alassane Ouattara, Cote d'Ivoire's current president. According to the UN, the confrontations - essentially between Ouattara's supporters and pro-Gbagbo militants - led to more than 3,000 deaths between December 2010 and April 2011. Dubbed the "post-election crisis", the clashes were the most lethal since the country entered a prolonged political impasse shortly after the death in late 1993 of Felix Houphouet-Boigny, the founding father of the Ivorian nation. This violence deepened Cote d'Ivoire's political and regional divides, particularly between the north and south. Neither side showed a genuine desire to resolve the conflict, preventing reconciliation during the following decade. The most recent presidential election, on 31 October 2020, was marred by tensions and violence. Political antagonisms led to 87 deaths and the detention or house arrest of opposition leaders until December 2020. Ouattara's landslide victory in the 2020 presidential election, combined with his pledge to allow Gbagbo to return, finally calmed the political waters. He defeated a divided opposition that lacked a clear vision for the country. Legislative polls in March 2021, the first time that all the country's main political forces took part in elections, took place without incident. Between December 2020 and April 2021, the Ivorian courts ordered the release of more than 100 prisoners, including political opponents and civil society activists jailed after 2020. Many of the harder-line members of Gbagbo's party, forced into exile after the end of the post-election crisis, have recently returned to Cote d'Ivoire but have now adopted a more conciliatory stance. The government and Gbagbo's supporters seem to have normalised their relationship, even though some of his staunchest backers - an activist group known as "Gbagbo or no one" - remain opposed to dialogue with Ouattara. After several months of talks between the Ivorian authorities and Gbagbo's envoys, the former president's return was announced for 17 June by the general secretary of his party, the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI). What conditions did the government place on this return? President Ouattara has given his assurance that his predecessor will be treated as a former head of state and receive the benefits associated with that status (accommodation, security detail, pension, staff), including salary payments due to him since 2011. The state will also cover the cost of his return journey on a commercial flight. These gestures appear designed to show that the state is intent on rehabilitating the former president. Crisis Group interviews with members of the government and the president's party reveal that, in return, officials expect Gbagbo - who held power from 2000 to 2010 - to retire from politics. In their dealings with Gbagbo, the authorities hold a powerful card. The former president has been convicted in absentia and sentenced to twenty years in prison in Cote d'Ivoire for the "BCEAO heist": an Ivorian court found Gbagbo and three of his former ministers guilty of ordering security forces to break into and loot the Abidjan branch of the Central Bank of West African States. Since Ouattara has not yet granted a presidential pardon or an amnesty, Gbagbo could face imprisonment. He is unlikely to go to jail, however. Arresting Gbagbo, who remains popular in the country, would anger his supporters and could trigger a new round of political violence. The government fears that Gbagbo will stage a triumphal return and wants to avoid thousands of supporters descending on the airport when he arrives back in the country. Such a crowd of supporters would pose a security threat: associations of victims of the 2010-2011 post-election crisis, which are calling for the former president's arrest, could be tempted to organise protests. Symbolically, the mobilisation of a large crowd of supporters to welcome Gbagbo upon arrival would also allow him to prove how popular he remains. Hence the authorities prefer a discreet arrival, with the former president's close associates meeting him in an area of Abidjan's airport that is reserved for high-profile figures. Why is Laurent Gbagbo still such a popular figure? There are three main reasons for Gbagbo's popularity. First, he was a prominent opponent of the one-party rule established by Felix Houphouet-Boigny following independence. His name is still linked to the creation of a democratic, multiparty state for which he advocated. Secondly, in a highly unequal society, he articulated the concerns of the lower classes and areas that did not benefit from post-independence development - including his own region, the centre west, and parts of the border region with Liberia. A particularly skilful orator, Gbagbo captured and then whipped up nationalist sentiments in a country that hosts a large community of West African immigrants. As the country's economy stagnated, many Ivorians blamed immigrants for all their troubles, and political leaders played on this xenophobia for electoral gain. Gbagbo's popularity received a further boost from the 2010 elections, as well as his acquittal by the ICC and the profile of his constituency. In the presidential election's second round in November 2010, he performed strongly with 46 per cent of the vote, compared to 54 per cent for his rival Ouattara, who was backed by the Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire (PDCI, the country's former ruling party). Although his party's ten-year boycott of elections makes it difficult to gauge the extent of Gbagbo's popularity, it seems reasonable to assume that the FPI's hardcore supporters have remained loyal. He has also accrued significant symbolic capital after spending a decade in custody at the ICC. Now that the ICC has dropped all charges against him, Gbagbo can portray himself as a victim of a miscarriage of international justice. Lastly, many of his most faithful supporters come from evangelical backgrounds and see him as a messianic figure, whose acquittal and return are the result of divine intervention. What will be the impact of Gbagbo's return on Ivorian politics? The political movement that Gbagbo created with and around the FPI is weakened and divided into several rival offshoots. After he lost power in 2011, FPI officials engaged in a legal fight over control of the party. In April 2015, the Ivorian judiciary awarded former Prime Minister Pascal Affi N'Guessan management of the party. Under N'Guessan's leadership, however, the FPI has faced opposition from a splinter group known as Together for Democracy and Sovereignty, whose supporters have always considered Gbagbo to be the party's leader, even when he was detained. At the same time, the former youth minister, Charles Ble Goude (aged 49), who was also acquitted by the ICC, while detained in The Hague led the Pan African Congress of Youth and Patriots, an organisation that seeks to represent young voters and could become a competitor of the ageing FPI. Upon his return, Gbagbo should set about reuniting the various sub-groups and preparing for his succession. But he should also keep a low political profile to avoid upsetting the Ivorian authorities. While it is possible that Gbagbo could completely withdraw from the political scene and even distance himself from his own movement, that move would be surprising for a man who has spent his entire life in politics. Besides, he is expected to visit the FPI headquarters as soon as he is back to show his willingness to reunify his party. Gbagbo's return is unlikely to shake up Ivorian politics. The rapprochement between the PDCI and the FPI, a process that began before the October 2020 presidential election, will probably remain limited to the good relationship that Gbagbo now seems to have with Henri Konan Bedie, the PDCI's leader, whom he could visit in the near future. But without any impending electoral deadlines and with the FPI in the midst of rebuilding itself, it appears difficult for the two parties to reach an immediate agreement on a strategy to defeat Ouattara's Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace. The balance of power is strongly tilted in favour of the president's party, which controls the executive, legislative and military branches. Nothing suggests that this will change. Will Gbagbo's return to Cote d'Ivoire help reconciliation efforts and bring an end to the Ivorian conflict? The authorities say that Gbagbo's return is part of national reconciliation efforts. After previous reconciliation attempts failed, however, it presents a challenge for Ivorian politics as a whole. Some months before the October 2020 presidential election, several of Gbagbo's spokespersons emphasised the need for "a reconciliation of Ivorians". Reconciliation is a longstanding objective in Cote d'Ivoire. A national reconciliation forum was set up in 2001, followed two years later by a "national reconciliation package". Both of these initiatives failed due to a lack of good-will among political forces that built their success on ethnic and regional divides, and by supporting one ethnic group over the other, rather than acting in the interest of all Ivorians. Successful reconciliation would have weakened the main political parties' voter base. Shortly after taking office in July 2011, President Ouattara's administration set up a truth and reconciliation commission. Political wrangling undermined the work of the commission, which was understaffed and underfunded. Faced with a choice between achieving its stated aim of reunifying Ivorians and its wish to consolidate its own power, Ouattara's government prioritised stability and economic growth over reconciliation. As part of this reconciliation process, the courts focused on Gbagbo's group and overlooked the fact that pro-Ouattara officers and militia were also suspected of committing serious crimes, such as the massacre of at least 800 people in Duekoue in March 2011. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Cote d'Ivoire Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. In the days following his return to Cote d'Ivoire, Gbagbo should make a speech on the subject of national reconciliation. Such an address would be important because the former president, who is one of the country's most influential politicians of the past three decades, could use it to encourage a large group of his followers to join the reconciliation process, making it far more inclusive. More importantly, Gbagbo's return offers a last opportunity for three historical leaders who are approaching the end of their political careers - Bedie, Ouattara and Gbagbo - to come together in a joint call for national reconciliation. That said, other political actors should also address the root causes of the disputes and the violence. A solution that revolves around individual actors would obscure the structural causes of the country's political crises. Gbagbo's absence from the country in 2020, for instance, did not prevent political violence. As Crisis Group mentioned in its last briefing, the country's crises are symptomatic of a lack of rule of law and a political system shaped by a constitution that gives greater weight to the presidential office than to the legislative and judicial branches. While seeking reconciliation in society, politicians should take advantage of the moment to continue dialogue on political and electoral reforms which began in December. Besides constitutional reforms aimed at reducing presidential powers, reforms should prioritise two institutions in particular. Both the Electoral Commission and the Constitutional Council's independence have been the subject of debate in every presidential election since 1995 and issues that have led to violent confrontations both before and after the voting. Such a dialogue would enable Cote d'Ivoire to turn the page on its political disputes and pay more attention to the jihadist threat on its northern borders. analysis After two postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic and later for logistical challenges, millions of Ethiopians go to the polls on Monday. Held in the midst of historic domestic challenges - not least a war in Tigray region and instability in Western Oromia region - this election will be significant for several reasons. Here is why. Elections alone do not guarantee strong democratic progress. But they are the main source of political legitimacy for the current crop of political elites led by prime minister Abiy Ahmed. Abiy detractors have repeatedly made the point that his administration is a caretaker government that emerged after the March 2018 resignation of former premier Hailemariam Desalegn. As such it doesn't have the legitimacy that elections provide. Therefore, if Abiy's Prosperity Party ultimately wins the elections, as many in the country expect, a lot will change. An electoral victory would bestow that needed legitimacy. This would in turn confer new political capital to advance the political reforms of 2018 and 2019 that have since slowed down. Second, the sixth national election since 1991 will be the first of its kind in which the Tigray People's Liberation Front will not be taking part. It is to be remembered that the liberation front was declared a terrorist group by the House of Represenatives. The former regional party was the dominant force in the country's governing coalition for 27 years - Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front - until 2018. Lastly, this election takes place in the wake of massive internal displacements of people. This has been triggered by all time high ethnic polarisation and ethnic conflicts. These cannot be wholly blamed on the current government as they have historical roots. Moreover, the country's failing ethnic federal arrangement has made it difficult to address the issue of internal displacements through resettlements and political solutions. Although displacements have stopped and stability returned to affected areas, many voters in such areas could face difficulty in accessing polling stations. Nonetheless, one major consequence of the national elections would be the emergence of a government that has the popular legitimacy to use its power to address lingering political, economic and security challenges. Most Ethiopians consider Abiy's administration as one that inherited massive political challenges. Thus, many hesitate to blame it for the country's problems. However, once elected and legitimatised through a democratic process, it now could be held accountable. Ethiopia's electoral system A parliamentary system since 1991, Ethiopia's legislative body has two chambers. The lower chamber, known as House of Representatives, is the most powerful one. The upper chamber, known as House of Federation, mainly deals with constitutional and budgetary matters. While members of the lower chamber are directly elected by the people, members of the upper chamber are mostly appointed by regional councils that consider the proportional representation of all ethnic groups in the chamber. In existence for 30 years, the House of Federation is considered ineffective even in dealing with its core mandates. The most important electoral outcome, therefore, is who takes control of the House of Representatives. A political party that wins the simple majority of seats in this lower legislative chamber would then form a government. The house majority would also elect the prime minister and deputy prime minister. Therefore, when Ethiopians go to polls on Monday, it is not to select their country's leader, but to vote for their representatives in parliament and leaders of local and regional councils. The parties in contention The Prosperity Party currently has the majority of seats in parliament and remains the favourite to win this election. This is mainly because its competitor, Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice (Ezema, in the abbreviated Amharic name), is not contesting in many areas. Ethnic polarisation is the reason why many opposition parties are not fielding candidates across many constituencies outside their bastions. Even if they fielded candidates, the costs would outweigh benefits due to the volatile nature of ethnic animosities in some parts of the country. Other smaller parties, such as National Movement of Amharas (NaMA) and Bladeras for Democracy, are also competing in fewer regions and towns. With some ethnic parties either prevented from taking part in the elections or boycotting them altogether, the 2021 national elections are Prosperity Party's to lose. But given more than forty parties participating in the process, the elections would ultimately confer needed legitimacy to the winner. The campaign issues Due to armed conflict in Tigray, instability in western Ethiopia and the highly polarised political atmosphere, the campaigns have been low-key. Unsurprisingly, these two areas also happen to be the only region and localities where elections will not take place given the instability there. Nevertheless, that does not mean that Ethiopians consider these elections less important. Many hope that the new government, come September, would be one determined to address domestic peace and security issues. They hope it can mitigate ethnic conflicts and usher a period of reconciliation and political dialogue. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Ethiopia Governance Conflict By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Among the most pressing campaign issues was also the need for constitutional reforms. This demand has been voiced more strongly by opposition political parties than the incumbent Prosperity party. But, given that the prime minister is reform-minded, it is expected that some constitutional reforms could be inevitable. These reforms could include ways of addressing the fragile ethnic federal arrangement. They could also strengthen the federal government and its ability to deal with inter-ethnic clashes and internal displacements. Conclusion The times are challenging for Ethiopia. Besides domestic conflicts, there is diplomatic tension with Sudan over disputed territory. Therefore, having an elected and stable government will benefit Ethiopia and Ethiopians most. The chance that Ethiopia will emerge a fully fledged democracy after these elections may be slim. But it will be a step in the right direction. Yohannes Gedamu, Lecturer of Political Science, Georgia Gwinnett College #Mininter alcanza cifra record al incinerar mas de 30 toneladas de droga decomisadas al narcotrafico. Ministro @PePeElice destaca trabajo coordinado de las instancias del Estado en la lucha contra el trafico ilicito de drogas. ???Mas informacion: https://t.co/3FaAE4m3mN pic.twitter.com/Wywe3mIuaN Participaron en la actividad el viceministro de Gestion del Sistema Sanitario de Bolivia, Alvaro Terrazas, el director de @NeoplasicasPeru , Eduardo Payet, la presidenta de @EsSaludPeru , Fiorella Molinelli, asi como representantes de Auna, entre otros invitados. pic.twitter.com/OkPHZGh1gE Hoy, el ministro Oscar Ugarte acompano al artista Ernesto Pimentel a recibir su primera dosis de la vacuna contra la COVID-19, como parte de la jornada de vacunacion a personas que viven con VIH. Mas de 87 000 personas de este grupo seran inoculadas en el pais. #PongoElHombro ???? pic.twitter.com/6zuqsudJsK YEREVAN, JUNE 19, ARMENPRESS. The international observers of the CIS Inter-parliamentary Assembly, who have arrived in Armenia to observe the June 20 snap parliamentary elections, today laid flowers at the Mother Armenia monument in Yerevan, for the memory of all those fallen at the Great Patriotic War. Today the observers are also scheduled to have several meetings in the Armenian Parliament. The observer mission will hold discussions with the leadership of the Parliament, as well as with the representatives of political forces participating in the elections. In particular, meetings with heads of election headquarters of Prosperous Armenia, Civil Contract and Bright Armenia parties are expected. On June 19 the CIS observers will also meet with Chairman of the Central Electoral Commission of Armenia Tigran Mukuchyan to exchange views on the election processes. Thereafter, they will meet with the representatives of the Armenia alliance, I Have the Honor alliance, Our Home Is Armenia. They will continue their observer mission on June 20 the voting day. The observers will also meet with the representatives of the OSCE/ODIHR. The CIS observer mission will give a press conference on June 21 summing up the results of the elections. CIS observers are conducting their mission in Armenia at the invitation of Speaker of Parliament Ararat Mirzoyan. Photos by Mkhitar Khachatryan Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JUNE 19, ARMENPRESS. The Police of Armenia published the total number of eligible voters for the upcoming snap parliamentary elections. The total number of eligible voters registered in the official registry is 2,578,678. Armenia will hold early parliamentary elections on June 20. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JUNE 19, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian signed a decree on awarding cardiothoracic surgeon Mihir Susan with the Mkhitar Heratsi Medal for his significant contribution to the development of healthcare sector, the Presidential Office told Armenpress. On June 19 the President personally handed over the award to the renowned doctor, wishing new achievements. Mihir Susan thanked the President for high appreciation, considering the award the assessment of not only his work, but also that of his entire medical team. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JUNE 19, ARMENPRESS. The government of Russia will provide 3.2 million dollars to the UNDP project aimed at assisting the most affected regions of Armenia in post-conflict recovery, the Russian Embassy in Armenia said on Facebook. The Russian government decided to finance the project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) which will help the most affected regions of Armenia in post-conflict recovery. For that purpose, 3.2 million dollars have been allocated from the budget, the Embassy said. The Embassy of Russia has already officially informed the Armenian side about the decision. The Embassy also noted that Russia is providing financial aid in a coordinated manner to the initiatives of the UN organizations aimed at Armenias comprehensive development. The volume of that aid in implementing projects in the fields of healthcare, education, socio-economic development, industry competitiveness increase, environment, disaster management, energy, has totaled nearly 70 million USD since 2010. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JUNE 19, ARMENPRESS. Caretaker Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, who is leading the Civil Contract partys electoral list for the June 20 early parliamentary elections, says each citizen eligible to vote has a status of a supreme authority and will exercise that authority by casting their votes. In a live talk on Facebook, Pashinyan urged all citizens to definitely go to the polling stations, cast their ballot and form a government. He also presented in details the voting process during the elections to the citizens. Dear compatriots, dear proud citizens of the Republic of Armenia, I hope and I am sure that you are strong. Why I am saying so? Because the subject winning the elections should be one person and that subject must be the citizen of Armenia, because his principled choice will be clearly recorded by the final election protocols. I hope and I am sure that you will go to the polling stations, will make your decisive choice, will make your decisive decision and will open a new page for the Republic of Armenia, finally overcoming the political crisis which has been formed in the past seven months. And therefore, my call, request is to definitely go to the polling stations and make a choice, he said. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JUNE 19, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian held a telephone conversation today with Chairman of the Central Electoral Commission Tigran Mukuchyan ahead of the June 20 early parliamentary elections, the Presidential Office told Armenpress. The CEC Chairman presented the organization process of the elections to the President, stating that the Commission is implementing all functions and measures as required by the law. President Sarkissian highlighted the significance of the elections for the country and their normal holding by the CEC and other election-related structures. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JUNE 19, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian held telephone conversations today with Director of the National Security Service Armen Abazyan and Police Chief Vahe Ghazaryan ahead of the June 20 early parliamentary elections, the Presidential Office told Armenpress. President Sarkissian stated that these elections are taking place in a difficult, crisis situation for Armenia and highlighted the operation of law enforcement agencies within their powers, with maximum responsibility and professionalism, aimed at guaranteeing lawfulness and rule of law, strongly preventing any violation of law and right, as well as ensuring public order. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JUNE 19, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan held a meeting with the delegation of the CIS Inter-parliamentary Assembly who arrived in Armenia to observe the June 20 early parliamentary elections, the Parliament told Armenpress. Speaker Mirzoyan said the Armenian side attaches great importance to the presence of observer mission in Armenia, and reaffirmed the ruling majoritys commitment to organize free, fair and transparent elections. He told the guests that the decision on holding the elections was achieved by all three parliamentary forces aimed at re-establishing and strengthening internal stability in Armenia. By using this chance, the Speaker also presented the developments which have occurred after the signing of the 2020 November 9 trilateral statement on the ceasefire in Nagorno Karabakh. The meeting sides touched upon the violation of the points of the statement by Azerbaijan, the delay in the process of returning Armenian prisoners of war and other civilian captives, as well as the recent Azerbaijani incursion in Armenias territory and the need of withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenias territory. Head of the CIS IPA observer mission Igor Komarovsky thanked Ararat Mirzoyan for the invitation and presented the activities done by their mission so far. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JUNE 19, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian sent a congratulatory letter to Ebrahim Raisi on being elected as new President of Iran, the Armenian Presidents Office told Armenpress. The letter reads: I believe that under your leadership Iran will continue the development and prosperity path. Armenia values the consistent strengthening and deepening of existing friendly relations and constructive dialogue with Iran, which is one of the key conditions for ensuring our countries progress and regional stability. The desire of our friendly nations to recognize each other and cooperate comes from centuries, and today broad opportunities exist for this. I hope the Armenian-Iranian warm friendly relations will continue developing and expanding in all areas with joint efforts, registering positive dynamics for a qualitatively new level of cooperation between our peoples. President Sarkissian wished Ebrahim Raisi good health and working achievements, and to the brotherly people of Iran peace and welfare. Irans ultraconservative cleric and judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi has won the presidential election held on June 18, receiving 17,8 million votes according to the preliminary results. 28 million 600 thousand people participated in the voting. The final results will be published within the day. Four candidates were running for the president: Secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council Mohsen Rezaee (more than 3 million 300 thousand votes), Chief Justice Ebrahim Raisi, Deputy Parliament Speaker Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi (over 1 million votes) and former Governor of the Central Bank Abdolnaser Hemmati (more than 2 million 400 thousand votes). Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JUNE 19, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian held a telephone conversation today with caretaker Minister of Defense Vagharshak Harutyunyan, the Presidents Office told Armenpress. President Sarkissian stated that the current election processes must not in any way affect the security of the borders and the countrys defense. He emphasized the importance of the armed forces to be more vigilant while conducting their service especially these days. Armenia will hold early parliamentary elections on June 20. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan The alarm in the Bolivian hospital pierced through the din of beeping life support machines and hissing ventilators -- a patient lay unconscious, oblivious to the warning that his life hung by a thread. The monitor was flashing red. "Low oxygen pressure" it alerted, showing a reading of 25. "It should be 75!" doctor Daniel Quispia said as he jumps to the patient's aid, adjusting the controls in a bid to get the oxygen flowing again. The alarm stops and, relieved, Quispia takes a deep breath. His patient, battling a severe coronavirus infection, does too. The Covid-19 virus has killed some 15,500 people in Bolivia, population 11.8 million. The country is in the midst of a third wave of infections: on June 9 officials reported a daily record of 3,839 new virus cases. Cochabamba, a central Bolivian city in the Andes some 2,600 meters above the sea level, has been averaging about 850 cases per day for several months. Quispia is the only critical care doctor at the Hospital del Sur in Cochabamba, Bolivia's fourth most populous city. Six of the hospital's 18 intensive care beds are available to any of the two million people living in the department of Cochabamba. But only three of the six beds can hold patients due to a severe lack of medical oxygen. "This is out of control," Quispia, 36, told AFP. He had to raise his voice to be heard over the noise of a small oxygen plant hastily erected outside the ICU -- a helpful but insufficient stopgap measure. Daily consumption of medical oxygen in Cochabamba has skyrocketed from one ton before the third wave of virus infections to as much as four tons today. - Waiting days to breathe for hours - Police had to rush to Arbieto, an hour's drive from Cochabamba, to break up a crowd that had surrounded a Valle Alto oxygen plant employee sent to take down information from people waiting -- some of them for days -- to buy a refill of the life-giving gas. Patience was running thin. Story continues "It's an emergency!" a woman insisted as she tried to jump the queue. "We are all here for the same reason!" someone shouted in reply. "I'm sure you're here for business," another woman yelled at a man. She was referring to people who buy oxygen to sell illegally, and at a premium, to desperate people caring for loved ones at home or in hospitals that does not have enough. Many have arrived early in the morning to line up, only to leave empty-handed after the long wait. "You need a heart of stone," said plant manager Amilcar Huanca Mamani. Others have taken to camping out at the site, sleeping in their cars or in tents -- such as Pedro Huaichu and his daughter Maria. "My turn is at 1500," said the pensioner, in line to collect oxygen for his ailing wife. It was noon, and appointments were already running two hours behind schedule. Julio Cesar Padilla had been there for three days. With bleary eyes he stared vacantly into the distance, clinging to an empty oxygen cylinder. "My father is in intermediate care and my mother is in intensive care. They have been there for a week. And I go from one place to the other to try and find an oxygen cylinder. One cylinder barely lasts my mother between six to seven hours," said Padilla. - 'Red alert' - The telephone belonging to Anibal Cruz, Cochabamba's health secretary, rings incessantly. "Doctor, it is an emergency, we have no more oxygen!" -- not the first time he has heard the appeal that day. Cruz drove through the city streets, empty due to a dusk to dawn curfew, to the Hospital del Norte. Along the way he pondered aloud whether the time has come to declare a red alert, which warns hospital officials that it may be hours before oxygen supplies arrive. This alerts doctors and nurses to be ready to manually ventilate patients to keep them alive. "Respect for the disease has been lost," Cruz lamented as he contemplated extreme measure. After the first wave of infections and a strict lockdown, Bolivians went back to their lives almost as if nothing had happened. As a result, today "the curve continues to rise." And immunizations are not keeping up: less than 15 percent of the target population have received at least one vaccine dose. - Cremation is mandatory - "Here ends the prison that was life," read a sign outside Cochabamba's cemetery, its two crematoria recently so busy that there was a wait of up to four days. In a bid to prevent contamination, cremation is mandatory for coronavirus victims, even suspected cases. Only the owners of private crypts and mausoleums are exempt. "For them, we recommend that the niche never be opened again," said cemetery administrator Lilian Scott. msr/ltl/ll/mlr/ch NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is dating again, this time seeing the lawyer who represented her at a corruption hearing into former boyfriend and government colleague Daryl Maguire. Her new date is high-profile barrister Arthur Moses, SC, with their relationship revealed in an Instagram post on Friday by the premier's younger sister Mary. The post shows Ms Berejiklian and Mr Moses on a couch, with the caption reading: "After work Friday feels with these two. Glad and her boo." Gladys Berejiklian's sister Mary (right) revealed the new relationship on Instagram. Source: Instrageam/@mishka_bishka A spokesman for the premier told media outlets on Friday: "They have recently begun spending private time together. The premier will not discuss her private life." Mr Moses no longer represents Ms Berejiklian but is representing former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith in his defamation trial against Nine newspapers. He was the premier's lawyer when she appeared before the Independent Commission Against Corruption in 2020 when it was revealed she had been in a "close personal relationship" for five years with Mr Maguire. The disgraced former Wagga Wagga MP quit parliament in August 2018 amid allegations of corruption. The ICAC inquiry into him is ongoing. Mr Moses has served as President of the Law Council of Australia and President of the NSW Bar Association. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. At nearly 101 years old, Hubert Germain is the last of the designated Heroes of the Resistance against the Nazi occupation of Germany, handpicked and then honoured by its leader General Charles de Gaulle. Germain is one of just 1,038 decorated with the Order of the Liberation -- the highest bravery order -- for their heroism by de Gaulle, who later became France's president. Friday, aged nearly 101, he sat in his wheelchair at a ceremony with President Emmanuel Macron to mark the moment 81 years ago when many consider the World War II resistance began -- with the radio broadcast call to resist from London by the exiled de Gaulle on June 18, 1940. - 'Going to war' - Germain, the son of a general in France's colonial army, walked out of an entrance exam at France's Naval College shortly after France fell to the Germans in the summer of 1940. "I am going to war," he told the examiner, he recalled in an AFP interview in 2017. A towering 1.90 metres tall (six foot three inches), he boarded a ship carrying Polish soldiers to England, where he arrived on June 24, 1940. He decided to join the resistance as he was shocked by French collaborationist leader Philippe Petain's call to lay down arms against the Germans. He said he would never forget his first meeting with de Gaulle. "He stopped for a second, looked at me and said, 'I am going to need you.' When at the age of 18-19 you get that in the face, amid a general disaster, it is something that moves you deeply." - 'Cried like a baby' - As a member of the French Free Forces and the Foreign Legion he took part in key battles at Bir-Hakeim in Libya, El Alamein in Egypt, and in Tunisia. He then participated in the decisive French-led assault on Mediterranean beaches in August 1944, setting foot on home soil for the first time in years. He says he fell into the sand and "cried like a baby...I had returned to my country." He then fought for the liberation of the southern city of Toulon, the Rhone Valley and Lyon in central France, moving to the Vosges mountains and Alsace in the east, and ended the war in the southern Alps. Story continues After the war he was named aide de camp for General Pierre Koenig, the commander of the French forces that occupied the vanquished Germany, before being demobilised in 1946. He then had a stint as mayor in Saint-Cheron, a town south of Paris, between 1953 and 1965 and also as a parliamentarian for Paris in 1962, before serving as post and telecommunications minister from 1972 to 1974. After his death, Germain will be buried at Mont Valerien, the military fortress west of Paris where more than 1,000 French resistance fighters and hostages were executed by German troops. mm-rap/jmy/js/ach Myanmar's Foreign Ministry has rejected a UN General Assembly resolution calling for an arms embargo against the southeast Asian nation and condemning the military's February seizure of power. Myanmar described the resolution, which passed Friday and is not legally binding, as being "based on one-sided sweeping allegations and false assumptions." The statement issued in the capital Naypyitaw on Saturday said the Foreign Ministry had sent letters of objection to the UN secretary-general and the General Assembly's president. The resolution reflected a broad international consensus condemning the takeover that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government. It called on the military junta to restore the country's democratic transition, condemned its "excessive and lethal violence" since the takeover and called on all countries "to prevent the flow of arms into Myanmar." The resolution also called on Myanmar's armed forces to immediately and unconditionally release Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other officials and politicians detained after the coup, as well as "all those who have been arbitrarily detained, charged or arrested." The measure was approved with 119 countries voting "yes," Belarus - a major arms supplier to Myanmar - voting "no" and 36 countries abstaining, including Myanmar's neighbors China and India, along with Russia. Myanmar's UN Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, who in February denounced the military takeover, voted "yes" and urged the international community "to take the strongest possible action to immediately end the military coup." The Foreign Ministry statement said it considers Kyaw Moe Tun as having been dismissed from his position and noted that he has been charged with treason in Myanmar. The more powerful UN Security Council, whose resolutions are legally binding, has adopted several statements on Myanmar, including condemning the use of violence against peaceful protesters, calling on the military to restore the democratic transition and "exercise utmost restraint" and "on all sides to refrain from violence." But it has never been able to condemn the coup or authorise an arms embargo or other sanctions because of an almost-certain veto by China, and possibly Russia. A Connecticut aquarium plans to auction off the chance to name three of its five recently arrived beluga whales to raise money for their care and to offset the cost of transporting them from Canada. President and CEO Stephen Coan said the Sea Research Foundation has teamed with the New York-based auction house Guernseys to hold a fundraising auction on Aug. 19 at the Mystic Aquarium, which it operates. The three whales will get what we refer to as stage names, and they would be referred to by those names going forward, he said. We've named other animals in the past and people get very excited about the opportunity. It really makes the animals part of the community and the community feels they are part of the experience of welcoming the new animals. The aquarium hopes to raise $4 million at the auction, which will also include donated art, perhaps a boat or vintage car and some unique experiences such as educational dive trips with scientists to places such as the undersea Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument in the Atlantic Ocean, Coan said. For a brief moment, there seemed to be a path forward for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority that would allow two seasoned transit leaders to share the conductors seat and navigate the agency toward recovery. But just as quickly as the plan emerged to make Sarah Feinberg the MTAs next chairwoman and Janno Lieber the next chief executive, it imploded. This is what happens when government fails. And its the riders of the Long Island Rail Road, along with those on subways, buses and Metro-North, who lose out. At a critical juncture, when the MTA needs steady hands and solid leadership, its left with an uncertain future. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomos effort just days before the end of the state legislative session to pitch a bill that would split the top MTA job into two, both held previously by Pat Foye, was a good idea, especially when both jobs have enormous responsibilities and challenges. But Cuomos decision to spring it without any notice or discussion with lawmakers or MTA board members, without the smoothing of egos Albany needs, helped lead to its downfall. 2022 Hyundai Creta , or Crete as its called in some other markets , has made its debut in Russia earlier this week. Already spotted in Brazil , the second generation of Crete has now entered Europe too. Hyundai opted to make slight design changes which are visible on the grille and trunk lid. And the changes look eerily similar to the front face of the recently launched three-row SUV -Hyundai Alcazar - in India. The new-look grille on the Creta unveiled in Russia carries the same elements seen on the new Alcazar. The hexagonal grille gained a more traditional format , without the curved sides of the original , while the bumper was redesigned in the lower portion , also changing the creases. (Compare 2022 Hyundai Creta and Alcazar side by side) On the sides , the arch that surrounds the A and C pillars have been blackened , replacing the silver seen currently on all Creta models in India. Slight changes have been made at the rear too. The interior design is somewhat similar to the versions available in the Indian market , with the exception of , of course , the left-hand drive. It remains premium with dual-tone cabin , a large touchscreen infotainment system. The 10.25-inch display , with split screen function , dominates the dashboard. The new Creta will be available in five trims - Prime , Classic , Family , Lifestyle , Prestige - and a special version of Smart with a package of Smart Sense security systems. The interior of the new Hyundai Creta that made debut in Russia. Hyundai is unlikely to change the powertrain for the new Creta. Details about the new Creta's specifications and price will be announced later. The new-look Creta is being manufactured at Hyundai's plant in St Petersburg. Full scale production is expected to start from July. Hyundai had launched the new generation Creta SUV in India last year during the Auto Expo. The Korean carmaker may upgrade the mid-size SUV with these changes in India too where it is expected to undergo a facelift soon. In a meeting held June 9-11 at Northern Arizona University, the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) presented reports on college completion and research expenditures at Arizonas three public universities. According to the ABOR Fiscal Year 2020 College Completion Report, Arizona public universities granted more degrees in 2020 than at any other point in the states history. This was the 15th consecutive year this number increased. However, the number of Arizona residents who have a bachelors degree is still less than the national average (29% and 35% respectively, according to the report). ABOR has made it their goal to address this deficit through a promise to increase post-secondary access and attainment for Arizona students; to seek solutions to societal challenges; and to do both while increasing quality, affordability and efficiency at their universities. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} As solutions, ABOR cited an increasing percentage of students at AZ public universities coming from Arizona and historically under-represented populations. A total of 21,425 and 9,463 bachelors degrees were awarded to these groups in 2020, an increase of 2.7% and 7.3% respectively from 2019. The area's rugged terrain makes fighting the fire on the ground difficult and potentially hazardous. As such, fire managers are mostly relying on aircraft to fight the blaze. Five air resources, including air attack, lead plane, helicopter and two tankers, were working on suppressing the wildfire throughout Thursday. Aircraft were able to drop lines of retardant along the west side of the fire to protect the Childs power plant substation, and also on the northeast side of the fire, but there is still 0% containment. And crews were successful in conducting burnout operations around the communication tower on Ike's Backbone to protect the infrastructure. A type 1 incident response team is expected to be coming in to take command of managing the fire this weekend. That is the same level of team that managed the Museum Fire north of Flagstaff in 2019. Spokesperson Randi Shaffer said the decision to bring in a type 1 team came given the fire's location near the communications tower and the Fossil Creek area. The Fossil Creek recreation area will be closed due to wildfire danger -- which includes Waterfall Trail, Irving/Flume, Tonto Bench, Fossil Creek Bridge, Homestead, Sally May, Purple Mountain and Mazatzal. SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) One person was killed and 12 others injured in reported drive-by shootings over a 90-minute span Thursday in three cities west of Phoenix, authorities said. A suspect was in custody and authorities said a weapon was found in his vehicle. But it remained unclear if the man was responsible for all of the shootings. The suspects name wasnt immediately released. Authorities believe he acted alone, although a motive wasnt immediately known. Police departments in Peoria, Surprise and Glendale were investigating shootings in their cities, along with the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the FBI. Authorities were combing through at least eight separate shooting scenes, Peoria police spokesman Brandon Sheffert said at a news conference Thursday afternoon. Four people suffered gunshot wounds, and one of those victims died, he said. That person was found dead in a vehicle along a Peoria freeway. The other victims had a range of injuries such as shrapnel from broken glass or injuries related to a car crash, Sheffert said. HONG KONG (AP) A Hong Kong court ordered the top editor of pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily and the head of its parent company held without bail Saturday in the first hearing since their arrest two days ago under the city's national security law. Ryan Law, the chief editor, and Cheung Kim-hung, the CEO of Next Digital, have been charged with collusion with a foreign country to endanger national security in a case widely seen as an attack on press freedom in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. Chief Magistrate Victor So said there was not sufficient grounds to believe they would not violate the security law again, and ordered them held at the Lai Chi Kok detention center. He set the next hearing for Aug. 13. Law and Cheung arrived at the court in an unmarked white van with covered windows. A handful of activists held up a banner and copies of the Apple Daily outside before the hearing began. Three others also arrested Thursday two Apple Daily senior editors and another executive have not been charged yet and were released on bail late Friday pending further investigation. (Global Times) Outspoken Chinese ambassador to France Lu Shaye has drawn attention recently for being the first Chinese diplomat to justify China's "self-defense" diplomacy amid foreign media's groundless speculation that making a "lovable" China would mean abandoning the so-called "wolf-warrior" diplomatic style. Analysts said Lu's remarks signal the country is not reversing its "self-defense" diplomacy and that it will not give up in actively defending itself against the smear campaign of the West. It is malicious for Western countries to call Chinese diplomats "wolf warriors" in order to portray an aggressive image of China in the global narrative battle, experts said. Amid the anti-China campaign led by the US, China has to respond to the slander and smears to earn respect and an equal position, which doesn't contradict the Chinese leader's message of fostering an image of China that is trustworthy and respectable. In an interview with French newspaper L'Opinion on Tuesday, Ambassador Lu talked about his idea of "wolf warrior diplomacy," saying that "wolf warrior" is a positive term in China which refers to warriors who fight for the country. Since there are so many "mad dogs" attacking China, "I am honored to be awarded the title. We are fighters who stand in front of the motherland and fight for her, and we want to stand in the way of 'mad dogs' that attack China." This is the second time Lu talked about "wolf warrior diplomacy" in public in two weeks, making him the first Chinese diplomat to publicly endorse China's current diplomacy after many foreign media, such as Deutsche Welle, misinterpreted Chinese President Xi Jinping's message on May 31 and claimed China was "abandoning" wolf warrior diplomacy. When addressing the group study session of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee on May 31, Xi urged the creation of an image of China as "reliable, admirable and respectable." Foreign media interpreted that China seeks to make "lovable" image globally. "Saying that China will reverse from 'wolf warrior diplomacy' to building a lovable image is some Western media's wishful thinking, as the phrase 'wolf warriors' they made for China out of malicious purposes did not fit the fact - China has never taken the initiative to attack them," said Zheng Ruolin, a senior Chinese media professional and European studies expert based in France. Lu also told L'Opinion that China has never been the one that made provocations, and it just defends itself to safeguard national interests, image and dignity. "Why do media in the West accuse China's diplomacy as 'aggressive' or 'wolf warrior diplomacy?' China has never been an aggressor, yet in the past year, has been criticized on multiple fronts," Lu said. "Don't we have the right to fight back and defend ourselves? This is not fair!" Instead of being aggressive, China's current diplomacy is more defensive and assertive, which doesn't contradict with being "reliable, admirable and respectable," analysts said. Zheng noted that China has always been committed to being a "reliable, admirable and respectable" country, but it does not mean it will kneel and raise its hands when facing smears and attacks. "If we give an inch to those who groundlessly attack China, they will want a yard. Only a justified fight-back can help earn equality and respect." In the face of the US and Western allies' rampant smears and attacks against China on topics like Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Tibet, Taiwan and origins of COVID-19, Chinese ambassadors, spokespersons of the Foreign Ministry and embassies have spoken out or released statements to refute rumors. For example, since June 1, the majority of the releases published on the website of the Chinese Embassy to Canada are about refuting rumors as well as opposing the Canadian government's political farce on China topics. Soon after news on Budapest mayor's wrong remarks on China's human rights situation, the Chinese Embassy in Hungary on June 6 expressed opposition and dismissed the misinformation. "Only by striking a blow to those who smear China can they feel the pain and rethink their moves that have poisoned bilateral ties. This is also the way to ensure that true information about China would not be blocked by the West," Li Haidong, professor at the Institute of International Relations of the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times. "We Chinese always say that we treat friends with delicious food and wine, and we treat jackals and wolves with guns," Li said, noting that building a lovable image in the majority of the people in the world should be China's main focus. Lu also said although China was accused by the French media, it was also supported by the French people. And that the French people can access an alternative source of information on our publication, not just following the mainstream French media's distorted reports on China. "China will continue to defend itself from untenable smears and attacks. It is China's right and also shows China's efforts to improve its image while living peacefully with other countries. But this should not be an excuse for certain countries to stigmatize it," Wang Wen, a professor and executive dean of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, told the Global Times. Rash, who's been sick with bronchitis, was unable to comment for this story. But Valdez described his boss' management style as inclusive. Rash recognizes the individual talents and expertise of his firefighters and he listens to the feedback they give, Valdez said. "When you allow people to have some say, to buy in, it gives us a better (result)," he said. Morale improves and the department functions better as a whole, which means they're serving the community better, he said. "What we feel like is, we've healed ourselves internally," he added. Which means the fire department can focus on external factors that impact performance and create more efficient ways for how firefighters do their jobs, he said. To help, the city commissioned a study from the Center For Public Safety Management, based in Washington, D.C., to identify places where the department could change, adapt and refine how it conducts its operations. One of the first items the report explored was the high number of calls the fire department responds to. Its "predominant workload" is medical calls, which account for nearly 74 percent of its call activity, the report found. A wildfire that destroyed a home on the edge of Pine Haven was likely unintentionally human caused, authorities said. That cause was determined by eliminating other possible reasons for the blaze, explained Melanie Wilmer, a spokeswoman for the firefighting effort. "What this means is that there is no evidence of a lightning strike or arson," she wrote in an email to the Star-Tribune. "There are no tracks of any kind, nothing malicious or foul play indicated at the point of origin. Scenarios like this usually are a spark from a blade on a rock, ash from a cigarette/campfires, etc. "All natural causes such as lightning, reflections, etc. have an indicator, this fire did not so therefore the only remaining cause is human-caused," she added. The fire ignited Wednesday afternoon in northeast Wyoming. Along with the home, it destroyed an outbuilding and two campers. It temporarily closed roads and prompted evacuations. The blaze was contained Thursday after charring 103 acres. Mop-up operations were expected to continue through Sunday. No injuries were reported. Wind Creek Campground at nearby Keyhole State Park will remain closed until further notice. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is considering how to make the Garrison Dam safer in future floods a decade after the use of the dams spillway revealed weaknesses within the structure. The agency opened the spillway gates for the first time in the dams history on June 1, 2011, sending a cascade of water down the concrete chute. The water flowed into a basin and then a channel that connects with the Missouri River about 4 miles downstream of the hydroelectric power plant. A wet spring and snowmelt from the Rockies during the months leading up to June contributed to the flooding that began in Bismarck-Mandan that month. Lake Sakakawea, meanwhile, swelled behind the dam. Using the spillway helped the Corps manage the flood, but the spillway faced challenges as water rushed down its slope. Among them, at least two of 29 manholes positioned within the chute came loose. John Warford realized the threat to his city when he saw it from the air. Warford was mayor of Bismarck 10 years ago when the Missouri River overflowed its banks from Montana to Missouri. Warford recalls taking a helicopter ride with Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, adjutant general of the North Dakota National Guard at the time, and seeing just how high the river was. I always called the Missouri the crown jewel of North Dakota; it's our best resource, he said. To look at this resource raging out of control from the air, your face pales. Your heart almost stops when you see the extent of the damage. The Missouri experienced widespread record flooding from May through August 2011, impacting homes, businesses, crops and infrastructure including roads in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri, according to the National Weather Service. The Souris River also flooded that year, swamping a large part of Minot, North Dakotas fourth-largest city. The flooding caused by heavy rain and snowmelt on top of soils saturated from a wet 2010 fall resulted in more than $2 billion in damages, killed five people and led to federal disaster declarations in all seven states, according to the weather service. In the Bismarck-Mandan area, it impacted neighborhoods, a zoo and a state park. Warford compared the flooding to the coronavirus pandemic -- a stressful time for a community that could do only so much. Area officials and residents in 2011 collaborated to fill more than 11 million sandbags and build 7 miles of levees. Deciding where to build the levees was the hardest decision he had to make, the mayor said. When you build these levees, not every home in every neighborhood is going to be protected, he said. That's very hard for a homeowner to accept, and it's very hard for a mayor to do because you cant protect everybody. There are not a lot of easy decisions when youre faced with a natural disaster," Warford said. "I dont know if there are any easy decisions other than you just have to do something. For the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which manages the river system, doing something involved an unprecedented move. A safer dam With Lake Sakakawea swelling behind Garrison Dam on the river to the north of Bismarck, the agency opened the dam's spillway gates for the first time in the dams history on June 1, 2011, sending a cascade of water down the concrete chute. Using the spillway helped the Corps manage the flood, though it also necessitated repairs and prompted a study on how to make the dam safer. The spillway has been used sparingly in the dams nearly 70-year history. After 2011, it wasnt used again until 2018 and 2019 when construction work elsewhere at the dam prevented the Corps from relying on tunnels meant to discharge water from Lake Sakakawea. The Tribune reported in 2018 that the use of the spillway at the time was also meant to test the structures ability to help make incremental adjustments to the lake level. The Corps has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on repairs at the dam since the 2011 flood, according to Tribune archives. Protecting Bismarck Millions have been spent in the Bismarck area, as well. Bismarck didn't have it as bad as Minot, where about 11,000 residents were forced to flee the expanding Souris. But the Missouri flooding forced the evacuation of nearly 900 homes in Burleigh and Morton counties. Low-lying parts of south Bismarck were most affected, including the Fox Island area. The Burleigh County Water Resource District launched a nearly $4 million levee project to protect that area from future flooding. The effort involved a 3,500-foot-long levee extending west from Gallatin Loop to the riverbank, then north to the Whispering Bay accessory channel. A portion of the road also was raised. A group of about 20 homeowners took issue with the project because their homes would be outside of the levee. They eventually sued the county over the project in March 2018, claiming that unlike transportation, flood protection did not fall under public use of the roads. The suit went before the North Dakota Supreme Court, which ruled in 2019 that the county did have the right to create the levee. The project was completed at the end of last year, aside from some grass seeding, according to Water Resource District Manager Dennis Reep. James Landenberger, who oversees the project for the water resource district, said its considered a success. Hoge Island to the north of Bismarck also experienced flooding in 2011, and one house was swept away. The Water Resource District bought four properties after the flood for $1.3 million to make way for a possible levee, but area homeowners were not interested in paying for the project. The water district later sold the properties for $121,300 but retained easements in case a flood protection project is approved in the future. No permanent structures are allowed on the properties. Construction constraints Building and planning regulations with high water in mind were in place in Burleigh County and Bismarck before the 2011 flood. New construction rules were put in place in 2010, prompted by ice jams in 2009. The rules require the floor of a buildings lowest level be 2 feet above the base flood elevation established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The flood changed the mapping in 11 Burleigh County townships. Two of them -- Missouri and Tilfor -- hadnt been mapped for flooding before 2011, according to Mitch Flanagan, county director of building, planning and zoning. People are much more aware of the construction requirements and where they can and cant build, he said. FEMA also establishes 100-year and 500-year floodplains, which outline the risk of flooding in certain areas. The 100-year floodplain is used by the city of Bismarck when crafting construction guidelines. Builders need an elevation certificate before construction is started in a floodplain. People are adapting and building according to regulations, said Brady Blaskowski, city building official. FEMA before and since 2011 with assistance from the State Water Commission has been updating Flood Insurance Rate Maps using current engineer modeling and topography techniques, according to agency spokeswoman Diana Herrera. A flood event is not the main driver in map revisions, but depending on the severity it might be included in the model, she said. The current flood insurance pricing system is based on flood zone, structure age and elevation. A new pricing methodology will go into effect Oct. 1 for new businesses and homes, and on April 1, 2022, for renewals. Animals evacuated People weren't the only ones impacted by floodwaters a decade ago. Nearly 100 animals at Bismarck's Dakota Zoo had to be evacuated to other facilities, according to Director Terry Lincoln. Some of the larger animals such as the tigers had to be tranquilized before being relocated. One of the most challenging parts of the evacuation was keeping track of where each animal was going, Lincoln said. The zoo along the river was protected by a temporary dike and did not completely flood. But it was shut down for six weeks, resulting in an estimated $250,000 loss in revenue. Hundreds of volunteers contributed to the evacuation and sandbagging efforts at the zoo. Campground closed Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park south of Mandan also borders the river. Its campground was submerged by floodwaters as much as 7 feet deep and was closed for a year. Cleanup began in September 2011 and lasted through the mild winter that followed. "Sitting on your hands all summer long while the campground was underwater was pretty tough," former park manager Dan Schelske said. "We wanted to do something, and we just couldn't." Buildings in the campground area were flooded; two cabins had to be replaced. Electrical pedestals and distribution panels were replaced after floodwater compromised the electrical system. Campsite tables and buildings had to be cleaned and sanitized. The entire campground was reseeded. Its water lines and sewer lines were purged. Stressed and dead trees were cut down, even in years afterward. Workers hauled away trees, silt and mud from the saturated campground. Schelske said the work was hard on equipment and resulted in long days. Workers had to get tetanus shots. After the flood, the park took elevation readings of the campground's high and low spots to be prepared should Bismarck's river gauge reach a critical level. That's when an action plan kicks in for sandbagging drainage areas, disconnecting power and prioritizing infrastructure, including a $14,000 lift station panel. Cabins now are built on axles, needing only to be lifted onto wheels to be hauled away. Schelske, who ran the park from 2004-21, said the 2011 flood was "right at the top" of challenges in his career. "I do remember it was a tough time," he said. A silver lining There was a bright spot to the disaster despite the damage, according to Warford. No lives were lost, and the city is now much more prepared to handle significant flooding. Workers are in the drivers seat, for now, and they know it. The quit rate the number of workers who quit their jobs because they are confident they can get a better one is at the highest in two decades. Employers are raising wages and benefits to try to lure workers back. Second, there seems to be a rebalancing between cities and suburbs. COVID-19 accelerated trends that had been underway for a few years, with people moving out of big cities like New York and San Francisco to suburbs, and to rural places like Idaho and the Hudson Valley in New York. Many are moving to get work or because of economic distress, but others say they moved so they could have more space, lead slower-paced lives, be closer to family or interact more with their neighbors. Finally, there seems to be a rebalancing between work and domestic life. Stanford economist Nicholas Bloom expects that even when the pandemic is over, the number of working days spent at home will increase to 20% from 5% in the prepandemic era. While this has increased pressures on many women, millions of Americans who could work remotely found that they liked being home, dining every night with their kids, not hassling with the commute. We are apparently becoming a less work-obsessed and a more domestic society. China and Russia are both offering vaccines to developing nations. But Russia is demanding quid pro quos. In Bolivia, for example, Russia began talks about rare-earth minerals in return for the Sputnik V vaccine. China donated the Sinovac vaccine to Cambodia and Laos ... in return for backing China's position in the South China Sea. And here's another potential reason that the U.S. vaccines will be preferred: They work. Though the Russians have claimed a 92% effectiveness rate for their jabs, some have expressed skepticism. A recent Lancet article called the data backing Sputnik into doubt. It seems there's been a lack of transparency in Russia. Who would have thought? As for the Chinese vaccine, Sinovac, it's efficacy is officially put at 50%, compared with over 90% for Pfizer and Moderna. The newly developed Novavax vaccine just clocked in at 90%, too. Nations such as Bahrain that were early adopters of the Chinese vaccine have backed away as their caseloads have risen. The governor has another option -- challenge the law in the North Dakota Supreme Court. A ruling by the justices could clarify the issue but could prove time-consuming. The Legislature has created a thorny situation without an easy answer. As noted above, legislators have been trying for some time to wrest power away from the governor. Its not a partisan issue since Republicans have controlled the executive and legislative branches for more than 20 years. The problem with the Legislature trying to get its fingers into more of the daily operation of the state is that its limited to being in session for 80 days every two years. The Emergency Commission was one of the provisions for legislators having a say on issues during the interim. Senate Bill 2290 limits the Emergency Commissions ability to act. North Dakotas Legislature isnt alone in its attempts to stretch its powers. Theres a trend across the country of legislatures trying to limit authority of governors and the federal government. Too often the actions blur the lines of the separation of powers of the different branches of government. Not only does tyranny like to hide behind an unintelligible mass of bureaucratic phrases, but it disguises itself with pleasing and pleasant words. [] Many of us have noticed a trend toward the political misuse of words, both in legacy media and on social media. This isnt a modern trend. In the 6th century B.C., the prophet Jeremiah denounced this same practice among his kinsmen, vividly portraying their deceptive verbal gymnastics as bending the tongue like a bow. They were a society that twisted their speech to fit wicked pursuits. Everyone deceives his neighbor, Jeremiah cried, and no one speaks the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak lies (9:5). In 1814, a Virginian farmer by the name of John Taylor of Caroline began to notice this tendency intensifying in the halls of Congress and beyond. A true localist at heart, Taylor identified so strongly with his home in Caroline County, Virginia, that the name of his county has been widely affixed to his own. Though he served his nation as a colonel, senator, and farmer, Taylors true genius lay in political philosophy, where he became known as the intellectual engine behind Jeffersonian Republicanism. In his classic book Tyranny Unmasked, published in 1814, Taylor describes the same misrepresentation of words that Jeremiah once decried and specifically identifies it with the onset of tyranny. In his day, he specifically called out fiscal terms: declamation represents frugality as niggardly and base; and flattery calls extravagance, liberal and exalted. The definitions of terms were being twisted in political speech to push an agenda. We cannot condescend, Taylor writes elsewhere, to enter the lists with the wicked artifice of destroying nations by a fraudulent use of words and phrasesbecause a nation, capable of being subdued by these feeble instruments, is incapable of liberty, as a man is of long life, who can be persuaded to hold out his throat to the knife of an assassin, lest he should cut it himself. Just as policemen protect our towns, each American is thus tasked with patrolling our nation with vigilance, keeping watch against threats to usurp constitutional liberty and the rule of law. In the above quotation, Taylor contrasts this civic ideal with a story of a different and dangerous man one so timid, so obliging that he would rather make a murderers job easy than confront the evil standing before him. Far from a noble self-sacrifice, such an act betrays both his own duty and the lives of the innocent who he is charged to protect. It is a stark metaphor for a seemingly simple act: The acceptance of false definitions and meek acquiescence to terminological perversion. Over a century after John Taylor of Caroline, George Orwell cautioned his audience about this same threat of dishonest words. The person who uses them, he specifically warns, has his own private definition, but allows his hearer to think he means something quite different. This deception is designed to be hard to identify. But if unrecognized and unchallenged, the integrity of discourse takes another blow. Say you pass the first test, refusing to yield to an intentional twisting of words. Well done. Yet a second trap awaits: the disguising of tyrannical ideas behind a host of beautiful sounds. The hooks of fraud and tyranny, Taylor booms, are universally baited with melodious words. Fine words are used to decoy, and ugly words to affright. Taylor is encouraging us to keep an eye out for verbal rose-colored smokescreens that are rooted in deceit. Not only does tyranny like to hide behind an unintelligible mass of bureaucratic phrases, but it disguises itself with pleasing and pleasant words. For instance, how could someone dare to attack a phrase such as bold, ambitious, transformational, economy-wide legislation, or the passage of a law that is called an economic imperative, a moral obligation? Strip the fluff and sugar away, and you might find that a friendly smile hides grim despotism. Tyranny often conceals itself behind a verbal mask it is our duty to peek behind the words to discern the actions, genial though they may be. Why have Americans been susceptible to these control tactics since the time of John Taylor? Are we merely naive creatures that are so easily duped by a pretty turn of phrase? I might be over-confident, but I think we deserve more credit than that. Taylor pinpoints over-abundant generosity as the problem, a friendly and natural faith in authority that can be used against us. Uncritical trust in the truthfulness of leaders whether they be professors, journalists, or politicians is no civic duty, but a shirking of responsibility. In the name of trust, we offer up our necks to be sliced by a deceptive legislative saber. Our challenge, then, is to build our own capacity for analytical political awareness. When you discuss politics with a friend (or an enemy), speak slowly and prudently. When you use a consequential term the phrases human right, equality, and moral responsibility come to mind are your words philosophically and etymologically correct, or have you inserted your own definition? Not all such errors are of Taylors fraudulent variety, yet even unconscious mistakes carry sinister ramifications. Hold yourself to a high standard in your speech. Hold your leaders to an even higher one. Finally, approach any political message with a healthy measure of skepticism. Realize that the more wordy and complicated a speech, bill, or lecture is, the more dangerous it may be. Even roadkill may taste fine if it is deep-fried and coated in spices, so beware the heart-warming platitudes, folksy yet ambiguous metaphors, and broad moral appeals that may mask a deceptive message. We are in an age of political discourse that seeks to trip, ensnare, and demolish rather than listen and debate. Thus, understanding the verbal tactics of tyranny is crucial to avoiding personal demolition. Widespread recognition of them will serve to check the masked and creeping onslaught of tyranny itself. Confidence, domineering, bull temper! Why are some Taiwanese nostalgic for the Japanese colonial period despite being colonized subjects? Its about postcolonialism, trauma, and memory: how societies remember their pasts through the lens of the present. A long, scholarly thread: (1/n) 1/nhttps://twitter.com/jamestwotree/status/1406006118644551680 Why are some Taiwanese nostalgic for the Japanese colonial period despite being colonized subjects? Its about postcolonialism, trauma, and memory: how societies remember their pasts through the lens of the present. A long, scholarly Clarissa Wei @dearclarissa Jun 16 i'm getting a surge of nasty comments by people who know v little about taiwanese history, who are offended that i said my grandparents romanticized the japanese colonial era. i'd really appreciate you guys reading the history behind it all first. http://ex-position.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/031-Liang-ya-Liou.pdf 1h Replying to @jamestwotree Responses to this quoted thread believe that these Taiwanese are duped victims of propaganda or rapacious beneficiaries of a colonial regime that enriched them. While propaganda existed and some (but not all) Taiwanese benefited economically under Japanese rule, these (2/n) 1 2 James Lin @jamestwotree 1h explanations are not only simplistic and derived from a KMT authoritarian-era political refrain of their Taiwanese subjects, they also do not account for a societal wide phenomenon that persists in 2021, 72 years after colonial rule ended. (3/n) 1 3 James Lin @jamestwotree 1h KMT rule redistributed much of the landed wealth accumulated by elite Taiwanese families, and implemented a thorough de-Japanification () campaigns with plenty of blame directed toward Taiwan's previous colonizers, as explained by scholar Liang-Ya Liou: (4/n) [Image] 1 2 James Lin @jamestwotree 1h So what explains this phenomenon? Postcolonial scholarship offers us a powerful lens by taking seriously how colonialism carved deep-seated, collective memories and traumas that are then shaped even after formal colonialism ends. (5/n) 1 2 James Lin @jamestwotree 1h In the Taiwan case, we have a unique circumstance where the KMT regime that followed the Japanese was a colonial regime. I've written about that here, as have scholars like Steven Phillips, Wu Rwei-ren, Evan Dawley, etc.: https://twitter.com/jamestwotree/status/1216362436783005696 (6/n) Quote Tweet James Lin @jamestwotree Jan 12, 2020 A more serious thread on decolonization, authoritarianism, and the zombie of the Republic of China that just won't die 1/ twitter.com/jamestwotree/s Show this thread 1 1 4 James Lin @jamestwotree 1h Under KMT rule, Taiwanese families suffered immensely. Chen Yi's corrupt and inept governorship culminated in widespread protests that were violently cracked down upon during the infamous February 28th massacres. This set the tone for KMT rule afterward. (7/n) Finish this article for as low as $1 when you purchase a day pass. Just click the sign up button to purchase. If you are already a subscriber, just click log in to continue reading. The primary contest between Republicans Karen Healy-Case and John C. Garcia has generated the most friction in this years race for Erie County sheriff. Much is at stake for the GOP and its minor-party ally, the Conservatives. A Garcia victory would put him on the Republican line, but with Healy-Case retaining the Conservative spot they could split Novembers vote from the countys right-leaning residents. The split might then cost the Republicans or the Conservatives the Sheriffs Office, and with it would go the patronage that incumbent Republican Timothy B. Howard and his circle now control. Howard has decided not to run again for the office he has held since 2005. The race on the right got this way when the Conservative Party jumped in to endorse Healy-Case, a retired Buffalo police lieutenant, in February. The county Republican Committee then decided to endorse her, too. Garcia, 58, would not go away and decided to challenge Healy-Case, 55, for the Republican line. He is a retired Buffalo police detective favored by Howard and the man who ceded the office to him, sheriff-turned-State Sen. Patrick M. Gallivan. Garcia and Gallivan have been in business together in a private-security firm. New York does not require its town judges to hold a law degree or practice as an attorney. Weppner said she's more than prepared to take and pass the state's mandated training program. Weppner did not earn a college degree but said she has experience helping people seek justice and has a particular interest in assisting veterans. Serving as town justice is, Weppner said, "a teachable craft." In addition to battling over qualifications, the judicial candidates and their surrogates are trading ethics complaints. Amherst Democratic Chairman Jerry Schad questioned why Weppner's campaign hasn't filed any financial disclosure forms prior to Tuesday's primary. He said the candidate has spent money on campaign signs and literature and is required to record this activity with the state. Weppner filed an in-lieu-of statement with the state Board of Elections, indicating her campaign had not yet received or spent any significant sums of money. She told The News that Amherst Republicans made a $1,600 contribution, but it came after the pre-primary filing deadline and she has not otherwise raised campaign funds. She said her next disclosure form will include information about this and any other donations and spending on printing and other expenses. WASHINGTON Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer said Saturday that he called Canada's ambassador to the United States a day earlier with a stern message: that Canada is making a huge mistake in insisting that its border with the U.S. remain closed to nonessential travel through July 21. Schumer said he was "really angry" when he saw that Canada on Friday announced another monthlong extension of the border closure, which began at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020. That being the case, Schumer, a New York Democrat, called Kirsten Hillman, the Canadian ambassador, to register his complaints. "I told her that we have to work together, that the U.S. and Canada have to work to get the border open immediately," Schumer, a New York Democrat, said in an interview. "I told her: Come up with a plan that will allow people who are vaccinated Canadian or Americans across the border." At a press briefing Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said: "We have to hit our targets of 75% vaccinated with the first dose and at least 20% vaccinated with the second dose before we can start loosening things up because even a fully vaccinated individual can pass on Covid-19 to someone who is not vaccinated." The main reason to oppose racism, of course, is its sheer hatefulness. To discount the humanity of others based on their race or religion or nationality, for that matter plumbs the depths of depravity, especially when it is accompanied by the kind of violence inflicted on Asian Americans over the past year. But like all racism, including that which has long been directed against Black Americans, it also has a financial cost. It may be less obvious and not broadly acknowledged, but hate exacts a price, not just on the minorities under assault, but on everyone. Its a question rarely considered: What is the economic price of racism? We should stand against it for reasons of simple decency and common humanity. But it doesnt hurt to understand the role of enlightened self-interest. Consider whats happening today at the University at Buffalo. While enrollment is thankfully up not all colleges and universities can claim that the percentage of foreign students is down. That costs the university and the local economy, since those students pay a much higher tuition than their peers from within New York about three times as much. OTTAWA When European explorers first set foot on the lands that are now Canada, they claimed the territory as their own, despite the presence of Indigenous Peoples who had already been occupying the lands for generations. They did this using the "doctrine of discovery," a policy originally emanating from decrees issued by the pope in the 15th century authorizing Christian explorers to claim so-called "terra nullius," or vacant lands, based on the notion they had racial and religious superiority. This doctrine has since been repudiated by many official bodies, including many faith organizations. Now, a new landmark piece of legislation will see the Canadian government overtly reject the doctrines of discovery and terra nullius as "racist, scientifically false, legally invalid, morally condemnable and socially unjust." This language is found in Bill C-15, which passed in the Senate earlier this week. The law aims to harmonize Canadas laws with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. But the addition of this potent rejection in the soon-to-be proclaimed law was not initially part of the legislation when first tabled in Parliament in late 2020. It was added later, after Indigenous leaders and First Nations chiefs pressed the Liberal government to strengthen the original wording that simply rejected colonial doctrines more generally. Justice Minister David Lametti, who spent 20 years teaching property law before entering politics, says he spent years "preaching" to his students about how these doctrines were "colonialist and destructive." "So it was really a real personal pleasure for me, when Indigenous leadership suggested it, we said, 'Oh yeah, we'd love to do that,'" Lametti told The Canadian Press in a recent interview. "It is important that we inject that into the narrative that these doctrines have no force whatsoever, no explanatory force, no legal force and no moral force, quite frankly, quite the opposite and they need to be explicitly rejected." Story continues On Friday, Lametti and Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett joined leaders from Canada's national Indigenous organizations: National Chief Perry Bellegarde of the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President Natan Obed and Metis National Council vice-president David Chartrand for a solemn ceremony marking the passage of Canada's UNDRIP bill. "This is a very historic moment today," Bellegarde said during the ceremony. He stressed the importance of the UN declaration in recognizing the inherent and treaty rights of First Nations in Canada and that the government's adoption of it into law is a noteworthy milestone. "This bill is a powerful tool for building a better relationship with Canada in which those rights, our rights, must be respected and upheld and implemented. And it is part of our road map to reconciliation in this country," Bellegarde said. The inclusion of a strong repudiation of the doctrines of discovery and terra nullius were important to include and specifically delineate in the legislation because it was those doctrines that the European settlers used to try to eliminate Indigenous rights and subjugate First Peoples, he explained. Those colonialist ideologies are what eventually led to the creation of the residential school system, disputes about land claims and resource development rights and ongoing systemic racism within many of Canada's institutions. "Those two doctrines are fast becoming, not only in Canada but globally, (seen) as illegal and racist doctrines. So to have them mentioned in there is very powerful. It's about decolonizing Canada's laws and policies," Bellegarde said. "It will have a huge impact. It's always about peaceful coexistence and mutual respect and sharing this great this great land and sharing these resources. We've never surrendered or given up anything, and that's fundamental to this going forward." Another addition to the bill that came after it was tabled in Parliament was a strengthening of language that recognizes the protection of Aboriginal treaty rights under the Canadian Constitution. Wording was added to say that "Canadian courts have stated that such rights are not frozen and are capable of evolution and growth." Chief Wilton Littlechild, who was part of a team of human rights and legal experts who took part in a 1977 Indigenous delegation to the United Nations that helped to push for and later draft the 2007 declaration, was instrumental in getting these passages into the legislation's preamble. He says it was of utmost importance for him personally to see this enshrined in Canada's UNDRIP law because fighting for recognition and respect of Canada's treaties with First Nations was the reason his people in Maskwacis, Alberta tasked him with going to the global community, seeking an international declaration of their rights over 40 years ago. "It was treaty violations in August 1977 and their concerns about the daily violations of our treaties that they wanted me to go back to the international arena to remind the world," Littlechild said. "So treaties, or violations of our sacred agreements, is why I went there and we proposed solutions, one of which is the very legislation we're talking about today." This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 19, 2021. Teresa Wright, The Canadian Press Canadians who were planning to take trip to see a Broadway show in New York City might not be allowed to do so after COVID-19 vaccine rules to see Springsteen on Broadway were revealed. "Guests will need to be fully vaccinated with an FDA-approved vaccine in order to attend Springsteen on Broadway and must show proof of vaccination at their time of entry into the theatre with their valid ticket," the information reads. "'Fully vaccinated' means the performance date you are attending must be: at least 14 days after your second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, or at least 14 days after your single dose of Johnson & Johnsons Janssen COVID-19 vaccine." Notably missing from these protocols, because it is not an FDA-authorized vaccine, is AstraZeneca. "At the direction of New York State, Springsteen on Broadway and the St. James Theatre will only be accepting proof of FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson)," the rules read. Fully vaccinated AstraZeneca recipients in Canada were caught off guard by this decision, expressing concern about what else they may or may not be able to do in the U.S. once non-essential travel resumes. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This came just as the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommended that individuals who received a single dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine be given an mRNA vaccine, Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, for their second dose. "An mRNA vaccine is now preferred as the second dose for individuals who received a first dose of the AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD vaccine, based on emerging evidence of a potentially better immune response from this mixed vaccine schedule and to mitigate the potential risk of VITT [vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia] associated with viral vector vaccines," the recommendation from NACI reads. On Friday morning, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that he is aware of issues around different countries having a different list of approved vaccines and said the federal government is "engaged in discussions" with the U.S. and countries to "ensure that people who are protected from COVID-19 are able to travel." "We hope to be able to resolve those issues in the coming weeks, in time for...loosened restrictions around travel," the prime minister said. On June 8, for the first time since mid-October of last year, Maura Esposito, the Chesprocott Health District director, stood in front of the Cheshire Town Council to present her COVID-19 update on how the community is doing in the fight against the pandemic. It is so nice to be back and to actually see faces, (it) feels much more normal to us, she said to the Councilors who were present. The good news didnt stop there. Esposito shared that Cheshire, as of June 8, was at a .71 positivity rate for the virus, something she attributes to her dedicated team of volunteers and workers who have worked nonstop since the virus began. That number is from a lot of hard work from many people, so thank you, she added. This time...last year there were 324 people in the hospital. So we have really, really done a lot. Cheshire has had over 2,000 positive cases throughout the pandemic, while in the state, there have been over 348,000 cases. Esposito informed the Council that 72 patients are currently in the the hospital across the state dealing with the virus, a reminder that while those numbers are low, the risk is still out there. Of the 11 cases that weve had (recently), eight of them have come from the Doolittle (School) area, which obviously puts up a red flag for anyone there, she explained. In speaking with the Superintendent Jeff Solan and going over the data with the school nurse, we have one possible case of school spread, while the other cases were completely unrelated. Many of the students had attended large gatherings such as weddings, communions, and other family-related events, according to Esposito. We did have two breakthrough case situations as well, she added, explaining that such breakthrough cases of infection are those that are recorded in individuals even after they have been fully vaccinated. Councilor Peter Talbot asked Esposito about variants of the COVID-19 virus, and what data says regarding their presence in Connecticut. In town weve had the variant from England, but we didnt have any cases come from that exposed person, she said. The latest thing in the news in the India variant...there are 18 cases in Connecticut...As we know with any virus, the longer this goes there will be more and more mutations. Talbot then asked Esposito about the current mask guidelines, and what the appropriate rules are now the case numbers have begun to lessen. The rules are more confusing than you could possibly imagine, Esposito admitted to the Council. If you are vaccinated you do not have to wear your mask in public. If you are unvaccinated you should be wearing your mask, but there are still sector guidelines that are still applicable because we are still under the umbrella of a public health emergency. She explained the different sectors, such as restaurants and sporting events, all have different guidelines which make the rules confusing. A Glen Flora man who shot a man in Eau Claire in May 2020 will serve a four-year prison sentence. Kyle E. Baker, 23, pleaded no contest Thursday in Chippewa County Court to second-degree recklessly endangering safety and possession of a firearm by a felon. A trial that was slated to begin next week was canceled, after Baker accepted a plea agreement that reduced a first-degree recklessly endangering safety charge to a second-degree charge. Judge Steve Gibbs ordered the four-year prison term, along with four years of extended supervision, and the prison term is concurrent to any other sentence Baker is already serving. Also, Gibbs gave Baker jail credit for 387 days already served. Baker must pay $1,036 in court costs and fines, and he cannot have any contact with the victim. He also must complete counseling, and he cannot consume any alcohol or illegal drugs while on extended supervision. According to the criminal complaint, the Chippewa County dispatch center received a call May 24, 2020, about a shooting outside 3325 Reno Drive in Eau Claire, in the portion of the city located within Chippewa County. An officer made contact with the victim at the hospital, as the injured man was about to undergo surgery. Where you are, we will go. Donde tu estas, iremos nosotros, Becerra said. He asked Latino communities to identify trusted leaders to operate as vaccine ambassadors" to convince those who are still hesitant. He reminded the public that the vaccine is free, noting that some may not believe there are no gimmicks attached to receiving the shot. However, recent data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that Latino populations have received a higher proportion of administered vaccine doses in the last two weeks, narrowing the disparity, the Department of Health and Human Services said. Becerra also met faculty and students at the Metropolitan State University of Denver to hear about the effects of a grant his agency gave for behavioral health workforce training. Becerra said the U.S. is so far behind on behavioral health services but that the pandemic has opened the door for the federal government to invest in mental health and substance abuse disorders. I think, to some degree, that taboo aspect of talking about it has dissipated, Becerra told The Associated Press. I think COVID really forced people to recognize that there are people who are really suffering from stress and beyond. As I have said probably several hundred times in the last few weeks, we would take the action necessary to be in compliance with the federal (requirements) and we have done that, said committee co-chair Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam. But U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Black Earth, said he wants to check with the U.S. Department of Education before assuming the Republican plan will pass muster. The idea was not to provide a shell game, Pocan said. The idea was to provide additional money for education. In order to get the funds, the state has to spend 35% of its overall budget on K-12 education and 8.8% on higher education, which are both three-year averages from past budgets. Evers proposal Gov. Tony Evers had proposed a $1.6 billion increase in K-12 funding, which easily cleared the spending threshold. But Republicans initially slashed that amount to $128 million. Even with that bump, education funding fell about $430 million short of the 35% threshold prior to Thursdays vote. The Republican plan closed that gap with the $408 million more for school districts plus $72 million to technical colleges, all of it designed to cut property taxes. (CNN) When people like the German Chancellor Angela Merkel or the King of Belgium want to learn more about cybersecurity, they go to Estonia. The Baltic country runs on the internet. From filing taxes and voting, to registering the birth of a new baby, nearly everything a person might want or need from the government can be done online. It's an approach that's incredibly convenient for Estonia's 1.3 million people but it also requires high level of cybersecurity. Luckily for its residents, Estonia is punching way above its weight when it comes to online safety. It regularly places on top of security rankings. Its capital city of Tallinn is home to NATO's cyber defense hub, the Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence. When it took up the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council last year, it made cybersecurity one of the policy priorities. "Estonia digitized a lot sooner than other countries, it was focusing on things like online schooling and online government services and it took a more proactive approach to technology," said Esther Naylor, a international security research analyst at Chatham House. "And it recognized that it needs to be a secure country in order for citizens to want to use online systems and for businesses to want to do business in Estonia ... and I think that this is why Estonia's approach is often heralded as the model approach," she added. A new European Union report obtained by CNN last week showed serious cyberattacks against critical targets in Europe have doubled in the past year. There have also been a series of high-profile attacks on US targets in recent weeks. The issue came up during a high-stakes summit between the US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday. Biden said he told Putin that certain areas of "critical infrastructure" should be off-limits for cyberattacks, and warned the Russian leader that the US had "significant cyber capability" and would respond to any further incursions. Putin told reporters the two leaders had agreed to start consultations on the issue. Estonia is no stranger to the cyber threat posed by Russia. Back in 2007, a decision to relocate a Soviet-era war memorial from central Tallinn to a military cemetery sparked a diplomatic spat with its neighbor and former overlord. There were protests and angry statements from Russian diplomats. And just as the removal works started, Estonia became the target of what was at the time the biggest cyberattack against a single country. The Estonian government called the incident an act of cyberwarfare and blamed Russia for it. Moscow has denied any involvement. The attack made Estonia realize that it needed to start treating cyber threats in the same way as physical attacks. At that time, the country was already a leader in e-government, having introduced services like online voting and digital signatures. While no data was stolen during the incident, the websites of banks, the media and some government services were targeted with distributed denial of service attacks that lasted for 22 days. Some services were disrupted, while others were taken down completely. "We saw what would happen if our precious systems that we really loved were down," said Birgy Lorenz, a cybersecurity scientist at Tallinn University of Technology. "We started to understand that fake news is really important and that people can be manipulated, and that we have to protect our systems better -- and that this is not only about the systems, but also about understanding the role people play in the systems." People matter After the attack, the government quickly adopted and is constantly updating a wide-ranging national cybersecurity strategy. It has teamed up with private companies to build secure systems. It set up a "data embassy" in Luxembourg, a super secure data center that contains backups in case of an attack on Estonian territory. The country also became an early adopter of blockchain technology and established a new cyber unit within its voluntary Estonia Defense League. It started pushing for more international cooperation, via NATO and other organizations. But perhaps most importantly, it invested into its people. "Technology gives us a lot of tools to secure the system, but at the end of the day, the level of security depends on the users," said Sotiris Tzifas, a cybersecurity expert and chief executive of Trust-IT VIP Cyber Intelligence. "Even if you build the most secure system you can, if the user does something bad or something misguided or something they are not allowed to do, then the system is downgraded very quickly." He pointed to the fact that some of the most damaging cyberattacks in recent history were caused by a confused insider clicking on a phishing link, rather than by a sophisticated hacker using the most advanced technology. Tzifas said the Colonial Pipeline attack attack that forced the US company to shut down a key US East Coast pipeline in April was a good example of this. "It created a lot of buzz and cost a lot of money, but there was no real complexity, it wasn't different to other ransomware attacks," he said. The Estonian government has been investing heavily into education and training programs in recent years. From awareness campaigns and workshops specifically targeting elderly citizens to "coding" lessons for kindergarteners, the government is making sure every Estonian has access to the training they need to keep the country's IT systems secure. It also wants its teenagers to know how to hack. "We are teaching defense, but you can't learn defense if you don't know how to hack," Lorenz said. She is running educational camps where teenagers learn hacking within a secure environment. She doesn't encourage her students to go on and try to hack companies or government bodies, but if they do, she is on hand to make sure they behave in an ethical way. "I help them to put it in a package and then we send it to the company and say, look, the students have found this vulnerability in your system," she said. Lorenz is the mastermind behind many of Estonia's educational programs that are designed to teach children about technology, but also to spot and nurture future technology leaders. "To get the talent you need the mass to choose the talents from, so we have training and competitions already for primary school children," she said. She says young kids are eager to learn about cybersecurity, if they feel like they are part of the solution. "They don't really want to listen to the adults telling them what they should do, so we tell them that we need their help and ask them to help their parents or younger sister with security by doing an audit of all their gadgets and password, and show them how to do that so they learn the skills and feel empowered to take responsibility," she said. State-sponsored hacks on the rise To understand what a country can do to secure its critical infrastructure, the government needs to understand the motivations of its potential attackers, Tzifas said. "There are government-sponsored hackers that are attacking, then you have the fraudsters trying to get an economic gain and then you have the 'script kiddies' or low level hackers who are trying to see whether they can do it," he explained. Some governments and companies encourage the last group to take a swing at their systems, offering prizes to those who are successful in hopes they will help them discover weaknesses they may not be aware of, he added. There has been a large spike in state-sponsored attacks in the last few years, with governments using hacks to disrupt their adversaries.The US and the United Kingdom warned last year about a rise in state-backed cyberattacks against organizations involved in the coronavirus response. That's where international cooperation becomes crucial and Estonia, a small country on the edge of the EU, is well aware of that. "Estonia has been very active in cyber diplomacy, it is using its voice to talk about what should and should not happen in the cyberspace," Naylor said. "Something Estonia did last year when it joined the UN Security Council, and this was the first time this happened at the UN Security Council, it aligned with the UK and the US to call out Russia on a cyberattack on Georgia," she said, adding that while the step "won't necessarily solve all of our problems in cyberspace, it does send a message." The e-Estonia Briefing Centre, a publicly funded cyber security and digital services information hub in Tallinn, is another way the country is building partnerships. It was set up specifically to offer training programs and workshops to foreign delegations. Visitors include Merkel, the Belgian King and numerous foreign ministers and local governments. "We share our success stories and our mistakes so that other countries don't have to reinvent the wheel," said Florian Marcus, a digital transformation adviser at the center. The government's infrastructure relies on several layers of security, Marcus continued. "One aspect is that we've always made sure that we store as little data as possible, and that when we store data that we store it as separately as possible," he said, explaining the government's "once only" principle. "There is no duplicated data within the government service, so for example, only the population register is allowed to store my address, and if any other register, like the tax authority or the voting committee, needs my address, they have to ask the population register through an encrypted data exchange that uses blockchain to verify the data integrity." Tzifas said this approach is much more secure compared to having large super databases that contain all kinds of data from addresses and ID numbers to dates of birth and heath care and insurance data all on one platform. "We are talking the banking system, insurance companies, government databases where all this data is gathered, this is real gold for hackers, because this data can be very easily used for impersonation attacks. When you want to create [a] fake identity, you need all this data," he said. Estonia has built secure IT systems, fostered international cooperation and spent a lot of money and time training its citizens. But in a world where hackers are, most of the time, one step ahead of governments, the country is constantly trying to find ways to improve its system. "Being purely defensive is not going to protect you from all of the wide range of cyber incidents that can occur. Because of the changing nature of the techniques that are used by criminal groups, you need to think about resilience and take proactive mitigation measures," Naylor said. One example she gives is Estonia's focus on cyber incident response. "They are simulating cyberattacks on either critical infrastructure or in an industry, so that [they] are better prepared to respond to a potential attack." The combination of citizen awareness, the monitoring of potential attacks and flexible countermeasures are all key pieces of successful cyber defense, Tzifas said, "because whatever technology you install, it will be bypassed in the future." For Lorenz, the success of Estonia's cyber program boils down to one simple principle: everybody, from the top levels of the government to school children, is doing their bit. "In a way, it's very Estonian," she said. "We don't have a leader who tells us what to do. We go to [the] sauna and one person says 'my neighbor is thinking about doing this' and another says 'my neighbor is thinking about doing that' ... and nobody is talking about what they will do and nothing gets decided, but then everybody goes home and does that thing and somehow it's all working." This story was first published on CNN.com "How Russian threats in the 2000s turned this country into the go-to expert on cyber defense" (CNN) After over a year of staying at home and following strict safety guidelines, many people are understandably reluctant to step out their front door and re-enter society. For some, they're downright terrified. Psychiatrist Dr. Arthur Bregman calls this fear "cave syndrome," a non-medical term he's coined. At his practice in Coral Gables, Florida, he found many of his patients were nervous about going outside their homes and interacting with others as Covid-19 restrictions lifted. Some of his patients felt mildly uncomfortable while others took their fear to more extremes. "I've seen patients who are locked in their room at home" while conducting telemedicine calls "and they're wearing a mask," Bregman said. Over the past couple months, he's seen people with moderate cases who have asked him to write doctor's notes to get them out of going to work in-person. Bregman said he spends much of his day trying to help these people who are jeopardizing their careers because of this fear. Finding the courage to leave the cave When he notices a patient is afraid to leave their home, he said he teaches them his MAV system, which stands for "mindfulness, attitude and vision," which he developed in 2021. The first step is to be mindful about what's bothering you and focus on narrowing down what that is, he said. Once you know what is making you nervous, Bregman said it's time to start to develop a positive attitude. It's important to have a positive mindset and believe good things can happen to you when you leave your house, he said. A great way to develop this positivity is to imagine all the great activities you participated in prior to the pandemic, such as eating indoors with friends or attending concerts, Bregman noted. The last step is to visualize your goals and what you can accomplish when you leave your "cave," he said. The sooner people can do this system, the better, Bregman added. "The longer people are in their cave, the harder it is to get out," he said. Some reluctance is normal "Cave syndrome" isn't a formal diagnosis, which needs to go through a formal approval process before getting into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The DSM is published by the American Psychiatric Association and acts as a dictionary for mental disorders. Many people are feeling uncomfortable going out into the world, which is normal and to be expected, said Dr. Alan Teo, an associate professor of psychiatry at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. Teo said he's cautious about applying the term "cave syndrome" to what for many is a normal range of experiences. What many people may going through after living in a pandemic for a year is anxiety, which is a normal and appropriate emotion to experience when faced with such a traumatic event, he said. Experiencing anxiety does not mean you have a disorder or syndrome, he said. There are cases when it becomes clinically severe. If you aren't able to leave your house and resume your regular life, Bregman recommends seeking professional help. Strategies to face your fear One method that can help you emerge from your cocoon is downward social comparison, Teo said. Instead of upward social comparison, when you compare yourself to others who are socializing more than you, he recommended you compare yourself to those who are socializing less than you. With downward social comparison, "it helps you feel a little bit better about yourself," Teo said. Some modest upward social comparison can encourage you to socialize more, but if you begin comparing yourself to your friend who goes out every night, you may start feeling bad about yourself, he warned. On the flip side, "don't feel pressured to do what the next guy is doing," Teo said. Some people are introverted and feel drained after long periods of social interaction, which he said is perfectly normal. Teo also suggested people try a behavior-based approach called exposure and response prevention. It's a clinical strategy where you gradually expose yourself to what you fear, in this case social interaction, and you work your way up to more challenging social experiences. An easy way to think of this approach is to imagine you're climbing a ladder, Teo said. For the first "rung," you could try taking a walk with a friend. For a higher "rung," you could go to a party, he said. People haven't had to use their social skills like small talk as often over the past year, so it's okay to be out of practice, Teo said. And when we interact with others, it may look different. Instead of talking about the weather, people might be talking about vaccine status and whether to wear a mask in a specific social situation. "We were resilient in adapting to spending more time alone at home, and I think with practice those social skills are going to come back," Teo said. This story was first published on CNN.com If 'cave syndrome' is keeping you from going in public, here's how to combat it We are pleased to announce the Marvin and Virginia Schmid Foundation has pledged $1,000,000 to name the Childrens Room in the new Columbus Public Library. The Columbus Community Building project underway in Downtown Columbus includes the Columbus Public Library, Arts Council Gallery, and community room as well as leased space for the Columbus Area Childrens Museum and a coffee shop. City Hall offices will also be located in this new building, which is planned for completion in 2023. This Founder level gift brings the projects private funding total to $6,000,000. Another $2,000,000 is needed to meet the project budget. While the City Hall portion of the project is funded separately, the library/cultural portion is funded through donations, grants, and a % sales tax that was passed in 2017 exclusively for constructing new public safety facilities and a new library/cultural center. A public vote in November 2020 allowing the city to issue up to $10,000,000 in bonds to fund the project passed with a high margin of victory. Placing a high value on education, the Marvin and Virginia Schmid Foundation is known for supporting capital projects for quality libraries, including the University of Nebraskas Law Library. They also funded a new clinic building for UNLs College of Law and continue to generously support several scholarships for law students. One of Haefner's earliest mentors were his teachers. Haefner said he was influenced by the way they shared their knowledge with their students. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} "I found it really interesting that they were so willing to share what they have learned through their venue of teaching," Haefner said. "It kind of intrigued me, for me to be able to be successful that I can do the same thing." Haefner, who is master certified and light vehicle maintenance certified with the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, teaches two junior classes and two senior ones that are sequenced. His love for teaching comes through watching his students succeed at tasks. "It's exciting to see the eureka moment in the students," Haefner said. "Some of them get it right off the bat and that's fascinating. The ones that maybe struggle a little bit and eventually hit that eureka moment like, 'Oh yeah, this finally makes sense. That's how it works.' I always find that moment of their discovering kind of gratifying." CHS Assistant Principal Jason Schapmann said the school's automotive program is one-of-a-kind in Nebraska, attributing the success to Haefner. "Instead of furthering an important discussion about anti-racial profiling measures and modernizing our public safety departments, Gov. Reynolds took a giant step backwards," said Rep. Ross Wilburn, an Ames legislator who also is chair of the Iowa Democratic Party. "One year ago, the governor signed legislation that banned most chokeholds and made a promise to Iowans that this is not the end of our work, its just the beginning. We now know that statement was a lie. Instead, she ignored the call to unify." Wilburn said Thursday's action broke a promise and broke the trust of Iowans who were "more than willing" to work in a transformative, bipartisan way for change that would have a lasting, positive effect on Iowa. Thede and Rep. Ruth Ann Gaines, D-Des Moines, said they detected a "change in tone" among legislative Republicans this past session on a number of issues that dealt with diversity training, critical race theory education, voting rights and other bills that sent a "veiled, negative, dire" tone and message to young Iowans and people outside the state that "we don't want to grow, we want to maintain status quo." "That was the big message of this session: We dont see a need for diversity, we dont see a need for collaboration. It is our way or the highway," said Gaines. The Biden administration has announced a strategy to combat the threat of domestic terrorism, a plan developed with the help of a new counterterrorism program headquartered at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The new strategy, released Tuesday, comes more than five months after a mob of insurgents loyal to then-President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol as Congress was voting to certify Joe Bidens presidential win. Domestic terrorism driven by hate, bigotry and other forms of extremism is a stain on the soul of America, Biden said in a statement. It goes against everything our country strives for, and it poses a direct challenge to our national security, democracy and unity. The announcement underscores a Justice Department decision to make combating domestic terrorism a top priority. The departments proposed 2022 budget includes $100 million to be used for analysts, investigators and prosecutors related to domestic terrorism. As Nebraskans, we understand both of these things well. Our pioneer ancestors loved liberty so much they were willing to risk everything to make better lives for themselves on the untamed, and sometimes harsh, prairie. And like all of the states who have joined the union since the Revolutionary War, we chose unity with the rest of the country because we know we are stronger when we are united. Many of the American flags that fly on Flag Day were made right here in Nebraska. MSA Brand Products in Fairbury uses only American-made materials in their flags, and individual employees proudly sew the stars and stripes together in-house. I was honored to see them in action when I had the opportunity to visit their headquarters. Not coincidentally, Fairbury is also home to an annual Flag Day celebration that is hosted by the local Elks Lodge. Each year, they recall the history of our flag and honor the first responders, members of law enforcement, and active duty soldiers and veterans who put their lives on the line to protect all that the flag stands for. Local top story Coronavirus Getting Pennsylvania's vaccination rate to 70% depends on accessibility, education as Cumberland County tops 55% vaccination Gitt / Tammie Gitt The Sentinel Map shows percentage of residents in each county over the age of 12 who have been fully vaccinated according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For an interactive version of the map, see cumberlink.com. Jason Malmont, The Sentinel A steady stream of people received COVID-19 vaccinations at the Cumberland County vaccination site at the old K-Mart building on Walnut Bottom Road when it opened. That site has now closed as efforts now focus on persuading those who are more reluctant to get the vaccine. Jason Malmont, The Sentinel A COVID-19 vaccination is seen being administered at the now-closed Cumberland County clinic on Walnut Bottom Road. Jason Malmont, The Sentinel Pennsylvania's acting Physician General Dr. Denise Johnson, left, and Robert Shively Jr., director of Public Safety for Cumberland County, toured the Cumberland County vaccination site in South Middleton Township in April. Pennsylvania is inching toward its vaccination goal with Cumberland County among the counties with the most residents vaccinated. In data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated Thursday, 5,951,960 Pennsylvania residents over the age of 18, or 58.5% of the adult population, have been fully vaccinated. Gov. Tom Wolf in early May said mask mandates would end when 70% of the adult population was vaccinated. On May 26, officials learned the state reached the benchmark of 70% of its adults receiving the first dose of the vaccines. The next day, acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam announced that the mask mandate would be dropped when the state reached 70% or June 28, whichever comes first. Though the mandate is dependent upon the adult population, the Pfizer vaccine was approved for use in children between the ages of 12-18 on May 12, making anyone over the age of 12 eligible for the vaccine. Gov. Wolf signs bill to extend pandemic regulatory waivers The suspended regulations cover a wide swath of government requirements, including licensing, inspections and training. In data from the CDC updated Thursday, 55.6% of the Cumberland Countys eligible population are fully vaccinated, the 10th highest percentage in the state. At the same time, the county ranks 59th in the list of 67 counties in terms of incidence rate, showing a rate of 22.1 cases per 100,000 people on the Department of Healths Early Warning Monitoring Dashboard for the week ending June 17. A positivity rate of 1% gives the county the 14th lowest positivity rate, tied with Allegheny, Dauphin and Warren counties. The mix of a high percentage of vaccinated people, a low positivity rate and a high incidence rate shows how complicated it can be to trace what factors are influencing the prevalence of the disease. Department of Health acting Physician General Dr. Denise Johnson said factors like masking for unvaccinated people, washing hands and attendance at large events also affect the spread of the disease. Its not a simple one-to-one correlation, but the more people who are vaccinated, the less chance for the virus to circulate, Johnson said. For example, Johnson said COVID-19 became more common in younger people as the number of fully vaccinated people over the age of 65 increased. This shows that where there are a large number of unvaccinated people, there is more opportunity for the virus to circulate. One Pennsylvania county is on the verge of seeing 70% of its eligible residents vaccinated. Montour County ranks as the sixth smallest county, but now has 69.1% of its residents fully vaccinated. It is tied with Forest, Indiana and Sullivan counties for the lowest incidence rate at zero cases per 100,000 people and is tied with Forest and Sullivan counties for the lowest positivity rate at 0% in the week ending June 17. Unvaccinated pockets threaten to prolong pandemic As much of the country emerges from masking and social distancing, undervaccinated pockets in the U.S. still threaten to bring the virus roaring back. By contrast, Potter County, which is the fifth smallest county, has seen only 27% of its population vaccinated. Both the incidence rate and the positivity rate are among the highest in the state, as of the most recent data from the Department of Health. Potter Countys incidence rate is at 36.3 per 100,000 people, ranking it as 65th, and its positivity rate is at 10.9%, putting it at 66th place. Urban areas are faring well in their vaccination efforts with five of the 10 largest counties also ranking among the top 10 counties based on the percentage of the population that are fully vaccinated. The best positioned county among them, Delaware County, is the fifth largest county, and has 61.7% of its eligible population vaccinated, the third highest in the state. At the same time, it has the 37th lowest incidence rate at 11.5 cases per 100,000 people and the 12th lowest positivity rate at .9%. Just as factors influencing the spread of the virus are complex, so are the factors influencing a persons decision to be vaccinated. Johnson said its impossible pinpoint one factor influencing vaccination rates. Some people want to see more people vaccinated before they get the shot themselves. Others have issues getting to vaccination sites because of transportation or difficulty in getting off work. Its just a wide spectrum of reasons, Johnson said. Mass vaccination sites like the one held at the U-Haul building on Walnut Bottom Road in Cumberland County were effective initially as the Health Department focused on getting as many people as they could vaccinated as quickly as possible. At the time, the availability of vaccines was outpaced by demand as the sites catered to people who really wanted to get vaccinated. That was needed at that point in time, but the strategy and the need certainly have changed, Johnson said. Now, theres more vaccine available and less demand so the Department of Health is looking at a two-pronged strategy to raise vaccination rates education and accessibility. Johnson said the department is working to answer peoples questions about the vaccine and addressing their specific concerns. More than 300 million doses of vaccines have been given in the United States and more than 170 million people have been vaccinated, Johnson said. As people have been vaccinated, more data has been collected concerning the safety of the vaccines. This allows researchers and officials to pick up on potential side effects such as the blood clots that occurred with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. As people become more comfortable with the vaccines, the next step is to make the shots more accessible. We really want it to be very, very simple to get a vaccine, we want you to almost sort of fall into a vaccine without even trying, Johnson said. To do that, the department is working in smaller venues now, reaching out to independent pharmacies, retail pharmacies, doctors offices, schools, community centers and houses of worship to offer vaccinations. Weve also had mobile clinics and we are going to be working on some door-to-door vaccination. So were really doing all these different methods to make sure that we get vaccines as close to people as possible so that they have the convenience to be able to get vaccinated, Johnson said. Johnson also reiterated that the vaccines are free for everyone whether or not they have insurance. There are no copays for people who have insurance. Concerns about pools of unvaccinated people are amplified by the variants that many experts believe spread easier and hold potential to become the predominant variant over time, Johnson said. The alpha variant that was first described in the United Kingdom now accounts for 66% of the cases in Pennsylvania. The delta variant that has been the cause of concern since it arose in India is responsible for 0.5% of the cases in the state. [We] really just want to encourage people to get vaccinated. These are safe and effective. They really are making a difference, but we still have a long ways to go, Johnson said. If I understand the policy correctly, this puts a tape across my mouth, Wilbur told board members Thursday. The revision would prohibit her from engaging in conversations with students who otherwise lack opportunities to ask a Black educator questions about what is going on in todays society, she said. Taytum Robinson-Covert, who graduated from Carlisle High School in 2020, said that as a student, she was active in an effort on campus to promote diversity and a more inclusive climate. Why the interest to shut down these important discussions? she asked board members Thursday. I understand the reason for not having staff promote their political views but there is a difference between trying to influence students one way or another and facilitating meaningful conversations when a polarizing event occurs. This policy will not resolve or even alleviate the political divide that is present, Robinson-Covert said. It will only heighten it. If a politicized event occurs and no one is allowed to talk about it that would only leave students to their own echo chamber environment, which only further draws the divide. If teachers are not allowed to deconstruct and analyze current politicized events, then how will students learn to formulate their own beliefs? The mix of a high percentage of vaccinated people, a low positivity rate and a high incidence rate shows how complicated it can be to trace what factors are influencing the prevalence of the disease. Department of Health acting Physician General Dr. Denise Johnson said factors like masking for unvaccinated people, washing hands and attendance at large events also affect the spread of the disease. Its not a simple one-to-one correlation, but the more people who are vaccinated, the less chance for the virus to circulate, Johnson said. For example, Johnson said COVID-19 became more common in younger people as the number of fully vaccinated people over the age of 65 increased. This shows that where there are a large number of unvaccinated people, there is more opportunity for the virus to circulate. One Pennsylvania county is on the verge of seeing 70% of its eligible residents vaccinated. Montour County ranks as the sixth smallest county, but now has 69.1% of its residents fully vaccinated. It is tied with Forest, Indiana and Sullivan counties for the lowest incidence rate at zero cases per 100,000 people and is tied with Forest and Sullivan counties for the lowest positivity rate at 0% in the week ending June 17. When asked what country had made the most impact on him while on active duty, Head said, Id never seen anything like Hong Kong at the time. I stayed in Kowloon and got out to Hong Kong proper. It was like a James Bond movie or something. I guess the best time that I had in dealing with the locals was either in the Philippines or in Japan." And what were his thoughts about Vietnam? Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} "Most of my time in Vietnam was spent on ship," he said. "The lasting impression I have of Vietnam is that I was exposed to Agent Orange and still live with that to this day. Vietnam itself was a country torn, but in my opinion, it wasnt that much different than the Philippines. There was a lot of strife in the Philippines at the time. You could have picked me up in one and put me in the other and I wouldnt have known the difference which one I was in." Head spent 20 months and one day in the Marine Corps. Upon returning home, the reception he received was not a positive one. I didnt recognize Los Angeles, which is where we flew into when we got back," he said. "They told us before we went home to change into civilian clothes. DEAR NEUTRAL CO-WORKER: You cannot control your co-workers, but you can acknowledge to them that you know you were harsh when you responded to them. Tell them you enjoy talking to them, but you just don't like to gossip. When folks begin to talk about others, you like to step off. You aren't judging them; that's just not your thing. If they stay upset, stick to your principles. Being an ally includes standing up for what's right even if it isn't popular. DEAR HARRIETTE: I went on a date with a guy that a mutual friend of ours had set me up with. We had a good time. Everything went as planned until I got home and realized that I had left my cellphone in the Uber with him. I was dropped off first, so I tried calling my phone to see if the driver would circle back after dropping off my date. My cellphone was never answered, so I contacted Uber and met up with the driver, but the phone was nowhere to be found. By that point, I had traced it to an address across town. The driver confirmed that is where he had dropped off the guy I was with. I went there and tried to ring my phone, and it was then shut off. Second, the researchers found that Democrats took minority voters for granted in a big way. Party strategists viewed black, Latino and Asian voters as targets for get-out-the-vote efforts -- not as voters who first need to be persuaded to support Democrats. For example, party leaders didn't do any research to find what issues were important to black voters. Why? They were already in the tent, weren't they? It was a major miscalculation. First, with black voters: "Despite historic turnout, even where black voters were key to Democratic successes this past cycle -- including in Georgia, Arizona and Michigan -- the data show drop-off in support in 2020 compared to 2016 and 2018," the report said. Next, with Latino voters: "Drop-off in support among Latino and Hispanic voters were [sic] the lynchpin in Democratic losses in races in Florida, Texas and New Mexico -- especially among working-class and non-college voters in these communities," the report said. And then, among Asian voters: "Drop-off in AAPI [Asian American-Pacific Islander] support fueled losses in key races in California, especially among Vietnamese and Filipino voters," the report said. So the party paid a big price for taking its voters for granted. Eighty percent of the work we do is helping kids feel safe, respected, and that we believe in them, she said. We believe they can go to the next level, whatever that is. Jasmin Lopez, the schools director of student remediation services, said she wanted to be a part of Foster Forge after hearing Wachtmeister talk about her vision. Lopez used to work with students with learning differences and saw how they would lose a lot of self-confidence in the school systems. When you get the opportunity to sit with a student, unlock that key for them and open that door that they might need, they see so much more for themselves, she said. ... So finding that key, whatever it is for them, and unlocking it is what were all about. Jenny Denham, director of student support and the schools pathways program, said she enjoys connecting with people and helping them to overcome challenges, which was part of what attracted her to the position. With the pathways program, shell be tasked with figuring out what students are interested in and bringing in related resources. It just took off, she said. Shields opened Creative Kids Preschool in 2008. She had homeschooled three of her four children and discovered her passion for working with little kids when she had a job as a paraprofessional at the kindergarten her youngest child attended. They are just awesome, Shields said of the 35 age group. They are becoming independent, yet they still love to be with you and they love to learn. Her husband, Mike, suggested she open her own preschool, and the couple went door to door handing out flyers and recruiting families. Shields had five students in her first class, which she held in the afternoons after working at Conway Elementary School in the mornings. By the next year, she had two full classes, one for 3- and 4-year-olds and one for 4- and 5-year-olds and had quit her job to run the preschool full time. After the first year, its been all word-of-mouth, Shields said. Then in March 2020, her kids left for spring break and never returned. It was shocking, Shields said. I never got to say goodbye. I thought, what am I going to do? * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! Denton, TX (76205) Today Thunderstorms this morning, then cloudy skies this afternoon. High 88F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy this evening with showers developing after midnight. Low 73F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Moscow, ID (83843) Today Mostly sunny. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 90F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Mainly clear. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 59F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Fried and Rick Kimsey, her director of consumer services, said Defending the Republic has not registered with their agency as required by state law or filed financial disclosures that show how revenue is spent, even though its website told donors it had done both. The group could be fined $15,000 and receive a cease and desist order if it fails to comply within three weeks. Fried and Kimsey said when their office contacted Defending the Republic after receiving a complaint about the website, its officials claimed it must be run by another similarly named group. But Fried and Kimsey said the investigation showed the domain name is owned by Powell. She is best known for saying in November that a lawsuit she filed would unleash a Kraken, a mythical sea creature, that would destroy Bidens claim on the White House. It went nowhere. Fried denied that her action is politically motivated, but implied that a Republican agriculture commissioner might have ignored Defending the Republics actions. If I had a different party affiliation, I may have turned a blind eye, she said. DeSantis office did not immediately respond Friday to a call and email seeking comment. As Fried is elected independently, DeSantis has no control over her actions. Only Georgia interests stood up to a flood of opposition at a public hearing on an Army Corps of Engineers proposal to put dams, locks and dikes on the Apalachicola River. To the cheers of a crowd of more than 300 packed into the Marianna High School cafeteria Wednesday night, opposition came from every corner of Florida government, including Gov. Reubin Askew, U.S. Rep. Don Fuqua, Atty. Gen. Robert Shevin, Secretary of State Richard Stone and every environmental agency. Even Alabama Gov. George Wallaces spokesman, K. Earl Durden of Dothan, said the engineers should find a better way to improve the barge traffic without sacrificing the environment. Jackson County Floridan, Thursday, June 28, 1973 The CDC first flatly halted cruise ships from sailing in March 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic, which had affected passengers and crew on numerous ships. Then the CDC on Oct. 30 of last year imposed a four-phase conditional framework it said would allow the industry to gradually resume operations if certain thresholds were met. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a statement that framework imposed onerous bureaucratic requirements on the industry, such as requiring a vaccine passport for passengers and that cruise ships conduct a simulated voyage before embarking passengers. The CDC has been wrong all along, and they knew it, DeSantis said. Laziza Lambert, spokeswoman for the Cruise Lines International Association, said the trade group was reviewing the ruling and what it means for resuming cruises from U.S. ports. Carnival Corp. said it too was reviewing the decision. The health and safety of cruise passengers, crew and the communities we visit remains the top priority for CLIA cruise line members, and cruise ships are well on their way to offering the traveling public a high level of COVID-19 mitigation, Lambert said in a statement. The White House said its whole-of-government approach to the vaccination effort has put the virus in retreat, which in turn has brought COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths to their lowest levels in more than a year. But Biden noted in his remarks that some communities in states with lower vaccination rates are seeing cases and hospitalizations increase. The administration is in the middle of a monthlong blitz to combat vaccine hesitancy and the lack of urgency some people feel to get the shots, particularly in the South and Midwest. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said Friday that she expects the delta variant of the coronavirus will become the dominant strain in the U.S. That strain has become dominant in Britain after it was first detected in India. During an appearance on ABCs Good Morning America, she told Americans who get their shots that youll be protected against this delta variant. As part of the administration's vaccination push, Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Atlanta on Friday to tour a pop-up COVID-19 vaccination site at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a pastor until his assassination in 1968. The current senior pastor is U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock. Major corporations are celebrating Juneteenth in unique ways this week. The annual June 19 tradition, which falls on Saturday this year, commemorates the day in 1865 when former American slaves in Galveston, Texas, were finally informed of President Abraham Lincoln's Jan. 1, 1863, Emancipation Proclamation and the end of the Civil War. It took Union troops more than two years to finish travel throughout the southern United States to inform all the former slaves of Lincoln's executive order. The Dec. 6, 1865, ratification of the 13th Amendment made slavery illegal throughout the U.S. "except as a punishment for crime." Wind turbines in the central province of Ninh Thuan. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran. Japans Mitsubishi Corporation will develop Southeast Asias largest wind farm in Laos to supply electricity to Vietnam, where demand is expected to grow continuously. The 600-megawatt onshore project, the first wind farm in Laos, will be located in southern provinces of Sekong and Attapeu, the company said in a statement. By installing a dedicated transmission line to Vietnam, power from the wind farm, which is set to begin commercial operations by 2023, will be sold to national utility Vietnam Electricity for 25 years. It is expected that Vietnams growing economy will have high demand for power, especially during the dry season, when hydropower generation is limited. The onshore wind farm is being developed as part of a memorandum of understanding on power interchange signed between the Vietnamese and Lao governments in October 2016. It is expected to be the first cross-border electricity interchange from wind power generation in Southeast Asia. An FPT Software staff is injected with the AstraZenca Covid-19 vaccine at the company in Thu Duc City, June 19, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran. HCMC on Saturday morning launched a vaccination campaign against Covid-19, inoculating 500 employees of a tech company in Thu Duc City. For this campaign, which is the biggest in the city and the nation's history, HCMC plans to administer 836,000 doses of the AstraZeneca's vaccine in five to seven days. They are part of the 966,320 doses provided by Japan Wednesday. The first to receive the vaccine are 500 employees of FPT Software in the Saigon Hi-Tech Park in Thu Duc City. Nguyen Thi Hong, 30, one of the employees, said she has been nervous since the previous night, but she believes the vaccine will help her reduce the risk of getting infected. "I have prepared fever killers and as it's Sunday tomorrow, I can rest and any side effects from the vaccine will not affect my work," she said. Pham Dang Khoa, 36, said he was informed of the vaccination program for FPT Software employees on Friday and was willingly to enlist himself. "I usually have to travel for business so getting the jab will make me feel more secured. I wish that people around me will soon get access to vaccines so that we could reach the herd immunity," he said. FPT Software employees wait to receive Covid-19 vaccine shots at their company in Thu Duc City, HCMC, June 19, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran. Nguyen Huu Hung, deputy director of the city's Health Department, said the city will run 650 vaccination stations to inject 200,000 doses each day so that it could complete using the batch of 836,000 doses by June 27. Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh said at the vaccination event: "The number of vaccines distributed in this phase only meets the demand of a part of the 2.3 million people in priority groups in HCMC. "Thus top priority will be given to workers in industrial parks, export processing zones and industrial zones, and police officers and military personnel." For the ongoing wave of Covid-19 which started in late April, HCMC has recorded more than 1,300 cases, standing third among affected localities. "This is by far the most complicated, unpredictable battle against the pandemic that HCMC has faced, as infections are caused by the variants of coronavirus, which are stronger and more transmissible than previous ones, leaving more adverse impacts on the public health and social welfare of the city," Binh said. Hung said HCMC is rushing negotiations to buy Covid-19 vaccines so that by the end of this year, two-thirds of the city's residents will be vaccinated. "We will carefully screen and monitor the health conditions of those subjected to vaccination to ensure safety," he said. HCMC, home to 13 million people including migrants, has vaccinated 70,000 against the coronavirus, and 30,000 have fully got two doses, mostly frontline medical staff. Lao medical students studying in Vietnam have volunteered to become part of the frontline forces battling the new Covid-19 wave. Late May, when surfing on his smartphone to get information on the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak in Vietnam, Yenh Xua Ly, 22, a sophomore at the Vinh Medical University, was impressed by the story of a 28-year-old doctor in Ho Chi Minh City. The young doctor was having his head shaved as he prepared for his trip to fight Covid-19 in the northern province of Bac Giang, pandemic epicenter in the fourth wave to hit Vietnam. To work better in their protective suits, many medics decided to shave heads or cut their hair as short as possible. Inspired by the strong will and the bright smile of that doctor, Yenh wanted to do the same thing: be on the frontline, fighting the pandemic. Vinh Medical University is in Vinh Town, the capital of Nghe An Province. Earlier this month, when the neighboring province of Ha Tinh recorded its first local infections in the fourth wave that broke out in Vietnam on April 27, Yenh decided to apply to be part of the volunteer medical force to fight the pandemic. Lao medical student Yenh Xua Ly. Photo courtesy of Yenh. "Both Laos and Vietnam have been hit by the pandemic. I cannot participate in the fight against it in my home country now, so I will help protect Vietnam," he said. Before submitting his application, Yenh thought that his ability to speak Vietnamese could be a barrier, but then changed his mind. "I think its no big deal. If I don't know something, I will ask people to explain it to me in detail. By volunteering, Ill have a chance to meet more Vietnamese people, which would help improve my Vietnamese language skills." Another sophomore at the Vinh Medical University, Som Oh has also volunteered to be part of the pandemic-fighting force, hoping she can learn from the experiences of others whod joined the fight earlier. Lao medical student Som Oh. Photo courtesy of Som Oh. Though friends told her to carefully consider the decision, Som is determined. "I still want to go and help. As a medical student, I want to share the hardship that other medics out there have suffered, having to work with protective gear in the hot weather." In her application, Som wrote in Vietnamese: "As the pandemic is still developing unpredictably, I as a medical student would like to contribute to protecting public health and contain the disease within the community." Nguyen Anh Duc, a teacher at their school, said more than 1,000 students have applied as volunteers to be part of the Covid-19 frontline force. Of more than 100 Lao students, more than 10 have applied, too. He said the university regularly organizes exchange activities between Vietnamese, Lao, Thai and Cambodian students to strengthen friendships and have cultural exchanges among regional nations. "I am touched by the affection of the students from our neighboring country. They have been through a lot as many havent been able to return home to Laos after the pandemic broke out," he said. For now, it has not been decided who among the 1,000 applicants will go to the frontline as they wish. Neither Yenh nor Som have talked to their families about their application because their loved ones might worry about such a move. After arriving in Vietnam in 2018, the two spent the first nine months studying Vietnamese. As scholarship recipients, they are granted tuition exemption and allowed to stay for free in the schools dormitory. They also receive a monthly stipend of VND2 million ($87). So far, Vietnam has recorded more than 9,600 community coronavirus infections in 41 of 63 localities in the latest Covid-19 wave that began April 27. A barrier is set up to isolate a building in the southern Binh Duong Province after Covid-19 cases were detected, June 18, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Yen Khanh. The Ministry of Health announced 94 more Covid-19 community transmissions in Vietnam Saturday morning, with nearly half in Ho Chi Minh City. The new patients were recorded in HCMC (40 cases), Nghe An (13), Binh Duong (12), Bac Giang (9), Tien Giang (3), Ha Tinh (1) and Da Nang (1). Cases in HCMC include 38 that had had close contact with Covid-19 patients and one linked to the church cluster in Go Vap District. The other case is a female staff at the People's Committee Office in District 7. She was found infected after two of her family members are confirmed positive when having their health checked at a local hospital. The source of transmission of her and her family has not been identified. On Friday alone, the southern metropolis recorded 149 cases of Covid-19, the highest daily tally ever. The city's Center for Disease Control has warned citizens to stay on high alert as for now, that anyone could possibly be the source of transmission. The new cases in northern Bac Ninh Province include eight linked to clusters at industrial parks, five related to a hotspot at Dai Phuc Commune in Bac Ninh Town, one having contact with a Covid-19 patient. The infection source of the remaining one is still unclear. In the north central Nghe An Province, one case is linked to the Quang Chau industrial park in Bac Giang, three had had direct contact with Covid-19 cases, four are linked to a cluster in Dien Chau District and for the rest, the authorities are still looking into the transmission source. The province's capital, Vinh Town, applied social distancing measures from Wednesday, and raised them to a stricter level on Friday after more infections were added. All cases in Binh Duong and Tien Giang in southern Vietnam are linked to previously confirmed patients. The case in Ha Tinh had come into contact with a Covid-19 patient while the source of infection for the one in Da Nang is still being investigated. The case in Da Nang was its first in more than a month. A man drives along a tea hill on O Quy Ho Pass in Sa Pa Town, northern Vietnam. Photo by VnExpress/Tran Doan Huy. Travel magazine Lonely Planet recommended Vietnam in a list of 10 best destinations for lone travelers thanks to its rich cuisine. While Singapore is hailed best for a solo stopover and Indonesia's Ubud best for self-reflection, the magazine crowned Vietnam as 'the creme de la creme for its food." While in Vietnam, solo travelers can mingle with villagers, enjoy local dishes and sip rice wine in its many regional markets, with one of the must-try dishes being banh cuon (steamed rice rolls), it suggested. Steamed rice rolls are a traditional Vietnamese dish easily overlooked by tourists, and overshadowed by the banh mi or pho. The thin noodle sheet is steamed over a thin layer of fabric, on top of boiling water. It is often filled with minced pork and served with a lightly sweetened dipping sauce. For those seeking respite from the bustle and hustle of major cities, the site suggested a trek to hilly resort town Sa Pa. At an altitude of 1,600 meters above sea level, Sa Pa boasts a cool climate all year round and is famous for Mount Fansipan at 3,145 meters (10,311 feet). Other destinations perfect for lone travelers are South America, Berlin, Rome, East Africa and Portland, according to Lonely Planet. A global ranking released last April by American media company U.S. News & World Report found Vietnam stood behind many of its Southeast Asian neighbors in a best solo travel place listing, ranking 46th out of 73 destinations. The nation has stopped all international commercial flights since March 2020 and remains closed to foreign tourists. Visitors entering the country since have mainly been experts, high-tech workers, and investors. Jorge Avila-Hernandez, 31, of Chuachua, New Mexico, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit possession of a controlled substance and was given a suspended sentence of one year in jail and was placed on probation for one year. ----- Jessie Alan James, 22, of Nevada, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit failure to stop at scene or crash involving personal injury or death and was given a suspended sentence of one year in jail, was ordered to pay $46,560.84 restitution and was placed on probation for one year. April 28 Robert Chad Holdaway, 28, of Salt Lake City, Utah, pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon and was sentenced to 1 to 2 years in prison. ----- Tyler Jack Neumann, 30, of Butte, Montana, pleaded guilty to burglary of a motor vehicle and was sentenced to 12 to 30 months in prison. In a separate matter, he pleaded guilty to fraudulent use of a credit card illegally possessed and was sentenced to 12 to 30 months in prison to be served concurrently with the previous sentence. Department 2 Judge Al Kacin April 26 Since PAYGs defeat, Elko County and local governments have applied for a portion of the 75-cents within their $3.64 tax limit that could go into effect next spring and applied to fiscal year budgets starting in 2023. Johnson noted that there would be enough to go around for everyone should the school district win back 50 cents from the expired 75-cent rate in the special election. If voters approve this [bond] proposal, there would be 25 cents available for one or more of the local governments to take in combination based on how the overlapping entities work, he said. According to Johnson, the proposal is flexible enough to issue up to $150 million in bonds but could be set for a lower amount. The money brought in from the 50-cent tax rate would also be placed into a debt service fund to repay the bond and possibly be invested according to state laws on interest earnings. He did not add those numbers into his pro forma submitted to the board. The goal is to have enough funding to pay for projects over the next ten to twenty years and repay the bonds. Southern Nevada Water Authority General Manager John Entsminger said in a statement that the proposal "helps secure the water resources and facilities that SNWA needs to provide reliable and safe water to our customers for decades to come. When Cortez Masto's proposal was introduced, there was little mention of how water factors into plans for future growth or if the conservation components of the bill could have any impact. Roerink said the plan's funding allocations for water infrastructure need to be accompanied by additional serious, realistic modeling" of the Colorado River. When an entity says, Let's go and build some homes in this region,' theres an implication that waters going to be there in perpetuity," he said. Associated Press reporter Suman Naishadham in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report. Metz is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. This story was first published on June 18, 2021. It was updated on June 19, 2021, to correct the title of Marci Henson and the spelling of her first name. She is the Clark County director of Environment and Sustainability, not Air Quality Department director, and her first name is spelled Marci, not Marcie. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Next week, Im going to travel across a bunch of imaginary lines drawn on the ground by politicians. Those lines are called borders, and in the case of my upcoming trip they separate areas known to most as Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire. There are also a bunch of other borders, too numerous to mention, within THOSE borders, separating places called counties, cities, etc. I dont expect to have any problem crossing all those borders. You probably dont have any problem crossing them either. You may cross two or three borders on your way to work, or when you pop out to grab dinner and watch a movie. Chances are you wont be pulled over at any checkpoints to have your papers checked when you cross from Utah into Idaho, or from Cook County into Chicago, to make sure you have permission to cross the imaginary lines. On my own trip, I could decide to stop traveling, rent an apartment, hit the help wanted ads for a job, etc. and nobody would so much as raise an eyebrow (well, nobody but my wife, anyway). AC Milan forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic underwent surgery in Rome on Friday to clean up the inside of his left knee, the Italian club confirmed in a statement. A niggling joint injury prevented the player from being called up for Sweden for Euro 2020. Knee trouble Ibrahimovic, who will turn 40 in October, arrived at Salvator Mundi International Hospital on Friday afternoon and was operated on by Doctors Volker Musahl and Fabrizio Margheritini, under the supervision of Milan Doctor Stefano Mazzoni. The Swede feel injured in May during the Serie A meeting with Juventus. He will begin his rehabilitation in order to be fully fit for the start of the new Serie A season which gets underway on 22 August. It is estimated that he will need a couple of months to recover completely. Milan ended last season as runners-up in Serie A and booked their place in the Champions League after a three-year absence. The three rounds of stimulus checks that have been sent out over the past year provided substantial financial and mental relief to Americans struggling through the economic crisis brought on by the covid-19 pandemic according to a recent analysis. Research performed by Luke Shaefer and Patrick Cooney for Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan looked at data collected by the US Census Bureau in its Household Pulse Survey. The findings stoked renewed calls for programs to put money directly into the pockets of Americans. However, those calls are mitigated by the facts on the ground with the economy reopening and recovering at a faster than expected clip. As well the high price tag of such measures in addition to the ambitious $4 trillion investment proposals by the White House. Despite more than 80 congressional lawmakers urging for their inclusion in President Bidens Build Back Better plan, there most likely isnt enough support among the rest of the Democratic caucus for any new stimulus payments right now. Progressives push for more direct payments to Americans There are many voices calling for additional payments from the public to economists and in Congress. A petition on Change.org calling on Congress and President Biden to provide $2,000 per month recurring payments to Americans has gathered over 2.3 million signatures. The White House has received three letters from congressional lawmakers urging the inclusion of recurring stimulus checks until the end of the pandemic. There are proposals for automatic stabilizers and legislation for recurring payments has been reintroduced in the House. The New York Times first reported on the results of the University of Michigan study which prompted progressives in Congress to share the report saying it makes the case for recurring payments and Universal Basic Income (UBI). Representative Pramila Jayapal, the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus tweeted "Putting money in people's pockets WORKS. We can and MUST continue to enact people-first policies that improve lives." Representative Rashida Tlaib, a vice chair of the Progressive Caucus who along with Rep. Jayapal have reintroduced the ABC Act which would send Americans recurring direct payments tweeted "If anything, the survival checks proved what advocates have been saying and demanding." Their voices were joined by Representative Ilhan Omar, the Progressive Caucus' whip tweeting "A case study for implementing #UBI." As well as Senator Bernie Sanders with the message Yes. Government can and should continue to address the needs of working people, not just the 1%. When could a fourth stimulus check be approved? President Biden has presented the next two phases of his Build Back Better plan which would see an additional $4 trillion in spending on infrastructure and American families. Both pieces of legislation are expected to encounter headwinds from Republicans because of the sheer size of the plans. The White House called off negotiations with GOP senators over his American Jobs Plan after the counter offer from Republican negotiators was seen as insufficient and lacking core proposals. A bipartisan group of 20 senators has reached an initial agreement on a framework for an $1 trillion infrastructure investment package but progressive members of Congress have slammed it for not tackling the challenges that climate change presents. Republican lawmakers want the legislation to focus on traditional infrastructure, negating any likelihood that a stimulus check or other form of direct payment could get into the bill if the White House wants Republicans to support a final legislative proposal. This has got to be the meat and potatoes of infrastructure: roads, bridges, and ports, and thats what were trying to push, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said. Lawmakers push for direct payments as part of American Families Plan The focus for more social spending seems to be focused on the American Families Plan, the White Houses proposal for investing in the American family. President Biden unveiled his $1.8 trillion investment in education, child care and paid family leave in April. It isnt clear when Congress would take up the proposal as lawmakers are working through the details of the infrastructure bill. This proposal would encounter even stronger opposition from GOP lawmakers with the increased taxes on the wealthy that are included and the larger role the state would take in everyday life. Democrats would most likely seek to pass the bill before the end of the year to include expanded tax provisions from the American Rescue Plan that only apply to the 2021 fiscal year. In order to get the bill through the evenly split Senate would require support from at least 10 Republicans unless Democrats use budget reconciliation as they did with the American Rescue Plan. The parliamentary process allowed Democrats to pass the legislation without the threat of the filibuster using a simple majority vote. However, centrist Democrats, in particular Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, have expressed reluctance to use that process and want the legislation to be bipartisan. Furthermore, using reconciliation would limit what could go into the bill as with the $15 per hour minimum wage hike that was removed from the American Rescue Plan after the Senate parliamentarian judged that it didnt meet the requirements to be included. A lot will depend on how the economy recovers into the summer and fall and whether there will be the impetus for additional stimulus checks. Currently there is more focus on continuing the enhanced Child Tax Credit for 2021 that will begin sending households with children monthly direct payments starting in July. President Biden has proposed extending the expansion until 2025, while the congressional Democrats want to make it permanent. As for a fourth stimulus check Yeva Nersisyan, Associate Professor of Economics at Franklin & Marshall College told CBS lets see if people still need more assistance. Lets see how the economys doing as things keep opening up and the vaccination rates go up and things go back to some sense of normal. And lets see where the unemployment numbers are. Are people still running behind on their rents and mortgages and so on? And based on that, lets decide whether we need to inject more spending into the economy. I would say wait and see right now. Louisiana has become the latest state to announce that they will remove the $300-a-week additional unemployment benefits payments, becoming the first Democrat-led state to do so. Gov. John Bel Edwards had said previously that he was considering cancelling the additional, federally-funded payment and he signed the legislation into law on Wednesday. For Louisiana residents the extra support will only be available until 31 July, the date on which the states schools are reopening. The move will see roughly 48,000 jobless residents denied access to the programme which was set to continue until early September. Some local business have come out in support of the move, which they say will encourage people back into the workforce, but it has been criticised by many advocacy groups. Louisiana currently has one of the lowest maximum unemployment benefits in the United States, offering just $247-a-week. In announcing the states withdrawal from the additional payments programmes, Edwards said the basic figure would be upped to $275-a-week from 2022. Eight states will cancel additional unemployment benefits this weekend Louisiana will join the 25 Republican-led states to opt out of the federal programmes, four of which ended their participation on 12 June. The latest batch to withdraw will see eight states cancel the programme from 19 June. Those states are Alabama, Idaho, Indiana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming, meaning that an estimated 417,000 unemployed people will be denied access to the vital payments. The states are voluntarily withdrawing from the additional unemployment benefits because they claim that it is incentivising people to remain out of work. At a time when businesses are looking to recover state governors have argued that the extra $300 weekly payments are making it tougher for businesses to find workers and reopen. Indiana lawsuit challenges the decision to cancel additional unemployment benefits More than half of all states have now announced their intention to withdraw from the pandemic-era benefits boost, but there are efforts underway to reverse that decision. Indiana is due to end participation in the programme from 19 June but earlier this week a lawsuit filed by Indiana Legal Services, an organisation which provides free legal assistance, and the Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis is challenging the decision. The complaint was filed in Marion County Superior Court last Monday, and claims: "By prematurely deciding to stop administering these federal benefits, Indiana has violated the clear mandates of Indiana's unemployment statuteto secure all rights and benefits available for unemployed individuals." The lawsuit calls for an injunction which would see the payments continue until the case has been heard. However, as of Saturday morning, it had not been successful in extending the support. Thanks to a scholarship granted by the Chinese government, I was able to travel to China for the second time after more than 10 years. During the period I was trained, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Mechanization Sciences organized several field trips. On one trip, our group of 22 participants and three staff members took the train to Kaifeng North station in Central China's Henan province and made out way to the Yuwangtai Project site. Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn I saw the rapid development in Henan's economy over the past two decades. This rapid growth was transformed with infrastructure facilities that match other provinces. Henan has a semi-industrialized economy, with agriculture playing a major role. According to past records Henan has the highest wheat and sesame production in China and is the second-highest rice output producer. This province also is an important producer of beef, cotton, maize, pork, animal oil and corn. Food production and processing is the province's secondary industry. Traditionally, Henan has been based on domestic industries but recent developments have diversified its industrial sector. Henan is actively trying to build its economy around the provincial capital of Zhengzhou. It is hoped that the province may become an important transportation and manufacturing hub in China. Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn Henan's service sector is now expanding with finance, commerce and accommodation facilities for residents and tourists that are largely concentrated in urban centers such as Zhengzhou and Luoyang. The Chinese government established a number of development zones in all of the major cities here to promote industries. Henan has some of the most advanced transportation systems in China due to its flat terrain and its location in the heart of Central China. The Jingguang and Longhai railways, the nation's two most important, run through most of the province and intersect in Zhengzhou. A high-speed railway links Zhengzhou with Xi'an. Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn Kaifeng belongs to the continental monsoon climate of a temperate zone and has four distinct seasons, with moderate rainfall. There are no mountains but plenty of rivers and lakes in Kaifeng city. Kaifeng is closer to the Yellow River in the north and adjoins the plain of the Yellow River and the Huai River in the south, and now it has become a key tourism city. At the project site, managers Jason Guo and Alex Lee explained the project to us. It covers an area of about 267 hectares with a total investment of $150 million. The power generated is incorporated into the national grid. It can generate about 140,000,000 KWh a year, or about 3.5 billion KWh within the next 25 years. It will save 62,000 tons of standard coal per year, and reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by 1,500 ton per year and carbon dioxide emissions by 160,000 tons per year. The power station will produce 120MW to the nation. Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn The project was built relying on greenhouses. It can improve the efficiency of farm land without changing its basic use. Farmers can rent farmland to the operating company and go to work. The company plants commercial crops and herbs, such as peonies, chrysanthemums, privets, ginger and so on. Part of the farmland also will be developed into a tourist destination where visitors can pick their own vegetables and fruits. The other part of the farmland will be used for sprout breeding. This area will be a demonstration of high-efficient farmland. The project combines produced agriculture commodities, agro-tourism and photovoltaic power generation that promote clean energy. This project is contracted by China Machinery International Engineering Design & Research Institute, Co Ltd and the owner of the project is Huaxin Co. I was fortunate to visit this place. The author has worked as a farm mechanical instructor over the past 30 years at the Department of Agriculture in Sri Lanka and is a freelance writer for leading National Level (Sinhala) newspapers and magazines in Sri Lanka. NEW YORK -- Chinese vaccines have helped some developing countries in Asia push forward their vaccination drives, the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week. Indonesia is heavily reliant on shots made by the Chinese company Sinovac Biotech Ltd, Cambodia has largely used two China-made vaccines to achieve one of the region's highest inoculation level, and the Philippines expects to increase vaccinations with more doses arriving this month, more than half of which will be Chinese, according to the report. The region's residents will remember "how China locked down quickly, got its own issues under control and provided vaccines," Evan Laksmana, a senior researcher at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Indonesia, was quoted as saying. Chinese vaccines have also filled part of the void in South Asia, where countries were counting on AstraZeneca shots manufactured in India, but a severe surge in COVID-19 cases there disrupted those supplies, said the journal. Meanwhile, the report said governments in the West focused just on getting their own populations inoculated after millions of doses arrived. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki denied media statements about the alleged suspension of U.S. military aid to Ukraine. "The idea that we have held back security assistance to Ukraine is nonsense. Just last week in the run-up to the U.S.-Russia Summit we provided a $150 million package of security assistance, including lethal assistance. We have now provided the entire amount appropriated by Congress through the Ukraine security assistance initiative," Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement released on the White House website on Saturday. Psaki said that two days before the Summit, President Biden stood on the stage before the entire world at NATO and said that we would keep putting Ukraine "in the position to be able to continue to resist Russian physical aggression." "We have also prepared contingency funds in the event of a further Russian incursion into Ukraine. As President Biden told President Putin directly, we will support unwaveringly in support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," the press secretary said. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba met with Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum. "Dmytro Kuleba and Zbigniew Rau confirmed that the Russian project Nord Stream 2 poses threats to the security of both countries and Europe as a whole, and coordinated positions to oppose its implementation," the MFA press service said. The sides also discussed preparations for the meeting of the Lublin Triangle, which will take place in Vilnius soon. Kuleba expressed gratitude for Poland's continued support for Ukraine's course towards EU and NATO membership and discussed with Rau further steps that the Alliance can take to accelerate Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration and strengthen the defense capability of our state. Russian-occupation forces in the area of the Joint Force Operation (JFO) in Donbas violated the ceasefire by placing tanks in violation of the withdrawal lines, the JFO headquarters said, citing data from the OSCE daily report of June 17. "On the territory temporarily not controlled by the government of Ukraine in the village of Boikivske, Donetsk region, five T-64 tanks were deployed in violation of the withdrawal lines," the JFO headquarters said on the Facebook page. In addition, the Russian armed formations continue to obstruct the work of observers in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. In particular, at a entry-exit checkpoint near occupied Besarabka, a Russian-occupation fighter ordered the Mission's team to leave the area, referring to "measures due to COVID-19." At the same time, the observers noted the fact of free movement of civilian vehicles in both directions. Due to the obstruction of the signal of both GPS modules by the Russian armed formations in the area of the Stepanivka settlement in the territory controlled by the Ukrainian government, the Mission canceled a long-range UAV flight. In occupied Horlivka, enemies fired on a UAV, after which OSCE SMM monitors landed the aircraft and left the area. "The above facts testify to the attempt of the Russian occupation forces to limit the work of the Special Monitoring Mission to the maximum extent possible in the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Such actions are unacceptable and contradict the SMM's mandate, which provides for safe and unhindered access of the Mission throughout Ukraine," JFO headquarters said. Britney Spears says she doesn't know whether she'll ever perform again Britney Spears arrives at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards in New York, U.S., (Photo : REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo) Britney Spears says she has no idea whether she will ever perform again. Spears, who has not performed in public since late 2018 and is under a court-ordered conservatorship, made the statement in a video post on her Instagram page where she answered three questions that she said had been posed by her fans. Advertisement "Am I ready to take the stage again? Will I ever take the stage again," Spears, 39, said in the video posted on Thursday. "I have no idea. I'm having fun right now, I'm in a transition in my life and I'm enjoying myself. So, " she said. Her comments follow repeated pleas by fans for reassurance that she is well amid growing conspiracy theories that she is being kept against her will and is sending cryptic messages for help through her prolific Instagram posts. They also come a week ahead of her plans to address the Los Angeles court overseeing the conservatorship that has managed her personal and business affairs since her mental health breakdown in 2008. Spears on Thursday did not speak about the conservatorship but she answered two other questions that she said fans had asked. One was about her favorite business trip (to Italy where she stayed with designer Donatella Versace.) The other was about her shoe size (a size 7.) Spears last performed in public in October 2018 at the Formula One Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, at the end of her "Piece of Me" world tour. Foxconn Technology Group founder and chairman, Terry Gou, speaks during a news conference after his trip to the U.S (Photo : REUTERS/Tyrone Siu) Taiwan will allow Terry Gou, the billionaire founder of Taiwan's Foxconn, and TSMC to negotiate on its behalf for COVID-19 vaccines, a government spokesman said on Friday, but warned there was no guarantee of success. Taiwan is trying to speed up the arrival of the millions of vaccines it has on order as it deals with a rise in domestic cases, although infections remain comparatively low. Only around 6% of Taiwan's 23.5 million people have received at least one of the two-shot coronavirus vaccine regimen. Advertisement The government has come under pressure to allow private firms to buy vaccines, and said while it welcomes the idea and is willing to help, they have to provide proof from vaccine producers they have shots and are willing to sell them. Speaking to reporters after Gou said he was seeking a meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen to discuss his plans to buy 5 million shots from Germany's BioNTech SE, Cabinet spokesman Lo Ping-cheng said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC) wanted to donate an equal amount. Lo said BioNTech had told Gou, who wants to make the purchase through his Yonglin Education Foundation, on Wednesday they will only sell vaccines to governments. "A good method is for the government to, under this framework, authorise TSMC and the Yonglin Education Foundation to buy them and then donate to the government," he said. He said the government was, with the help of the German government, continuing its own talks with BioNTech, adding there was no guarantee Gou or anyone else would succeed. "Even if Mr. Gou can discuss this with the original manufacturer or an agent, can he get them to sell sufficient vaccines? Honestly, nobody knows." TSMC said it "confirmed the initiative", but offered no other details. BioNTech declined to comment. Presidential office spokesman Xavier Chang said Tsai had met Gou and TSMC Chairman Mark Liu on Friday to discuss their proposals in a "good and friendly" atmosphere. "We all hope that it is produced in the original factory with the original packaging and will be delivered directly to Taiwan," he said, referring to the BioNTech shots. Gou's spokesperson Amanda Liu said after the meeting that a "consensus was reached on key issues", and quoted Gou as saying "It's a daunting mission and there's a long way to go and we will do our best!" Taiwan's own deal with BioNTech fell through this year, with the government blaming it on pressure from Beijing. China has denied the accusation, saying Taiwan is free to obtain the vaccines through Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co Ltd, which has a contract with BioNTech to sell the vaccines in China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Taiwan has been dealing directly with BioNTech in Germany, saying it does not trust vaccines from China. Shieh Jhy-wey, Taiwan's de facto ambassador in Berlin, said that Germany's Economy Ministry had appointed officials to talk directly with BioNTech, adding the company had told him they were willing to sell vaccines to Taiwan directly from Europe. Germany's Economy Ministry declined to comment. Japan donated 1.24 million AstraZeneca Plc shots to Taiwan this month and the United States has pledged 750,000 doses, although it has not given details, all on top of vaccines Taiwan has already ordered. Another 240,000 Moderna Inc doses arrived in Taiwan later on Friday. U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen and Mexican Finance Minister Arturo Herrera Gutierrez speak before a bilateral meeting at the U.S. Department of the Treasury in Washington, U.S (Photo : REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein) U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen met with Mexican finance minister Arturo Herrera on Thursday, stressing the importance of securing support from the Group of 20 major economies for a proposed global minimum tax, the Treasury said in a statement. Yellen, whose proposal for a global minimum tax of at least 15% has won the backing of the Group of Seven advanced economies, is now urging G20 countries - including Mexico and China - to support the plan when they meet in Venice in July. Advertisement Yellen told U.S. lawmakers that Washington would not agree to any type of special treatment for China or other countries that would weaken a global minimum tax regime. G7 finance officials on June 5 agreed to support a minimum corporate tax rate of at least 15%, a move endorsed by G7 leaders on Sunday. In her discussion with Herrera, Yellen also affirmed the Treasury's commitment to deepen cooperation with Mexico on illicit finance and to work together to address root causes of migration from northern Central America, Treasury said. Herrera, who met with Yellen in Washington, said the two officials discussed the possible approval and implementation of the global minimum tax rate, but gave no details. He also said they discussed economic recovery in the region, including in Central America. Treasury said Yellen reviewed ongoing efforts in both countries to address the COVID-19 pandemic and to support a robust economic recovery. The Federal Reserve on Thursday forecast the U.S. economy would grow 7% in 2021, which should help the Mexican economy given extensive trade ties between the two neighboring countries. Herrera also met with International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva for what she described in a tweet as a "very productive in-person meeting on the global and regional economic recovery." Plane carrying then U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo makes its landing approach on Pohnpei International Airport in Kolonia, (Photo : REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst) A World Bank-led project declined to award a contract to lay sensitive undersea communications cables after Pacific island governments heeded U.S. warnings that participation of a Chinese company posed a security threat, two sources told Reuters. The former Huawei Marine Networks, now called HMN Technologies and majority owned by Shanghai-listed Hengtong Optic-Electric Co Ltd, submitted a bid for the $72.6 million project priced at more than 20% below rivals Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN), part of Finland's Nokia, and Japan's NEC, the sources said. Advertisement The East Micronesia Cable system was designed to improve communications in the island nations of Nauru, Kiribati and Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), by providing underwater infrastructure with a far greater data capacity than satellites. Two sources with direct knowledge of the tender told Reuters that the project reached a stalemate due to security concerns raised within the island nations over HMN Tech's bid. The project's planned connection to a sensitive cable leading to Guam, a U.S. territory with substantial military assets, heightened those security concerns. "Given there was no tangible way to remove Huawei as one of the bidders, all three bids were deemed non-compliant," one of those sources said. The source said that HMN Tech was in a strong position to win the bid due to the terms overseen by the development agencies, prompting those wary of Chinese involvement to find an expedient solution to end the tender. The World Bank said in a statement to Reuters that it was working with the respective governments to map out the next steps. "The process has concluded without an award due to non-responsiveness to the requirements of the bidding documents," the Washington-based multilateral lender said. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement to Reuters that all parties should provide a non-discriminatory business environment that companies from all countries, including China, can participate in. "As a matter of principle, I want to emphasise that Chinese companies have always maintained an excellent record in cyber security," the spokesperson said. "The Chinese government has always encouraged Chinese companies to engage in foreign investment and cooperation according to market principles, international regulations and local laws." The three island nations involved in the project were represented on the bid assessment committee. Development agencies typically review the committee's recommendations to ensure the selected bidder complies with the agencies' policies and procedures. A second development bank involved in the project, the Asian Development Bank, referred questions from Reuters to the World Bank as the lead agency. HMN Tech and Hengtong Group, the parent company, did not respond to emailed questions. A representative who answered the phone at HMN Tech declined to comment. A spokesman for Nokia-owned ASN told Reuters the company was not authorised to comment on confidential information. NEC did not respond to questions. (Graphic: Submarine Cables in the Pacific, https://graphics.reuters.com/CHINA-PACIFIC/dgkvlqbmmpb/SUBMARINE-CABLES.jpg) U.S. CONCERNS During the bidding process last year, Washington detailed its concerns in a diplomatic note sent to FSM, which has military defence arrangements with the United States under a decades-old agreement. The note said Chinese firms posed a security threat because they are required to co-operate with Beijing's intelligence and security services, an assertion rejected by China. In separate correspondence, prominent U.S. lawmakers warned that the Chinese government subsidises companies, undermining tenders like those run by development agencies. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to questions on Thursday. While the warnings were issued during the Trump administration, there's been no apparent change to the U.S. position on the issue under the new government. The project was designed to connect to the HANTRU-1 undersea cable, a line primarily used by the U.S. government that connects to Guam. Washington has pressed governments around the world to squeeze Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei Technologies out of supplying critical infrastructure, alleging the company would hand over data to the Chinese government for spying, a charge consistently denied by the company. The U.S. Commerce Department publicly lists Huawei Marine on its so-called "Entity List" - known as a blacklist - which restricts the sale of U.S. goods and technology to the company. The Department did not immediately respond to questions on whether the change in Huawei Marine's ownership changed this status. Nauru, which has strong ties to Australia and is a Pacific ally to Taiwan, initially raised concerns over the bid lodged by the Chinese company. The third island nation involved in the project, Kiribati, has forged strong bilateral ties with Beijing in recent years, which includes drawing up plans to upgrade a remote airstrip. A spokesman for FSM said the government was unable to comment on the project. Representatives of Nauru and Kiribati did not respond to questions. Egypt has congratulated Antonio Guterres on his re-election as UN secretary general for a second five-year term. We look forward to continuing cooperation with the UN regarding regional and international issues to promote security, stability and prosperity, foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Hafez tweeted late on Friday. Guterres, who was nominated by homeland Portugal and appointed by acclamation by the General Assembly following an earlier endorsement by the UN Security Council, was the sole candidate from the UNs 193 Member States to compete for the post. This will be his second term after his first began in January 2017. His second term will run from January 2022 to December 2026. I am deeply honoured and grateful for the trust placed in me to serve as the Secretary-General of the United Nations for a second term. Serving the UN is an immense privilege and a most noble duty, he tweeted following his re-election on Friday. Short link: The Canada-Egypt Parliamentary Friendship Group (CEPFG) has voiced its deep concern over the deadlock in negotiations regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). According to a statement circulated by the Egyptian foreign ministry on Saturday, the CEPFG said Ethiopia's plan to implement the second phase of the filling of the dam without reaching an agreement with the two downstream countries, Egypt and Sudan, violates the Declaration of Principles (DoP), signed in 2015 and relevant international law articles. The CEPFG, representing different political parties in Canada, stressed that the Nile water is important to Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, noting the Nile is the sole source of water for more than 105 million Egyptians It voiced its regret that Ethiopia intends to fill the dam for the second time regardless of the negotiations, adding that this poses grave threats to the use of water in Egypt and Sudan. The parliamentary association called for not taking any unilateral measures by Ethiopia, which would hinder the negotiations and destabilize the East Africa region. Canada can play a diplomatic role in helping parties concerned reach a just solution to the crisis, it further said. For his part, Egyptian Ambassador to Canada Ahmed Abu Zeid thanked the CEPFG members for following up on the important issue and its keenness on supporting negotiations to reach a legally binding and comprehensive deal on filling and operating the disputed dam in a move meant to achieve the interests of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. Egypt and Sudan have been negotiating for almost a decade now with Ethiopia to reach a legally binding and comprehensive deal on the GERDs construction, which Addis Ababa started to build on the Blue Nile in 2011. Ethiopias rejection of several proposals by Egypt and Sudan on the negotiation mechanism, which includes international quartet mediation, has led to the collapse of the Kinshasa talks sponsored by the AU in April. Egypts 100 million-plus population depends on the Nile for over 95 percent of its fresh water. Sudan fears the GERD will put the operation of its Roseires dam and the lives of 20 million Sudanese citizens at a very high risk if an agreement regulating the operation and filling of GERD is not reached before the second filling of the dam in July. Short link: Egypts Ministry of Interior has urged citizens to swiftly install the electronic data stickers on their vehicles, warning that penalties for failing to do will be effective starting September . The penalties include the withdrawal of the license for up to three months, or imprisonment for up to six months and/or a fine of up to EGP 1,500, the ministry said in a statement. The penalties are also applicable for deliberately hiding or damaging the sticker. The sticker system was launched in June 2020 with the aim of making it easier to register all vehicles in a single database. The sticker, which is fixed to windshields, can be read by special infrared devices at traffic lights and by traffic officers on the streets as it has a SIM card that holds the vehicle's data to allow authorities to track violations and expired licenses. The move is part of a broader drive to tighten traffic regulations and improve traffic services in Egypt. In a separate statement Saturday, the ministry said it recorded 249,738 traffic violations over the past seven days. Up to 353 drivers were arrested for testing positive to drugs, the ministry added. Short link: Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi inspected on Saturday a number of multi-tasking armoured vehicles manufactured by the Armed Forces. El-Sisi was accompanied by Defence Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Mohamed Zaki, Chief of Staff Mohamed Farid, and head of the Vehicles Department at the Armed Forces, stated Presidential Spokesperson Bassam Rady. The tour included a detailed explanation of the various stages of production, from design to laboratory tests, design approval all through the manufacturing stage that takes into account the highest quality standards, Rady said. El-Sisi also held a meeting on Saturday with Zaki, Farid, and a number of leaders from the Armed Forces. The meeting tackled the General Command's plan to raise the efficiency, training, and qualifications of the Armed Forces according to the latest technologies in the fields of training and armament, Rady noted. The president also discussed the latest developments pertaining to the participation of the Armed Forces in the "Decent Life" initiative, which aims to improve the living conditions in the countryside. El-Sisi reviewed the collaborative efforts of the Armed Forces with state institutions to develop Egyptian villages in record time using the latest technologies to serve the goal of the initiative. The Decent Life initiative, launched in 2019, aims to improve the standard of living, infrastructure, and basic services, of vast swathes of the countryside. The Egyptian countryside will be transformed in three years time, El-Sisi said in January when the second phase of the initiative to develop 4,500 rural villages was launched. The 4,500 villages of the second phase are home to 50 million citizens, and are being developed at a cost of EGP 515 billion, according to the official spokesperson and director of the Decent Life initiative at the Ministry of Social Solidarity Khaled Abdel-Fattah. By the end of FY 2023-24, all the stages of the Decent Life initiative will have been completed, Abdel-Fattah said. El-Sisi stressed on Saturday it is imperative to meet the deadline of the initiative to benefit the public and achieve sustainable development nationwide, Rady added. Short link: Libyas Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush praised on Saturday the Egyptian role in ensuring the success of the Libyan dialogue, ending divisions, reaching a ceasefire and supporting stability in the North African country. Mangoushs remarks came in a joint press conference with her Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry, who received her in the Egyptian foreign ministry headquarters in Cairo on Saturday. Egyptian-Libyan relations are distinguished on all levels, Mangoush said, adding that she is looking forward to Egypt's support for stability in Libya. The Libyan minister welcomed the arrival of an Egyptian delegation in Libya to reopen the Cairo embassy in Tripoli and its consulate in Benghazi. Moreover, she noted that there are many security and economic challenges facing the political process in Libya, in addition to the legacy of divisions. Mangoushs visit is the result of an official invitation in April from Shoukry. The invitation, according to a previous statement by Egyptian foreign ministry, comes within the framework of continuing consultation and coordination on strengthening the pillars of stability in Libya, and also in light of the extended historic relations between the two countries. From his side, Shoukry reaffirmed Egypt's support for the Libyan interim executive authority, noting that he discussed with Mangoush the efforts to restore security and stability in Libya, advancing relations between the two countries, and efforts to achieve cooperation and meet the interests of the two peoples. Egypt calls for the exit of mercenaries and all foreign forces from Libya without any procrastination, Shoukry said. Earlier in the day, the two top diplomats held discussions that focused on issues of mutual concern and the latest developments in Libya, as well as pushing forward with the agreed measures of the political process, including holding elections at the end of 2021. The Egyptian minister said that he discussed with his Libyan counterpart the ongoing preparations for the Berlin II conference on Libya in order to make it a success. In the presence of Libya's transitional government, Germany will host a new set of Libyan peace talks on 23 June in Berlin, where preparations for national elections planned for 24 December as well as the withdrawal of foreign troops and mercenaries from Libya will be discussed. In 2020, Berlin hosted the first round of the UN-sponsored talks on Libya, which was thrown into a decade of violence following the 2011 overthrow of leader Muammar Gaddafi. Ethiopians will vote Monday in a landmark election overshadowed by reports of famine in the countrys war-hit Tigray region and beset by logistical problems that mean some people wont be able to vote until September. The election is the centerpiece of a reform drive by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, whose rise to power in 2018 seemed to signal a break with decades of authoritarian rule and led to his Nobel Peace Prize the following year. He has described the poll as the nations first attempt at free and fair elections. Abiys ruling Prosperity Party, formed in 2019 by merging groups who made up the previous ruling coalition, is widely expected to cement its hold on power. The party that wins a majority of seats in the House of Peoples Representatives will form the next government. We will secure Ethiopias unity, Abiy said ahead of his final campaign rally on Wednesday, repeating his vow of a free and fair election after past votes were marred by allegations of fraud. But opposition groups have accused Ethiopias ruling party of harassment, manipulation and threats of violence that echo abuses of the past. And Abiy is facing growing international criticism over the war in Ethiopias northern Tigray region. Thousands of civilians have been killed and more than 2 million people have been displaced since fighting broke out in November between Ethiopian forces, backed by ones from neighboring Eritrea, and those supporting the now-fugitive Tigray leaders. Last week, humanitarian agencies warned that 350,000 people in Tigray are on the brink of famine, a crisis that several diplomats have described as manmade amid allegations of forced starvation. Ethiopias government has rejected the figure and says food aid has reached 5.2 million in the region of 6 million. No date has been set for voting in Tigrays 38 constituencies, where military personnel who usually play a key role in transporting election materials across Africas second-most populous country are busy with the conflict. Meanwhile, voting has been postponed until September in 64 out of 547 constituencies throughout Ethiopia because of insecurity, defective ballot papers and opposition allegations of irregularities. Outbreaks of ethnic violence have also killed hundreds of people in the Amhara, Oromia and Benishangul-Gumuz regions in recent months. Some prominent opposition parties are boycotting the election. Others say they have been prevented from campaigning in several parts of the country. There have been gross violations, Yusef Ibrahim, vice president of the National Movement of Amhara, said earlier this month. He said his party had been effectively banned from campaigning in several regions, with some party members arrested and banners destroyed. Neither officials with the Prosperity Party nor Abiys office responded to requests for comment on such allegations. Ethiopia last year postponed the election, citing the COVID-19 pandemic, adding to the tensions with Tigrays former leaders. Recently the vote was delayed again by several weeks amid technical problems involving ballot papers and a lack of polling station officials. Abiys Prosperity Party has registered 2,432 candidates in the election, which will see Ethiopians voting for both national and regional representatives. The next largest party, Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice, is fielding 1,385 candidates. A total of 47 parties are contesting the election. But on Sunday, five opposition parties released a joint statement saying that campaigning outside the capital, Addis Ababa, has been marred by serious problems, including killings, attempted killings and beatings of candidates. Two prominent opposition parties, the Oromo Liberation Front and the Oromo Federalist Congress, are boycotting the vote. Its going to be a sham election, OFC chairman Merera Gudina said earlier this month. That means the Prosperity Party will face little competition in Oromia, Ethiopias most populous state. Several prominent OFC members remain behind bars after a wave of unrest last year sparked by the killing of a popular Oromo musician, and the OLFs leader is under house arrest. The leader of the Balderas Party for True Democracy, Eskinder Nega, was also detained and is contesting the election from prison. Getnet Worku, secretary general of the newly established ENAT party, said earlier this month it is not standing candidates in several constituencies because the threat of violence is too high, asserting that armed militias organized by local officials frequently broke up rallies. There are growing international concerns over whether the elections will be fair. The European Union has said it will not observe the vote after its requests to import communications equipment were denied. In response, Ethiopia said external observers are neither essential nor necessary to certify the credibility of an election, although it has since welcomed observers deployed by the African Union. Last week the U.S. State Department said it is gravely concerned about the environment under which these upcoming elections are to be held, citing detention of opposition politicians, harassment of independent media, partisan activities by local and regional governments, and the many interethnic and inter-communal conflicts across Ethiopia. Abiys appointment as prime minister in 2018 was initially greeted by an outburst of optimism both at home and abroad. Shortly after taking office, he freed tens of thousands of political prisoners, allowed the return of exiled opposition groups and rolled back punitive laws that targeted civil society. In 2019 he won the Nobel Peace Prize in part for those reforms and for making peace with Eritrea by ending a long-running border standoff. But critics say Ethiopias political space has started to shrink again. The government denies the accusation. Several prominent opposition figures accused of inciting unrest are behind bars. While opening a sugar factory earlier this month, Abiy accused traitors and outsiders of working to undermine Ethiopia. This week his spokeswoman, Billene Seyoum, described the election as a chance for citizens to exercise their democratic rights and accused international media of mounting a character assassination of the prime minister. Short link: Ethiopia's leaders in closed-door talks with a European Union special envoy earlier this year said ``they are going to wipe out the Tigrayans for 100 years,'' the envoy said this week, warning that such an aim ``looks for us like ethnic cleansing.'' The remarks by Pekka Haavisto, Finland's foreign minister, describing his talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and other ministers in February are some of the most critical yet of the Ethiopian government's conduct of the conflict in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region. They came in a question-and-answer session Tuesday with a European Parliament committee. Ethiopia's foreign ministry dismissed Haavisto's comments as ``ludicrous'' and a ``hallucination of sorts or a lapse in memory of some kind.'' Haavisto's special adviser, Otto Turtonen, told The Associated Press that the envoy ``has no further comment on this matter.'' For months, Haavisto has served as the EU's special envoy on Ethiopia. In February he said he had ``two intensive days in substantive meetings'' with Abiy _ the Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2019 _ and other ``key ministers'' about the growing humanitarian crisis in Tigray, where thousands of civilians have been killed and famine has begun in a region of some 6 million people. Ethiopian and allied forces from neighboring Eritrea have been accused of atrocities while pursuing fighters supporting Tigray's former leaders. It is not clear from Haavisto's remarks this week which Ethiopian officials made the comments about wiping out ethnic Tigrayans. ``When I met the Ethiopian leadership in February they really used this kind of language, that they are going to destroy the Tigrayans, they are going to wipe out the Tigrayans for 100 years and so forth,`` the envoy said. ``If you wipe out your national minority, well, what is it?`` Haavisto added. ``You cannot destroy all the people, you cannot destroy all the population in Tigray. And I think that's very obvious, that we have to react, because it looks for us like ethnic cleansing. It is a very, very serious act if this is true.`` In comments shortly after those February meetings, Haavisto had warned that the crisis in Tigray appeared to be spiraling out of control. The United Nations human rights office has said all sides in the conflict have been accused of abuses, but witnesses have largely blamed Ethiopian and Eritrean forces for forced starvation, mass expulsions, gang rapes and more. Haavisto's remarks emerged as Ethiopia prepares to vote in a national election on Monday, the first major test at the polls for Abiy as he seeks to centralize power under his Prosperity Party. Abiy was awarded the Nobel a year after he took office and introduced dramatic political reforms while sidelining Tigray leaders who had dominated Ethiopia's government for years in a coalition with other ethnic-based parties. Months of growing tensions between Abiy's government and Tigray's ruling party followed, and the prime minister in November accused Tigray forces of attacking a military base. The EU and the United States have been outspoken about Tigray, with the U.S. last month announcing it has started restricting visas for government and military officials of Ethiopia and Eritrea who are seen as undermining efforts to resolve the fighting. The U.S. earlier this year asserted that ethnic cleansing is occurring in western Tigray. The term refers to forcing a population from a region through expulsions and other violence, often including killings and rapes. ``It is critical that leaders within the EU are raising the alarm bell,'' Human Rights Watch researcher Laetitia Bader told the AP. ``There is now ample evidence of widespread atrocities having been committed against civilians in Tigray. ... But so far the international response is nowhere near matching the magnitude of the crisis.'' She called on the EU to take ``further concrete steps, bilaterally and in international fora, to prevent further atrocities and human suffering.'' Short link: The first conference, convened in January 2020, aimed to promote a ceasefire in the conflict over Tripoli and forge a roadmap to enable the creation of a new interim executive to manage the country until parliamentary and presidential elections were held by December 2021. Despite the progress that has been made since then, there remain sharp differences between the main Libyan stakeholders over the steps that need to be taken to hold the elections. There is a strong chance that the second Berlin Conference could yield substantial changes in the Berlin roadmap in order to avert failure and a possible slide back into war. It took over half a year after Berlin I for the parties to reach a ceasefire. Once it took hold, the UN sponsored the creation of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF), an assembly of representatives of different components of Libyan society charged with forming the new executive. After a series of meetings in Tunis and Geneva from November 2020 through the first months of this year, the LPDF succeeded in creating a new Libyan Presidency Council and a new Government of National Unity (GNU) and in reunifying the divided Libyan House of Representatives (HoR). The reunified parliament convened in March to give a vote of confidence to the new government, although its members are still at odds over the measures in the roadmap. In order for elections to go ahead as planned on 24 December, Libyan lawmakers and other decision-makers still need to agree on the budget for the new executive authority, fill several key offices, approve the legal basis for the elections and draw up the electoral laws for the parliamentary and presidential elections. One camp is also insisting on a constitutional referendum before the elections are held. Some security-related steps also have to be taken to ensure a safe climate for the elections, among them unifying the military and security establishments, securing the coastal road between Sirte and Misrata, and removing all foreign fighters and mercenaries from the country, as stipulated by the ceasefire agreement between members of the UN-sponsored Joint Libyan Military Committee in Geneva last autumn. Differences over such issues are not limited to the Libyan stakeholders. Some of the regional and international participants in the Berlin Conference in 2020 are advancing particular views on the disputed questions and on the order of priorities. In order to cap the tensions and to keep the tangle of local and foreign interests from throttling the political process, Germany in partnership with the UN has called for the second Berlin Conference to be held on 23 June. The agenda will focus on three main issues: the elections, withdrawing mercenaries and foreign military advisers and forces, and creating a unified Libyan security force. Meanwhile, the HoR and the High Council of State (HCS) have been unable to settle their differences on the legal basis for the elections that the LPDF legal committee submitted for approval last month. Fifty-one members of the 200-member HoR and 91 members of the 145-member HCS have insisted on holding a referendum on the constitution adopted by the Libyan Constituent Assembly in July 2017, a step the HCS had also previously opposed in 2018. The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has not commented on the joint statement issued by the 142 advocates of a constitutional referendum. Some voices from this camp have also called for the reconstitution of the Supreme Electoral Commission, a suggestion the Western powers oppose because it would prevent the elections being held on time in December. Some participants in the Berlin I Conference have been dragging their heels on implementing their obligations to withdraw the mercenaries and military advisers they poured into the country to help their proxies. However, this is only one of the problems that cloud the future unification of the Libyan military and security establishment, despite the major inroads that have been achieved towards this end thanks to Egyptian mediating efforts, leading to the unification of the Libyan army command in 2018 and the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire in 2020. A conducive environment at all levels is required in order to furnish the solid foundations needed to proceed to free-and-fair elections in Libya, the results of which can be accepted by all. Above all, the major Libyan stakeholders have yet to meet the commitment they made to Libyas international partners to do what is necessary to ensure the success of the roadmap adopted by the LPDF in November 2020. This includes implementing UN Security Council Resolutions 2570 and 2571. Other inhibiting factors are the lack of a unified European stance on key issues and the Russian-Turkish rivalry in Libya. The Libyan crisis has thus far generated numerous attempts to shape and promote the peace process. These include the 55-point, UN-endorsed Berlin process with its political, security and economic tracks, the outputs of previous UN-sponsored meetings between the Libyan factions such as the 2015 Skhirat Agreement, the Roadmap to an Interim Phase for a Comprehensive Solution and the Executive Authority Powers, documents adopted by the LPDF in Tunisia in November 2020, and the Bouznika Understandings reached between the HoR and the HCS in March and April on executive offices, the legal basis for the elections, and the electoral laws. These multiple frames-of-reference, with their ambiguities and contradictions, offer plenty of room for the various players to manoeuvre. But the main goal must be to promote a peace settlement that all the Libyan parties can commit to and ensure that outside actors genuinely support the UN-facilitated process. *A version of this article appears in print in the 17 June, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: The European Union's foreign policy chief Saturday berated Lebanese politicians for delays in forming a new Cabinet, warning the union could impose sanctions on those behind the political stalemate in the crisis-hit country. Josep Borrell made his comments at the presidential palace near the capital Beirut after meeting with President Michel Aoun. It was the first meeting in a two-day visit to Lebanon. Borrell said Lebanese politicians should quickly form a new government, implement reforms and reach a deal with the International Monetary Fund to start getting the tiny country out of its paralyzing economic and financial crisis. Lebanon's economic crisis _ triggered by decades of corruption and mismanagement _ began in late 2019 and has intensified in recent months. The World Bank said earlier this month the crisis is likely to rank as one of the worst the world has seen in more than 150 years, adding that the economy contracted 20.3% in 2020 and is expected to shrink 9.5% this year. A power struggle between premier-designate Saad Hariri on one side, and Aoun and his son-in-law Gebran Bassil on the other, has worsened the crisis despite warnings from world leaders and economic experts of the dire economic conditions tiny Lebanon is facing. Hariri was named to form a new government in October and has not succeeded so far. The government of Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned days after a massive blast in Beirut on Aug. 4, that killed 211 people and injured more than 6,000. ``We cannot understand that nine months after the resignation of a prime minister, there is still no government in Lebanon,'' Borrell said. ``Only an urgent agreement with the International Monetary Fund will rescue the country from a financial collapse.'' ``There is no time to waste. You are at the edge of the financial collapse,'' he said in English. Borrell said the EU stands ready to assist Lebanon and its people but warned that if there is further obstruction to solutions ``we will have to consider other courses of actions as some member states have proposed.'' ``The council of the European Union has been including other options, including targeted sanctions,'' Borrell said. He added: ``Of course we prefer not to go down this road and we hope that we will not have to but it is in the hands of the Lebanese leadership.`` Borrel rejected claims by some Lebanese politicians that refugees are the cause of the crisis, saying it is ``homemade.'' ``It is not fair (to say) that the crisis in Lebanon comes from the presence of refugees,'' he said referring to a nearly 1 million Syrian refugees who fled the war in their country to Lebanon. Short link: Exiled opposition groups on Saturday hailed a 'boycott' of Iran's presidential polls won by a hardliner accused of serial rights violations, claiming the authorities exaggerated even historically low official turnout numbers. Judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi won almost 62 percent of the vote in Friday's election, Iranian authorities said, giving turnout as 48.8 percent. Opposition groups based abroad had urged a boycott of the poll, which was held after the most prominent rivals to Raisi were either disqualified in pre-election vetting or withdrew. Maryam Rajavi, the leader of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), said the 'unprecedented nationwide boycott' had signalled that Iranians had 'voted for overthrow of the ruling theocracy'. The NCRI, in accusations backed by leading human rights groups, says that Raisi was part of a commission that sent thousands of jailed opponents to their deaths within a few months in the summer of 1988. Most were supporters of the People's Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK/PMOI) whose political wing is the NCRI. It backed Saddam Hussein's Iraq in the 1980-1988 war with Iran. 'There is no longer any justification for the international community to deal with, engage, or appease a regime whose president is a notorious criminal against humanity,' said Rajavi. The MEK believed the actual turnout was 10 percent and the authorities would inflate it by a factor of five in an 'astronomical fabrication', the NCRI said, based on reports from 1,200 witnesses in 400 Iranian cities and more than 3,500 video clips from polling stations. However, it did not say how the figure had been calculated. 'Crisis of impunity' Reza Pahlavi, son of deposed shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and heir to the throne before the 1979 Islamic revolution, wrote on his official Twitter channel that Iranians had shown 'unity and solidarity' by 'boycotting and saying no to the authoritarian regime in Iran'. 'You have shown the will and power of the nation. Your freedom is near,' he added. Figures inside Iran had also called for a boycott after the disqualification of prominent candidates in pre-vote vetting by the Guardians Council oversight body. Populist former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, one of those barred from running, said he would not vote, declaring in a video message: 'I do not want to have a part in this sin.' Khamenei however hailed the election as a victory 'in the face of the propaganda of the enemy's mercenary media.' Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), said that after a poll that was 'not an election (but a) selection', Raisi should not be absolved of his 'long record of gross human rights violations.' Describing him as a 'major rights violator', he added that as well as the 1988 killings, in two years as overall judiciary chief he 'has been responsible for countless, severe violations of citizens' rights'. Amnesty International said Raisi had 'presided over a spiralling crackdown on human rights' while serving as judiciary chief for the past two years and should be investigated for the 1988 killings. In an assertion echoed in 2020 by UN special rapporteurs, Amnesty in 2018 described the 1988 killings as crimes against humanity. 'That Ebrahim Raisi has risen to the presidency instead of being investigated for the crimes against humanity of murder, enforced disappearance and torture, is a grim reminder that impunity reigns supreme in Iran,' said its Secretary General Agnes Callamard. She called on the UN Human Rights Council to address this 'crisis of systematic impunity in Iran' by stablishing an 'impartial mechanism' to investigate the crimes. Short link: Hardliner Iranian cleric Ebrahim Raisi's victory on Saturday in a presidential election has drawn mixed reactions, with Russia hailing it as a sign of greater regional stability but others decrying it as a farce. - Russia- "Relations between our countries have been traditionally friendly," Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a message, saying Raisi's election would help develop "constructive bilateral cooperation in many fields and our partnership in international affairs". "This responds entirely to the interests of the Russian and Iranian people and goes towards reinforcing regional stability and security," he said. - Syria- President Bashir al-Assad sent his "warmest congratulations" and wished Raisi "success in his new responsibilities ... and steering the country in the face of external pressure." - Hamas- Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the Palestinian Islamist movement "congratulates" Raisi, adding: "Iran has always been a main, strong and real supporter of the Palestinian resistance and our national cause." - Turkey- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated Raisi, expressing the hope it would be beneficial for the Iranian people. Erdogan said he believed "cooperation between our two countries would be strengthened further" and added that he was ready to work with Raisi. - Iranian opposition- Exiled opposition groups hailed what they termed a "boycott" of the presidential polls, where turnout was 48.8 percent. Maryam Rajavi, the leader of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), said the "unprecedented nationwide boycott" had signalled that Iranians had "voted for overthrow of the ruling theocracy". The NCRI, in accusations backed by leading human rights groups, says Raisi was part of a commission that sent thousands of jailed opponents to their deaths within a few months in the summer of 1988. "There is no longer any justification for the international community to deal with, engage, or appease a regime whose president is a notorious criminal against humanity," said Rajavi. - UAE- The UAE leaders all sent congratulatory messages to Raisi, the government said. - Amnesty International- "That Ebrahim Raisi has risen to the presidency instead of being investigated for the crimes against humanity of murder, enforced disappearance and torture, is a grim reminder that impunity reigns supreme in Iran," Amnesty said. It called on the UN Human Rights Council's member states to take "concrete steps to address the crisis of systematic impunity in Iran". Amnesty said they should establish "an impartial mechanism to collect and analyse evidence of the most serious crimes under international law committed in Iran to facilitate fair and independent criminal proceedings". Short link: Fierce fighting for Yemen's strategic Marib city has killed 70 pro-government and Houthi rebel fighters over the past 24 hours, with battles raging on three fronts, loyalist military officials said Sunday. The Houthis have been trying to seize Marib, the capital of an oil-rich region and the government's last significant pocket of territory in the north, since February. Two officials from pro-government forces told AFP that the rebels were mounting a concerted push that had left 26 loyalist soldiers dead as well as 44 from Huthi ranks. The rebels rarely disclose their losses. The new toll adds to 53 killed on both sides in the previous 24 hours, according to loyalist military officials. One of the officials said Sunday that the rebels 'are launching simultaneous attacks' in the areas of Kassara and Al-Mashjah, northwest of the city, and Jabal Murad in the south. 'They have made progress on the Kassara and Al-Mashjah fronts, but they have been thwarted on the Jabal Murad front,' he told AFP. The other official said that warplanes from the Saudi-led military coalition, which entered the Yemen conflict to support the government in 2015, launched airstrikes that 'destroyed 12 Huthi military vehicles, including four tanks and a cannon.' However, the Saudi firepower does not seem to have halted the rebel offensive. Fears for civilians The Iran-backed Houthis in late 2014 overran the capital Sanaa, 120 kilometres (75 miles) to the west of Marib, along with much of northern Yemen. The loss of Marib would be a heavy blow for the Yemeni government, currently based in the southern city of Aden, and for its Saudi backers. It could also lead to humanitarian disaster, as vast numbers of civilians displaced from fighting elsewhere have sought refuge in Marib. Around 140 sites have sprung up in the region to provide basic shelter for up to two million displaced, according to Yemen's government. The rebels have stepped up missile and drone strikes against neighbouring Saudi Arabia in recent months, demanding the opening of Yemen's airspace and ports. They have rejected a Saudi proposal for a ceasefire. The United Nations last month condemned the escalation and warned of a looming humanitarian disaster. The UN Security Council said the fighting 'places one million internally displaced persons at grave risk and threatens efforts to secure a political settlement when the international community is increasingly united to end the conflict'. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned that the suffering will only end when a political solution is found between the Huthis and the internationally recognised government. The conflict in Yemen has killed tens of thousands of people and pushed millions to the brink of famine, in what the the United Nations has described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Short link: Israel said Saturday the international community should be alarmed by hardliner Ebrahim Raisi's election as Iranian president because of his commitment to a 'rapidly advancing military nuclear program'. Raisi is 'committed to Irans rapidly advancing military nuclear program, his election makes clear Iran's true malign intentions, and should prompt grave concern among the international community', a foreign ministry spokesman wrote on Twitter. Short link: President Vladimir Putin proposed Saturday at his United Russia party congress billons of rubles in spending ahead of September parliamentary polls that could see the deeply unpopular party struggle. Addressing several hundred of his mostly mask-wearing and socially-distanced loyalists in a Moscow convention centre as the capital set a pandemic high for new Covid cases for the second straight day, Putin proposed deploying billions towards social support. This included 50 billion rubles ($687 million) on public transport, 30 billion rubles for repairing roads and 20 billion rubles to clean up rivers, among other spending projects on infrastructure and healthcare. "The program of the party of the leader has to be the program of the people," the 68-year-old Kremlin chief said in a speech broadcast on state television. He also said the state would be allocating payments and new forms of support for families starting next month. "Our task is to significantly increase the prosperity of Russian families and the incomes of our citizens," Putin said. The gathering, which determines the ruling party's candidates and electoral platform for September's lower house of parliament vote, comes after the party has seen support tumble in recent years amid economic stagnation, entrenched corruption and widespread voter fatigue. On Friday, state-run pollster VTsIOM published a survey showing that 30 percent of voters support United Russia -- a 10-point drop from the last lower house State Duma elections in 2016. - Navalny neutralised- But the party, which controls a majority of the State Duma, is projecting calm. "It is a good base of support that can be further increased during the election campaign," party chairman and former president and prime minister Dmitry Medvedev said at the start of the month. Putin, who came to power in 2000, himself boasts much higher support than his party with an approval rating of 61.5 percent, according to VTsIOM. The pollster also predicts that three opposition parties that are seen as doing the Kremlin's bidding -- the nationalist LDPR, the Communists and A Just Russia -- will garner around 30 percent of the vote. Further buoying the Kremlin's prospects in September is the recent dismantling of the movement of Russia's main opposition politician Alexei Navalny. Barring his organisations from working in the country, a Moscow court earlier this month branded them as "extremist", while Putin signed legislation outlawing staff, members and sponsors of "extremist" groups from running in parliamentary elections. Critics say the moves were aimed at ensuring that Navalny, who was jailed earlier this year for two-and-a-half years on old fraud charges he says are politically motivated, does not spoil September's vote for the Kremlin. Despite the clampdown, Navalny's allies are promoting his Smart Voting strategy that backs candidates best placed to defeat Kremlin-linked politicians -- a tactic that has seen United Russia lose a number of seats in recent local elections. - 'All opponents in prison' - But less known opposition candidates that Smart Voting could help prop up have faced pressure too. Police this month have arrested at least two municipal lawmakers and one pro-democracy activist who had declared their intentions to run. Meanwhile, opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov fled to Ukraine after he said sources close to the Kremlin told him he would be arrested if he did not leave. Critics also claim that authorities will rig the vote in their favour in September. On Friday, Russia's elections chief announced the parliamentary polls would be staggered from September 17 to September 19 to limit the spread of coronavirus. Last summer, after authorities held a constitutional referendum over one week, independent election monitor Golos said it had received hundreds of complaints of violations including multiple voting and intimidation. The opposition said the multi-day nature of the referendum -- which paved the way for Putin to stay in power until 2036 -- gave election officials greater opportunities to fix the vote as the ballots were held overnight. At Saturday's congress, Putin told his party that they must make sure September's elections are conducted fairly and legally. "Open battle and honest win, hello? You put all your opponents in prison," tweeted Navalny aide Georgy Alburov. Short link: A special tribute ceremony for long-time star actor Ahmed Bedir was held on Thursday as part of the 22nd edition of the Ismailia Film Festival for Documentaries and Shorts, after a special screening of his 2019 short film Mawed Hayah (Life Appointment.) Attended by tens of acclaimed filmmakers, critics, and Ismailia-based fans of the actor, the seminar was moderated by critic Sayed Mahmoud who spoke highly of the long career of the popular star who collaborated with legendary artists and directors in over 300 works in TV, cinema, and theatre. I am very happy for this honour by the Ismailia Film Festival, stated Bedir, who spoke about his excitement for working in short films, and with young talented directors, recalling funny memories of his four films, that entertained the attendance with his humour. I ask for a protocol with the local TV to screen short films, even for free, to spread the cultural message, Bedir, 75, stated before speaking about his career. Bedir explained that he prefers to be classified as a comedian in theatre. Meanwhile he has a passion for tragedy and drama, such as his unforgettable TV series with director Yehia El-Alamy Al-Zeiny Baraka, as well as Arafa El-Bahr, Ala El-Raseef, Zizinia, Batal Men Waraa and his latest El-Maddah, by director Ahmed Samir Farag. Bedir recalled key memories in his career that started with legendary director Youssef Shahin and continues in successive collaborations, with Sokoot Hansawar(Silence... We're rolling) in 2001. He also mentioned that the great director cast him for the role of Ibn Rushd in Al-Maseer before finally choosing late Nour El-Sherif. Among the speakers at the seminar were writer Mohamed El-Basosy, critics El-Amir Abaza, and Magda Mourice, who remarked about Bedir's talent in portraying personas. Directed and screen-played by Amr El-Behidy, Mawed Hayah tells the story of Abbas, a lonely man in his 70s. He blames himself for his past, and encounters situations that change his life. On Friday, actors Sabry Fawaz and Ahmed Wafik were separately celebrated as well. The inviting of famous actors for the Ismailia Festival is a new idea meant to attract the audiences of the Suez Canal city. Under the presidency of critic Essam Zakareya, the festival, organised by the National Cinema Centre, is running until 22 June where 10 feature documentaries, 14 short documentaries, 16 short fiction films and 15 short animation films are competing in its main categories. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture Short link: KYODO NEWS - Jun 19, 2021 - 23:02 | World, All Iran's presidential election brought a conservative hard-liner to power for the first time in eight years, vote counting showed Saturday, heightening concern about a flare-up of tensions between Tehran and the international community. Judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi, a Muslim cleric backed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, will replace relatively moderate President Hassan Rouhani in August. Rouhani, first elected in 2013 and then again in 2017 after defeating Raisi, cannot serve a third consecutive term. Moderate and former Central Bank chief Abdolnasser Hemmati conceded his defeat by Raisi, congratulating him on his landslide victory, while the two other losing candidates did likewise in separate messages, local media said. The Interior Ministry reportedly said Raisi won 61.95 percent of votes cast in Friday's election, which had a record low voter turnout of 48.8 percent. Raisi after meeting with Rouhani later in the day, vowed to do his best to shoulder the heavy responsibilities entrusted by the people, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported. "In the new government, we will do our best to untie the knots of the country, especially in the field of people's livelihood problems," Tasnim News Agency quoted him as saying. Conservative hard-liners will regain power in Tehran for the first time since 2013, raising concerns that tensions between Iran and the international community, including the United States, will rise again over issues such as nuclear development. Out of more than 59 million eligible voters, 28.6 million Iranians participated in the election, local media reported. Low turnout had been expected due to voter apathy, with candidates who could have rivaled Raisi disqualified before the campaign. Raisi has promised to fight corruption and poverty. He has indicated that he would continue indirect talks with the United States on reviving a 2015 nuclear deal while making it clear he will call for sanctions against Iran to be lifted. The Rouhani administration, which has advocated constructive cooperation with the international community, struck the deal with six major powers, agreeing to limit Iran's nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief. The deal initially had a positive impact on the economy. But in 2018, after then President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the agreement, subsequent U.S. sanctions caused rising prices, a plunging currency and high unemployment in Iran. Rouhani came under fire, and his support declined. Raisi, 60, has been the chief of Iran's judiciary since 2019. He previously held several other posts in Iran's judicial branch since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. KYODO NEWS - Jun 19, 2021 - 21:55 | All, Japan, Coronavirus About 97 percent of 116 major Japanese companies responding to a survey have said they plan to conduct workplace COVID-19 vaccinations, covering at least 2 million people. The outcome of the Kyodo News survey, released Saturday, also showed that 59 percent of the companies either plan or have already decided to allow employees to have a "vaccination holiday" on the day of inoculation or the following day if they suffer side effects. As Japan looks to speed up the pace of its daily COVID-19 shots and expand eligibility to younger people, the government unveiled a plan earlier this month to allow companies and universities to start launching their own inoculation programs from Monday. The survey covered 127 major companies, of which 116 responded. Currently, entities planning to vaccinate more than 1,000 people are allowed to give on-site inoculations in Japan, where 99.7 percent of firms are small or medium-sized and one of the biggest challenges would be to address immunization disparities. The 112 companies planning to conduct vaccinations include cosmetics maker Shiseido Co., trading house Marubeni Corp., and investment and technology conglomerate SoftBank Group Corp., which said it will vaccinate about 150,000 people, including family members of their workers. In the survey, carried out between June 4 and June 16, 39 companies said they had already set a starting day, with 28 of them such as camera maker Canon Inc. and Central Japan Railway Co. beginning their programs on Monday. About a third of the responding firms said they have rough timelines. As for the venues, with multiple answers allowed, 72 companies chose their headquarters, 47 selected branch offices and 24 picked factories. It found that 69 companies, including electronics conglomerate Toshiba Corp. and sportswear maker Asics Corp., will introduce the new holiday, while 19 said they are worried about post-vaccination adverse reactions. Beverage maker Suntory Holdings Ltd. said it will cooperate with neighboring medical institutions. Osaka Gas Co. said it will set different vaccination days for employees working in the same section. Japan's COVID-19 vaccination rollout, which started in February and has been criticized as sluggish, has recently been picking up steam as state-run mass vaccination centers also expanded inoculations to people aged between 18 and 64 to fill in vacant slots. KYODO NEWS - Jun 19, 2021 - 08:44 | All, World The U.N. General Assembly on Friday adopted a resolution denouncing the Myanmar military "in the strongest terms" over its February coup that ousted elected leaders as well as its continued use of violence against anti-government protesters in the country. The resolution, agreed in a majority vote, also seeks to "prevent the flow of arms" into the Southeast Asian country, while calling "for the immediate release" of former leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other detained leaders. The resolution condemned the "excessive and lethal violence" by the Myanmar military, and called for the return to democratic transition in the country. A total of 119 countries backed the resolution, with 36 countries including China and Russia abstaining and only Belarus voting against it. Although the adoption of the U.N. resolution is seen as an international warning to the Myanmar junta against further crackdowns on protesters, the considerable number of countries opting not to vote suggests the world remains divided on the issue. Thailand and Brunei were also among the 36 U.N. member states abstaining. Lichtenstein took the lead in drafting the document, with more than 50 countries including Britain, Japan and the United States joining as co-sponsors. The Myanmar military seized control of the country after the Feb. 1 coup and detained a number of government leaders. Over 800 people have lost their lives in the military crackdown since February. Related coverage: Myanmar's Suu Kyi charged with corruption: state paper FOCUS: No breakthrough on horizon in Myanmar crisis 4 months after coup Junta-ruled Myanmar facing cash shortage, rising prices KYODO NEWS - Jun 19, 2021 - 08:30 | World, All North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has stressed the need to draw "a serious lesson from defects revealed in the first half of the year," state-run media reported Saturday, as his country's economy has deteriorated amid the coronavirus pandemic. On the final day of a four-day plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Kim also pointed out that "serious problems" have been revealed "in the work and life of the members" of its leadership organ, according to the media. The ruling party gathering wrapped up on Friday after it elected members and alternate members of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee and those of the Party Central Committee, the official Korean Central News Agency said. Kim was quoted by KCNA as saying on the first day of the meeting that the food situation is "getting tense" as the nation's agriculture sector was devastated by powerful typhoons and flooding last year. On Thursday, Kim promised to supply nourishing food including dairy products to all children across the country at the state's expense, the news agency reported. North Korea's economy has languished further as the global outbreak of the novel coronavirus has stifled the country's trade with China and the farming industry has become sluggish, likely making it more difficult for its citizens to obtain adequate daily necessities. Pyongyang claims it has had no coronavirus infections, but the nation has cut off traffic to and from China and Russia since early last year, with fears growing that the virus -- first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019 -- may spread across its borders. China is known as Pyongyang's closest and most influential ally in economic terms. North Korea depends on China for more than 90 percent of its trade. North Korea is believed to be vulnerable to infectious diseases against a backdrop of chronic shortages of food and medical supplies triggered by international economic sanctions aimed at thwarting Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile ambitions. Previously, it barred foreigners from entering the country during the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, and the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014. On the diplomatic front, Kim pledged Thursday to prepare for both "dialogue and confrontation" with the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden. It is thought to be the first time Kim has publicly expressed eagerness to talk with the Biden administration since it came to power in January, with denuclearization negotiations between North Korea and the United States stalled for around 18 months. North Korea had voiced reluctance to hold bilateral talks with the Biden administration unless Washington withdraws what Pyongyang considers its hostile policy position. Some foreign affairs experts, however, said Kim might be keen to resume communication with the United States to receive economic aid. At their first summit in 2018 in Singapore, Kim and Biden's predecessor Donald Trump agreed Washington would provide security guarantees to Pyongyang in return for "complete" denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The following year, they fell short of bridging the gap between U.S. demands and North Korea's calls for sanctions relief at their second summit in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi. Trump and Kim met in June 2019 at the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas, but bilateral negotiations have been at a standstill, with a working-level meeting held in the Swedish capital Stockholm in October that year ending without progress being made. The Biden administration, meanwhile, plans to keep its North Korea policy flexible, while building on the 2018 summit agreement that included Pyongyang's commitment toward denuclearization. Related coverage: North Korea's Kim vows to prepare for dialogue, confrontation with U.S. North Korean leader Kim voices concern over country's food situation South Korea ready to cooperate with North Korea on COVID-19 vaccine: Moon KYODO NEWS - Jun 18, 2021 - 19:55 | World, All North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged to prepare for both "dialogue and confrontation" with the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden, state-run media reported Friday, with his country facing an economic slump amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. It is thought to be the first time Kim has publically expressed an eagerness to talk with the Biden administration since it came to power in January, with denuclearization negotiations between North Korea and the United States stalled for around 18 months. At a plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea held on Thursday, Kim "made detailed analysis of the policy tendency of the newly emerged U.S. administration," the official Korean Central News Agency said. Kim "stressed the need to get prepared for both dialogue and confrontation, especially to get fully prepared for confrontation in order to protect the dignity of our state and its interests for independent development," according to the news agency. He "called for sharply and promptly reacting to and coping with the fast-changing situation and concentrating efforts on taking stable control of the situation on the Korean peninsula," it added. Kim's remarks came after South Korea's Foreign Ministry said its senior officials will meet Monday with representatives of the United States and Japan to exchange views on the North. The trilateral gathering to be held in South Korea will be attended by Noh Kyu Duk, South Korea's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, Takehiro Funakoshi, head of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, and Sung Kim, U.S. special envoy for North Korea. The three officials are expected to discuss prospective measures to be put in place regarding North Korea as the Biden administration has recently finished a review of its North Korea policy. North Korea had voiced a reluctance to hold bilateral talks with the Biden administration unless Washington withdraws what Pyongyang considers its hostile policy position. But some foreign affairs experts said Kim might be keen to resume communication with the United States to receive economic aid, as the nation's economy has been languishing with its trade with China, known as Pyongyang's closest and most influential ally in economic terms, choked in the wake of the spread of the coronavirus. North Korea depends on China for over 90 percent of its trade. North Korean media also reported this week that at a party meeting on Tuesday, Kim expressed concern over the people's food situation following powerful typhoons and flooding last year, describing it as "getting tense." As virus cases increased in China after first being detected in Wuhan in late 2019, North Korea moved to cut off traffic to and from its neighbors early last year in a bid to keep the virus at bay. The border closure remains in place, with North Korea claiming no infections have been spotted at home. Pyongyang has also been apparently tightening security along its border since a highly contagious variant of the virus originally discovered in India was confirmed in China last month for the first time. The Chinese government released data on Friday showing the total volume of China's trade with North Korea in May plunged 88.7 percent from a month earlier to $3.46 million. At their first summit in 2018 in Singapore, Kim and Biden's predecessor Donald Trump agreed Washington would provide security guarantees to Pyongyang in return for "complete" denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The following year, they fell short of bridging the gap between U.S. demands and North Korea's calls for sanctions relief at their second summit in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi. Trump and Kim met in June 2019 at the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas, but bilateral negotiations have been at a standstill, with a working-level meeting held in the Swedish capital Stockholm in October that year ending without progress. The Biden administration, meanwhile, plans to keep its North Korea policy flexible, while building on the 2018 summit agreement that included Pyongyang's commitment toward denuclearization. KCNA did not elaborate on whether Kim mentioned nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles at Thursday's gathering. North Korea is believed to be vulnerable to infectious diseases due to chronic shortages of food and medical supplies triggered by international economic sanctions aimed at thwarting its nuclear and ballistic missile ambitions. Related coverage: North Korean leader Kim voices concern over country's food situation FOCUS: China's border city with North Korea suffers blockage, tourism loss North Korea's Kim vows to strengthen army amid rapid situation change New Delhi: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday had a 'power breakfast' with select business personalities, including Anand Mahindra, Ajay Piramal, Adi Godrej, and Chanda Kochhar. Netanyahu landed at the airport in Mumbai on Wednesday for the Mumbai leg of his six-day India visit, a senior official told PTI. Netanyahu will have a packed schedule on day four of his six-day visit to India. He will pay tributes to Mumbai terror attack victims and attend a Shalom Bollywood event among other engagements. He will later address the India-Israel Business Summit at the iconic Taj Hotel in South Mumbai. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis will also attend the summit, sources said. There may be a one-on-one meeting between Fadnavis and Netanyahu, after which the chief minister will host a lunch for the Israeli premier and his delegation, they said. Also Read | Scrapped Spike anti-tank missile deal back on table, says Israeli PM Netanyahu This will be followed by a wreath-laying ceremony for 26/11 Mumbai terror attack victims. Netanyahu will then proceed to the nearby Nariman House, where he will meet 11-year-old Moshe Holtzberg. Moshes father Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and mother Rivka were killed at the Nariman House during the 2008 attacks. The Jewish couple ran a cultural and outreach centre for the Chabad-Lubavitch movement at the Nariman House in south Mumbais Colaba area. Moshe came to Mumbai on Tuesday, returning to the place where he was orphaned nine years ago. Netanyahu will later meet around 30 members of the Jewish community at the Taj Hotel. There are about 5,000 members of the Jewish community living in India, but most of them call Mumbai their home. The city had a sizable Jewish population, but around 33,000 Jews migrated when Israel was created. Mumbai has three distinct Jewish communities - Bene Israel Jews, Baghdadi Jews and the Malabar Jews. For them, the visit by the Israeli prime minister is about reconnecting with old friends and strengthening old bonds. Netanyahu will cap his hectic schedule by attending the Shalom Bollywood event, also at the Taj Hotel. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of compromising with national security and strategic interests, and said his government was "caught snoozing" when China was reportedly occupying the Doklam plateau with fresh military installations. "India's national security and strategic interests are being compromised with as is now apparent from satellite imagery as also media reports available in public domain. It is most unfortunate that the Modi government has been caught snoozing while the Chinese have occupied the Doklam plateau as per news reports and satellite imagery and a planning a repeat of Doklam 2 type of face-off," Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala told reporters. Training his guns on the prime minister, he said, "Modi Ji, who has mastered the art of electoral rhetoric, has miserably failed to ensure full protection of our borders." Mr Surjewala said the Congress has always maintained that there can be no political viewpoints on Doklam and the sole criteria needs to be "national interest", which needs to protected at all costs. "But listless attitude of the Modi government has forced us to doubt its actions...," he said. The satellite imagery, he said, indicates a high degree of Chinese military build-up at the Doklam plateau, just a few metres away from the Indian Army post. "The BJP is so consumed in headlines management, false bravado, self-promotion that it has conveniently forgotten that serious issues of national security, exist! It seems that the Modi government is living in a make belief cuckoo world of TV studio warfare, superbly engrossed in loudmouth rhetoric by hired commentators that for them the line between 'virtual' and 'real' has completely vanished!" he said. He asked the BJP government to apprise the countrymen on reports and latest satellite imagery suggesting that Chinese Army has not only built full-fledged military complex in Doklam, but has already occupied the entire Doklam plateau right up to 10 metres from the Indian Army post. "Is the Modi Government, especially the Defence Ministry, aware of this presence?" he asked. Quoting the external affairs ministry's statement of August 28, 2017, wherein it said both India and China had agreed on "expeditious disengagement of border personnel at the face-off site at Doklam" and it "is on-going", he asked "Is this new buildup of Doklam 2.0 by the Chinese an implementation of its stand?" The Congress leader said that in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, PM Modi had made several insinuations on the Congress party and spoken about showing "Laal Aankh" (angry look) to China. "But, now the number of face-offs with the Chinese on the LAC has shot up by 48 per cent last year. There were 415 transgressions by Chinese soldiers into the Indian side of the LAC in 2017 - as against 271 transgressions in 2016. What does it say about Modi's empty rhetoric in election rallies? What steps has the Modi government taken to prevent these intrusions?" he asked. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Jammu: A Border Security Force (BSF) jawan was killed in an unprovoked firing and mortar shelling by Pakistani forces at RS Pura Sector in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday. A Jammu and Kashmir Police officer not willing to be quoted said, Pakistani forces indiscriminately opened fire at a BSF camp in RS Pura Sector. A BSF jawan suffered serious injuries in the initial round of firing by the Pakistani Rangers. The BSF soldier died due to fatal bullet injuries in the ceasefire violation, said a senior Jammu and Kashmir police officer. The officer further added, the Pakistani Rangers started indiscriminate firing at the BSF camp around 9 pm. Sources in the Line of Control told News Nation that the BSF troopers retaliated to the ceasefire violation. They said, On getting a befitting reply from BSF troopers, Pakistani Rangers started shelling mortars. "BSF troops are giving a befitting reply," Additional Deputy Commissioner of Jammu Arun Manhas later told PTI. Also read: Watch | BSF launches 'Operation Alert' along 200 km international border to thwart infiltration One BSF personnel died in the heavy shelling, Mr Manhas said. Shells fired by Pakistan landed in Arnia belt and hit several villages as well. "The district administration has asked all its officers to remain in the state of highest preparedness in view of continuous ceasefire violations by Pakistan," he said. However, the villagers have not been evacuated so far, the officer added. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Panaji: At least two women were shifted to a hospital and hundreds of residents in Goas Chicalim village evacuated from their homes after a tanker carrying ammonia overturned on the nearby highway connecting Vasco City to Panaji on Friday. The incident occurred around 2.45 a.m. when the tanker carrying ammonia from Mormugao Port Trust to Zuari Industries Limited, both located in Vasco, overturned at the highway and gas started leaking from it. The disaster response teams were sent to the site immediately while police and fire and emergency service personnels were asked to wake up the people and evacuate the entire area, Deputy Collector Mahadev Arondekar told PTI. Two women had to be shifted to a nearby hospital as they complained of breathlessness, a senior district administration official said, adding that they were sleeping inside their house which is close to the accident spot. Vasco Police Inspector Nolasco Raposo said he contacted the safety officer at Zuari Industries factory after receiving the information about the leak. A rescue team was sent to the site to tackle the situation, said Raposo. The highway crossing through Chicalim village has been blocked and the traffic diverted through other roads. We have stopped the motorists from using the road. Also we have informed the public in the vicinity to evacuate and to cover their mouth with masks or wet clothes, he said. Nearly 300 houses are located in the area, a few kilometers from Goas Dabolim Airport, where the incident took place. Here are the Live Updates: # Ammonia gas leakage in Goa's Vasco city on airport Chicalim road, two people hospitalized pic.twitter.com/DhscApm1KY For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. London: An India-born doctor was today sentenced to 12 years in prison for sexually assaulting four women patients in United Kingdom between 2008 and 2015. Jaswant Rathore was found guilty of conducting unnecessary massages on the patients at his Castle Meadows Surgery in Dudley, in the West Midlands region of UK. The 60-year-old, who had moved to UK with his family at the age of three, was also placed on the sex offenders' register indefinitely and made the subject of a 15-year sexual harm prevention order at the end of the hearing at Wolverhampton Crown Court. "You used your standing within the community as a cloak behind which you could carry out sexual assaults on your patients for your personal gratification," Judge Michael Challinor told him during sentencing. "By your actions you violated the faith they had in you to carry out legitimate medical procedures. Some of your behaviour demonstrated a breath-taking degree of arrogance you no doubt hoping your standing in the medical community would enable you to talk your way out of any difficulty," he said. The general practitioner (GP) was convicted of eight charges of sexual assault and two counts of assault by penetration against four women aged in their 20s and 30s following a seven-week trial. He was cleared of a further eight allegations relating to four other patients. The judge recounted that many witnesses had spoken highly of his "professionalism, diligence, expertise and amiability" but his personal and professional life had been turned into a "complete shipwreck" due to the "planned and sustained" assaults. "Many people visit their doctors and submit to the most intimate of examinations because they trust their doctor and that is eroded by people like you," he noted. Rathore had denied the allegations and insisted he had always acted professionally and, in each case, the touching during "manipulative therapy" had been medically appropriate. The court was told that the GP had conducted his assaults on patients who had gone to his surgery with regular complaints such as pain in their stomach or back. Detective Inspector Michelle Thurgood of West Midlands Police, who headed the police investigation in the case, said: "It was a horrific breach of a position of trust. This was somebody who was a trusted GP, respected in the community." "Many of the patients had gone to him for many years, so absolutely trusted him. We go to our doctor when we're at our most vulnerable and he has abused that trust by carrying out those offences." Thurgood said the police feared there may be other victims as Rathore was working as a GP for many years and called on any others to "find the strength" to come forward. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Jammu: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Friday strongly batted for talks between the national security advisors of India and Pakistan to end ceasefire violations. He was reacting to the ceasefire violations by Pakistan along International Border in Jammu in which five people, including three civilians and two BSF personnel, were killed and 28 others injured in the past two days. "I hope that our NSA (Ajit Doval) can pick up the phone and talk to his counterpart (retired Lt Gen. Nasser Khan Janjua) in Pakistan to put an end to ceasefire violations," he told reporters here. "The ceasefire must hold. The shelling and violence on the International Border and the Line of Control must end, and then hopefully India and Pakistan can take step towards normalising, what is otherwise an abnormal relationship," he said. Omar also took a dig on the "secret talks" between the NSAs of India and Pakistan in Thailand in view of the ceasefire violations. "We are told that our NSA had secret talks with the NSA of Pakistan in Bangkok. What are those talks about, if we cannot even maintain a ceasefire on the border. What are we talking about. Ultimately talks have to be about something," he said. "There is a regular breakdown of ceasefire. This is something that Delhi and Islamabad need to sort out," he said. The National Conference has always maintained that violence is not the solution to the problems of Jammu and Kashmir and the two countries need to talk each other, he said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Ottawa : Two Indian-origin women lawmakers, including one who moved the 1984 Sikh genocide motion in Ontario provincial parliament last April, were today inducted into the Cabinet by Premier Kathleen Wynne. Wynne appointed 38-year-old Harinder Malhi, a Liberal Member of Provincial Parliament for Brampton-Springdale, as the Minister of the Status of Women. Malhi is the daughter of Canada's first Sikh MP Gurbax Singh Malhi. A motion moved by Malhi in last April in the Legislative assembly of Ontario was passed by the House extending the official recognition to the 1984 riots as Sikh "genocide" in India, a move strongly rejected by New Delhi as "misguided". Indira Naidoo-Harris, another Indian-origin Member of Provincial Parliament for Halton, was promoted to Education Minister. She will remain Minister Responsible for Early Years and Child Care. "The knowledge and skills they bring to these roles will be crucial as we continue our work to create more fairness and opportunity for the people of Ontario," the premier was quoted as saying by The Star newspaper. "In a changing economy, our plan is about making sure everyone has a fair shot at getting ahead," she said. "That's why it is also important to me that this updated cabinet continues to reflect both the diversity and the geography of our province," Wynne added. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Lenovo-owned Motorola on Thursday announced that it will open 50 motohubs stores in Delhi by the end of January. This will be the first phase of their retail step. Sudhin Mathur, Managing Director, Motorola Mobility India, told agencies, We had earlier said that we will be moving into retail. This is the first big step in that direction. More than two-thirds of the smartphone customers in the country buy devices at retail stores. Moto Hub addresses this need by offering a complete platform to interact, engage and purchase, he added. In the next phase, the company plans to expand the Moto Hub experience in over 100 cities. An entire range of portfolio of the Motorola devices will be offered in the Moto Hub stores, including those which are online exclusives like Moto X4 smartphones and Moto Mods, magnetically attachable modules that transform the smartphone into a TV projector, a powerful speaker or camera. Also Read: Moto G5 Plus, Oppo F3 and Vivo V7 receives price cut, here are the new rates The Moto Hubs will also offer other accessories like on-ear and in-ear headphones, Moto shells and mobile covers. Currently, the company has 18 exclusive Moto Hubs stores in the capital and 155 across the country. Popular consumer hangout areas will be covered and Moto Hubs will be set up in these areas. The company recently partnered with Poorvika Mobiles across 43 cities in Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and Karnataka, and with Big C and Lot Mobile Store across 55 cities in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to offer offline access to consumers. Washington: The US military is conducting "very serious" training for a possible conflict with North Korea, a top Republican lawmaker said on Tuesday, though he said he hoped such preparations would never be put to use. Congressman Mac Thornberry, who chairs the powerful House Armed Services Committee that provides civilian oversight to the Pentagon, said the administration of President Donald Trump is closely studying its options. "The administration is very seriously looking at what would be involved with military options when it comes to North Korea," Thornberry told a group of reporters. Training efforts "are very serious," he added. "The military has preparations underway, and hopefully they will not be needed." Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has repeatedly insisted that efforts to resolve the North Korea crisis should be diplomatically led, though he has said the Pentagon always plans for any contingency. Tensions on the Korean peninsula and between Pyongyang and Washington have been sky-high for months, after North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un repeatedly test-fired missiles potentially capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and hitting the United States. He also authorized the detonation of North Korea's most powerful nuclear device to date. Though the US military routinely trains on the Korean peninsula with South Korean counterparts, The New York Times reported Sunday that a series of drills in the United States suggest a new focus on readying the military for conflict with North Korea. "If you are going to ask men and women to risk their lives on behalf of the nation, we owe them not only the best military equipment but also the best training and preparation that our country can provide them and I think that's part of what's going on," Thornberry said. Last week, global tensions cooled somewhat with the resumption of talks between North and South Korea. But the rhetoric picked back up again Tuesday, when North Korea denounced President Donald Trump's tweeted message that he has a bigger nuclear button than Kim as the "spasm of a lunatic" and the "bark of a rabid dog." On January 2, Trump had written on Twitter: "Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!" Further adding to jitters, residents in Hawaii were subjected to an erroneous alert Saturday warning them that a missile was inbound. Emergency management officials later admitted "the wrong button was pushed" during a shift change. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: In an incident which brought back horrific memories of the murder of class 2 student in Gurgaon's Ryan International School last year, a class 1 student was brutally attacked with a sharp weapon by a senior student at Lucknows Brightland School on Tuesday, Uttar Pradesh Police said on Wednesday. The incident came to light on Wednesday morning after parents of the injured student lodged a complaint with the local police. Police said, teachers found the class one student lying unconscious in pool of blood with hands tied in a school toilet around 10am on Tuesday. The boy was rushed to a local hospital for immediate medical attention. The boy is admitted in trauma centre of the hospital. According to police, a class seven student is involved in the brutal attack. The minor has suffered stab injuries in stomach and chest. Family members of the injured student claim that the school officials informed them about the attack on their ward very late. However, Principal of the school Rina Manas claimed that on finding the student brutally injured she rushed him immediately to hospital. I also informed Lucknow Police about the incident after admitting the child in the trauma centre, said Manas. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Three civilians were killed and three injured in heavy shelling by the Pakistan Army along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's R S Pura sector on Friday. The Border Security Force (BSF) personnel have launched a retaliatory firing. Two civilians, including a woman, were killed and three civilians were injured in the shelling, they said. While the woman died in Sai Khurda, the man died in Korotona in R S Pura-Arnia belt. A civilian was injured in Sai Khurd village while two others were injured in Ramgarh. In view of the heavy shelling, over 1000 border dwellers have migrated from the area and schools along the borderline have been closed "Pakistan Rangers resorted to heavy firing and shelling along the IB in several areas in R S Pura, Arnia and Ramgarh sectors since 0640 hours", a BSF officer said. They targeted around 40 Border Out Posts (BoPs) in three sectors using 82 mm and 52 mortar bombs, automatic and small weapons, he said. "The exchange of fire is going on when the reports last came in", he said adding they have targeted BoPs and villages in over 35 kms of IB. The ceasefire violation comes after a 17-year-old girl and a BSF Jawan were killed by the Pakistani troops in RS Pura sector on Wednesday. Three civilians also suffered injuries in the heavy firing and mortar shelling by Pakistan. Two days ago, four Pakistani soldiers were killed by the Indian Army in the cross-border firing initiated by the neighbouring country in Poonch sector. Here are the Live updates: A BSF head constable has lost his life in ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Samba sector #JammuAndKashmir pic.twitter.com/tebvYE7Gpg ANI (@ANI) January 19, 2018 Samba: Two civilian injured in ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Ramgarh sector #JammuAndKashmir pic.twitter.com/DyrK64yYSl ANI (@ANI) January 19, 2018 # Jammu & Kashmir: Two civilians killed, four injured in ceasefire violation by Pakistan in R S Pura sector; #Visuals from hospital pic.twitter.com/Z343u5v1Gb # Ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Samba and Kathua; Border Security Force (BSF) retaliates With PTI Inputs For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Hyderabad: Coming down heavily on the government and BJP leadership, Union minister Anant Kumar Hegde and the groups that "attack free expression", actor Prakash Raj said on Thursday he was "not anti-Hindu", but "anti- Modi, anti-Amit Shah and anti-Hegde". The popular south Indian star's comments during a session at a media event, drew a sharp reaction from the BJP's Telangana spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao. "They say I am anti-Hindu. No. I am anti-(Narendra) Modi, I am anti-Hegde, I am anti-Amit Shah. According to me, they are not Hindus. Mr Anant Kumar Hegde, who says he wants to wipe out an 'ism', a religion from the face of this earth cannot be a Hindu," Prakash Raj said. "The person who supports killing, cannot be a Hindu," he said. The BJP spokesperson stood up and objected to Prakash Raj's comments on Modi and Shah. "BJP per se does not come down heavily on who to speak, what to speak, where to speak, how to speak. But, the question is, when you are saying 'they and us', you are dividing already," Krishna Saagar Rao said. Those who are described as fringe groups, too, have a right to express themselves, he said. "When you speak, it is freedom of speech, when they speak, it is fringe," Rao added. Prakash Raj also attacked the state governments that have banned the film "Padmaavat' and groups opposing its release. "These state governments are citing reasons of law and order. They should step down. Because, they are not fit to be there in the first place. Or accept that with power, we are arm-twisting. Then they should be sent out by us. "So, it is very clear that they want to stall, they want to cater to a fringe group... It is a very straight blatant attack on free expression," Raj said. He also referred to BJP activists "cleaning" a place in Karnataka a few days ago with 'gomutra' (cow urine), where he spoke against Hegde for his reported comments that Constitution should be changed. Raj said Modi should not let Hegde speak. "My prime minister should ask his minister, an elected, mandated minister, not to say that a religion should be wiped out from the earth. That is not Hinduism. If my prime minister does not ask his minister to shut up, then I am asking (sic) my prime minister you are also not a Hindu," he said. S K Sasidharan, director of the film "S Durga", which had also kicked up a row, said the film is not about religion. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court held a meeting with CJI Dipak Misra on Thursday to put a rest to issues raised by them during a press conference on January 12. The meeting between the CJI and four judges-- Justices J Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B Lokur and Kurian Joseph lasted for around 10-15 minutes before the resumption of court proceedings at 10:30 am, court sources said. Among the key points discussed at the meeting was the possibility of a specialized bench for allocation of particular cases, a system which is already in place at high courts. The four dissenting judges also submitted a draft memorandum to Chief Justice Misra, and demanded transparency in allocation of cases. Also on the agenda was adopting a procedure if there are allegations of corruption on a judge. In an unprecedented presser on January 12, the four senior-most judges of the apex court had raised a litany of problems, including assigning of cases in the top court, and said there were certain issues afflicting the country's highest court. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : Samsung will launch its latest budget smartphone Galaxy On7 Prime in India today. The phone will be available exclusively on Amazon. The company has already put all features of Galaxy On7 Prime on its website. The Samsung Galaxy On7 Prime has a 5.5-inch FHD display with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels. It is powered by a 1.6 GHz octa-core Exynos 7870 processor. The budget smartphone will be available in two variants 3 GB of RAM with 32 GB internal memory and 4GB of RAM with 64GB internal memory. It has a 13-megapixel rear camera and 13-megapixel selfie camera with f/1.9 aperture that enables good photography even in dim light. The company has not revealed the operating system of the smartphone but it is expected that it will run on Android 7.1.1 Nougat. it also works on 4G VoLTE. Though the company has not disclosed its price, market sources say that it may be in the range of Rs 12,999 so that it will be in direct competition with Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 and Honor 7X. New Delhi: The Election Commission of India on Thursday announced the dates for Assembly elections 2018 in three Northeast states - Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland. The elections in Tripura will be held on February 18 while Meghalaya and Nagaland will go to polls on February 27, Chief Election Commissioner Achal Kumar Jyoti said in a press conference. The counting of votes will take place on March 3 and results of all the three states' Assembly polls will be announced on the same day. The term of the Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura legislative assemblies is ending on March 6, March 13 and March 14 respectively. Congress is in power in Meghalaya, while Tripura is a strong bastion of Left and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M) has been governing the state since 1993. Nagaland People's Front (NPF), a BJP ally is currently ruling the state of Nagaland. In 2018, assembly elections will also be held in five more states - Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram. Here are the live updates of Election Commission press conference: # Polling for legislative assembly elections in Tripura to be held on 18 Feb, polling in Meghalaya & Nagaland to be held on 27 Feb; Counting for all three states on 3 March: AK Joti, CEC Polling for legislative assembly elections in Tripura to be held on 18 Feb, polling in Meghalaya & Nagaland to be held on 27 Feb; Counting for all three states on 3 March: AK Joti, CEC pic.twitter.com/SPlHhGTZtW ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2018 # Security will be tightened in all the three states ahead of polls: EC # Counting of votes will take place on March 3, resutls will be declared on ame day: Election Commission # Assembly elections in Tripura on Feb 18, Meghalaya and Nagaland polls on Feb 27: EC # CCTV camera will be installed in sensitive booths. # Model code of conduct comes into effect from today: CEC AK Joti in Delhi on Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura legislative assembly elections Model code of conduct comes into effect from today: CEC AK Joti in Delhi on Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura legislative assembly elections pic.twitter.com/yoB8eTz5KD ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2018 # Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura all have 60 seats each. EVM and VVPAT will be used in all three states, first level checks have been completed : CEC AK Joti in Delhi In Meghalaya, the elections would be crucial for the Grand Old party Congress which is facing a rebel crisis in the state after some of its MLAs joined BJP and its allies. Also Read | Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan likely to forge alliance in politics? Congress president Rahul Gandhi has already formed an eight-member coordination committee for Nagaland assembly elections. He has also formed a group three-member group for assisting party affairs in-charge of Tripura. The elections in the Northeast have already invited controversies and political slugfest between the BJP and the Opposition over the presence of NSA Doval in BJPs meeting to discuss the poll strategy in the north-eastern states. PM Modi once again banking on his tried and tested development blitz started BJPs mission northeast with rallies in Meghalaya and Mizoram in December last year. However, the Opposition says Modis development blitz are nothing more than jumlas (election gimmicks), which never see the light of the day. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: An eight-year boy in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura was killed after he was caught in a crossfire between the police and alleged criminals late on Wednesday evening. The boy playing near his home succumbed to injuries after a bullet hit his head during the shootout. According to the police, the criminals were involved in a recent robbery and were hiding in Mohanpura village, about 450 kms from the state capital Lucknow. However, it was not clear if the bullet that hit Madhav was fired from a police weapon or one used by the criminals. The police team reportedly tried to negotiate with the alleged criminals but they started firing which led to the encounter. A senior police official said that a case has been registered based on a complaint by the boy's family and investigation will be done. The alleged criminals fled the spot. The Uttar Pradesh government has promised action in the case and announced a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh to the family of the boy. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: In yet another shocking incident of rape in Haryana, a college student was allegedly raped in Gurugram Farrukhnagar. The case has been registered against two accused and one accused has been arrested. A 20-year-old married woman was allegedly raped by two men at a village in Fatehabad district of Haryana, which has seen a spurt in rape cases. The woman alleged in her police complaint that she was raped by her neighbour and another person on Wednesady. She alleged that the two accused barged into her house when she was alone. The victim was threatened with dire consequences if she reported the matter to anyone. The woman had got married six months back, police said. We have registered a case of rape against her neighbour and other co-accused. The accused have also been booked under other relevant provisions of the law. They will be arrested soon, Fatehabads SP Deepak Saharan said over phone. Haryana has recently witnessed many cases of rape. On Tuesday, a 14-year-old boy had allegedly raped a 3-year-old girl in a colony in Hisar. A 15-year-old girls half-naked body was found on Saturday near the bank of a canal in a village in Jind district after she had gone missing last Tuesday from her village in Kurukshetra district. The girl was brutally assaulted, her private parts mutilated and some of the vital organs ruptured, police said. In a separate incident, an 11-year-old girl was raped and killed in Panipat last week. Alleging complete breakdown of law and order machinery, the opposition Congress has sought dismissal of the Khattar government and imposition of Presidents Rule in the state. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Mumbai: The benchmark BSE Sensex hit the 35,000 level for the first time in late afternoon trade on Wednesday as buying gathered momentum on easing fiscal deficit worries. The 30-share index crossed the 35,000-mark by jumping 231.73 points or 0.66 per cent to 35,002.78, breaching its previous intra-day record of 34,963.69 hit on January 15. It took 17 sessions for the index to reach the 35,000 mark from 34,000 level reached on December 26. Strong gains in banking, IT, FMCG and capital goods stocks helped the index top new milestone. Sentiments got a boost after the government on Wednesday lowered the additional borrowing requirement for the current fiscal to Rs 20,000 crore from Rs 50,000 crore estimated earlier, brokers said. All sectoral indices, driven by IT, banking, PSU, capital goods and healthcare, with gains of up to 1.21 per cent. The NSE Nifty spurted 61.15 points, or 0.57 per cent, to trade at 10,761.60. Also Read: Sensex advances 70 pts in volatile trade; IT stocks gain Analysts said strong liquidity in the market following unabated buying by foreign funds inflows and encouraging Q3 earnings by some companies lifted the mood. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 693.17 crore while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) had sold equities worth a net Rs 246.38 crore on Tuesday, as per provisional data. The big gainers that helped the flagship Sensex to new peak were SBI, Axis Bank, Infosys, Adani Ports, Yes Bank, ICICI Bank, L&T, TCs, ITC Ltd, Dr Reddys, Sun Pharma, Bajaj Auto, Power Grid, NTPC, HDFC Ltd, M&M and Tata Steel, surging up to 3.43 per cent. Asian stocks were mixed, while European markets were down in their opening trade. For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Parents of students studying in Delhi government schools will be able to see the activities of their wards on real-time, announced Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday after he reviewed installation of CCTV in classrooms. Arvind Kejriwal tweeted that parents will be given access to see his child studying in class on real-time on their phone. The Delhi chief minister firmly believes that as soon as the system comes to work there will be transparency and accountability. Sources in the Delhi government said that they are making an mobile app which will allow parents to see activities happening in the school. The Delhi chief minister tweeted, Reviewed the progress of installation of CCTV cameras in each class in all govt schools. Each parent will be given access to see his child studying in class on real-time basis on his phone. This will make the whole system transparent and accountable. It will ensure safety of kids. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Former telecom minister A. Raja has praised Manmohan Singh in supporting him during allotment of 2G spectrum in 2008. However, he has claimed that the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) was highly influenced by the corporate lobby Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) that was controlled by Bharti Airtel chairman Sunil Mittal. The patronage shown by him to me in relation to 2G licensing and spectrum allocation was totally justified and correct as per policy and law, wrote Raja in his tell-all book 2G Saga Unfolds. His concern for national interest to be foremost is proved beyond doubt by the support and mentorship he had provided for every step I took. However, he has accused senior officials of the PMO of lobbying for interests of large incumbent 2G operators. He writes that on November 2, 2007 he wrote a letter to the prime minister apprising him of decisions taken in relation to the 2G licensing/spectrum. Co-incidentally, a letter (Annexure-II) from the Prime Ministers Office addressed to me was also simultaneously on its way and delivered at 7 pm on the same day to my 2A, Motilal Nehru Marg residence, writes Raja. Upon reading the letter it becomes apparent that its contents match the representation by COAI in this context. He points out that it was only on 5th November (three days later as noted in the PMO records) that both the Joint Secretary (Telecom) and the Director (Telecom) working in the PMs Office were shown the letters between him and the PM. This made me wonder if this letter was ever drafted by the PMO, writes Raja. In the letter, the prime minister had raised issues related to allotting 2G spectrum to new operators as well as to the incumbent players. Later, when Raja met the prime minister, he agreed with him. The Prime Minister after listening to my explanations patiently and carefully made it clear to me that his letter was motivated by the news in the press about wrongdoings in the Ministry and the apprehensions raised by the COAI. I got his approval to go ahead with the process as indicated in my letters. I subsequently asked the Ministry officials to expedite the issuance of licenses. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. London: Nus Ghani, a Kashmiri-origin parliamentarian in the UK, on Friday became the first female Muslim minister to speak from the British Parliament dispatch box. Ghani, born in Birmingham to parents who migrated from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, was cheered by her colleagues as she addressed the House of Commons as a junior minister in the Department for Transport. "Made my debut as @transportgovuk Minister and made a bit of history as the first female Muslim Minister to speak from the House of Commons dispatch box," she tweeted soon after her first Commons outing in her new role. Dispatch box is the designated place where ministers stand and speak from in the Commons. The 45-year-old was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for Transport by British Prime Minister Theresa May as part of her New Year reshuffle last week. The Conservative Party MP from Wealden was also given the assistant government whip in the reshuffle to oversee party discipline. "The roles are both exciting and challenging opportunities. Transport is a subject on which I have campaigned passionately since being elected as the MP for Wealden. Alongside my ministerial duties, I will continue to be a strong voice for Wealden and deliver for my constituents,"Ghani had said in a statement. The minister in charge of her department, transport secretary Chris Grayling, said Ghani's promotion proved the Tories "were a party of opportunity". "Were the party to provide...the first Muslim woman minister to speak from the government dispatch box, the member for Wealden. I congratulate her, I'm very proud to sit alongside her," he said. Ghani worked for charities such as Age UK and Breakthrough Breast Cancer as well as the BBC World Service before first standing as a Conservative Party candidate in Birmingham in the 2010 general election. In 2015, she became the first Conservative party Muslim female candidate to be elected to Parliament. After the June 2017 snap election, she made history after she repeated her oath of allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II in Urdu when she was sworn into Parliament. "My motivation is simple. My parents are incredibly proud that I have been elected to serve as MP and I wanted to honour my mother by speaking in a language she understands and my mother tongue, she had said at the time. Soon after she was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the UK Home Office. Her rapid rise in May's government is seen as part of the British PM?s declared aim of moving away from an all-white middle-aged male Cabinet. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Riverside: A California couple who held their 13 malnourished children captive in a suburban home were charged with multiple counts of torture and child abuse as prosecutors said the youngsters had been shackled even to go to the bathroom. David Allen Turpin, 57, and his wife Louise Anna Turpin, 49 were hit with 12 counts of torture, 12 of false imprisonment, six of child abuse and six of abuse of a dependent adult at a court hearing in the city of Riverside on Thursday. David Turpin was also charged with committing a lewd act against a child by force or fear or duress, District Attorney Mike Hestrin told a press conference, adding that bail had been set at USD 13 million for each of the defendants. If convicted of all charges, they face 94 up to life in prison, Hestrin told reporters in Riverside. The Turpins were arrested last Sunday after sheriffs deputies in Perris, a town southeast of Los Angeles, found several children shackled with chains and padlocks in their filthy, foul-smelling home. The raid on the house came after authorities received an emergency assistance call from their 17-year-old sister who had managed to escape. She was so emaciated that officers first thought she was a young child. Officers also initially assumed all the other siblings to be children, but were shocked to discover seven ranging in age from 18 to 29. All 13 are being treated for malnutrition and undergoing other diagnostic tests. Hestrin said that all the children had been subjected to prolonged abuse and had not been allowed to shower more than once a year and never been allowed to see a dentist or doctor. Often, they were not released from their chains to go to the bathroom, he told the press conference. While the childrens ordeal began when the family was living in the Fort Worth region of Texas, it intensified over time and worsened when they moved to California. They were fed very little, on a schedule, Hestrin added. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday dismissed reports of Chinese troops regathering near Doklam and said that the status quo at the face-off site has not been altered. Ravish Kumar, spokesperson of MEA said, Government would once again reiterate that the status quo at the face-off site has not been altered. Any suggestion to the contrary is inaccurate and mischievous. In response to repeated questions about any change in the status quo at the face-off site, Government had stated that there was no basis for such imputations," added Kumar. The MEA spokesperson made the statement after some media houses reported about China apparently taking control of the northern side of Doklam Plateau by building permanent military structures. Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday had said that the Chinese military had carried out temporary buildups in Doklam the site of a tense standoff between the two countries last year after media reports cited satellite images to say that the infrastructure included a full-fledged PLA base. The Chinese military had carried out some infrastructure development in the Doklam area earlier. All of it is temporary in nature," said Army chief Bipin Rawat during Raisina Dialogue. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Karti Chidambaram, the son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, was questioned for about 11 hours by officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the INX Media money laundering case on Thursday. Karti Chidambaram was summoned by the agency to appear before the Investigating Officer (IO) of the case on Thursday. Official sources said Karti Chidambaram was asked a number of questions on his role in the case and his statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). He arrived at the ED office here around 11:30 am and left after 10:30 pm. Karti Chidambaram's authorised representative had met the IO of the case on the last two occasions and the central probe agency had then asked him to appear in person. The central probe agency had registered a case against him and others in May last year. It had registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), the ED's equivalent of a police FIR, against the accused named in a CBI complaint, including Karti Chidambaram, INX Media and its directors, Peter and Indrani Mukerjea. The ECIR was lodged under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The sources said that the ED is probing the alleged "proceeds of crime" generated in this case. It was the ED which had provided information about the alleged illegal payments made by INX Media, based on which the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed its FIR. The CBI had also carried out searches at the homes and offices of Karti Chidambaram across four cities for allegedly receiving money from the media firm owned by the Mukerjeas toscuttle a tax probe. The Chidambarams have denied all the charges made against them. The CBI had filed the FIR against Karti Chidambaram and the Mukerjeas on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, receiving illegal gratification, influencing public servants and criminal misconduct. The agency has alleged that Karti Chidambaram received money from INX Media for using his influence to manipulate a tax probe against it in a case of violation of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) conditions to receive investment from Mauritius. The CBI has said it has also recovered vouchers of Rs 10 lakh which were allegedly paid for the services. These vouchers were issued in favour of Advantage Strategic Consulting (P) Limited, a firm "indirectly" owned by Karti, the CBI had alleged. Former finance minister Chidambaram, after the CBI searches on May 16, had issued a strong statement in response to the raids, saying the government was using the CBI and other agencies to target his son. The FIPB approval was granted in "hundreds of cases", the senior Congress leader had said. The CBI FIR was made out against Karti Chidambaram, his company Chess Management Services, the Mukerjeas (currently in jail on charges of murder of their daughter Sheena Bora), INX Media, Advantage Strategic Consulting Services and itsdirector Padma Vishwanathan. Last week, the ED had also searched the premises of Karti Chidambaram and those associated with him in a separate money laundering case pertaining to the Aircel-Maxis deal. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: India's indigenously developed intercontinental surface-to-surface nuclear capable ballistic missile 'Agni-V' was successfully test-fired on Thursday. The country test-fires the ICBM Agni-V from the integrated test range (ITR) at the Abdul Kalam island off the Odisha coast. Indigenously developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the missile was launched from launch pad complex 4 of the ITR. Agni-V is able to carry a nuclear or traditional warhead of about 1.5 tonnes. The three-stage, 17.5-metre tall and two-metre wide Agni-V weighs around 50 tonnes. The accuracy level of the missile, which has a strike range of 5,000-8,000 km, is far higher than its earlier variants Agni-I, Agni-II, Agni-III and Agni-IV. The missile, with a strike range of around 5000 km, serves as an ideal counter to China's military muscle. It will give India the cutting edge in long-range strike capability. We have successfully launched nuclear capable ballistic missile Agni-V today: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Chennai (File pic) pic.twitter.com/6KivWbmZg6 ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2018 Agni V is nuclear capable, with a payload capacity of 1,500 kg of the high-explosive warhead.The missile is about 17 metres long, 2 metres wide and weighs about 51 tonnes. Also Read: SpaceX set to launch Falcon Heavy rocket on Friday, will utilize craft in six-month Mars mission It has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program. It is the fifth variant in the series of medium to long range Agni missiles. Agni I, II, III have already been inducted for military use. The successful induction of Agni V will give India long-range strike capability. The very high accuracy Ring Laser Gyro based Inertial Navigation System (RINS) and the most advanced Micro Navigation System (MINS) ensures that the missile reaches the target point within few metres of accuracy designated within no time. The missile has previously been tested in 2012, 2013 and 2015. Elite Club of Nations with ICBM's over 5500 km range - Once the Agni-V is inducted, India will join the super-exclusive club of countries with ICBMs (missiles with a range of over 5,000-5,500km) alongside the US, Russia, China. Prime Minister reserves the exclusive right to launch the missile - If ever the situation arises then these missiles can be launched only after the orders of the Prime Minister of India and no one else. The ICBM Agni-V was last tested on December 16, 2016, which was described as the fourth and last test of the missile. Also Read: Watch | ISRO hits century in space; Launches Cartosat 2 series Satellite, 30 others The 17.5-metre long Agni-V was first tested in an 'open configuration' in April 2012 while the second one took place in September 2013. The third and fourth tests were held in January 2015 and December 2016 respectively. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Lucknow: Lucknow Police have detained a girl studying in class 6 for stabbing her junior, a class 1 boy, in a Lucknow school on Thursday. The student was was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board after questioning. Senior Superintendent of Police (Lucknow) Deepak Kumar said, We have detained the student and arrested the school principal for not informing the police about the incident. Another police officer said, The hair found from clothes of the injured boy has been sent for forensic test. Also read: Lucknow Police probing angle, if Blue Whale Challenge reason behind Brightland School knifing incident The victims parent narrating the boys ordeal said, Didi took me to bathroom on the second floor of the school and attacked with a knife. The minor is recuperating from deep cut injuries at the KGMU trauma centre. Also read: Lucknow Police probing angle, if Blue Whale Challenge reason behind Brightland School knifing incident A class 1 student was brutally attacked with a sharp weapon by a senior student at Lucknows Brightland School on Tuesday. The incident had come to light on Wednesday after parents of the student lodged a complaint with the local police. Police said, teachers found the class one student lying unconscious in pool of blood with hands tied in a school toilet around 10am on Tuesday. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Mumbai: Today is the 55th foundation day of Shiv Sena, which played a key role in Maharashtra politics. Shiv Sena party chief Uddhav Thackeray will now address Shiv Sainiks at 7 pm today. He is scheduled to address Shiv Sainiks on the occasion of Foundation Day for the second time after assuming office as Chief Minister today. Now it will be exciting to see what directions they give to the Shiv Sainiks. At present there is a corona crisis and due to this the message of Foundation Day was given online last year also. This time too, it has been decided to celebrate the Foundation Day with simplicity in view of the corona crisis. This time some small social programmes will be held. On the other hand, Shiv Sainiks are waiting to know the plans and visions of party chief Uddhav Thackeray on the expansion and behaviour of the party for the coming days. That is why he is very excited about Uddhav Thackeray's address today and is waiting for him. The BJP Yuva Morcha had taken out a scolding front near Dadar Shiv Sena Bhawan last Wednesday. In view of this, a large number of Shiv Sainiks also gathered near Shiv Sena Bhawan. Meanwhile, the police stopped the front at a distance, but despite this, Shiv Sena workers and BJP Yuva Morcha workers clashed strongly. After all this, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had met Shiv Sainik officials. In such a situation, it has to be seen what directions Uddhav Thackeray gives to Shiv Sainiks today. VIDEO: Flood kills 16 people in Nepal, 22 still missing You won't believe it too: Four earthquake tremors felt in Assam in 24 hours Tamil Nadu CM Stalin, among other dignitaries, greets Rahul on his birthday Rachel Zoe Rosenzweig, an American fashion designer, and writer once said, Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak. If you are a fashion enthusiast and looking for styling yourself in a way that reflects your personality as said in this quote, here we bring you some Nepali clothing startups that give you unique fashion outfits and much more: 1. Fibro Photo: Screengrab/Fibros website Fibro is a smart-casual Nepali apparel brand, launched in 2018. This clothing brand started with an aim to democratise the way Nepal understands the fashion and clothing industry. It began with one product, a winter fur jacket in signature black with the USP of it being waterproof, dustproof and water-resistant, now, this startup offers a variety of garments such as summer jacket, pullover, bomber jacket, polo t-shirts, feather down half jacket (lightweight), feather down jacket, summer cotton shirt, sweatshirt, and many more. You can place your order via online and can also buy from its workplace at Ghattekulo. 2. Bikram Sambat Bikram Sambat Jeans Photo: Bikram Sambat Bikram Sambat is one of the first denim brands of Nepal founded by Shovit Raj Upadhyaya in 2017. This brand was launched in order to offer genuine and quality denim products to the consumers, which many were not getting even by paying higher prices. Currently, Bikram Sambat has many products like tunic shirts, plain polo tee, and pants for all gender groups. You can purchase its products from its official website and social media pages or can visit its store at Jhamsikhel Chok. It is also available on Daraz and Klothus Store. 3. HattiHatti Nepal Products of HattiHatti. Photo: HattiHatti Nepal Established in 2014, HattiHatti Nepal is a company that upcycles old, vintage and unused saris into beautiful fashion products. By doing so, HattiHatti supports women from marginalised communities and makes them socially and economically independent through sustainable sewing skills and non-formal education. Its products that are also designed, stitched and sewed by those women themselves include cushions, jeans pouches, headbands, scrunchies, scarves and a lot more, costing from Rs 75 to Rs 3,000. You can shop from HattiHatti Nepal by visiting its office at Ekantakuna Road, Jawalakhel or via stores like the Local Project Nepal (Jhamsikhel and LeSherpa) and Timro Concept store (Bakhundole) or from its Instagram and Facebook pages. 4. Customandu Customised Shoes, product of Customandu Customandu is a startup that customises normal shoes such as formal leather shoes, casual sneakers and others as per the choice of the customers. It also does hydro dipping for shoes. This startup started in December 2019 with a goal to offer custom shoes to Nepali consumers. This company enables its customers to project their personalities through their customised, personalised and hand-painted kicks. You can personalised your shoes from here by contacting it via their Instagram page. 5. Lakhey Nepal Photo: Screengrab/Lakhey Nepals Instagram page Lakhey Nepal is a Nepali fashion brand that mainly works in the formal wear and streetwear fashion of the apparel industry, targeting young women. This clothing startup was founded in 2018 by Erina Shrestha, a graduate of IEC College of Art & Fashion. Recently, it has launched babywear and mens apparel as well. All of the manufacturing and production works such as fabric making and pattern making are done in Nepal itself. You can place your order via its Instagram and Facebook pages. It also has its store at Ganeshman Singh Road, Kalimati. 6. Kiroz Fashion Photo: Screengrab/ Kirozs website Kiroz Fashion is a local clothing brand that manufactures and sells apparels mainly using fabrics such as jeans, hosiery, chiffon and cotton twills, combining lycra, a type of synthetic, cotton and polyester. This brand, which started in 2019, offers its customers a vast range of fashion wear such as, t-shirts, kurtas, windcheaters, watches, sunglasses and many more for all genders. You can purchase its outfits by contacting it via Facebook page or its website. 7. Phalano Luga Photo: Phalano Luga Facebook Page Phalano Luga is a Nepali apparel brand started in 2013 by famous cartoonist Rajesh KC. This brand manufactures clothes, mainly t-shirts, with exclusive artwork designs and also humorous Nepali sayings, phrases, riddles and characters. Phalano Luga produces its t-shirts using authentic cotton fabrics. You can shop Phalano t-shirts by visiting its store at Sajha Line, Pulchok or at CTC Mall, Sundhara. The never-to-expect crisis is back again bringing chaos in the educational sector among others, and we never know how long this situation will continue in the future. It puts a lot of pressure on educational institutions and other educational stakeholders to plan once again to manage education during this difficult circumstance. Physical teaching and learning are halted at this time. But, the silver lining is that Nepal already has some policy documents at the national level such as the Student Learning Facilitation Guidelines, 2020, and the Framework for School Operation, 2020, to facilitate education in general, and equally there are some local institutional guidelines as well to guide teaching and learning during the crisis. On top of that, our recent past practices of handling education during the crisis have taught us amply. Adding to them, following are some of the ideas drawn on the basis of the observation of those practices for application to Nepals education sector. Plan and act, dont wait and see All educational institutions should plan to manage education by mapping out their available resources. Therefore, this time, they should not wait for the situation to improve. Running online classes is one of the options. However, it is not only the option available. Hence, as per the availability of resources with institutions, teachers and parents, the institutions have to plan to manage education in multiple ways as far as possible instead of merely jumping to a conclusion to adopt the approach of online teaching and learning. They should consider the availability of necessary digital resources with teachers, students and parents and their required basic digital literacy to engage learners in online learning. Simply put, there should always be an alternative plan such as homeschooling that have to be communicated well in advance to digitally disadvantaged parents and students to bring them into the education system during the crisis. Circulate proper guidelines Proper guidelines on how to get learners engaged in online classes or on any other ways adopted to continue teaching and learning should be circulated to teachers, parents and students. In addition, what parents and students are expected to do should be communicated well to them before any approach is adopted. Both the parents and students should also be clarified of any additional support if they are unable to join online classes. If an institution plans to run online classes, it needs to understand that using synchronous tools such as Zoom, MS Teams, EZ Talks, Google Meet for junior classes can be just a waste of time as children are too young to learn via synchronous communication. Instead, they can be involved in learning using asynchronous platforms such as Google Classroom, Edmodo or any other locally developed platforms that the institutions are using to manage education. Photo by Thomas Park on Unsplash We have realised that continuous lecture in online teaching is so tedious and rather it demotivates the learners. Therefore, a teacher has to have some plans to make the lessons interactive. For instance, assigning them a pre-live session task or sending them a video to watch beforehand and making them take part in a discussion in live sessions may result into an interactive live session. Since a large number of teachers got engaged in online teaching and learning during the first phase of the crisis, they have some knowledge of handling some web tools. Hence, at this point, we need to think about how we can effectively engage learners in teaching and learning as opposed to simply running online classes to transition to online teaching and learning. In case the institutions are preparing to conduct exams during this difficult situation, they have to make sure that learners and/or parents are familiar with the digital tools that they are using so that their academic performance should not be impacted because of their poor digital literacy. Address the issue of mental wellbeing Institutions have to clearly articulate the concerns of mental wellbeing in messages they circulate to teachers, parents and students. Learners might be worried as they might not have appropriate devices to join online learning, or the environment at home might not be conducive for students to learn etc. Institutions have to clearly mention that it is only the emergency remote teaching as a professor of instructional technology, Charles Hodges, and his colleagues claim, and the learners should not be worried about what they potentially miss at this stage because once the situation gets normal, there is always a possibility to recover what they miss now. Institutions can also ask if the parents and learners have any issues which an institution can address. Teachers should also be assured that their institution is always with them to support when needed, and the teachers can contact their institution if they face any kind of difficulties in course of teaching and learning during the crisis. They should be given additional support such as providing appropriate digital devices that can help them get engaged in teaching and learning. To sum up, there are some ways to manage education during this crisis that are informed by our past practices. We can be better organised this time to deal with education if we carefully consider some key elements such as planning properly, developing guidelines to manage education and making attempts to address mental wellbeing issues of teachers, learners and parents. Finally, we all have experiences of living through the crisis; therefore, managing education during this recurring crisis situation will not be something unusual, rather it will make us extra prepared to manage education during any kind of crisis situations that we might acquaint ourselves with in the future. Description The 53rd Annual Recital of the Venettes Cultural Workshop premieres this Saturday, June 19th. ***Come join us for a Drive In Movie Recital - Night at the African American Museum Juneteenth Celebration. ***We will take you on a journey through the Museums exhibits, collections, storys and allow them to come to life through dance and song. You really dont want to miss the awesome display of talent by our amazing students and faculty. 2 shows: June 19th 7:00pm show starts at 8:45pm June 27th 7:00pm show starts at 8:45. Food trucks on site for your dining pleasure. 3 Growth Stocks To Watch In The Stock Market This Upcoming Week It has been rather volatile for growth stocks in the stock market this week. With the Fed now forecasting two rate hikes in 2023, instead of the prior forecast of zero rate hikes until 2024, the stock market took a hit. Nevertheless, Powell reiterated that the Fed still believes in the transitory inflation thesis and wont do anything to change monetary policy anytime soon. I guess what hes trying to say is that cheap money is here to stay. Perhaps that is why the stock market rebounded strongly on Thursday, led by top growth stocks in the market. Growth stocks have been one of the favorite choices for investors looking to allocate their hard-earned money. This is mainly because they have been providing outsized gains compared to the broader market, at least for the past two decades. We only need to look at the likes of Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) to understand the power of growth companies. There are plenty of top growth stocks that are experiencing explosive growth in the current volatile stock market environment. But I think we all can agree that growth stocks that are delivering impressive results today and can continue to be great long-term investments can be quite hard to find. How To Find The Best Growth Stocks To Buy? Investing in the stock market hasnt been easy since the pandemic. Whether you are new or experienced in the market, you have certainly witnessed one of the most volatile periods in the history of the stock market. That said, if you are looking for growth names to include in your portfolio, you should look for companies that could expand their top-line quickly. The hallmark of the best growth stocks to buy now may typically include improving fundamentals and a history of bullish trading activity in the shares. With rising inflation risks and investors rotating their portfolios toward value stocks, picking a growth stock to buy is becoming increasingly difficult. Story continues Nevertheless, to help safeguard your investment, looking at stocks with good growth potential and justifiable valuations could be a great way to start. Of course, looking for growth stocks that have extremely strong fundamentals is even better. That may require a lot more research and hard work. But the good news here is we are laying some of them out for you. With all that being said, do you have the following growth stocks on your list in the stock market today? Top Growth Stocks To Watch This Week Upstart Holdings Upstart is a growing online leading platform that utilizes artificial intelligence to automate the lending process. With the companys platform, banks can provide personal loans using non-traditional variables like education and employment to predict creditworthiness. At the same time, it helps banks reduce the risk and costs of lending. Upstarts platform uses sophisticated machine learning models to more accurately identify risk and approve more applicants than traditional credit-score-based lending models. Upstart has also expanded into auto loans. In March, it acquired Prodigy Software, a provider of cloud-based automotive retail software, which some describe as the Shopify (NYSE: SHOP) for auto dealers. Recently, Upstart announced that Customers Bank, a full-service community bank and subsidiary of Customers Bancorp (NYSE: CUBI) has expanded its bank partnership with Upstart. The extended partnership would include scaling its personal loan program through the Upstart Referral Network and Customers Banks own consumer banking website. Customers Banks partnership with Upstart has helped it grow its loan portfolio over the past few years, and it expects that trend to continue. Whats more impressive is that the company has already achieved profitability. Upstart reported a net profit of $6 million in 2020, making it one of the few profitable fintech companies. That said, an investment in Upstart stock could prove to be extremely rewarding. With more predictive underwriting models and lower fraud rates delivered by the platform, the potential for Upstart to keep growing is enormous. Considering all these, is UPST stock a buy and hold growth stock over the long term? Source: TD Ameritrade TOS Read More Futu Holdings Futu is a leading tech-driven online brokerage and wealth management platform in China. Impressively, the company has strong backing from notable shareholders like Tencent (OTCMKTS: TCEHY), Matrix Holdings, and Sequoia Capital. With the backing of a company like Tencent, coupled with the trending tailwinds, the potential for Futu to cement itself as a leader in Chinas mobile and online brokerage is bright indeed. With strong expectations of the companys business performance, FUTU stock has risen more than 200% year-to-date. From the companys first-quarter report, revenue came in 349% higher year-over-year to $283.6 million. Its total gross profit was even more impressive, as it came in 372.6% higher year-over-year to $226.6. That handily beat the estimates from Wall Street. However, despite the impressive earnings beat, FUTU stock has been trading sideways in recent months. While that might cause some investors to shy away from growth stocks like Futu, some are scooping up the stock on the dip. FUTU stock could be your best bet on tapping on the rapid growth of Chinas retail investing industry. After all, the rise of retail investors is pretty much a global phenomenon. Considering Futus robust financials and the growth of the markets it operates in, we could be looking at a long growth runway indeed. Could FUTU stock be a multibagger in the making? Source: TD Ameritrade TOS [Read More] Best Quantum Computing Stock To Buy Now? 4 To Know Cloudflare Cloudflare is a content delivery network (CDN) provider. Its aim is to build a better and safer internet. Some of the companys potential growth drivers include serverless computing, internet of things (IoT), and 5G. These present massive opportunities for the company to tap into. With more businesses moving their operations to the cloud, Cloudflare could see explosive growth in this burgeoning cybersecurity industry. Thats because of its role in safeguarding and speeding up the internet. From the companys first-quarter earnings, revenue came in 51% higher year-over-year to $138.1 million. The network security and CDN provider also sees strong large customer growth. It saw a record addition of roughly 120 large customers in the quarter. This cloud stock has rewarded shareholders with more than 450% growth since going public in September 2019. Of course, the strong bullish sentiment is mainly due to the companys dominance in the CDN market. Admittedly, there may be speculations of tech giants jumping into the CDN bandwagon and stealing market shares. But Cloudflare stock is still a relatively safe bet with excellent long-term growth prospects for now. With NET stock showing upward momentum, would you agree that it is the best growth stock to buy right now? (Bloomberg) -- European shares fell the most in a month as more hawkish messaging from U.S. Federal Reserve officials fueled a retreat out of more cyclical segments of the market. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index closed down 1.6%, with energy, banks and miners leading the retreat. Britains FTSE 100 benchmark was down -1.9% as a surge in coronavirus cases dented mounting confidence in the U.K.s recovery. Inchcape Gains; Meme Stock Orphazyme Plunges: EMEA Equity Movers European equities are ending the week on a more sober note after closing at nine consecutive record highs, the longest run since 1999. The streak ended on Thursday as investors assessed the Feds timetable for rate liftoff. European stocks extended declines today as yields on shorter-maturity Treasuries jumped after St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said on CNBC that the central bank has started discussing scaling back the pace of pandemic bond-buying. It is now clear to most investors that we are slowly entering a new market phase with this change in monetary policy sparked by rising inflation, said Pierre Veyret, technical analyst at ActivTrades. The Stoxx 600 index has jumped 13% in 2021, outperforming the U.S. stock market, and strategists on average see European stocks ending the year slightly below current levels, according to a Bloomberg survey. What Could Go Wrong in 2021? Ask These Strategists: Taking Stock Market players on Friday were also braced for volatility spurred by the expiry of options, futures and indexes in an event known as triple witching. Meanwhile, European stock funds attracted inflows of $3.3 billion in the week through June 16, the biggest since February 2018, according to Bank of America Corp. and EPFR Global data. Among individual companies, Tesco Plc dropped 4.1% as sales growth slowed in the latest quarter. Tods SpA jumped 13% following bullish comments by UBS Group AG analysts on the luxury sector after a conference hosting the Italian shoemaker. Story continues HSBC Holdings Plc dropped 2.3% as the transfer of its unprofitable French retail operation to Cerberus is set to cost the bank as much as $3 billion. Miners were also among underperformers as copper headed for its worst week since the start of the pandemic on the Feds hawkish turn and as fresh interventions to cool Chinese commodities markets dealt dual blows to the outlook for demand. For a daily wrap highlighting the biggest movers among EMEA stocks, click hereYou want more news on this market? Click here for a curated First Word channel of actionable news from Bloomberg and select sources. It can be customized to your preferences by clicking into Actions on the toolbar or hitting the HELP key for assistance. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2021 Bloomberg L.P. OTTAWA, ON, June 18, 2021 /CNW/ - As youth vaping continues to rise, the Government of Canada is taking action to address it. While youth smoking is at its lowest level in decades, vaping is putting a new generation of Canadians at risk of nicotine addiction and the other harms caused by vaping. Vaping can lead to tobacco use, which threatens the hard-earned gains of Canadians in lowering the number of people and youth who smoke. Working with other orders of governments, the medical community and other stakeholders, the Government of Canada continues to do more to protect youth from the risks of vaping. Research shows that flavoured vaping products are highly appealing to youth, and that youth are especially susceptible to the negative effects of nicotine including altered brain development, which can cause challenges with memory and concentration. To address this, Health Canada is proposing regulatory changes to permitted flavours in vaping products in the Canada Gazette, Part I for comment. The proposal would restrict the flavour options in vaping products in Canada to tobacco and mint/menthol. This will help make vaping less attractive to youth, while giving alternatives to adults who smoke and wish to transition, or have already transitioned to vaping. The consultation will be open for 75 days, open from June 18 to September 2, 2021. A proposal to restrict flavours in inhaled cannabis extracts has also been published in the Canada Gazette, Part I and will be open for 75 days for input. Health Canada is also announcing that the Nicotine Concentration in Vaping Products Regulations will be published in the next edition of the Canada Gazette, Part II. These regulations set a maximum nicotine concentration of 20 mg/mL in vaping products to make them less appealing to youth. The regulations also prohibit the packaging and sale of vaping products if the nicotine concentration of the products exceeds this limit. Manufacturers must adhere to this limit by July 8, 2021; retailers may not sell products that exceed this limit after July 23, 2021. Story continues This important work builds on existing measures already taken by the Government of Canada to address the rise in youth vaping. These new measures will protect youth from the harms of vaping and cannabis, so that healthy kids become healthy adults. Quotes "Vaping is putting a new generation of Canadians at risk of nicotine addiction and other harms from vaping. We're taking this action because we know that nicotine has particular impacts on young people's brain development, memory and concentration. These new measures build on our efforts to stop young Canadians from vaping. The message is simpledon't vape." The Honourable Patty Hajdu Minister of Health Quick Facts These proposed and new regulations build on the existing work being done by the Department, including increasing compliance and enforcement activities and enhancing vaping awareness through the Consider the Consequences public education efforts. Health Canada has invested more than $13 million in the Consider the Consequences of Vaping national public education campaign which launched in December 2018 to inform youth and their parents of the harms and risks of vaping. A recent evaluation of the advertising campaign found that 26% of teens who reported having seen the ads decided not to try vaping as a result. The proposed regulatory amendments to restrict flavours in inhaled cannabis extracts builds on the actions the Government of Canada has taken to reduce the appeal of cannabis products for youth and young adults, through compliance and enforcement and increasing awareness of the risks of vaping cannabis. Vaping is a less harmful source of nicotine than cigarettes for those who switch completely to vaping. Between July and December 2019, Health Canada inspectors visited more than 3,000 specialty vape shops and convenience stores across the country, seizing more than 80,000 units of non-compliant vaping products. More than eighty percent of the specialty vape shops inspected were found to be promoting and selling vaping products in violation of the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act . The Department has published the results of the retail inspections that occurred in 2019 in two Vaping Products Enforcement Reports for July - September 2019 and October - December 2019. Between July 2020 and March 2021, Health Canada Inspectors also conducted over 260 online inspections of Instagram accounts associated with Canadian vaping establishments. Approximately 50% of the Instagram accounts inspected were found to be selling and promoting vaping products in violation of the TVPA . Health Canada also plans to publish the results of its 2020-21 online inspections in the summer of 2021. While the results of the 2020 Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey (CTNS) suggest that the rapid increase of youth vaping rates observed between 2017 and 2019 may be levelling off, use of vaping products remains high. These new rules are expected to lessen the appeal of these products to youth. Related Products Associated Links SOURCE Health Canada Cision View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2021/18/c6530.html - Based on the final tabulation, a total of 15,907,548 Shares (including 4,884,800 Shares represented by 2,442,400 American Depositary Shares) of CCU were validly tendered and not properly withdrawn pursuant to the tender offer - Upon completion of the tender offer, IRSA's stake in CCU increases to 65.87% of the share capital SANTIAGO, Chile, June 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Inversiones y Rentas S.A. ("IRSA") announces the final results of its tender offer (the "Offer") to purchase up to 16,390,172 issued and outstanding shares of common stock, no par value (the "Shares," and each a "Share"), of Compania Cervecerias Unidas S.A. (United Breweries Company, Inc.), an open stock corporation (sociedad anonima abierta) organized under the laws of the Republic of Chile ("CCU"), whether in the form of Shares or American Depositary Shares of CCU (the "ADSs," and each an "ADS," each representing two (2) Shares), representing 4.44% of CCU's outstanding Shares. The Offer was conducted in accordance with applicable United States securities laws and the 5th paragraph of Article 198 of Chilean Law No. 18,045, by means of a formal offer to purchase (the "Offer to Purchase") filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on Schedule TO and expired on June 17, 2021 (the "Expiration Date"). Based on the final tabulations, a total of 15,907,548 Shares (including 4,884,800 Shares represented by 2,442,400 ADSs) were validly tendered and not properly withdrawn pursuant to the Offer. Therefore, IRSA has accepted for purchase 15,907,548 Shares pursuant to the Offer at a purchase price of Ch$6,800 per Share (equivalent to Ch$13,600 per ADS), in cash, without interest (the "Tender Offer Price"). The Tender Offer Price will be paid by IRSA in Chilean pesos. However, IRSA has directed the U.S. Settlement Agent (as defined in the Offer to Purchase) to coordinate with the FX Agent (as defined in the Offer to Purchase) for the U.S. dollar conversion of the Tender Offer Price payable to holders of ADSs that were tendered to the ADS Tender Agent. As a result, holders of Shares represented by ADSs tendered to the ADS Tender Agent that were accepted for payment as described above will receive payment in United States dollars converted at the ADS Tender Offer Price Exchange Rate (as defined in the Offer to Purchase), less distribution fees (as defined in the Offer to Purchase) and applicable withholding taxes, upon the terms and subject to certain conditions described in the Offer to Purchase and in the related ADS Letter of Transmittal. Story continues The total amount of approximately Ch$108,171 million required to purchase the Shares (including Shares underlying tendered ADSs) in the Offer is being funded with the proceeds of a committed credit facility. Payment for the Shares (including Shares underlying tendered ADSs) accepted for purchase by IRSA will be made in accordance with the terms of the Offer on or about June 23, 2021. Following the purchase of the Shares (including Shares underlying tendered ADSs) pursuant to the Offer, IRSA will own approximately 65.87% of CCU's currently outstanding share capital. With today's delivery of the Results Notice (as defined in the Offer to Purchase), the acceptance of the Offer became effective, without prejudice to the fact that payment of the Tender Offer Price will take place on or about June 23, 2021, subject to the terms and conditions described in the Offer to Purchase. About IRSA IRSA, a Chilean closely held corporation, is a joint venture between Quinenco S.A., one of the largest and most diversified business conglomerates in Chile, and Heineken Chile Limitada, a Chilean limited corporation controlled by Heineken Americas B.V., a subsidiary of Heineken International B.V. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements that involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially from those discussed. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, the possibility that the transaction may not close and other risks and uncertainties described in the tender offer documents filed by IRSA with the SEC. Cision View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/inversiones-y-rentas-sa-announces-the-final-results-of-its-tender-offer-for-up-to-16-390-172-outstanding-shares-of-common-stock-including-those-represented-by-american-depositary-shares-of-compania-cervecerias-unidas-sa-uni-301315924.html SOURCE Inversiones y Rentas S.A. NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 18, 2021 / Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Koninklijke Philips N.V. ("Philips" or the "Company") (NYSE:PHG). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.comor 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Philips and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On June 14, 2021, Philips issued a voluntary recall of certain of its Bi-Level Positive Airway Pressure (Bi-Level PAP) and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) devices, as well as mechanical ventilators, after finding that the sound abatement foam used in the devices can degrade and become toxic, potentially causing cancer. On this news, Philips' stock price fell $2.25 per share, or 3.98%, to close at $54.25 per share on June 14, 2021. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/652360/SHAREHOLDER-ALERT-Pomerantz-Law-Firm-Investigates-Claims-On-Behalf-of-Investors-of-Koninklijke-Philips-NV--PHG NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 18, 2021 / Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Emergent BioSolutions Inc. ("Emergent" or the "Company") (NYSE:EBS). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Emergent and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] . On March 31, 2021, the New York Times published an article reporting on the accidental contamination at an Emergent manufacturing plant in Baltimore of coronavirus vaccines developed by Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca PLC. According to reporting by the Associated Press, the Emergent factory where the contamination occurred had a series of lapses observed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in April 2020. On this news, Emergent's stock price fell $12.45 per share, or 13.4%, to close at $80.46 per share on April 1, 2021. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/652372/SHAREHOLDER-ALERT-Pomerantz-Law-Firm-Investigates-Claims-On-Behalf-of-Investors-Emergent-BioSolutions-Inc--EBS The COVID-19 pandemic continues to create stress and anxiety for many Canadians, particularly those who do not have ready access to their regular support networks. Through the Wellness Together Canada online portal, people of all ages across the country can access immediate, free and confidential mental health and substance use supports, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. OTTAWA, ON, June 19, 2021 /CNW/ - As COVID-19 activity continues in Canada, we are tracking a range of epidemiological indicators to monitor where the disease is most active, where it is spreading and how it is impacting the health of Canadians and public health, laboratory and healthcare capacity. At the same time, the Public Health Agency of Canada is providing Canadians with regular updates on COVID-19 vaccines administered, vaccination coverage and ongoing monitoring of vaccine safety across the country. The following is the latest summary on national numbers and trends, and the actions we all need to be taking to reduce infection rates, while vaccination programs expand, including acceleration of second dose programs, to better protect people and communities across the country. Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 1,407,269 cases of COVID-19 and 26,023 deaths reported in Canada; these cumulative numbers tell us about the overall burden of COVID-19 illness to date. They also tell us, together with results of serological studies, that a large majority of Canadians remain susceptible to COVID-19. However, as vaccination programs expand at an accelerated pace, there is increasing optimism that widespread, stronger and longer lasting immunity can be achieved by fully vaccinating a high proportion of Canadians over the coming weeks and months. As immunity is still building up across the population, public health measures and individual precautions remain crucial for COVID-19 control. Thanks to public health measures in place and people across Canada continuing with individual precautions, the strong and steady declines in disease trends continues, with reported active cases down by 84% since the peak of the third wave in Canada. The latest national-level data show a continued downward trend in disease activity with an average of 1,137 cases reported daily during the latest 7 day period (June 11-17), down 27% compared to the week prior. Until vaccine coverage is sufficiently high to impact disease transmission more broadly in the community, it is important to remain vigilant and not ease restrictions too soon or too quickly. Story continues With the considerable decline in infection rates nationally, the overall number of people experiencing severe and critical illness is also steadily declining. Provincial and territorial data indicate that an average of 1,481 people with COVID-19 were being treated in Canadian hospitals each day during the most recent 7-day period (June 11-17), which is 22% fewer than last week. This includes, on average 651 people who were being treated in intensive care units (ICU), 18% fewer than last week. Likewise, the latest 7-day average of 20 deaths reported daily (June 11-17) is continuing to decline, showing a 36% decrease compared to the week prior. Overall, variants of concern (VOCs) represent the majority of recently reported COVID-19 cases across the country. Four VOCs (B.1.1.7 (Alpha), B.1.351 (Beta), P.1 (Gamma), and B.1.617.2 (Delta)) have been detected in most provinces and territories. While the Alpha variant continues to account for the majority of genetically sequenced variants in Canada, the Delta variant is increasing in some areas. As Canada continues to monitor and assess genetic variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including impacts in the Canadian context, we know that vaccination, in combination with public health and individual measures, are working to reduce spread of COVID-19. As vaccine eligibility continues to expand, Canadians are encouraged to get vaccinated and support others to get vaccinated as soon as they are able. As well, with provinces and territories accelerating second dose programs, those who are eligible are urged to get fully vaccinated, including getting the second dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine series. The second immune-boosting dose substantially lowers our personal risk of infection and serious harms, provides stronger protection against certain variants of concern, including the Delta variant, and may make immunity last longer. Canadians are reminded that it is safe and effective to receive one vaccine product for your first dose and a different vaccine product for your second dose to complete your two-dose vaccine series for optimal protection from COVID-19. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) has provided updated guidance on the use of mixed vaccine schedules in COVID-19 vaccination programs. NACI's latest guidance, released this week, considered a range of factors from emerging scientific evidence to safety concerns through vaccine supply to provide recommendations on first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines. This advice provides provinces and territories with safe and effective options to manage their vaccine programs, specifically advising that: For first doses: For second doses: The change to preferring an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine for the second dose is based on emerging evidence indicating a potentially better immune response from this mixed vaccine schedule and to avoid the potential risk of Vaccine-Induced Immune Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia (VITT) associated with viral vector vaccines. However, people who received two doses of AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD vaccine can rest assured that the vaccine they received provides good protection against infection and very good protection against severe disease and hospitalization. Regardless of our vaccination status while COVID-19 is still circulating, it is important to remain vigilant, continue following local public health advice, and consistently maintain individual practices that keep us and our families safer, even as the positive impacts of COVID-19 vaccines are building: stay home/self-isolate if you have any symptoms, think about the risks and reduce non-essential activities and outings to a minimum, avoid all non-essential travel, and maintain individual protective practices of physical distancing, hand, cough and surface hygiene and wearing a well-fitted and properly worn face mask as appropriate (including in shared spaces, indoors or outdoors, with people from outside of your immediate household). For more information regarding the risks and benefits of vaccination, I encourage Canadians to reach out to your local public health authorities, healthcare provider, or other trusted and credible sources, such as Canada.ca and Immunize.ca. Working together, Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, Canada's Chief Medical Officers of Health and other health professionals across the country are closely monitoring vaccine safety, effectiveness and optimal use to adapt approaches. As the science and situation evolves, we are committed to providing clear and evidence-informed guidance in order to keep everyone in Canada safe and healthy. Canadians can also go the extra mile by sharing credible information on COVID-19 risks and prevention practices and measures to reduce COVID-19 in communities. Read my backgrounder to access more COVID-19 Information and Resources on ways to reduce the risks and protect yourself and others, including information on COVID-19 vaccination. SOURCE Public Health Agency of Canada Cision View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2021/19/c8607.html (Bloomberg) -- As lockdowns started to sweep across the globe last year, venture capitalist Hernan Kazah sent an ominous message to his portfolio of Latin America tech startups: cut costs and preserve cash in what Kazah thought would be an all-out effort to survive the pandemic. Now just over a year later, Kazah is less concerned about the survival of the regions burgeoning tech scene than he is with how to spend the $1 billion of cash his firm just raised. Because rather than decimate startups, the lockdowns boosted sales for tech companies as customers tapped into their phones to do everything from order food to bank online as the spread of Covid-19 kept people at home while taking its tragic toll. Kaszek Ventures, the venture capital company Kazah and partner Nicolas Szekasy founded a decade ago after leaving e-commerce giant Mercado Libre, have already invested in a roster of so-called unicorns, startups worth $1 billion or more. As the pandemic unfolded, they saw so many investment opportunities arise that they moved up plans by months to raise new funds that will be used for investments in startups in coming years, Kazah said in an interview this month. The result was the biggest venture capital round in Latin Americas history, in another sign the region has catapulted from an innovation backwater to an emerging region for the worlds tech investors. The start of the pandemic was horrible. Companies had to recalibrate and adjust. But then a month and a half in, we saw the opposite: demand kept increasing and increasing, Kazah said. It accelerated so much and there were so many really great investment ideas that we really didnt want to be left without dry powder. While Latin America has been one of the hardest-hit regions in the world by the pandemic, that has hardly made a dent in the pace of venture activity. Last year, investors rang up a record number of deals while pouring more than $4 billion into startups for a second-consecutive year, according to the Association for Private Capital Investment in the region. The association, known as LAVCA, estimates first quarter investments were north of $2 billion. Story continues Unicorns Kaszek raised $475 million it plans to spend on early-stage startups and $525 million for a fund that will be largely dedicated to companies in which it has already made an investment. The funds were several times oversubscribed, with demand coming from across the world, including strong interest from Asian institutions as well as investors in Latin America, Kazah said. Wesleyan University and California-based Sequoia Heritage are listed among its investors. Other backers were not disclosed. The demand may be partially explained by the firms track record of picking winners, with at least nine unicorns in its portfolio. Among them, Kaszek counts investments in Brazilian fintech Nubank, which is valued at $30 billion after receiving an investment from Berkshire Hathaway, Mexican used car platform Kavak and real estate firm Quinto Andar. With its new funds, Kaszek will target companies in which technology plays a fundamental role, Kazah said. He expects financial technology, or fintech, to continue to grow, as well as e-commerce and education companies. The firm looks at companies across Latin America, but will be focused on Brazil, Mexico and Colombia, he said. After seeing a banner period for initial public offerings on the Brazilian stock market, Kazah expects many companies from Kaszeks portfolio to go public in coming years. With every portfolio it builds, the firm sees a big group of companies that it sells at costs or loses its investment, he said. At the end of the day if you build a portfolio just with successes, that means youre not taking enough risks, he said. Whenever we build a portfolio of 20 or 30 companies, we have maybe, if were lucky, a handful of big winners. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2021 Bloomberg L.P. A spacious estate with a rural vibe yet with seamless access to so much in our dynamic region? OK, we see you 6910 Fox Ridge Road. This custom-build was finished in 1997 and shows like new today. It spans 4,968 square feet and has six bedrooms and 5.5 baths. And, its looking for an all new ownerits newly listed by Alex Belcher of Belcher Real Estate for $799,900. Alex Belcher was honored among REALTOR magazines 30 Under 30 selections in 2015 and, in his decade-plus in the business, hes sold more than 1,500 homes. Belcher Real Estate is focused on its clients and helping them through every step of the selling process. Alex Belcher is consistently one of the top agents in the state of Virginia while selling homes for his clients in record time for top dollar. I can think of so many things that make this estate special, said Belcher. It has incredible acreage, a beautiful pond and its well equipped with high-speed internet for todays times. All in all, its just a really cool place to be. She later joined a national Juneteenth organization to give her efforts more support. Her previous events were held at New Life Fellowship in Fredericksburg. Our story needed to be told, Haigler said. We, as a people, have always had to struggle. So when we get that relief, we celebrate. So I love the whole idea of celebrating us, celebrating our history and our journey to freedom. Haigler has been an activist since the 1960s, when she attended civil rights marches in Washington. She rediscovered her purpose after health issues several years ago caused her to reflect. She joined Virginia Organizinga grassroots group based in Charlottesville that is dedicated to empowering people in local communities to challenge social injustice. She was arrested by Capitol Police in 2015 at an immigration reform protest in D.C. She and Spotsylvania County resident Jared Hagerman partnered to form the Color of History Coalition, which seeks out local Black history by visiting former plantations and other historic sites in the Fredericksburg area and beyond. Shes the grandmother of Anthony Foote, the president of Black Lives Matter FXBG. Foote said Haigler is a visionary who is fully invested in the pursuit of betterment for all people. One sunny afternoon, the Millers went out to an asparagus field. He sat in a motorized cart with a canopy. Blue sky peeked out behind huge white clouds as he quietly made his way down the row, harvesting the crop. Asparagus is one of the most popular vegetables because its fresh and the woody tissue is left in the ground when they pick it. That means pretty much all the rest to be edible versus whats offered in stores where about a third has to be trimmed off, he said. They harvest asparagus from the last week in April through the first week in June. Susan Miller likes growing artisan tomatoes best, while her husband likes cantaloupe. We get to take this to the market and people like it, he said. You meet a lot of customers and its fun to have customer friends. Susan has a customer, who brings his children. Each child may select a vegetable. This one little boy always wants broccoli, she said. One time, broccoli wasnt available so the dad encouraged his son to ask for asparagus. Now, the boy asks for asparagus each week. However, she said she quickly connected with customers because of the shared desire to pursue a healthy, positive lifestyle. "It's easy for me to communicate with them," she said. During the last two years, Von Behren said the market has continued to grow. She based that growth on the community's interest in supporting local business. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} "There are so many talented people right in our own backyard," she said. "And you may not know about them." Some of the items patrons may find each weekend include fresh, hand-cut flowers, T-shirts and signs. Von Behren said the vendors have also seen the interest in the market increase, which has only led to more excitement regarding the upcoming season. "They are really thrilled," she said. "So many of them are stay-at-home moms or people that do this on the side to support their family and they're so talented and I know that they are just thrilled to be able to use their gifts in this way and to put their talents on display for their local audience." Von Behren said the market's patrons have also welcomed in the new vendors with open arms. Each weekend, she said many patrons can be seen just talking with vendors and developing deeper friendships. "That really helps since we do keep expanding," she said. "You can't really do everything by hand anymore." Prior to working with Sousek at Hundred Hills, Creal worked at a car dealership in Lincoln. He also spent two years row crop farming before transitioning to the vineyard with Sousek. "It's just been learning a new thing almost every day for a while," Creal said. "It seemed like it was just learning a new skill or trade or anything like that to help." Having established roots in the growing business alongside his family, Creal said he is excited to see how Hundred Hills develops in the coming years. "We've got two small kids together right now and it'd be great to see them come out and help as time goes by," he said. " ... That is a nice thought for the future, but we'll just have to wait and see." Over the last four years, Creal said the opportunity to foster connections with area wineries and growers has been a bright spot for him and the business. "We try to do what we do well and provide a high-quality product," he said. "I'm just proud to see that go through, once it is in the wineries hands, to see what we produce become the end product that people enjoy, whether it is wine or beer." A Friday morning fire resulted in the death of three dogs and two cats, according to the Fremont Fire Department. The fire department received a call regarding an interior fire at a large, two-story home on 312 E. Eighth St. at approximately 6:45 a.m., according to Lieutenant Nick Morris. Upon arrival at the home, Morris said heavy smoke could be seen coming from the main floor, second floor and attic. Morris said the fire had moved into the walls of the home and began working its way up to the second floor of the home before firefighters were able to open up the walls and stop the spread of the fire. All occupants of the home were out of the house by the time the fire department arrived. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Morris said the fire department was able to take control of the scene by 8 a.m. The State Fire Marshal was called out to investigate the fire. Morris said that investigation remains ongoing. The interior of the home suffered severe damage from the fire, according to Morris. In addition to opening walls and ceilings to stop the fires spread, Morris said the homes water pipes burst inside the home before the utilities could be disconnected. When the rest of the Martinez family who had been on the initial California trip got the news that Chinook was back, they couldnt believe it. Antonio, who had since moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the military and was now working at a brokerage firm, jumped on the next flight out to see his long-lost pup. To this day, we wonder what really brought him back with all those miles. (It) could have been because of the family members some were missing, only seven of us were there. And maybe he missed mom, maybe he wanted to be more comfortable, he said nearly 60 years later. But going through mountains and rivers and wild animals, no food, no water and people picking him up and not knowing whether he would live or die. I dont know how he did it. Antonio told the Star-Herald that as soon as he saw his dog, he hugged him like hed never let go again. But he would have to eventually. Chinooks journey told Antonio that he belonged in Scottsbluff, so Chinook lived out the rest of his days with Bens family. Chinooks journey received national and international media attention, including numerous magazines and newspapers, a publication from Ripleys Believe It or Not! and a 2013 book called Four-Legged Miracles by Brad Steiger and Sherry Hansen Steiger. Colorado Springs, CO (80903) Today Mixed clouds and sun this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 74F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Partly cloudy skies. Low 58F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Two victims were taken to the hospital for a shooting that happened across the street from the Boston Market near North Academy Boulevard and Galley Road. The shooting reportedly happened about 40 minutes after a different shooting near the Citadel Mall. Police say they got a call for shots fired at this location. When officers responded they say a suspect confronted three individuals in a parked car. Thats allegedly when the shots were fired by the suspect. Police say two people were hit and a third one drove the two victims to the hospital. The victims injuries were reportedly serious but they are expected to be ok. Police do not think these two incidents were connected. Read more at KKTV The Warranty of Deed on file at the Floyd County Recorder's office is clear: The parcel of land at 1827 Underwood Ave. was sold to Living Hope Mennonite Church by RLJRSK Farms LLC. But at least one family member who was responsible for signing the warranty of deed, a board member of the church, and the manager of the auction where the land was sold say that property was actually sold to Floyd County supervisor Linda Tjaden and her husband, Dean. The Tjadens deny that claim, saying they worked with Living Hope to secure the property so that the two didn't end up bidding against one another and driving up the price of the land during the auction. Linda Tjaden has since participated in board meetings where the church property's watershed issues were discussed, saying because she and her husband never owned the land there is no conflict of interest. HOW DID WE GET HERE? RLJRSK Farms LLC, hired Sullivan Auctioneers to sell two tracts of land equaling 126 acres on the corner (and due west of it) of Underwood and 180th on Nov. 6, 2020. The tracts were to be sold through "buyer's choice," according to the flyer for the auction, which means the high bidder at close would have the option to purchase one or both of the tracts. Four of the court's conservative justices said the environmental groups didn't show that the state's actions had caused a concrete injury the courts could fix. They also said the public trust doctrine historically hasn't been used to solve a problem as complex as the environmental issues raised, and that the issues at the heart of the case were political questions that would fall to the Legislature to settle. There is not enough here to demonstrate that a favorable outcome in this case is likely to redress the plaintiffs alleged reduced ability to kayak, swim, or enjoy views of the Raccoon River, or would save them money on drinking water. The plaintiffs claims must therefore be dismissed for lack of standing, Justice Edward Mansfield wrote for the majority. He said the Des Moines Water Works would have better standing to sue, but he pointed out that the utility already did so and lost a 2017 federal court case that was also dismissed. The utility filed a brief with the state Supreme Court saying it was pursuing the development of alternate sources of water but that its long-range plans involve the implementation of new treatment technologies that would cost customers tens of millions of dollars. Firearms were used in 83% of the homicides in 2020, 50% of robberies and 35% of aggravated assault cases. Lowest since '89 Richardson noted that in Danville the push downward may not seem so much without putting it into perspective, so he researched the figures and discovered the number of violent crimes in the city was the lowest since 1989, making the 30-year lows of 2020 historic. "I feel the positive crime results for 2020 in the City of Danville, which was a difficult year across the region and nation, are a result of the many programs and efforts the Danville Police Department has implemented to remove violent offenders while partnering with all aspects of the community to make Danville great by addressing community issues together," Richardson said. COVID-19 hits county For Taylor, the pandemic overshadowed the decrease in crime in Pittsylvania County and took its toll on everyone. "We have one employee that will probably never return to work because she had COVID," Taylor said. "She came down with it on a Thursday, and by Monday she was on a ventilator. She spent four weeks in extensive rehabilitation, and unfortunately I don't think she'll ever return to work. On Friday, Senior U.S. District Judge Norman K. Moon issued a memorandum opinion that said the trial will remain in Charlottesville. The reasons for this decision were multitude, Moon wrote. Upon consideration of the parties arguments and submissions and noting the parties pragmatic concessions limiting the number of parties and attorneys at trial and other steps reducing the footprint of the trial the Court finds Charlottesville remains the proper and appropriate venue for trial, Moon wrote. Among the reasons for keeping the trial in Charlottesville, Moon wrote that he could not conclude that it would be proper to hold the trial in either Lynchburg or Roanoke because the action was not filed in either division and it does not appear any defendant has resided in either division, and in any event, not all defendants reside in Virginia. Moon also wrote that the plaintiffs deference should be given higher weight, further supporting the venue remaining in Charlottesville. A student passenger is in critical condition after she and other occupants of a driver's education vehicle were injured in a six-car collision in Newton, N.C. on Wednesday afternoon. All three occupants of the drivers education vehicle were transported from the scene . The girl in critical condition, who was sitting in the backseat at the time of the crash, was taken to Brenner Childrens Hospital, according to a news release from the Newton Police Department. The other student in the vehicle, who was the twin sister of the rear passenger, has been released from Catawba Valley Medical Center. The names of the twins were not released. Craig Meadows, 48, is the driving instructor involved in the crash. He was taken to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and was in serious condition as of Thursday afternoon. Debra Young, a 50-year-old Newton resident, was treated for injuries at Catawba Valley Medical Center and then released. Charges are pending against 29-year-old Hickory resident Wenfred Alan Hooper. In Nottoway County that year, the population was counted as 8,836. Of those, 6,468 were held enslaved 74% of the population held captive by . . . well, not 26% because the actual number of slave-owners was surely much smaller. A report on Rootsweb.com computed that Nottoway County had 375 slave-owners, which meant that 4.2% of the people in the county owned 74% of the other people in the county. That figure is pretty typical. Washington College historian Adam Goodheart, author of 1861: The Civil War Awakening, has computed that in slave-owning states, only about 4.9% of the people actually owned fellow humans. Of those 375 slave-owners in Nottoway County, 95 owned 20 or more enslaved people, which accounted for 4,311, or two-thirds of the total enslaved population which meant that 1% of the county held nearly half the humanity in the county captive. It was the economic interests of that 1% or that 4.2%, depending on which accounting you prefer that led to the great blood-letting that we know as the Civil War. All those Confederate battle flags might stand for different things depending on whos viewing them, but ultimately they are the flag of that 4.2% of the population. The first three letters of Confederacy spell con, which is what that secessionist project was a con job on the poor whites who wound up dying so their richer neighbors could keep their slaves. They might have signed up in the name of states rights, but the states right to do what? (We) want somebody to look at the water, the debris in the water from a new standpoint, Cates said during a videotaped news conference Friday afternoon. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Cates said the four survivors were discovered Thursday near the dam, clinging to the tubes in the water and had been there for many hours. They were tired, very fatigued and had been subjected to the elements for 19 hours, he said. None were wearing life jackets at the time they were rescued and it was unclear if anyone in the group was, Cates said. The four were treated at a local hospital on Thursday. Their conditions were not available Friday, but Cates said previously their injuries were not considered life-threatening. Cates said he did not know where the group began its Wednesday trek or at exactly what time. It was not known whether the family used its own tubes or rented them, officials said. Saturday's continuing search was headquartered at Draper Landing, an access point to the Dan River at N.C. 770s crossing of the river. The landing is about 2.6 miles north of the site of Wednesdays accident, a dam belonging to Duke Energy. The Dan River flows north about another 10 miles to the Virginia state line before eventually turning south. Warning signs Nays: U.S. Sen. Richard Burr and U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, both R-N.C. Regulating trade: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Lina M. Kahn to serve as chair of the Federal Trade Commission for a term ending in September 2024. Kahn has been a law professor at Columbia University, legal adviser to the FTC, and legal director of the Open Markets Institute. The vote on Tuesday, June 15, was 69-28. Yeas: Burr Nays: Tillis Regulating water: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Radhika Fox to serve as assistant administrator of the Environmental Protection Agencys water office. Fox had been assistant deputy director of the office since January, and before that was CEO of the U.S. Water Alliance. The vote on Wednesday, June 16, was 55-43. Yeas: Burr Nays: Tillis Most households receiving the groups help report having at least one person employed at some point over the past year many having worked two or three part-time jobs with no health insurance. An overwhelming majority often say they have to choose between paying for food and medical care. While the pandemic pushed up the timetable to open, the agency had for years been looking to expand. With a Greensboro location, local agencies and others stretching as far away as Caswell County wont have to send volunteers and others to Winston-Salem to retrieve food for distribution. The distance prevented some from being able to more frequently pick up produce and other perishable items that they would also have to figure out how to store when they might have one or two refrigerators. The Bennetts got involved in Second Harvest through a friend and had fallen in love with another project for Greensboro. Marianne Bennett became excited about the agencys Providence Kitchen Culinary School partnership with Forsyth Technical Community College, which focused on people who have barriers to employment, such as criminal records. It was giving them these tools that got them skilled jobs, Marianne Bennett said. That was about two years ago. Kehagias showed up at Livingstons home just before 4 a.m., without a warrant and looking for people who did not live there. Livingston refused to let him inside but the deputy forced his way in anyway to arrest Livingston, saying Livingston assaulted him when he tried to close the door. A scuffle ensued and they wrestled their way to the porch, where Livingston ended up dead with three gunshot wounds. He was stronger than me, said Kehagias, who is 62 and 230 pounds, and trained in mixed martial arts with other deputies. Livingston was five inches shorter and 100 pounds lighter, The N&O reported. The N&O reported that witnesses told a different version of events than Kehagias official report. Some evidence, like the medical examiners report, appeared to back up the witnesses story, The N&O reported. Other evidence was never tested even though official policies said it should have been. Prosecutors and a local grand jury declined to pursue charges against Kehagias. He resigned from the sheriffs office not long after, citing dishonest media and the lawsuit that the county settled Thursday. Police psychological screenings? From May to early June, the latest data available, cases of the delta variant increased nationwide from 2.8% to 9.5%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the four weeks before June 22, the latest available data, just 0.7% of cases in North Carolina were the delta variant, but state health officials expect that rate to increase in the coming weeks. Dole was hurt by independent ads suggesting she was too old for the job. She hurt herself by running an ad that suggested Hagan didnt believe in God. Hagan won comfortably, 52-44%. Lesson Four: Pick the rare good year when the Democratic presidential candidate runs strong here. And remember Lessons One, Two and Three. The 2022 race comes 14 years after Democrats last win. It will be a midterm election. Neither President Biden nor former President Trump will be on the ballot. But their records will be, for better or worse. It will be a rare open-seat race, with no incumbent running. In a year like that, you cant do anything about the national political winds. You have to take what comes. You cant pick your opponent, although you can weaken him or her. You can only pick your best candidate, run your best campaign and hope for the best. Gary Pearce was a reporter and editor at The News & Observer, a political consultant, and an adviser to Governor Jim Hunt (1976-1984 and 1992-2000). He blogs about politics and public policy at www.NewDayforNC.com. If a tree falls in the forest ... A bill quietly passed the state House on May 11 that could fell its share of oaks and maples, regardless of what local communities may want. Approved mostly along partisan lines, House Bill 496 would uproot the authority of many North Carolina towns to determine the fates of their own trees. It now awaits consideration in the state Senate. If it becomes law, the bill would forbid local governments from adopting or enforcing local ordinances that regulate the removal of trees from private property without first seeking approval from the General Assembly. In other words, state lawmakers would have the power to determine how communities manage their trees. This legislation is, in essence, a love letter to developers ... and a Dear John text to small cities and towns. It is also only the latest example of government overreach from a Republican-controlled legislature that wants us to believe it opposes government overreach. Greensboro appears unaffected by the legislation, since special legislation in 1979 gave it the power to set its own rules for trees, city planners say. Joseph was promoted and ran the household of Potiphar, but then Potiphars wife accused him of something he did not do. So instead of the pit this time he was thrown into prison for about 12 years. While there he was promoted to the position of running the prison. Unfortunately, he was forgotten about until it was time for what God had in store for him. Joseph received yet another promotion and his dreams were finally fulfilled when his brothers came seeking food in Egypt during a severe famine where they bowed down to the now second-in-command to pharaoh -- Joseph. Josephs journey is a picture of our life. We are promised something better and we put our hope in that promise, but we know there will be times of suffering, injustice and abuse while we are on this Earth. What we do in those times is very important and may prepare us for something to come. We dont just look to the future, we remain here to help make our communities, our families and our world a better place. Sometimes we too will be placed in a pit or prison either emotionally or physically or we may experience injustice and false accusations but I am reminded often that we have the privilege to serve and help others as we wait for Jesus to come back. Sabine and Dexter Wang, visiting Hawaii from New Jersey for more than a month, were freaked out when a stranger walked into the Honolulu home where they were staying and acted oddly, Brower said. He didnt get no permission. He didnt get any consent. He went in that house, Brower said. Myeni told Sabine Wong something like I have I have video on you. You know why Im here, rummaged through the house and said he owned a cat there, Brower said. He never mentioned the temple or being lost to the couple, Brower said. Sabine Wang pretended make a phone call saying someone broke into the home, hoping that would be enough to get Myeni to leave, Brower said. She then called 911 and told an operator about the man and and that he had no weapons in his hands, according to a recording of the call released by police. In the doorbell video, Myeni is heard in the video outside the home saying repeatedly, Im sorry. He puts his shoes on and leaves, the footage shows. UPDATED STORY DECATUR Bail has been set at $500,000 for a 39-year-old man arrested late Friday after police said he fired a handgun at a squad car, prompting a pursuit that ended in the 1300 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. Police said the suspect also pointed a gun at officers during the chase, prompting a Decatur police officer to fire a weapon at the suspect. Neither the suspect nor any police officers were injured during the incident, said Deputy Chief Shane Brandel. The Decatur officer has been placed on administrative leave as part of standard department policy while the incident is under review. Brandel identified the suspect as Marcus Boykin, who faces preliminary charges: attempted murder of a police officer, aggravated assault of a police officer, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, possession of a weapon by a felon, aggravated fleeing and eluding police, and driving under the influence. Preliminary charges are subject to review by the state's attorney's office. Boykin remains in custody in the Macon County Jail. He must post $50,000 bond to be released. Brandel said the incident began around 10:45 p.m., when an officer was sitting in a marked squad car in a church parking lot in the 300 block of East Leafland Avenue. As Boykin's vehicle approached the squad car, he extended his arm out the window and fired a handgun one time in the officer's direction, Brandel said. A pursuit began immediately, during which Brandel said Boykin pointed a gun at officers and an officer fired his or her weapon. The pursuit lasted several minutes. Herald & Review journalists witnessed the end of the chase, as the car later identified as Boykin's traveled eastbound on East Grand Avenue and turned onto North Martin Luther King Jr. Drive around 11 p.m. The vehicle's tires had worn down and sparks flew from the wheels as they scraped the roadway before the vehicle was brought to a stop between Grand Avenue and Waggoner Street. Shouting could be heard for over 10 minutes as bystanders gathered in the area. Police eventually could be seen taking Boykin into custody; journalists saw him restrained and placed in an ambulance. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Brandel said a handgun was recovered from Boykin. Law enforcement vehicles from the Decatur Police Department, Macon County Sheriff's Office, Illinois State Police and Village of Forsyth were all seen parked on the surrounding streets during the incident. Shortly after, officers could be seen searching with flashlights in a parking lot near Leafland Avenue and Warren Street. The Herald & Review has filed Freedom of Information Act requests seeking police dashcam video of the chase. Brandel said no further information would be released at this time. Preliminary charges are subject to review by the Macon County State's Attorney's Office. Editor's note: An initial statement from the police department said Boykin was 29, but subsequent jail records showed he is 39. The story has been updated. Our earlier story ... DECATUR Dozens of law enforcement officers responded to a scene on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive on Friday night. Multiple police vehicles were in pursuit of a car that was traveling eastbound on Grand Avenue, then turned north on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, shortly before 11 p.m. The vehicle's tires had worn down and sparks flew from the wheels as they scraped the roadway before the vehicle was brought to a stop between Grand Avenue and Waggoner Street. Shouting could be heard for over 10 minutes as bystanders gathered in the area. Police eventually restrained a man, who was taken from the scene in an ambulance. Law enforcement vehicles from the Decatur Police Department, Macon County Sheriff's Office, Illinois State Police and Village of Forsyth were all seen parked on the surrounding streets during the incident. Shortly after, officers could be seen searching with flashlights in a parking lot near Leafland Avenue and Warren Street. Decatur police Officer James Pinney said no information was available Friday night. The Herald & Review has filed Freedom of Information Act requests seeking police dashcam video of the chase. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Byrds classic Turn! Turn! Turn! didnt sound like anything else on the radio when it hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts in 1965. For starters, the lyrics came from the Book of Ecclesiastes, noting there is a season, and a time for every purpose, under Heaven. A time to be born, a time to die. A time to plant, a time to reap. A time to kill, a time to heal. A time to laugh, a time to weep. What critics failed to realize, said Byrds co-founder Chris Hillman, was that covering the Pete Seeger classic was a logical move for musicians steeped in American roots music. Songs about struggle, glory, sacrifice and faith were common in early 60s folk concerts. Where did all of our music come from? Blues and gospel. ... White church, Black church, the music all came from church, said Hillman, in a recent interview. With the Byrds, we went right to that well. We didnt think twice about it. We didnt say, We cant do a Christian song. Hillmans musical roots became more obvious as the Byrds ventured into what many started calling country rock, especially with the landmark Sweetheart of the Rodeo album in 1968. Bluegrass, country and gospel themes played a larger role as Hillman began writing songs for the Byrds and his later bands. No Bristol schools appear on the list, Perrigan said, because theyve already been heavily visited. In recent weeks, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, current Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, who chairs a new committee on school construction needs, former attorney general candidates Del. Jay Jones, D-Norfolk, and Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, visited Bristol city schools. As legislators from across Virginia toured our facilities this spring, it became very apparent that a firsthand look at school facility needs in areas outside their immediate area were enlightening, Perrigan said. Our coalition and partner organizations decided that a tour in every region in the commonwealth would be a very good way to draw attention to these issues and to share the message that localities cant do it on their own. Adding an urban division to the tour (Petersburg) demonstrates that this issue is not only a rural issue, but urban as well. A second video combines exterior shots of the Vernon C. Bain prison barge on the East River with three months of intercepted radio recordings between guards discussing the apparent use of force against inmates. The crowded prison set up as a temporary facility almost three decades ago saw high death rates from COVID-19 last year. Poitras and Vegezzi said they were surprised that the prison's continued existence and the conditions there haven't been taken up by local politicians, given that most of the inmates are local residents awaiting trial for minor crimes. As a New Yorker I hope that it's difficult to look at this prison ship and know that you are complicit in it, Poitras said, admitting: We are interested in getting this shut down. ASHEBORO The Zoo is seeking help from the public in naming six American red wolf pups born in April, the North Carolina Zoo said in a news release. The red wolf litter is the first to be born in the wolves' public habitat in two decades. Typically, litters are born in the red wolf breeding area, the Zoo said. The pups were born as a part of the Zoo's red wolf breeding program. There were three litters with a total of 12 pups born within three days from April 28 to April 30, but for now, the public is only voting on names for the six pups born to parents Flint and Sassy. The names to choose from, chosen by the Zoo's red wolf keepers, are all based on rivers in the southeastern U.S. where critically endangered red wolves used to range, the Zoo said. People are invited to pick out their favorite six names from the list: Catawba, Edisto, Haw, Harper, Warrior, Eno, Fisher, Pearl, Waccamaw and Swannanoa. Voting is open online through 4 p.m. June 28. People can also access the poll through the Zoo's website. A look at what's next after "Obamacare" victory; tropical system takes aim at Gulf; 1 dead, 12 injured in drive-by shootings near Phoenix. Plus, the weekend weather and more. EDEN The bodies of three people were recovered late Thursday from the Dan River, where their raft went over a dam the night before. Water-rescue teams in two boats and air crews worked Thursday evening in a search for five missing rafters who traveled over the dam near Duke Energys Dan River Steam Station here late Wednesday night, authorities said. By 6 p.m., the State Highway Patrol had dispatched a helicopter equipped with forward-looking infrared cameras to help with the search through the night. The technology is designed to enhance night vision and detect heat sources in such searches. Authorities confirmed about 9:30 p.m. that three bodies had been found and were believed to be those of some of the missing rafters. Two people remained missing late Thursday. Earlier Thursday afternoon, emergency workers rescued four people who said they had traveled the Dan River as a group of nine with the five missing people on Wednesday. The group used three rafts for their trek, said Rockingham County Emergency Services Director Rodney Cates. The four who were rescued, who were not wearing life jackets, were being treated at a local hospital Thursday night for injuries not considered life-threatening, Cates said. National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval New Delhi [India], June 19 (ANI): National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval will participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meet next week in Dushanbe. Next week's meeting will see the in-person participation of NSAs of SCO countries, including Pakistani NSA Moeed Yusuf. There is no confirmation of Indian and Pakistani NSAs bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the SCO meet. Tajikistan is the chair of the grouping. It took the chairmanship at a meeting of the SCO Heads of State Council in November of 2020. The SCO has eight member states -- Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Last year in September, Ajit Doval stormed out of the SCO's virtual meeting of national security advisors after Pakistan showed a "fictitious" map violating the agenda of the gathering. In March, Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi attended the Ninth Ministerial Conference of the "Heart of Asia" on March 30 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. No meeting between the two took place. In recent months, Pakistani political and army leadership seems to have toned down rhetoric against India. Pakistani Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa in April said a stable relationship between India and Pakistan is key to unlocking the potential of South and Central Asia by ensuring connectivity between East and West Asia. "We feel it is time to bury the past and move forward," he said, adding that the onus for meaningful dialogue rests with India. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan had also said India would have to take the first step for improving bilateral relations by addressing the Kashmir issue. In February, India and Pakistan had announced that they had agreed to a ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) which was followed by Indus water talks, sporting visas and other measures. (ANI) Representative image Kathmandu [Nepal], June 20 (ANI): China is unhappy with Nepal after some media publications disclosed the procurement price of Sinopharm vaccine amounting to around $10 per dose which Kathmandu is planning to buy from Beijing to tackle the second wave of COVID-19. It was reported that four million doses of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine would be bought under a non-disclosure agreement by Nepal, as proposed by Sinopharm, to keep the details including the price and delivery date under wraps. The Kathmandu Post's article revealed the price of the Sinopharm vaccine dose to be supplied to the Himalayan Nation based on confirmation from two ministers and two government secretaries who were present at Monday's Cabinet that decided to procure 4 million doses of vaccine from Sinopharm. The Post reported that the price was yet to be fixed given the nature of the agreement, but as per officials, it could be around $10 per dose. "The way the media quoted the price of the vaccine and other logistical issues were concerning because these are very sensitive issues,"Dr Krishna Prasad Paudel, spokesperson for the Health Ministry told the Post. Multiple officials confirmed that China communicated its displeasure to Nepali agencies. The officials told the Post that Sinopharm had communicated its displeasure at the publicisation of vaccine procurement by the government of Nepal. Similarly, the Chinese embassy in Kathmandu also had reminded the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the nature of the deal, according to the officials. "There was quite a lot of interest in the media before an agreement could be reached, which worried us. We were worried if we would get the vaccine or not," Dr Krishna Prasad Paudel, spokesperson for the Health Ministry, told the Post. The Health Ministry on Thursday issued a statement, refuting media reports about buying vaccines from China. It not only said that no deal has been reached yet but also went on to blame the media for disseminating information on vaccine procurement from China. Story continues In what was quite unusual on the part of the ministry, it issued the statement in English, specifying that Nepal has requested China to give preference to Kathmandu on vaccine cooperation. "The government of Nepal has requested the government of the People's Republic of China to give preference to Nepal on vaccine cooperation. The process to secure vaccines from different countries including China is still ongoing," read the statement. "Media reports on quantity, price, delivery, and other relevant information about the vaccine procurement are premature, speculative and misleading. The ministry refutes such unfounded and baseless media reports." "Since it was mostly reported by the English media, we issued the statement in English," Dr Samir Kumar Adhikari, joint spokesperson for the ministry who signed the statement, told the Post on Friday. He refused to elaborate. Buying vaccines from China, however, was easier said than done given the non-disclosure agreement proposal by Sinopharm. A non-disclosure agreement entails not quoting the price of the commodity, quantity in advance and mode of payments among other details. The same day Prime Minister Oli informed the Covid-19 Crisis Management Centre, which he heads, about procuring the vaccine from China. Similarly, on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Mahaseth told a TV channel that the government is buying 4 million doses of Sinopharm vaccine from China. Many find the Nepal Health Ministry statement, blaming the media for disseminating information about the vaccine, uncalled for, as the prime minister and foreign minister themselves were discussing the matter publicly, Post reported. Meanwhile, vaccine deal with Sinopharm, however, has stoked controversy in other South Asian countries as well. In Bangladesh, after the price was disclosed, the country's finance ministry had issued a statement similar to the one issued by Nepal's Health Ministry. According to the Daily Star, the Bangladesh government on May 27 approved the proposal of procuring 15 million doses of Sinopharm vaccine from China. An official of the Cabinet division at a briefing told journalists that the government was going to procure each dose at $10. After the media reported about the vaccine procurement, a finance ministry official, according to the paper, requested the media not to mention the price for the "greater interest of the country". The same paper, earlier this month, reported China was annoyed with Bangladesh for making public the price of the vaccine. "China is a little upset that the procurement price of the Sinopharm vaccine was made public in Bangladesh," said Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen. Disclosure of procurement price of Sinopharm vaccine had also sparked controversy in Sri Lanka last month, after reports suggested that the government was set to pay $5 more for per dose compared to Bangladesh. There was similar displeasure from China at how the price was being made public in Nepal, according to a senior government official. (ANI) The Central Government has called a meeting of all the regional political parties of Jammu and Kashmir. Various media reports confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to chair a meeting with all political parties from the Union Territory on 24 June. The meeting is also likely to be attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other central leaders. Why is the all-party meet relevant? This is the first such exercise since the Centre announced the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status and its bifurcation into Union territories in August 2019. By calling all stakeholders for a sit-down, the Central Government, Saturday extended an olive branch to Jammu and Kashmir's regional parties, including those whose leaders were held captive for months in the wake of the abrogation of Article 370. The invitees to the meet include prominent Kashmiri politicians and members of the Gupkar Alliance, including National Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah, PDP chairperson Mehbooba Mufti, Altaf Bukhari of the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP), and People's Conference head Sajjad Lone, the officials told PTI. What is the agenda for the meet? Although the news is yet to come through official channels of the Prime Minister's Office, PTI quoted official sources to claim that the meeting was part of the Centre's initiatives to bolster political processes (read holding elections) in the Union Territory. Another possible area of discussion could be the development in the hilly region which has been paralysed by decades of militancy and frequent floods, every monsoon. This especially rings true as the meeting comes in the backdrop of Shah's virtual meet with the state administration on Friday, where he reviewed various development projects and the status of central government schemes in the Union Territory. He said all-around development and welfare of the people of Jammu and Kashmir is the top priority of the Modi government. Story continues What is the meeting's significance for J&K politics? The erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was placed under President's Rule after the BJP ended its alliance with Mehbooba Mufti in June 2018. There has been no political process since then, barring the local body polls " the Block Development Council polls in October and the District Development Council polls in December 2020. Dialogue between Valley's mainstream politicians and New Delhi have all but remained frozen in the wake of their unceremonious arrests and prolonged detention after the August 2019 decision. As a result, the political mainstream of the region, especially those having a strong base in Kashmir Valley, have been critical of successive administrations of the Union Territory for neglecting the demands of the people and raising questions on the development slogan raised post-August 2019. Furthermore, there have been calls by regional leadership to 'boycott polls' in the past, until the statehood of the Union Territory is restored. This could be dangerous for fragile peace in the Valley as the absence of mainstream leaders can open the field for extremist elements. The BJP leadership's acerbic comments against the Valley's politicians have not helped the relationship either. BJP top brass has been calling Kashmiri leaders 'anti-nationals' and has dubbed their alliance as 'Gupkar gang'. A democratic sit-down at such a time can help reforge a working relationship between the Valley's leadership and the Centre. How were the previous polling exercises in J&K? The local parties, many of whom have now come under a loose umbrella alliance called the People's Alliance for the Gupkar Declaration or Gupkar Alliance, boycotted the Block Development Council (BDC) polls to oppose the abrogation of Article 370 and alleged malpractices in the District Development Council (DDC) polls claiming that their candidates were not allowed to campaign freely. However, notwithstanding their claims, the people of Jammu and Kashmir including those in Kashmir Valley surprised everyone by participating in large numbers in both the polls. In BDC polls, the final voter turnout in most districts of the 22 districts in Jammu and Kashmir was above 95 percent with the maximum in Srinagar, where a 100 percent turnout was registered. At least 51 percent of people came out to vote in the DDC polls. These DDC elections, which were fought on local issues like water, electricity and road, were swept by the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration candidates and the BJP in Jammu. In the BDC elections, despite being the only major political party in the fray, the BJP managed to win just 81 seats while Independent candidates bagged 217 blocks. How has Valley's leadership reacted to the development? Mehbooba told PTI on Friday night that she had received a call from the Centre for a meeting on 24 June. "I am yet to make a decision. I will discuss with my party members and take a final call," she said. Farooq told ANI that he too has received an invitation from the Central Government, however, he has not made his stand clear yet. Both Farooq and Mehbooba had served as chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. Asked about the prospect of talks with the Centre, MY Tarigami, CPM leader and spokesperson of the Gupkar Alliance, told the Times of India that the "regional, as well as the national Opposition parties, will certainly participate in the all-party meeting, provided the agenda is in line with the demand of restoration of pre-5 August, 2019, status of Jammu and Kashmir". "We have never closed our doors for meaningful engagement with the Centre," Tarigami had earlier told PTI. JKAP president Bukhari said, "I welcome, if and when, the talks take place. This vindicates our position of March 2020 when we had made it clear that dialogue is the only mechanism to restore democracy and statehood for Jammu and Kashmir." "Better late than never as the solution to all our problems lies with New Delhi and nowhere else," he added. The Jammu and Kashmir units of the BJP and the Congress are also likely to be part of these discussions, which are being seen as part of efforts to strengthen normal political processes in the Union Territory. The officials said the delimitation commission under the leadership of Justice (retd) Ranjana Desai, which was set up immediately after the passage of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill in Parliament, is likely to expedite its work and submit its report. The commission was set up in February 2020 and has been given an extension of one year in March this year. Barring Bukhari, other leaders have served a spell of detention following the August 2019 decision of the Centre to abrogate the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcate the erstwhile state into union territories " Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. In the District development Council election last year, the PAGD surged way ahead of the BJP and its allies, including the JKAP, by bagging 110 seats out of 280 with the National Conference emerging stronger with 67 seats within the alliance. The BJP was the single largest party with 75 seats. With inputs from PTI Also See: Narendra Modi to chair all-party meet on Jammu and Kashmir on 24 June; 'better late than never', say parties Centre looks to restore J&K statehood, PM to discuss roadmap at all-party meet PDP committee meets to deliberate on Centre's invitation for all-party meet in Jammu and Kashmir Read more on Politics by Firstpost. Representative image Gaza [Palestine] June 19 (ANI): The Palestinian government on Friday announced cancellation of a deal with Israel relating to the supply of around one million doses of Pfizer (COVID-19) vaccine. The cancellation came after the government found the doses fall short of meeting the technical criteria. ''After the technical teams of the Ministry of Health examined the first batch of the Pfizer vaccines that were received this evening from Israel, estimated at 90,000 doses, it was found that they do not conform to the specifications contained in the agreement, and accordingly, Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh instructed the Minister of Health to cancel the agreement,'' WAFA news reported quoting government spokesman Ibrahim Melhem. During a joint press conference with Health Minister Mai Alkaila, the official added that the first batch of the cancelled deal were returned to Israel. Earlier on the day, Health Minister Mai Alkaila said that Palestine had received an offer from Pfizer to urgently obtain about one million Pfizer COVID-19 doses from Israel, provided that the manufacturer, at the end of this year, will hand over the same amount to the Israeli side that was initially supposed to be allocated to Palestine prior to the aforementioned Pfizer offer. The ceasefire deal, between Israel and Palestine that was reached on May 21, was violated on June 16. Israel and Hamas concluded 11 days of fighting during which hundreds of rockets were launched from both Israel and Palestine sides. According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, 253 Palestinians were killed during the fighting, including 66 children, while 13 Israelis, including a 5-year-old boy and a soldier, were killed. (ANI) Id been hearing since the end of May when the General Assembly adjourned for the summer that there were some problems with the state budget legislation which needed to be fixed. Some effective dates apparently werent drafted right. But, silly me, I failed to follow my own rules and didnt read the bill (SB2800) for myself. The scope of the problem was worse than I thought, but the most pressing issue was the House did not have nearly enough votes to correct its massive mistakes when the chamber returned to Springfield on June 16. It became a major test of rookie House Speaker Chris Welchs influence. The House and Senate got caught up in a heated dispute on the night of May 31 (the last scheduled day of session) over whether to fund legislative pay raises. The House wanted to follow the Illinois Constitutions clear mandate and fund them, but the Senate refused for political reasons. So, at almost the last minute, the House cobbled together the state operating budget, including the pay raise appropriations, with the capital budget (which the Senate was supposed to handle) and rammed the bill out of the House and over to the Senate at around 11:30 p.m. The Senate passed the bill not long after midnight. But, apparently, when the House hastily combined the two bills, nobody checked the effective date language at the tail end of the legislation. The budget bill has 178 different articles, and each appropriation is spelled out in individual sections of those articles. The end of the appropriations bill has a short paragraph listing the effective dates for the articles. But articles 45-128 were not given any effective dates about 47 percent of all the articles in the appropriations bill. And since the Senate passed the bill after midnight, by law, the appropriations articles without an assigned effective date cant take effect until June 1 of 2022 only a month before the end of the coming fiscal year. Oops. The mistake means that the entire supplemental appropriation for the current fiscal year couldnt be spent until almost a year from now. And tons of other programs, from tourism, to natural resources, to corrections, to employment security, to human rights, to, well, you can pretty much name it, wouldnt legally have access to their appropriations until next June, either. A plan was developed for Gov. J.B. Pritzker to issue an amendatory veto to insert the proper effective dates. Accepting an amendatory veto on a budget requires a three-fifths vote in both chambers (36 in the Senate and 71 in the House). No way could Democrats count on Republican help. Republican moneybags Ken Griffin is still said to be angry at legislative Republicans for cooperating on the 2019 capital and budget bills, so if they helped the Democrats correct their massive errors, well, that would be the final straw. The Senate has a huge Democratic super-majority, and it also has a remote voting rule, so dealing with the issue was no big deal. The House was another story, however. Five House Democrats out of 73 were saying they couldnt be in Springfield on Wednesday. Unlike the Senate, the House had no remote floor voting procedure, so it can only afford to lose two members before it fell below the 71-vote threshold required to accept the amendatory veto. If House Speaker Welch couldnt get enough members to Springfield to fix this problem, the New York bond houses couldve conceivably dinged the states credit rating. The state is only a tick above junk bond status as it is. Welchs chamber made the drafting mistakes, and it was on Welch to fix them and, hopefully, never, ever do anything like this again. Last-minute, late-night budget votes have been far too routine in Springfield. It really needs to stop. In the end, Welch decided to temporarily change the rules to allow for remote floor voting. The Republicans vigorously spoke against it, but two of their own members voted remotely (and against the budget fix, of course). All but one of Welchs members were either in Springfield or participated in remote voting. Welch forced Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) to resign from her leadership position last month and she has since been unapologetic about the controversies which led to her ouster. Ammons claims she wasnt aware of the remote voting opportunity, but Speaker Welch said he tried to reach out to her and she never returned his messages. Again, this is all too important to leave to chance or the whims of a single member. This stuff needs to stop. Rich Miller publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and CapitolFax.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Fathers aren't high on pop culture's popularity list right now. Among our more recent phrases that we say and everyone immediately knows what you mean are such charmers as "dad joke" and "dad bod." An insurance company's ad campaign features a fictional doctor who helps people avoid the kinds of things that fathers do since becoming fathers, like offering unasked-for help and reading World War II histories. Fathers won't apologize for the things they do that make them fathers. Because part of the father's job is to provide us with all of those things and one more. Dad can at some point embody everything we hope to avoid. But Dad also provides the example, the consistency and the strength needed to navigate through life's tough moments. Let's remember that Sunday as we mark Father's Day. Father's Day celebrates fatherhood and honors fathers, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers and father figures in society. As we move deeper into the 21st century, we realize our fathers come in different type, shapes and styles. The families baby boomers watched in television situation comedies may have never really existed. Even if they did, they're far less common now. Families and fatherhoods are defined by many different factors rather that just one. Our relationships with our fathers are as unique as we are from one another. For every loving father-son relationship about which we hear, there are inevitably others decidedly less than ideal. That's part of the reason we recognize father figures as well on this day. However independent any of us are or want to feel we are, we are better people when we have that adult influence we require. The role that is assumed by a father or father figure is possibly as important as it's been in history. As much as life has turned easier since our fathers and father figures were children, today's youngsters face things their elders could never have imagined facing as kids. That stabilizing hand, the well-considered advice, and the simple wisdom fathers are able to provide to their children are vital to our society. The tradition of Father's Day is believed to have been started in an attempt to comfort suddenly fatherless children. The first recognition came during a memorial service held after in excess of 360 men died in a 1907 mining accident in Monongah, W. Va., the worst mining disaster United States history. In 1909, Sonota Dodd of Spokane, Wash., began a unsuccessful decades-long campaign for national recognition of the day. The resistance largely came from a public concerned that the push was commercialization, although Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Calvin Coolidge both actively campaigned to make the holiday a national one. Commentators and social scientists of the day argued that men were primarily breadwinners, with a limited domestic role. By World War II, the day was marketed as one to honor those serving in the armed forces, and as one history of Father's Day reports, by the end of that war, Father's Day may not have been official, but it was certainly tradition. In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honoring fathers, designating the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Six years later, the day was made a permanent national holiday when President Richard Nixon signed it into law in 1972. While fatherhood is a gift, it also has no instruction book. Those choices made by father figures are carried with us forever. We thank them Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 We are now more than 120 days under the Biden government and America is coming apart! To all the Democratic voters, is this what you wanted when you voted for this senior citizen? We, the American people were sold a bill of goods of fake stories and lies how Biden was a moderate, but we now see the truth. This President, with his radical thinking, can go no further than what all the crisis we now are fighting. America is in crisis, let's look. First, COVID-19 has been the major crisis for over a year. President Trump started the fight by getting vaccines rushed out to the public. President Biden has continued the fight in great strides, but the government can not coordinate their messaging! America, if you are vaccinated or not, you must determine the risk level you will accept, not the government. Take back your life! Second, with COVID-19, this administration has assumed more control over our economy and our energy industries. We have seen our fuel pipelines cancelled, cutting thousands of jobs. We have seen the stopping of drilling and fracking on federal lands, again cutting new jobs, closing energy businesses and cancelling America's energy independence! We now have hackers breaking in our infrastructure to stop gas flow in states, while getting paid ransoms. America is now at the mercy of foreign enemies for fuels. Third, COVID-19 has allowed the government to pick and choose what businesses are to exist going forward. The immediate shutdown of our economy has cut small mom and pop stores across America while protecting the big box stores. Regulations were more demanding towards hospitality and small businesses which added costs while cutting revenues, causing many to close their doors! Fourth, we now have a government competing with businesses trying to re-open for labor. We have eight million job opportunities but unemployment is at an all time high due to people being paid more to stay home. Government is trying to force $15 an hour labor rates which many small businesses cannot afford to pay. Government is still pushing to control the timing of re-opening all businesses while discriminating between outside and inside dining. Fifth, schools are torn between unions and families whether to re-open education for all children. Our top medical agent, the CDC, says follow the science yet we have teachers unions directing the guidelines to education. Re-open our schools to all children with no mask limitations; they need to get back to learning and association with their peers. Sixth, we have an invasion of illegals at our southern border. Biden must re-institute the immigration polices of the past administration. We cannot be driven by emotional hatred of an individual when our country's security and sovereignty are at risk. Build the wall, keep illegals in Mexico, and have countries keep people in their land going through our embassies. Finally, Biden has no foreign policy! Look at the Mid-east, four years, no fighting with Israel and now 120 days we have a war again. We were stopping Iran from nuclear weapons, now Biden wants to stop sanctions while opening up a corrupt deal with our enemy. China is building up their armies while seizing any and all lands in the south China seas. Russia has been allowed to build an energy pipeline into starved Europe placing our allies at a risk to survivability. This administration is a failure! They have no plans or solutions to any of these crises, only a blind eye towards the future. Clarence Kersey, Mattoon Love 0 Funny 4 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 I remember one time, Johnny Cortesis said. We had a big argument, and he took off his apron, threw it on the ground and walked out. I thought, This is crazy. What do we do now? Then a few minutes later, he walked back in, put the apron back on and went back to work. When George Cortesis retired in 1995, the two sons continued to run it themselves. George Cortesis passed away just three years later, after suffering injuries in a car accident. How many times have you heard about two brothers being in business for 34 years without killing each other? We survived that. We survived COVID. We survived a lot of things, Johnny Cortesis said. Along the way, they made a lot of friends and loyal customers. These are immigrants who came here and were hard-working and made a success of it, said Georgia Olympio, who was eating breakfast at Cloverdale on Friday with her husband, Mike. There were a lot of deals done at these tables over the years, said David Warf, a longtime customer. It was like a Winston-Salem Cheers. Its going to be missed. We ate breakfast and dinner here. We have for years, said Carroll Haire. When we retired, it became our kitchen. Among its accomplishments in the past year, the organization occupied Bailey Park in downtown Winston-Salem for 49 days to protest the jail-related death of John Neville in December 2019 and staged more than 60 marches around the jail, Battle said. Neville, a 56-year-old Greensboro man, died two days after he asphyxiated while being restrained in the jail with his arms behind his back and his legs folded. Five detention officers and a nurse have been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with Nevilles death. The groups anniversary is a celebration of everyone of (you) and how you made this happen, Battle said. Battle urged the demonstrators to encourage the Winston-Salem City Council and the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners to defund the Winston-Salem Police Department and the Forsyth County Sheriffs Office and use that money to help meet the needs of the local community, such as improving health care for city residents. Battle pointed to a recent statement by police Chief Catrina Thompson who said that the police cannot the stop the violence in the city. The police dont keep us safe, Battle said. They show up after something happens. DENVER (AP) A Colorado baker who won a partial victory at the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018 for refusing to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple violated the state's anti-discrimination law by refusing to make a birthday cake for a transgender woman, a state judge has ruled. In Tuesday's ruling, Denver District Judge A. Bruce Jones said Autumn Scardina was denied a cake that was blue on the outside and pink on the inside to celebrate her gender transition on her birthday because of her transgender status in violation of the law. While Jack Phillips said he could not make the cake because of its message, Jones said the case was about a refusal to sell a product, not compelled speech. He pointed out that Phillips testified during a trial in March that he did not think someone could change their gender and he would not celebrate "somebody who thinks that they can." "The anti-discrimination laws are intended to ensure that members of our society who have historically been treated unfairly, who have been deprived of even the every-day right to access businesses to buy products, are no longer treated as 'others,' " Jones wrote. However, Hege is apparently the only sheriff candidate in recent memory whom the bills would affect. He pleaded guilty in 2004 to two felony counts of obstruction of justice after facing 15 felony counts. His convictions, though, were later expunged, meaning the convictions were removed from his record. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} The 2019 version of the legislation moved quickly through three House committees in July 2019 before drawing considerable debate on the House floor. There were enough concerns about potential loopholes that a motion to send the bill back to Rules and Operations committee passed by a 62-52 vote, with Democrats and Republicans voicing concerns. Legislators questioned, among other things, how a juvenile conviction for a felony could affect someone who wants to run for sheriff as an adult. They also said some misdemeanors committed by teenagers could end in a felony conviction if the youth does not complete community-service obligations. HB863 was not revisited for the rest of the 2019 and 2020 sessions. Like HB863, the 2021 session bills would mandate that any candidate for sheriff disclose all felony convictions, including expunged convictions, when filing to run for office. VATICAN CITY (AP) Robert Schuman, a French statesman who paved the way for the bloc that eventually evolved into European Union, has moved ahead on the Catholic churchs path toward possible sainthood. The Vatican said Pope Francis on Saturday approved a decree declaring the heroic virtues of Schuman, a former prime minister, finance minister and foreign minister for France after World War II. In 1950, as foreign minister, he developed a plan to promote European economic unity in hopes of furthering peace. Schuman died in 1963 after serving as the first president of the forerunner of the European Parliament. The pope's decision means Schuman can be called venerable by the Catholic faithful. It is one of several steps in a usually long process that can result in sainthood. The European Commission website describes Schuman as one of the founding fathers of European unity,'' hailing him as the architect of the project of European integration." The Vatican described Schuman as a man of Catholic faith. WASHINGTON Making Juneteenth, the anniversary of the day news of emancipation finally reached enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, a national holiday is a victory. But it is a hollow one at a moment when the political party that won the Civil War and made that freedom a permanent reality is now moving heaven and earth to keep African Americans from voting. All but 14 House Republicans were happy to vote for the long-overdue legislation adding June 19 to the holiday calendar, signed Thursday by President Joe Biden. Doing so allows them to portray themselves as opponents of racial oppression, which they prefer to leave in the past rather than as contemporary racisms enthusiastic enablers. In the Senate, the Juneteenth legislation even had the sponsorship, no less, of the likes of Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who infamously raised his fist in solidarity with the Jan. 6 insurrectionists. Their aim, which Hawley endorsed, was to overturn the 2020 election by invalidating swing-state votes cast largely by people of color in cities such as Atlanta, Philadelphia and Phoenix. And she has said that politicians who support Israel push for allegiance to a foreign country accusing Israel supporters in Congress of dual loyalty, a classic anti-Semitic trope. After that last comment, when House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., accused her of a vile anti-Semitic slur, Omar was unrepentant. I should not be expected to have allegiance/pledge support to a foreign country in order to serve my country in Congress or serve on committee, she replied, doubling down on her dual-loyalty calumny. So, her most recent invective was not an isolated comment that needed clarification. It was the latest in a long string of diatribes that have disgraced the House Democratic caucus. Yet, not only has Pelosi tolerated Omars abhorrent behavior; she also appointed Omar to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which helps determine U.S. policy on the Middle East. And this year Pelosi elevated Omar to serve as vice chair of the subcommittee on Africa. A person who compares America and Israel to the Taliban and Hamas has no business serving on that panel. Omars defenders respond by asking: What about Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.? Rate the U.S.-Russia summit in Geneva as a success for President Joe Biden. If you want to understand why, just look at what Vladimir Putin said back home the day after the summit ended. I want to say that the image of President Biden, (as) portrayed by our and even the American press, has nothing to do with reality, Putin told alumni of a Russian management program, by video. (He was referring to constant efforts by Russian state-controlled media, along with Trumpist media, to portray Biden as senile.) The Russian leader said his U.S. counterpart barely looked at his notes in more than two hours of direct talks. Biden is a professional, Putin went on, and you need to work very carefully with him so as not to miss something. He himself does not miss anything, I assure you. So why would the Russian leader praise Bidens professionalism to an obscure Russian audience and note the need to deal very carefully with the U.S. leader? I put that question to Yevgenia Albats, who is one of the few independent journalists still working in Moscow. Her answer strengthened my assessment that Biden did achieve his goals. Arts-and-theatre editor's pick topical alert featured Sculptor in Lincoln works at capturing the qualities of Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star Sculptor Ben Victor works on the clay model of Susan La Flesche Picotte, Thursday at the Jayne Snyder Trails Center. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star Sculptor Ben Victor spent part of the week in Lincoln working on his clay model for his statue of Susan La Flesche Picotte. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star A measuring tape used by sculptor Ben Victor is seen next to the clay model of Susan La Flesche Picotte. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star Sculptor Ben Victor works on the clay model of Susan La Flesche Picotte on Thursday at the Jayne Snyder Trails Center. Ben Victor scraped a thin layer of clay out of the folds of the skirt on his sculpture of Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte, working to ensure it would appear to be blowing in the wind, while creating upward sweeping lines that will animate the bronze version when it is finished this fall. The bronze image of the first credentialed Native doctor in the U.S. will be placed on Centennial Mall in October, where it will join Victors now iconic sculpture of Standing Bear a few blocks away. Another version of the Standing Bear sculpture now stands in the U.S. Capitol as one of Nebraskas two representatives in National Statuary Hall. There, in 2019, the sculpture of the Ponca leader joined Victors sculptures of Sarah Winnemucca, representing Nevada, and Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, representing Iowa, making him the only living sculptor to have three works in the hall. As he did with the clay version of Standing Bear in 2017, Victor loaded up the La Flesche Picotte sculpture on a trailer it had to be air-conditioned this time. If it was outside in this heat today, the oil-based clay would melt and drove it to the Jayne Snyder Trails Center in Union Plaza. Lincoln Arts Festival set for Canopy Street Saturday and Sunday Artists from around the country, who sell paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, jewelry, ceramics, wood, glass and metal work, will have booths set up. There, for four days this week, he worked on the 7 1/2-foot sculpture, literally day and night. He did detail work and touch-ups on her face while in Lincoln, often working late when the light was better. "I can see now that it's starting to really express the things I want," he said in an interview Thursday. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star Sculptor Ben Victor works on the clay model of Susan La Flesche Picotte on Thursday at the Jayne Snyder Trails Center. The sculpture will be cast in bronze and eventually placed on Centennial Mall this fall. "Not only is it a likeness, but it's got personality to it. Developing that personality and incorporating it into a work of art is a monthslong process for the award-winning sculptor. To begin creating the piece, Victor read Lincoln author Joe Staritas biography A Warrior of the People: How Susan La Flesche Overcame Racial and Gender Inequality to Become Americas First Indian Doctor and collected as many photos of her that he could. Flatwater Shakespeare to raise curtain on 20th season with 'Twelfth Night' in Lincoln "Twelfth Night," a comedy of mistaken identities, was originally scheduled to be performed last year, but it had to be canceled during the pandemic. He then thought about how to convey his impressions in bronze, going well beyond a 3-D replication of an old photograph. La Flesche Picottes groundbreaking lifes journey, from the Omaha Reservation to the East Coast for an education breaking a glass ceiling for woman and Native people attaining her medical degree and returning to Nebraska in 1889 to practice among her people, provided the sculptures aesthetic basis. With everything she did, I thought this has to be in motion, Victor said. The element of wind, Ive used that since I started sculpture. I read about it in art history and I really liked that idea. I was captivated by that as an icon of change. The change she brought about, the motion she's in, it seems to fit the pieces aesthetically. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star Sculptor Ben Victor works on the clay model of Susan La Flesche Picotte Thursday at the Jayne Snyder Trails Center. In March, Victor began crafting the sculpture, using clay over a wire and foam structure and positioning the figure, utilizing photographs to mold her face, hands and clothing, while aiming at conveying the qualities that made her one of Nebraskas most important historical figures. Heirs to painting by famous artist Thomas Hart Benton uncover a two-for-one surprise A family who inherited a Thomas Hart Benton painting last year received a pleasant surprise when they took the piece to the Lincoln Art Company. Two paintings for the price of one. She's walking forward, there's a feeling of positivity with her brow up and her heads looking forward in leadership, Victor said. She's just really striding with that wind blowing through. All of those things are a goal with the piece. I want to show leadership. Just the dignity of an intelligent woman who's able to beat the odds. Conveying the essence of La Flesche Picotte extends to Victors choice of footwear. On the left foot, stepping forward under the skirt, is an early 19th-century round-toed boot. I wanted it to be a women's work boot, not like a dress shoe that women would have worn, because every day, she went out and worked, Victor said. She hitched up the horses when she got a horse and buggy, or she would walk and be out delivering a baby or all of these different activities that a doctor of her day had to do. Those were all work activities. So I thought work boots are more important than having the most stylish women's shoe of the era. Watch now: Lincoln artist Charley Friedman creates new 'instrument' from wired guitars Soundtracks for the Present Future made its debut Saturday at Omaha's Bemis Center, where it will be installed through Aug. 1. The shawl the figure clutches in her right hand is a traditional Native garment. While the shawl brings visual motion to the back of the sculpture, it serves an aesthetic purpose as well. Its the closest thing to a cape. It brings out the figure, widens out the entire space of the figure. It gives a real gravity to the piece. It really has presence, almost a stage presence. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star Sculpting tools used by Ben Victor as he fashioned a clay model of Susan La Flesche Picotte at the Jayne Snyder Trails Center on Thursday. A similar aesthetic decision will result in a last-minute change. An overcoat, which La Flesche Picotte can be seen wearing in photos, was initially envisioned to be part of the sculpture, but then discarded as Victor worked. But, he said, he will be bringing it back, largely to aid in the creation of lines and motion. Victor was in his final afternoon Thursday at the Hub. Friday morning, the sculpture went back on the trailer to return to Idaho. There Victor will add the overcoat, finish the right shoe and make some finishing touches before shipping the clay image off to a Lander, Wyoming, foundry where it will be cast in bronze. He promised the sculpture will be done in time for an Oct. 11 dedication on Nebraska's first Indigenous Peoples Day when it will join Standing Bear on Centennial Mall. In March, Victor began crafting the sculpture, using clay over a wire and foam structure and positioning the figure, utilizing photographs to mold her face, hands and clothing, while aiming at conveying the qualities that made her one of Nebraskas most important historical figures. She's walking forward, there's a feeling of positivity with her brow up and her heads looking forward in leadership, Victor said. She's just really striding with that wind blowing through. All of those things are a goal with the piece. I want to show leadership. Just the dignity of an intelligent woman who's able to beat the odds. Conveying the essence of La Flesche Picotte extends to Victors choice of footwear. On the left foot, stepping forward under the skirt, is an early 19th-century round-toed boot. I wanted it to be a women's work boot, not like a dress shoe that women would have worn, because every day, she went out and worked, Victor said. She hitched up the horses when she got a horse and buggy, or she would walk and be out delivering a baby or all of these different activities that a doctor of her day had to do. Those were all work activities. So I thought work boots are more important than having the most stylish women's shoe of the era. If youve ever left Omahas Old Market area and headed to Lincoln, you may have headed west on Howard Street to connect with I-480 to merge with I-80. As you reach 17th Street, the one-way street system leads you left on a diagonal to the southwest where, on your right, is Omahas unique Flatiron Hotel. Like any street that deviates from Omahas original grid system, the street and location itself have an interesting story to tell. The sole diagonal street in downtown Omaha came about before the area was even platted, when one of the citys earliest settlers, Harrison Johnson, created a path as the shortest distance, a direct line, from Omaha City to his cottonwood log home on his farm, which would today be roughly bounded by 20th, 27th, Farnam and Leavenworth streets not far from James W. Woolworths land. The shortcut slowly developed and, worn by use, became a county road, escaping several attempts to realign it in an east/west configuration through the years. On early Omaha maps there was a convent, perhaps the Sisters of Mercy, north of what became known as St. Marys Avenue, the old diagonal shortcut. At Lincolns first pride parade Saturday morning, participants and spectators decked out in rainbows and pride flags circled the state Capitol. Star City Pride hosted the event, which was followed by the organizations annual pride festival. The parade was to show Lincolns support for the LGBTQ community, and the theme was "Together We Rise," said Dan Huntley, Star City Pride's vice president and one of the parades emcees. We'll be going around the Capitol building, surrounding the Capitol with light and love, as we like to say, he said. Community organizers have been wanting to hold a pride parade in Lincoln for a while, Huntley said. It was something that was a long time coming, he said. It just took the right people coming together to make it happen. Star City Pride actually planned to hold its first parade in 2020, but the event had to be moved online because of the coronavirus pandemic. It was nice to be able to hold the parade in a virtual fashion last year, Huntley said, but that couldnt compare with this years in-person event. BROKEN BOW A Broken Bow man was convicted Friday of shooting and killing his stepmother last year. After a four-day trial in Custer County, Trent Esch, 45, was found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of 62-year-old Crystal Esch. She was found shot to death in her home in rural Broken Bow last July. She had taken out a protection order against her stepson for threatening behavior and messages, prosecutors said. Trent Esch surrendered to police after a standoff at his home in Broken Bow. He was also convicted of use of a weapon and possession of a firearm by a felon. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 OMAHA A 17-year-old father has been charged with intentional child abuse in connection with the death of his 6-month-old daughter. Alejandro Flores of Omaha appeared in court Wednesday and was ordered held on $225,000 bail. He is being charged as an adult. Ruby Flores-Martinez suffered significant head trauma June 3 and died two days later. Omaha police officers went to an apartment at about 3:30 p.m. that day to investigate a 911 call of an unresponsive infant who was not breathing. Flores rode in the ambulance to the hospital as medics performed CPR on the baby. At the hospital, a detective spoke to Flores and Ruby's 18-year-old mother. They both said they didn't know why the baby had become unresponsive. Flores told the detective that he was alone with his daughter when she became unresponsive, according to a police report. Doctors told police that the girl's injuries likely were the result of abuse. The detective interviewed Flores again June 10, when Flores "made incriminating statements and confessed to causing the injuries" to his daughter, according to the report. Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center (SCPAC) near Denton will receive a $117,421 grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust (NET) for the second year of the Launching Spring Creek Prairie as a Demonstration Site for Tallgrass Prairie Conservation - Denton Hills project. Its one of 113 projects receiving grant awards totaling over $18.3 million from NET this year. Prairie historically covered approximately 170 million acres of central North America, creating the continent's largest continuous ecosystem. But that ecosystem has been largely converted, fragmented and altered. Ed Hubbs, habitat and private lands manager at SCPAC, said that Nebraskas prairies are primarily stewarded by private landowners, so conserving this habitat requires rapid and concerted action among everyone who values this landscape. The Denton Hills landscape is an intact prairie system that is approaching a tipping point as threats such as encroaching cedars increase, while highly variable management among landowners contributes to habitat decline. TOWN OF PARIS A 30-year-old Town of Paris man was taken into custody early Saturday after allegedly nearly running down Racine County deputies and then trying to elude them. According to a release from the Racine County Sheriffs Office, Nicholas R. Petersen, of the 400 block of 200th Avenue, is facing multiple charges as a result of the incident and was in custody at the Racine County Jail after being apprehended in a Paris farm field. The Sheriffs Office reported that the incident began at 2:05 a.m., when deputies had just finished a call for service in the Village of Union Grove. The deputies reported that they were standing on the side of the roadway when a black Cadillac Deville drove past them at a high rate of speed, nearly striking them. Deputies jumped into their squads and attempted to stop the vehicle, but it accelerated, reaching speeds in excess of 100 mph as it continued southbound on Highway 45. Shortly after crossing into Kenosha County, the vehicles lights were turned off. The vehicle then swerved off the roadway and into a farm field, stopping behind a shed. GOP lawmakers pledged to include some form of tax cut early in the budget process. That plan was dramatically boosted following new projections released earlier this month that the state will take in $4.4 billion in added tax revenue by mid-2023. Democratic lawmakers and Gov. Tony Evers pushed to use those funds on K-12 education and other state programs. Johnson also took aim at Republicans for using the unprecedented surplus on tax cuts, rather than spending more on long-term needs like education, infrastructure or health care. The GOP tax cut is eating our seed corn, Johnson said. Its blowing the biggest opportunity that we have our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to invest in our state, in our kids and in their precious futures. The GOP proposal also includes adding $200 million to the states budget stabilization fund, a rainy day fund to be tapped in times of emergency, bringing the fund to an estimated $2.1 billion. That will make sure that we have money in our savings account that, whatever pandemic or recession comes in the future, were ready to meet that, LeMahieu said. Sometime in March, cement barriers were placed in front of the Erickson Truck-n-Parts' entrance on Frontage Road, blocking the only way the owners could get in and out. The village is mum about what's going on, even after one of the Ericksons was cited for trespassing on his own property. An attorney representing the Ericksons wrote in a letter to a Mount Pleasant official: "In Catch-22 fashion, my client has been directed to clean up its property, but its owners and employees are not allowed on the premises." BURLINGTON An investigation that cleared Burlington High School social studies teacher Jeff Taff of any illegality or policy infraction also criticized him for what the investigator said was poor judgment and a lack of professionalism. Taff and his supporters have claimed that the teacher has been vindicated following a drawn-out process that brought widespread attention. No violations found Newly released reports stemming from Taffs five-month leave of absence show that the school districts investigator faulted Taff repeatedly for his on-the-job conduct as a social studies teacher at Burlington High School. The investigator cited incidents when Taff questioned students who chose not to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance; used an inappropriate approach to discussing the Nazi Holocaust; and allowed students to celebrate a holiday with a decoration they labeled A Very Ghetto Christmas. The Burlington Area School District launched an investigation and placed Taff on paid leave after he took vacation days to participate in a Jan. 6 protest at the U.S. Capitol opposing the certification of Joe Bidens presidential election win over Donald Trump, and after parents and others raised concerns about his behavior at school. The district announced last week that the investigation found no violation of law or school district policy, so Taff will be returned to the classroom next fall while receiving additional professional training and observation in his $50,000-a-year job. Taff and his attorney, Todd Terry, last week claimed vindication and said the complaints against him were unfounded and politically motivated. Taff: Criticisms are subjective In response to the new details divulged in the investigative reports, Taff stated in an email that he disputes the investigators findings, which he described as really subjective. I would love for any law firm to fully investigate any teacher and not find some areas of focus to critique or improve upon, he wrote. BASD essentially had to find something. The district released two investigative reports completed by Grenell, both of which included criticisms of Taffs conduct at school, while finding that district policies permitted such behavior. Quote "This was nothing more than a disgusting, pathetic stunt." Taylor Wishau, BASD School Board member, regarding the investigation of Jeff Taff District reaction Burlington Area School District officials said they have no plans to review district polices as a result of the Taff case. School Board President Peter Turke said the board has discussed the investigative findings. He expects no movement toward adjusting any of the relevant district policies. At this point, theres been no discussion about revisiting our policies, Turke said. Another school board member, Taylor Wishau, issued a statement applauding Taff and calling the investigative outcome a complete vindication of the teacher. Wishau said those who made complaints against Taff should be required to pay the costs of the investigation. This was nothing more than a disgusting, pathetic stunt, Wishau said. Report: Unnecessary controversy and division On other issues raised in the investigation, Grenell reported finding no evidence that Taff had used racial slurs in school, had made sexist remarks or had tried to indoctrinate students to his own personal political beliefs. However, the two newly released reports show that the investigator found many complaints against Taff to be accurate. One report covered a parents allegations of misconduct by Taff. The other covered the districts concerns stemming from Taffs participation in the U.S. Capitol protest. On the protest in Washington, D.C., the investigator reported that Taff showed students in class and then posted for them online a video raising doubts about the legitimacy of Bidens election over Trump. The investigator also found that Taff messaged students that some of them would not understand why he was joining the Jan. 6 protest on behalf of Trump. The investigator said that although discussing the election with students would have been acceptable, voicing doubts about the election outcome brings unnecessary controversy and division into the classroom. Posting the video for students, he wrote, also showed questionable judgment. The investigator found emails in which Taff questioned individual students about why they were not standing for a daily Pledge of Allegiance in his class. Noting that students are not required to stand for the pledge, the investigator wrote that Taffs questioning should be frowned upon and that it could deter students from exercising their rights not to stand. In discussing the Nazi Holocaust of World War II, Taff asked students to consider why the Jews would allow themselves to be killed, the investigator reported. Taff also asked students how they would respond if they saw their fellow students being shot. The investigator concluded that Taffs approach on the subject was rather concerning and inappropriate. The investigator also questioned Taff about why he allowed students to display a Very Ghetto Christmas holiday decoration on his classroom door, with a tree and pictures of students. Taff called the display humorous, but the investigator said he found absolutely no justifiable reason for such a display. It shows poor judgment, insensitivity, and could alienate certain students, the report stated. Students involved in investigation Grenell was hired by BASD. No estimate has been disclosed on the cost of his investigative services. In addition to Taff and other school staff, the investigator reported that he interviewed seven students. Those students were not identified by name in the reports. On the issue of whether Taff pushed his own politics in the classroom, the investigator noted that district policy allows teachers to discuss their own beliefs as long as they are not trying to persuade students to adopt any particular belief. Several of the students indicated that Mr. Taff would often give his own personal opinion on politics, the investigator wrote. Most students did not feel like they were being persuaded one way or another. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Im excited to join the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater community as the University moves forward with planning and shaping its academic program to meet the needs of its students and the State of Wisconsin, said Henderson. UW-Whitewater is a gem, and Im looking forward to working with the University community, the larger Whitewater and Rock County communities, the UW System, and other stakeholders in Wisconsin to help set the University on a course that will provide a strong foundation for the selection of the next Chancellor. Killeen, TX (76540) Today Mixed clouds and sun this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 91F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Low 74F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. 1. Yes. Its a serious public health issue; unvaccinated workers put others at risk. 2. Yes. Some colleges and school districts are mandating it. Its a necessary step. 3. No. Employees should have the option of getting vaccinated or not. Its up to them. 4. No. Some people have serious side-effects. Geting jabbed should be optional. 5. Unsure. Getting people vaccinated is important, but so is having a choice. Vote View Results The sun was still hiding under the covers last Saturday when Lori Potter and I headed out to Scott and Kim Fords Cross Diamond Cattle Co. near Bertrand for a branding. By the time we arrived at 6:30, the sun had opened its eyes. We drove in to a huddle of cowboys clutching coffee mugs, and saddled horses, and trailers hitched to pick-ups ready to head out. I felt privileged to be here. This was only my third branding since moving here from Cleveland in 2012. Lori and I hopped into a pick-up driven by Cauy Bennett and set out for the branding site. We went from pavement to dirt to a winding trail that bumped and swirled down, down, down past flowering yucca into a lonely canyon. We parked and got out among cowboys leading their horses out of the trailers. Soon 15 of them were saddled up. They headed out on horseback and disappeared. Lori and I waited, content. I was as tiny as a flea out here on the Great Plains. On this picture-perfect morning, even the wind was napping. Hub Staff Writer Mary Jane Skala is engaged in what could be described as one of the most challenging times of her journalism career as she covers the coronavirus pandemic. For the past 18 months, Skala has been the Hubs lead COVID reporter. Its a role that demands her best as an interviewer and writer to gather and dispense news about the deadly virus and profile the people suffering through it. Hub readers know they are getting a well-rounded report from Skala, but her work is grabbing attention outside Kearney. Last weekend, Skala was named the runner up for the Communicator of Achievement Award of the National Federation of Press Women. The honor is noteworthy because its a national award presented just one time per year, and it usually is given to a journalist who has amassed a lifetime of accomplishments. Skala fits that mold. Before coming to the Hub, she was the editor for a group of suburban newspapers in the Cleveland, Ohio, area. That role took Skala to assignments around the nation and globe, but it also carried great responsibility, as it was her newspapers job to oversee a large swath of a major city. With grit and guts, Skala and her staff reined in corrupt politicians, informed readers about issues of importance, and saw that crime victims received justice. Meanwhile, back in La Crosse, what is going to happen with Altman? He refuses to resign. Devotees of Altman have raised over $640,000 for his legal defense. Money will not help. The civil courts will never agree to consider his case. Because of church-state separation, they will say it is for the Catholic church to resolve. Regarding church law, there is a clear process for a bishop to remove a pastor. Callahans office said it will respond in accordance to the canonical [church] process as needed for the removal of a priest from his office as pastor. You can be sure Callahan has documented well his patient attempt to remedy the situation over the past several months. Moreover, there are videos with Altman asserting as true what the Church does not teach. For example, Democrats are going to hell if they voted for Biden. Altman has the right to appeal, but his appeal will not be successful. The best canon lawyer in the world, with a fee considerably less than $640,000, will not be able to save his pastorate. Great nations dont ignore their most painful moments. They dont ignore those moments in the past. They embrace them. Great nations dont walk away. We come to terms with the mistakes we made. And remembering those moments, we begin to heal and grow stronger. Gov. Tony Evers issued his support for the holiday Thursday while also addressing continuing inequities and injustices. It has been an eye opening and devastating year, with the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affecting Black individuals, acts of racism rampant and the high-profile loss of three lives to police brutality Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and Daunte Wright in the span of 13 months This Juneteenth, as we recognize the trials Black Americans have overcome and celebrate the resilience, vibrancy, and countless contributions of Black Wisconsinites, we must also recognize our work toward equity and justice in this state is far from finished, Evers said. I dont have to tell you that Wisconsin faces some of the most disparate outcomes for Black Wisconsinites, from inequities in housing and health care to education and child care to the justice system and economic opportunity. U.S. Catholic bishops overwhelmingly approved the drafting of a "teaching document" that many of them hope will rebuke Catholic politicians, including President Joe Biden, for receiving Communion despite their support for abortion rights. The result of the vote 168 in favor and 55 against was announced Friday near the end of a three-day meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that was held virtually. The bishops had cast their votes privately on Thursday after nearly three hours of impassioned debate. Supporters of the measure said a strong rebuke of Biden was needed because of his recent actions protecting and expanding abortion access, while opponents warned that such action would portray the bishops as a partisan force during a time of bitter political divisions across the country. As a result of the vote, the USCCB's doctrine committee will draft a statement on the meaning of Communion in the life of the church that will be submitted for consideration at a future meeting, probably an in-person gathering in November. One section of the document is intended to include a specific admonition to Catholic politicians and other public figures who disobey church teaching on abortion and other core doctrinal issues. Tony Quinones, 55, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, told the New York Times that he had been riding for about six minutes with other cyclists ages 55 and over when a black pickup that had been driving in the opposite direction crossed over three lanes and headed toward the cyclists. He assumed the driver was turning into a parking lot. Instead, the driver plowed directly into the cyclists who had been ahead of Quinones, he said. I dont know who the heck this guy is, or what his motive was, Quinones told the Times. But he intentionally did not go left into a parking lot. He drove his truck directly and intentionally into our group, and you could hear him accelerate until he hit that telephone pole. Quinones said he had seen bikes and bodies flying. After the driver hit a telephone pole, cyclists ran up to the truck and started pounding on the windows, screaming at the driver to get out, he told the Times. But rather than stop, the driver hit the accelerator and backed out, drove down the road, made a U-turn and then headed back toward the cyclists, Quinones said. Consuewella Dotson Africa, a longtime member of the Black organization MOVE and mother of two children killed in the 1985 bombing of the group's home in Philadelphia, has died at 67. She died Wednesday at a hospital. A member of the MOVE family, Janine Africa, said Consuewella Africa had tested positive for the coronavirus when she went to the hospital around the beginning of the month, but had largely recovered when doctors said last week she was not getting enough oxygen. Through the stress with everything that was happening, her body just could not fight to get the air in her lungs because she was too burnt out and tore down from the stress, Janine Africa told The Associated Press. So that is what caused her to die. Africa's death follows painful revelations in the last few months about the treatment of the remains of her two daughters who were killed in the police bombing of the organization's home, where 11 members including five children were killed and more than 60 homes were burnt to the ground. Her daughters, 14-year-old Katricia Tree and 12-year-old Zanetta Netta, died in the bombing while Consuewella Africa was in prison serving a 16-year-sentence for simple assault related to the city's 1978 attempt to evict the group during which a police officer was killed. In a sign of the rulings impact, the court sent two cases of people convicted of drug crimes based partly on trash searches back to lower courts to determine whether the evidence should be thrown out. Dissenting justices, including Chief Justice Susan Christensen, warned that the decision was out of step with the vast majority of states and outlawed a tactic used to gather evidence of drug manufacturing and dealing. They said people have no expectations of privacy when they put their trash on the curb. The majoritys reasoning that officers cant use investigative techniques that would be illegal for private citizens is nonsensical and calls into question the legality of several other law enforcement practices, dissenting justices said. Christensen said the reasoning would invite legal challenges against officers who make warrantless traffic stops, search private property and seize guns under emergency or other circumstances that have long been allowed by courts. Unfortunately, our state law enforcement officials are now left with a guess-and-see approach to many actions previously considered lawful, undermining public safety in the process, Christensen wrote. Out of that process comes a nutrient-rich fertilizer that is incorporated into the soil not sprayed on top to help reduce emissions, Brubaker said. A system of hoses and underground pipelines even helps to move that fertilizer and waste throughout the Brubaker Farms footprint, helping him scale back vehicle use, he said. Thats not to mention that the digester converts manure-related emissions of the greenhouse gas methane to electricity enough to power 300 homes. Brubaker conceded that implementation was sometimes costly, but he did not shy away from the fact that he and his sons, who now own and manage the farm, have been able to lean on public grant funding. According to Brubaker, he knows many local farmers are willing to do the same, implementing conservation measures where they make sense. Driving around, you can see some bad, Brubaker said, but if you think thats how everything is, its not. In his mind, the only way to increase farmers adoption of conservation is through education. Meanwhile, Hill and his fellow researchers hope their study could lead to heightened scrutiny, possibly attracting the attention of regulators and decision-makers. PARIS (AP) French police clashed with party-goers as they tried to break up an unauthorized rave in western France, authorities said Saturday. A 22-year-old man lost his hand and several others were injured amid the violence, including police. The tensions erupted in a field near the Brittany town of Redon on Friday night, just two days before France lifts an overnight virus curfew that's been in place for more than eight months and has prompted growing frustration among young people. Police repeatedly fired tear gas and charged clusters of violent partygoers who hurled metal balls, gasoline bombs and other projectiles at security forces, according to images shared online and comments by the top government official in the region, prefect Emmanuel Berthier. Local authorities estimated about 1,500 people took part in the event despite a local ordinance banning it. Berthier accused the attendees of extreme and inexcusable violence. It took police more than seven hours to disperse the crowd and authorities were still evacuating people from the field Saturday morning, Berthier told reporters. Regional prosecutor Philippe Astruc said three investigations are under way into the clashes, including how the 22-year-old lost his hand. Regional gendarme chief Pierre Sauvegrain told France-Info radio that the man was believed to have picked up an object that exploded. Other investigations are probing violence that left five police officers injured, and looking into who organized the party. An underground New Years Eve rave party in the same area drew at least 2,500 people and led to multiple arrests. Participants in Friday night's event said they were honoring a man killed in 2019 as police cleared out another unauthorized party in the nearby city of Nantes. The tough stance by French police against such raves has grown tougher amid virus restrictions. France has been gradually lifting restrictions in recent weeks as infections wane and vaccinations rise. France's curfew, among the strictest and longest in Europe, is set to expire on Sunday. Revelers have defied authorities and staged rogue parties in multiple European countries as the weather warms and frustrations with virus restrictions mount. In neighboring Germany, about 4,000 people came together at a park in Hamburg on Friday night, drinking and celebrating despite current pandemic rules banning such big groups. Police tried appealing to people several times to go home but when their calls were ignored, officers decided to clear the park, the German news agency dpa reported Saturday. Police were attacked with bottles and two officers were slightly injured, but most people had left by 1 a.m., police said. Follow all AP stories about the global pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic When Tina Zartman saw a newspaper story about the discovery of human remains behind a Target store in East Lampeter Township, she quickly called the police. When I saw that article about the body, I just knew, Zartman said. I just knew. Lancaster County Coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni said Friday his office had identified the body as that of Zartmans younger brother, Gene Lamar Engle Jr. Engle, 59, struggled with drug addiction for decades, said Zartman, who lives in Manheim Township as a caregiver for her mother, Donna Engle. He had eluded Zartman and his family for months, his whereabouts totally unknown to them. Police responded to a report of human remains on the morning June 9, according to the East Lampeter Township Police Department. Zartman said she and her family had already been notified of Engles death well ahead of the public identification from the coroner on Friday. The same day she contacted the police, she said, the coroners office informed her it had made a positive identification of her brothers body. Zartman said that police told her last week they didn't really know what led to her brothers death, but an investigation remains ongoing. Diamantoni said Friday it's unlikely the death is suspicious, but his office is awaiting results from tissue and toxicology studies, as well as the police investigation, before making a final determination on the cause of death. Engle, known as Chuck by his family, grew up in Warwick Township, according to Zartman, and impressed others with his intelligence and artistic talent. He knew about so many factual things that I couldn't even comprehend. He just he was very talented. Engle also had a reputation for being funny, Zartman said. As long as he wasn't having any of that stuff with him, she said. That stuff included alcohol and inhalants that police periodically arrested him for, court records show. He pleaded guilty in 1995 to driving under the influence. Starting in 2003, Engle entered a pattern of pleading guilty to charges of public drunkenness or inhaling toxic substances, a pattern that continued all the way into April of this year. Zartman said she last saw her brother last summer, when he had emerged from the hospital having beaten both COVID-19 and a case of pneumonia he contracted after living in a tent near a Wal Mart. He was vowing once again to get clean and go back to school to become a barber, Zartman said. But he dropped off the map once again, Zartman said, out of touch with his family during a cold winter. It was the not knowing, that was the absolute worst, Zartman said. Engles parents, now divorced, had yet to show much emotion regarding their first-born sons death, Zartman said Friday. The years of crisis after crisis, heartbreak after heartbreak had taken its toll, she said something many families with loved ones suffering from addiction know well. With all his problems and struggles, we always loved him, and we always had hope for him, Zartman said. That's all." Editor's note: Previous versions of the story incorrectly stated the date the remains were found, the date an autopsy was performed, and the victims name. This a breaking news story and will be updated. Please enable JavaScript to properly view our site. Ryabkov Tells Media, Russia and U.S. Will Follow Up Strategic Security Talks without Delay June 18, 2021 (EIRNS)Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov commented very positively on the Biden-Putin Summit in an interview with TASS, posted today. It was an active dialogue, rich in terms of contents and specifics, multi-layered. Generally, I note for myself that it was a summit meeting in every sense of this word, Ryabkov said. A new start. A new beginning.... Whether there will be an upward movementthe question remains open, He continued. But the fact that the desire not to escalate [tensions] further, but to look for ways out of deadlocks prevailed, that is a fact. There were no major breakthroughs, but given the state of relations, there could not have been. Nevertheless, especially in terms of the stability and security in the field of information and communications technology, they have achieved shifts in a constructive direction. As for the regional issuesit was rather an exchange of estimates and well-known views so it passed rather predictably, the deputy minister explained. On the proposal made at the summit for strategic stability talks Ryabkov said, I would say that we have a chain of direct instructions from the leadership in order to avoid pauses in practical interaction with the U.S. This specifically concerns strategic stability and ICT security. He stressed, We are launching without delay and without pauses the implementation of the achieved understandings, putting their translation into practice. And we expect very much an American response. According to Ryabkov, Biden did not engage in barnstorming for U.S. allies at the summit, but dealt with bilateral concerns. Specifically at this meeting, I would not say that there was talk about such American intercession, similar to the one that took place a few weeks ago, when Washington suddenly became very concerned about including the Czech Republic in our list of unfriendly states. There was not anything similar at this meeting, he said. But it is also the fact that Biden came to Geneva with a whole series of joint documents the Collective West, as they say, adopted recently in different formats behind him, and it was felt. This was expected, and ultimately it is not so important whether this or that position of the United States is being worked out individually, or is shared by a number of other states. After all, it is the substantial part, which is important, and we receive it in the form of signals, some expectations or claims. We focus on the meaning, and not on the number of signatories under this or that signal. As for Washingtons allegations against Russia, Ryabkov said they were utterly groundless. We have no need to explain the red lines to the U.S. We have long understood what our colleagues in Washington talk about, when they use various languages of this or similar meaning. But we dont even cross these red lines, because all their accusations that we act like we should not, are totally groundless. And this is one of the fundamental problems in relations with the U.S., he said. As for our red lines, I think President [Putin] explained it so clearly for everyone that I dont think any further comment is necessary. And the talk about where we see the special acuteness of problems in regards to the U.S.s behavior was quite straightforward and honest in Geneva, said Ryabkov. Jake Sullivan Asserts Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping To Confer Soon June 18, 2021 (EIRNS)U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan was emphatic at his June 17 phone briefing with reporters that Biden would follow up on his summit with Vladimir Putin, with a discussion with Chinas Xi Jinping. Sullivan responded to a question regarding a bilateral discussion with President Xi, saying: The notion that President Biden will engage in the coming month with President Xi in some way to take stock of where we are in the relationship and to ensure that we have that kind of direct communication that we found valuable with President Putin yesterday, were very much committed to that. Its now just a question of when and how. The bulk of his opening remarks involved reporting how successful Biden had been on his European trip, basically, that hes taken leadership of the West with his B3WBuild Back Better World, a new infrastructure initiative ... that will be a high-standards, transparent, climate-friendly alternative to the Belt Road Initiative. We had NATO tackling China in its communique for the first time, truly taking the security challenge posed by China seriously.... And, in fact, the G7 spoke to this issue of coordination and alignment on standing up to countering and pushing back on Chinas non-market economic practices as part of a broader economic competition, he boasted. With no irony intended, he gave the example of the agreement to end a 16-year-long dispute between Airbus and Boeing ... an explicit alignment on the U.S. and the EU working together on inbound and outbound investment related to Chinas large passenger aircraft industry ... against Chinas predatory practices. Sullivan described how we feel like we have emerged from this trip with a common strategy with our allies, and as well as having laid down some clear markers with Russia, some clear expectations, and also communicated to them the capacities that we have, should they choose not to take action against criminals who are attacking our critical infrastructure from Russian soil. Cyber also relates to this broader effort at standing up a strategic stability dialogue that will address arms control, but also touch on issues related to both cyber and space as we move forward. Among the first questions, the media asked, was now that you had the G7 meeting, aligning, clearing the decks, meeting with Putin, if that now means you can go on to a bilateral discussion with President Xi and how youre taking that on. Sullivan then elaborated: [W]hat the President said, about there being no substitute for leader-level dialogue as a central part of why he held the summit with Putin yesterday, also applies to China and to President Xi Jinping. He will look for opportunities to engage with President Xi going forward. We dont have any particular plans at the moment, but I would note that both leaders are likely to be at the G20 in Italy in October.... But soon enough, we will sit down to work out the right modality for the two Presidents to engage. Now, it could be a phone call; it could be a meeting on the margins of ... another international summit; it could be something else. At a follow-up press conference on June 17 with the State Departments Ned Price, South China Morning Post North America bureau chief Robert Delaney referred to Sullivans announcement and brought up the previous roadblocks (Xinjiang, the Wuhan lab, and such). Price reiterated that the President has put forward that there is no substitute for personal diplomacy. And he was making the point that that is not unique to the relationship... then reaffirmed we will continue that principled engagement. EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 Leave the Realm of Geopolitical Confrontation June 18, 2021 (EIRNS)The day after the June 16 Putin-Biden Summit, which both Presidents described as constructive, came more official views of what can come next, in a positive direction. In a Moscow interview, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov called the meeting a new start. He said that he had been instructed to move, without pause, for follow-up. Regarding the proposal made at the Summit for strategic stability talks, I would say that we have a chain of direct instructions from the leadership in order to avoid pauses in practical interaction with the U.S.... In Washington, D.C., National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan held an on-the-record phone call with the media June 17, reporting back on the administrations view of the Biden trip for all three Summits, during which discussion, Sullivan said that Biden will seek a meeting with Chinas President Xi Jinping in the coming period. The White House transcript reports Sullivan elaborating, [W]hat the President said, about there being no substitute for leader-level dialogue as a central part of why he held the summit with Putin yesterday, also applies to China and to President Xi Jinping. He will look for opportunities to engage with President Xi going forward. We dont have any particular plans at the moment, but I would note that both leaders are likely to be at the G20 in Italy in October.... [W]e will sit down to work out the right modality for the two Presidents to engage. He referred to two modalitiespossibly by phone or by a side-meeting at an international meetingand then, or something else. Immediately following the Sullivan statement, State Department spokesman Ned Price affirmed to South China Morning Post the same message: that the administration foresees a meeting between Biden and Xi. Chinas CGTN TV then broadcast this story, with international commentary. These events, measured for their potential, not for their apparent immediate results, make the Schiller Institute international conference June 26-27, and ongoing dialogue, vitally important. The critical element is providing the content of the policy neededin service of all peoples and the future, and prompting discussion and motion on the means to make it happen. The driver is the urgency for collaborative action for a world health security infrastructure. This is undeniably in the common interest of all, and achievable through joint action. Look at the snapshot status of the pandemic and famine. The Southern Hemisphere is reeling. In Africa, the third wave of COVID-19 is raging in many nations, especially in Southern Africa. The nation of South Africa has deployed the military to try to keep certain commercial functions going. There are pitifully scant vaccines anywhere. In South America, the virus is out of control in many places. This week Paraguay registered 18.9 deaths per million, compared to 2.7 in India, 2.2 in South Africa and 1.1 in the U.S. Following Paraguay in rate of death, and are Suriname, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Brazil and Peru, all with conditions of silent horror. The world food picture is worsening. The Food and Agriculture Organizations latest estimate is that food prices this year will be 20% higher than in 2020 for imported food for Low Income Food Deficient nationsmeaning poor nations dependent on commercial or donated food imports. This means suffering and death. The World Food Program warns that 34 million people are at the point of starvation this year. Some 9 million starved to death last year, more than the COVID-19 death toll in 2020. WFPs David Beasley is in Southern Africa this week on the crisis. He visited WFP operations in northern Mozambique, in Cabo Delgado, a location of terrorism and mass dislocation. Close to 2 million people in the nation are dependent on food aid. Against this backdrop, Helga Zepp-LaRouche, president of the Schiller Institute, also spoke the day after the Putin-Biden Summit, with her evaluation. Participating in an international web program, out of Trinidad and Tobago, she said, In a huge, quiet dance space in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the tables are put away. In an area for musicians, a piano sits unused. Electronic sound equipment nearby is unconnected to power. The empty dancing place is called the Viruta Tango Club. It shows the effects of the COVID-19 crisis on performers of a dance form based on close, physical contact. Like many other public spaces, the Viruta Tango Club has been closed since March 8, 2020. Argentine officials severely restricted public activity in hopes of limiting the spread of COVID-19. The club used to admit hundreds of tango dancers between Wednesday and Sunday. For those of us who make a living from tango, our self-esteem is on the floor, said Horacio Godoy, a dancer, historian and club organizer. We are more emotionally than financially bankrupt, he added. COVID-19 also forced Argentina to close its borders. This has hurt the tango business. Foreign visitors provide a lot of support for the industry. International performances by Argentine tango dancers also have been cancelled as their country continues to face high numbers of coronavirus infections. Argentina has had more than 80,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths. Godoy earns some money by teaching tango online to foreigners. He said the citys assistance program for dancers and musicians does not provide enough money to pay for Virutas costs. Of 18 employees, only three have kept their jobs. The city of Buenos Aires cant offer history like Rome and Paris. It doesnt have a beach to offer like in the Caribbean. It doesnt have gastronomy on offer like Italy. It doesnt have waterfalls or glaciers. The city of Buenos Aires has tango, he said. The Federal Assembly of Tango Workers said the industry used to employ around 7,000 people in Argentina. But since the start of the COVID-19 health crisis, one fifth of Buenos Airess 200 tango clubs have closed permanently. Before the pandemic, there were about 40 tango footwear and clothing companies. Now, about 12 remain. Although tango is the most famous part of Argentine culture, the industry does not get any special government support. Tango workers suffered from permanent job insecurity long before the pandemic, said Diego Benbassat, a musician with the Misteriosa Buenos Aires orchestra and a spokesman for the tango workers union. He said, There were never public policies designed for tango, so that is why we are so vulnerable. Dancer Mora Godoy once taught tango steps to Americas former President Barack Obama. She has received standing ovations for her international performances. But, COVID-19 forced her to close her dance school. I did 419 shows with my tango company in 2019. We had done more than 100 in 2020 by the time everything was closed and this madness, this sadness, this world tragedy began, she said. She shows some pictures from her dancing life before the pandemic. One of her favorites is from 2016. It shows then-President Obama resting his hand on Godoys back as they dance the tango. The president was on an official visit to Argentina at the time. It is very painful not to be able to dance, said Godoy. She said some tango professionals have become taxi drivers or found work at food stores to make a living. She said businesses that once made a lot of money from running tango clubs have done little during COVID-19 to help the dancers who had been so important to club profits. Everything froze, said musician and dancer Nicolas Ponce, who started a business selling plants during the health crisis. The nature of tango, he said, is what makes it so difficult to perform in the current health emergency. That feeling of embrace is what makes tango stand out from other dances, he said. Longing for that embrace makes many tango dancers, or tangueros, ignore restrictions to dance in outdoor spaces. On a recent Saturday, 12 couples got together to dance at the Obelisco, a monument in the center of Buenos Aires. Tango in the open air is health. What is dangerous is stillness, read a sign placed near the monument by dance teacher Luciana Fuentes. She is not against restrictions and takes measures to prevent spread. But, she said, I will not stop dancing tango in public spaces. Im Caty Weaver. Debora Rey reported this story for the Associated Press. Caty Weaver adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. ________________________________________________________ Words in This Story self-esteem n. a feeling of having respect for yourself and your abilities bankrupt adj. unable to pay debts; completely lacking some good or desired quality beach n. an area beside the ocean or body of water that is covered with small rocks and sand gastronomy n. the art or activity of cooking and eating food vulnerable adj. open to attack, harm, damage or loss ovation n. when a group of people watching a performance show their approval and appreciation by clapping their hands together repeatedly embrace n. to put ones arms around someone is a show of love or friendship In the first investigation of its kind made public in many years, an Associated Press investigation has found that at least 1,900 U.S. military guns were lost or stolen during the 2010s. Some of the weapons were later used in violent crimes. The AP reports that since the military limits the release of such information, the number is likely much higher. The investigation was based on government records from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force. The documents showed that many guns, including machine guns and automatic assault rifles, had disappeared from storage spaces, ships and other places. None were reported publicly. Military explosives were also lost or stolen, including some grenades that were later found at a home in Atlanta, Georgia. In Afghanistan, 65 Beretta M9s were stolen from a storage building. The missing guns were not discovered for weeks and were never recovered. The Pentagon used to share yearly information about stolen weapons with Congress, but that requirement ended years ago. The Army and Air Force could not tell the AP how many weapons were lost or stolen from 2010 through 2019. So, the AP built its own database using information it received through criminal cases, property loss reports and other records. The report found that investigators often cannot find missing guns because of poor record keeping. Military weapons can be very appealing to some military insiders who know the weak points in the security. Such individuals can make money by stealing the guns and selling them. Its about the money, right? said Brigadier General Duane Miller. He is the Armys second highest law enforcement official. High officials in the Army, Marines and the Secretary of Defenses office said tracking weapons is very important. However, the officials said they do not think missing weapons is a large problem. They noted that the number is very small when compared to the militarys total number of weapons. Defense Department spokesman John Kirby said the military has several million weapons. He said cases of missing firearms are taken very seriously. He added that the military could account for 99 percent of its weapons. Since there is no longer a reporting requirement, the Pentagon is responsible for telling Congress about missing weapons. That has not happened since at least 2017. A Department of Defense official told the AP that while a missing missile would, of course, be reported, a stolen machine gun would not. While the APs investigation centered on the 2010s, incidents linked to missing military weapons still happen. In May, an Army trainee fled with an M4 rifle and hijacked a school bus full of children. He eventually let everyone go free. Last October, police in San Diego pulled over a car and found a grenade launcher in the front seat. The AP found eight times that stolen military guns were used in civilian shootings or other violent crimes. The cases were found by examining investigative and court records, as well as published reports. Kirby said his office was not aware of any stolen or missing guns being used in civilian crimes. The FBIs Criminal Justice Information Services said 22 guns belonging to the military were used to commit crimes during the 2010s. But that total could include weapons the military sold legally. The nonprofit organization Small Arms Survey says the entire U.S. military has an estimated 4-5 million firearms. Charles Royal is a former army employee who was in charge of the militarys gun registry. Youre dealing with millions of weapons, Royal said. He added: But were supposed to have 100 percent (reconnaissance), right. OK, [and] were not allowed discrepancy on that, but there is so much room for discrepancy. Im Susan Shand. The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Bryan Lynn was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story grenade n. a small bomb thrown by hand or shot from a gun track v. to follow the movements of something reconnaissance n. military activity in which soldiers are sent to find out information about an operation allow n. to permit discrepancy n. a difference between two things that should be the same We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, and visit our Facebook page. There are countries like Mexico and Costa Rica where Americans can visit today without any COVID prerequisites like testing or quarantine, Keyes says. (And) there are a growing number of countries like Iceland and Belize that allow fully vaccinated Americans to bypass any testing or quarantine requirements that are mandatory for unvaccinated visitors. And many countries remain fully off-limits to U.S. travelers for the foreseeable future. Even countries that are allowing tourists, visitors are still subject to local restrictions and curfews. Do your research beforehand to make sure you can enjoy your destination once you get there. The U.S. will still require a negative COVID-19 test three days or less before your return flight. So even if you are vaccinated, you will need to spend time at the end of your trip obtaining a negative test. Some of these restrictions are bound to change this summer, but its impossible to know which ones, or when. So many travelers, including the experts, are again opting to travel domestically this year. Im about to embark on a seven-week road trip around the U.S. Kepnes says. I'll be focusing on national parks and outdoor adventures. Sound familiar? The CPSC went into detail about the circumstances of some of the deaths. On July 4, 2019, a 15-year-old male was found bleeding in his driveway after neighbors heard an explosion around 7:30 pm. The victim was alone at home when the incident occurred. Responding officers reported that the incident appeared as though the victim was lighting a homemade firework device when it detonated, according to the CPSC 2019 report. A 45-year-old male died after a 1.4G canister-style fireworks device struck him in the chest on June 7, 2019. While intoxicated with alcohol, the victim initially placed the fireworks device on his head and lit the fuse. The firework fell forward and detonated, hitting the victim in the chest, according to the report. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} A 53-year-old male died after he was struck in the head by a firework on July 22, 2019. The victim had been lighting fireworks in a canister that was half buried. Surveillance video shows that one of the fireworks did not detonate when the victim first lit the device. When the victim approached and inspected the canister, the firework detonated and struck him in the head, the reported stated. Lewiston, ID (83501) Today Sunny to partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 101F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Mostly clear. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. W winds shifting to SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Eighteen-year-old Shiloh Delgadillo, who died Thursday from injuries suffered in a June 5 car crash, had more friends than his family knew about. Growing up in Nipomo, Delgadillo was a skater kid who spent much of his time at the local recreation park and other skate parks in the area, making lots of friends along the way, said his older sister Alondra Banks. But there were also people who barely knew him, including co-workers at the McDonald's in Pismo Beach, where he worked. "People would always pick on one employee but Shiloh would always stick up for them," Banks said. "He was such a caring person and always had a big heart." The scope of his friends became apparent when they began showing up to visit Delgadillo at the intensive care unit at Marian Regional Medical Center, where he remained for 12 days before he died as a result of major injuries he sustained in the crash along Highway 166. He was pronounced dead at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, according to Banks. 18-year-old from Nipomo shocked by live wire after vehicle collision on Hwy 166 An 18-year-old Nipomo man sustained major injuries Saturday after he was shocked by electricity following a vehicle collision with a power pole near Highway 166 and Bull Canyon Road. The crash occurred near the intersection of Bull Canyon Road and Highway 166, just over two miles northeast of Santa Maria, when the 2018 Toyota sedan driven by Delgadillo collided with a power pole and knocked down a live wire shortly before 9 p.m., according to Santa Maria CHP Officer Ben Smith. Officers located the sedan on the north side of Highway 166 and found Delgadillo lying unconscious near the vehicle. First responders performed CPR and other life saving measures before he was transported to the hospital, where he never regained consciousness, according to Banks. An initial CHP report determined that Delgadillo was traveling westbound on Highway 166, when he made an unsafe turning movement to the right and then to the left of the road before hitting the pole on the north side of the highway. When Delgadillo got out of his vehicle, he was shocked after stepping on a live wire downed in the crash, according to Smith. The CHP report noted that Delgadillo was driving under the influence of alcohol, which contributed to the crash. A joint investigation is underway between the CHP, which is investigating the crash itself, and the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, which is trying to determine where Delgadillo got the alcohol, according to officials. Additionally, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office Coroners Bureau will be investigating Delgadillo's death, according to Lt. Rob Minter. Delgadillo was returning home from a graduation party on the night of the crash and was expected back home by 8 p.m., according to Banks. He attended Nipomo and Arroyo Grande high schools, but had attended Lopez High School for the past two years, where he was in the process of completing the last handful of credits needed for a diploma by the end of the summer, according to Banks. The high school granted him a diploma anyway. On June 11, school officials including the superintendent and school board president held a bedside ceremony for Delgadillo at the hospital, and dressed in black robes, gave their graduation speeches, according to Banks, who attended. Delgadillo was the middle child of six siblings, which included two sets of twins, according to Banks. Family also extended to friends, including a friend he'd sneak into his parents' house because he had nowhere to live. His family ended up adopting Delgadillo's friend as one of their own. "He always had open arms and supportive friends," Banks said. "He wanted to travel and just tried to live life to the fullest and live as many experiences as he could." A public service for Delgadillo will be held on June 24 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Nipomo located at 298 S. Thompson Ave. CALmatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California's state Capitol works and why it matters. Dan Walters has been a journalist for nearly 60 years, spending all but a few of those years working for California newspapers. Letters to the Editor: Outlaw, sale, use of incendiary devices; Solving racial disperities in justice system; Illegal fireworks code a joke FILE- In this April 18, 2021, file photo, the capsized lift boat Seacor Power is seen seven miles off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico. The owner of an overturned offshore oilfield boat plans to use $25 in insurance on the vessel to pay down part of its debts. Attorneys for families of men killed when the Seacor Power flipped in April are worried that could leave less money available to compensate for their loss, The Times-Picayune / The New Orleans Item reported. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Friends Alisa Davis and Robin Thompson have plans to open a new bar on Madison's east side, one with VIP areas, a laidback vibe and a focus on wine, beer and Cognac. They're calling it Lush Lounge, and they hope to open at 3769 E. Washington Ave. this fall. "Its always been my dream to do a wine bar, and that was originally what me and her had discussed," said Davis. Davis has run a cleaning and organizing business for six years but has hospitality industry experience as well, specifically at Dublin Square Irish Pub & Eatery, Shooter's Bar and others in the La Crosse area. The two owners have known each other for more than a decade. Thompson, who has a background in HR and marketing, has lived in Madison for seven years, while Davis and her family moved three years ago. "We looked around and there's not a lot of lounges in Madison," Davis said. Their idea was to "do something different, that we can eventually leave to our children." Evers spoke briefly, highlighting the holidays past in the state. Here in Wisconsin, Juneteenth was formally recognized in 2009, 22 years after state Sen. Spencer Coggs and Rep. Marcia Coggs first introduced the legislation. If that isnt a clear example of how slow progress can take, I dont know what is, Evers said. The governor also noted future steps he hopes to take to bring greater equity to Wisconsin, including legalizing marijuana, investing in Black-owned businesses and expanding BadgerCare. As we recognize the trials Black Americans have overcome and celebrate the resilience, vibrancy, and countless contributions of Black Wisconsinites across our state, we know our work toward equity and justice in this state is far from finished, Evers stated. Wisconsin faces some of the most disparate outcomes for Black Wisconsinites, from inequities in housing and health care to education and childcare, to the justice system and economic opportunity. Weve had moments this past year where weve made steps toward progress, but we are reminded today this work is urgent. We must continue our work to create the state and the future we want for each other and for our kids. In a recent opinion essay, New York Times columnist Thomas Edsell quoted Stanford sociologists Michelle Jackson and David Grusky, who cited the ubiquity of loss. Throughout the industrial world, they point out, globalization and technological change have increased inequality, upending the prospects of men and women who expected to enjoy a comfortable and secure middle-class existence. But why is it so easy for them to blame their losses on other workers just trying to make a living as they are? Granted, globalization and technological change, from digitization to robotics, are overwhelming but amorphous. It is difficult for most of us to see the specific ways in which those forces may have harmed average workers. When Obama pointed out that ATMs had decreased the need for bank tellers, Republicans jeered and poked fun at his observation. Obama was right, of course, but the GOP isnt interested in helping its voters understand the forces affecting their lives. Our state commissioned a group two years ago to study how to fix the school funding formula. Hours and hours of citizen comments, expert research and testimony, and debate told us what we already knew: Wisconsin needs to invest in its schools. The bipartisan Blue Ribbon Commission Report on Wisconsin School Funding told policymakers the only way we can really fix our broken school funding system was with an influx of new money. And in the last election cycle, candidates for office ran on these promises. Many won. Some of those candidates are now members of the Legislatures Joint Finance Committee. They are professional accountants, business owners, former teachers and school board members. Despite their professional training, they have grappled with a math problem that doesnt add up. We have $5.5 billion in new revenue. We have an additional $2.2 billion in federal aid specifically for public schools. That second figure is dependent on an important if-then equation its called maintenance of effort. If the state meets its obligation, they get $2.2 billion. Kids win. Public schools win. Our communities win. Everyone knows its good for us, but few of us love it. When I was elected to Congress in 2010, I became a member of the new House majority, facing a Democratic majority in the Senate and the Obama administration in the executive branch. The only way to pass legislation was through bipartisanship. In the summer of 2011, Republicans who had been elected in the tea party wave were sorely challenged when it became necessary to raise the ceiling on the national debt. The very idea of countenancing, let alone authorizing, an even more massive burden on American taxpayers, and on successive generations without a vote to weigh in on this depredation against them, was repugnant. Many of us, including me, had inveighed vehemently in the public record against raising the debt ceiling, and even vowed (ignorance is bliss!) to vote against so doing. But the heady days of campaigning against the leftward juggernaut of the first two Obama years were long over, and, as the grayer (no wonder!) heads advised us, we were now obligated to govern. The relatively small number of House Republicans who represented swing districts were in the best political position, given the composition of our constituencies, to work across the aisle. Mine was one of those districts. In that endeavor, his recent vilification by progressives is more likely to help him at home than to hurt him. It reinforces Manchins priceless reputation as a different kind of Democrat. But they have reason to be grateful to him. One reason is that hes not entirely averse to taking political risks on behalf of his partys agenda. The website FiveThirtyEight found he has voted with Biden 100% of the time so far. Without Manchin, Biden would be unable to get many of his judicial nominees confirmed. Republicans would chair all Senate committees and determine the legislative calendar. The president would face a stone wall of GOP opposition. Todays Democratic frustration would give way to outright despair. What the party needs is not fewer people like Manchin but more. The Democratic approach works well in presidential elections, but it has yet to produce lasting majorities in Congress and it has been a dismal failure in state elections. Manchin has demonstrated that its possible for a Democrat to win in the reddest of states by selectively straying from liberal orthodoxy. If many others would follow his example, Democrats would have a stronger hand, which would make Manchin less of an impediment to their agenda. TWIN FALLS A Filer man is accused of holding a machete to a gas station cashiers throat and robbing the till of $200 early Thursday. Tyrell Hall, 33, was arrested Friday and arraigned in Twin Falls County Magistrate Court on charges of robbery, destruction of evidence and two counts of possession of a controlled substance, all felonies. About 5:35 a.m. Thursday, a police affidavit said, Hall can be seen on surveillance video going into the Oasis Stop N Go at 515 Washington St. N. The video then shows Hall walking behind the counter and holding the machete up to the cashiers neck. A few minutes later, video shows Hall crossing Filer Avenue West and running to a dark colored car parked at the gas pumps, the affidavit said. Hall gets into the car and the car then leaves the parking lot. Later on Thursday, a Twin Falls police officer saw a car parked at a gas station on Sixth Avenue West that looked very similar to the car in the surveillance video and started talking to a woman in the car. The officer also said the man in the car, later identified as Hall, had a tattoo on his leg that looked like it matched the tattoo of the robber in the surveillance video. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} At one point, the woman admitted to the officer that shed taken Hall to a gas station that morning. Jeanie Gentry, CEO of Steele Memorial Hospital in Lemhi County, a mountainous area home to about 8,000 people near the Idaho-Montana border, said in a phone interview Monday morning that she was still figuring out rules dictating how the funds can be spent. But, she said, the burden of COVID-19 on Idaho hospitals is much lighter than last years. Honestly, we have hardly had any patients since the first of the year, Gentry said. She also oversees Steele Memorial Clinic, located across the street from the hospital. We have a certain small number of people come through the clinic, and every once in a while somebody is diagnosed positive, but I think we have had maybe two inpatients since the beginning of the year. Hopefully that trend will continue, she added. We dont know what is going to happen with this virus, such as dangerous mutations of the virus which have largely not caused strains to Idaho health care resources. ... But after last year, I feel much more prepared to handle a lot of things. In states neighboring Idaho, HHS has allocated $5.6 million for rural Montana clinics, $9.4 million for Oregon clinics, $1.3 million for Utah clinics, $1.6 million for Nevada clinics, $9.3 million for clinics in Washington and $2.1 million for Wyoming clinics. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 TWIN FALLS Community members gathered in City Park Friday night to celebrate Magic Valley Refugee Day. Hosted by the College of Southern Idaho Refugee Center, the event allows community members to try food from around the world and learn about refugees cultures and customs. World Refugee Day occurs on June 20 each year. Zeze Rwasama, the director of the CSI Refugee Center, said the event provides refugees an opportunity to show appreciation to the local community. Food is something that unites anyone, Rwasama said. The event featured booths from multiple countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bhutan, Eritrea and Burundi. The food was free for the public. Afterward, one band and several dance groups performed. One refugee also shared a poem. Samer Al Zohiry and his wife, Noor, served food at the Iraq tent. They were serving a traditional rice dish, biryani, a stuffed dish, dolma, and baklava, a desert. The couple opened an ice cream store called My Ice Cream Roll on Filer Avenue in March. This event helps introduce the community to local refugees, they said. +10 Refugee life: Escaping Iraq This is the fifth and final installment in the Times-News Refugee series. In this installment, Photojournalist Pat Sutphin and Chief Photographer Drew Nash explore the journey one man made to escape the growing conflict and violence in Iraq. We love for people to try our traditional foods, Noor Zohiry said. Gov. Brad Little, dont spend Idaho taxpayer dollars on sending law enforcement to the Mexico border. Thats not your job, and thats not what we should be spending Idaho tax dollars on. Little on Thursday announced he would answer the call from Texas and Arizona Republican governors for help to secure the U.S.-Mexico border by sending states law enforcement agencies to the border. Dont we have better things to spend Idaho taxpayer money on? Such as public education? You did say you want to be known as the education governor, right? Yet, Idaho is still last in the nation in per-pupil spending, and your response is to sign tax cuts and now send our Idaho law enforcement to the Mexico border? Little in a news release criticized the Biden administration. He said the smuggling of drugs and illegal weapons, property destruction, and the daily influx of illegal immigrants are worsening problems in the U.S. The state of Idaho proudly stands with our fellow Americans along the United States-Mexico border and will do what we can to protect the American people Idahoans against the damaging consequences of the inaction of the Biden-Harris administration, Little said. The mask-mandates were entirely a ridiculous policy. Lets be clear, wearing a mask while you walk into a restaurant and then taking it off when you sit down is mind-numbingly stupid. Plain and simple. The fact that mask mandates somehow made big-box retailers safe, but attending church was still a super-spreader event highlights just how ridiculous the policy was. My sense is the big-box retailers and other monied interests outfits had lobbyists descend upon the Statehouse to present special-interest science that conveniently laid out which parts of peoples lives were necessary. Now, on the discussion of leadership, this weeks political ploy hardly fits the bill. Standing up for what you believe in is an important aspect. But it is only part of it. Leadership is about molding opinions and perspectives, its about creating coalitions, and its about crafting long-lasting solutions. Seizing the Governors pen for a few hours when hes out of town may make headlines, no doubt. But everything that was done was just as quickly undone. There were no discussions, there was no collaboration, and there was no vision. Heck, if you wanted to really get the job done then why not end the whole state of emergency? Ronald Reagan said it best; The only experience you get in politics is how to be political. Boy, was there a whole lotta politicking this week. Yet, Idaho still operates in a leadership vacuum. I am running for Governor to provide real solutions that benefit those outside of the political class. For those who, like me, are hungry for bold leadership, then I would encourage you to not support the status-quo who fail to address important issues. Quit voting for the same set of players that you already know. Idahoans want solutions not politics played with their families and freedoms. Its time for something new. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 "Crime numbers are like riding the proverbial roller coaster," he said. "They'll go down one year, and you're like, 'oh man we've made a breakthrough,' and then the next thing you know, you end up with an El Norteno-type shooting." El Norteno Restaurant at the Patrick Henry Mall on East Church Street was the scene of a deadly shootout in February, where two people died and two others were seriously wounded. "One incident can greatly affect the rate, especially when you look at our population," Cassady said. Per capita rates The rating system calculates crimes per 100,000 of population, and Cassady said that method can be misleading. "If you compare me to Henry County, in 2020 they had 1,969 total incidents, and when you look at mine, it's 941. But the crimes per 100,000 in Henry County is 3,827, and here in the city it's 7,299," Cassady said. "Although we had less incidents than Henry County, it looks like we have more crime." Using the same comparison, Patrick County has the least amount of crime per 100,000 at 3,437 and there was one murder in 2020. Later, David Ives admitted that Amber had not committed suicide, and he confessed that they had been arguing and that she indeed was going to leave him. He said that Amber had the gun, and he tried to get it away from her, and after they struggled for a few seconds, he was never able to get the gun from her. Then the gun went off accidentally. For a lot of reasons, that did not make sense to us, Hall said. Richard [Ratcliffe] goes back a fourth time, and Mr. Ives admitted that he had, in fact, been able to get his hands on the gun, but even now hes just saying, Ive got my hand on the gun and shes got her hand on the gun and the gun just goes off. It was at this point that Hall called on the Virginia State Police to help with the investigation. Theyve got this imaging unit, Hall said. They can tell where they feel like the gunshot came. I felt like I was getting competing information from the medical examiner, so I asked the state police to do this imaging test. Even though results from the imaging came back inconclusive, David Ives had now admitted to VSP Special Agent Billy McGraw that he was able to wrestle the gun away from Amber and that he had shot her. Members of the Virginia State Board of Community Colleges have received a letter from the Patrick Henry Community College Foundation asserting that the schools name should not be changed other than adding a hyphen. The state board so far has not responded. The letter from the PHCC Foundation was presented to the PHCC College Board during a special called board meeting Tuesday and forwarded to the State Board on Wednesday. As I understand it, the Board received the letter and will address the matter at their next scheduled meeting in July, Jeff Kraus, spokesperson for the State Board, wrote by email. Last year, Virginias State Board for Community Colleges asked Virginias 23 community colleges to analyze the appropriateness of their names. PHCCs board sent in its recommendation to retain the name as it was, after initially considering adding a hyphen to indicate the school is named after the two counties it serves rather than the historical figure, who had kept slaves. In May, the State Board rejected that recommendation and disallowed the names to continue for two other community colleges as well. The State Board also passed a requirement that each schools name should represent diversity and inclusion. NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) -- The city of Newark is paying tribute to George Floyd with a new statue in front of City Hall. Mayor Ras Baraka, actor and filmmaker Leon Pickney and artist Stanley Watts unveiled the 700-pound bronze statue on Wednesday afternoon. The statue was commissioned by Pickney, sculpted by Watts, and donated this week to the City of Newark Floyd's murder at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer last year fueled a global movement for racial justice. "Hopefully when people walk by and they see it, and they participate, hopefully it inspires them to become active in the struggles that are happening right here in Newark and right here in New Jersey," Baraka said. The statue will remain outside City Hall for at least one year. The ceremony also honored Juneteenth. Virginia wont extend key pandemic-era eviction protections past the end of the month, Gov. Ralph Northams office said Thursday. The decision came as two of the states foremost legal aid organizations urged Northam to keep certain safeguards in place using his executive authority. In a letter sent Thursday, the Legal Aid Justice Center and the Virginia Poverty Law Center asked the governor to preserve the protections currently slated to cease when Virginias state of emergency expires June 30. Thousands of families could be at risk of losing their homes if the protections lapse and eviction filings and judgments return to pre-pandemic levels. These protections were originally enabled for the benefit of tenants and landlords to assure housing stability during this crisis a crisis that has not yet ended and will not immediately evaporate come July 1, the letter stated. If Northam does not step in, Virginia will no longer require landlords to notify tenants about how to apply for rent relief through a state-run program, or apply or seek the money to cover delinquent balances tenants owe. A provision that forbids landlords for proceeding with an eviction for 45 days while waiting for a relief application to be approved would end, too. Rueben Villino's twin sister, 35-year-old Teresa Villino of Eden, and Bridish Crawford's son, 7-year-old Isiah Crawford, remained missing Friday evening. Cates said fresh rescue crews, including units from High Point and Forsyth County, planned to return to the river early Saturday to continue searching for Teresa Villino and Isiah. "(We) want somebody to look at the water, the debris in the water from a new standpoint,'' Cates said during a videotaped news conference Friday afternoon. "Perhaps a new set of eyes could shed light on something, so that's why we're remaining optimistic at this time. At this point we're still optimistic we'll do a rescue.'' The family set out sometime on Wednesday on tubes down the Dan River and went over an 8-foot dam near the Duke Energy Steam Station. The water below the dam, where the current is strongest, is about 3 feet deep, said Jeff Brooks, a spokesman for Duke Energy. Cates said the four survivors were discovered near the dam, clinging to the tubes in the water and had been there for many hours. They were tired, very fatigued and had been "subjected to the elements for 19 hours,'' he said. COOS BAY, Ore. (AP) A man sought in the killings of three people after a hit-and-run crash near a casino and a shooting at a marijuana dispensary in a small Oregon city was still at large Saturday. The suspect, who was considered armed and dangerous, was not found after a manhunt Friday, Coos County District Attorney Paul Frasier said. The Oregonian/OregonLive reported that the man is suspected of killing a person and stealing their truck before running over two people Friday near a casino in the coastal city of North Bend, leaving one of them dead. He's then accused of shooting and killing someone inside a cannabis shop in the city about 220 miles (354 kilometers) southwest of Portland. Frasier identified the person fatally struck at an RV park at the Mill Casino as 74-year-old Anthony Oyster. His wife, 73-year-old Linda Oyster, also was hit and was in critical condition at a hospital Saturday. They are a couple from Florida, Frasier said. Remembers the lives of Henry Corbin and Simeon Garnet Several years of work led by Miami Universitys Truth and Reconciliation Project culminated with a narrative historic marker that is now a permanent fixture in the City of Oxford. An unveiling ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. Monday, June 21, in the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park uptown. The event is free and open to the public. Follow COVID guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and the City of Oxford. The marker describes the deaths of Henry Corbin (Jan. 14, 1892) and Simeon Garnet (Sept. 3, 1877), who were among more than 4,000 African Americans subjected to mob violence and lynching across the United States during the reconstruction period after the Civil War (1865-1950). Corbin and Garnet, both of Butler County, specifically Oxford, were among 15 people known to have died by racial terror lynching in Ohio. Following the Civil War, resistance to equal rights for African Americans and an ideology of white supremacy led to fatal violence against Black women, men, and children. Lynching emerged as the most public and notorious form of racial terrorism, intended to intimidate Black people and reinforce racial hierarchy, white supremacy, and segregation. To create greater awareness and understanding about racial terror lynchings, the national Equal Justice Initiative works with communities to erect historic markers and monuments in these spaces. Miamis Graduate School and Department of Family Science and Social Work created a seminar course, Truth and Reconciliation Project, to promote the national initiative as it relates to southwest Ohio. The broader vision for Miamis Truth and Reconciliation Project is a continued focus on the work that remains left to be done in advancing truth and reconciliation around race in America and honestly confronting the legacy of slavery, lynching and segregation, said Anthony James, associate professor and director of the Family Science Program. Students investigated the lynchings of Corbin and Garnet and also collected soil from the lynching sites, which are now at the Equal Justice Initiatives Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama, where jars from across the nation are exhibited. (Note: the jar of soil labeled Simon Garnett was based on the spelling of his name from the original research conducted. Further investigation confirmed the spelling of his name as Simeon Garnet.) Students, along with coalition members from Miamis project, also worked with Oxfords City Council, which adopted Resolution No. 7268 in March 2021 authorizing the placement of the historic marker in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park. The families of Corbin and Garnet will be honored during the ceremony. Speakers will include representatives from various organizations who worked on the project, including Miamis graduate students. Lynchings in Oxford During the 19th century, white mobs in Oxford lynched at least two Black men after kidnapping them from the old Town Hall Jail that stood near this site. In September 1877, a white mob stormed the jail to lynch a Black man named Simeon Garnet. Without serious investigation, Mr. Garnet had been presumed guilty of assaulting a white woman. A mob led by the womans husband broke into the jail on September 2 and shot Mr. Garnet, who managed to survive. Upon learning that Mr. Garnet was alive, the mob attacked the jail again on September 3, shot Mr. Garnet at close range, and dragged him outside the jail, where he was left to die. On January 14, 1892, a white mob abducted Henry Corbin, a young Black man, from the jail to lynch him. Mr. Corbins employer, a white woman, had been found dead in her home on January 5. A mob quickly formed when the womans daughter accused Mr. Corbin of the killing. Mr. Corbins family maintained that the accusation was false and that the daughter had implicated him to hide her own involvement in the crime. Mr. Corbin was captured after being wounded and was brought to the jail; but the mob seized Mr. Corbin from his cell, hanged him from a tree, and shot him over 400 times. Local officers failed to prevent either lynching, which terrorized Oxfords Black community. In the end, no mob participants were held accountable for the lynchings of Simeon Garnet and Henry Corbin. --- From Miamis Truth and Reconciliation Project. But the authors of that research said their report was actually about criminal online fraud, not attacks such as ransomware that involve penetrating corporate and government networks, so it was not relevant to the issues Biden raised with Putin in Geneva. JAN. 6 PUTIN, on the U.S. Capitol insurrection: People came to the U.S. Congress with political demands after the election. Over 400 people have criminal cases opened against them, theyre facing prison terms of 20, or maybe even up to 25 years. Theyre being called domestic terrorists and accused of a range of other crimes. Seventy of them were immediately after these events, and only 30 of them are still under arrest, unclear on what grounds. Geneva news conference. THE FACTS: His suggestion that dozens of Jan. 6 insurrectionists were arrested and quietly imprisoned for political speech with unclear legal grounds is incorrect. More than 480 people have been arrested in connection with the attack, mostly on federal charges ranging from unlawfully entering the Capitol to conspiracy. They include more than three dozen members and associates of right-wing extremist groups such as the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers. NATCHEZ, Miss. (AP) A city in Mississippi is now part of a trail commemorating what was then a nationwide tour by a French general who had participated in both the American and French revolutions. The Marquis de Lafayette visited Natchez on April 18, 1825, during the second and final year of a tour made at the invitation of President James Monroe and the U.S. Congress. During those two years, Lafayette stopped at 320 cities and towns in the 24 states then in the union, Lafayette Trail founder James Icher said. The Virginia itinerary included cities in what is now West Virginia, he said.. He said he hopes eventually to have 175 markers, including one at Le Havre, the port where Lafayette left from and returned to France. About 40 markers have been approved since the project started in 2017, with about 25 installed in 13 states so far, he said in a phone interview Wednesday with The Associated Press. A marker describing Lafayette's stay in Natchez was unveiled Wednesday at a lot overlooking the Mississippi River, The Natchez Democrat reported. Although sausage is a fairly straightforward ingredient to prepare, a little TLC and some basic know-how can elevate your recipes from standard to stellar. Corrie Cook, narration director for Goose the Market and Smoking Goose in Indianapolis, offers cooking tips thatll have you turning out chef-level sausage dishes in no time. Boiling/poaching Perhaps the easiest way to prepare sausage links, poaching only requires a pot, liquid and heat. Cook recommends, as with any fresh meat, allowing the sausages to reach room temperature before cooking. Place the sausages in a pot or skillet with enough water to come halfway up the sides of the sausages. Cook over low heat until the sausages are cooked to temperature, turning them halfway through cooking, which should take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes, depending their size. Cook says you want to cook them gently and avoid boiling water, which could cause the casings to burst and the sausages to become tough. From there, you can go straight to the plate, but Cook recommends a quick sear on the grill or stovetop for added flavor. You can also layer on flavor by experimenting with different poaching liquids, Cook says. Try stock, beer, cider or wine mixed with water. Even easier, throw everything in a slow cooker and let it do the work for you. Grilling The trick to grilling fresh sausages is to start slow and low, turning frequently, until the sausage is browned on all sides. Or, you can always poach the sausages on a stovetop and finish them on the grill. You want to grill gently over indirect heat at first, Cook explains. Once the sausage is cooked, you can move it to the hotter section of the grill to get a quick sear that caramelizes the surface and adds that snap that makes a bite so satisfying. For ready-to-eat sausage links that are already fully cooked, Cook advises letting them come to room temperature and then searing them quickly over high heat. Broiling Cook describes broiling as grilling in reverse, with the heat source coming from the top instead of the bottom, but the cooking process is basically the same. Poach the sausages first and finish them in the broiler, or let the sausage come to room temp and broil on the rack furthest from the heat, turning often, she instructs. The juices on the pan will caramelize quickly; take advantage of that deliciously reduced flavor by adding a little wine, beer or water and using a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits. Reduce and serve as a sauce for the sausages or side dishes. Pan-frying As with grilling, throwing a fresh sausage straight into a screaming-hot pan may cause the casings to burst which releases the fat and juices from the sausage and can make them turn dry. The sausage will also lose its shape and seep out of its casing. Cook recommends adding a little liquid to the pan and cooking over low to medium heat instead. You can use water, or again, layer on more flavor with stock, beer, cider, wine or even a spirit like bourbon or tequila cut with water, she says. Once the sausages are cooked, you can remove them from the liquid and reduce it down to make a sauce or glaze. Smoking Smokers add a whole new dimension of flavor to sausage based on the variety of wood youre using. Fruit woods like apple are lighter and sweeter; hardwoods like hickory are stronger and richer, Cook says. Depending on the type of protein and the thickness of the sausages, youre generally looking to smoke between 200 and 250 degrees F for anywhere from one to three hours. Baking Sausages lend themselves nicely to quick sheet-pan dinners that are easy to prepare with minimal clean up. Just add your favorite vegetables to sausages on a sheet pan (potatoes, peppers, onions, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms and carrots all work nicely), toss with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, then bake until everything is cooked through, stirring occasionally. If youre short on time, cut the sausages into halves or quarters and the vegetables into smaller pieces so theyll cook more quickly and evenly, Cook notes. Ready to eat Although many consumers prefer them served hot, ready-to-eat sausages dont require any cooking at all and can simply be sliced for snacking or a charcuterie board. When it comes to accompaniments, the skys the limit. Smoking Gooses sausage flavors, for example, are prime for creative condiment pairings like fruit preserves, tangy mostardas, flavored mustards or sweet and spicy nuts, Cook offers. You can also skewer sausage segments for Bloody Mary garnishes, or chop them to add to egg dishes. For food safety, the USDA recommends cooking fresh or raw sausages made with ground beef, pork, lamb or veal to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, and ground turkey or chicken sausages to 165 degrees F. You can store sausages in the refrigerator or freezer. Make sure to use up any cooked leftovers within three to four days. It was inspired by a conversation I was having on one of the apps message boards, Koon said. Someone was posting questions about, Do you think I will go to heaven if... I answered that I thought some Christians were a little too obsessed with going to heaven, when many of the biblical writers actually seemed to imagine heaven coming to earth. I quoted Revelation 21:3: Now the dwelling place of God is with me, and he shall be their God, and they shall be his people, and noted that the New Jerusalem in that passage comes down out of heaven to earth. The next day, I began researching different ideas and conceptions of the afterlife from the Old Testament, the New Testament and church history and tradition. I found that rather than one specific description of the end times and the afterlife, scripture and tradition give us a diverse collection of images, metaphors and ideas. Poet and author Maya Angelou, America's first woman in space and a revered Cherokee Nation leader are among female trailblazers whose likenesses will appear on the U.S. quarter. The new four-year American Women Quarters Program celebrates women's accomplishments and contributions to the United States' development and history, according to the U.S. Mint. Under the program, the mint will issue up to five new designs each year from 2022 to 2025. Honorees will be from a variety of fields and from ethnically, racially and geographically diverse backgrounds, the mint says. Those chosen for the first year are: Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Mankiller's husband, Charlie Soap, expressed gratitude for Mankiller's inclusion in the program, saying her influence and leadership made her a fitting choice. Mankiller became one of the United States' most visible Native American leaders during her 10 years as chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, from 1985 to 1995. She died in 2010. She hopes people will be motivated to vaccinate by learning children 11 and younger rely on herd immunity to keep them safe from COVID-19. Whatever it takes, were gonna get shots in the arms of people. I love my community too, and I want to keep us safe, Sullivan said. Worley said Amplified aims to advertise on many mediums, including online, TV, print, and radio. They plan to put up a dynamic billboard that will move around town. They want to work with local influencers to deliver the message of vaccination through trusted community voices. Theyll use data from the CDC and MTDPHHS to target messages at the demographics theyre most likely to reach. Sullivan and Father Patrick Beretta from St. Patricks Catholic Church have been running a smaller media campaign with state money. Theyve created stickers and signs with tongue-in-cheek slogans such as My dog loves me and wants me vaccinated or Kiss me, Im Irish and vaccinated, and have bought several ads that try to be positive rather than coercive. Were trying to have fun with this, Sullivan said. Reasons behind the Darfur Crisis Human rights violation in Darfur is as a result of racial and ethnical disputes between Africans and Arabs. People live in fear of abuse, death, rape, continual threat of being attacked and being displaced. On the other hand, there have been violence and political repression in Sudan for the last three decades. After the grabbing of power by the military coup in 1989, the National Islamic Front (NIF) started the process of removing the judiciary, army, civil service, and security forces. They also banned all the political parties, social associations, cultural, and imposed nationwide state of emergency. After the coup, the created government carried out immense and systematic violations of human rights. In 1997, the United States pursued isolation policy and imposed wide economic sanctions because of the human rights violations committed in the last 22 years of the civil war in the South Sudan (Tsai 8). After a decade, the U.S. imposed more sanctions that included ones that were targeting people who committed atrocities in Darfur. However, the human rights violation failed to improve. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces continued to attack civilians in Southern Kordofan, Darfur, and Blue Nile (Bellamy, Alex, and Paul 144). Moreover, the national security agents started engaging various oppression targeting human rights activists, students harassment, torture, human society leaders, arbitrary detentions, restricting independent media and civil society organizations. Violated Human Rights When the United Nations secretary-general sent the high commissioner for human rights, Louise Arbour, and his advisor on the prevention of genocide, Juan Mendes to investigate the deteriorating human violation in Darfur, they reported serious violations (Bellamy, Alex and Paul 148). The report showed that there were serious violations of the international humanitarian law and human rights committed by the government. In the report, they concluded that the government failed to pursue genocide policy, its forces and the associated militias have been involved in indiscriminate attacks such as killing of civilians, enforced disappearance, rape, village destructions, forced displacement, torture, pillaging, and various forms of sexual violence among others. Consequently, the human rights defenders, especially the UN personnel have been working under insecure and life threatening conditions. The humanitarian have been faced with continual violence and increase of attacks of their convoys. For example, in 2008, over 200 humanitarian vehicles were reported to have been stolen or hijacked (Shoeb). Moreover, there were over 30 convoy attacks, ten workers killed, and over 140 humanitarian homes broken into. As a result of continual attack on the humanitarians, they resorted to the use of helicopter missions to be able to visit the inaccessible areas for short period of time just to deliver the basic needs such as food, water, and medicine to the displaced persons. The UNICEF officials said that violence against women and children has been increasing instead of decreasing (Massoud 4). They said that children are suffering deprivation and diseases due to what they have witnessed and have become victims of the ferocious terror. Further, Jan Pronk, the special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Darfur, reported that the numbers of the attacks on NGOs has increased after the signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement (Mulaj 30). The Role of the NGOs The NGOs such as UN and its allies have been providing essential relief operation in Darfur. They have been reporting those who violate human rights and perform various abuses. Additionally, they had been pushing for the signing of peace deal, and in 2006 they succeeded when the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) was signed (Mulaj 28). The peace deal was signed in the presence of African Union (Lusk 170). In spite the attacks on the humanitarians, the UN and its affiliate partners have continued to safeguard the most defenseless Darfurians by trying to stabilize the situation (Lusk 173). In 2008, they started providing clean water to almost 76 percent of those who were affected by the war. Besides water, they have also been proving access to health services in the major camps such as the gigantic Kalmah, which is located in the Southern Sudan. The NGOs have also supported the primary school enrolment, which has really increased. Their involvement has also led to tremendous decrease of mortality rate due to relief efforts like immunization. They have been using all means to ensure that they reach the majority of the children, especially the ones in the inaccessible regions of Darfur. References Bellamy, Alex J. and Paul D. Williams. "The UN Security Council and the Question of Humanitarian Intervention in Darfur." Journal of Military Ethics, vol. 5, no. 2, June 2006, pp. 144-160. Lusk, Gill. "False Premise and False Response to the Darfur Crisis." Peace Review, vol. 20, no. 2, Apr-Jun2008, pp. 166-174. Massoud, Mark F. "Rights in a Failed State: Internally Displaced Women in Sudan and Their Lawyers." Berkeley Journal of Gender, Law & Justice, vol. 21, May 2006, pp. 2-12. Mulaj, Klejda. "Forced Displacement in Darfur, Sudan: Dilemmas of Classifying the Crimes." International Migration, vol. 46, no. 2, May 2008, pp. 27-48. Shoeb, Omar. "Human Rights Lost In Darfur". Aljazeera.Com, 2009, www.aljazeera.com/focus/humanrightsun/2008/12/200812810113311766.html. Accessed 30 Aug 2018. Tsai, Alexander C., et al. "Medical Evidence of Human Rights Violations against Non- Arabic-Speaking Civilians in Darfur: A Cross-Sectional Study." Plos Medicine, vol. 9, no. 4, Apr. 2012, pp. 1-10. Danske Bank A/S says it wont lift a ban on trading Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies on its platforms, despite growing interest from clients. Denmarks biggest bank pointed to a lack of transparency and regulation in crypto trading, in a statement on its website. It also warned of volatile and opaque pricing, and noted that the carbon footprint of mining cryptocurrencies is at odds with Danskes goal of doing sustainable banking. We recognize that there is a significant global market for crypto currencies and that many customers find cryptocurrencies interesting, the bank said. However, as a financial institution, Danske Bank for several reasons maintains a very cautious approach towards cryptocurrencies. Danske, which is still being investigated for money laundering in the U.S. and Europe, is particularly sensitive to the risk of crypto assets being used for financial crime. Meanwhile, Bitcoin and its peers are growing increasingly popular as several corners of Wall Street provide services that allow customers to trade them. The head of Swedens financial regulator, Erik Thedeen, warned earlier this week of a significant risk that crypto assets may be used for criminal purposes. Financial firms need to ask themselves whether they really want to invest in or encourage the growth of such assets, especially when they have no obvious valuable legitimate use, he said. Thedeen also said that carbon emissions caused by Bitcoin mining are another reason why firms should think carefully before touching such crypto assets. In the Nordic region, where cash is being replaced by digital payments at a faster pace than in most other parts of the world, the biggest banks are united in their skepticism toward cryptocurrencies. Nordea Bank Abp also bans Bitcoin, and wont even let employees trade it. Danske said much hinges on the extent to which cryptocurrencies might one day be properly regulated. Should that ever happen, the bank will review its position, it said. Danske said it was waiting to see how developments under new European Union legislation, Regulation of Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA), progress. We continuously monitor developments in the area of cryptocurrencies, and as the cryptocurrency market matures and is further regulated, we will review our position, it said. Local Education Can California withstand a teacher retirement boom? Earlier this year, the California State Teachers Retirement System issued an ominous statement: teacher retirements in California are projected to hit nearly record-breaking heights in 2021. The statement, which came in the form of a February blog post, said that the numbers will be almost as bad as the year after the Great Recession when more than 16,000 teachers retired. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! While short-term effects are being felt in some areas, in many school districts the tsunami of retirements is barely registering as a ripple. While interviews with administrators, teachers, and union leaders do not paint a rosy picture of the situation, neither is it expected to be crippling. In the Napa Valley Unified School District, the rate of teacher retirements has been virtually unchanged in recent years, according to spokesperson Stacy Rollo. Twenty-one teachers out of NVUSDs 632 full-time positions have retired this year, the same number as in 2020 and one less than in 2019. The retirement rate does not pose a problem of adequate staffing in general, she said in an email this month. As always, there are a few hard-to-fill positions and we always hope that we don't lose too many of those in a single year. Overall, a reasonable rate of retirement that mirrors our decline in enrollment/staffing need is ideal. NVUSD has cut teaching and other staff positions in recent years as enrollment has fallen, from 18,344 in 2014-15 to 16,962 this school year with a report by King Consulting indicating as few as 14,316 students will remain by 2027-28. Napa school district expects student numbers to plunge near decades end By 2028, NVUSD enrollment may drop as much as 4,000 students below its 2015 peak, a new report forecasts. Elsewhere in the Bay Area, Fremont Unified reported no significant difference between the number of retirees this year compared to last. At Long Beach Unified in Southern California, which has about 12,000 employees, retirements over the past two years rose from 95 to 113. At Elk Grove Unified south of Sacramento, there have been fewer certificated retirements this year than the previous one. At Oakland Unified, departures are higher than they have been in recent years, but the district is rapidly filling vacancies. Were retaining more people than ever, said Sarah Glasband, director of talent development, recruitment and retention for Oakland Unified. Looking to the fall, Glasband said her district is recruiting aggressively to make sure schools are fully staffed, and theyve already filled the majority of open positions. Many more teachers could retire by the end of the school year. But the first surge already occurred in the second half of 2020, which saw a 26% increase in retirements over the same period from the previous year, according to CalSTRS. David Fisher, president of the Sacramento City Teachers Association, said his city normally has 60 to 70 retirements annually, but this year has already seen 110, and he expects more by the end of the school year. Fisher believes some educators bumped up their retirement timeline at the beginning of the pandemic when they realized it would be a brutal slog. From people weve talked to, theyd say, I was going to stick it out another couple of years but Im out of here, Fisher said. Its not worth that extra little bump on your pension if youre not physically or mentally well. Enrollment drops While districts generally havent experienced retirements as a serious problem this past year, several administrators said they were overwhelmed by the large number of teachers who resigned or transferred during the pandemic. San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools Nancy Magee said some of her districts have been hit hard as many educators left to be closer to family. Burlingame, for example, had twice as many teachers leave during the pandemic than during an average year. However, record drops in enrollment have somewhat mitigated the retirement boom, she said. Such enrollment drops would normally result in staff layoffs, but the sheer number of retirements and resignations appears to be cancelling each other out. Unexpected resignations, coupled with routine and early retirements, have created staffing shortages in some districts, raising concerns about how schools will manage when they reopen in the fall. Magee said her districts are trying to plan what classes will look like next year but they still dont have guidance from the California Department of Public Health. More immediately, districts are scrambling to find teachers who have the energy to pitch in for summer school sessions. Napas Harvest Middle School to close after 2021-22 year; River school to become English-Spanish academy Opposition by school parents and supporters failed to head off NVUSD's move to shrink its middle school footprint amid falling district enrollment. Educators are exhausted, and many of our districts are having trouble staffing summer school programs, Magee said. Theyre all making it happen to the best of their abilitybut theyve been on emergency hours and activities for nearly two years straight without a break. Fisher said Sacramento, following the lead of neighboring Elk Grove Unified, nearly doubled its normal summer rate to recruit teachers for summer sessions. Our normal summer school rate for teachers, its not a bad rate, its about $40 an hour, but they couldnt hire teachers (at that rate), Fisher said. What about pensions? One major concern with the rise in retirements is the effect it could have on teacher pensions. In an email, Rebecca Foree, a CalSTRS spokesperson, said the organization doesnt expect retirements to have a material impact on funding levels. Outside experts tend to agree with this assessment. In the scope of things, this is not that big of a number, said Paul Bruno, an assistant professor of education policy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He noted that CalSTRS outstanding unfunded liabilities dwarf the potential impact of an unusual number of retirements. As of the latest actuarial valuation report, CalSTRS has unfunded liabilities of $105.7 billion. California is a really big state with an awful lot of teachers who are already receiving benefits and paying into the system, so a small increase in retirements this year would not by itself be a big threat to the pension fund, he said. Administrators in California didnt express much surprise with the number of retirements during the pandemic. This is partly because teachers have to retire within a set age range to qualify for their pensions, so most districts can plan for their departure well in advance. Districts also incentivize teachers to give ample notice by offering financial bonuses for letting schools know of their plans by specific dates. Some districts are also able to rely on retirees as a source of labor. Xanthi Soriano, a spokesperson for Elk Grove Unified, said many of the districts retirees return to schools after they meet CalSTRS six-month separation-from-service requirement. We have a pretty robust substitute list, and a good number are retirees, Soriano said. Recruitment problems Recruitment is also a challenge at the leadership level. San Mateos Magee said its been difficult to find replacements for several long-term employees who left her office during the pandemic because recruiting firms are struggling to find candidates. Statewide, theyre seeing an unprecedented number of people either retiring or moving around, she said. So those agencies are really very overbooked right now. Several administrators said they were concerned that retirements and resignations may be exacerbating chronic staffing shortages for positions that were already difficult to fill before the pandemic, specifically special education. Christina Casas, a credentialed special education teacher, left her job at a charter school in Santa Ana earlier this year. She said the logistical challenges of organizing virtual special education classes while raising two children of her own was simply too much. She also felt like the district could have marshalled more resources for teachers who were struggling to manage virtual classes that were overflowing with 30 to 40 students when they were supposed to only have 20. While there was only one resignation at her school last year, she knows several people are planning to leave at the end of this term. Going forward, she said school districts should recruit more reading and math specialists to make sure students dont fall farther behind. The school where I worked, the kids were already behind, she said. And now theyve missed a year of school, because we cant call what they did school. Napa Valley Register reporter Howard Yune contributed to this report. From Our Readers: Celebrating the Napa County graduates of 2021 Shes only been in business a few weeks, and Charlotte Williams and her wildfire-preventing, shrub-eating goats have already made international news. In the early morning of June 2, Brian O'Donovan of Irish TV RTE and cameraman Murray Pinczuk navigated their way up to a property on Howell Mountain where Williams two dozen goats were at work munching through underbrush. ODonovan is from the news station's Washington, D.C. bureau. He was searching the web for subjects for his piece on wildfire resiliency in Napa Valley, when he happened on a story The Weekly Calistogan ran May 13, profiling Williams and her newly operational goat-grazing business (Grazing through wildfire fuel). The journalist interviewed vineyard and homeowners in the area, but Williams and her goats turned out to be a major part of the story. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. Special offer: $3 for your first 3 months! Williams explained on camera why she started the business of renting her goats out to property owners, and how they go about eating through the brush that feeds wildfires. NVUSD has cut teaching and other staff positions in recent years as enrollment has fallen, from 18,344 in 2014-15 to 16,962 this school year with a report by King Consulting indicating as few as 14,316 students will remain by 2027-28. Napa school district expects student numbers to plunge near decades end By 2028, NVUSD enrollment may drop as much as 4,000 students below its 2015 peak, a new report forecasts. Elsewhere in the Bay Area, Fremont Unified reported no significant difference between the number of retirees this year compared to last. At Long Beach Unified in Southern California, which has about 12,000 employees, retirements over the past two years rose from 95 to 113. At Elk Grove Unified south of Sacramento, there have been fewer certificated retirements this year than the previous one. At Oakland Unified, departures are higher than they have been in recent years, but the district is rapidly filling vacancies. Were retaining more people than ever, said Sarah Glasband, director of talent development, recruitment and retention for Oakland Unified. Looking to the fall, Glasband said her district is recruiting aggressively to make sure schools are fully staffed, and theyve already filled the majority of open positions. Many more teachers could retire by the end of the school year. But the first surge already occurred in the second half of 2020, which saw a 26% increase in retirements over the same period from the previous year, according to CalSTRS. The bill was placed on the Assemblys inactive file and a temporary moratorium on new non-classroom charters, imposed last year, was extended until 2025 in a trailer bill that will be attached to the new state budget this month. AB 1316 would have reduced and diverted education funds away from students and classrooms to be spent instead on bureaucracy and would have limited flexibility and educational opportunities, Myrna Castrejon, president of the California Charter Schools Association, said in a statement. It would have effectively forced many schools to close down. Despite the respite, the conflict will continue and perhaps become even sharper because overall K-12 enrollment is dropping due to a declining birthrate and other demographic factors, and the pandemic has significantly and perhaps permanently altered the states school system. Advocates of traditional schools worry that having experienced the ups and downs of distance learning, more parents and students might be attracted to charters, particularly those offering at-home instruction, thus shifting even more state school dollars. Lets start our instant analysis of this weeks Biden-Putin summit not with the big-news headline, but the bottom line: The instant analysis of this Geneva summit is there can be no instant analysis. Not yet. But much to the surprise of a puzzled pundit corps, history may well conclude that, while President Joe Biden and Russias President Vladimir Putin produced no-big-deal breaking news headline, this summit may prove to be one of the 21st centurys pivotal events. We may soon find out. As Biden told reporters and the world after the summit ended: Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. Special offer: $3 for your first 3 months! What is going to happen next is were going to be able to look back in three to six months, and say, Did the things we agreed to sit down and try to work out, did it work? Are we closer to major strategic stability?' Thats going to be the test. It is going to be Putins test a pass/fail test. And heres how it happened: Biden and Putin created two joint working groups one, to halt the menace of global cyberattacks that may be the nukes of the new age; the other to reduce the still-menacing risk posed by the old nuclear arsenals. Cyprus authorities change rules of entry for tourists Karabakh emergency situations service: Remains of another Armenian soldier found in Fizuli region 'Armenia' bloc representative: Many police officers from Yerevan voted in Shurnukh and other villages of Syunik Province 'I Have Honor' bloc also applies to Armenia Constitutional Court regarding results of snap parliamentary elections Mitsubishi Electric president resigns amid document forgery scandal 'Armenia' bloc representative: Petition submitted to Constitutional Court for impossibility of judge's participation Erdogan: Turkey will maintain its presence in Azerbaijan and take what belongs to it French government denies concealment of radiation levels in Pacific Ocean after nuclear tests Boeing 737 cargo crew rescued after falling into water Digest: EU commissioner to visit Armenia; Armenians discover 97kg heroin, Turkey citizen detained Old school in Geghhovit village of Armenia's Gegharkunik Province being renovated Yerevan Police solve loan office robbery case India confirms 400,000 deaths from COVID-19 Russia FM says there is significant progress in talks over Iran's nuclear deal Boeing 737 cargo crashes near Honolulu Sham trial continues in Baku, prosecutor demands sentencing 12 Armenian POWs to 2 years in prison Armenia acting PM dismisses Vayots Dzor Province deputy governor Armenian analyst: Armenia needs to understand what it can offer China through One Belt One Road project Over 100 organizations urges Biden to stop using drones Armenia Constitutional Court registers Zartonk party petition to invalidate snap parliamentary election results Dollar still dropping in Armenia Lawyer Aram Vardevanyan to represent Armenia bloc at Constitutional Court Armenia acting Deputy PM visits construction sites in Yerevan YouTube deletes video about hate speech against Armenians posted by Turkey President's spokesperson Armenia acting justice minister receives Kazakhstan Ambassador European Commissioner plans visits to Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia Four new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh IMF sharply raises its forecast for US economic growth to 7% Fan Yong: We work to draw Chinese investors to Armenia Body implementing proceedings completes case of Armenian doctor Armen Charchyan, sends it to court Macron warns of American-style culture dangers Armenia Shirak Province village veterinarian commits suicide Facebook to start warning some users that they may have seen extremist content July in Armenia will be as hot as in June, says chief meteorologist China ambassador to Armenia: We are waiting with pain in our hearts for return of captives Both Armenia and Azerbaijan are included in Belt and Road Initiative, says China ambassador to Yerevan China envoy to Armenia refutes Azerbaijan media report US worries China is building over 100 new ICBM silos Armenia State Revenue Committee discovers 97kg heroin, Turkey citizen detained Armenian captives 'trials' continue in Azerbaijan Chief meteorologist: June heat in Armenia is absolute record-breaking in meteorological monitoring history Ombudsman informs CoE Commissioner for Human Rights on urgency of Armenian captives return from Azerbaijan Australia announces drastic reduction in number of people who will be allowed to enter country Armenia Seismic Protection Department activities terminated Outgoing MP attends OSCE Parliamentary Assembly session, speaks about Armenian POWs in Azerbaijan 118 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia bloc petition already at Constitutional Court Seven villagers with symptoms of anthrax are hospitalized in Gyumri Yerevan hosting international conference on 100th anniversary of Communist Party of China Armenia President visits US ambassador 130 countries support introduction of global minimum tax for multinational corporations New Zealand to ban most single-use plastics by 2025 Al Pacinos rental home in Beverly Hills to be demolished? Newspaper: Armenia Investigative Committee dismissals have interesting backstory Newspaper: Why Armenia ex-President Sargsyan calls 7 "I Have Honor" bloc MP candidates to him? World Bank pledges $20bn in funding coronavirus vaccine purchases, deployment Newspaper: Why is coronavirus-related reality in Armenia being kept secret? Armenia Ombudsman calls on Artsakh-Armenians to remove or block phone numbers, personal data on social networks Armenia acting minister: Two new electric trains to transport passengers to and from Yerevan and Gyumri soon Body of 33-year-old man found hanged in Armenia's Lori Province Karabakh State Minister: I also have questions regarding loss of Hin Tagher and Khtsaberd villages Armenia Ambassador to Ukraine hands copies of credentials to Ukrainian MFA leadership Erdogan defends Turkey's withdrawal from Istanbul Convention Parliament of Morocco recognizes 'third sex' 11 apprehended during opening ceremony of Tbilisi Pride Week Armenian analyst: Opposition could have won the elections, if it used the right technologies Adam Schiff: We have been able to secure more than $52,000,000 in funding for Armenia and Artsakh Court declares head of Armenia's Odzun village as victim under criminal case, there is no accused Direct flights to and from Kazakhstan and Armenia restored Karabakh emergency situations service: Remains of 2 more soldiers found in Hadrut, Varanda and Jrakan Karabakh Security Council Secretary discusses issues related to water supply and power supply Armenian analyst: Turkey wants to do everything possible to absorb Azerbaijani army, turn it into subdivision 'Armenia' bloc to apply to Constitutional Court with demand to annul results of elections in coming days Catholicos Aram I meets with Pope Francis at Vatican Independent MP sues Armenia Parliament Deputy Speaker Lena Nazaryan for calling her 'an idiot' Digest: US House calls for at least $50m aid to Armenia, New Jersey recognizes Artsakh independence Did China's Ambassador to Azerbaijan talk about the "Zangezur corridor"? Armenia 3rd President sends congratulatory message to China's Jinping FM: Armenian statehood will become geopolitically disabled without Artsakh Armenia fuel company owner Barsegh Beglaryan says he won't plead guilty and didn't incite anyone Armenia 1st Military Unit participants in recent Artsakh war are solemnly demobilized (PHOTOS) Armenia Environment Ministry: 1,650 structures being dismantled in lakeside zone of Lake Sevan Armenia acting PM's ex-chief of staff to serve as Member of Parliament Karabakh President makes new appointment Karabakh: Searches for remains of servicemen continue in southern direction not under Artsakh's control Armenia ex-President Sargsyan on criminal charge against him: The accusation is completely false Google to change rules for finding information on web Azerbaijan declares impossibility of Armenia lawyers defending Armenian captives in Baku Armenia Parliament approves several amendments to existing laws Dollar holding steady in Armenia Republican Party of Armenia vice-president summoned to Investigative Committee after returning from Brussels Armenia acting PM attends meeting dedicated to 103rd anniversary of prosecutor's office Karabakh State Minister: Artsakh is planning to build a few reservoirs Karabakh State Minister: Artsakh should prepare for elections, but under one condition Faction of Armenia acting PM's political party votes against the bill that it introduced Armenia Special Investigation Service ex-chief's son, official Narek Shahinyan stabbed in Yerevan Kuwait announces launch of its first own satellite on Falcon 9 launch vehicle Total amount of US assistance to Armenia to increase by $12.94m Armenia President sends congratulatory message to Canada PM Armenia acting territorial administration and infrastructure minister on news about being appointed Deputy PM Armen Charchyan, who is on the electoral list of one the blocs to run in Sundays snap parliamentary elections, has been detained on suspicion of committing a crime within the framework of a criminal case under investigation in connection with the head of a medical institution forcing the employees of this medical center to vote in these elections. Gor Abrahamyan, Adviser to the Prosecutor General of Armenia, stated this on Facebook. He added that the evidence obtained in the criminal case confirmed the fact and the content of this incident in the recording. Charchyan admitted the fact of the conversation he had with his colleagues in the morning on the day he was detained. Given the fact that Charchyan is an MP candidate, the prosecutor has submitted petitions to the Central Electoral Commission to consent to prosecuting and taking him into custody. To note, Armen Charchyan, who is 20th on the electoral list of the "Armenia" bloc led by second President Robert Kocharyan, was detained Friday. The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin has called for his release. EU poised to reopen borders for Hongkongers The Council of the EU says member states should gradually ease non-essential travel restrictions for Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. File photo: Shutterstock 2.5mn US vaccines on way to Taiwan Elderly people queue for limited supplies of Covid-19 vaccinations in Taipei on Wednesday. File photo: AP The United States is shipping 2.5 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan on Saturday, a senior administration official said, more than tripling Washington's previous allocation of shots for the island. Washington, competing with Beijing to deepen geopolitical clout through so-called "vaccine diplomacy", had promised to donate 750,000 doses to Taiwan, but is increasing that number as President Joe Biden's administration advances its pledge to send 80 million US-made shots around the world. Beijing has repeatedly offered to send coronavirus vaccines to the island, which has been battling a spike in domestic infections. Taipei has expressed concern about the safety of mainland shots. The 2.5 million donated doses of the Moderna vaccine left Memphis, Tennessee, on a flight belonging to Taiwan's China Airlines early on Saturday local time and will arrive in Taipei on Sunday evening, the senior US administration official said, adding that the prompt delivery was due to experts from both sides being able to work out regulatory issues. "We are not allocating these doses, or delivering these doses, based on political or economic conditions. We are donating these vaccines with the singular objective of saving lives," the official said. "Our vaccines do not come with strings attached," the official said, adding Taiwan had "faced unfair challenges in its efforts to acquire vaccines on the global marketplace". A deal for Taiwan to purchase vaccines from Germany's BioNTech fell through this year, with Taiwan's government blaming pressure from Beijing. Beijing has denied the accusation, saying Taiwan is free to obtain the vaccines through Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical, which has a contract to sell BioNTech's vaccine in China. The de facto US embassy, the American Institute in Taiwan, later confirmed the delivery. (Reuters) Americans celebrate first official Juneteenth holiday People enjoy a Juneteenth parade through downtown Atlanta. Photo: AP Marching bands sparked loud cheers and quieter reflections about racial justice from crowds gathered on Saturday to mark Juneteenth as a new US federal holiday commemorating the end of the legal enslavement of black Americans. US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday signed a bill making Juneteenth the eleventh federally recognized holiday, just over a year after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis ignited nationwide protests for racial justice and for ending police brutality. Juneteenth, or June 19th, marks the day in 1865 when a Union general informed a group of enslaved people in Texas that they had been made free two years earlier by Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War. "This particular Juneteenth is special because last year we were in the George Floyd protests, and this year we received some resolution," said Andrea Johnson of Atlanta, watching a parade under rainy skies near the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. Outside the church where Martin Luther King, Jr preached and led protests for voting rights, equal access to public services, and social and economic justice, boisterous crowds cheered marching bands and their dancers, who competed with dramatic dips and twirls and were followed by Jeeps adorned with "Black Lives Matter" signs. Many onlookers were joyful but some said declaring a national holiday might be a hollow victory for black people, many of whom still suffer racial injustice in the United States that can be remedied only through more substantial efforts by the federal government. "There are mixed feelings for me," said Jermaine Washington, a marching band director who lives in Stone Mountain, Georgia, just 20 miles northeast of Atlanta. "Oftentimes we see these types of events as a win when it's just pacification for the Black community instead of making sure there's an equal education or equitable housing," Washington said as he herded his young musicians at the Atlanta procession. (Reuters) There was cake. There was singing. There was a festive hat for the birthday boy. And within a day of Sammy celebrating his 19th birthday in style, there was an adoption. Sammy had a week to remember at the Cincinnati Animal CARE adoption center. Pictures of his birthday party this week helped the senior cat go viral, and then adoption requests poured in. Happy birthday to this beautiful fella who would love a nice, quiet home to live out his golden years! the animal shelter wrote. The only rule for adopting Sammy though? You have to throw him a 20th birthday party on 6/15/22! Pictures show the cat wearing a top hat and eating a birthday treat as streamers surrounded his crate. There was even a plush birthday cake toy near him as workers sang Happy Birthday. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Sammy had only been with the animal rescue for a week, the shelter wrote in a Facebook comment. He was sent there when his owner had to go into assisted living and could no longer care for Sammy. Many people commented on Facebook that they would love to rescue Sammy. But before the animal shelter posted Sammys birthday photos, there was already interest in adopting the 19-year-old cat. The animal center said a woman who messaged about Sammy before he became internet famous was waiting at the center ready to adopt him. He is going home with a fellow senior kitty and has already been spoiled with a new hat, the animal center wrote Wednesday. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Many people thanked the animal rescue for caring for Sammy and also thanked his new family. What an amazing day for handsome Sammy. Bless his new family for giving him such happiness, one woman wrote. This is Amazing!! He had an amazing birthday and got to go home with his new mom, said another commenter. Cincinnati Animal CARE said a room at the center that houses adult cats has been renamed Sammys Senior Center. Around 10 senior cats are available for adoption at the rescue center. Mysterious cat scare empties Pennsylvania school - and leads to a heartfelt reunion Story continues Borderline tolerable cat seeking jerk owner, Ohio rescue says. She is not cute Determined stray dog tries 5 times to steal a stuffed unicorn from NC Dollar General Dog named Jake from State Farm may be worlds most unlucky pet, NC shelter reveals Weve relived the 1930s lately in Fort Worth, and now we realize how much Black and white Texans led separate lives. On the big screen, we see the Masonic Home 12 Mighty Orphans, heroes of segregation-era high school football. On our home screens, we see the retelling of how 12-year-old Opal Flakes south side home was burned by whites on Juneteenth 1939 to drive the family out of the neighborhood, and how that turned Opal Flake Lee into one mighty hero for civil rights and a federal Juneteenth holiday. Last week, President Joe Biden knelt in the White House before Lee, now 94. Then he retold the story of what happened in June 1939 at the corner of East Annie Street and New York Avenue in Fort Worth. A white mob torched her family home, Biden said. But such hate never stopped her any more than it stopped the vast majority of you. President Joe Biden speaks with Opal Lee after he signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, June 17, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Ive written before about the 1939 white race riot on East Annie Street, and about how Lee never talked publicly about it until the last few years. (She never wanted to claim victimhood.) Now, thanks to the Star-Telegrams digitized archives at newspapers.com, we know more about the tension before that night. White homeowners had been arguing about whether to rent or sell to Black residents. That May, two whites on nearby East Hattie Street bickered and exchanged 12 gunshots. Police and county prosecutors tried to settle the dispute, the Star-Telegram reported. But one official predicted serious trouble. Only one white resident is named publicly as opposing having Black neighbors. Charles L. Stowe, an eccentric activist and publisher, is the only person named in 1939 Star-Telegram coverage as opposing Black residents moving into a south side neighborhood before Opal Flake Lees home was burned on East Annie Street. That was Charles Stowe, 65, of East Morphy Street, civic crusader, City Hall gadfly and publisher of a newsletter named Stowes Chronicle. Stowe was a Presbyterian. But he also worked as night watchman at First Baptist Church downtown, home of Ku Klux Klan-friendly pastor J. Frank Norris. A month before the Flakes home was surrounded by a mob and burned, Stowe had exchanged shots with East Hattie Street residents B.L. Manley and B.L. Manley Jr. over whether to sell and rent properties to Black residents. Story continues Flyers had been posted in the neighborhood. They warned Black homebuyers to not move there. The flyers were signed by the Anglo-Saxon Committee. Stowe, holder of a courtesy card from Tarrant County Constable Dusty Rhodes approving him to carry a gun, told the Star-Telegram he didnt post the flyers. I know about it but Im not talking about it, he said. The president of the neighborhood association, the Rev. William Sisserson of the Fifth Ward Civic League, said neighbors were 100 percent opposed to having Black neighbors. But East Hattie Street resident R.H. Dean, owner of a cleaners, said he would sell property to anyone. [Black residents] have a right to expand like anyone else, he said. A month later, when the Flakes moved in, an intimidating crowd gathered for three days around their home. On the night of Juneteenth, they forced the family out. They set the house afire as Opal and her siblings fled. Ten Fort Worth police units were at the scene for hours along with the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Tarrant County Sheriffs Office and two county prosecutors, but no law officer took action. Police just warned Opals father not to shoot anyone. The neighbors didnt want us, Lee said in 2020 in one of her first retellings of the story after years of silence. They burned that place down. And sparked a fire in her heart that would change America. The impact of a sweeping piece of proposed energy legislation on North Carolina consumers wallets is still unclear even after a legislative committee held its first discussion about the bill. Rep. John Szoka, a Fayetteville Republican and one of the bills primary authors, told the House Energy Committee that the N.C. Utilities Commissions Public Staff could finish its review of House Bill 951 as soon as next Tuesday. The bill would mandate Duke Energy to retire most of its coal plants in North Carolina by 2030 and allow the utilty to pursue multi-year rate plans. You cant have everything. So for us to achieve the overall goals of what we want to reduce carbon, to increase renewables, there may be a slight increase in cost, said Szoka, who added a review of a previous draft did show a small increase in rates. Duke Energy and House Republicans say the legislation would lead to a 61% reduction in carbon emissions and diversify the states energy sources. But environmental groups and House Democrats have widely criticized the bill, focusing on provisions that mandate using natural gas to replace coal-fired plants at one, and potentially two, power stations. Critics have also said the legislation undermines the N.C. Utilities Commissions independent decision making. Gov. Roy Cooper released his first statement on the legislation Thursday, saying, The House Republican energy legislation revealed for the first time this week would cost ratepayers too much, fall short of clean energy goals, hamper job recruitment and weaken the Utilities Commission which exists to provide accountability for utility companies. Cooper said the bill doesnt provide enough renewable energy and called for legislators to start negotiations again and involve more groups in discussions. Rep. Dean Arp, a Republican from Union County who is one of the bills primary sponsors, said the legislation gives the Utilities Commission wide latitude to describe how several of the coal plants will be replaced, namely mandating that they are retired early so long as doing so would not jeopardize the states energy reliability. Story continues The Commission is not a policy body. It is a (regulator) of the policies that we, as representatives of the people, set, Arp said. Power sectors impact on climate Thursdays hearing marked the first time House Bill 951 was debated publicly. The bill was shaped by a small group of stakeholders who have been meeting since January. Part of Thursdays discussion revolved around whether the bill adequately addresses North Carolinas efforts to lessen the impacts of climate change. The power sector generated 35.1% of the states greenhouse gas emissions in 2017, the last year for which data is available. If the bill passes, the only coal plants remaining in North Carolina would be Duke Energys Belews Creek site and one operating at the companys Cliffside station in the western part of the state. Duke representatives said those plants already partially run on natural gas and will eventually fully transition. Szoka said the billl would create more than 5,500 megawatts of new solar energy. That would be enough to power 750,000 to 1 million homes, according to Alex Miller, a lobbyist representing the Carolinas Clean Energy Business Association. The whole concept of what were doing here is accelerating retirement of heavy carbon producing facilities to reduce the carbon footprint of North Carolina, Arp said. The decrease in power sector emissions included in the bill would fall short of the targeted 70% reduction from 2005 levels set by North Carolinas Clean Energy Plan. Both Duke Energy and North Carolina are targeting net zero by 2050. Rep. Becky Carney, a Democrat from Charlotte, said, I hope as this bill moves forward, to get buy-in from a lot more people, that we move closer to that 70% if theres still wiggle room in there. In response, Szoka said that those negotiating the bill had to consider not just renewable energy, but also cost and the certainty offered by natural gas generation. Whether its 61 or 70%, Szoaa said, the fact is were moving in the right direction. Time for an informed decision During Thursdays hearing, Szoka defended the process that shaped the bill, saying it considered nearly a years worth of talks around a report on North Carolinas utility regulations and how companies purchase energy sources. Im not saying that this bill is perfect but I would certainly say in my belief everyones viewpoints were included in this process even if they werent physically in the room when we were working on legislative language, Szoka said. Still, legislators from both parties urged Szoka and other bill writers to move the often-technical piece of legislation slowly. Szoka said he does not intend to ram the legislation through. This bill obviously has consequences. Im not sure what those consequences are, said Rep. Charles Graham, a Democrat from Lumberton. Among the groups raising concerns about the potential price tag of the bill are 31 textile companies based in North Carolina. The companies sent a letter to lawmakers raising the alarm about how any cost increases would affect their energy-intensive business. Under the multi-year rate plan laid out in the bill, Duke could request increases of as much as 4% per year over a three-year period, with small increases or deductions based on performance incentives agreed to by the Utilities Commission. Executives from Parkdale Mills, a yarn manufacturer in Gastonia, said rising energy costs have led them to make capital investments outside of North Carolina, a process rate increases would likely accelerate. If this bill is passed, this is going to kill current investments in this state that are going to lose their competitiveness and it will certainly kill future investment in North Carolina, so thats a job killer and we dont need job killers, Dan Nation, Parkdales director of government affairs, told The News & Observer. Parkdale also opposed Dukes 2019 multi-year rate effort. Duke Energy representatives maintained Thursday that the plan was shaped by compromise and would allow the N.C. Utilities Commission to continue regulating the utility. Kendall Bowman, Duke Energys vice president of regulatory affairs and policy, said, Multi-year rate plans, revenue decoupling and performance incentive measures are bundled to hold the utility accountable for investments that support the policy of North Carolina as we help facilitate the energy transition at the right pace. This story was produced with financial support from 1Earth Fund, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners, as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The N&O maintains full editorial control of the work. Best Life For nearly two months, fully vaccinated people in the U.S. have been able to go back to living life much like they had been before the pandemic. With vaccination rates climbing, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced in mid-May that fully vaccinated individuals no longer needed masks indoors or outdoors, leading state officials to lift not only mask mandates, but to return to business as usual by removing social distancing or capacity restrictions, too. It seemed we were Jun. 19On Thursday, the CHI Saint Joseph Berea Hospital prayed over first responders and provided them with lunch as part of their Year of Humankindness event. Chaplain Leo Fain started the event at 11 a.m. by reading a prayer that connected their "sacred work" to God's healing. He reread the prayer as each group drove through. After the chaplain prayed over the emergency workers, the hospital provided a boxed lunch including a sandwich, chips, a fruit cup, and various beverage options. The paramedics and EMTs left with a keychain with their patron saint, Saint Michael the Archangel, and a prayer card that asks for protection and guidance for them. The director of operations, Sandra Rose, support volunteer Peter Haik, and several nurses helped pray and pass out boxed lunches. After the group prayer, chaplain Fain asked the group to reflect on what the prayer meant to them. Fain thought about the emergency responders who saved his neighbor from a house fire when he was young. "This emergency room saved my wife's life from a heart attack," Haik reflected. The hospital served five crews and a shift supervisor by the event's end at 1 p.m. This event is one of many events in the hospital's Year of Humankindness. "Humankindness is embedded in our call to serve at CHI Saint Joseph Health, so we are already in perfect alignment with the commitment to demonstrate kindness in every key aspect of service to our communities," Rose said. To Rose, celebrating first responders was critical in this mission. "While we do a good job celebrating major acts of charity, we often overlook the everyday humankindness that impacts so many people," she said. This celebration is deeply embedded in the hospital's Catholic identity. "In the Catholic tradition, we have patron saints, people who have gone before us to offer protection or guidance," Rose said. "As Catholic hospitals, we want to extend this blessing of encouragement and protection for our paramedics and EMTs as they bring patients to and from our hospital." Story continues Chaplain Fain took his own way of looking at the hospital's "humankindness" mission. "In a small way, it gives us a chance to give back," he said. "It's a heart thing for me," chaplain Fain added. Some of the events during the year of human kindness have been internal, including encouraging employees to perform random acts of kindness. Other events will be more public. The hospital will be hosting a service on 9/11 geared toward all first responders and a backpack drive closer to August. According to Rose, the hospital will focus more on Madison County's Day of Hope as the event was canceled last year. To learn more about CHI Saint Joseph Hospital's Year of Humankindness, go to https://www.chihealth.com/en/about-us/hello-humankindness.html. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Joe Biden will meet with financial regulators on Monday for an update on the country's financial systems and institutions, press secretary Jen Psaki said on Friday. "The meeting will cover regulatory priorities including climate-related financial risk and agency actions to promote financial inclusion and to responsibly increase access to credit," she said. No other details were immediately available. Biden will also continue his engagement with Republicans and Democrats next week on negotiations to pass the American Jobs Plan, Psaki said. (Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by David Gregorio) President Biden will meet with financial regulators on Monday. Driving the news: "The meeting will cover regulatory priorities including climate-related financial risk and agency actions to promote financial inclusion and to responsibly increase access to credit," said press secretary Jen Psaki, according to a press pool report. Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free. Why it matters: Wall Street, K Street, Congress and beyond have signaled to financial regulators their interest in influencing new federal climate disclosure requirements. The SEC plans to begin formal rule-making later this year. The big picture: Biden is also set to continue negotiations with Republicans and Democrats on the American Jobs Plan next week, per Psaki. More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free CHICAGO Chicago Blackhawks senior management allegedly decided against calling police after being informed of two players sexual assault allegations against a former video coach, according to a report by TSNs Rick Westhead, citing an unnamed source. The attorney representing one of the players in a lawsuit against the Hawks said she was aware of the meeting. It wasnt news to me, attorney Susan E. Loggans told the Chicago Tribune on Friday. The Hawks did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment from the Tribune, and a team spokesman declined to comment to TSN, citing the ongoing lawsuit. Loggans added that her client sought help from the NHL Players Association at the time and alleged that they rebuked him. They did nothing about it. Jonathan Weatherdon, NHLPA senior director of communications, declined via email to comment on behalf of the union, as this matter is subject to pending litigation between the player and his former NHL organization. Loggans client, a former member of the 2009-10 Stanley Cup championship team, sued the Hawks last month, alleging the team was negligent and refused to act when he brought sexual assault allegations against then-video coach Bradley Aldrich to their attention. In the suit, the unnamed plaintiff alleges that Aldrich sent inappropriate text messages, turned on porn and masturbated in front of him and threatened him if plaintiff did not engage in sexual activity. The plaintiff said he reported the May 2010 incidents to mental skills coach James Gary but Gary convinced him the encounters were his own fault and the Hawks opted not to take action against Aldrich, according to the complaint. That same month, according to TSN, senior management held a meeting that included then-Blackhawks President John McDonough, general manager Stan Bowman, vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac and Gary. The report states that then-skills coach Paul Vincent told team executives two players had accused Aldrich of sexual assault and requested they contact the sex crimes division of the Chicago police, and that the request was denied. Story continues Loggans said she wasnt surprised to see new reports about how the team handled the allegations. This is what happens in these cases, that people keep quiet and then when they see that its coming up they decide that they want to tell the truth, she said. In a statement released last month after the lawsuit was filed, the Hawks said that the allegations lacked merit. Earlier this week, the Blackhawks filed a motion to dismiss the suit. Loggans also represents a former Michigan high school hockey player, John Doe 2, in a second lawsuit against the Hawks. That suit contends that the team failed to investigate Aldrich when the first plaintiff, John Doe 1, and his teammate made sexual assault allegations and that the team also provided positive references about Aldrich to future employers. Aldrich, who became an assistant coach at Houghton (Mich.) High School, pleaded guilty in December 2013 to having sexual contact with a student who later sued the Blackhawks as John Doe 2. Aldrich was sentenced to nine months in jail and five years of probation and was ordered to register as a sex offender. John Doe 1 said in his suit that in July 2019 he recalled suppressed memories about Aldrich after learning of the Michigan conviction. Its not about Aldrichs conduct, Loggans said. Its about the Blackhawks subjecting a young person to the influence of somebody in a control position, namely the video coach, and subjecting the players to a hostile and dangerous environment. And they became aware of it and hushed it up so that it wouldnt interfere their playoff chances and the Stanley Cup. In June 2010, the month after the allegations against Aldrich surfaced, the Hawks beat the Philadelphia Flyers in six games to win the first of three championships in a six-year span. Loggans also said the players union took a hands-off approach to her clients original complaint. He just reported it to them to see if they would assist him in trying to get the Blackhawks to do something, she said. He did contact the players association, and they didnt get involved. According to her client, They said it was between them and the Blackhawks. The Hawks motion this week to dismiss John Doe 1s lawsuit is based on arguments that the plaintiff didnt exhaust all administrative remedies under state law and that he allowed various statutes of limitations to lapse. Attorney Mike Hughes, a partner with Smith Amundsen who works with employers in labor and employment cases, said the Blackhawks raised some pretty legitimate defenses. None of my analysis goes to whether or not the underlying abuse alleged happened or whether or not the Blackhawks acted appropriately when those issues were raised to the team, Hughes added. What they have here are defenses based on civil procedure. The Hawks said in their motion that the plaintiff first had to pursue his negligence claim under the Illinois Human Rights Act and Illinois Workers Compensation Act. If you are sexually harassed by your employer, you cant just go into court and sue, Hughes said. You have to follow the parameters of the Illinois Human Rights Act. You have to file a charge of discrimination with the Illinois Department of Human Rights or the EEOC (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission). The John Doe suit alleges that while the assault and the teams negligence in handling his complaint occurred in 2010, the Hawks fraudulently concealed his report and he suppressed the memory of the episode until July 2019. Loggans said she disagreed with the Hawks arguments. He has a right to file a civil case regardless of what other remedies available to him, she said. There is no legal requirement that you have to do anything before filing a civil case. Asked about the Hawks statute of limitations argument, she said: The Catholic Church waived in many cases because they recognize that if in fact a priest did sexually molest people, that they have a moral obligation to compensate them. The Blackhawks are just trying to use legal maneuvers to get out of it because they dont want to accept responsibility for what happened. Seventeen Rihanna's Savage x Fenty has released their first-ever Pride collection and, as with all thing Riri does, it goes above and beyond. In addition, SXF is making a donation of $250,000 from the sales of the capsule collection. The donation will be split between The Audre Lorde Project, The Caribbean Equality Project, INC., GLAAD, Trans Latin@ Coalition & Trans Wellness Center. SANTA ANA, Calif. Marcus Eriz, a southern California man charged with the murder of a 6-year-old boy in a road rage incident, was ordered held without bail Friday. Orange County Superior Court Judge Larry Yellin told attorneys that in addition to the murder charge he was alarmed by an allegation that Eriz, 24, also brandished a weapon in a second incident. It seems to me that Mr. Eriz is a complete danger to the community, Yellin said. Eriz and his girlfriend, 23-year-old Wynne Lee, entered not-guilty pleas through their attorneys. More: Aiden Leos case: California man in suspected road rage killing admitted to firing gun, prosecutors say Lee is charged with being an accessory after the fact. The defense asked that her bail be set at $50,000 while the prosecution insisted on $500,000. The judge deferred pending an evaluation of Lee. The boy, Aiden Leos, was shot to death May 21 while riding in his mother's car on a freeway. Authorities have said the mother was cut off by another car, prompting her to make a hand gesture. Authorities allege that Eriz, riding in a car driven by Lee, pulled out a gun and shot at the woman's vehicle, killing Leos. Authorities arrested the couple more than two weeks later outside their Costa Mesa apartment. The killing sparked outrage and led hundreds of people to call in tips. There was even a $500,000 reward offered for tips that helped identify the suspect who killed Leos. It remains unclear though as to when the reward money will be paid, as there's still an ongoing investigation. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Aiden Leos: No bail for Marcus Eriz in road rage shooting case Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Saturday he has cancelled talks next week with British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab after the Southeast Asian leader came into contact with someone infected with coronavirus. Hun Sen wrote in a Facebook post that he had indirect contact with a Covid-19 patient and doctors required he be tested and undergo quarantine for 14 days until July 3. "I apologise that I have to cancel all scheduled meetings... I beg for understanding from the UK Foreign Secretary," he said, adding that the pair had been scheduled to meet Wednesday morning. Raab was expected to visit Phnom Penh early next week, according to Cambodian officials. Hun Sen's quarantine comes as the country reported 20 deaths from the virus on Saturday, the highest number in a single day since the pandemic began. Cambodia has seen infection numbers surge since February when an outbreak was first detected among its Chinese expatriate community. The country's total number of cases has now climbed to 42,052, with 414 deaths. Seven cases of the Delta variant have been found among people returning from neighbouring Thailand, the Cambodian health ministry said Saturday. suy/lpm/axn Those wishing to travel to Canada for what has been deemed non-essential reasons will have to wait another month . . . at least. Canada announced that it is extending the closure of its border with the U.S. due to the COVID-19 pandemic until July 21, according to a tweet Friday morning by Canadian Minister for Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair. The border closure will now extend into its 16th month. Our number one priority as we fight #COVID19 is keeping Canadians safe. In coordination with the U.S., we are extending restrictions on non-essential international travel and with the United States until July 21st, 2021, Blair tweeted. As we have said, the government is planning measures for fully vaccinated Canadians, Permanent Residents, and others who are currently permitted to enter Canada and will provide further details on Monday, June 21, the thread continued. A tweet later Friday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the restriction on non-essential travel at U.S. land points of entry also would remain in effect, but stated Essential travel and trade continue unimpeded. Blairs tweets end recent hope that the restrictions on non-essential travel between the two countries, which will soon enter its 16th month, could begin to be dialed back, as talks between the two countries about how and when to reopen began to intensify. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Joe Biden even spoke about the a reopening at the G-7 Summit last weekend in England, according to a CTVNews story. But Reuters reported Trudeau said the two leaders did not have any major breakthroughs about the hows and whens. U.S. Congress members Bill Higgins of New York and Bill Huizenga of Michigan, who serve as co-chairs of the Canada-U.S. Interparliamentary Group, released a joint statement after Blairs tweet, saying: Millions of Americans and Canadians are counting on our governments to work together to reach an agreement that provides a clear roadmap for reopening the border between our two countries. Story continues The lack of transparency surrounding these negotiations is a disservice to our constituents and the millions of residents on both sides of the border waiting to see their loved ones, visit their property, and renew business ties. While the arrival of vaccines in record time has been a modern miracle, the inability of the U.S. and Canadian governments to reach an agreement on alleviating border restrictions or aligning additional essential traveler classes is simply unacceptable. Higgins went on to say in his tweet posting the statement that another months delay is bull(expletive). According to a Buffalo News story this week, Huizenga said during a panel discussion he has heard little from the Biden administration and went on to predict the border may not reopen until Thanksgiving. Canadian officials at the panel were a bit more optimistic, predicting restrictions may loosen in July or August, the Buffalo News reported. Higgins and Huizenga have not been the only U.S. government officials asking for answers and to see progress toward reopening the border. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee this month sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas urging at least a partial reopening. Washington state has taken a science-based approach to the pandemic and has enacted public health measures that prioritize safety and protect the lives of Washingtonians, the letter read. Because of rising vaccination rates, Washington state has a plan to reopen our economy statewide by June 30. Therefore, I respectfully request that the United States and Canadian governments, and specifically your departments, work to find innovative ways to reopen the border consistent with public health guidance. If a full border opening is not considered feasible, I would like to recommend that we prioritize the development of specific policies to partially open crossings. The hardships being experienced along the U.S.-Canadian border are significant, and measurable forward progress is needed The border between the two countries was first closed to non-essential travel March 21, 2020, in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 during early stages of the pandemic. The initial closure was to last one month, but it has since been extended on a month-by-month basis 14 times and is currently set to expire June 21. Trade and other travel deemed to be essential between the two countries has been allowed throughout the pandemic. Canadian business leaders have also become impatient with the reluctance to announce plans for a reopening. Perrin Beatty, chief executive of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce called Canada a world laggard when it comes to having a plan for reopening, in a CTVNews story. At some point government has to decide whether being vaccinated is meaningful, Beatty said in the story. We need a plan. We need it now. And everybody needs to know what it is. Canadian vaccine verification Despite the border remaining closed for another month, Trudeau on Friday announced that Canada will unveil a vaccine verification app this summer. According to a Daily Hive story on the announcement, the verification will work through the ArriveCAN app and will allow Canadians to upload an image confirming their vaccination status to the app so that border agents can verify their vaccination status. The story did not indicate how non-Canadians will be able to verify their vaccination status once they are allowed to begin entering Canada. We are looking forward to getting back to normal as quickly as possible, but were not out of this pandemic yet, Trudeau said when asked about the border closure extension, the Daily Hive reported. We have to hit our targets of 75% vaccinated with a first dose, at least 20% vaccinated with a second dose, before we can start loosening things up. COVID numbers update As of Friday, the United States continues to have the highest number of COVID cases in the world with more than 33.5 million confirmed cases and 600,000 related deaths, according to the John Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard. Canada, meanwhile, was 23rd overall with more than 1.4 million cases and 26,000 related deaths. The U.S. is the third-most populated country in the world with more than 331 million residents, according to worldometers.info, while Canada is No. 39 with more than 37 million residents. The Johns Hopkins site also reports that the U.S. has administered more than 314.6 million vaccine doses (or about 0.95 per resident), while Canada has administered 31.2 million (or approximately 0.84 per resident). According to the British Columbia COVID-19 dashboard on Thursday, the province has seen 146,794 total cases during the pandemic and 1,739 confirmed deaths an increase of 7,130 cases and 91 deaths since the last border extension was announced May 18. With a population of approximately 5.1 million, British Columbia has seen an infection rate of 140 cases and 1.8 deaths per 100,000 residents since May 18. The Washington State Department of Health, meanwhile, reported 410,565 confirmed cases and 5,810 related deaths on Thursday an increase of 19,565 cases and 170 deaths since May 18. With a population of approximately 7.5 million, the state has averaged 261 cases and 2.3 deaths per 100,000 residents since May 18. Washington state reports administering 7.5 million vaccine doses, or approximately one dose per resident, while British Columbia reports administering 4.2 million doses, or approximately 0.82 per resident. Washington state reports more than 4.1 million residents, or 53.8% of the total population, has initiated vaccination, and more than 3.6 million residents (47.5%) have completed it. Meanwhile, British Columbia reports that more than 3.4 million residents (66.7%) have initiated vaccination and 768,008 (15.1%) have completed it. The Colorado secretary of state announced a temporary emergency adoption of new rules that limit who can access voting equipment in the state and protect the state from "sham" election audits. Secretary Jena Griswold, a Democrat, said on Thursday that the rules are necessary to prevent the types of election equipment inspection and ballot recounts that have been seen in various counties across the nation, such as the full forensic audit of the Maricopa County election in Arizona and the audit of Michigan's Antrim County election. "A third-party vendor with no election experience is currently performing a faulty, unsecure election audit in Arizona, and calls for such sham audits have been spreading in other states," read a press release from Griswolds office. "Several Colorado counties have been contacted by third parties offering to conduct audits." PENNSYLVANIA POISED TO BEGIN ARIZONA-STYLE ELECTION AUDIT WITH SUBPOENA POWER The new rules state that all people who hope to gain access to the state's voting equipment must be appointed election judges or be employees of a countys elections office, the secretary of states office, or the voting system vendor. They must also pass a background check. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Griswold pointed to Colorado's next election on Nov. 2 as a point of "justification" for the emergency rules. It was not immediately clear when the rules are set to expire. Prominent Colorado Republicans sharply criticized the secretary of state's new rules, such as Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert, who said, "Democrats are consistently terrified of election integrity!" In Arizona, Senate President Karen Fann, a Republican, hired an outside company called Cyber Ninjas to handle the full forensic audit and recount of 2.1 million ballots in the state. Critics of the audit have pointed out that the company's CEO Doug Logan posted now-deleted content on social media promoting "conspiracy theories" about the 2020 election. Story continues The advent of election audits has become an ever-growing rallying call by some conservative lawmakers seeking to test former President Donald Trump's unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election, which saw President Joe Biden defeat him by more than 4 percentage points of the popular vote. Several Republican lawmakers from states including Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Wisconsin have traveled to Arizona to tour the audit at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix. The Keystone State is now poised to begin an Arizona-style election audit using subpoena power in the Republican-controlled Senate. Georgia is also initiating an investigation into allegations surrounding the 2020 presidential election, with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger confirming to the Washington Examiner that his office will be looking into Fulton County's monitoring of absentee ballots returned in drop boxes in the election following "new revelations" that officials said they were missing ballot transfer documents. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER The Maricopa County audit's results are expected to be released in a comprehensive report sometime later this summer, Senate audit liaison and former Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett said. The Washington Examiner contacted Griswold's office but did not immediately receive a response. Washington Examiner Videos Tags: News, Colorado, 2020 Elections, Arizona, Campaign 2020, Campaigns Original Author: Kaelan Deese Original Location: Colorado adopts emergency rule to protect from 'sham' election audits The Government said that, as of 9am on Saturday, there had been a further 10,321 lab-confirmed Covid-19 cases in the UK. The Government also said a further 14 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Saturday, bringing the UK total to 127,970. Separate figures published by the Office for National Statistics show there have been 153,000 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate. The Hangzhou headquarters of Chinese video surveillance firm Hikvision - Reuters English councils are set to review contracts for CCTV equipment from Chinese firm Hikvision amid security and human rights concerns, The Telegraph can reveal. Hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of contracts are expected to undergo either procurement reviews or security examinations by the end of the year. It comes as pressure grows on councils to disassociate themselves from the technology company, which stands accused of helping to build the Chinese government's surveillance state. The China Research Group of Conservative MPs has urged for more transparency and guidance from local councils, warning that continuing as they are would risk "blindly buying from companies profiting from human rights abuses". In total, at least 1,000,000 worth of Hikvision equipment was purchased by councils across England between 2019 and 2021. The vast majority of buys were conducted through wholesale distributors rather than Hikvision itself, making accountability more difficult. Dudley Metropolitan Council is among those set to consider alternative options for equipment at the end of the year with a full procurement review. The council currently has a contract worth around 450,000 for equipment supplied through a firm called DV Limited. North Warwickshire Borough Council, which has purchased 240,000 of equipment through a contract with Synectics Security Limited, has said that although allegations regarding Hikvision's links to the Chinese Communist Party came to light after the contract was signed, it is considering taking specialist advice to ensure the technologies present no risk to the public. Firm blacklisted by US Department of Commerce in 2019 Other councils have complained that the dominance of Hikvision in the CCTV market has made it difficult to divest as concerns over China have risen. A spokesman for Colchester Borough Council, which has purchased around 143,000 worth of equipment through a supplier, said: "There are very few alternative manufacturers for suitably-specified CCTV equipment. Most computer, mobile phone and CCTV equipment is manufactured in China by corporations with close links to the Chinese government." Story continues Hikvision was blacklisted by the US Department of Commerce in 2019 for being "implicated in human rights violations and abuses in the implementation of China's campaign of repression, mass arbitrary detention and high-technology surveillance against Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other members of Muslim minority groups". The company is still allowed to conduct business in Britain, with a base in Hayes, but is coming under increasing scrutiny from MPs. Tom Tugendhadt, the chairman of the Commons foreign affairs committee, told The Telegraph that "there are credible reports that Hikvision is one of the architects of the Xinjiiang surveillance state", under which the apparent genocide of Uyghur Muslims has occured. Campaigners also believe that "smart cities" technology, championed by Chinese firms and based on CCTV surveillance, could be prone to hacking by foreign adversaries, potentially leading to espionage against British citizens. A spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: "Organisations, including councils, must ensure they have a legal basis for processing data, are clear and transparent about how personal data will be handled, and ensure that the data is processed in a way which individuals would expect. "Last year, the then minister for local government wrote to all council chief executives advising them of risks posed when purchasing new technologies, advising how they can better protect themselves." Hikvision was approached for comment. The company has Hikvision has previously said it is "committed to respecting all UK laws and guidelines", adding: "As a manufacturer that does not sell directly to the end user, we do not oversee the operation of our products, but we do ensure our cameras are designed to protect public safety." If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Following an investigation, the deaths of a Connecticut mother and her 7-year-old daughter inside their $1.4 million Westport mansion have been confirmed as a murder-suicide, according to reports. Tracy Do, 46, died by suicide from "sharp-force injuries of torso and extremities," and her daughter Layla Malons drowning death has been declared a homicide, Westport police and the state medical examiners office said Friday, according to the Hartford Courant. The mothers body was discovered by another daughter, 13-year-old Alexis Malon, FOX 61 of Hartford reported. "At that point, the officers checked the interior to the house to see if there was anyone else inside and unfortunately thats when they found the body of the 7-year-old child," Lt. David Wolf of the Westport police told the station. Do had been involved in a custody battle over two daughters with her former partner, Eric John Malon, Connecticut Superior Court documents show, according to the New York Post. The deaths shocked neighbors in the affluent community, one resident told Fox News. "They were super-nice people," said a man picking up his mail outside a nearby home, who requested anonymity. "Theyd always be smiling. They were a super-nice family. No issues. Thats kind of what it seemed like." SOUTH CAROLINA DOUBLE MURDER INVESTIGATION NEARS 2-WEEK MARK WITH NO ARRESTS OR SUSPECTS The neighbor said Do and her former partner moved in about four or five years ago and put a considerable amount of work into their house over that time. He said they usually decorated their home with "an exorbitant" display during holiday time. "I think one year they won an award for best decorations," he said. "So, as a neighbor [this situation] is like the least-suspected thing. Couldnt see that coming from a mile away." Story continues The neighbor said he saw "a ton of cop cars" outside the house Thursday but didnt know what happened until seeing a TV report Friday. "Im sure for the people who knew them, its devastating," he told Fox News. "I cant even imagine." Thomas Scarice, the local school superintendent, wrote to parents that Dos daughter attended a local school, according to the Courant. CALIFORNIA COUPLE CHARGED IN ALLEGED FREEWAY SHOOTING DEATH OF 6-YEAR-OLD BOY PLEAD NOT GUILTY "Late this afternoon, we were informed of the untimely and tragic loss of one of our parents and her beloved daughter. There are no words that could console the sense of sorrow we feel by this unspeakable tragedy. We want to express our deepest condolences to all those impacted by this heartbreaking loss," he said, according to the newspaper. Both Do and the girl were found dead around 4 p.m. Thursday after emergency responders were called to their home on a report of an unresponsive woman, the Courant reported. Police arriving at the scene first found Dos body and then found the child. Both were already dead, according to the Courant. "This is a horrible tragedy, and the police department is keeping the family as well as the community that was so deeply affected by this in our thoughts and prayers," Westport police Chief Foti Koskinas said in a statement Friday. CONNECTICUT POLICE INVESTIGATING AFTER MOTHER, 7-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER FOUND DEAD AT UPSCALE WESTPORT HOME The estranged couples custody battle reportedly involved several lawsuits. Do had claimed she worked for her former partners construction company for years without compensation and that he had promised to provide a home for her and the girls if the couples relationship ended, the Courant reported, citing court documents. Malon claimed Do refused to pay him $10,000 a month rent for the house, according to the Post. The partner, who the Courant did not name, recently tried to have Do evicted from the Westport home, with a judge recently granting the woman until July 16 to respond to the partners accusations, the report said. Details about the whereabouts of the former partner and 13-year-old daughter Alexis Malon were unclear, according to reports. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The two-story residence located at 1 Lyndale Park is a 4,457-square-foot home with five bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms, according to online real estate marketplace company Zillow. It is not currently listed for sale. It sits on the corner of a private drive and Weston Road, just off Route 15 and is located roughly 2 miles north of Westports downtown. A cut stone wall topped with wrought iron fences wraps around the front property. Online records show that the home and property were last appraised in 2020 at a value of $1,460,400. The owner is listed as Eric Malon, but it was unclear if he currently lived at the home. Westport is a town in Fairfield County along the Long Island Sound within Connecticut's Gold Coast. It is about 52 miles northeast of New York City. (AP) Democratic California Representative Ted Lieu slammed the US Conference of Catholic Bishops after they overwhelmingly voted to advance an official statement indicating that President Joe Biden should be blocked from receiving communion because of his pro-choice abortion views. Mr Lieu criticised the Bishops after 74 per cent of them voted in favour of drafting a teaching document on the Holy Eucharist that would describe the meaning of communion. The statement will also say whether Mr Biden and other public figures should be admonished and denied communion because of their stance on abortion. Mr Lieu, a catholic himself, said the Bishops were hypocrites and nakedly partisan. He pointed out that the Bishops didnt go after Trump Attorney General Bill Barr for his stance in favour of the death penalty, a measure the church also opposes. Dear [US Conference of Catholic Bishops]: Im Catholic and you are hypocrites. You did not tell Bill Barr, a Catholic, not to take communion when he expanded killing human beings with the death penalty, Mr Lieu tweeted. You are being nakedly partisan and you should be ashamed. Another reason you are losing membership, he added. The communion issue will be voted on when the Bishops meet in November. But even if they vote to go ahead with the move, it would still require a green light from the Vatican, which is not likely to give its approval. The Vatican has warned US Bishops that communion shouldnt be used as a political weapon. The concern in the Vatican is not to use access to the Eucharist as a political weapon, Antonio Spadaro, a Jesuit priest and an ally of Pope Francis, told The New York Times. Mr Biden is a devout, churchgoing Catholic, and is only the second US president of that faith, the first being John F Kennedy. When asked about the debate within the church, Mr Biden told reporters on Friday: Thats a private matter, and I dont think thats gonna happen. Villanova University theology professor Massimo Faggioli told The Washington Post: If there are Catholic icons in this world and this country, they are Pope Francis and Joe Biden. Story continues That is seen by some bishops as a threat because their position is much more marginal now, he added. Dr Faggioli told The Post that Mr Bidens less traditional way of practising his religion has probably angered some church leaders partly because the president is Catholic in such a public way, showing that there are alternate ways of being practising the faith. What is remarkable is the archbishops in the last seven months since he was elected are really trying to find a way to discipline him, Dr Faggioli told the paper. And Joe Biden has totally ignored them. Read More US Catholic bishops approve document that could lead to Biden being denied Communion over abortion support EXPLAINER: What is the Catholic Communion controversy? Supreme Court rules in favour of Catholic foster agency that wont serve same-sex couples New court documents reveal more details about a road rage shooting on a southern California highway that killed a 6-year-old boy while he was in his mother's vehicle last month. Marcus Eriz, 24, appeared in court via video conference on Friday and pleaded not guilty to one count of murder and a felony count of discharge of a firearm at an inhabited dwelling, CBS Los Angeles reported. His girlfriend, Wynne Lee, also pleaded not guilty to one felony count of being an accessory after the fact and one misdemeanor count of illegally concealing a firearm. "Mr. Eriz is a complete danger to the community, to society," the judge said in court. The judge had strong words for Eriz, who is accused of killing Aiden Leos in an act of road rage while driving on the 55 Freeway in the city of Orange on May 21. Investigators said his 23-year-old girlfriend was driving the car and helped cover up the crime. Court documents allege Eriz demonstrated a fondness for firearms on Instagram, and prosecutors said he "cannot control his temper." Eriz "admitted to police" he was angry after being "flipped off" by the boy's mother on May 21, according to court documents. He then allegedly grabbed his loaded gun and fired at her vehicle. A bullet struck Aiden while he was sitting in a booster seat in the back of his mother's vehicle on his way to kindergarten. Prosecutors said Eriz got into another road-rage altercation less than a week after the deadly shooting and "again took out his gun and brandished it." The judge on Friday said "the court finds that very alarming." While police were searching for the shooter, Eriz was approached by a coworker who recognized his white Volkswagen station wagon. Prosecutors said Eriz then hid the vehicle, shaved his beard and tied back his long hair. The judge denied bail for Eriz. Bail for Lee was set at $500,000. Role model inspires boy with Down Syndrome to complete mini-triathlon Nation marks Juneteenth as federal holiday for the first time Iran set to elect hardliner facing U.S. sanctions as president Ebrahim Raisi. ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images Ebrahim Raisi, a hardliner favored by Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, handily won Saturday's Iranian presidential election, which saw historically low turnout. He'll take over for the more moderate incumbent President Hassan Rouhani in August. That will obviously mean changes at home, but it should also affect the Tehran-Washington relationship. Domestically, the Crisis Group's Ali Vaez explained to PBS NewsHour that the 82-year-old Khamenei appears to be preparing for his succession, which will be "a very pivotal moment" for Iran. So, he's "empowering a client and trusted ally ... to make sure that transition happens smoothly." Subsequently, Vaez expects there will be more repression "in the short run," but "if the system fails to respond" to Iranians' economic hardship, "I think they're sitting on a ticking time bomb." Raisi's victory, meanwhile, may actually help solidify the re-establishment of a nuclear pact between the U.S. and Iran, despite Raisi harboring more hostility toward Washington than his predecessor. Vaez and The New York Times contend Khamenei is pulling the strings here and will push Rouhani to finish negotiations in the next few weeks, understanding that getting the U.S. to lift oil sanctions is paramount to Iran's economy bouncing back. But this way, the moderates will take the heat for "capitulating to the West and bear the brunt of popular anger inside Iran if sanctions relief doesn't rescue the nation's stricken economy," the Times notes. And if the sanctions relief does bring about improvement? Well, then Raisi can take credit for the success. Vaez added that it's also not out of the question Raisi's government would be "open to negotiating a follow-on agreement" with the Biden administration. Read more at The New York Times. You may also like Bernie Sanders wants to know if cannabis reporter is 'stoned' right now 'No one will be spared': Georgia election workers have reportedly received a 'torrent' of threats from Trump supporters RNC, without 'a hint of irony,' slams Biden for meeting with Putin Reuters WINNIPEG, Canada (Reuters) -Protesters have toppled statues of Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II in the Canadian city of Winnipeg as anger grows over the discovery of the remains of hundreds of children in unmarked graves at former indigenous schools. The action took place on Canada Day on Thursday, when traditionally celebrations take place across the country. However, many cities scrapped events this year as the scandal over the indigenous children made Canadians confront their colonial history. Only two months after his election, a North Kansas City councilman is already faced with calls to leave office or possibly be removed by voters after his comments angered and insulted many in the LGBT community and others. Council member Wesley Graves, 1st Ward, has faced criticism this week for his comments linking LGBTQ sexual orientations with pedophilia or satanism. He has not signaled he is willing to resign his newly won seat on the City Council. But some activists, leaders and fellow elected officials question whether he can continue to represent the voters he was picked to serve. Two council members and the mayor have wondered aloud if Graves is able to continue representing the district considering its makeup and the attitudes of the residents he represents. Members of a city committee tasked with increasing diversity and inclusion in North Kansas City want some form of action taken, and havent ruled out a recall. And many residents on social media have called for him to leave office. I think he should probably consider it, said City Council member Lisa Tull, 2nd Ward, when asked if Graves should step down. I think what he did was divisive. And it was insulting. And its the kind of derogatory thing that increases hate. And I dont think that has any place in any government, let alone a town of 5,000 people where we all literally know each other. Ive lived here 15 years, a lot of people have lived here a long time, we all know each other, Tull added. That attacked people that I love. And thats not OK. Council member Amie Clarke, a member of the LGBT community, said in a statement she does not not know if [Graves] is fit to serve as a voice for all of his constituents given what he said. She said he appears to be still missing the mark relative to the impact of toxic and inappropriate comparisons and his statements only illuminate how out-of-touch he actually is from people who dont look, live or worship like he does. Story continues Clarke said it was not her place to decide whether Graves should stay in office, and it is up to the residents he represents. In the meantime, she is advocating for council members to receive sensitivity training. Pride Month Graves comments came earlier this week while the City Council was discussing a proposal to establish a diversity pledge for its businesses and organizations. Those who signed the pledge would get a city-issued sticker to put on display as a way to show visitors that the establishment welcomes visitors regardless of factors including race, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation or income. When the topic of the NKC United pledge came up Tuesday night, Graves announced himself a Christian and questioned how churches like his would have to accept members from other religions in their doors, saying the concept rips my brain apart. He also contended that having a local government create a list of businesses that sign on to the agreement would be harmful to those that choose not to. Once you go down this road, where do you draw the line? Graves said during the meeting, his first in City Hall since being elected. I mean, you could start bringing up pedophilia, Satan worshipers, etc. That language, along with his sentiment generally, angered members of the LGBT community who have long been wrongly associated with pedophilia by anti-gay groups. And it offended many across the metro area. For his part, Graves has since apologized, saying he did not intend to cause harm to anyone. He said he is supportive of LGBT rights and is not a bigot as some have suggested. In an interview with The Star this week, he said he was not seriously considering a resignation. And he said he sees the event as a learning experience he hopes will be accepted by the community as he seeks to move forward. I learned from it, I really did, Graves said. And moving forward, obviously, I will choose my words more carefully, because I dont want to harm people. I dont want to be divisive. And I dont want to cause shame to my community that I love very much. But his apologies have rung hollow for many, especially among members of the LGBT community like Jessica Loya, a North Kansas City resident and founder of a special city committee tasked with pushing for increased diversity in the town. He apologized if potentially his words were misconstrued as words of hate or bigotry, but he never once took accountability for what he said and or how it affected members of the LGBTQ+ community like myself, Loya said. He hopes that were just going to forget about it and move past it. Ive seen some comments that are similar like, Hey, cant we just stop talking about this? And I understand. But at the same time, a public official should not have the ability to espouse bigoted hate in the middle of a city council meeting without it going unchecked. Bigoted statements In the City Council meeting, Graves comments were immediately shut down by fellow council members. Among them was Clarke, who said the pledge and the welcome sticker provides a signal to people from protected classes that they will not be met with discrimination when they walk into a North Kansas City establishment. Clarke said she saw a sticker for the Human Rights Campaign when she moved into her neighborhood. For me, being a member of the LGBTQ community and not forcing that upon anybody, I felt safe immediately, she said. Its a visual that says Im safe here and Ill be welcome here. When the discussion turned back to Graves later, he again pointed out the language of the pledge related to sexual orientation and he named pedophilia as what he thought would be an example. Were supposed to welcome people of all different sexual orientations and all different religions. And so, yes, those are extreme, horrible examples. But that just shows that its all-encompassing. Thats what this is saying. The measure passed 7-1, with Graves as the sole no vote. In the hours after, community members ridiculed him in a neighborhood private Facebook page many calling upon him to resign immediately. Since saying those words, Graves has now taken back his definition of pedophilia as a sexual orientation. He issued a public apology the following day, saying he recognized that he hurt people and described his comments as a failed attempt to make a point about his attitude about the limits of government in social issues. Still, some question whether he will be able to move forward as an elected official in a city where residents and city staff are members of the LGBT community. Others, including victims of sexual abuse, have also taken offense to that comparison. The words were heard all around the Kansas City area in the days after. Northland Pride, an organization that serves the LGBTQ community in Clay and Platte counties, issued a statement Thursday sharply condemning the comments. Bigoted statements like these are a reminder of why Northland Pride exists to combat harmful narratives designed to ignite violence against our LGBTQIA+ family, the statement said. We are saddened and appalled to learn that on Tuesday evening, North Kansas City council member Wes Graves publicly equated pedophilia with sexual orientation and the LGBTQIA+ community, the group said. For decades, this false, homophobic, and transphobic rhetoric has been used to build fear and distrust of the queer community. Others that came out against the statements included Justice Horn, a Kansas City community activist who has worked extensively on LGBT rights causes, and Kansas City First District Councilman Kevin ONeill. ONeill said Graves should no longer be in public service, saying it sounded like a slip of the tongue that has too much meaning. An embarrassment to the city Members of the City Council reached by The Star said his comments were not representative of the city as a whole. They also said his words were hurtful, divisive and shameful during a time when the city is striving to showcase a diverse and welcoming attitude. And all suggested it is up to Graves to make amends with the community he represents, noting there could be a recall effort should his constituents decide he is unable to adequately represent them on the City Council. He has published an apology, and I think its up to the residents of Ward 1 to accept that or not, said Councilman Anthony Saper, 1st Ward, who described the comments as an embarrassment to the city of North Kansas City. Missouri law offers a route for a city council to remove a sitting member for cause shown with or without a recommendation from the mayor if two-thirds of the council members approve. In North Kansas City, the mayor only votes in tie-breaking situations. Another path is a recall election, also outlined by state law. That statute requires a petition be signed by 25 percent of the voters in a district and can only be started six months after a council member is elected. I dont think those comments really represent our ward or our city, said Mayor Bryant DeLong, elected in April as well, who previously represented the seat Graves won during the last municipal election. Its hard to see a path forward for him to be super successful, because its going to be hard for people to want to work with him, the mayor added. Theres a lot of collaboration here to get things done. DeLong said he has heard from many voters in the ward who are upset and disappointed with Graves. He is considering the possibility of some sort of formal punishment for Graves under the City Council rules. And if when the time comes there is a desire to hold a recall, he said he would be supportive. If thats a process that folks want to get started, Id certainly be supportive of whatever comes of that. Because the voters, they elect you, they put you in that position, and theyre the ones that hold you to that high standard or should be holding to you to that high standard. The Stars Glenn E. Rice and Kevin Hardy contributed to this report. Former Texas congressman and presidential candidate Beto ORourke is readying a potential 2022 run for the Texas governorship. (AFP) Former US congressman and presidential hopeful Beto ORourke is hinting at a potential campaign for yet another office: the governors mansion in his native Texas. One way or the other, Im in for the distance for Texas, the El Paso native told People magazine on Friday, adding that might be as a candidate, but it could also be as a volunteer. Right now, though, he says his full focus is on combatting a proposed bill in the Texas legislature thats among the harshest Republican crackdowns in the nation against voting rights following the 2020 election and Donald Trumps repeated, unfounded, claims of voter fraud. In the last two weeks alone, Mr ORourke been in more than 15 different cities across the Lone Star State, and is planning a rally on the steps of the state capitol over the weekend. The Texas voting bill, Senate Bill 7, would restrict voting hours, narrow local control of elections, tighten mail-in voting rules and give more access to partisan poll-watchers. Republicans in the state have argued the measures are necessary for election security, even though the Houston Chronicle reported there were only 43 fraud cases out of 11 million total votes cast in the 2020 elections, which the GOP swept in the state. During a recent visit, vice president Kamala Harris praised Democratic lawmakers in Texas for staging a walkout to prevent SB7 from moving forward. She also said these kinds of restrictive measures are a result of a 2013 Supreme Court cases which ended the pre-clearance requirement of the Voting Rights Act, a provision where states with a history of disenfranchisement like Texas had to clear voting rule changes with the federal government. We have seen exactly what we feared when that case came down in 2013. Because that case was an opening of a door to allow states to do what otherwise we have protected against, which is states putting in place laws that are designed, in many cases quite intentionally, to make it difficult for people to vote, she said. And so this is what weve seen over and over again, and whats happening right now in Texas is, of course, a very clear and current example of that. Story continues Mr ORourke, who nearly defeated the influential Republican senator Ted Cruz in 2018, could face off against former Housing and Urban Development secretary Julian Castro and actor Matthew McConaughey to be the Democratic nominee for governor. Despite the enthusiasm, incumbent governor Greg Abbott is a favourite to win re-election, though the Texas Democratic party leadership has expressed excitement about Mr ORourke running. "If anybody could beat Abbott, he could beat him," chairman Gilberto Hinojosa told the Associated Press last month. Still, hopes for a blue wave in the Republican stronghold of Texas, the largest state where the GOP controls all three branches of government, have so far gone unrequited. Mr ORourke did surprisingly well against Mr Cruz, but lost by 200,000 or so votes, and Democrats didnt make any meaningful gains in the 2020 election. They havent won a statewide election in the state since 1994. Donald Trump easily won the state in 2020 despite polls showing Joe Biden competitive. Read More Watch live as Joe Biden signs Juneteenth National Independence Day Act Conservative activists heckle Pence at conference in Florida US Catholic bishops approve document that could lead to Biden being denied Communion over abortion support The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourgean Court of Human Rights - Vincent Kessle/Reuters British judges would be clearly told that they are not "bound" by European human rights rulings under major reforms being considered by a government review. The Telegraph understands that the first review of the Human Rights Act in 20 years is weighing up proposals to curb the influence of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the UK. The proposals are supported by senior lawyers as well as the Metropolitan Police, which warned that recent judgments meant officers' time had been wasted investigating cases that will "never reach the threshold for prosecution" in case victims later made a complaint. Lord Pannick, a leading human rights QC, has told the panel that ministers should amend the Human Rights Act to make clear in law that, while British judges should still take ECHR rulings "into account", they "shall not be bound" by decisions taken in Strasbourg. Robert Buckland, the Justice Secretary, who commissioned the review, is understood to be "sympathetic" to the idea. Robert Buckland, the Justice Secretary, who commissioned the review - Leon Neal/ Getty Images Europe The change is likely to be backed by senior Tories who believe some judges have wrongly based their decisions on judgments of the European Court of Human Rights even when the European cases have little relevance on matters in the UK. It is being examined by the Independent Human Rights Act Review, headed by former Court of Appeal judge Sir Peter Gross, which was commissioned by Mr Buckland in December and will issue a report this summer. The panel is also considering an amendment to section three of the Human Rights Act which would prevent judges from effectively "rewriting legislation" deemed to contravene the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which the Act allows British judges to enforce in the UK. The Conservatives' 2019 election manifesto pledged to "update" the Act amid concerns that judges in Strasbourg have "overreached". Labour claims the review amounts to an "attack on human rights". Story continues But the dominance of the European Court of Human Rights in the UK has been criticised by senior figures including Lord Judge, the former Lord Chief Justice, who has said that "Strasbourg should not always win". Before entering government, Dominic Raab, now the Foreign Secretary, said there was "little point" in the UK Supreme Court "unless it has the final word on how the law of the land is applied". A submission by Louise Rolfe, the Met assistant commissioner for operations, warned that, as a result of a 2018 court case known as DSD, police now "might face either human rights-based litigation or more general criticism if we do not exhaustively investigate, even where cursory investigation suggests a matter will never reach the threshold for prosecution". She added: "This inhibits the police's ability to prioritise investigation, which is exacerbated by concern about potential challenge or criticism from external parties or courts." Dame Cressida Dick attended a meeting between police chiefs and members of the review panel - Kirsty O'Connor/PA According to minutes of an April 13 meeting between police chiefs including Dame Cressida Dick and the review panel, officers said: "There is support for Lord Pannick's submission ... which suggests reminding courts, through amending the HRA, that ECtHR jurisprudence is not binding ... If this was clearer at the time, cases such as DSD may have had a different outcome." The Human Rights Act allows British courts to apply the ECHR, and says UK judges should "take account" of rulings by the European Court of Human Rights. But senior ministers fear some judges have taken the instruction to mean that they should slavishly follow Strasbourg judgments, many of which relate to circumstances in other European countries that can appear far removed from cases being heard in UK courts. Lord Pannick, a prominent supporter of the Human Rights Act, told the review: "I think it would be helpful to clarify section two to make clear that the domestic court or tribunal is not bound by a judgment of the ECtHR ... I would therefore suggest that ... after 'must take into account', the words 'but shall not be bound by' could usefully be inserted." Minutes of the April 13 discussion attended by Dame Cressida, the Met Commissioner, record the police chief stating that the 2018 judgment meant "investigations have to be carried out in instances where the prosecution thresholds for offences are never likely to be met, but resources are still utilised to achieve the unachievable". CLARIFICATION: This article has been amended to clarify that the proposed change in the law is to make explicit within the Human Rights Act that judges are not bound by ECHR rulings. By Michael Martina, David Brunnstrom and Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States shipped 2.5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan on Saturday, more than tripling Washington's previous allocation of shots for the island, which has faced increasing political and military pressure from China. Washington, competing with Beijing to deepen geopolitical clout through so-called "vaccine diplomacy," initially had promised to donate 750,000 doses to Taiwan but increased that number as President Joe Biden's administration advances its pledge to send 80 million U.S.-made shots around the world. China, which considers Taiwan an integral part of its territory, has repeatedly offered to send coronavirus vaccines to the island, which has been battling a spike in domestic infections. Taipei has expressed concern about the safety of Chinese shots. The 2.5 million donated doses of the Moderna Inc vaccine were set to leave Memphis, Tennessee, on a flight belonging to Taiwan's China Airlines early on Saturday and arrive in Taipei on Sunday evening, a senior U.S. administration official told Reuters, noting that the prompt delivery was due to experts from both sides being able to work out regulatory issues. State Department spokesman Ned Price later tweeted that the plane carrying the vaccines had departed. "We are not allocating these doses, or delivering these doses, based on political or economic conditions. We are donating these vaccines with the singular objective of saving lives," the senior official said. "Our vaccines do not come with strings attached," the official said, adding Taiwan had "faced unfair challenges in its efforts to acquire vaccines on the global marketplace." A deal for Taiwan to purchase vaccines from Germany's BioNTech SE fell through this year, with Taiwan's government blaming pressure from Beijing. China has denied the accusation, saying Taiwan is free to obtain the vaccines through Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co Ltd, which has a contract to sell BioNTech's vaccine in China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Story continues "We believe that these attempts by China to block purchases, for political purposes, are reprehensible," the senior Biden administration official said. Taiwan is trying to speed up the arrival of the millions of vaccines it has on order, although infections remain comparatively low despite a rise in domestic cases. Only around 6% of Taiwan's 23.5 million people have received at least one shot of a vaccine regimen. The U.S. shipment comes at a time when Washington has been working with Taipei to create secure supply chains for strategic items such as computer chips, of which Taiwan is a key producer, that are vital for U.S. automobile manufacturers and other industries. It also comes after Taiwan announced on Friday that it will allow Terry Gou, the billionaire founder of Taiwan's Foxconn and semiconductor giant TSMC, to negotiate on its behalf for COVID-19 vaccines. Taiwan Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang said Washington's assistance with vaccines confirmed the "rock-solid friendship between Taiwan and the United States." Jonathan Fritz, a senior State Department official, said on Thursday that China had been "very aggressively using vaccine donations as a lever to induce more of Taiwan's diplomatic partners to switch recognition." Beijing has steadily whittled down the number of Taiwan's diplomatic allies, which now stands at just 15 countries. The United States, which like most countries has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, has watched with alarm the stepped up tensions with Beijing, and Biden's administration has vowed to boost ties with the island, which it is required under U.S. law to supply with the means of defense. Earlier this week Taiwan reported the largest incursion yet by China's air force, including fighters and nuclear-capable bombers, into its air defense identification zone. (Reporting by Michael Martina, David Brunnstrom and Andrea Shalal in Washington; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by Mary Milliken, Daniel Wallis and Steve Orlofsky) World champions France opened their campaign with a 1-0 win over Germany on Tuesday (June 15), while Hungary are looking to bounce back after going down 3-0 to Portugal the same day. The match in Budapest's Ferenc Puskas Stadium will played in front of a capacity crowd, the only venue of the eleven being used permitted to do so. Organisers have sold tickets to Hungarian fans who have been vaccinated and visiting fans with proof of negative COVID-19 tests. The match kicked off at 1300GMT. A federal fisheries council voted Friday to lower the bag limits on mahi mahi from the Keys to the Carolinas. But to many people who make their living catching the popular deep sea sport and food species in South Florida, the new rules dont go far enough. Some actually want to see more restrictions on keeping the colorful migratory fish also commonly called dolphin because they say there just arent nearly as many as there used to be, and the ones they are catching are smaller on average. These fishermen say mahi are being overfished recreationally and commercially in the U.S. and especially internationally, where other nations are not policing conservation laws. Thats my Holy Grail, and thats the fishermens Holy Grail, what we see. And if fishermen are asking for reductions, you better believe there needs to be reductions, because we dont ask for reductions, said Art Sapp, a Plantation charter fishing captain and member of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. We want to be able to catch what we see. And in this scenario, were begging for reductions. Charter anglers dont make such statements lightly, especially about mahi, a species that is a major economic driver not only to the fishing industry but also to Florida and the nation. But they say making proper sacrifices now is the only way to ensure the fishery will survive for future generations of professional anglers. Mahi fishing brings in $450 million to the U.S. economy, and most of that flows to Florida, according to the nonprofit Florida fishing group South Atlantic Fishing Environmentalists, or SAFE. Crew and anglers aboard the Captain Easy charter boat docked out of the Post Card Inn hold a couple of nice mahi they caught in June 2017. Charter captains say they now have difficulty finding large dolphin off the Florida Keys. The dolphin species rings a social and economic bell larger than any other targeted effort on the United States Atlantic coast, Jon Reynolds, an Islamorada charter captain and president of SAFE, said in a statement to the commission. Nearly 600,000 recreational trips are taken annually with dolphin as their primary target on the Atlantic coast, providing an annual economic output of nearly $300 million in just Florida alone. Story continues Scientists lack a solid assessment of the real numbers of mahi mahi in the ocean, but they are trusting professional anglers observations that the fishery is not nearly as large and healthy as it once was. The average size of todays fishery is substantially smaller than in the past, a sure indication of intensive exploitation, Jerald Ault, chair of the Department of Marine Ecosystems and Society at the University of Miami, said in a letter he sent to the council Wednesday. A greater stock of large fish, like mahi, is also important for a healthy marine ecosystem, Reynolds said, because their existence helps reduce ocean acidification, which in turn improves water quality and helps with coral reef restoration. The movements of large pelagic species like dolphin through the water column enhances biomixing and capture of atmospheric carbon, effectively cleansing our oceans, Reynolds said. The vote On Thursday, a committee from the council narrowly approved reducing the bag limit on mahi from 60 fish per boat to 54. The 13-member council voted 9-3, with one member absent, on the proposed rule change to federal fishing laws Friday morning. It is now up to the secretary of the Department of Commerce to accept or deny the rule change. Florida commissioners wanted the limit to be 48 dolphin per vessel. Sapp was among the three people who voted against the reduction to 54 fish because he said it doesnt go far enough to help the species rebound. He supported the 48-fish limit as a step that would make at least some difference. Were being reactive to what weve seen here over the last 10 years, and a greatly reduced dolphin fishery. You all can talk all you want about the water temperatures changing and that affecting it, and its not, Sapp said, responding to council colleagues from North Carolina saying rising water temperatures are more of a factor than overfishing in the dwindling mahi population. These fish live in the hottest of waters down through the Caribbean, and theyre still plentiful. Its got nothing to do with the water temperature changing, Sapp said. While anglers consider larger gaffer dolphin to be around 20 pounds, they can grow up to seven feet and weigh as much as 88 pounds, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They live up to five years and can start reproducing at four to five months old, according to NOAA. Uniquely regional issues The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council initially proposed lowering the per-boat limit to 48 dolphin, but the committee instead compromised at 54 because North Carolina fishermen say the lower limit would have disproportionate negative impacts on their industry. For one, the fish species population is not as diverse year-round off the North Carolina coast as it is off Floridas, and Carolina boats have to travel much farther offshore to hunt big game fish. In North Carolina, our charter fleet is less opportunistic. We have targeted seasons with each fish wahoo, mahi, tuna, mackerel carrying that particular season. Our typical length of trips is greater than 12 hours. And typical distances traveled are between 45 and 60 miles from shore, said Anna Barrios Beckwith, vice chair of the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission and her states at-large representative on the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. Mahi mahi, also known as dolphin, are among the most popular fish to catch in the Keys. Therefore, when people pay the money to hire a boat to target mahi in North Carolina, the fact that the typical charter of six people can keep up to 10 fish is a big draw, Barrios Beckwith said. A significant lowering of the allowable catch would discourage many people from hiring a charter boat in the state, she said. In northern Outer Banks, clients must make a decision to travel to this remote area and spend money on renting houses and hotels. Theres not much else to do there except get sunburned, fish and eat some great seafood, she said. Current limits are needed to market these trips, even if the limits are not always achieved. North Carolina charter captains also disagree that there is any evidence to support the need for lowering the allowable catch. We find that the North Carolina charter fleet will experience unnecessary and inequitable economic damage, Barrios Beckwith said. We have received no scientific-based recommendation from the councils science advisers that a reduction in harvest is needed. However, others on the council disagreed that even lowering the bag limit as far as 48 would negatively impact the North Carolina fleet in any significant way. Even on many good days of fishing, boats come back to the dock far short of the legal limit. I cant see anybody not going to North Carolina because they can only catch 48 dolphin and not 60, said Kyle Christiansen, Georgias representative on the council. I just cant. Barrios Beckwith voted in favor of the 54-fish limit, even though she said North Carolina fishermen will feel the most pain. In the true art of compromise, everyone walks away from the table unhappy. I see an East Coast vessel limit of 54 as a viable compromise, she said. Sapp said accepting the compromised bag limit is a wasted opportunity to make progress on saving the mahi species now instead of facing more drastic measures like fishery closures in the future. It blows my mind that this council cant look at this and realize that something can be done now that will help the future, instead of having to react when the whole region is in trouble, he said. Pinpointing the problem Jessica McCawley, director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commissions Division of Marine Fisheries and one of Floridas representatives on the council, said since mahi are highly migratory, its difficult to pinpoint where the most overfishing is occurring. And while officials suspect much of its happening in other nations waters, they lack concrete evidence. Their movements are wide-ranging. And we have very little information about the magnitude of the international fisheries that are targeting this same population of dolphin, McCawley told her colleagues. FWC has written letters to NOAA and the State Department expressing concern about this fishery, especially this international component, and trying to get more information, get this data, get it from countries who are not reporting on the commercial side. And theyre definitely not reporting numbers on the recreational side, so this is not just a U.S. fishery, and we recognize that. Anglers hold mahi mahi they caught on a 2016 outing with First Choice Charters out of the Post Card Inn Marina at Holiday Isle. But South Florida charter captains say much of the problem is the growing practice of commercial longline fishing. As the name suggests, longlines are long stretches of hooked fishing line that are dropped in the ocean and later retrieved. It is an extremely effective and critics say, destructive way of catching large amounts of fish in a short period of time, putting rod and reel commercial fishermen like the ones in South Florida and the Keys at a tremendous disadvantage. The federal government allows commercial anglers to lay 32 nautical miles of line at a time. Reynolds, with SAFE, said there are 70 longline vessels currently targeting mahi, most based in northern Florida and North Carolina. Doing away with longlining in dolphin fishing isnt even on any agenda, Reynolds said. Female soldiers at Army bases in Texas, Colorado, Kansas and Kentucky face a greater risk of sexual assault and harassment than those at other posts, accounting for more than a third of all active-duty Army women sexually assaulted in 2018, according to a new Rand Corp. study. The study, released Friday, looked at Army incidents, and found that female soldiers at Fort Hood and Fort Bliss, both in Texas, faced the highest risk, particularly those in combat commands or jobs such as field artillery and engineering. And units with more frequent deployments to war also saw higher risk. Other bases with high risk were Fort Campbell in Kentucky, Fort Carson in Colorado and Fort Riley in Kansas, said the study which reviewed assault data from previous years. Rands study provides greater detail on the rates of sexual assault and misconduct across the Army, a chronic problem that military leaders have been struggling to combat. And it comes a year after the killing of Spc. Vanessa Guillen, who was missing at Fort Hood for about two months before her remains were found late last June. Guillen was killed by a soldier, who her family says sexually harassed her, and who killed himself as police sought to arrest him. Her death put a spotlight on violence and leadership problems within the Army. The Rand report also confirmed one of the Armys conclusions about the impact of command climate, finding a lower risk of sexual misconduct in units with more positive supervisor scores. The Fort Hood violence prompted an independent review which found that military leaders were not adequately dealing with high rates of sexual assault and harassment at the post. Christopher Swecker, the chairman of the review panel, told Congress that the base leaders were focused on military readiness and completely neglected the sexual assault prevention program. As a result, he said, lower-level unit commanders didnt encourage service members to report assaults, and in many cases were shaming victims. Story continues According to the Rand study, the risk of assault for women at Fort Hood was nearly a third higher than the average risk faced by all women in the Army. Overall, Rand said that the risk across the Army varied widely depending on the female soldiers base, unit, career field, age, and even whether they were at posts with a higher number of civilians. For example, female soldiers in medical or personnel jobs have the lowest risk, while those in field artillery face the highest risk. Field artillery jobs were among some of the last Army combat specialties opened to women coming in 2015. Other jobs that lagged behind were infantry, armor and special operations. James A. Helis, director of the Army Resilience Directorate, said the study sheds light on the environmental and occupational factors that contribute to the risk of sexual assault and sexual harassment for our soldiers and, in turn, will help inform future prevention and response efforts. The report used earlier Rand studies as well as data from Defense Department anonymous surveys in 2016 and 2018 that seek information about sexual assaults and harassment that may or may not have been formally reported. And it compared that to other military personnel and demographic data. Soldiers assigned to the Washington, D.C. region, meanwhile, have some of the lowest risk totals, with the Pentagon showing the lowest of all installations listed. Among the bases with the lowest reported risk were Fort Belvoir, in northern Virginia, and Fort George G. Meade and the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, in Maryland. According to the study, an estimated 8.4% or about 1 in 12 of the roughly 5,883 Army women who served at Fort Hood were sexually assaulted, while at the Pentagon it was 1.8%, or about one in 50. The study noted, however, that the difference is not surprising considering that its likely that women at the Pentagon are, on average, older, more senior-ranking and more highly educated. They also are more likely to be working with older and more senior-ranking men. The report said that the data can be used to help the Army tailor prevention and other programs to better counter sexual assault in the ranks. These findings provide the Army with increased visibility on where exactly risk is consistently high for sexual assault and sexual harassment, said Jenna Newman, social science advisor at the resilience directorate and the Armys project lead for the study. It suggests there are location-specific concerns that require targeted interventions into climate and culture and will require additional research to understand. In the wake of the Guillen killing and a spike in suicides last year, Army leaders launched a program in October that focuses on the wellbeing of soldiers and their families, specifically making people the Armys top priority, overtaking combat readiness and weapons modernization. And the Sergeant Major of the Army, Michael Grinston, the top enlisted soldier, began a campaign called This is My Squad to build unit cohesion and encourage soldiers to look after each other. The broader effort also is aimed at improving the command climate in units, since poor leadership was identified as a significant problem at Fort Hood. Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Photos via Getty When I think of Juneteenth, I cant help but think about a famous speech by Frederick Douglassand about the young Mexican American activist who told me a couple of years ago that he wanted to celebrate Juneteenth instead of the Fourth of July. On July 5, 1852, at an Independence Day celebration organized by the Rochester Ladies Anti-Slavery Society, Frederick Douglass asked What to the slave is the Fourth of July? And he answered that it is a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. As Americans begin to embrace Juneteenth and Douglass wisdom from nearly 170 years ago, we now must ask What to America is Juneteenth? Despite being completely unfamiliar with Douglass speech, this Mexican American child knew that it made no sense for people of color to celebrate the Fourth of July when we did not get our freedom for another 89 years. July 4, 1776 might have liberated white colonizers from the British, but it amounted to nothing for the Black people they continued to enslave. Its Time for All of America To Celebrate Juneteenth As a Black American, I grew up celebrating the Fourth of July and it was not until much later in my life that I learned about Juneteenth. I knew that the Fourth did not celebrate my own freedom, but the lack of an alternative meant that I was encouraged to tacitly celebrate the absence of my own freedom in the name of what America calls freedom. Making Juneteenth a federal holiday is a step in the right direction, but much work still needs to be done for Juneteenth to become a national celebration on par with the Fourth. Juneteenth occurred on June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and issued General Order Number 3 that stated that all Slaves are free. The Emancipation Proclamation had been issued two and a half years earlier, but the Confederacy paid no attention to it as they continued to wage a war to defend slavery. Story continues The Union needed to win the war in order for any iteration of Black freedom to exist in the South, yet even after being defeated the South refused to end slavery. Union soldiers literally had to occupy the South and force Southerners to free their slaves. Since Texas was the most distant western state at the time, it was the last state that Union soldiers needed to occupy to finally free all of Americas enslaved population. And despite the Union freeing the slaves, General Order Number 3 still advised Blacks to remain quietly at their present homes, and work for wages. This iteration of American freedom still encouraged white supremacy and the subservience of Black Americans. During Reconstruction, after the Civil War, Union soldiers continued to occupy the former Confederate states to ensure that Black Americans remained free and not terrorized by the Ku Klux Klan, and racist law enforcement and politicians. The constant military presence in the South allowed the federal government to implement the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth amendments, but the removal of federal troops from the South in 1877 ended Reconstruction, precipitated Jim Crow, and birthed the struggle for freedom again. In the 1960s, a century later, Black Americans finally re-earned many of the freedoms that had been taken away from them after the end of Reconstruction. Juneteenth Becomes First Federal Holiday to Acknowledge Countrys Moral Stain As Juneteenth approaches this year, America confronts a resurgent conservative movement that appears somehow emboldened by Donald Trumps defeat. They have attacked the Capitol, passed new laws to make it harder for people of color to vote, and have worked to outlaw the teaching of critical race theory, critical thinking, and the 1619 Project in schools. The conservative response to the empowered communities of color that helped Joe Biden win the presidency has been the strategic denial of freedom and the silencing of voices of color. Their actions echo the philosophy of the Confederacy and those intent on destroying Reconstruction. Their version of America cannot coexist with the criticism of Americas systemic oppression that will inevitably occur as people of color obtain more freedom and agency in American society. Instead they respond to criticisms that can reveal the truth about America by silencing dissent, and crafting a new narrative that depicts white Americans as the benevolent rulers of American society. Its Juneteenth, and a White Nationalist Is President In 2020, then-President Trump planned to hold a campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahomahome of one of the deadliest racist massacres in American historyon Juneteenth. Following national outcry he changed the date of the rally to June 20, but also attempted to take credit for popularizing the holiday. I did something good: I made Juneteenth very famous, said Trump. Nobody had ever heard of it. For those Americans fighting against freedom and equality, Juneteenth may tragically become another opportunity to corrupt the truth and re-write history into a false narrative to celebrate white supremacy. For the rest of America, Juneteenth is an opportunity to finally celebrate freedom in our society, but it is also a blunt reminder of the perversity of the Fourth of July. In 1852, well-meaning white Americans believed that it made sense for a formerly enslaved Black American to celebrate the Fourth of July alongside them and embrace the freedoms that white Americans had given themselves, yet intentionally denied to Black Americans. When Black Americans vigorously celebrate white freedom and the Fourth of July, America creates a hypocritical double consciousness that normalizes white supremacy and impedes freedom. Through Black celebration, white and Black Americans are encouraged to believe in the existence of an equitable American freedom that has never existed. To create the freedom its promised, America must liberate itself from many of the lies we have long told ourselves. True freedom in America did not arrive for another 13 years after Douglass speech, so all he could do was denounce the bad-faith lie of the Fourth of July. Luckily for us, Juneteenth now provides America with an opportunity to celebrate the freedom of all Americans. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Jun. 19Comedian released a new jingle today for Hawaii's vaccination incentives campaign. De Lima's "The Vaccination, " sung to the tune of "The Loco-Motion, " tells everyone of the chance to win big, with roundtrips, a $1, 000 shopping spree at Pearl City Shopping Center, a one-year auto lease from AutoSource Hawaii. "Come on. Log on. Sign up. Sit back, " he sings. "Your name may pulled from the hat ...but first you've gotta have the vaccination ...so come on, come on, do the vaccination for free." The incentives campaign, which launched June 4, offers adults that get a vaccine shot here up to June 30 the opportunity to register for prize drawings, including round-trip airline tickets, gift cards, and food. The drawings are also open to those who already got vaccinated prior to this month. Among the prizes are 100, 000 HawaiianMiles for 10 winners, roundtrip tickets from Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlinesand now, American Airlines, as well. American Airlines is providing four pairs of round-trip tickets to anywhere that it flies, including international destinations So far, more than 217, 100 people have registered for the chance to win prizes, organizers said. The were announced on Wednesday Elaine Nishiura of Hilo won 100, 000 HawaiianMiles courtesy of Hawaiian Airlines and Mark Matsuo of Honolulu won two round-trip tickets from Alaska Airlines. The names of five new prize winners were drawn today, organizers said, and will be announced next week once their vaccination status has been verified. Dozens of businesses are also offering deals and discounts to those who show their vaccination cards this month. Anyone age 18 and up with proof of at least one COVID-19 vaccination within the state of Hawaii may enter to win before June 30. To register, visit. PARIS (Reuters) - Five police officers were injured, two seriously, and a partygoer lost his hand when security forces tried to break up an illegal rave of some 1,500 people in western France, local officials said on Saturday. TV images showed gendarmes using tear gas and ravers throwing firecrackers, projectiles and petrol bombs as clashes broke out when around 400 police officers moved in an effort to disperse the party. According to Emmanuel Berthier, police chief for the Ile-et-Vilaine area, a 22-year-old person lost a hand amid the "extreme violence". Clashes lasted for about seven hours, the national gendarmerie said on its Twitter account. As of Saturday morning, about 1,000 people remain at a horse racing track near Redon in Brittany where the rave was held and officials said they hoped to regain control over the weekend. "Those present were not there to party, but to fight with the police," Pascal Duchene, the mayor of Redon, told BFM TV. (Reporting by Nicolas Delame and John Irish, editing by Mark Heinrich) The New York Times BALTIMORE When Target announced that it was opening a store in Mondawmin, a predominantly Black neighborhood in Baltimore, a city struggling with crime and poverty, it seemed like a ticket to a turnaround. And from the start, it was a practical success and a point of community pride. The store, which opened in 2008, carried groceries, operated a pharmacy and had a Starbucks cafe the only one in this part of Baltimores west side. People came from across the city to shop there, helping to sof On Saturday, Google's search page featured an homage to Juneteenth with artwork created by Detroit-based artist Rachelle Baker that was centered on Black joy and artistic contributions. The Doodle art featured an homage to Black artistic contributions by alluding to decorative ironwork, which includes styles that can be found throughout southern architecture and was often forged by enslaved African Americans and unrecognized freedmen. The artwork includes images of parades, music, food and community from past and present. Baker said she was inspired by family photo albums, illuminated letters and intaglio prints, a printing process that typically uses an etched or engraved plate. I looked at tons of photos and art illustrating some of the first ever Juneteenth celebration, as well as celebrations, parades, and festivities from recent years, Baker said in a note. I also read about specific symbols, foods, colors and activities that were and continue to be important in celebrating and commemorating this holiday. A Google Doodle honoring Juneteenth with artwork by Detroit-based artist Rachelle Baker. Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, commemorates the day that news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached Texas in 1865. Although the proclamation went into effect on Jan. 1, 1863, some people who owned slaves didn't tell them they were free. On June 19, 1865, Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger brought the news to Galveston, Texas. The Juneteenth National Independence Day Act moved through Congress this week, with the House and Senate both passing it just days before the June 19th date marking the historic event. President Joe Biden signed a bill Thursday that adds Juneteenth, which commemorates the date in 1865 when slaves in Texas first learned of the Emancipation Proclamation, as the 11th federal holiday. Its the first federal holiday created since Martin Luther King Jr. Day became law in 1983. Federal workers observed Juneteenth on Friday this year because June 19 falls on a Saturday. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Juneteenth 2021: Google Doodle honors Black artistic contributions Jun. 19NEW LONDON School and city officials on Friday held a ceremonial groundbreaking to mark the start of reconstruction of the city's middle school, the second part of a nearly $160 million two-campus project now underway. With some previous obstacles and delays out of the way, the first phase of the $49.5 million project at Bennie Dover Jackson Multi-Magnet Middle School is slated to begin on June 28. The project, which involves demolition, an addition and revamping of classroom and outdoor space, is slated to be completed in the fall of 2024. The funding for the middle and high school projects was first approved in 2014 at referendum as a major component of the district's transition into an all-magnet school district. The schools welcome students from towns across Connecticut, allowing the district to benefit from state magnet school funding. At the time of the referendum, voters approved a total cost of $165 million for the two schools with $55 million allocated for the middle school. The state is reimbursing the city 80% of the costs for most components of the two projects. Bennie Dover will eventually house middle school students in two of the district's three magnet programs: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and an International Baccalaureate program. The school is currently in the IB candidacy phase. The third magnet pathway is Visual and Performing Arts. New London High School, in the middle of a $108 million construction project, will house STEM and IB programs for high school students and, because of the larger size, will accommodate both middle and high school students in the arts magnet program. The high school project is slated to be completed in 2023. School officials say while the middle school will have distinct spaces for each of its two magnet school programs, it will continue to have arts programming as required by middle school curriculum. The renovations, for instance, will include new art spaces, band and digital arts areas. Story continues The project, overseen by Colliers International, will include new heating, cooling and ventilation, a new addition to house science space and classrooms. There will also be an enlarged interior courtyard for outdoor programming. The current plans do not include reconstruction of the adjacent Central Office building, despite an initial push to use contingency funding for that project. City Councilor John Satti, chairman of the School Maintenance and Building Committee, presided over Friday's event outside Bennie Dover and handed out golden shovels to officials for photos. Satti gave a brief history of the middle school, which is the site of the former Chapman Technical High School. An existing portion of Chapman Tech built in 1935 will be demolished as part of the project. Much of the middle school building was constructed in the 1950s, with a major renovation taking place in 1993. Bennie Dover Principal Chris Vamvakides lived in a home at the corner of Waller Street and Waller Court and watched the 1993 renovations. "Now as principal of the middle school, I am incredibly humbled and proud to lead Bennie Dover through this exciting new chapter of its history," Vamvakides said Friday. "We have a bright future ahead of us and I can't wait until our students, staff and community get to enjoy this campus in just a few short years." "This is a long time coming and amazing opportunity and gift for the children and community," Superintendent Cynthia Ritchie said. "This is one element of the chapter of change and new beginnings and levels of excellence which all of our students deserve. We're transforming inside and out and we're doing it together." g.smith@theday.com Its been nearly two weeks since the shocking June 7 double homicide of Paul Murdaugh and his mother, Maggie, on their sprawling Colleton County property. The shootings have garnered international attention due to the Murdaugh familys prominence in the Palmetto states legal community. Rumors and theories have been rampant as people wonder who killed Paul Murdaugh, who was charged in the 2019 boat crash that killed a young woman, and his mother, Maggie, and why they were killed. Following the double homicide, the 2019 boat crash that killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach is also facing new scrutiny. The S.C. Attorney Generals Office is probing how police handled the boat crash investigation that led to felony charges against Paul Murdaugh. Law enforcement has released little information in the wake of the shootings. As of Saturday morning, no suspects or arrests have been publicly announced. Heres a timeline of whats happened since the double homicide: Monday, June 7 Between 9 and 9:30 p.m.: Paul Murdaugh and his mother, Maggie, die from gunshot wounds on their property, the Moselle hunting lodge in Islandton, according to the county coroner. 10:07 p.m.: Alex Murdaugh, father and husband of the victims, calls 911. He tells the Colleton County Dispatch Center he returned to the property and found the two bodies, according to a statement from the S.C. Law Enforcement Division. Colleton County Sheriffs Office deputies respond to the scene. 10:28 p.m.: The Colleton County Sheriffs Office contacts the S.C. Law Enforcement Division to help conduct the investigation. 11:47 p.m.: SLED regional agents begin arriving at the scene and take the lead role in the investigation. 12:07 a.m.: SLED crime scene agents begin arriving at the scene. They collect evidence and submit it to the agencys forensic lab. From left, Richard Alexander Murdaugh, Margaret Maggie Kennedy Branstetter Murdaugh, Paul Terry Murdaugh and Richard Alexander Murdaugh (Alex) before a formal event in 2019. Tuesday, June 8 Between 6:45 and 8 a.m.: News outlets report S.C. Law Enforcement Division and the Colleton County Sheriffs Office are investigating a double homicide at Moselle, a well-known hunting lodge in Colleton County owned by the Murdaugh family. Early on, sources confirm the victims were related to the Murdaugh family but will not provide exact identities. Story continues An unidentified car blocks the approach to the Murdaugh family property on Tuesday, June 8, 2021 near the dog kennels where Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and her son Paul Murdaugh, 22, died from gunshot wounds in an apparent homicide in Colleton County. 9:20 a.m.: SLED spokesperson Tommy Crosby says based on the evidence, they do not believe there is a danger to the public. Throughout the morning: News continues to spread of the murders as the Hampton community quietly grapples with what happened. 11:31 a.m.: The Murdaughs law firm, PMPED, releases a statement about the deaths on its Facebook page. This is the first public confirmation identifying the victims as Paul and Maggie Murdaugh. Statement on Murdaugh deaths from PMPED law firm. 1:17 p.m.: At the time of his death, Paul Murdaughs felony charges were being prosecuted by the S.C. Attorney Generals office. A spokesperson with the office says: We obviously cannot proceed with the prosecution, so once we have a death certificate or other acceptable proof, well officially dismiss the charges. 3:45 p.m.: The family of Mallory Beach, who died in the 2019 boat crash, releases a statement through their lawyer, Mark Tinsley. It reads: The Beach family extends its deepest and warmest sympathies to the Murdaugh family during this terrible time. Having suffered the devastating loss of their own daughter, the family prays that the Murdaughs can find some level of peace from this tragic loss. They would like the family and the community to know that their thoughts and continued prayers are with the Murdaughs. It is their most sincere hope that someone will come forward and cooperate with authorities so that the perpetrator of these senseless crimes can be brought to justice. Wednesday, June 9 10 a.m.: The Colleton County Sheriffs Office releases the initial police report from the double homicide. Its one sentence long and refers to a supplemental report that the department has declined to provide. Under South Carolina law, initial police reports must be made publicly available within 14 days of an incident, and must include details such as the nature and substance of the incident. The Sheriffs Office has also declined to release 911 recordings from the night of the shooting. 2:50 p.m.: The states top law enforcement officer, SLED Chief Mark Keel, tells The Island Packet: We are pursuing all leads and the investigation is continuing. Thursday, June 10 During the day: Autopsies performed on Paul and Maggie Murdaugh at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Full autopsy reports typically take six to eight weeks to complete. The Colleton County Sheriffs Office says it turned the investigation over to SLED because of a conflict of interest, spokesperson Shalane Lowes said. 3:10 p.m.: Despite the three felony charges against Paul Murdaugh being dismissed because of his death, the criminal investigation into the 2019 Beaufort County boat crash will remain active, S.C. Attorney General Office spokesperson Robert Kittle tells The Island Packet. 4:40 p.m.: Sources familiar with the investigation confirm that one theory investigators are pursuing is the likelihood that Paul Murdaugh was targeted, while his mother was killed because she was there by happenstance. Paul was shot in the head and upper body with a shotgun, while Maggie Murdaugh was killed with what appears to be an assault rifle, the sources say. 6 p.m.: Hampton County coroner confirms Randolph Murdaugh III, the former state solicitor and patriarch of the Murdaugh family, dies days after the double homicide. Sources say he was ill at the time of his death. Friday, June 11 Noon: Hundreds of people attend a celebration of life for Paul and Maggie Murdaugh at the Hampton Cemetery on Holly Street. One family member describes the two as well lived and well loved before a rainstorm swiftly ends the service. Buster Murdaugh, center, receives a hug in the pouring rain at the funeral service for his brother, Paul, and mother, Maggie, on June 11, 2021. Sunday, June 13 2 p.m.: About 200 people attend the funeral service at the Hampton Cemetery for Randolph Murdaugh III. A Facebook post from the Peters Murdaugh Parker Eltzroth & Detrick law firm based in Hampton, S.C., announces the death of attorney and former 14th Circuit Solicitor Randolph Murdaugh III on Thursday, June 10, 2021. Monday, June 14 11:45 a.m.: Colleton County Coroner Richard Harvey tells The Island Packet that Paul and Maggie Murdaugh were both shot multiple times. He declines to answer further questions about the autopsy results. Tuesday, June 15 2 p.m.: Rumors, questions and speculation continue to swirl in the wake of the killings. The Island Packet answers questions related to the investigation. 3:38 p.m.: The Island Packet publishes an exclusive report that Paul Murdaugh had two previously unreported brushes with law enforcement while free on bond. Paul Terry Murdaugh prepares to leave the Beaufort County Courthouse on Monday after having his bond modified for the three felony charges he faces for the Feb. 24 boat crash which killed Mallory Beach. Murdaughs defense attorney Jim Griffin asked judge Michael G. Nettles to allow Murdaugh to travel within the state. Nettles ruled that Murdaugh may travel within the state with no other modifications. The state had asked for GPS monitoring as well as alcohol monitoring which was not a condition set by Nettles. 4:45 p.m.: SLED releases its first public statement about the case, confirming that Alex Murdaugh discovered the bodies and called 911. Wednesday, June 16 10:35 a.m.: Mark Tinsley, the lawyer representing the family of Mallory Beach, says police improperly tried to influence the 2019 boat crash investigation. 1:28 p.m.: SLED sets up a 24-hour tip line for people to call in with information. The number is 803-896-2605. 2:44 p.m.: The 14th Circuit Solicitors Office, which stepped away from the 2019 boat crash investigation, refuses to say what role it is playing in the double homicide investigation raising questions about potential conflicts of interest. Kimberly Smith (center, back row), then Assistant Solicitor, stands behind 14th Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone at a news conference in 2019. Thursday, June 17 7:35 a.m.: In the Murdaugh familys first interview since the murders, John Marvin Murdaugh and Randolph Randy Murdaugh IV say strangers had threatened Paul Murdaugh before he was killed. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Mid-afternoon: A worker places KEEP OUT signs and a metal gate in front of the Murdaugh family property in Islandton. A worker places a keep out sign at the entrance to the main house to the Murdaugh property on Thursday, June 17, 2021 on Moselle Road in Islandton, S.C. On Monday, June 7, 2021, Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and her son Paul Murdaugh, 22, died from gunshot wounds in an apparent homicide in at their residence in Colleton County. 3:30 p.m.: The Charleston Post and Courier sues SLED and the Colleton County Sheriffs Office for not releasing public records related to the murders. Friday, June 18 8:17 a.m.: Another clip of the Murdaugh familys interview says Alex Murdaugh, Mallory Beachs family and all occupants of the Sea Hunt boat that crashed near Parris Island in 2019 voluntarily submitted DNA samples to investigators. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. 9:01 a.m.: A letter obtained by The Island Packet says Alex Murdaugh was authorized as a volunteer for the 14th Judicial Circuit Solicitors Office. The Solicitors Office still refuses to return phone calls. 9:44 a.m.: The Island Packet reports that the S.C. Attorney Generals Office opened an investigation earlier this year into how police handled the 2019 boat crash investigation. A state grand jury is probing whether there was obstruction of justice during the investigation, the newspaper reported. 11:38 a.m.: The State reports that SLED investigators have searched the apartment near the University of South Carolina where Paul Murdaugh was living during the spring semester. Hedge Funds and other institutional investors have just completed filing their 13Fs with the Securities and Exchange Commission, revealing their equity portfolios as of the end of September. At Insider Monkey, we follow nearly 900 active hedge funds and notable investors and by analyzing their 13F filings, we can determine the stocks that they are collectively bullish on. One of their picks is Eni SpA (NYSE:E), so lets take a closer look at the sentiment that surrounds it in the current quarter. Hedge fund interest in Eni SpA (NYSE:E) shares was flat at the end of last quarter. This is usually a negative indicator. Our calculations also showed that E isn't among the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds (click for Q1 rankings). The level and the change in hedge fund popularity aren't the only variables you need to analyze to decipher hedge funds' perspectives. A stock may witness a boost in popularity but it may still be less popular than similarly priced stocks. That's why at the end of this article we will examine companies such as Banco Bradesco SA (NYSE:BBD), Ambev SA (NYSE:ABEV), and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (NYSE:CM) to gather more data points. Hedge funds' reputation as shrewd investors has been tarnished in the last decade as their hedged returns couldn't keep up with the unhedged returns of the market indices. Hedge funds have more than $3.5 trillion in assets under management, so you can't expect their entire portfolios to beat the market by large margins. Our research was able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that outperformed the S&P 500 ETFs by more than 115 percentage points since March 2017 (see the details here). So you can still find a lot of gems by following hedge funds' moves today. Peter Rathjens Arrowstreet Capital 394 Peter Rathjens of Arrowstreet Capital At Insider Monkey, we scour multiple sources to uncover the next great investment idea. For example, an activist hedge fund wants to buy this $27 biotech stock for $50. So, we recommended a long position to our monthly premium newsletter subscribers. We go through lists like the 10 best battery stocks to pick the next Tesla that will deliver a 10x return. Even though we recommend positions in only a tiny fraction of the companies we analyze, we check out as many stocks as we can. We read hedge fund investor letters and listen to stock pitches at hedge fund conferences. You can subscribe to our free daily newsletter on our homepage. Now let's take a peek at the new hedge fund action encompassing Eni SpA (NYSE:E). Story continues Do Hedge Funds Think E Is A Good Stock To Buy Now? At Q1's end, a total of 4 of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey were bullish on this stock, a change of 0% from one quarter earlier. Below, you can check out the change in hedge fund sentiment towards E over the last 23 quarters. With hedgies' positions undergoing their usual ebb and flow, there exists an "upper tier" of notable hedge fund managers who were adding to their stakes meaningfully (or already accumulated large positions). Of the funds tracked by Insider Monkey, Peter Rathjens, Bruce Clarke and John Campbell's Arrowstreet Capital has the biggest position in Eni SpA (NYSE:E), worth close to $46.2 million, accounting for 0.1% of its total 13F portfolio. On Arrowstreet Capital's heels is Fisher Asset Management, led by Ken Fisher, holding a $24.2 million position; less than 0.1%% of its 13F portfolio is allocated to the company. Some other members of the smart money that hold long positions include Ken Griffin's Citadel Investment Group, and Israel Englander's Millennium Management. In terms of the portfolio weights assigned to each position Arrowstreet Capital allocated the biggest weight to Eni SpA (NYSE:E), around 0.06% of its 13F portfolio. Fisher Asset Management is also relatively very bullish on the stock, dishing out 0.02 percent of its 13F equity portfolio to E. We view hedge fund activity in the stock unfavorable, but in this case there was only a single hedge fund selling its entire position: Quantamental Technologies. One hedge fund selling its entire position doesn't always imply a bearish intent. Theoretically a hedge fund may decide to sell a promising position in order to invest the proceeds in a more promising idea. However, we don't think this is the case in this case because only one of the 800+ hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey identified as a viable investment and initiated a position in the stock (that fund was Millennium Management). Let's also examine hedge fund activity in other stocks similar to Eni SpA (NYSE:E). These stocks are Banco Bradesco SA (NYSE:BBD), Ambev SA (NYSE:ABEV), Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (NYSE:CM), Thomson Reuters Corporation (NYSE:TRI), Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX), Public Storage (NYSE:PSA), and Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI). This group of stocks' market values are similar to E's market value. [table] Ticker, No of HFs with positions, Total Value of HF Positions (x1000), Change in HF Position BBD,19,186540,2 ABEV,18,228714,0 CM,14,408020,1 TRI,28,395480,5 BAX,40,3357530,-2 PSA,26,929024,-5 JCI,41,1023861,7 Average,26.6,932738,1.1 [/table] View table here if you experience formatting issues. As you can see these stocks had an average of 26.6 hedge funds with bullish positions and the average amount invested in these stocks was $933 million. That figure was $74 million in E's case. Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) is the most popular stock in this table. On the other hand Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (NYSE:CM) is the least popular one with only 14 bullish hedge fund positions. Compared to these stocks Eni SpA (NYSE:E) is even less popular than CM. Our overall hedge fund sentiment score for E is 18.3. Stocks with higher number of hedge fund positions relative to other stocks as well as relative to their historical range receive a higher sentiment score. Hedge funds dodged a bullet by taking a bearish stance towards E. Our calculations showed that the top 10 most popular hedge fund stocks returned 95.8% in 2019 and 2020, and outperformed the S&P 500 ETF (SPY) by 40 percentage points. These stocks gained 17.2% in 2021 through June 11th but managed to beat the market again by 3.3 percentage points. Unfortunately E wasn't nearly as popular as these 5 stocks (hedge fund sentiment was very bearish); E investors were disappointed as the stock returned 6% since the end of the first quarter (through 6/11) and underperformed the market. If you are interested in investing in large cap stocks with huge upside potential, you should check out the top 5 most popular stocks among hedge funds as most of these stocks already outperformed the market since 2019. Get real-time email alerts: Follow E N I Spa (NYSE:E) Disclosure: None. This article was originally published at Insider Monkey. Related Content DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Iran's hard-line judiciary chief won a landslide victory in the country's presidential election, a vote that both propelled the supreme leader's protege into Tehran's highest civilian position and saw the lowest turnout in the Islamic Republic's history. The election of Ebrahim Raisi, already sanctioned by the U.S. in part over his involvement in the mass execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988, became more of a coronation after his strongest competition found themselves disqualified from running in Saturday's vote. That sparked calls for a boycott and many apparently did stay home out of over 59 million eligible voters, only 28.9 million voted. Of those voting, some 3.7 million people either accidentally or intentionally voided their ballots, far beyond the amount seen in previous elections and suggesting some wanted none of the four candidates. Iranian state television immediately blamed challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and U.S. sanctions for the low participation. But the low turnout and voided ballots suggested a wider unhappiness with the tightly controlled election, as activists criticized Raisi's ascension. That Ebrahim Raisi has risen to the presidency instead of being investigated for the crimes against humanity of murder, enforced disappearance and torture is a grim reminder that impunity reigns supreme in Iran," Amnesty Internationals Secretary-General Agnes Callamard said. In official results, Raisi won 17.9 million votes overall, nearly 62% of the total 28.9 million cast. Had the voided ballots gone to a candidate, that person would have come in second. Following Raisi was former hard-line Revolutionary Guard commander Mohsen Rezaei with 3.4 million votes. Former Central Bank chief Abdolnasser Hemmati, a moderate viewed as a stand-in for outgoing President Hassan Rouhani in the election, came in third with 2.4 million votes. Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi was last with just under 1 million. Story continues Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, who gave the results, did not explain the high number of voided ballots. Elections in 2017 and 2012 saw some 1.2 million voided ballots apiece. Iran does not allow international election observers. While Iran does not have mandatory voting, those casting ballots do receive stamps showing they voted on their birth certificates. Some worry that could affect their ability to apply for jobs and scholarships, or to hold onto their positions in the government or security forces. Abroad, Syrian President Bashar Assad immediately congratulated Raisi's win. Iran has been instrumental in seeing Assad hold onto the presidency amid his country's decade-long grinding war. Separate congratulations came from Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who also serves as the vice president and prime minister of the hereditarily ruled United Arab Emirates. The UAE has been trying to de-escalate tensions with Iran since a series of attacks on shipping off its coast in 2019 that the U.S. Navy blamed on Iran. Also congratulating Raisi was Oman, which has served as an interlocutor between Tehran and the West. Iran's archrival Israel, however, slammed the new leader. Foreign Minister Yair Lapid called Raisi the butcher of Tehran and described him as responsible for the deaths of thousands of Iranians. Rouhani, who in 2017 dismissed Raisi as an opponent in his reelection as someone only knowing about executions and imprisoning people, met the cleric Saturday and congratulated him. "I hope I can respond well to the peoples confidence, vote and kindness during my term, Raisi said. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution overthrew the shah, Irans theocracy has cited voter turnout as a sign of its legitimacy, beginning with its first referendum that won 98.2% support that simply asked whether or not people wanted an Islamic Republic. Some, including former hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, called for a boycott of Saturday's election. A constitutional panel under Khamenei disqualified reformists and those backing Rouhani, whose administration reached the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. The accord disintegrated three years later with then-President Donald Trumps unilateral withdrawal of America from the agreement. Raisi's election puts hard-liners firmly in control across the government as negotiations in Vienna continue to try to save a tattered deal meant to limit Irans nuclear program, at a time when Tehran is enriching uranium at its highest levels ever, though still short of weapons-grade levels. Tensions remain high with both the U.S. and Israel, which is believed to have carried out a series of attacks targeting Iranian nuclear sites as well as assassinating the scientist who created its military atomic program decades earlier. Raisi also has become the first serving Iranian president sanctioned by the U.S. government even before entering office over his involvement in the 1988 mass executions, as well as his time as the head of Irans internationally criticized judiciary one of the worlds top executioners. The State Department said it hoped to build on the Vienna talks regardless of who is in power. However, it noted the election's lowest-ever turnout and described Iranians as being denied their right to choose their own leaders in a free and fair electoral process. Irans restrictions on free expression and association fundamentally compromise the electoral environment, the State Department said. Hundreds of political prisoners remain jailed, and we join the international community in calling for their release. But U.S. hopes for a longer and stronger nuclear deal from the Vienna talks may be in question. Raisis ambivalence about foreign interaction will only worsen the chances that Washington could persuade Tehran to accept further limits on its nuclear program, regional influence, or missile program, at least in Joe Bidens first term in office, wrote Henry Rome, an analyst at the Eurasia Group who studies Iran. Iranian presidents have almost all served two four-year terms. That means Raisi could be at the helm for what could be one of the most crucial moments for the country in decades the death of the 82-year-old Khamenei. Speculation already has begun that Raisi might be a contender for the position, along with Khameneis son, Mojtaba. ___ Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria, and Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. Anne-Marie Caruso/The Record via AP, Pool New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy passed legislation that bars landlords from asking prospective tenants about their criminal history. The new law is an attempt to make housing more equitable for people of color. Landlords can only inquire about criminal history if an applicant has met certain parameters, like registration as a sex offender. See more stories on Insider's business page. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday signed an executive order that broadly prohibits landlords from inquiring about a tenant's criminal history. Murphy signed the Fair Chance in Housing Act to honor Juneteenth, the holiday that recognizes the end of slavery in the United States. The bill was designed to make housing more equitable for people who are denied housing based on their criminal history. Scholars and activists for decades have said that the criminal justice system is racist, leading in part to people of color facing a disproportionate risk of getting housing applications denied. "As we commemorate Juneteenth, we must commit to both remembering the past and continuing to take action to ensure communities of color, especially Black Americans, achieve the full equity they deserve," Murphy said in a press release. "Today, I am proud to sign the Fair Chance in Housing Act into law and work to level what has been for too long an uneven playing field when it comes to access to housing," Murphy said. "I thank the sponsors and advocates for their tireless commitment to making this bill a reality and ensuring that New Jersey is a fairer place to live." This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. The legislation bars landlords from asking about a prospective tenant's criminal history unless they've met certain parameters, like having been flagged as a sex offender or convicted for making meth in federally-assisted housing, the text of the Fair Chance in Housing Act says. Only after a landlord makes a conditional offer to a tenant, the legislation says, can the former run a criminal background check. Story continues The move has been heralded by leaders of civil-rights organizations across New Jersey. "The Fair Chance in Housing Act will significantly impact Black and brown communities who have been devastated by our broken criminal justice and housing systems for generations," said Richard T. Smith, NAACP New Jersey State Conference President. "We thank Governor Murphy for his strong support, and for signing this essential step towards equity into law," Smith added, according to the press release from the governor's office. Read the original article on Business Insider In today's fast-paced news environment, it can be hard to keep up. For your weekend reading, we've started in-case-you-missed-it compilations of some of the week's top USA TODAY Opinion pieces. As always, thanks for reading, and for your feedback. USA TODAY Opinion editors By Tom Nichols "It all started in 2019, when in response to an open invitation from a user on Twitter to post our most controversial food takes, I decided to bypass all the hatred for mayonnaise and other foods, and to fire off a zinger about the cuisine of an entire subcontinent. 'Indian food,' I said, 'is terrible and we pretend it isnt.'" By Philip Levine "Yet when partisan politics get in the way of good intentions, policies and people suffer needlessly. Exhibit A: Florida. First, Gov. Ron DeSantis uses a libertarian, free-market approach to keep the state open while others closed shut. Now hes doing an about-face, dictating rules to ailing cruise companies who want to set sail swiftly and safely." By Connie Rice "To my fellow Americans I have an urgent alarm: Stop distractifying over 'wokeness' and deal with the wolf at the door. Firing folks over 'forbidden' words or views is absurd. Shaming the interracially clueless is counterproductive. But arguing 'wokeness' right now is the strategic equivalent of Titanic musicians debating preludes." No guns allowed By Brandon Wolf "Gunshots endless gunshots filled my ears. I crouched in a dark corner of the bathroom. The smell of blood and smoke singed my nose. Finally, I made a break for the door. I didnt look right; I didnt look left. I just ran. When I dialed Drews number over and over, no one picked up." Story continues By Jon Patricof, Cheri Kempf "Over the past weeks, softball fans have marked the end of stellar collegiate careers for the likes of Giselle Juarez, Sis Bates, Dejah Mulipola and Carrie Eberle. But the end of this chapter of their careers marks the start of another one and a chance for fans to continue to follow them: All four were among 12 selected in our first college draft and have been invited to join Athletes Unlimited Softballs second season, which starts this August and will air on CBS Sports Network and Fox Sports." By The Editorial Board "If anything, the contrast with Trump's 2018 summit was so stark, it was almost as if roles were reversed. Putin, who spoke to the news media first, complimented Biden as experienced, professional and a man of 'attractive' moral values. 'It seems to me we did speak the same language,' Putin said." Stop the steal By Andrea O'Sullivan "Ransomware attacks happen frequently, but they usually dont shut down gasoline sales on much of the East Coast. These cyberattacks target systems by encrypting or shutting users out from computers until they pay the attackers. Many businesses have had to deal with the headache of ransomware, and it can be more cost effective to just pay the attackers, as Colonial Pipeline eventually did." By Meme Styles "Like many of their predecessors, 21st century police reform advocates are emotionally intelligent, data driven, socially aware and relentless in the pursuit of justice for all especially those historically and disproportionately impacted by police brutality. Accountability is their armor, and evidence is their driver." Older vehicles on US roads By Tim Swarens "To me, that's sad because coworkers ought be able to share a lunch room without fear of political strife. It's alarming because people will put up with bullying and it is bullying when we're forced into silence to keep the peace for only so long." By Connie Schultz "This yard of trees is our map, perhaps, for our grandchildren. It is a story of love and resilience that began with a marriage of second chances and grew into our version of a family tree." You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Putin, vaccine passports, a shooting and bitcoin: top columns On Thursday, President Joe Biden signed a law making June 19, Juneteenth, a recognized federal holiday. What some Kentuckians might not know, however, is the holiday has a connection to the Commonwealth, thanks to Civil War General Gordon Granger, who is buried in Lexington Cemetery. What is Juneteenth? According to Dr. Amy Murrell Taylor, a professor of history at the University of Kentucky whose work focuses on the 19th century American South, the holiday commemorates the abolition of slavery. Juneteenth commemorates Emancipation it celebrates the liberation of nearly four million men, women, and children from slavery during and after the American Civil War, Taylor said. It celebrates the longstanding, decades-long struggle of enslaved people to liberate themselves that achieved a monumental victory in 1865. Although the Emancipation Proclamation made slavery illegal in 1862, in practice the freeing of enslaved people depended heavily on enforcement by the Union Army, wending its way into the South in the years following the Civil War. Texas, as the southernmost slave state, did not have a strong Union presence to enforce the law effectively. On June 19, 1865, Union General Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, assuming command of the Union troops already there, ensuring a peaceful transfer of power and nullifying any laws made while the state was under Confederate governance. Upon arriving, one of his first acts was General Order No. 3, which informed Texans that all enslaved people were free once and for all. Taylor said it signified that the freedom promised by the Emancipation Proclamation would now be enforced and protected by the U.S. government. Taylor said of June 19, Before that date, the United States Army had not extended its reach into Texas, so the proclamation had not been implemented there. But General Gordon Grangers order on June 19, 1865, changed that and was worthy of joyous celebration. Grangers public reading resulted in celebratory demonstrations by those freed to commemorate the abolition of slavery, which became what is known as Juneteenth. The day has been observed annually on June 19 since 1865 and is now a federal holiday following Bidens signing of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on June 17. Story continues Juneteenth is one of several days celebrating the end of slavery during the year; Taylor said this is because Emancipation came at different moments in different places. Even as freed people in Texas were rejoicing on June 19, 1865, there were still tens of thousands of men, women, and children still legally enslaved in Kentucky. The state had been exempt from the Emancipation Proclamation. So it would not be until December 6, 1865, when the 13th Amendment was ratified, that all enslaved people in Kentucky were legally free, Taylor said. The Thirteenth Amendment officially made chattel slavery illegal. Grangers connection to Kentucky Granger has several ties to the Commonwealth. During the Civil War he commanded U.S. troops in the Western theater, including in Kentucky for nearly a year as commander of the Army of Kentucky, before being sent to Texas at the end of the war, Taylor said. Soldiers from Kentucky also accompanied him to Texas, Taylor said. Among the troops that arrived in Texas with General Granger were several regiments of United States Colored Troops from central Kentucky, she said. That means hundreds of men who had been enslaved in Kentucky were among the soldiers who headed to Texas to liberate and protect the freedom of enslaved people there. Taylor said Granger married Maria Letcher, a woman from Lexington, in 1869. They are both buried in the Lexington Cemetery. At 10 a.m. on Saturday, there will be a service and wreath-laying ceremony at Grangers grave to commemorate his involvement in the history of Juneteenth. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy says he and former President Donald Trump want to see each other in leadership positions helming GOP majorities in the near future. McCarthy, who is often considered as a front-runner for the speakership if the GOP wins back the lower chamber in next year's midterm elections, says the former president wants to see him succeed Speaker Nancy Pelosi, while the California Republican is pushing Trump to run for his old job. "You know, I've talked to President Trump many times. He tells me he wants me to be speaker, and I think he should be president," McCarthy told Fox News's Brian Kilmeade on Friday. TRUMP SAYS CONGRESSIONAL RUN TO BECOME SPEAKER AND IMPEACH BIDEN IS 'VERY INTERESTING' IDEA Trump has frequently teased a 2024 presidential bid and expressed support for Republicans' goal of reclaiming the House in the 2022 midterm elections, announcing during remarks in February at the Conservative Political Action Conference that he won't start a new party because he's focused on electing Republicans. "We're not starting new parties. You know, they kept saying, 'He's gonna start a brand new party.' We have the Republican Party," he said. "It's going to unite and be stronger than ever before. I am not starting a new party." With speculation mounting that the party is fracturing into pro- and anti-Trump wings, McCarthy also defended another potential 2024 contender, former Vice President Mike Pence, from charges from the Right that he betrayed Trump by certifying President Joe Biden's victory on Jan. 6. "Mike Pence is not a traitor," he said. "I just saw Mike Pence last week. Mike Pence served as, not only as a member of Congress which I served with him, one of the most conservative members. He was the governor of Indiana, and he was the vice president who stood right by President Trump, [who] helped him get through the tax reform [and] get those judges in presiding over the Senate as well. Mike Pence deserves a lot of credit." Story continues On Friday, Pence was taunted as a "traitor" when he took the stage at the Faith and Freedom Coalition conference in Orlando, Florida. "It is great to be back with so many patriots dedicated to faith and freedom and the road to the majority," Pence said as he took the stage. Moments later, a woman could be heard shouting "traitor," while others yelled "boo" as the crowd erupted during his remarks. Though Trump and Pence enjoyed a close relationship during their term in office, with Pence shepherding through much of Trump's preferred policies in his role as president of the Senate, the latter acknowledged that the pair might never "see eye to eye on" the events of Jan. 6. While Trump said Pence lacked the "courage" to overturn the 2020 election results, Pence, who affirmed Biden's victory after a mob overtook the Capitol in an attempt to delay the certification, expressed a different view of the day's events. "Jan. 6 was a dark day in the history of the United States Capitol. But thanks to the swift action of the Capitol Police and federal law enforcement, violence was quelled. The Capitol was secured. And that same day, we reconvened the Congress and did our duty under the Constitution and the laws of the United States. President Trump and I have spoken many times since we left office and I dont know if well ever see eye to eye on that day," Pence said. While Trump has kept a relatively low profile since leaving office, he has endorsed several political candidates ahead of the midterm elections, and he is expected to resume rallies in swing states such as Florida, Georgia, and Ohio. "Relatively soon, well be doing one in Florida. Were gonna do one in Ohio. Were gonna do one in Georgia. Were gonna do one in North Carolina," he told One America News last month. "Well be announcing them very soon over the next week or two, and I think well probably start in Florida and Ohio, and well be announcing the rallies very shortly." CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER A representative for McCarthy did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner's request for comment. Editor's note: An earlier version of this story said McCarthy said Trump wanted to become speaker. A representative for McCarthy has since clarified that he said Trump hopes McCarthy will become speaker, and the misunderstanding was due to a technical error scrambling the leader's audio. Washington Examiner Videos Tags: News, Kevin McCarthy, Donald Trump, Campaigns, Congress, 2022 Elections, House of Representatives Original Author: Carly Roman Original Location: Kevin McCarthy: Trump wants me to be speaker Police in Arizona shot a suspect who allegedly struck nine cyclists with a vehicle during a race, local authorities said. A suspect in a Ford F-150 struck multiple bicyclists at around 7:25 a.m. local time during a benefit race called Bike the Bluff in Show Low, a city roughly 180 miles northeast of Phoenix. The money being raised is slated to go toward a local Christian school. Officers attempted to stop the suspect, but they were unsuccessful in doing so through peaceful means and ultimately shot him. The suspect, a 35-year-old male, was last reported to be in critical but stable condition. Seven victims were transported to a local medical facility, including one who was taken by air. Four of the other six victims are in critical condition, and two are in critical but stable condition, according to a readout from the Show Low Police Department. Additional details about the victims were not immediately available. OREGON AUTHORITIES SEARCHING FOR SUSPECT AFTER THREE VICTIMS KILLED IN HIT-AND-RUN SHOOTING Two to three victims were also taken to a hospital but were reported to be in stable condition. The department thanked first responders on social media for aiding during the incident. Authorities said the "West bound lanes of HWY 60 in front of Horne Auto Collision Center are closed" due to the collision. It was not immediately clear what charges the suspect faces at this time. The Arizona Department of Public Safety was requested by law enforcement to conduct the shooting investigation. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER The SLPD did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner's request for comment. Washington Examiner Videos Tags: News, Arizona, Law, Law Enforcement Original Author: Kaelan Deese Original Location: At least nine people injured in Arizona bike race hit-and-run Thanks to smartphones, most of us walk around with a high-quality camera in our pocket. But this will be especially true if your next phone is the latest model from Softbank. The telecom company has just announced a new Leica-branded phone for the Japan, called the Leitz Phone 1. The legendary German camera makers name has been used for smartphone camera systems and lenses before but never for an entire phone. More from Robb Report As you would expect for a phone that bears the iconic red dot, the camera is the star of this device. Despite looking no thicker than the rest of its modern-day peers, the Leitz Phone 1 comes equipped with a 20-megapiexel, 1-inch sensorcurrently the biggest on the marketand a 19mm-equivalent f/1.9 ultrawide lens. It may not be able to compete with some of Leicas dedicated cameras, like the M10-R or SL2, but it can still hold its ownespecially by smartphone standards. Thats not the only Leica touch youll notice. The Leitz Phone 1 also features a matte black and silver case with the brands familiar red logo. Theres also a magnetic lens cap with the Leica script on it to make sure the lens remains scratch-free. Finally, the phones camera app interface has been given a Leica makeover. Other features include 5G compatibility, a 6.6-inch 120 Hz IGZO OLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, 12GB of RAM, 256 GB of storage and IP68 dust and water resistance. If those features, as well as the general shape of the phone, are giving you deja vu, thats because the Leitz Phone 1 is basically the same smartphone as last months Sharp Aquos R6, which was touted as being co-engineered by the camera maker. If that doesnt bother you, and youre not Apple dependent like so many of us, the Leitz Phone 1 will be available for pre-orders starting tomorrow. Theres no word on whether or not the device, which will cost 187,920 (or about $1,700), will be available outside of Japan, but were guessing Leica diehards will figure out a way to get ahold of one. Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. KAMPALA (Reuters) - After civil war forced Samuel Dhol Ayeun to flee South Sudan as a teenager to neighbouring Uganda in 2013, memories of watching friends die of preventable diseases due to inadequate medical care inspired his goal of becoming a doctor. Now 27, Ayeun has graduated from medical school and is busy attending to COVID-19 and other patients at the prestigious Mulago National Referral Hospital in the Ugandan capital Kampala. "I made it," he told Reuters this week during his shift. "Being a refugee, it's not a punishment," he said. "It is an opportunity to continue with your dreams outside your country. Ayeun and his family are among an estimated one million South Sudanese refugees who fled into Uganda after war broke out just two years after Juba gained independence following decades of conflict with Khartoum. The East African country's refugee policy permits refugees free movement and access to public services including education and healthcare. A total of 1.5 million refugees live in Uganda, making it the fourth-largest refugee-hosting nation in the world after Turkey, Colombia and Pakistan, Wendy Kasujja, spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Uganda. However, only 20% of South Sudanese refugees of secondary education age in Uganda are currently in school due as there are too few places to meet the demand, said Kasujja. Ayeun was one of the lucky ones. He attended a public high school, earning top marks and winning a scholarship from a German organisation, Duffy, to attend Uganda's prestigious Makerere University. He worked part-time as teacher to contribute to his university fees, he said. The first in his family to earn a university degree, he says he hopes to specialize in neurosurgery and intends to go back to his homeland and work as a lecturer. "Considering where Ive come from, my parents were really excited," he said, adding that his family travelled from the refugee settlement where they live in northern Uganda to attend his graduation. (Reporting by Francis Mukasa, additional reporting by Nazanine Moshiri in Nairobi; Writing by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Maggie Fick and Emelia Sithole-Matarise) Republican-led state legislatures across the country are waging an assault on voting rights following the 2020 election, and North Carolina is no exception. One bill in particular would make worrisome changes to mail-in voting statewide. Senate Bill 326, which was approved by the N.C. Senate Wednesday, would require state elections officials to stop collecting mail-in ballots after Election Day, even if they are mailed on time. Its a significant departure from the current law, which allows any mail-in ballot that is received within three days of the election to be counted, as long as its postmarked on or before Election Day. Any law that makes it harder to vote is not one we recommend, unless that law addresses a legitimate concern about fraud. This one doesnt. Republicans say this is a bill about election integrity and will mitigate public distrust in elections. But theres no evidence to suggest that North Carolinas election was fraudulent, and any distrust people might have has been prompted largely by Republican falsehoods about the election. Republicans also say that other states require ballots to arrive by Election Day. Thats true 29 other states do have an Election Day deadline. But at least some of those states also have more permissive election laws than North Carolina, and some are just different. (Oregon, for example, votes only by mail.) A better measure for any new voting law: Does it solve a problem, or does it create new ones for voters? The increased unpredictability of the U.S. Postal Service has made the three-day grace period for mail-in ballots even more necessary. During the 2020 elections, North Carolina was one of the last states to finish counting votes due to a lawsuit settlement that temporarily let state officials count ballots that arrived up to nine days after Election Day due to worry over slow mail delivery. In March, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a controversial Trump appointee, unveiled a 10-year reform plan that called for longer first-class mail delivery times and cuts to post office hours across the country. As The News & Observer previously reported, 2020 voting data shows that around 14,000 voters in North Carolina had their ballots counted after they were mailed on time but not delivered by the U.S. Postal Service until after Election Day. Is it fair to disenfranchise voters simply because the mail didnt arrive on time? Story continues Its worth pointing out who will be affected by this change and why. The three-day grace period was adopted unanimously in 2009, when more Republicans voted by mail than Democrats. In 2020, however, Democrats voting by mail outnumbered Republicans 435,245-201,475, with an additional 332,422 unaffiliated voters using that option. Why didnt Republicans express objections to the three-day grace period until after the Democratic mail-in surge? The answer seems apparent. SB 326 isnt a bill about election integrity. Its a bill about voter suppression. Its about trying to stop people from voting, same as other voting measures Republicans have introduced in the past decade. That includes a voter law enacted in 2013 that was later struck down after a federal appeals court ruled it was designed to target African-Americans with almost surgical precision. We agree that election integrity is at stake right now not just in North Carolina, but across the country. But its biggest threat is not mail-in voting. Nor is it any of the other election fantasies that Republicans and former President Donald Trump have propagated since November. The most significant threat to free and fair elections are the barriers to voting that Republicans across the country have tried to put in place, before and since. Its time Republicans stopped trying to fix things that arent broken by alleging problems that dont exist. Theyre right distrust in elections is dangerous. But theyre the ones fanning the flames. Most voters disagree with Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar's recent comparison of the United States to terrorist groups such as Hamas and the Taliban, according to a new poll. The poll, conducted by Rasmussen and released on Wednesday, shows that 61% of voters disagree with Omar's recent anti-American rhetoric" that has sparked backlash on social media and on Capitol Hill. HARRIS, PRESIDENT OF SENATE, TO SIGN BILL MAKING JUNETEETH A FEDERAL HOLIDAY Conversely, only 24% agreed with the remark, and 15% did not indicate one way or the other. We have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban, wrote Omar in a tweet, sparking backlash. I asked [Secretary of State Antony Blinken] where people are supposed to go for justice. We must have the same level of accountability and justice for all victims of crimes against humanity, she added in the tweet earlier this month. Political affiliation was a major factor in the average as 80% of Republican voters, 41% of Democratic voters, and 57% of independent voters disagreed with the comparison. Lawmakers who make particularly controversial comments are sometimes censured and, in rare cases, are stripped of their committee assignments. A whopping 65% of Republican voters supported censuring Omar over the remarks, while that figure drops to 35% for Democratic voters. Fifty percent of unaffiliated voters supported censuring as well. In contrast, only 26% of Republican voters, 46% of Democratic voters, and 31% of unaffiliated voters opposed the idea. Omar is unlikely to be censured by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has already said she would not be penalizing Omar as she had a right to criticize America. "I think that she clarified her remarks, and we accept that, and she has a point that she wanted to make, and she has a right to make that point," the House speaker told a group of reporters on Friday. The decision came after 12 Jewish House Democrats condemned Omar in a letter and multiple Republican House members called for Omar to be penalized. Story continues CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER After Pelosi mostly brushed Omars statement, more than 200 rabbis sent her a letter that slammed her for not condemning the Democratic congresswoman more strongly. "We reiterate that the mob attacks on American Jews today are directly attributable to the rhetoric of Rep. Omar and those who stand with her within and beyond Congress," the rabbis wrote. The coalition said Pelosis response to the controversial comments was far too mild and argued that a more acceptable response would be for Omar to be removed from her position on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Washington Examiner Videos Tags: News, Ilhan Omar, Nancy Pelosi, anti-Semitism, Congress, Polls Original Author: Lawrence Richard Original Location: Majority of voters oppose Omars anti-American rhetoric, half support censuring her: Poll A man was arrested Thursday on suspicion of assaulting Gov. Gavin Newsom in Oakland, California, according to authorities. While the governor was in downtown Oakland to show support for small businesses, Newsom was "approached by an aggressive individual," the California Highway Patrol, which provides security for the governor, said in a statement to the East Bay Times. GAVIN NEWSOM RAKES IN MORE BIG TECH DONATIONS TO STAVE OFF RECALL "This morning, the Governor was approached by an aggressive individual," the statement added. "Members of the Governors security detail removed the Governor from the situation and the individual was arrested by CHP officers." Multiple outlets reported the man identified as Serge Emanuel Benoit Chaumette Jr., 54, was booked into jail on suspicion of resisting an executive officer and assaulting a public official. Law enforcement sources told the East Bay Times the man threw a water bottle at the governor. A woman the Associated Press identified as the suspect's sister said he was homeless and had severe mental health problems, adding the alleged incident would be "consistent with his past behavior." A group of journalists heard the commotion but didn't see the incident take place. When reporters asked the governor what happened, Newsom said the man was "just a gentleman who wanted to say hello. And we all have our different ways of expressing ourselves. And he certainly made an impact. Its the nature of life." CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER The man's bail is set at $35,000, and he is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday. The Washington Examiner reached out to CHP for comment but did not immediately hear back. Washington Examiner Videos Tags: News, Gavin Newsom, California, Crime Original Author: Haley Victory Smith Original Location: Man arrested on suspicion of assaulting California Gov. Gavin Newsom Emory University told Mr Hood in 1959 that the university was not authorised to consider admissions from a member of his race (Getty Images) A top university in Georgia has extended an official apology to a man whose application was rejected in 1959 solely because he was Black. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Marion Hood applied to study medicine at Emory University 62 years ago but was swiftly rebuffed due to the colour of his skin. The Admission director LL Clegg reportedly told Mr Hood that the university was not authorised to consider admissions from a member of his race, returning his $5.00 application fee. Now, decades later as part of its Juneteenth commemorations, the university has sent an official apology to Mr Hood for the discriminatory treatment he faced. Emory University president Gregory L Fenves admitted in a programme that Mr Hood was rejected for no other reason that [sic] the fact that he was Black, The Journal-Constitution reported. He added that the incident vividly shows the systematic injustice of that time and the legacy that Emory is still reckoning with. Throughout American history and Emory history, Dr Hood and so many other talented students were denied access to achieve their dreams to realise their potential, Mr Fenves said. Mr Hood, now 83, went on to graduate studies before attending medical school at Loyola University in Chicago, later becoming a gynaecologist and obstetrician. The retiree established his own practice during his respected career and delivered more than 7,000 babies. He told the newspaper that the discrimination had been an everyday part of life for him in both his studies and his time practising medicine. Everything worked its way out. There was no reason to dwell on it. I did not expect to get into Emory, he said. On Wednesday, the dean of the institutions medical school, Vikas P Sukhatme, sent Mr Hood a letter apologising for the rejection. On behalf of Emory University School of Medicine, I apologise for the letter you received in 1959 in which you were denied consideration for admission, due to your race, Mr Sukhatme said. Story continues We are deeply sorry this happened and regret that it took Emory more than 60 years to offer you our sincere apologies. The university ended its policy of racial segregation three years after Mr Hoods rejection after winning a challenge of state laws that prevented integrated schools from claiming tax-exempt status. In 1963, the university admitted its first Black medical student, Hamilton E Holmes and as of 2021 about 16 per cent of Emorys medical students are Black, the newspaper said. The Independent has contacted Emory University for further comment. Read More Watch live as Joe Biden signs Juneteenth National Independence Day Act CDC has been wrong all along, and they knew it, says Ron DeSantis as judge rules CDC cant regulate cruises Texans claim their thermostats are being adjusted remotely during heatwave TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - The Mexican government announced on Friday it is donating to Honduras 154,100 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. The donation is the first from the Mexican government to the small Central American nation, which has confirmed 251,149 cases of coronavirus and 6,719 deaths. About 400,000 Hondurans have received at least one vaccine shot, out of a population of 9.5 million. (Reporting by Gustavo Palencia; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) Jun. 18New Mexico will fully reopen July 1 even though the state fell just short of its vaccination target by Thursday's deadline, the Governor's Office announced Friday. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has said she would lift the state's coronavirus restrictions once 60 percent of eligible New Mexicans were fully vaccinated. As of Thursday, the state's vaccination rate was 59.4 percent, but additional data was still coming in. "The state is anticipating a new batch of federal vaccination data for New Mexico residents receiving their shots from federal entities, which often lags by several days ... as well as New Mexicans' completed vaccination data from the neighboring state of Texas," according to a news release from the Governor's Office. "So far as there is a 'margin of error' in vaccination data, the state is well within it with respect to the 60 percent target," the release states. Residents aren't considered fully vaccinated until two weeks after they've received their final shot. That meant that three-fifths of eligible residents needed to get their booster shot of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine or a single shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine by Thursday for the state to lift its restrictions on July 1. A delay in reopening would've meant retailers would've had to abide by the state's occupancy limits a little longer. But Friday's announcement means stores, restaurants, hotels and other businesses can operate at 100 percent capacity beginning next month. It also means there will be no limits on social gatherings such as art festivals or concerts. A new survey shows Floridas vaccination efforts are being hampered by misinformation and political polarization. University of South Florida researchers surveyed 600 residents across the state, and 36 percent of respondents said they have not yet received the coronavirus vaccine while 16 percent said they no intention of getting vaccinated in the future. The answers of those respondents reveal what researchers call the most significant drivers of vaccine hesitancy. The survey shows 74 percent of vaccine-hesitant responders who said they probably or definitely wont get the vaccine blamed side effects. About 51 percent said they believe the vaccines were produced too quickly while 21 percent said they dont believe vaccines prevent the spread of COVID-19. All those concerns are based on falsehoods. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that severe or life-threatening reactions to vaccines are rare. The vaccines were created using established mRNA technology. Federal data shows the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines are more than 90 percent effective and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is more than 66 percent effective at preventing illness. The survey reveals just how widely misinformation has spread among Florida residents, said Stephan Neely, an associate professor in the School of Public Affairs who helped conduct the survey. Nearly three-quarters of respondents say theyve heard at least one harmful rumor about the coronavirus vaccine in the past 6 months; a third say theyve heard at least four rumors. But the survey shows a person doesnt have to believe a rumor for it to impact their decision to get vaccinated. Among respondents who hadnt been exposed to misinformation, 74 percent had already been vaccinated. That number falls to 63 percent after they encounter at least one source of misinformation. And of those who were exposed to six or more harmful rumors, only half said theyve been vaccinated. Story continues That exposure is sufficient to plant the idea in your head, that something may or may not be true, and to kind of create that hesitancy, Neely said. It doesnt necessarily even have to be something you believe for it to start kind of creeping into your thinking. The survey was conducted by a team of USF researchers who contacted 600 Floridians on June 3 and June 14 who are representative of the states age, racial and gender composition. Its shocking to see it written down, said Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, about the surveys findings. His organization tracks the spread of vaccination misinformation through social media and other platforms. We know that over 50 million Americans directly follow one of the either a group or an individual whos spreading misinformation on social media, he said. And if theyre sharing it with their friends, it doesnt take many clicks of the share button before you get 75 (percent). Those who are hesitant arent necessarily anti-vaxxers, either. Less than 18 percent of those who said they were vaccine hesitant said they oppose vaccines in general. Its less I hate vaccines and more Im hearing all sorts of stuff and I just cant deal with it right now, Ahmed said. Its really a tiny number of people who are genuine anti-vaxxers. One of the best ways to dispel misinformation, experts say, is to talk to a trusted medical expert like a primary physician. But fewer than a third of the Floridians who responded to the survey have talked to their primary physician about getting vaccinated. So one of the big takeaways there is that we just need to better inform people about the process by which the vaccines were created, Neely said. Yes, the COVID vaccine itself was created in record time. But the mRNA technology behind those vaccines has been developed for years. The study doesnt report whether those who talked to a doctor were more likely to be vaccinated. About 80 percent of Americans report that their family physician is their most trusted source of information about the vaccine, according to a study from the Kaiser Family Foundation. And the overwhelming majority of doctors strongly recommend patients get the COVID-19 vaccine. Instead people turn to the internet for answers, Ahmed said, and theres a great disparity between those being exposed to misinformation via social media, and those receiving good information from their physician Part of the problem is the loss of regular personal contact with a medical professional during the lockdown, said Dr. Christina Eldredge, a former family physician who now teaches health informatics at the University of Florida. In the pandemic we were separated from each other, Eldredge said, not just our friends and family, but from our trusted healthcare providers as well. The survey suggests another reason why people arent listening to their doctors: polarization. Political alignment is one of the biggest determining factors whether or not someone has been vaccinated. Three-quarters of respondents who identify as Democrats say theyve been vaccinated. That number drops to less than 60 percent for Republicans and Independents, according to the USF survey. This new pattern in vaccine hesitancy that weve seen around the COVID vaccine is in part because of the deliberate targeting of Republicans, and in particular Trump supporters, Ahmed said. The reason for all of this is primarily social media, he said. And the fact that (social media companies) profit not just from people before visiting those platforms to see misinformation, but also the subsequent debate over that misinformation. Tampa Bay Times coronavirus coverage CORONAVIRUS IN FLORIDA: Find the latest numbers for your county, city or zip code. NEED A VACCINE? Heres how to find one in the Tampa Bay area and Florida. VACCINES Q&A: Have coronavirus vaccine questions? We have answers, Florida. GET THE DAYSTARTER MORNING UPDATE: Sign up to receive the most up-to-date information. A TRIBUTE TO FLORIDIANS TAKEN BY THE CORONAVIRUS: They were parents and retirees, police officer and doctors, imperfect but loved deeply. HAVE A TIP?: Send us confidential news tips Were working hard to bring you the latest news on the coronavirus in Florida. This effort takes a lot of resources to gather and update. If you havent already subscribed, please consider buying a print or digital subscription. Jun. 19Armed Hawaii Air National Guard F-22 fighters scrambled again today as Russian "Bear " bombers headed for the second time toward Hawaii as part of an ongoing Russian naval and air exercise several hundred miles west of the Aloha State, a U.S. official said. Two of the stealth fighters took off from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and did not intercept the Russian turboprops, which likely, as before, did not continue on a path toward Hawaii, according to an account of the launch. "Pacific Air Forces regularly perform air operations in airspace surrounding Hawaii. As a matter of policy, we don't discuss tactics, techniques or procedures used by U.S. Air Force aircraft due to operational security requirements, " the Oahu-based command said this evening in an email. Three F-22s and a KC-135 were launched last Sunday when Russian Bear bombers were first spotted taking a similar directional approach to Hawaii. In the earlier event, the Russian planes, which also can have an anti-submarine warfare role, never came close to Hawaii's Air Defense Identification Zone. The Russian aircraft are "at least going out far enough (from an airbase ) that it required the F-22s to be scrambled, " according to an official. A Russian spy ship, meanwhile, is stationed north of Oahu in international waters while some number of other Russian warships conducting the exercise are still more than 300 miles west of the main Hawaiian Islands in a rare show of naval capability by Moscow relatively close to the Aloha State. On Sunday three missile-armed Hawaii Air National Guard F-22 fighters and a KC-135 refueling tanker were launched from Hickam when Tu-95 or Tu-142 Bear bombers or anti-submarine warfare turboprops that were part of the exercise were detected vectoring toward Hawaii but still a very long distance off. There were no intercepts of the propeller-powered aircraft in either case. Pacific Air Forces said Monday that the F-22 Raptors in the first launch conducted "an irregular air patrol and the situation resolved, prompting the fighters and a KC-135 Stratotanker to return to base." Story continues Russian officials said the exercise off Hawaii is its largest drills in the Pacific since the end of the Cold War and involves surface ships, anti-submarine aircraft and long-range bombers, CBS News reported Tuesday. At one point the flotilla was off Midway Atoll. A U.S. official confirmed it is the largest such Russian exercise to be held this close to Hawaii in a long time. "At the same time, officials said a U.S. carrier strike group headed by the USS (Carl ) Vinson is operating about 200 miles east of Hawaii, conducting a strike group certification exercise, " CBS reported. "The exercise had been planned but was moved closer to Hawaii in response to the Russian exercise." The Russian naval and air drillswhich coincided with Wednesday's summit in Geneva between U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putinare seen as a demonstration by Moscow of its ability to carry out exercises relatively close to Hawaii as Putin continues to seek greater prominence on the world stage. A Russian auxiliary general intelligence ship, or AGI, operating in international waters north of Oahu is likely the same one that appeared off Hawaii in May and briefly delayed a missile defense test late that month as it loitered off Kauai, an official said. MOSCOW (Reuters) - A 34-year old American woman who had been missing in Russia since Tuesday has been found dead and a Russian man has been arrested on suspicion of murder, the state Investigative Committee said on Saturday. Russia's RIA news agency said the woman, which it named as Catherine Serou, had been studying law at a university in the Nizhny Novgorod region 420 km (260 miles) east of Moscow since arriving from California three years ago. Russia's state Investigative Committee said it had opened a criminal inquiry case into the disappearance of "a foreign citizen" and a man in his early 40s with a criminal record had been arrested over her death. It did give the names of the victim or suspect. The statement by the committee said she had left home at around 6.30 p.m. on June 15 and got into a vehicle. Her whereabouts had been unknown since then. "Today, as the result of a large-scale search operation, the body of the woman was found," it said. (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Mark Heinrich) UN calls for end of arms sales to Myanmar A monitoring group says security forces have killed more than 860 people and detained nearly 5,000 to date The UN has issued a rare call to halt to arms sales to Myanmar in response to this year's violent military coup. The General Assembly adopted a resolution condemning the military junta, which overthrew the country's elected government in February. The UN also called for the release of political detainees, such as elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and an end to violence against peaceful protesters. While not legally binding, the resolution is politically significant. "The risk of a large-scale civil war is real," UN special envoy on Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, told the General Assembly. "Time is of the essence. The opportunity to reverse the military takeover is narrowing." It was supported by 119 countries, with Belarus the only one to vote against it. Another 36 countries abstained, including Russia and China - Myanmar military's two biggest arms suppliers. Some of the abstainers said the crisis was an internal issue for Myanmar, while others said the resolution did not address a brutal military crackdown on the Rohingya Muslim population four years ago, which forced almost a million people to flee the country. The resolution also calls for an end to violence against peaceful protesters The EU's UN ambassador, Olof Skoog, said the resolution "delegitimises the military junta, condemns its abuse and violence against its own people, and demonstrates its isolation in the eyes of the world". But Myanmar's UN ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, who represents the country's elected civilian government, said he was disappointed by how long it took for the General Assembly to pass what he called a "watered down" resolution. Ms Suu Kyi, 75, has been held under house arrest since the coup, and little has been seen or heard of her, with the exception of brief court appearances. The military has justified seizing power in February, alleging voter fraud in general elections held last November. But independent election monitors say the election was largely free and fair, and the charges against Ms Suu Kyi have been widely criticised as politically motivated. Story continues The coup triggered widespread demonstrations, and Myanmar's military has brutally cracked down on pro-democracy protesters, activists and journalists. Security forces have killed more than 860 people and detained nearly 5,000 to date, according to the monitoring group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP). Last month, Human Rights Watch had urged the UN General Assembly to pass a resolution calling for an arms embargo, saying that "while not legally binding on states, such a resolution would carry significant political weight". "Governments should recognise that arms sold to Myanmar's military will likely be used to commit abuses against the population," the organisation added. "Arms embargoes can help prevent such crimes." Myanmar in profile Myanmar, also known as Burma, became independent from Britain in 1948. For much of its modern history it has been under military rule Restrictions began loosening from 2010 onwards, leading to free elections in 2015 and the installation of a government led by veteran opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi the following year In 2017, Myanmar's army responded to attacks on police by Rohingya militants with a deadly crackdown, driving more than half a million Rohingya Muslims across the border into Bangladesh in what the UN later called a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing" Mystery of dozens of Pelicans with broken wings prompts authorities to hunt for human culprit (Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center) Dozens of brown pelicans have been attacked and had their wings snapped in California, and now authorities are investigating whether the culprit is human. Officials say that more than 30 injured birds have been found along the Orange County coastline since last October. And, of those, 22 were suffering from compound fractures with the broken bone sticking out of the skin, according to the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center of Orange County. All 22 of the birds have had to be euthanised. These are very serious injuries that require emergency surgeries and long term care, said veterinarian Elizabeth Wood. One pelican went straight into emergency surgery to flush out all of the debris in the open wound, said Ms Wood. So bone was protruding through the skin, and the wing was actually twisted all the way around. She added that she does not know for certain that the injuries were caused deliberately, but that the humerus bone of the bird takes significant force to break. At this point we dont have any suspects, we dont have witnesses, we dont have evidence other than the injured birds, Captain Patrick Foy of the states Fish and Wildlifes law enforcement division told The Los Angeles Times. If there is a person catching these pelicans and intentionally releasing them injured, how are they even catching them?... And from there, what would be the motivation of a person that has injured the birds? He added that officials from the Care Center had been provided a tip that suggested a specific individual was involved, but that he could not elaborate on an active investigation. And he said that investigating the pelican injuries is a priority issue and is encouraging the public to contact Fish and Wildlife with information. Everyone has become aware of this and is paying attention, he said. Caring for a pelican with an open fracture takes months of therapy and can cost between $50,000 and $100,000. Brown pelicans, which are not a threatened or endangered species, winter in California and are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Story continues Read More Watch live as Joe Biden signs Juneteenth National Independence Day Act Editor of paper that endured newsroom shooting says goodbye Chilling footage shows two children get caught up in New York shooting Political repression in Nicaragua has reached a level of escalation that has not been seen in any Latin American country except Cuba in many decades. Its so massive that many are wondering whether Nicaraguas autocrat, Daniel Ortega, is trying to set the stage for a long-term dynastic dictatorship. The prevailing view among many U.S. officials is that Ortegas recent wave of arrests of the countrys leading opposition presidential hopefuls and civic leaders is aimed at securing the long-term rule of Ortegas successor once he no longer is president Rosario Murillo, his wife and powerful vice president. Some officials privately are referring to the ongoing round of arrests as the Murillo purge. According to this line of thought, Ortega, 75, who has had at least two heart attacks and often disappears from public view for weeks at a time, sees himself in danger of either losing the Nov. 7 elections or winning them by a very narrow margin against an opposition candidate. Even a slim Ortega victory could eventually leave the presidents successor, Murillo, in danger of losing power and being charged with crimes against humanity for the 2018 government repression that left at least 320 dead. The presidential couple has nine children eight have the rank of presidential adviser and are in the familys businesses, according to the Spanish daily El Pais. In a likely effort to ensure the Ortega familys long-term rule, Ortega has imprisoned virtually all leading opposition figures under a law passed in December that allows his regime to declare citizens terrorists or traitors to the homeland and ban them from running for office. Leading opposition candidate Cristiana Chamorro, the daughter of former President Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, was arrested on June 2. Days later, police arrested fellow opposition presidential hopefuls Felix Madariaga, Juan Sebastian Chamorro and Arturo Cruz, as well as former senior Sandinista officials who have now turned against Ortegas authoritarian ways. Story continues I have not seen a case like this, in which all opposition democratic leaders are arrested at once, in my 30 years of monitoring human rights in Latin America, says Jose Miguel Vivanco, head of the Americas department of the Washington-based Human Rights Watch advocacy group. Not even (Venezuelas Nicolas) Maduro has dared to arrest all opposition candidates at the same time. Carlos Fernando Chamorro, Nicaraguas leading independent journalist and brother of arrested Cristiana Chamorro, told me in a telephone interview Friday that Murillo plays a fundamental role in all government decisions, including these recent arrests. Murillo holds so much power that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken referred to the Nicaraguan government in a June 16 statement as the Ortega-Murillo regime. Blinkens statement welcomed the Organization of American States June 15 vote to condemn Nicaraguas arrest of opposition leaders. The resolution passed with 26 countries voting in favor, five abstentions including Mexico and Argentina and three votes against (Nicaragua, Bolivia and St. Vincent.) The U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is scheduled to vote in the coming days on a bipartisan bill known as the RENACER Act, sponsored by Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey. It calls for additional financial and travel sanctions on Nicaraguan officials and requires U.S. intelligence agencies to collect information on the Ortega familys corruption. The bill would also ask the Biden administration to reassess Nicaraguas participation in the U.S.-Central American free-trade deal, known as CAFTA. But perhaps the most effective and immediate way to pressure the Ortega regime to free political prisoners and allow free elections in addition to threatening to expose its corruption would be to place top Nicaraguan officials accused of human-rights abuses on international no-flight lists, usually reserved for terrorism suspects. Right now, Nicaraguan officials dont lose much sleep over U.S. travel and financial sanctions. They can fly out of Nicaragua on Colombias Avianca airline, and vacation or open bank accounts in Panama, Spain or just about anywhere else. Putting them on a no-fly list would effectively keep them from flying out of Nicaragua. Barring growing international pressure, including reversing Mexico and Argentinas shameful complicity with the Ortega regime, Nicaragua will become a new Cuba a country with not even the pretense of a multiparty system, ruled by a family-run dictatorship. Dont miss the Oppenheimer Presenta TV show on Sundays at 8 pm E.T. on CNN en Espanol. Twitter: @oppenheimera Democratic Florida gubernatorial candidate Nikki Fried said Friday that her greatest weakness in the race is her opponents access to a national audience. When Fried lamented Florida governor Ron DeSantiss (R.) national platform during an appearance on CNN on Friday, anchor Poppy Harlow was quick to point out that Fried was lodging that complaint on a national platform. You know, I think my greatest weakness is the fact that right now Ron is on a platform on the national stage and so hes getting a lot of national PR, but the greatest but we are going to take that and turn it into a positive, Fried said. You just had about seven or eight minutes on a national platform, CNN, Harlow responded. The exchange occurred after Fried spent several minutes criticizing DeSantiss handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Harlow noted that Florida has a 4.8 percent unemployment rate, well below the national average and that the states per capita death rate from COVID-19 is 27th, nowhere near the highest. Do you think he deserves credit for that? Harlow asked. Fried responded that she does not believe the Republican governor deserves credit and claimed that he had taken a hands-off approach. Harlow pushed back, noting that DeSantis was one of the quickest governors to move to lock down the nursing homes, the opposite of what happened here in New York. Yet Fried claimed that DeSantis had not been clear about what people should do. She said local governments and private businesses that issued directives on their own should be given credit. She also accused DeSantis of being confusing and of not being empathetic. Harlow again pushed back: Im just asking you, commissioner, since youre running to be governor of Florida, about the hard data . . . you cant argue that the unemployment rate in Florida right now is half what it is in New York and California, and it is 27th on the list when you look at COVID deaths. My question is, all your criticism of him saying he didnt shut down soon enough, calling for mask mandates statewide, looking at the data, did he have it right and did you have it wrong? Story continues No, and I go back to what the local governments did, Fried responded. The governor didnt do a mask mandate, the local governments did. That is what slowed down the spread of the virus. More from National Review Two Mooresville police officers who fatally shot Chris Craven last summer after they say he pulled a gun an account disputed by the dead mans wife will not face criminal charges, a special prosecutor announced Friday. In a statement, Randolph County District Attorney Andy Gregson said officers Alexander Arndt and Christopher Novelli reasonably feared for their lives when they fired dozens of shots with high-powered rifles at Craven during an Aug. 2 confrontation outside his Mooresville home. Chris Craven It is clear from all of the evidence that at the time Officers Arndt and Novelli fired their duty rifles they were presented with an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury from the actions of Mr. Craven, Gregson said in summarizing the findings of a State Bureau of Investigation report. It is also clear from the evidence that the officers application of deadly force was reasonable and necessary in response to this threat. According to Cravens autopsy and an accompanying medical examiners report, the 38-year-old parts department employee for Rick Hendricks NASCAR racing team was hit with at least 15 .223-caliber bullets. Police say Craven, who grew up two doors down from where he died, was wearing a holster. Gregson said in his statement that a 9mm pistol, which Craven had legally purchased in 2016, was found on some stairs near his body. Under North Carolina and federal law, police are legally entitled to use deadly force if they reasonably perceive a imminent threat of death or serious injury to themselves, other officers or the public at large. The language, along with other factors, makes prosecution of police exceedingly rare. On average, law enforcement officers kill about 1,000 people a year. According to Philip Stinson, a criminal justice professor at Bowling Green State University and a former cop, only 131 officers have been arrested on charges of murder or manslaughter for on-duty shootings since 2005. Fewer than half that number have been convicted at trial, often for a lesser charge, he says. Story continues Amy Craven told the Observer earlier this month that, on the night he died, her husband was having a mental health crisis exacerbated by the pandemic. He was following police commands when he was shot, she said. My husband did not pull a gun and he was complying with orders, Amy Craven said in a post on May 21 on the Mooresville Police Departments Facebook page. Chris was shot with his hands in the air. She declined comment Friday. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. The familys attorney, Alex Heroy of Charlotte, told the Observer earlier this month that bodycam video released to the family shows police were 20-25 feet from Craven when the fusillade began, sending bullets slamming into the exterior walls of the home in which Amy Craven and two of the couples children were housed. At least one of the bullets reached the interior of the home and slammed into a fire extinguisher, which exploded, Heroy said. As silence surrounds a fatal police shooting, a family and small NC town seek answers Gregson, in his statement, said police were responding to a highly volatile and dangerous situation for them and the occupants of Mr. Cravens home. They were informed that Mr. Craven had committed a domestic assault. The officers had information that two adult females and two children were in the home. They were informed that Mr. Craven was suicidal and acting irrationally. Craven, according to Gregson, can be heard on the 911 call threatening to kill himself, and the small children can be heard begging him not to and telling Craven that they love him. According to Gregson, bodycam video shows Arndt and Novelli ordering Craven to put his hands up and to get on the ground. Craven, according to Gregson, continued to walk. He raised his hands briefly in response to the police commands, then put them down to his sides. Both involved officers stated that they then saw Craven reach into his waistband with his right hand and pull out a pistol, Gregson said. A change in prosecutors Gregson took over the investigation earlier this month after Iredell County District Attorney Sarah Kirkman unexpectedly recused herself from the case. The veteran Iredell prosecutor stepped aside after Cravens family complained about a Facebook photograph posted by her office in May that showed the prosecutor posing at a community event with Mooresville police officers including Novelli and Arndt. Kirkland was wearing a Back the Blue T-shirt at the time. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Kirkman told the Observer after her recusal that she handed off the Craven investigation to Gregson to avoid even the appearance of any conflict. Gregson, the top prosecutor in adjoining Randolph County, is a former High Point police attorney and military prosecutor who took over the case about two weeks ago. His decision upholding the legality of the officers actions is almost certain to add fuel to a community debate in Mooresville over Cravens death a debate reflecting Americas ongoing examination of the use of deadly force by police, the ability of officers to handle a mental health crisis, even the objectivity of prosecutors in cases involving cops. Up to now, the police account has dominated the narrative surrounding Cravens death. Bucking a nationwide trend toward greater transparency in cases of officer-involved shootings, no police video has been released to the public in the 10-plus months since the shooting. Under North Carolina law, only a judge can order the videos release. Gregsons report is the first time Arndt and Novelli have been publicly identified as Cravens shooters. The Observer previously reported that the officers names appeared on a March petition by Cravens family for bodycam video. A Palestinian health worker displays a vial of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine in Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip, on February 24. Yousef Masoud/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images The Palestinian Authority canceled a deal to swap coronavirus vaccine doses with Israel on Friday. The PA said the doses were supposed to expire in July or August, but expired this month instead. Several human-rights organizations have called on Israel to give Palestinians vaccines right away. See more stories on Insider's business page. The Palestinian Authority canceled a deal to swap coronavirus vaccine doses with Israel on Friday, citing concerns about the quality of the shots. Earlier in the day, Israel announced that it would transfer up to 1.4 million nearly-expired doses of Pfizer's vaccine to the Palestinian territories. In exchange, the PA would provide Israel with the same number of doses in September or October, after it received a fresh shipment, according to a joint statement from Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's office and the nation's defence and health ministries. (Bennett assumed office on Sunday, replacing longtime Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.) But almost as soon as the first 90,000 doses arrived from Israel, the PA said it would send them back. "After the technical teams in the ministry of health examined the first batch of the Pfizer vaccines that were received this evening from Israel, it became clear that the 90,000 doses received do not conform to the specifications contained in the agreement," Ibrahim Melhem, a PA spokesperson, said at a Friday press conference. PA Health Minister Mai Alkaila said the doses were supposed to expire in July or August, but the expiration date turned out to be in June, according to Reuters. "That's not enough time to use them, so we rejected them," Alkaila said. Bennett's office did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment. A healthcare worker administers a COVID-19 vaccine to a Palestinian man at the Clalit Health Services in the Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem on January 7, 2021. AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images For the past several months, Israelis and Palestinians have witnessed starkly different vaccine rollouts. Israel has vaccinated a greater share of its population than just about any country so far: around 63% of Israelis have received at least one dose. Many scientists believe that Israel has now reached herd immunity, the threshold beyond which the virus can't easily pass from person to person. Story continues The nation rolled back the last of its coronavirus restrictions in early June: Businesses can now operate at full capacity, and residents no longer have to show proof that they've been vaccinated to enter restaurants, sporting events, or entertainment venues. Meanwhile, less than 9% of the Palestinian population in the West Bank and Gaza Strip - around 30% of those eligible to get vaccinated - has received at least one vaccine dose, according to Palestinian officials. Many of these doses hail from other countries - including Russia, China, and the United Arab Emirates - as well as COVAX, a global alliance spearheaded by the World Health Organization to vaccinate the world's poorest nations. Palestinians in East Jerusalem have access to Israeli health insurance, so they're eligible to be vaccinated by Israel, but those vaccinations don't extend to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. As a result, several human-rights organizations have called on Israel to give Palestinians vaccines right away. "In the Palestinian communities, if they're not vaccinating as much and then there's a new strain that comes up that can evade the vaccine protection, then that's going to be a big issue," Jorge Alfaro-Murillo, an associate research scientist at the Yale School of Public Health, previously told Insider. Israel has said that the PA is responsible for its own vaccination campaign. But the nation's new health minister, Nitzan Horowitz, tweeted Friday that the "important exchange of vaccines" would benefit both sides. That same day, the non-profit organization Physicians for Human Rights Israel called the deal "too little too late." Read the original article on Business Insider PARIS (Reuters) -Parties negotiating a revival of the Iran nuclear deal will hold a formal meeting in Vienna on Sunday, the European Union said on Saturday. Iran and six world powers have been negotiating in Vienna since April to work out steps for Washington and Tehran to take. The United States withdrew in 2018 from the pact, under which Iran accepted curbs on its nuclear programme in exchange for a lifting of many foreign sanctions against it. Sunday's formal meeting comes more than a week after this round of talks resumed and is an indication that the talks are likely to be adjourned. Officials over the week have indicated that differences remain on key issues. "The Joint Commission of #JCPOA will meet on Sunday, June 20," Mikhail Ulyanov Russia's envoy to the talks said on Twitter. "It will decide on the way ahead at the #ViennaTalks. An agreement on restoration of the nuclear deal is within reach but is not finalised yet." The remaining parties to the deal - Iran, Russia, China, France, Britain, Germany and the European Union - meet in the basement of a luxury hotel. The U.S. delegation to the talks is based in a hotel across the street as Iran refuses face-to-face meetings, leaving the other delegations and EU to work as go-betweens. Since former U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of the deal and reimposed sanctions on Iran, Tehran has embarked on counter measures, including rebuilding stockpiles of enriched uranium, a potential pathway to nuclear bombs. (Reporting by John IrishEditing by Frances Kerry and Christina Fincher) Meadow Walker attends the Universal Pictures "F9" World Premiere at TCL Chinese Theatre on June 18, 2021 in Hollywood, California. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Meadow Walker, 22, was present for Friday's premiere of the newest "Fast and Furious" movie. Her father, actor Paul Walker, died in a car accident seven years ago. "F9" star Vin Diesel is Meadow's godfather. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. On Friday, the stars of the "Fast and the Furious" franchise gathered at the red carpet premiere of "F9" in Hollywood, California. Paul Walker's 22-year-old daughter, Meadow, was also in attendance for the special event. In 2013, Paul Walker died after he was involved in a single-car accident. He was 40 years old, and had starred in the first six of the nine "Fast and Furious" movies. As Insider's Kirsten Acuna recently reported, Paul's legacy is in good hands with director Justin Lin at the helm of the "Fast and Furious" franchise. "It is something that I constantly think about," the "F9" director told Insider over Zoom when asked about honoring Walker and his character Brian O'Conner in the latest installment of the "Fast" saga. Jordana Brewster, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, and Vin Diesel attend "The Fast and the Furious" premiere at Mann Village Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Kevin Winter/Getty Images "As we're moving into closing the saga, obviously there's a lot of different options," Lin said of how the next two sequels can respectfully address O'Conner. "Fast and Furious" franchise star Vin Diesel is Meadow's godfather, and recently spoke with E! Online about whether or not Meadow could appear in the next "Fast and Furious" film. "I would not count anything out," he said. Earlier in June, Diesel shared an old photo of himself with Paul on Instagram and said that Meadow had sent it to him. "Weeks away from the 'F9' release [...] @meadowwalker sends me this image and tells me how happy the photo makes her feel," Diesel wrote on Instagram. "Naturally, one gets filled with emotion, purpose and ultimately gratitude. Eternal brotherhood is a blessing beyond words. Hope to make you proud ... All love, Always." "Fast 9" is in North American theaters on June 25. You can read our review here. Read the original article on Insider A truck driver plowed into a group of bicyclists during a race event in eastern Arizona, and police said Saturday that an officer shot the suspected driver, who had fled the scene in their vehicle. The Show Low Police Department said that at approximately 7:25 a.m., a black Super Duty Ford F150 struck multiple bicyclists during a "Bike the Bluff" race event. Six victims were taken to the hospital with with injuries four of whom were in critical condition, while two were "critical but stable," police said. Police said at least two other "walk-in" victims at Summit Healthcare were in stable condition. Six people are in critical condition and others are hurt after a pickup truck drove into bicyclists at a race event in downtown Show Low, Arizona, early Saturday morning, June 19, 2021. / Credit: KPHO-TV Police said the suspect fled the scene in their vehicle. Police chased the suspect, and eventually shot them in an area behind Ace Hardware, in Show Low. The suspect was in critical, but stable, condition, police said. Show Low Police said that multiple agencies were investigating the incident, including the Navajo County Sheriff's Office and the Arizona Department of Public Safety. CBS affiliate KPHO-TVZ reports that Kristine Sleighter, a SLPD department spokeswoman, said, "Our community is shocked at this incident and our hearts and prayers are with the injured and their families at this time." Severe droughts in Western U.S. force farmers to forgo or swap crops U.S. commemorates Juneteenth on Saturday From 2002: Fashion designer Ralph Rucci Prince Harrry and William at Windsor ahead of Harry's wedding in 2018. (Ben Birchall/AFP) Prince William "went ballistic" when he heard about bullying allegations made against Meghan Markle by staff at Kensington Palace, a royal author has said. Robert Lacey, who wrote Battle of Brothers, has traced the rift between the brothers to a row between Harry and William after Meghan was accused of bullying in the royal household - something she has denied. In a new extract of his book, ahead of its release in paperback, Lacey spoke to a friend of Prince William who recounted how the future king reacted when Jason Knauf presented a "dossier" of complaints about Meghan from palace aides. Allegations of bullying surfaced in The Times in March, just before Harry and Meghan's interview with Oprah Winfrey aired in the US. Meghan's team dismissed them as a "smear campaign". Yahoo UK contacted her team for a comment. Harry, Meghan, William and Kate at the Commonwealth Day Service 2020 in London, the last time the four royals were together. (Phil Harris - WPA Pool/Getty Images) Read more: What will Harry and Meghan do when they go back to work? In the Winfrey interview, Harry said the tone in the royal household he shared with William changed after their successful Australia and New Zealand tour in autumn 2018, comparing Meghan to Diana, and her star quality, suggesting there was jealousy. But Lacey has indicated the issue that split the household stemmed from the row the brothers had after Knauf, a long-term staff member of William and Kate's, revealed the complaints. Lacey's book said: "Knauf described Meghans treatment of one aide as 'totally unacceptable . . . the duchess seems intent', he wrote, 'on always having someone in her sights'. Specifying another staff member, Knauf alleged Meghan had been bullying her as well, 'seeking to undermine her confidence'. His office had received 'report after report', he wrote, from people who had witnessed 'unacceptable behaviour' by Meghan towards this member of staff." Watch: Duchess Meghan believes her new children's book shows 'another side of masculinity' Story continues Read more: Diana 'would have deplored self-importance of Duchess of Sussex', says late princess's friend He continued: "Prince William went ballistic when he heard the 'dossier of distress' that Knauf had gathered. We do not know whether the communications secretary brought his allegations directly to his boss or submitted them via Simon Case. What we do know is that the prince was astonished and horrified. He was instantly furious at what he heard." Lacey said William's friend recalled how the prince called his brother as soon as he read the so-called dossier of complaints, and Harry "flared up in furious defence of his wife", before he "shut off his phone angrily". Lacey also claims William felt Meghan was "following a plan" and said Kate was "wary of her from the start". The result of the row was that William "threw Harry out" of the joint household they had set up together in 2009, under the banner of Kensington Palace. Harry had suggested in the Winfrey interview that it was their 2018 trip to New Zealand and Australia that changed things for the couple. (Samir Hussein/WireImage) Read more: Duchess of Cambridge launches Centre for Early Childhood: 'We can break the cycle for next generation' Harry and Meghan moved to Windsor, and split their household, choosing the moniker of Sussex Royal. Meghan's team hotly contested the suggestion she was a bully, questioning the timing of the allegations when they emerged shortly before their tell-all interview with Winfrey. The latest extract of the Lacey book comes before her first interview as an author, to be given on Father's Day on NPR Weekend, as she discusses her book The Bench. Meghan and Harry stepped back from royal work in March 2020, moving to California where they have subsequently set up Archewell, and signed deals with Spotify and Netflix. Watch: Should Prince Charles step aside and let William become King when then Queen finally steps down? Leonardo da Vinci's world-famous "Mona Lisa" painting in the Louvre museum. Associated Press A copy of Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" on Friday sold for $3.4 million. A European collector bought the replica via Christie's Auction House in Paris. The painting's longtime owner said it was the true "Mona Lisa." See more stories on Insider's business page. A replica of Leonardo da Vinci's world-famous "Mona Lisa" painting on Friday sold to a European collector for about $3.4 million at Christie's Auction House. The copy, known as the "Hekking Mona Lisa," had been expected to sell for 200,000 to 300,000 in an online auction. It sold for about 10 times that. "This is madness, this is an absolute record for a 'Mona Lisa' reproduction," a Christie's spokesperson told Reuters. Named after its previous owner, Raymond Hekking, the replica was believed to have been painted in the early 17th century by an Italian painter. Hekking said he was in possession of the true "Mona Lisa," according to the auction house. He said a look-alike was returned to the Louvre Museum after the real painting was stolen in 1914. The "Hekking Mona Lisa" replica at Christie's in Paris. Lucien Libert/Reuters Hekking devoted much of his life to proving the painting he bought for $4 was the true da Vinci, while the work in the Louvre was a copy, Christie's said. "Art challenges, fascinates, sometimes obsesses," said Pierre Etienne, international director of Old Master Paintings at the auction house. "This work and its history illustrate the fascination that the Mona Lisa and the aura of Leonardo da Vinci have always held," the auction house said. It said the replica "is not as compelling as the work in the Louvre but it conjures something of that world and, in a world of images, in which only the strongest ones stay in our mind, allows the dream to go on." Read the original article on Business Insider CONSTANTA NAVAL BASE, Romania In the dimly lit war room of the Romanian frigate Regina Maria, glowing radar screens illuminate a cheat sheet for identifying Russian vessels. The ships commander points to the newest warships, Grigorovich and Sviyazhsk, that have appeared on the horizon since Russia seized Crimea in 2014 and began to expand its Black Sea fleet. Romanian Cmdr. Alexandru Gobjila then points to older vessels, armed with the latest technology and weaponry, including supersonic Kalibr cruise missiles capable of reaching 1,600 miles into Europe. The Russian Black Sea navy now numbers over 200 large ships, all in a body of water twice the size of the Great Lakes. Vladimir Putins power projection in the region is designed to secure unfettered warm water access through a war of intimidation waged on the high seas, and President Joe Bidens detente with Putin may mean American deterrence will be left to NATOs newest member countries. MILITARIZATION OF CRIMEA HEIGHTENS THREAT TO NATOS SOUTHEASTERN FLANK We are going to assure the security of the lines of communication inside the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, or wherever the alliance requests, Gobjila told the Washington Examiner while touring the frigate, named after Romanias Queen Mary, whose 1919 trip to the Paris Peace Conference consolidated Romanias international recognition after siding with the Allies in World War I. Romanian Cmdr. Alexandru Gobjila describes the new threat posed by a growing and modernizing Russian Black Sea Navy June 8, 2021 aboard the frigate Regina Maria in Constanta, Romania. Photo by Abraham Mahshie/ Washington Examiner A century later, and 30 years after throwing off the cloak of communism, Romania again finds itself at the intersection of the world powers, and without the resources to go it alone. Romania is on the border of both the EU and NATO alliance, said Romanian flotilla deputy commander Auras Liviu Coman, who admits his three frigates, each emblazoned with the NATO star on their sides, do not possess modern naval strike missiles. Story continues This is a very ambitious project, Coman said of an 18-month upgrade plan. That means the smaller countries of the Black Sea must rely on a deterrent U.S. and NATO ally presence and their own incremental modernization to ward off Russian aggression. The Montreux Convention of 1936 limits the tonnage and amount of time foreign navies can spend in the Black Sea. To maintain a regular presence of some 100 days per year, the United States is moving destroyers into and out of the Black Sea for 21-day tours that entail multilateral exercises and freedom of navigation missions. Whether Biden is willing to continue that role in the detente with Russia remains to be seen. An identification sheet of Russian naval vessels resides in the war room of the Romanian Navy frigate Regina Maria June 8, 2021 in Constanta, Romania. Photo by Abraham Mahshie/ Washington Examiner After achieving a verbal commitment from Putin to withdraw his 100,000 troops from the eastern Ukrainian border, it is widely believed that the U.S. in turn canceled the entry of two warships into the Black Sea. The Black Sea has always been very strategically important to Russia, going back to Catherine the Great's time, retired Capt. Brent Sadler, a naval analyst at the Heritage Foundation, told the Washington Examiner. Maintaining unfettered movement from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean via the Black Sea is vital to Russias counterencirclement strategy, the 26-year Navy veteran explained. It's not necessarily important that you match hull for hull. It's not necessarily important that you match capability for capability, Sadler said of the Russian presence. But you do need to have an adequate maritime presence there that complicates their unquestioned control of all the Black Sea. But with a globally strained U.S. Navy and strategic shift to the Indo-Pacific, America cannot do it alone. It must rely on the NATO countries of Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania and the partner countries of Ukraine and Georgia to keep the strategic sea safe and free. Regular U.S. exercises are one way the U.S. is helping to build capacity. Romanian flotilla deputy commander Cmdr. Auras Liviu Coman, who admits his three frigates, each emblazoned with the NATO star on its side, do not possess modern naval strike missiles June 8, 2021 at Naval Base Constanta, Romania. Photo by Abraham Mahshie/Washington Examiner We are increasing the level of interoperability, said Gobjila. Not only among allies, but partners as well, because the most important thing is to build the trust, the confidence among Black Sea littoral countries. The ship commander recalls how far Romania has come from pre-NATO days, when NATO Partnership for Peace exercises in 1997 consisted of bridge-to-bridge communication and simple tactical maneuvering. Right now, we are treating very well all exercises related to maritime domain awareness, he said. That means to us as navy personnel, anti-submarine, anti-surface, anti-air exercises, electronic warfare exercises, all the spectrum of the exercises. But exercises, movement of military ships, and even commercial transit are being hindered by Russias Black Sea fleet, explained Romanian security analyst George Scufaru. Russia will try to harass us, Scufaru said at a meeting in Bucharest. They have a bigger fleet compared to Turkey in the Black Sea, to Romania, to Bulgaria. It will be very difficult. This is the reason why its necessary to have the support of NATO and to have more U.S. vessels. Scufaru pointed to a map produced by his New Strategy Center that delineated all of the Black Sea perimeters where Russia allegedly conducted military exercises in 2019. According to international convention, militaries may announce perimeters within international waters where they are conducting potentially dangerous exercises. Russia has abused this practice in recent years to block key passageways such as the Kerch Strait access to the Sea of Azov, the maritime boundaries surrounding Crimea, and coasts near Ukraine and Georgia, where Putin has fomented protracted conflicts. A map of the Black Sea delineates all the perimeters Russia declared off-limits for maritime military exercises in 2019, some of which were fictitious but still prohibited the passage of ships from Black Sea littoral nations. Photo by Abraham Mahshie/ Washington Examiner Indeed, Russia is modernizing its suite of capabilities, Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu told the Washington Examiner by phone from Bucharest. NATO is also reacting by organizing a lot more naval exercises, by having a more substantive rotational presence of allied ships in the region. Aurescu said Romania is investing heavily in military infrastructure and command and control to host more NATO and American land, sea, and air power to deter Russia. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Lets see the next step, said a dubious Scufaru of Bidens pullback from the Black Sea in advance of the Biden-Putin summit. A recent report indicates that pullback also included a White House freeze of $100 million of military assistance to Ukraine ahead of the summit. Is this only linked with the summit, with this meeting? posed Scufaru. Or, is this the beginning of a beautiful friendship? Washington Examiner Videos Tags: News, National Security, Department of Defense, Pentagon, Russia, Vladimir Putin, Romania, Joe Biden, Black Sea Original Author: Abraham Mahshie Original Location: Russias Black Sea navy grows as allies worry Biden will pull back Jun. 18LOUISVILLE After a six-week trial, a federal jury has convicted a Southern Indiana doctor, nurse practitioner and health practice on multiple counts including conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and health care fraud. On June 11, and after deliberating for three hours, the jury handed down a verdict finding Dr. Jeffrey Campbell of Jeffersonville, Mark Dyer, RN, and Physicians Primary Care, PLLC where they worked guilty of 13 of the 22 charges. The three were indicted in 2017 as part of a federal investigation into health care fraud that resulted in charges for more than 400 individuals and practices across 41 federal districts, the News and Tribune previously reported. The accusations nationally totaled around $1.3 billion in false billings. Online court records show that the three Jeffersonville parties were each convicted of conspiracy in unlawful distribution and dispensing of controlled substances and conspiracy (health care fraud.) Campbell and Dyer were also found guilty of health care fraud (physical therapy) and conspiracy (money laundering.) Campbell alone was convicted of two additional charges of health care fraud (fraudulent coding.) "Physicians and medical professionals take an oath that obligates them to do no harm," said Special Agent in Charge Robert Brown of the FBI's Louisville Field Office, in a news release. "Dr. Campbell, Mark Dyer, and the other defendants willingly broke that oath by providing unnecessary drugs and defrauding various benefits programs solely to line their pockets. "[This] guilty verdict sends a message to those who prioritize profit over care: the FBI and its partners will root out physicians and health care professionals who let dollar signs rather than medical needs drive their treatment of patients." The charges stem from incidents that occurred between Jan 1, 2009 and Dec. 1, 2016, when the defendants unlawfully distributed controlled substance "outside the course of usual practice," specifically oxycodone and methadone. The jury also found them guilty of fraudulently billing both Indiana and Kentucky Medicaid and Indiana Medicare by falsely submitting claims and using improper codes to get higher reimbursement. Campbell and Dyer were also convicted of falsely using codes for treatment, purporting that a physician and physical therapists did the treatments. A sentencing hearing is set for Sept. 8 at 9 a.m. in the U.S. District Court Western District of Kentucky in Louisville. The "devastated" family of a 9-year-old Tennessee boy who was found unresponsive in his room last week is blaming his death on a reported TikTok challenge that dares people to strangle themselves and escape. "To see that baby laying in that casket, hasnt even had an opportunity to grow up," Barbara Williams, a great-great-aunt of LaTerius "TJ" Smith Jr., told WREG-TV in Memphis. "You know, his life has ended because of some people putting stupid things on various sites." The boys family rushed him to the hospital last week after finding him unconscious with a belt around his neck. He was pronounced dead on June 10. DOCTORS WARN OVER TIKTOK CHALLENGE INVOLVING FAKE TONGUE PIERCINGS "It wasnt until later on that we found out there was some type of video on TikTok, you know, letting kids know how to strangle yourself," Williams told the station. "But you got to get out of it, the challenge was to get out of it. But hes 9 years old, hes 9 years old, so how was he going to get out of it?" TJ would have turned 10 years old at the end of the month, according to his obituary. "TJ was a fun-loving, full of energy bundle of joy who touched many lives!! He loved his mother, father and his family as a whole. TJ loved God!! He enjoyed going to church!!" his obituary said, adding that he sang in the choir at his church. Williams urged parents to be aware of what their children are looking at online. "I know you cant watch them 24 hours, but that in which you can do, you just have to save a life," she said. A TikTok spokesperson told the station dangerous challenges like the Benadryl challenge and the blackout challenge have been banned by the site. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP A 10-year-old girl in Italy died earlier this year under similar circumstances after she allegedly took part in the blackout challenge, The Guardian reported. Get essential education news and commentary delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up here for The 74s daily newsletter. Gov. Greg Abbott has signed the controversial bill that prescribes how Texas teachers can talk about current events and Americas history of racism in the classroom, according to Texas Legislature Online. His signature makes Texas one of a handful of states across the country that have passed such legislation, which aims to ban the teaching of critical race theory in K-12 public school classrooms. Critical race theory is an academic term that studies how race and racism have impacted social and local structures in the United States. Over the past year, GOP leaders have decried its teaching in public schools, pointing to limited examples in various school districts across the state. In 2020, former President Donald Trump had banned federal employees from training that discusses critical race theory or white privilege, calling it propaganda. Several versions of the bill passed back and forth between the two chambers as Texas Democrats raised concerns the bill would have a chilling effect on classroom conversations. An amended version sent back to the House had appeared dead at one point after state Rep. James Talarico, D-Round Rock, tanked it on a procedural violation. But it was revived by the Texas Senate later that evening after senators reverted back to an earlier approved version of the bill and sent it to the governors office. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had signaled support for the legislation since the start of the legislative session. This law, which goes into effect Sept. 1, includes a list of founding documents that Texas students must be taught. It also includes a list of additional historical documents written by people of color and women that House Democrats had added. It also mandates that students be taught the history of white supremacy, including but not limited to the institution of slavery, the eugenics movement, and the Ku Klux Klan, and the ways in which it is morally wrong. Story continues Still, many educators and education advocacy groups had opposed the bill, which states that teachers cannot be compelled to discuss current events and if they do, they must give deference to both sides. Opponents say it limits honest conversations about race and racism in American society and will force teachers to equivocate on controversial or sensitive topics that will result in less educated students. It also prohibits students from getting credit or extra credit for participating in civic activities that include political activism or lobbying elected officials on a particular issue. The version signed by the governor also bans the teaching of The New York Times 1619 Project, a reporting endeavor that examines U.S. history from the date when enslaved people first arrived on American soil, marking that as the countrys foundational date. Supporters of House Bill 3979, which mirrors legislation making its way through state legislatures across the country, argue they are trying to combat personal biases bleeding into public education, pointing to a few individual instances in school districts across the state where parents have raised concerns. Throughout legislative debates over the bill, they expressed concerns that teachers are unfairly blaming white people for historical wrongs and distorting the founding fathers accomplishments. In recent years, there have been calls for more transparency about historical figures racist beliefs or connections to slavery. But education advocacy groups said the law is ultimately politically motivated. The specific references by Republicans to banning Critical Race Theory and the 1619 Project make it clear that they want this to be a wedge issue for state and local political races, said the Texas chapter of the American Federation of Teachers in a statement in late May. The bill is part of a national movement by conservatives trying to sow a narrative of students being indoctrinated by teachers. Our members rightfully have expressed outrage against this insult of their professionalism to provide balanced conversations with students on controversial issues. Governors in Idaho and Tennessee have signed similar bills into law with more than a dozen other states considering legislation. Kate McGee is a higher education reporter at The Texas Tribune, the only member-supported, digital-first, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. Disclosure: New York Times has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism. Find a complete list of them here. Related: Sign up for The 74s newsletter By Alan Charlish WARSAW (Reuters) - Thousands marched through central Warsaw on Saturday in an "Equality Parade" demanding an end to discrimination against the LGBT community, amid what campaigners say has been a rising tide of homophobia in Poland in recent years. LGBT rights have become a central part of a wider struggle in the country between liberals, who stress the need for a more tolerant and inclusive society, and religious conservatives, who denounce what they say is an attempt to subvert traditional values in the predominantly Catholic nation. In a sea of rainbow flags, the symbol of the LGBT community, marchers gathered outside the towering neo-Gothic Palace of Culture in central Warsaw, as a DJ played dance music from a stage before the start of the march. "The Equality Parade is a celebration of LGBT people and all those who have to fight for their rights," said 22-year-old restaurant worker Sylwester Cimochowski. "Homophobia is a huge problem in Poland ... there are lots of people who can't cope with it, they kill themselves. The situation of LGBT people in Poland is tragic and that's why I'm here - to support them." Both politicians and clergy have been accused of stoking homophobia in Poland. Some conservatives say they have nothing against gay people; they only oppose what they call "LGBT ideology". Meanwhile, in Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban's nationalist government, which is allied with Poland's governing Law and Justice (PiS) party, has introduced a new law banning the "display and promotion of homosexuality" among under-18s. "It's getting more and more difficult ... but at the same time there is more and more resistance," said Marta Borkowska, a 37-year-old business consultant, referring to the situation of LGBT people in central and eastern Europe. Asked what she would say to people who are opposed to the march, she replied, "I would say 'don't be afraid'". (Reporting by Alan Charlish Additional reporting by Pawel Florkiewicz; Editing by Mark Potter) GOP Senate candidate Kelly Tshibaka. AP Photo/Mark Thiessen, File Former President Trump has backed Kelly Tshibaka over Lisa Murkowski in the 2022 Alaska Senate race. Trump continues to smart over Murkowski voting to convict him in his second impeachment trial. Tshibaka, the former state commissioner of administration, has several Trump alums in her campaign. Sign up for the 10 Things in Politics daily newsletter. Former President Donald Trump on Friday backed a Republican challenger to GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski in the 2022 Alaska Senate race, ramping up his campaign against the three-term incumbent who earlier this year voted to convict him in his second impeachment trial for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. In a statement, Trump threw his support behind Kelly Tshibaka, the former state commissioner of administration, calling Murkowski "bad for Alaska." "Murkowski has got to go!," Trump wrote. "Kelly Tshibaka is the candidate who can beat Murkowski - and she will. Kelly is a fighter who stands for Alaska values and America First. She is MAGA all the way, pro-energy, strong on the Border, tough on Crime and totally supports our Military and our great Vets." Trump also criticized Murkowski for voting to confirm Deb Haaland as Secretary of the Interior in March, which he said was "a vote to kill long sought for, and approved, ANWR, and Alaska jobs." Trump said that he anticipated traveling to Alaska to campaign for Tshibaka and against Murkowski, a political nemesis who didn't hold back in criticizing the former president while he was in office. Read more: 15 Senate Republicans are up for reelection in 2022. But Rick Scott - the man in charge of helping them win - has instead turned a key fundraising tool into Trump's megaphone. After the Capitol riot, Murkowski swiftly called on Trump to step down from the presidency. "I want him to resign. I want him out. He has caused enough damage," she told the Anchorage Daily News in an interview from early January. Story continues Trump, unhappy with Murkowski veering from the GOP script, has held a monthslong grudge against the senator for her impeachment vote. "I do not know where other people will be next year, but I know where I will be - in Alaska campaigning against a disloyal and very bad Senator," he told Politico in March. Tshibaka launched her campaign in March and brought on several alums of the Trump 2020 campaign in her effort to take down Murkowski in the GOP primary. In April, the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, threw its support behind Murkowski. Despite Trump's focus on Murkowski, she is a political survivor - she lost her GOP primary in the Tea Party wave of 2010, only to launch a successful write-in campaign for the general election. In 2016, she was reelected to the Senate on the Republican Party line. Read the original article on Business Insider (Getty Images) The White House froze a $100m military aid package to Ukraine of short-range air defence systems, anti-tank weapons and small arms ahead of this weeks US-Russia summit in Geneva, according to Politico. Press secretary Jen Psaki late Friday released a statement calling the report that the administration held back security assistance "nonsense", and said the US remains unwavering in its support for Ukraines sovereignty. "Just last week in the run-up to the US-Russia Summit we provided a $150 million package of security assistance, including lethal assistance," she said. It comes after Politico quoted multiple anonymous sources "familiar with internal deliberations" saying a lethal aide proposal was put on ice after Russia announced a drawdown of troops near Ukraine in the lead up to the high-stakes meeting between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin. The package of lethal and non-lethal aid, first reported by The Washington Post, was considered by the Biden administration in response to an estimated 100,000 Russian troops, along with rocket battalions and heavy armour units, amassing near the Ukraine border with Crimea. The reduction of those troops from late April lead to the tabled package, the Post reported, but it could still be quickly sent to Ukraine if Russia expands its presence on the border. The reported pause in aid to Ukraine came as the administration waived sanctions against the Russian company behind the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in a major coup for the Kremlin. Mr Biden was non-committal when asked during his Europe visit for a "yes or no" answer about whether Ukraine would the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato), which the Kremlin has said would be a "red line" for Moscow. "Schools out on that question. It remains to be seen," Mr Biden said. "In the meantime, we will do all we can to put Ukraine in a position to be able to continue to resist Russian physical aggression." Story continues "It depends on whether they meet the criteria. The fact is they still have to clean up corruption and the fact is they have to meet other criteria to get into the action plan," he added. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Ekho Moskvy radio station that the Geneva summit had been positive overall but that Moscow was monitoring Ukraines membership status with Nato, according to Reuters. "This is something we are watching very closely and this really is a red line for us - as regards the prospect of Ukraine joining NATO," Mr Peskov said. "Of course, this (the question of a membership plan for Ukraine) raises our concerns," he said. Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has called for urgent entry into Nato and access to the military weaponry his country lacks, telling The Washington Examiner in a 3 June interview that Russia doesnt take words seriously, only actions. If they see that the only reaction the West can offer is words, they will understand that their hands are untied to that, he said. In disputing Politicos report of a frozen aid package, Ms Psaki referenced the presidents words on keeping Ukraine in a position to resist Russian aggression. "We have now provided the entire amount appropriated by Congress through the Ukraine security assistance initiative," Ms Paski said. "We have also prepared contingency funds in the event of a further Russian incursion into Ukraine," she added. Read More Conservative activists heckle Pence at conference in Florida EXPLAINER: What is the Catholic Communion controversy? 11 U.S. mayors commit to develop reparations pilot projects A Republican lawmaker from Wisconsin proposed a measure to ban the teaching of critical race theory in public schools in Washington, D.C. Rep. Glenn Grothman proposed the bill on Friday, boasting original co-sponsors in four other Republicans from Texas, South Carolina, and Ohio, according to a press release. The legislation, titled "Ending Critical Race Theory in D.C. Public Schools Act," requires that no employee of D.C. public and charter schools "shall compel a teacher or student to adopt, affirm, adhere to, or profess ideas that promote race or sex stereotyping or scapegoating." The proposal, which says it is the sense of Congress that D.C. school employees "should maintain policies in accordance with title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, is the latest in a number of legislative attempts to oust the teaching of critical race theory from classrooms across the country, which has been criticized by mostly conservatives as a method of teaching that further inflames racial division." In essence, critical race theory claims "racism is a normal and ordinary part of our society, not an aberration," according to a seminar created by Fordham Law School's Center on Race, Law and Justice. CRITICAL RACE THEORY MAKES RACE RELATIONS WORSE: 43% YES, 24% NO However, the nation's capital is under the authority of Congress, with both chambers in Democratic control, so the bill is unlikely to pass. The D.C. Council responded to the proposed legislation in a Twitter post, saying, "Actually, here in DC, we teach Critical *State* Theory," adding, "We are deeply Critical of people elsewhere telling us how to educate our own children in our own soon-to-be State." In April, the House passed a bill seeking to make heavily Democratic D.C. a state, which would grant its residents the same representation and powers of the present 50 states. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Story continues President Joe Biden backed the bill to make Washington, D.C., the 51st state, but the legislation faces a long odds in the evenly divided Senate with a tiebreaker in Vice President Kamala Harris. Washington Examiner Videos Tags: News, Wisconsin, Republican, Washington D.C., Education, Critical Race Theory, Racism, History Original Author: Kaelan Deese Original Location: Wisconsin lawmaker proposes ban on teaching critical race theory in DC schools After the mornings community cleanup, kick-off participants said it felt good to get involved, and it gave them a sense of worth. Many of their litter pickup efforts were cheered on by people in passing cars, or other residents crossing the park on foot. Its contagious, Gibson said, people see others working to better their communities, and they want to get involved. Weve got a good group of people here that are willing to give up their time and that believe in having pride in their community. Kelly Lakes was one of the participants in the cleanup and said she would love to be a neighborhood caretaker, if she were given the chance. As someone who enjoys walking through her own neighborhood along Rivermont Avenue, she understands how seeing trash and litter on the street can take away from the experience. She said she definitely sees it as a necessary program. The job is out there, she said. It needs to be done. Hughes and Interim City Manager Reid Wodicka created the program as a way to use available grant funding and target two of the citys critical missions: creating a healthy, safe and clean community and growing workforce opportunities. Here at the Legacy Museum, our history is your history, she said. We want to teach our kids their history. The newly dedicated bookshelves are in the Legacy Activity Center, an extension of the Legacy Museum located in a rehabilitated house next door to the museum on Monroe Street. The bookshelves and many of the books were donated by the Lynchburg alumna chapters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., who collaborated on the project. With books for both children and adults, president of the Delta Sigma Theta chapter, Frances Breakfield, said this is an event that extends beyond Juneteenth. This goes far beyond one day a year, she said. By highlighting Black authors and stories, she hopes children will see themselves reflected in the pages, and celebrate a history and culture that often is underserved in schools and mainstream narratives. Tommie McCune, president of the Alpha Kappa Alpha chapter, said this gives them the opportunity to bring Black history to the forefront. It was to be a recurring theme. From the Founders in 1787 to todays refusal to enact needed voting-rights reform because of so-called bipartisanship, protecting Black peoples humanity has always come in second to other concerns deemed more vital. But as Anderson noted, When youre willing to sacrifice Black folks for what you consider to be the larger issue, you end up sacrificing the larger issue as well. Meaning that America cannot credibly practice racial discrimination, then tout itself as a beacon of freedom. Thats a hypocrisy with which geopolitical foes have taunted presidents from Kennedy to Biden. But as Anderson observes, the Second Amendment betrays Black folk not only in its origin but also in its application. Put simply: The right to keep and bear arms does not extend to Black people. If it did, would the NRA that vigilant defender of gun rights have kept silent when a John Crawford III or a Tamir Rice, the one a man legally carrying a firearm, the other a boy legally playing with a toy gun, were executed by police? The vile institution persisted in some border states that had stayed in the Union and thus werent subject to the Emancipation Proclamation. Not until the 13th Amendment came into effect on Dec. 18, 1865, was slavery formally abolished for good. Even then, the last slaves were not actually freed until 1866 held by Native Americans in the future Oklahoma who had sided with the Confederacy. But those are technicalities. The point is that we have come to mark today as the day we celebrate the end of slavery. If Juneteenth seems too exotic for you, then think of it as the day that we finally tried to extend Jeffersons noble words to all Americans. Even then, of course, we did so quite imperfectly, as anyone even vaguely acquainted with the history of the world since then should know. Some might read that as an indictment of America; wed prefer to read all this in a more uplifting way. Thomas Jeffersons words set a standard that no one else from that era dared embrace, a standard were still working to achieve. Today we celebrate the day those words about life and liberty became a little more real. Thats something we should all celebrate. The Roanoke Times The Roanoke Times Why wouldnt senators ban this practice? I found it very enlightening to see How They Voted in your May 30 issue, and to see that our Virginia Democratic senators voted against a bill that would have made it illegal to create certain types of human-animal chimera embryos. This sounds like a horror movie to me and I cannot see how anyone would approve of such practices. Not only did they vote against it but so did the majority of senators, 48 yeas to 49 nays. I thought there was nothing more to shock me but this pretty well tops it all. So they call what they have made chimeras! For what purpose would such a practice be? Do we do anything in the name of science, finding a way to justify any action? The creation of life belongs to our creator and I am sure our creator would not approve! MARY C. MUGNOLO Lynchburg Pitts writings reveal depth of experience The coronavirus state of emergency was lifted on Sunday for Tokyo and eight other prefectures. It will remain in effect in Okinawa through July 11. Tokyo, Osaka and five other prefectures will transition to focused restrictions from Monday. Bars and restaurants will not be able to serve alcohol after 7 p.m. The rules in Tokyo say customers can drink alone or in groups of two, but can stay no longer than 90 minutes. Pub sales manager, Ono Katsuji, said, "It's tough to make a profit with restrictions still in place. I only hope the pandemic will end so we can return to normal as soon as possible." Tokyo confirmed 376 new cases on Sunday. That's up 72 from a week earlier. The seven-day average through Sunday is 388, up one percent from the week before. The minister in charge of the coronavirus response says with an eye on the upcoming Tokyo Games, the government is ready to declare another state of emergency, if needed. Nishimura said, "A rise in cases is highly likely as more people start moving around. We will not hesitate to declare another state of emergency, if necessary, to protect people's lives, while keeping an eye on the healthcare system." Across the country, health authorities confirmed more than 1,300 new cases on Sunday. 20 people have died. Workplace vaccinations will go into full-swing on Monday. An electronics store held a practice session to get ready. Iwami Shinichiro of the Bic Camera said, "We want to give our employees peace of mind, so our customers can come and shop with peace of mind." The company aims to vaccinate 1,200 people a day and cover all of its 17,000 employees and their families. The minister in charge of the roll-out, Kono Taro, hopes elementary and junior high school students will be able to get their shots during their summer break. He says there will be an announcement soon on vaccinating schoolchildren. In a sign of the rulings impact, the court sent two cases of people convicted of drug crimes based partly on trash searches back to lower courts to determine whether the evidence should be thrown out. Dissenting justices, including Chief Justice Susan Christensen of Harlan, warned that the decision was out of step with the vast majority of states and outlawed a tactic used to gather evidence of drug manufacturing and dealing. They said people have no expectations of privacy when they put their trash on the curb. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} The majoritys reasoning that officers cant use investigative techniques that would be illegal for private citizens is nonsensical and calls into question the legality of several other law enforcement practices, dissenting justices said. Christensen said the reasoning would invite legal challenges against officers who make warrantless traffic stops, search private property and seize guns under emergency or other circumstances that have long been allowed by courts. Unfortunately, our state law enforcement officials are now left with a guess-and-see approach to many actions previously considered lawful, undermining public safety in the process, Christensen wrote. Four of the courts conservative justices said the environmental groups didnt show that the states actions had caused a concrete injury the courts could fix. They also said the public trust doctrine historically hasnt been used to solve a problem as complex as the environmental issues raised, and that the issues at the heart of the case were political questions that would fall to the Legislature to settle. There is not enough here to demonstrate that a favorable outcome in this case is likely to redress the plaintiffs alleged reduced ability to kayak, swim, or enjoy views of the Raccoon River, or would save them money on drinking water. The plaintiffs claims must therefore be dismissed for lack of standing, Justice Edward Mansfield wrote for the majority. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} He said the Des Moines Water Works would have better standing to sue, but he pointed out that the utility already did so and lost a 2017 federal court case that was also dismissed. The utility filed a brief with the state Supreme Court saying it was pursuing the development of alternate sources of water but that its long-range plans involve the implementation of new treatment technologies that would cost customers tens of millions of dollars. DES MOINES Child care should be considered infrastructure and belongs in the federal infrastructure funding package being crafted in Congress: that was the message U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and Rep. Cindy Axne conveyed during an event Friday at a child care center. Walsh and Axne, who represents Council Bluffs and much of southwest Iowa in the 3rd Congressional District heard from central Iowa child care stakeholders during a roundtable discussion at Oakridge Neighborhood in Des Moines. President Joe Biden proposed a $1.7 trillion infrastructure bill that included $200 billion for child care. A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators developed a counter proposal that came in just shy of $1 trillion. We are fighting tooth and nail to keep (funding for child care programs) in the bill, because it should be in there, Axne told the group. We are actively engaged in making sure that this comes to fruition. Advocates say many low-income families cannot afford child care, and the cost is keeping many Americans out of the workforce as they find it more affordable to not work than to pay for expensive child care. BROKEN BOW A jury found a 45-year-old Broken Bow man guilty of first-degree murder and two other charges Friday afternoon in the shooting death of his stepmother. Trenton R. Esch was also convicted of use of a firearm to commit a felony and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Esch shot Crystal Esch, 62, on July 11, 2020, at a home on Round Valley Road, just north of Broken Bow He then fled to his residence on South N Street and engaged in a standoff with law enforcement before he voluntarily exited the home and was arrested. The verdict came down at 2:39 p.m. after closing arguments Friday morning in Custer County District Court. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Esch is scheduled to be sentenced at 1 p.m. Aug. 19. The murder charge was filed as a Class 1A felony, which carries a maximum life sentence in Nebraska. A search of court records shows Esch was sentenced to 90 days in jail on Dec. 10, 2019, after he pleaded no contest in Custer County Court to violation of a protection order placed by Crystal Esch. He was accused of violating the order on July 28, 2019, and Aug. 17, 2019. Harwood said the truck is fully customized from top to bottom and, as far as he knows, it is the first true pickup the college has built. The big back window, the wrap-around, is probably one of the reasons we chose this one, Harwood said. This truck comes from Curtis, Nebraska, and the gentleman who had it has pretty much been in Frontier County his whole life. Raffle tickets are $10 each and the drawing will take place Sept. 11 at the Colonel Codys Cruise Show and Shine in Memorial Park. Jamey and Rachel Swanson brought their 1994 Chevy S10 to the show. We put a 505 cubic inch big block Chevy (engine) in it, Jamey said. We wanted to put together a safe race vehicle, which weve also made street legal at the same time so we can have a little fun. The truck has not yet been on the race track. We literally just finished this truck last night to make it here, Jamey said. The couple hopes to have it race ready by next month. Its a joint effort, Rachel said. One of the reasons we picked it up is that Im ready to drag race again. The Chamber Hostesses made full use of Nebraskaland Days Reboot theme this year, selling boot-related items at their annual auction Friday. The Platte Bar helped the Hostesses by being the venue, this being the auctions first year at the bar. Were out here with our friends again, said Dalene Skates, president of the Chamber Hostesses. We get to hang out with people that want to come out and have a good time and support Nebraskaland Days, support the Hostesses. The Hostesses auctioned 15 donated items, which included items like plant-filled boots, a purse made from the top of a boot, boot-shaped bean bags with a Nebraskaland Days cornhole set, and even three dates at the Wild West Arena pavilion with sailors from the USS Nebraska. My favorite part of the auction is always the sailors, Skates said. When they come in, they contribute to what were auctioning off. Theyre all over town and they really have a lot of fun with Nebraskaland Days. The fact that they come to our event is awesome. Dunleavy spokesperson Corey Allen Young said Dunleavy does not intend to insert himself in the legislative process. Minority Republicans, who say they have felt marginalized and want to be included in talks on what pieces should be considered as part of a broader fiscal plan, take responsibility for their votes, House Minority Leader Cathy Tilton told reporters Friday. I want to say, the governor is not to blame for this at all. I accept my vote, our caucus accepts their vote. This is a House issue, right now. We want those discussions to move Alaska in the right path, Rep. Mike Cronk, a Tok Republican, added. Dunleavy, as part of the special session agenda, wanted lawmakers to consider his proposal for putting in the state constitution a formula for the annual dividend paid to residents. Many lawmakers said they would prefer a more full-fledged debate on the dividend later this year alongside other pieces of a possible fiscal plan. Dunleavy had already called a special session for August on issues like revenue. But Tilton, a Wasilla Republican, said there are concerns about whether those conversations will take place. (Bloomberg) -- A massive methane plume detected earlier this month over Russia stemmed from emergency repairs that forced the partial shutdown of a Gazprom PJSC pipeline, the company said, taking responsibility for one of the energy sectors most intense recent leaks of the superpotent greenhouse gas. Gazprom's enormous methane leak, first identified in satellite data by geoanalytics firm Kayrros SAS, points to whats a worldwide problem preventing the release of a greenhouse gas with 80 times the impact of carbon dioxide in the short term. The Russian gas giant said its pipeline repairs on June 4 released 2.7 million cubic meters (1,830 metric tons) of methane. That has roughly the same short term planet-warming impact of 40,000 internal-combustion cars in the U.S. driving for a year, according to the Environmental Defense Fund. Kayrros estimated an emissions rate of 395 metric tons an hour, which would make Gazprom responsible for the most severe release it has attributed to the oil and gas sector since September 2019. Gazprom said the gas was released after it detected a problem with its Urengoy-Center 1 pipeline in Russia's Tatarstan region. The company said that given the urgency it wasnt able to use a mobile compressor station to reduce the methane released by the repairs, though it claimed to still have cut 22% of potential emissions. The June plume was equal to just 0.1% of the companys total pollution in 2019, according to analysts at Moscow-based VTB Capital. The situation might be quite negative for sentiment on Gazproms shares, they said in a note on Friday, even though the leak was unlikely to impact its finances or operations. Russias largest gas company is under pressure to do more to lower the methane emissions caused by its operations as countries in Europe its biggest market more closely scrutinize the climate impact of the fuel used to heat their homes and power their grids. The large amounts of methane caused by Russian gas come as the European Union seeks to meet a target of net-zero emissions by mid-century.The leak this month from Gazproms pipeline in Tatarstan isn't the only major methane release traced to the Russian company. Kayrros detected another giant methane plume on May 24 with an estimated emissions rate of 214 metric tons an hour. Gazprom said this leak resulted from two days of planned maintenance on the Urengoy-Petrovsk pipeline in Russia's Bashkortostan region. The emissions amounted to about 900,000 cubic meters, it said, which the company described as in line with the industrial safety regulations. Story continues Until the June 4 release, that earlier May 24 leak had ranked as the most severe this year detected by Kayrros in public satellite data and that it attributed to the oil and gas sector. Gazprom also confirmed it was responsible for three more methane releases that have been spotted in Russia this month. The company said that in all cases it sought to use some of the gas, emissions didnt exceed government-regulated standards and the events would be included in its environmental reports. Multiple studies have found methane emissions from the oil and gas industry are often higher than what operators and governments report. Releases of the odorless, colorless gas from the U.S. oil and gas supply chain in 2015 were about 60% higher than U.S. Environmental Protection Agency inventory estimate, a 2018 study published in Science found. Kayrros is one of several companies that monitor satellite data for methane clouds. The ESA data it uses are obtained by the agencys Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite, which orbits the globe about 14 times a day to produce a rough snapshot of the worlds methane hot spots. Since wind and other atmospheric conditions can affect plumes, Kayrros uses atmospheric dispersion modeling to estimate the emissions rate and each plumes source location. Scientists are just beginning to pinpoint the biggest sources of methane and existing data isnt yet globally comprehensive. Public and private satellite data have helped spot methane plumes in countries including Canada, Bangladesh and Turkmenistan. Still, observations from space can be seasonal due to cloud cover, precipitation and varying light intensity. Satellites can also have difficulty tracking offshore emissions and releases in higher latitudes. Russian President Vladimir Putin cited methanes contribution to global warming in an April speech and said its extremely important to develop broad and effective international cooperation in the calculation and monitoring of all polluting emissions into the atmosphere. Asked about the May 24 incident, the regional ministry of environmental management and ecology said it didn't register any man-made damage in the area during that period. (Adds analyst comment in fifth paragraph.) More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2021 Bloomberg L.P. A 20-year-old man died after deputies with the Lee County Sheriffs Office shot him multiple times when he pointed a shotgun at them early Saturday morning, Sheriff Jay Jones said at a press conference Saturday. Deputies responded to a 911 call at about 1 a.m. Saturday from a motorist near the intersections of Lee Roads 240 and 206 in Salem concerning a man near the roadway with a gun, Jones said. Deputies encountered the man, who was armed with a shotgun, and told him to put the weapon down before he racked the weapon to chamber a round, Jones said. While the encounter was ongoing, deputies checked the registration of a vehicle located nearby and contacted the registered owner, who told authorities her son was driving the vehicle and was suffering from mental health issues. Jones said the description the vehicles owner gave of her son matched the man with the shotgun. Jones said a trained negotiator with the Opelika Police Department arrived on the scene and attempted to communicate with the son while getting information from his mother, but after about an hour and 40 minutes into the incident the man pointed the gun directly at law enforcement officials resulting in officers firing several rounds into the man. UPDATE: Saturday, June 19, 10:26 p.m. The tornado watch for East Alabama has expired. Intermittent bouts of heavy rain are expected to continue through Sunday, with rain and thunderstorms possible through early week. No flash flooding has been reported in the area, but drivers should avoid roadbeds covered with flowing water. UPDATE: Saturday, June 19, 11 a.m. A Tornado Watch has been issued for Lee County through 7 p.m. Saturday, according to Lee County Emergency Management Director Rita Smith. Smith told the Opelika-Auburn News that her staff has activated its Emergency Operations Center in Opelika to monitor local conditions for the next several hours. No severe weather has been reported locally, but the possibility of heavy rains and high winds will linger in East Alabama through late Sunday. Friday, June 18, 5 p.m. Heavy rain is coming Saturday and could stay through Monday, according to the National Weather Service. Washington, PA (15301) Today Increasing clouds with showers arriving this afternoon. High 69F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight A few clouds. Slight chance of a shower throughout the evening. Low 54F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. BoA ALONE could have her own post of music for this lol lovely post OP Reply Thread Link SHINee and SNSD too but i hate thinking in English Thanks ! Reply Parent Thread Link BoA and TVXQ/Tohoshinki lol but true, great post OP Reply Parent Thread Link Thanks ! I know I let a lot out but there are many many songs and I'm not that familiar with BoA or TVXQ ( besides a few songs ) And tbh the first time i heard a TVXQ song was because I was watching One Piece lol Edited at 2021-06-19 02:56 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link I got into Kpop because of DBSK/TVXQ's Japanese Rising Sun so I should thank them lol Reply Parent Thread Link I actually first heard BoA because of a Japanese song she did for Inuyasha. Took me quite a few years to learn she is actually Korean lmao Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Great post OP! This is my favourite Japanese release ever: I also love SNSD's Karma Butterfly! Reply Thread Link Until recently i knew about the existence of Gfriend's japanese discography Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah! They have a couple of JP bops but I don't think they did particularly well, unfortunately, hence more of a focus on their KR releases Reply Parent Thread Link this reminds me, i've forgetten memoria was originally a jp release. quite easily my favorite song of theirs tbh. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link My fave Reply Thread Link Also I think I like the Japanese version of Fantasia better than the Korean one lol oops Reply Parent Thread Link Visually the Japanese Fantasia is my favorite between the two (so much Shownu...just not wet). Legit watch this vid at least once a day. I like both versions of the song equally though. Reply Parent Thread Link I haven't heard the original japanese song lmao, just the Korean one ( i liked it a lot ), Monsta X has great discography Reply Parent Thread Link This song is such a jam. I like that they did a Korean version for One of a Kind but I also don't really care to listen to it when I have the original, you know? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I will never understand why SNSD japanese songs are not on Spotify. There songs are really catchy. Twice japanese songs are amazing to listen and dance to. Their recent release is amazing and I'm loving Strawberry Moon I'm forever bitter about F(x) not having one final album before leaving SM. Reply Thread Link F(X) music is flawless, they deserved way way more Reply Parent Thread Link the twice song is so good, i didnt know kura kura had a b side Reply Parent Thread Link Yes! Strawberry Moon and Kura Kura are easily two of my favourite Korea-based group releases this year. Reply Parent Thread Link shinee has the strongest japanese releases of any kpop group imo but your number is my fave Reply Thread Link also CALL CALL CALL by seventeen!! Reply Parent Thread Link Your Number is flawless, both MV and song Reply Parent Thread Link There could be an original of only their releases, great pick Reply Parent Thread Link optimal shinee right here. Reply Parent Thread Link BTS's Japanese discography isn't my favorite. I know that a lot of people really enjoy Wishing On a Star and Crystal Snow and like, they're fine. But idk, the only Japanese song from BTS that has made it onto my playlist is Stay Gold. Which is objectively not the best BTS song, but lmao it's an ear worm. Reply Thread Link at the end of the day what matters the most imo is that it's catchy lol, i mean, i love meaningful songs too but one of my favorite kpop songs has the silliest lyrics lmao, nothing wrong with just enjoy a catchy song that is an ear worm. Reply Parent Thread Link Don't Leave Me though. A masterpiece. Reply Parent Thread Link It's super dated-sounding now but I love it. The production in the opening is so good to me. Reply Parent Thread Link Same, down to Stay Gold being the only Japanese song on my BTS playlist (wasn't feeling film out either) Reply Parent Thread Link I loooooove Galaxy Supernova but my #1 is Reply Thread Link the song and choreo are so peculiar at points but it works? and i love it. also i love sunny focused this is Reply Parent Thread Link i was LOOKING for butterfly pooped a spider Reply Parent Thread Link this is IT Reply Parent Thread Link SNSD's Japanese stuff is amazing. Karma Butterfly, You-aholic and The Great Escape >>> After School's Dressed to Kill is their best album too imo. Sadly both groups' Japanese stuff is so hard to find on streaming. Reply Thread Link YES!! Thank you OP for this. Absolutely necessary. Appreciated! I like BlackPinks Stay in Japanese version. Its that one I use to study Japanese in my sessions Reply Thread Link I wanted to include Blackpink but this is about original japanese releases and YG just makes japanese versions of their Korean songs , so unfair Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah my bad lmao. Got so excited. But ugh yeah!! I was about to ask if theyd plan on it in the near future YG got no chill!! Reply Parent Thread Link This was a single they just have performed in their japanese concerts but I love it so much !! I miss SuChen's voice tbh, Chen voice is indeed nasal but the man can sing and the song is cute. Superstar is the newest SHINee japanese release and it's such a fun bop, exactly what i love from SHINee Kibum is the only one who looks good lmao, but i really enjoy this song: I don't like it as much as Breakthrough but i like it a lot too Reply Thread Link Kibum is the only one who looks good lmao Stan my man!! Reply Parent Thread Link He looks so good there and the other ones look bad ( except Minho, Taemin was dressed as an old man, the stylist had to hate Jonghyun to give him that hair ) so he looked even more gorgeous, he wears hats so well Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I just wanted to say that I've only recently watched that performance in your profile pic, and my mind was blooowwwwnnn . Reply Parent Thread Link Yessss Superstar! I've been bopping to it daily since it came out (but where's the music video? They released the song and were like byeee ). Also, apparently it has made its way to Tiktok?? Get that free promo Kings! Anyways flawless post and flawless taste op, and all the thumbs up! Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I was going to say that I generally enjoy Taeyeon's jp releases then I saw you only said "groups", lol. Reply Thread Link I included Taemin because I'm extremely biased but you can talk about soloists too ! Reply Parent Thread Link Voice is my favorite jp single of hers. (i'll probably add more when i'm not at work lol) Reply Parent Thread Link Some other faves: [ I have too many omg ] SHINee's Japanese discography is FLAW FREE. The First has some of my favorite SHINee songs on it:Some other faves: Reply Thread Link I love Wishful Thinking , i also forgot DxDxD! Such a bop and all of them look like snacks ( especially Minho ) Reply Parent Thread Link I almost added DxDxD but I felt like my list was getting too long lmao I just stan tf out of their Japanese discography and I'll never stop yelling about it. It's just so fucking good. Reply Parent Thread Link picasso is WILD. i get so hype whenever they perform this song. the pre-chorus with jjong and taem is perfection. key usually such a hard and aggressive dancer, so he really shines in this choreography to me. (also not you posting the ddd version where they all look so amazing...!) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Fire and Start!!! They really have a solid Japanese discography Reply Parent Thread Link OP your taste is immaculate as always <3 Get the Treasure is so fucking good, and you already know Electric Kiss is one of my fave EXO songs! also YES Sayonara Hitori!! Reply Thread Link Electric kiss is such a bop and my man looks fine af , it's a shame the full MV isn't in YT , but i love the live performance too Get the treasure is such a cool song but honestly with SHINee is hard to choose because their japanese discography is truly immaculate Great icon Reply Parent Thread Link Ty I had to add my new EXO bias finally. He's been tempting me for awhile but I finally succumbed! Reply Parent Thread Link Electric Kiss is SUCH a good song like, pop perfection Reply Parent Thread Link I wanted to include Japanese songs for my Shinee showdown last... year? simply bc this is an all time favorite song. (more under the cut from BTOB, DGNA, SVT and Monsta X) [ Spoiler (click to open) ] Saw them perform this live at Tokyo Dome City, theyre amazing live tbh! The MV is a little.... but the songs so catchy Seventeen have some great Japanese songs tbh.... Suuuuuch a good song!! I wanted to include Japanese songs for my Shinee showdown last... year? simply bc this is an all time favorite song.(more under the cut from BTOB, DGNA, SVT and Monsta X) Reply Thread Link THIS IS SHINEE FIVE AND WE'RE RIGHT BY YOUR SIDE Reply Thread Link That line always hits me so hard. UGH I love them Reply Parent Thread Link I love them so much Reply Parent Thread Link Love the post, OP. Thanks for the playlist! Reply Thread Link This is a great post, giving your playlist a listen now. Reply Thread Link I kept thinking of names and I would scroll the list and see them, not just the obvious ones like Whitney and Aretha. I would think Betty, Ertha, Grace, Sarah, Etta, Nina, Sam & Dave. So many and sure enough they are there. I would buy you a drink for including Grace Jones cause as the resident stan, I adore her. Such an unappreciated icon who everyone took from. But considering the breadth of talent over generations, Im just so in love with this. Great list. Great post. Reply Thread Link TY OP and happy juneteenth to you and all of our fellow black ONTD family Reply Thread Link same to you! Reply Parent Thread Link amazing post as always, my dear! Reply Thread Link some of my fave melanin bops I know the other guy is white but the singer is black and has a lovely voice Reply Thread Link I know this playlist isnt exactly cohesive, but I tried to not repeat artists and tried to touch upon all genres which is why theres like gospel, some doo wop, some disco but then like a hard rock track from Bad Brains, but if you listen I hope you like it. And I hope youre all having a nice relaxing day if you can. Reply Thread Link This is so lovely <3 Reply Thread Link Great post Op! Reply Thread Link Afrika Bambaataa! Reply Thread Link Jimmy Carter did that? Would rather have learned more about that in English History than the Gold Rush. Reply Thread Link I love this post OP! So many classic Black musicians give me comfort even though they were way before my time. Sade, Tina Turner, and Dionne Warwick have especially been on rotation this year. Then Earth, Wind & Fires music has always made me feel so hopeful. And I heard Hello Stranger by Barbara Lewis on a road trip recently and it put me in such a wistful mood. Reply Thread Link Love this post! Had the great side effect of reminding me that at the height of the pandemic Nashville opened a new museum that id been excited about for years, the National Museum of African American Music! Definitely have to go visit this month to celebrate Reply Thread Link Ive been listening to a lot of Jon Batiste recently, he is such an amazingly talented man. Reply Thread Link Love this post!! I know pretty much all the songs on that playlist. Reply Thread Link Awesome post and playlist, OP! Some of the tracks from my morning playlist today some folks from the neighborhood organized a Juneteenth community walk today and there was a nice turnout: (And also feeling this because work was intense AF this whole week) Reply Thread Link Playlist knocks! Ty! Can almost forgive you for the lack of RIH ;) Reply Thread Link Great post OP! Reply Thread Link Local Omaha comes alive as College World Series and U.S. Olympic Swim Trials converge CHRIS MACHIAN, THE WORLD-HERALD The grounds crew work on the field at TD Ameritrade Park the day before the start of the College World Series while the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials continue at the CHI Health Center on Friday. CHRIS MACHIAN, THE WORLD-HERALD Downtown Omaha on Friday. The eve of the start of the College World Series wasn't as lively as it usually is because many of the opening festivities were canceled this year. But more than 50,000 people total could attend the CWS and the Swim Trials today. CHRIS MACHIAN, THE WORLD-HERALD Downtown Omaha on Friday, which was not as lively as it usually is the day before the College World Series because many of the festivities have been canceled this year. But more than 50,000 people total could attend the CWS and the Swim Trials and Saturday. CHRIS MACHIAN, THE WORLD-HERALD The grounds crew works on the field at TD Ameritrade Park on Friday, the day before the start of the College World Series, while the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials continue at the CHI Health Center. ANNA REED, THE WORLD-HERALD Fans wait to enter the pool area for Wave II of the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials at the CHI Health Center on Friday. ANNA REED, THE WORLD-HERALD The U.S. Olympic Swim Trials is coinciding with the first weekend of the College World Series for the first time. ANNA REED, THE WORLD-HERALD Goggles available at the Aqua Lounge during Wave II of the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials at the CHI Health Center in Omaha on Friday. ANNA REED, THE WORLD-HERALD Fans wait to enter the pool area for Wave II of the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials on Friday. ANNA REED, THE WORLD-HERALD Sisters Kylie and Kassidy Neligh of Woodbine, Iowa, show off swim caps autographed by athletes during on Friday. ANNA REED, THE WORLD-HERALD Parker Larson and his sister Elizabeth Larson, of Plymouth, Minnesota, pose on starting blocks in the Aqua Lounge at the CHI Health Center on Friday. ANNA REED, THE WORLD-HERALD Sisters Kylie and Kassidy Neligh of Woodbine, Iowa, show off autographed swim caps. CHRIS MACHIAN, THE WORLD-HERALD Downtown Omaha near TD Ameritrade Park prepares for the start of the College World Series as the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials continue. The music fit the moment Friday as people trickled up to buy College World Series tickets at TD Ameritrade Park and U.S. Olympic Swim Trials fans streamed past on their way to the CHI Health Center next door. Workers in vendor tents outside arranged T-shirts on racks, prepping for crowds to come. A crew hung a banner welcoming people to The Greatest Show on Dirt. The refrain of a Dire Straits song wafted from inside the ballpark and into the humid air: You do the walk; yeah, you do the walk of life. It feels like Omaha, Sports City, is coming alive again this week, after more than a year of COVID-19 shutdowns, sickness, stress and strain. The pandemic clearly isnt over here or anywhere, but our straits arent as dire as they were last year when the CWS was canceled and the Swim Trials postponed. Vaccination rates are high enough and cases are low enough that major sporting events are being allowed to take place with fans again. And nowhere are people taking that walk of life today like they are in downtown Omaha, where the Swim Trials and the CWS are overlapping this weekend. Its the third time those events have converged (it also happened in 2012 and 2016), but the first time its happened on the CWSs opening weekend, when all eight teams and their fans are still in the game. Shatel: 100% capacity and 110% sure we'll never take the CWS for granted Throw all that passion, all that love, into one place and you have the College World Series. Thats what Tom Shatel missed the most. And thats what he cant wait to be around again this week. The festivity was a little muted Friday, without the usual CWS team autograph sessions, opening ceremonies and the NCAA fan fest. The event center is limited to half capacity for the Swim Trials. But theres a potential for more than 50,000 people total to attend the two events within two blocks of each other Saturday. And CWS organizers expect that, following tradition, lots of other people will make the scene from Omahans looking to see, be seen and possibly even par-tay, to CWS friends who get together every year, to Cajun tailgaters who follow the road to Omaha and feed friends new and old. While theyre different crowds, there will be crossover. Its very exciting, Lori Renshaw said as she and her husband, Jack, hustled toward the arena Friday morning. Everybodys anxious to get out right now. ... Everybodys ready to get out and do the fun stuff again. The Omaha couple were celebrating their 44th wedding anniversary. Theyre longtime swim fans. They have two daughters, Ashley and Natalie, who swam for the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Theyre into this swimming thing. Theyre also into this Omaha thing called the College World Series. They often go down to the stadium, tailgate and walk around, and maybe go into a game. They plan to do that this year, too. Its fun to experience all of it, Jack Renshaw said. This is good for Omaha. Canned: COVID precautions mean no draught beer at 2021 College World Series As part of the COVID-19 precautions at TD Ameritrade Park, vendors this year are ditching draught beer and will exclusively serve canned beers, ciders and seltzers. You couldnt swing a pool noodle downtown without hitting a harmonic convergence Friday. As the Omaha sun started to approach its CWS setting of dadgum hot, three athletic-looking men in North Carolina State swimming swag strode through Parking Lot B toward the arena. They all swam for NC State in the 1990s: Grant Johnston, Dan Judge and David Fox. Johnston played catcher in high school baseball before he decided to focus on competitive swimming. Fox, one of his buddies mentioned eventually, swam in the Olympics. They didnt mention that he won a gold medal in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Bus, bike, automobile: Your guide to getting around the CWS Special app for finding parking. New rapid bus routes. A free bike corral. Getting to the College World Series can take some planning and an understanding of new rules and options. Fox came to Omaha from Dallas for the Swim Trials. Johnston came from Atlanta, and Judge from New Jersey. The three are having a good time watching all the NC State swimmers competing this year. Theyre happy for the ballplayers, too. Its great to see these kids, who have worked so hard, get to do their thing in front of a crowd and not in isolation, Fox said. Those kids in spikes include, of course, the NC State baseball team. Fans of Omaha as well, the three amigos have attended Swim Trials in the city before and had a good time at the event and around town. Johnston has been to the CWS before, and hes staying this year to at least catch NC States first game. The Wolfpack play Stanford in Saturday afternoons series opener. Weve got a bunch of swimmers, alumni and parents that are going to go watch that game, Johnston said. COVID vaccination rates, cases vary widely among states sending teams to Omaha for CWS COVID case levels vary wildly in the states that sent teams to the CWS. California and Virginia both have low case levels, but levels in Arizona, Mississippi and Texas are high. Meanwhile, Steve Mason of Gordonsville, Tennessee, waited in line to buy tickets to see his beloved Volunteers play. He didnt even know that the Swim Trials were happening. His focus is on baseball. He had never hit the road to Omaha for a CWS before, and he was bound and determined to follow Tennessee here if they qualified this year. They may never come back in my lifetime, said Mason, whos 62. Across the street, Derek Collins Jr. of Atlanta was part of crew of workers unpacking and displaying apparel at a JEB Enterprises tent. Hes expecting a busy couple of weeks of folding T-shirts and talking with customers, maybe more so than the previous three national events the Super Bowl, the NCAA Final Four and the NFL Draft that he has worked this year. Downtown Omaha businesses ramp up for CWS crowds after last year's cancellation After the COVID pandemic forced the cancellation of the College World Series last year, businesses near the ballpark are eager to get the party started once again. Its hot, and its going to be a lot of work, said Collins, whos 20 and not complaining. This is near post-corona, so there are going to be a lot of people coming outside. The confluence of swimming and baseball has Kathryn Morrissey, executive director of CWS Inc., thinking about Kris Kringle on the eve of what she hopes will be a fun and safe College World Series. She thinks that it will be good for the psyche of Omaha and baseball fans to do the friends-and-family thing thats the lifeblood of the CWS and this citys relationship. And maybe it will help uplift the nation, too, to get back some high-level, positive emotion. Its funny because I keep thinking that its almost like Santa Claus didnt come to Omaha in our quiet year last year, Morrissey said. And now, weve been left two presents. Weve got the Swim Trials that weve already unwrapped and were getting ready to unwrap the College World Series. And were happier than ever that weve got these two events here. Husband told webinar attendees that anti-racist education is needed because teachers can act in a biased or racist way, even without knowing it, and because curriculum is often Euro-centric or whitewashed, minimizing the history, experience and voices of people of color. A lot of whats taught in school is male, pale and stale, meaning its always about old White men, White men who are passed away, and White men who we have very little contact with, he said. Husband said that hopefully schools can create students who will go out and become anti-racist agents. He said anti-racists are fighting against White supremacy and whiteness, which he defined as the notion that White is the default culture. Teachers need to move away from being colorblind and become color-conscious, he said. People are either a part of the solution or a part of the problem, one slide said. Alexa Yunes-Koch demonstrated outside the meeting in support of anti-racist education. She said she was with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Racial Justice Alliance, a student organization. She said people who oppose critical race theory dont know what it is. Study touting hydroxychloroquine flawed, experts say The study in question is being misrepresented online to falsely suggest that top health officials were wrong when they found that hydroxychloroquine, a drug used to treat malaria, had no benefit as a COVID-19 treatment. The observational study, which has not been vetted by independent scientists, gained attention on social media after it was posted on May 31 to Medrxiv, a website that displays medical papers that have not been published. Posts online, many from supporters of former President Donald Trump, claimed the study shows that health officials and media were wrong to discount the benefits of hydroxychloroquine against COVID-19, which Trump had championed. Several health professionals told The Associated Press that using the new study to tout the benefits of hydroxychloroquine is misleading. "This is a very small study from a single hospital that was observational only," said Dr. Jaimie Meyer, infectious disease physician at Yale School of Medicine. "The answer to COVID is vaccination, not hydroxychloroquine." Randomized double-blind studies are the gold standard in medical research. In such studies, patients are not told whether they are receiving the drug being tested or a placebo. They allow for even distribution across groups and take into account potential differences among subjects that researchers may not have anticipated. In an observational study, like the one being touted in the false posts, researchers simply observe patients without randomizing who gets what treatment. These studies are susceptible to bias and cannot prove cause and effect, Meyer said. The study cited in the false posts examined 255 COVID-19 patients on ventilators starting on May 1, 2020. It was conducted by the Smith Center for Infectious Diseases & Urban Health in East Orange, New Jersey, which is run by Dr. Stephen M. Smith, an early proponent of hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19. The study offers no information on how it was funded and the center did not respond to an AP request for comment. The study itself notes that it should not be used to guide clinical practice. Hydroxychloroquine has since been tested on thousands of COVID-19 patients. Data from randomized studies has shown the drug is not effective for treating the disease alone or with other drugs like azithromycin. These included major studies published in The New England Journal of Medicine and The Journal of the American Medical Association. LAS VEGAS (AP) O.J. Simpson will keep fighting recent court orders in Nevada that he owes at least $60 million in judgments stemming from the 1994 killings of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ron Goldman, his lawyer said Friday. Attorney Malcolm LaVergne said he intends to ask the Nevada Supreme Court to overturn one judges order to pay the slain mans father, Fred Goldman, and another judges order in favor of Paul Dorsey, a Connecticut man holding rights to collect the wrongful death claim of Ron Goldmans mother, Sharon Rufo. I will be appealing both of those, LaVergne said, and there will be more motions at the trial level. The flurry of court activity represents another turn in a more than two-decade fight by Ron Goldmans parents to collect some $33.5 million that a California civil jury ordered Simpson to pay in 1997, two years after he was acquitted of double murder in what came to be known as The Trial of the Century. New court filings followed a March 31 settlement of Simpson's 2019 lawsuit against The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, a hotel-casino where he alleged he was defamed by unnamed employees telling a celebrity news site he had been banned from the property in November 2017 for being drunk and disruptive. Albrecht shares some of the same concerns. She said she still believes in the importance of LB 281 but wants to ensure that abuse prevention curriculum does not get into areas that parents have found objectionable in the health standards, such as learning names of genitalia in early grades. Hill, however, said that preventing child sex abuse requires teaching some of those controversial topics, even to young children. Using accurate names for body parts is important when talking about safe and unsafe touch and for reporting abuse, she said. Knowing that they can refuse unwanted touching also is important to protecting children. She noted that LB 281 would require that schools teach about child sex abuse prevention but would not mandate that they use a particular curriculum. She said the lessons could be part of teaching about safety. Michael Carnes, a Wayne man who survived childhood sexual abuse and has pushed for the Nebraska legislation, said he understands Albrechts decision to delay her bill. But he said that the measure is needed and that leaving it to parents to teach prevention can be problematic because sometimes parents are the abusers. St. Francis was awarded the contract in July 2019 after offering to do the job for 40% less than PromiseShip, the only other bidder. State officials have since signed a new contract with St. Francis that wiped out the cost differential. The new contract was signed in late January, after interim St. Francis CEO William Clark told state lawmakers that the agency would be out of money to operate by Feb. 12, unless Nebraska agreed to pay more. The $147.3 million emergency contract ends Feb. 28, 2023, the month after Gov. Pete Ricketts is term-limited out of office. On Friday, Tom Kenny, an Omaha attorney hired by the investigative committee, reviewed the flaws he sees in the states procurement process. He said the process allows state agencies broad discretion in seeking and awarding contracts and does not provide many options for appealing their decisions. After going through months of work with the Governors Office, McKinney, Greene and others, Spivey said that what passed is stronger legislation and that shes grateful to Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh for introducing the original bill. The governor, to his credit, said that he was going to be committed to trying to get something through, and he and his office did do that, Spivey said. So, we worked with key Black women in his Cabinet to help pull this forward. We had hard, difficult conversations. But we got it done. The biggest difference between last years bill and LB 451 is that the new law, McKinney said, includes clarification that employers can enact safety standards if needed. Other changes include a provision allowing law enforcement agencies to impose their own dress and grooming standards. McKinney has also introduced an interim study resolution to look at the impact of natural hair discrimination in educational settings. He said that his office will do research to see if that is an issue and if legislation might be necessary and that there may be a hearing on the issue. As I write this, Congress and President Biden are taking swift action to designate Juneteenth as an official federal holiday, cementing this day into our nations history and our natural rhythm each year. I am thankful that all of Nebraskas representatives supported and voted for the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act this week. I believe it is the right decision and will give us the proper cadence for reflection on this important marker in time as well as celebrating freedom for all U.S. citizens. As a business leader and supporter of the Nebraska business community, Im asking my fellow colleagues and partners to join me in recognizing Juneteenth within your organization. At Signature Performance, we declared Juneteenth an organizational holiday. Its a step. But one that I believe is in the right direction. I have been part of many discussions about diversity and inclusion in the workplace. These are worthy conversations. Diversity starts with belonging. Belonging requires action. Taking action to celebrate a day such as Juneteenth creates a space for belonging, sharing our collective stories, and togetherness that I believe will inspire diversity within our city, our organizations and our neighborhoods. Despite easy access to safe, protective and effective vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID, many prefer not to be vaccinated, gambling with serious disease while potentially infecting others. Many embrace bogus conspiracy theories about dangers from vaccines, their lack of usefulness and other conspiratorial nonsense. The former president, his administration and many current state and local governments made the situation worse by encouraging such nonsense, dismissing COVID as a serious disease, endorsing false cures, and discouraging containment efforts, simple effective actions which would have saved thousands of lives. Now many hold up their hands against vaccination, saying, Not for me! Are we so privileged, so entitled, that we disdain common sense behavior in the face of a lethal threat? This experience begs the question how we will handle the next pandemic which surely will occur at some point and importantly, may well be much more severe. Make no mistake, the COVID pandemic has been a horror: At least 600,000 Americans have died to date, most prior to the vaccines. These are more fatalities in little more than a year than from all our combatant deaths in the last 80 years. But what if the next pandemic is worse? How bad could it be? Executive Secretary of the Mass Action Movement, Atik Mohammed has appealed to the National Investigative Bureau (NIB), formerly Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), to recruit first degree and PHD graduates and train them in specialized fields to combat crimes. Speaking to host Nana Yaw Kesseh on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', Atik Mohammed bemoaned the composition of the NIB saying it looks like the leadership is most interested in recruiting party supporters and school dropouts. He made this comment while discussing the recent crime occurrences in the country, particularly the Capital City. On Monday, a young Police officer named Emmanuel Osei and a woman in her early forties were shot dead when armed robbers attacked a bullion van at Jamestown, Accra. The driver also sustained gunshot wounds and was rushed to the hospital for medical treatment. Another incident of a bullion van attack by robbers occurred yesterday on the Kasoa road. These incidents have pumped fear into Ghanaians as almost every day or week comes news of an attack by armed robbers or murder cases among others. Reacting to the criminal-related incidents, Atik Mohammed noted that ''society is growing; it's modernized. Crime is keeping pace . . . The truth is that it is outpacing [the way] even though there is modernity but crime is also trying to keep pace. But our management of crime or fight against crime is not at pace with what the criminals are doing. When you look at our security architecture, it's lagging behind''. He emphasized that the National Security ''is not the preserve of school dropouts or people who helped during elections or campaigns. You can recruit Master's holders, train them in specialized fields''. For this reason, he charged the leadership of National Security to recruit more graduates saying ''if you have like, maybe, someone who has finished his first degree and is well-trained and part of the operatives, he will always be a check on the excesses''. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was appointed for a second five-year term on Friday by the 193-member U.N. General Assembly. I will give it my all to ensure the blossoming of trust between and among nations large and small, to build bridges, and to engage relentlessly in confidence building, Guterres told the General Assembly after taking the oath of office. The 15-member Security Council earlier this month recommended the General Assembly re-appoint Guterres. His second term starts on beginning on Jan. 1, 2022. Guterres succeeded Ban Ki-moon in January 2017, just weeks before Donald Trump became U.S. president. Much of Guterres first term was focused on placating Trump, who questioned the value of the United Nations and multilateralism. The United States is the largest U.N. financial contributor, responsible for 22% of the regular budget and around a quarter of the peacekeeping budget. President Joe Biden, who took office in January, has started restoring funding cuts made by Trump to U.N. agencies and re-engaged with the world body. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the United Nations faced historic challenges, but she hoped that with Guterres at the helm the next five years will see more peace, more security, and more prosperity than the last. It will require hard work, political will, and accountability from all U.N. member states, she said in a statement, adding every member state should have an impassioned commitment to human rights. Guterres, 72, was prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002 and head of the U.N. refugee agency from 2005 to 2015. As secretary-general, he has been a cheerleader for climate action, COVID-19 vaccines for all and digital cooperation. When he took the reins as U.N. chief, the world body was struggling to end wars and deal with humanitarian crises in Syria and Yemen. Those conflicts are still unresolved, and Guterres is also now faced with emergencies in Myanmar and the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Source: Reuters Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, ECOWAS Chair, will today, June 19, 2021, open the 59th Ordinary Summit of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Accra. The meeting will deliberate on pertinent issues threatening the peace and stability of the West African sub-region and find solutions to them. It will be attended by 15 Heads of State in West Africa, except Mali, which has been suspended from the regional bloc, following the recent political upheavals in that country. Some Heads of State who have already arrived in Accra for the Summit are President of Liberia, George Manneh Weah, President of Guinea, Alpha Conde, Burkinabe President, Roch Marc Christian Kabore, Sierra Leonean President, Julius Maada Bio, President of Guinea Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embalo and President of The Gambia, Adama Barrow. Other dignitaries expected to participate in the meeting are former Nigeria President, Mr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the ECOWAS Special Envoy, mediating Mali's political crisis He will present a report on his recent visit to the West African country after the Emergency ECOWAS Summit held in Accra on May 30, 2021, as well as ECOWAS President, Commissioners and supporting staff. A communique will be issued at the end of the Summit to highlight key decisions reached during the deliberations. Ms Shirley Ayorko Botchwey, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration told journalists in a recent media briefing in Accra. The Summit was preceded by the 46th Ordinary Meeting of ECOWAS Mediation and Security Ministerial Council on Tuesday, June 15 and the 86th Ordinary Meeting of ECOWAS Council of Ministers, on Wednesday, June 16th and Thursday, June 17th at the Movenpick Hotel in Accra. Foreign, Trade, Defence and Finance Ministers from 15 ECOWAS countries discussed ECOWAS Vision 2050, ECOWAS Information and Research Forum; humanitarian issues in the sub-region, report on ECOWAS Trade and Industry Ministerial meeting, Ministerial Report on ECOWAS Single Currency and New Convergence Path, Regional Flood Risk Initiative and Management Strategy as well as the ECOWAS Gender Strategy and Action Plan, ahead of the Summit. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Upper West Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has imposed an indefinite curfew on the movement of fertilizer and other farm inputs in the Sissala East Municipality and Sissala West District of the Region. Dr Hafiz Bin Salih, the Chairman of the Upper West Regional Security Council, said the measure was to stop the practice of smuggling fertilizer out of the country to ensure that local farmers in the Region had enough to purchase. "No vehicle will be allowed to carry fertilizer in the Sissala East and West area and those intending to buy in large quantities must do so with a police escort. All fertilizer movement must be done within 6am to 6pm." Dr Bin Salih said this at the weekend during a meeting with input dealers and other stakeholders at Tumu as part of measures to safeguard agricultural activities in the Upper West Region. He expressed remorse over the engagement of citizens in illegal smuggling of fertilizer to neighbouring countries like Burkina Faso, especially from the Sissala West and its neighbouring areas, which, he said, was an impediment to the progress of agriculture in the country. Its disheartening to note that intelligence got to us that smuggling was taking place, particularly in the Sissala West, and we got alarmed as some 45 Rhino truckloads of fertilizer, each carrying about 300 pieces of fertilizer, were carted into Burkina Faso" he said. "The scale of the act of smuggling led to the Ministry of Agriculture withdrawing names of dealers who had records of dabbling in smuggling in previous years." Dr Bin Salih, who highlighted other measures to safeguard agriculture, said: "All farm inputs coming into the region must first report to the Regional Coordinating Council for us to know the vehicle, the quantity, and the destination, once they get into the Sissala area, we expect the consignment to be offloaded into shops and sold to the public". Anyone found flouting this rule will have the fertilizer confiscated, sold and the vehicle involved impounded and auctioned." Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Charles Owusu says he has resigned as Head of Monitoring Unit of the Forestry Commission with immediate effect. The PPP stalwart dropped this news during a panel discussion on the Friday edition of Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo''. Charles Owusu was appointed by the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, who was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Forestry Commission and a former General Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party. Mr. Owusu Afriyie, popularly called Sir John, passed away last year after reportedly contracting the deadly Coronavirus and was buried on Thursday, June 3, 2021. Charles Owusu became the Head of Monitoring Unit of the Commission in President Nana Akufo-Addo's first term and has since played instrumental role in preserving and restoring the country's forest reserves. He emphasized that his resignation has nothing to do with Sir John's death but rather feels he has done an adequate job for someone else to continue his good works. ''As I currently sit here, I have written to the Forestry Commission that I want to rest. I have resigned from the Forestry Commission," he told host Nana Yaw Kesseh. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Hajia Adiza Zongo Panior, Kayayei President of the whole Ghana, in explosive viral response to the main opposition NDC over President Akufo-Addos presidential jet brouhaha, has reminded former President John Mahama and his party that Ghanaians still remember the Embraer Jet scandal which was initiated under his Vice Presidency. According to Hajia Adiza, John Mahama caused huge financial loss to the state and Ghana got nothing out of that deal. She said President Mills had to launch an inquiry and investigate John Mahama over the purchase of these Embraer jets in the name of the Ghana Armed Forces. She reiterated that President Akufo-Addo is using expensive private jets for his trips abroad to bring investors and good things to Ghana. Because they want to come to power any good thing President Akufo-Addo will do, they are so quick to rubbish it. We saw all that happened under the NDC and they now have found their voices to criticize President Akufo-Addos trips in a private jet when the president is bringing investors to develop our country. She also fired North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa who is making a huge capital out of the recent presidential trips. If the National Democratic Congress (NDC) member, Okudzeto Ablakwa could charter a plane to get married then its nothing if President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo flies inexpensive jet. The President in the last few weeks has been widely criticised after it came to the fore that his recent visit to France, Belgium, and South Africa were done using an expensive private jet he rented using taxpayers money. According to Okudzeto Ablakwa, his checks revealed that the extravagant trip cost the taxpayer a colossal sum of GHS2.8 million. While the issue remains a focal point of discussion in the country, vibrant activist Hajia Adiza has released a video that directly replies the criticisms of the North Tongu MP. The Kayayo President insists that if the MP and the erstwhile NDC government could spend taxpayers money to buy cars for women, then the President who has introduced the Free SHS programme can afford to fly in the best jets available. Even you (NDC) that misused the countrys money and used some to buy cars for girls you still bought a plane. If there is a plane better than the one Nana Addo used then he deserves to use that one, Hajia Adiza notes. The outspoken Kayayo National President while describing Okudzeto Ablakwa as a nobody indicates that if he was able to charter a plane to go and get married then there should be no qualms when a prominent person like President Akufo-Addo travels in an expensive jet. You Ablakwa, you are there saying Nana Addo is traveling in expensive jet. Even you when you were deputy minister of Education during the NDCs time in government you used a plane to go and marry. Even you that you are nobody you managed to charter a plane just to go and marry. How much more an important person like President Nana Addo, she added. She stressed that the NDC should be ashamed for criticising the jet used by the President, Hajia Adiza adds that Akufo-Addo needs to jail all persons that squandered money when the NDC was in power under John Mahama. Watch and listen to Hajia Adiza here: Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video FORT EDWARD A Hudson Falls man was sentenced last week to 8 years in prison after admitted to possessing fentanyl. Michael Williams, 32, pleaded guilty in Washington County Court on June 11 to felony criminal possession of a controlled substance. Williams was arrested on Dec. 11 after police obtained a warrant to search his residence. Officers found more than one-half ounce of fentanyl, as well as a digital scale used for weighing drugs, court records showed. He had been charged with two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal possession of drug paraphernalia. He pleaded guilty to the one possession count in satisfaction of the charges. Williams must also serve 5 years of post-release supervision. Williams, whose alias is Fatboy, has a lengthy criminal record. He was sentenced in 2016 to 1 1/3 to 4 years in state prison after being convicted in Warren County Court of second-degree criminal mischief. He had caused damage at a home in McDonald Street in Glen Falls. That put him in violation of his parole from a 2014 domestic abuse conviction in Warren County Court. The Kiwanis Club has 65 members and together with the 249 members in 10 local Key Clubs, they total a volunteer force over 300 volunteers. The Palangi scholarship is named for the man known as Mr. Kiwanis throughout New York state. Tony Palangi died in 2007 at age 88 and was the only member of the Glens Falls Kiwanis Club to serve as governor of the NY District of Kiwanis International. Together with longtime Kiwanians Stan Rummel and Dick Trowbridge, Palangi helped charter the Glens Falls Key Club in 1976 and served as the chairman for 31 years of his legacy, the Service Leadership Program. This year, Qwin and Ellie Pisacane, South Glens Falls Class of 2021, were recognized with a scholarship in memory of Palangi. Qwin and Ellie Pisacane will both be attending Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, in the fall. The second award honored Sheehan, the longtime Kiwanis treasurer. Sheehan celebrated 41 years of Kiwanis service and, together with his wife, Aileen, will celebrate 50 years of marriage in August. Sheehan exemplifies the ideals of Kiwanis and is committed to building better communities by serving others, a Kiwanis news release said. We need mental health research and initiative, she said. Its a complex concept and its hard to maneuver, especially while protecting individuals civil liberties, and thats why we avoid it. Society takes the path of least resistance when trying to make a correction and many times misses the mark. Havens, a member of the Kingsbury Town Board, argued the law would not reduce crime but would hurt lawful businesses. Her insurance company would drop coverage for her business if the legislation is approved, she said. Lawmakers who sponsored the bill argue the gun industry must be held responsible for illegal firearm violence and say the legislation will help keep New Yorkers safe. Given the ease with which legal firearms flow into the illegal market in spite of stringent state and local restrictions and given the specific harm illegal firearm violence causes certain New Yorkers, those responsible for the sale, manufacture, importing or marketing of firearms should be held liable for the public nuisance caused by such activities, a memo attached to the legislation reads. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Zellnor Myrie, D-Brooklyn, and Assemblywoman Patricia Fahy, D-Albany. He feels helpless. I feel equally helpless to help him. On this Fathers Day, Ill be traveling to the rehab facility with family members to wheel him outside for cake and ice cream. Im sure Ill get him to laugh, despite the agony of his situation. And we will assure him that a plan is under way to spring him from rehab and get him home. He fears not making it home, but that isnt happening. As a 54-year-old man, Im so thankful to still have my dad. I can still ask him questions about building projects and home repairs and I know he relishes being able to offer his wisdom. I teach students who are under 20 and have lost a parent. One, when I called him in to talk about his sagging performance, told me of having to care for his dying father who was riddled with cancer. He said he was the one his dad would call for when he needed help. I cant imagine that burden as a teen. With that perspective, I feel blessed to still have my dad as the patriarch of the family. But seeing him wither away in this facility is awful and will not be how his story ends. Thats a promise to him. David Blow is a freelance journalist and professor of Media and Communication at Castleton University. He may be reached at davent67@gmail.com. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 14 Angry 1 Observing Nazisms rise, Fromm writes in "Escape from Freedom" (1941): If the meaning of life becomes doubtful, if ones relations to others and to oneself do not offer security there is temptation to surrender freedom to dictators. Anxiety, fear, aloneness..., the lust for power ... rooted in weakness ... the inability of the individual self to stand alone and live. Local top story Murphy, Persichilli celebrate COVID-19 vaccination milestone Michael Karas, NorthJersey.com Gov. Phil Murphy holds his then-daily coronavirus media briefing in May 2020 at the War Memorial in Trenton. Seth Wenig, Associated Press Murphy On Dec. 15, University Hospital Emergency room nurse Maritza Beniquez became the first New Jersey resident to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. Beniquez was the first of what Gov. Phil Murphy ensured would be 4.7 million adults fully vaccinated by the end of June, 70% of the adult population needed to achieve herd immunity from the coronavirus. On Friday, 185 days later, the governor announced at the Newark hospital that goal had been reached. Following introductory remarks by University Hospital CEO and President Shereef Elnahal, Murphy took the podium to thank residents for their work in reaching the milestone 12 days ahead of the June 30 deadline. More than anything else, we knew that it would require millions of you, with your faith in science and facts and data and in the new post-COVID day that awaits, to raise your sleeves, Murphy said. And, boy, did you all respond. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed the state with 66% of its eligible population vaccinated as of early Friday. The lower percentage was due to the growth in the states population during the pandemic; the calculation of 4.7 million adults equaling 70% was based on a lower figure. Elsewhere, Vermont and Massachusetts have surpassed the 70% level. Connecticut, Maine and Rhode Island were nearing it heading into the weekend, according to the CDC. President Joe Biden has set a nationwide goal of vaccinating 70% of adults with at least one shot before July 4. New Jersey has exceeded that goal, with 77% of adults having at least one shot. Murphy also acknowledged state Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli and State Police Superintendent Col. Patrick Callahan, the mainstays of his once-daily coronavirus briefings. For the commissioners work during the pandemic, the governor announced the new Department of Health building in Trenton would be known as the Judith M. Persichilli Department of Health Building. Listen, the job as the commissioner of health, as Shereef and Judy can attest to, is a hard one on a good day, Murphy said, but over the past 15 months, theyve been more trying beyond what any of us could have imagined. And the decision to ask Judy to serve as commissioner of health as Shereefs successor has more than proven to be the right one. After thanking the governor for the gesture, Persichilli mentioned that the goal of 4.7 million was viewed as overly ambitious by some. Back in the fall of 2020, when we submitted New Jerseys vaccination plan to the CDC, we considered it quite an aspirational goal to vaccinate 4.7 million individuals, she said. Some people, even in our own Department of Health, thought that we were a little crazy. While New Jersey has surpassed the governors goal, the percentage of the states roughly 9 million people who are vaccinated stands at about 54%. The swell in vaccinated residents has led New Jersey to relax nearly all of the measures Murphy put in place beginning in March 2020. Just two weeks ago, he ended the public health emergency except for about a dozen executive orders. The number of new cases, hospitalizations and the rate of spread have been dropping for months. The state is almost completely reopened for fully vaccinated individuals, with the only mask mandates being in places like state buildings, medical centers and long-term care buildings. Those exceptions will remain in place as the state continues to vaccinate more. At the moment, no, Murphy said when asked by media whether the state will set additional goals for itself. Were just gonna keep the hammer down. Were gonna continue to plow ahead. I fully expect that well cross 5 million. I dont know know when, but that will not be that far in the future. New Jersey was an early COVID hot spot last year, with 23,678 people succumbing to the disease. Now, Murphy says the outbreak is almost entirely among those who have not been vaccinated. In South Jersey, 263,609 vaccine doses have been administered in Atlantic County; 101,401 have been administered in Cape May County and 119,287 have been administered in Cumberland County, according to state records. The Associated Press contributed to this report. In late January, a portion of the Convention Center was opened as a COVID-19 vaccination mega site run by AtlantiCare, and eligible residents were clamoring to get an appointment. On its first day in January, 45,000 residents attempted to get one of only 3,000 appointments. As the weeks and months passed, more residents became eligible to get the vaccine, and as the availability of vaccines increased, the demand waned. "At one point, we had lines of people," said Sherrie Bragg of AtlantiCare, the clinical facilities manager at the Atlantic City mega site. "This was January. Everybody was masked up. It was a fearful time." Bragg recalled meeting with state representatives over the winter in a conference room at the Convention Center when AtlantiCare was asked to run the mega site, one of six in the state. They had to develop a plan and a system that was modified many times over the past few months to be both efficient and safe. "There was no playbook. Nobody knew how to do these mass clinics," she said. "And we wrote the playbook." In the first weeks, only 10 vaccinators were at the site, but at the height of vaccine distribution in March and April, there were as many as 35 vaccination stations giving out 5,000 doses a day. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Cape May should think about that, she said, and then make some action. Charles Payne, a professor of African American and African studies at Rutgers University-Newark, agreed. I hope what it means to the city of Cape May is another step in resurrecting the really rich African America in South Jersey, not just Cape May, Payne, 73, said of the day. It has played a very special role. Blacks have been here since the 1700s ... and this is an important route on the Underground Railroad. Anticipation for the opening of the Tubman Museum was high, and it wasnt limited to the state or even the region. It was listed in Smithsonian Magazines most anticipated museum openings of 2020 and is No. 5 on USA Todays readers choice for 10 best new museums in the country. It is joined on the USA Today list by the likes of the Mascot Hall of Fame in Whiting, Indiana, and the National Museum of the United States Army in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Cape Mays presence on the list, Mullock said, speaks volumes for its significance. Some of the other museums have a 50,000-square-foot space and a $50 million budget, she added, and this started with a community and a dream and a vision. CAPE MAY The New Jersey Historic Sites Council on Thursday approved the former Franklin Street School to be restored and repurposed as part of Cape May Countys library system. Mayor Zack Mullock, Councilwoman Lorraine Baldwin and Deputy City Manager Louis Belasco represented the city alongside county Commissioner E. Marie Hayes, county Library Director Andrea Orsini and Ocean City Councilman Robert Barr as architect Michael Calafati presented to the historic council the plans for the building. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} The city owns the former school, on which the Center for Community Arts has held a long-term lease since the 1990s. The organization has spent decades working to restore the building. Dating to 1927, it served as a school for Black children until New Jersey ended segregation in 1949, and the building has not been used consistently for any purpose since then. The building will enhance the citys plan for a Museum Row and downtown arts and culture district as well as recognize and preserve the history of segregation in the United States while celebrating the citys African American community, according to a news release from the city. That would be a really bad picture for the United States, said Ward. It would be a total shame when much of the country still needs to get vaccinated, he said, and it looks terrible to the rest of the world, much of which would love to have access to those doses. Extra COVID vaccine may help protect transplant patients A small study offers the first hint that an extra dose of COVID-19 vaccines just might give The White House is sending 580 million new doses abroad, with shipments arriving this week in Mexico and Canada. Sending states doses to other countries, however, would present major logistical and legal obstacles for the federal government, largely because regulators would need to ensure the doses hadnt been tampered with, damaged, or left unrefrigerated. The Pennsylvania health departments confirmed that the CDC has said the shots cant go international. Because they are property of the U.S. government, they are currently only authorized for use by domestic vaccine providers enrolled through the CDC. I know local health officials would like to just say, Oh, we can ship ours to Canada because they need doses, but that would not meet a product quality standard, Munoz said. +3 Murphy administration announces plan to combat climate change WOODBRIDGE On Earth Day, the Murphy administration released the first draft of the state C Its getting hard to maintain a working income, and housing prices have increased due to speculation, said Bill Cesanek, who helped lead the meeting. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Overall there are four coastal regions in New Jersey, including, in the southern part of the state, the Atlantic and another centered on Long Beach Island. In the spring, the state released a New Jersey Climate Change Resilience Strategy, which touted a plan to mitigate the effects of climate change. One of its recommendations was that all new construction built in coastal zones be able to withstand roughly 5 feet of sea level rise by 2100. Some local governments and stakeholders have objected to the higher building requirements needed to meet that threshold, saying there is only a 17% likelihood of that great an increase in seas and that costs of building to that standard are too much to bear. Other ideas listed in the plan include using natural features to stabilize the coastline and incentivizing residents to move to less flood-prone areas. No single action can address all climate risk. We need a set of actions that are grouped together, said Jonathan Carey, a program leader for Resilient NJ. Donald Trump told The Wall Street Journal last year that he was responsible for bringing Juneteenth to the attention of mainstream America. He said, nobody had ever heard of Juneteenth until he had to push his political rally back a day because it was scheduled on the holiday. That wasnt all true, but there was some truth in it. Trump admitted that he had never heard of Juneteenth. Most white people hadnt at that time. Many African Americans had to Google it too. How could most Americans have known? This part of history is not taught in public schools. There is barely a mention in history books because America has never been interested in telling the true story of slavery. This country has, however, been steadfast in honoring Confederate heroes. A bipartisan group of legislators in Washington is attempting to push through legislation to make Juneteenth a national holiday. Similar efforts have failed in the past, and likely will again. The problem with using Juneteenth as a catchall African American holiday is that it doesnt allow the true story to be told of how far America went to preserve the institution of slavery. But it will have to do until America chooses to come to terms with its past. "We are slowly working through this stash at our walk-in and pop-up clinics and we still have a good amount of vaccine in the freezer with expiration dates many months away." Thoreson outlined how the Scott County Health Department coordinates with the Iowa health officials. "There is not a lot of unused vaccine at this time. We have been in continuous conversations with partners that receive vaccine from us to ensure that we are requesting the appropriate amount of vaccine from the Iowa Department of Public Health," Thoreson said. "We, along with our partners, have worked very hard to find a balance between supply on hand and demand for vaccine. We have recently been hosting pop-up vaccination events and have ensured we have enough vaccine on hand to make these possible." Like Hill, Thoreson said the public health emphasis is placed on vaccinating everyone who wants the jab regardless if it means some vaccine may go unused. CAMBRIDGE, Ill. A Colona resident has sued the city of Colona over a fall on Feb. 4. Vanderginst Law PC of Chicago filed the two-count lawsuit Thursday in Henry County Circuit Court on behalf of Peggy Hill of Colona. According to the suit, Hill suffered severe and permanent injuries both internally and externally and will be hindered from attending to her usual duties and affairs. The suit also alleges she suffered great pain and anguish and will continue to suffer in the future, and that she already has expended large sums of money for medical care and will have to do so in the future. The suit claims Hill entered the north door of City Hall that day and city employees were specifically instructing members of the public to leave the building by the south doors. That caused her to have to walk around the building to get back to her vehicle. The suit states she slipped on ice on the public parking area at or near the northeast corner of the building. If elected, Gilbraith would serve as the first Black mayor of Davenport and the second woman to serve as mayor. She will challenge Davenport Mayor Mike Matson this fall. He has said he will run for a second term. 'We've been working on public safety reform in this city for at least two years, and we are no further along," Gilbraith said. "And I don't know about you, but I'm tired of asking and I'm tired of asking local leaders to take charge. Public safety isn't one-dimensional. We have to look at public safety holistically and really see the issues our communities are facing. These issues are not black and white. ... We have to be able to help anyone access safety and resources. "Feeling safe in our own city is what unites us all. Public safety is a local economic issue as well, and when our economy suffers so too does our streets and infrastructure." Other priorities include expanding affordable housing options across the city and increasing public and private investment in the city's older, core neighborhoods. Exactly three years after Earl Little's death, his relatives and friends will gather outside the prison where he died and a southern Illinois courthouse where his sister says justice has been delayed and so far denied. Dana Caley said she and other family members are frustrated no criminal charges have been filed against the former Springfield man who shared a cell with her brother at Pinckneyville Correctional Center. And she said Perry County State's Attorney David Searby Jr. and the Illinois Department of Corrections refuse to talk with her family or answer questions. "They want us to just give up and let it go," said Caley, 40, a Quincy resident. "Our fear is no one will be prosecuted." Caley said she hopes public pressure will prompt authorities to act. Caley and other family members are convinced Mueller strangled Little. Little's ex-wife, Megan Little of Beardstown, made the same allegation in a federal wrongful-death lawsuit she filed against the prison's former warden in 2018. Megan Little dropped the lawsuit the following year. The reason for the withdrawal hasn't been disclosed. CHICAGO A mass shooting that left four people dead and four others wounded at a house on Chicago's South Side was believed to have been carried out by two people who shot all but one of the victims in the head, according to a police report. No arrests have been made in the Tuesday morning shooting, police said Thursday. The killings were among recent massing shootings in Chicago and elsewhere in the country that have prompted fears about a spike in U.S. gun violence heading into the summer. Police received a call about shots fired from people on the second floor of the house at about 5:45 a.m., and when they arrived they found four people dead in various rooms, according to a report based on preliminary information. All had been shot in the head, as had three of the victims who survived, and the other surviving victim was shot in the back. According to the report, several .45-caliber and 9 mm shells were found throughout the house. The Cook County Medical Examiners office on Thursday released the names of two of the dead: Denise Mathis, 32, of suburban Burnham, and Blake Lee, 36, of Chicago. The office earlier identified the other two killed as Shermetria Williams, 19, and Ratanya Aryiel Rogers, 28. Oxley said the court majority's "dismissive characterization of the plaintiffs' requested declaratory relief as too general rings hollow." She said if a court struck down the state's current voluntary pollution strategy for farmers, the state could impose mandatory regulations on farmers that would provide relief to the plaintiffs that meets constitutional standards. McDonald said he shared many of the views raised by the majority but also believed the case should not be remanded to the district court for dismissal. The majority raises a host of legitimate concerns regarding the constitutionality, feasibility and efficacy of potential remedies, McDonald wrote in his dissent. I share those concerns. But, he said, given the case currently is in the head waters, his preference was to remand and allow the case to continue downstream. In a joint statement, CCI and the Food & Water Watch officials said we speak for many people across the state of Iowa when we say that we are deeply disappointed. They pledged to work with other partners to continue harnessing grassroots power to seek real, actionable solutions to remedy what they view as Iowas water crisis. Blood banks consider themselves prepared when they have about three days' worth of the normal blood supply, according to the American Association of Blood Banks. A task force says blood supply in the U.S. has dropped to "red" level, meaning most inventories have less than a one-day supply. This is a common reason given for doing public business in private, and it just doesn't hold up. Matson, to his credit, has scheduled town hall-style meetings to get public input on the gun violence issue, and those are open to the public. We listened to a recording of one of the meetings recently and found the breadth of commentary well worth the time. And there was no indication anybody shrunk from stating their frank opinion just because other people and the media were present. We would urge the mayor to reassess. This is a topic that affects the entire community. Please, take a step back and extend an arm to the public, so it can fully hear how the city intends to tackle this all-important issue. Thumbs Up ... to the Rock Island City Council for giving a half-acre of property at 715 4th Avenue to Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Cunningham-Walls for $1. Twenty years ago, the city granted Cunningham-Walls' request that she be allowed to plant 100 fruit trees on the plot near Illinois Highway 92. The idea was to clean up the lot and provide fresh fruit for people in the neighborhood with trees that grow apples, pears and cherries, among other fruit. Cunningham-Walls said she has sought ownership because van loads of people have come to the plot and taken so much fruit there is little left over for children in the neighborhood. Long story short, Iowa Democrats are going to need four or five strong candidates, including in two statewide races, if they are to effectively dispute the notion that Iowa is simply turning into a red state. Can Iowa Democrats, mostly decimated atop the ticket in the past four elections, go four or five deep next year? Well find out. And were starting to hear some of the names that ultimately will provide that answer. Ras Smith, a state lawmaker from Waterloo, this week became the first Democrat to announce a run for governor. Smith will be an intriguing candidate to follow: he does not have a statewide profile, but he has been a passionate legislator, particularly on issues of racial and social justice, as well as education. It is likely the Democratic primary for governor will be competitive. Axne, for example, is considering a run, and she would be a formidable candidate. She has won twice in the very competitive and politically balanced 3rd District. NEW YORK (AP) A rabid dog imported into the United States this month has sparked a public health investigation across several states. Health officials say a dog brought to the U.S. from Azerbaijan that ended up with a family in Chester County, Pennsylvania began acting strangely. It later tested positive for rabies and was euthanized. At least 12 people were exposed to the animal. The dog was one of 34 animals 33 dogs and one cat imported by an animal rescue organization from Azerbaijan to O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on June 10. The animals were not in the main cabin of the plane or main terminal of the airport. Travelers through OHare are not considered to be at risk, but health officials are checking to see if other animals in the shipment are infected and are still tracking down the pets' new owners. Rabies no longer regularly spreads among dogs in the U.S., but imported animals are considered a risk for new outbreaks. Federal agencies are working with health officials in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, and New York on the investigation. "We know the value of being more accessible to our members. With COVID restrictions easing, this is a great time to again have a presence in the community," SDDP Vice Chair Nikki Gronli said in a news release. Native Outreach and Field Director Cante Heart has been using the office as her headquarters. Its more accessible to be here in person and have a presence to be available to people who want to speak about issues or want to work together. I think its really important to meet with our community and constituents, Heart told the Journal on Thursday. The office is currently focusing on registering 5,000 new voters in the state as well as recruiting candidates statewide for public office at all levels. With the shift in party leadership, SDDP is focusing on finding new strategies to register voters and getting current voters to participate more. Heart said the party needs to stop taking Native voters for granted. Areas with reservations have high voter turnout for Democrat candidates, so part of Hearts job is to increase participation among Native voters as well as recognize them for their contributions in helping get Democrats elected and increase Native representation in elected offices. There are groups that completely disagree with this Christian concept of world order and through fear they will continue to keep us at each other's throats. The question today is; who are we? Dave Freytag, Rapid City Do your job The immaturity of our governor is becoming quite annoying. She just can't let go of the fact that she got to ride with her hero, the insurrectionist President Trump last year to DC on a midnite flight on Air Force One. Turned down by the Forest Service, then by a phony lawsuit in order to get her own way to have a fireworks display over our precious Black Hills, she now turns on her 'twitter finger' and complains that Biden gets to enjoy fireworks over the DC Mall (happens every year in DC) but poor her-she can't have them in the Black Hills! Current fire danger is high, getting higher by the day with no relief from moisture in sight and she still trots this old nag of a gripe out of the barn? C'mon Noem, renew your governmental order pertaining to fire danger in Western SD - in other words just do your danged job and quit looking for Trump's attentions! Jake Kammerer, Silver City Is that the goal? 3. A person is not required to tell the perpetrator that the behavior is offensive or say to stop, before it is considered harassment. It is the responsibility of the perpetrator to not engage in the behavior in the first place. 4. A targeted employee who may be smiling and participating is not necessarily consenting. That person is likely doing so to get along. 5. Creepy behavior can equate to harassment. To avoid claims of harassment, workers are well-advised to eradicate any discussion of sex at work. Do not discuss your own sex life or ask others about theirs. Do not flirt, proposition, touch, lurk or make personal comments, including compliments and comments about appearance. Do not send text or direct messages that are creepy and too familiar. Make these assumptions: No one at work wants to date you. No one at work wants to hear about your sex life. No one at work wants to talk about their own sex life. And if they claim to want to, dont assume its consensual. It often isnt, and you may hear about it later. Eradicating harassment is in the control of every worker, and management plays a key role of addressing harassment when they are made aware of it. Companies must make a priority to train employees and managers to identify and stop harassment from occurring within the workplace and after hours between employees. For our dogs, spending time in a new environment such as your office can increase socialization skills and get them used to new people, smells and experiences. There is also a calming, soothing effect that dogs can have on humans. Studies have shown that having dogs in the workplace increases productivity, decreases stress levels and even lowers employee absenteeism. As offices slowly start to reopen, dogs may join their owners for the workday. Before your dogs first day at the office, it's important to make sure you're properly prepared. The American Kennel Club offers the following tips for people planning to take their dogs to work. Get permission Ask your boss and human resources department beforehand to make sure your building is pet-friendly. Also ask if any of your co-workers are allergic to or afraid of dogs. Give them a heads-up that your dog will be joining you. In addition to your dog being comfortable, your colleagues should be, too. Dog-proof the space Before bringing your dog to the office, look around to be sure there is a pet-friendly space for him. Secure all cabinets and trash cans that may contain food. Remove small objects that can be a choking hazard. Be sure to cover exposed electrical cords or outlets to prevent injury or electrocution if chewed. Wherever he was, he would be a tremendous asset and a tremendous draw because of his kind and warm personality and his easy way with people, Randolph said about his son. That, and I knew that we would never find anybody better than him. Randolph II said he doesnt take for granted that he gets to see his father every day. He knows not every father and son has that kind of relationship. Hes such an incredible man, and its such an honor and a blessing to able to see him on a daily basis, he said. To share in what we do, which is, doing everything we can to help our patients and improve their lives to share that journey with him has just been better than Ive ever imagined. Before the pandemic, Fathers Day which also happens to be the elder Randolphs 39th wedding anniversary this year involved him making brunch for his whole family, he said. If nothing else, he and his wife will do what they normally do now on weekends the grandkids rounds, which means visiting their 2-year-old grandson, David Randolph III, as well as their daughters 10-month-old twin boys, Max and JoJo. Both men said that the only tradition their family holds tight is making time for each other. CHARLOTTESVILLE A prominent Unite the Right civil trial will remain in Charlottesville, despite requests from some defendants to change the venue. Filed on behalf of various Charlottesville-area residents in 2017, the Sines v. Kessler lawsuit targets key organizers and participants of the deadly Aug. 12, 2017, rally. Earlier this month, several defendants, including University of Virginia graduate and white supremacist Richard Spencer, urged the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia to move the trial outside of Charlottesville. Currently scheduled to begin Oct. 25, the multiweek trial is the first of the civil challenges stemming from the rally to face a jury. Spencer and other defendants argued in part that, if the trial remained in the city, they would face safety risks. Counsel for the plaintiffs balked at this claim, arguing in part that the venue was proper due to the large number of plaintiffs who live in or around Charlottesville. Additionally, the plaintiffs stood to lose around $100,000 if the trial were moved, due to hotel rooms and other prebooked accommodations. Piece by piece, these individuals rebuild everything. And as they rebuild, their customs, traditions and very lives weave into the fabric of our communities. After facing so much upheaval and uncertainty, refugees are eager to put down roots in their new communities. As they enter the school system and workforce, they infuse workplaces and classrooms with fresh perspectives and experiences. Many refugees also invest in their new communities by creating new businesses. In fact, the rate of entrepreneurship, and thus job creation, among refugees is higher than that of both U.S.-born individuals and other immigrants. Reports from the New American Economy Research Fund show that refugee entrepreneurship generated $4.6 billion in business income across the U.S. in 2015. Similarly, a 2019 report by The Commonwealth Institute shows that since 2007, the number of immigrant owners of incorporated businesses in Virginia has increased by 51%, while the number of U.S.-born business owners actually has decreased by 4%. This past month, the Biden administration announced that 62,500 refugees are allowed to enter the country this year an increase from 15,000. With the pandemic restrictions on international travel also lifting, there soon will be a surge of refugee arrivals in Virginia. Official Fathers Day finally approved in 1972 Daddies just dont love their children every now and then, its a love without end. This quote is taken for granted by children around the world. They think that if fathers do not say I love you, it means they do not love their children. Instead, fathers just are busy showing their love by working day and night for their families. Fathers Day is a holiday honoring fatherhood and paternal bonds, as well as the influence of fathers on their children. This holiday, which we have been celebrating for many years, was founded in Spokane, Wash., at the YMCA in 1910 by Sonora Smart Dodd, who was born in Arkansas. Fathers Day is about thanking fathers for the sacrifices they make, for embracing the responsibility of nurturing and raising children and for their devotion to their family. Despite widespread support, Fathers Day did not become a permanent national holiday for many years. The first bill was introduced in the U.S. Congress in 1913, but in spite of encouragement by President Woodrow Wilson, it did not pass. In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued a proclamation designating the third Sunday in June to honor fathers. Finally, in 1972, President Richard Nixon signed a law declaring that Fathers Day be celebrated annually on the third Sunday in June. It has been an official national holiday ever since. Happy Fathers Day. Williams advances search for justice It's worth noting the RTD's last Pulitzer Prize-winner, in 1948 editor Virginius Dabney received the coveted prize for editorial writing. Many of Dabney's editorials called for Virginia's ending of its poll tax, the tax required for the privilege of voting (and due six months before an election). Despite passage of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1868, in Virginia it took a 1963 lawsuit (by Norfolk's Evelyn Thomas Butts) against the governor of Virginia to eliminate the tax payment as an unconstitutional requisite for voting. By March 1966, no payment was necessary for a Virginia citizen to cast a vote. This benefited those who effectively had been disenfranchised by the Virginia Constitution of 1902 a document not submitted to Virginians. Our present constitution overwhelmingly was approved by the voters of Virginia (who included African American men and women following passage of federal civil rights legislation in the mid-1960s) and took effect on July 1, 1971. Charges were dropped in one part of Montgomery Countys sprawling Icy Roads meth amphetamine case due to an investigators improper communication with a suspect, the countys commonwealths attorney confirmed last week. Railene Gloria Cabrera, of Christiansburg, whose age was not available, was scheduled for a two-day jury trial last week in Montgomery County Circuit Court on charges of conspiring to distribute a Schedule II drug, and child abuse or neglect. Instead, her case, which has been in the courts for a year, wrapped up with the prosecutions request to drop all charges. The decision to drop the charges against Cabrera came after we learned that an officer had a unrecorded conversation with her after she had been appointed counsel, Commonwealths Attorney Mary Pettitt wrote in an email. The decision was made in order to insure the fairness of the criminal justice system. Once a defendant has an attorney, investigators generally are to communicate with the defendant through the attorney, or at least in the attorneys presence. Pettitt did not disclose when the officers conversation with Cabrera occurred or other details of the communication. Attorney Thomas Debusk of Christiansburg, who represented Cabrera, on Friday declined to discuss details of the case. Arrested on June 13 in Rural Retreat and charged with assaulting a woman he was living with, a Wytheville Police Department patrol officer was fired Monday. Dallas Ritchie Shumate, 23, had been with the agency since Dec. 31, 2018, Lt. Bryan Bard said. Shumate was arrested at his residence after the Wythe County Sheriffs Office responded to early morning 911 calls from a woman asking for help, according to Maj. Anthony Cline. Cline said a male could be heard in the background telling the woman to hang up the phone. Three deputies went to the residence and it took them an hour to get Shumate to answer the door, Cline said. A woman also came to the door, and deputies noticed she had a black eye, busted lip and marks on her neck, Cline said. At first, she denied making the 911 calls, but dispatch called the number back and a cellphone rang in her pocket, the major said. After more questioning, she told officers that Shumate assaulted her after the two had been drinking and got into an argument, Cline said. She declined medical assistance. For years, weve celebrated Juneteenth, she said. We used to skip school and make it a big deal, not knowing the true meaning. As you got older you realized what it really meant. At a booth manned by consulting firm Elite Business Strategies, visitors could spin wheels modeled after the Wheel of Fortune game show. If they gave the correct answer to the true or false question the needle pointed to spoiler alert, the questions were all about COVID-19 vaccines and the correct answer to all of them was True they won prizes provided by the Virginia Department of Health. Visitors could also sign up to be vaccinated. As of about 1:30 p.m., 15 people at the festival had been given COVID-19 shots, said VDH nurse Cynthia Vinyard-Brown. Were coming to the people, she said. Were just trying to reach out to make a difference in the community and reach certain populations that might be hesitant. Eureka Park was one of multiple places in the Roanoke Valley honoring Juneteenth on Saturday. In Franklin County, Booker T. Washington National Monument held its 20th annual Juneteenth celebration. And, Davis said he wants to see a better deal for retirees, some of whom he said have little of their pension left over after paying their health insurance premiums. There are people whove been working at the Dublin plant for more than 30 years who cant afford health insurance if they retire, he said. You shouldnt have to stay in there until you drop dead, Davis said. The company has also proposed a $3,000 to $4,000 deductible for hospital stays, Davis said, which is much too high. People cant afford that, he added. UAW Local President Matt Blondino posted a letter to members on Facebook this week thanking them for staying on the strike lines and criticizing Volvo for being slow to resume negotiations. For all of Volvos acknowledgement that more needs to be done and to not demonize the company, the reality is that this is the same company that cut off our health benefits, Blondino wrote. We have been requesting bargaining sessions. Volvo has refused to schedule these discussions. That is a sign that they want to test our mettle on the strike line. He said the Lynchburg chapter of the Military Order of Purple Heart will donate $1,000 to the Nelson County museums fundraiser in honor of all of the pilots and crew members who died or were wounded in Vietnam. During his time with the Marine Corps, Bozeman said he was a door gunner on a helicopter similar to this one, manning an M60 belt-fed machine gun out of the back. Like van Opstal, he hopes displays like these will help present and future generations know how we served, he said. We always want to make sure history doesnt evaporate, Bozeman said. Looking out across the plaza, he pointed out Henry Wyatt, another Vietnam veteran who piloted Huey helicopters in 67 and 68. Wyatt said he was surprised he had made it that far into the morning without climbing onto the roof of the chopper to inspect the rotor head. They might get upset if I did, he said, laughing. He gestured at the assembled crowd, and then to the helicopter. It should remind everyone how tenuous our position is in this world today, he said. We are supporting peace, love and people all over the world. The morning bell rang at Republican High (Home of the Fightin Pachyderms) as students shuffled in. Gretchen Niedermeyer dry swallowed a couple of pre-emptive aspirins and reminded herself as she did every morning that she was just 16 months and a glance at the calendar seven days from her pension. Good morning, class, she said. As you know, oral reports on African-American history are due this morning. She ignored a chorus of groans. Tommy, you go first. Tommy Weissmuller stood. My report is on slavery, he said. Slavery is when they made the black people work really hard. Like, they even had to work on weekends. And the Founding Fathers were surprised when they heard about this. They thought it was unfair, so they had a war with the South to make them stop. Then the South realized the Founding Fathers were right and together, they ended slavery. The end. Mrs. Niedermeyer willed herself to stop grinding her teeth and marked a B+ in her grade book. In the old days, shed have given him an F. But that was before 2021, when Republicans banned Critical Race Theory, the 1619 Project, museums, history books, Spike Lee movies, Spike Lee, dreadlocks, Black Panther comic books and anything else that made white people uncomfortable. In peddling the big lie that the election was stolen by Joe Biden, Trump allegedly tried to steal it himself by pressing Georgia Republicans to declare him the winner there, triggering a criminal investigation by a Democratic prosecutor. Trump seemingly encouraged and condoned the violent attack by his followers on the U.S. Capitol in January. And theres the damning evidence that Trumps Justice Department to track down leaks about his campaigns suspected collusion with the Kremlin in 2016 spied on Democratic members of Congress, their staffs and family by demanding their data records from Apple. This is not the preferred backdrop for an attempted subject change by a gubernatorial candidate who must embrace Trump to satiate the Republican base but must distance himself from Trump to stand a chance with suburban voters, many of them women, who are becoming reflexively Democratic largely out of revulsion for Trump. Ergo, Youngkins musing on crime and cops only brings the conversation back to Trump, said Stephen Farnsworth, a politics analyst at the University of Mary Washington. Put another way: Trumps lack of credibility on respect for the law makes it difficult for Youngkin to credibly represent himself as model of lawfulness. Not that Youngkin isnt trying. The vile institution persisted in some border states that had stayed in the Union and thus werent subject to the Emancipation Proclamation. Not until the 13th Amendment came into effect on Dec. 18, 1865, was slavery formally abolished for good. Even then, the last slaves were not actually freed until 1866 held by Native Americans in the future Oklahoma who had sided with the Confederacy. But those are technicalities. The point is that we have come to mark today as the day we celebrate the end of slavery. If Juneteenth seems too exotic for you, then think of it as the day that we finally tried to extend Jeffersons noble words to all Americans. Even then, of course, we did so quite imperfectly, as anyone even vaguely acquainted with the history of the world since then should know. Some might read that as an indictment of America; wed prefer to read all this in a more uplifting way. Thomas Jeffersons words set a standard that no one else from that era dared embrace, a standard were still working to achieve. Today we celebrate the day those words about life and liberty became a little more real. Thats something we should all celebrate. An unwanted update to your Google Account 5 min read I got an email from Google today with the title An update to your Google Account. The gist of the email is that Google wants to change the country associated with my account, presumably based on recently recorded IP addresses associated with my account. It specifically said the following: We associate your Google Account with a country (or region) so that we can better provide our services to you. This association is used to determine two things: The Google company that provides the services, processes your information and is responsible for complying with applicable privacy laws The version of the Terms of Service that governs our relationship, which can vary depending on local laws. Your country association will change within 30 days: from Germany to Malaysia Bear in mind that Google services are essentially the same, regardless of your country association. Also, any purchased content and banking information that you might have in your Google Account will remain the same. What I find curious is that it says the services are essentially the same between different countries. So, there is no advantage to me as a consumer for anything to change. There is a disadvantage for me, because the privacy laws in Europe are stronger than Asia, I lose some privacy protection. Is this a coincidence? I dont want to be cynical, but it seems suspicious to me. As someone who travels a lot (not recently!), I would never want this done automatically for me. This has never happened before, so it must be a recent policy change. I wonder if they will they make this change every few months in the future if I move around? Is there some criteria that triggers this to happen? Further in the email, it gives an indication of how you can request to correct your associated country: If the country associated with your account doesnt match your country of residenceYou can find more information about your country association, and a way to request a change if you think that its wrong, by reviewing the Google Terms of Service. The Terms of Service actually say nothing at all about country association! After some searching, I found how to make a Country Association Inquiry. Its just a short form where you pick your country and give a reason why this is a mistake. When you submit the form, it says something like Well get back to you by email within a few weeks. Which will happen first? The automatic switching of the country association, or Google responding to my inquiry? Its going to be a race! This may seem like busy work but I think its important to do what you can to protect your privacy. If you do nothing, Google and others will erode your rights online if it correlates with increasing profits. If we dont pay attention and raise these kind of issues, then they might go unnoticed and may be considered bona-fide. Edit: 4.4.2021 Google responded with: You recently sent us a request to change the country associated with your Google Account. After reviewing your account, we think your current country association is accurate and we didnt change anything. Your country:Malaysia You can see the country associated with your account by looking at Googles Terms of Service. Edit: 20.6.2021 This article has been getting attention today on Hackernews. I want to clarify a couple of points. The objective of this article is to raise some concerns I have about this automatic process of switching country association. I tried to find more information in Googles Terms of Service to understand it, and I didnt find anything. I issued a Country Association Inquiry as a final effort to get some information. I was hoping a human would reply and I could ask a question. I requested that Google leave my country association as Germany, and I got the response above (see Edit: 4.4.2021). The response appears to be a automated response or canned response. Google making a correct/incorrect assessment of my location/residence was not my objective. I wanted to understand the process and what impact it has on interaction with Google. I would like to know this because it will inform my future actions if I use Google services. Some of the discussion in the thread in Hackernews made this about me. I didnt say Google should be doing X or Y. I didnt say that they made the right or wrong decision based on my exact circumstances. I just shared the info I was comfortable sharing, and outlined what was unclear to me. I did this in the hope that it would help you. I am skeptical that Google will get this right all the time as an automated process. I cross-posted this to dev.to and Daniel Schroeder reported that he got this email recently also and he has been physically in Germany for the last 2 years: I got the same Mail. They want to move my account from Germany to Thailand. Ive not been to Thailand (or anywhere else) since 2 years Daniel said he will report it to the authorities in Germany if they do not change his country association to Germany. It appears that my hunch was correct. You should do your own research. You should make your own conclusions. If you have concerns, contact Google. Nguyen Van Ngoc, an owner of a fish-raised farm in La Nga commune in the Southern Province of Dong Nais Dinh Quan District, said that at this time in Dinh Quan district, the price of aqua feed increased by 20 percent-25 percent compared to the beginning of the year; however, traders have offered the old price of fish in the pond. In La Nga commune, a number of farming households have reduced their farming area by 60 percent and the amount of fish by 40 percent compared to the previous crop. Currently, a kilogram of snakehead fish in La Nga fetches VND38,000 - 39,000, while a kilogram of perch costs VND 23,000, and a kilogram of red snapper is sold at VND40,000. The selling price is VND2,000 - VND8,000 per kilogram even lower than the production cost. With this selling price, farmers will be saddled with huge debts which will increase shortly because they are unable to repay the loan. Many fish farming households in Trang Bom District have lately stopped raising fish because of heavy losses. A representative of a company in Trang Bom District said that raw materials such as corn, soybeans for animal feed production in the country are mainly imported from foreign countries presently. Due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, the supply of raw materials for animal feed has been interrupted; worse, many countries have been losing their crops, leading to a scarcity of raw materials, pushing up the prices. Accordingly, the Dong Nai Farmers' Association has petitioned for timely support policies for farmers. By Tien Minh - Translated by Anh Quan FLORENCE, S.C. -- With a few words and gestures Florence residents Andrew and Eula Kampizioines continued their history of giving to the Florence County Library System with the donation of a check to the Friends of the Florence County Library and the placing of their names on a plaque in the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation Library's entrance. WILMINGTON, N.C. A tropical storm watch has been posted for the North Carolina coast north of Cape Fear in anticipation of the remnants of Tropical Storm Claudette will reform Sunday night as it approaches the Atlantic Ocean. This is an unusual track, but is not unprecedented, Timothy Armstrong with the National Weather Service office in Wilmington, N.C., wrote in a briefing on the storm. Isolated flooding rainfall and isolated tornadoes may develop across the area Sunday morning and last through Sunday night. Winds of 40 mph could occur north of Cape Fear Sunday night, according to Armstrong. Conditions will improve Monday morning as the weather system moves offshore. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} The 11 a.m. forecast track for the storm has it passing over Florence overnight Sunday as a tropical depression before it arrives over eastern North Carolina as a tropical storm Monday morning. New Hanover and Pender counties in North Carolina are the areas of concern from the storm, according to the briefing. The extreme western areas of the Pee Dee are forecast to receive 2-3 inches of rain from the storm while the remainder of the Pee Dee is forecast to get between 1.5-2 inches of rain. GABORONE, Botswana (AP) A huge diamond weighing more than 1,000 carats, which could be the third-largest mined in history, has been discovered in the southern African country of Botswana. The high-quality gemstone weighing 1,098.3 carats was unearthed earlier this month in the Jwaneng mine owned by Debswana, the mining company jointly owned by the Botswanan government and the De Beers Group. "With the recent introduction of a modern, state-of-the-art large diamond pilot plant, I have every hope that we will be able to recover more large diamonds," said Lynette Armstrong, Debswana's acting managing director. "This by all standards is a great metallurgical achievement, to recover a diamond of this size intact through our conventional ore processing plant," she said. The large diamond 73 millimeters long, 52 millimeters wide and 27 millimeters thick is the largest gem-quality diamond found in Debswana's mines in the company's more than 50-year history, she said. Diamonds were discovered in Botswana in 1967, and Debswana was formed in 1969. The most recent large diamond found at Jwaneng mine was a stone weighing 446 carats in 1993, Armstrong said. At issue was the wording of an online announcement, since deleted, of a planned event at the old former plantation that sounded like the real tragedy of the Civil War was what it did to genteel white plantation life. Come, it invited, to share stories of former bondsmen, an old euphemism for slaves. White refugees have been displaced, it said, and have a story to tell as well. Visitors would hear from defeated Confederate soldiers and from the massa himself who is now living in the woods and on the run from the Yankees, his home taken over by the people he used to own, the announcement said. The announcement gave a remarkably sympathetic-sounding description of the overseer now out of a job and asked, What will he do now that he has no one to oversee from can see to cant see? an old Southern description of working in the fields from pre-dawn to after dark. Online outrage from the community, Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles and Mecklenburg County leaders against the apparent whitewashing of Southern plantation history hit the project like a Carolina coastal hurricane. The Bureau of Customs (BOC) destroyed 21 smuggled cars worth P58 million in Manila and Cagayan de Oro today. Seven vehicles from the Manila International Container Port (MICP), Port of Manila (POM), and Port of Subic were gathered then crushed in Port Area, Manila. The smuggled cars are: A brand-new McLaren 620R, used Hyundai Genesis from POM, 2007 Bentley, Porsche 911 C2S, and a Mercedes-Benz from MICP. The Bentley, Porsche, and Mercedes-Benz are also used-cars, the BOC said. Bureau of Customs Bureau of Customs A Lotus and a Toyota Solara from the Port of Subic were also destroyed. In the Port of Cagayan de Oro, 14 Mitsubishi jeeps seized in that area were likewise destroyed at Diamond Logistic in Baloy, Barangay Tablon, according to a report from the Philippines News Agency (PNA). The vehicles were shipped into the country by different consignees, and seized on separate occasions from 2018 to 2020, the PNA report added. The destruction of the vehicles is pursuant to the Presidential Directive 2017-447, in which President Duterte reiterated the need to destroy smuggled vehicles. Photos from the Bureau of Customs Also read BOC seizes 4 suspected hot cars Customs operatives seize smuggled McLaren 620R Elgar leads from front as South Africa recover against Windies That's out: Rassie van der Dussen is bowled by Kemar Roach Dean Elgar's five-hour occupation of the crease in compiling an invaluable 77 lifted South Africa from the depths 37 for three to the comparative comfort of 218 for five on the opening day of the second Test against the West Indies on Friday. Elgars disciplined knock of 77, which spanned 237 deliveries and included eight fours, was exactly what was required of the Proteas captain. He had seen three wickets go down in a rain-interrupted morning session under grey skies and on a seaming pitch where the early moisture contributed to the ball beating the bat on numerous occasions. His watchful style contrasted sharply with the manner of the other left-hander in the tourists' batting line-up with Quinton de Kock following on Test-best unbeaten 141 in the first Test with a similarly positive knock of 59 not out off 103 balls. Their partnership for the fifth wicket realised 79 runs and ended when Elgar was deceived and bowled by the clever medium-pace of all-rounder Kyle Mayers in the last hour of the day. South Africa's skipper had earlier received sturdy support from Kyle Verreynne in a fourth-wicket stand worth 87. Having missed out on a score of note in his debut innings a week earlier, Verreyne doubled down with his effort as the West Indies bowlers stuck to their plan of attack on a brighter afternoon. However, they were thwarted by the compact right-hander who eventually fell in the final over before tea for 27, getting a faint touch to an attempted hook off Shannon Gabriel for wicketkeeper Joshua da Silva to take the catch down the leg-side. Heavily criticised after choosing to bat first on a seaming pitch in the first Test at the same venue, home captain Kraigg Brathwaite did not hesitate to bowl first on winning the toss again. It proved justified with Gabriel, who missed the first Test through injury, relative newcomer Jayden Seales and senior seamer Kemar Roach taking a wicket each. Gabriel had laboured through two Tests for just one wicket against Sri Lanka in the previous series three months earlier on placid pitches in Antigua. Story continues But he enjoyed immediate success here with Aiden Markram slashing at a short, wide delivery before he had scored to give Roston Chase a comfortable catch at backward-point. Keegan Petersen attempted to settle down in partnership with Elgar but then edged a full-length delivery from Seales for former captain Jason Holder to snare the catch at second slip. Rassie van der Dussen struggled to get bat on ball and then fell to his own error of judgement, offering no shot to Roach only for his off-stump to be knocked back. South Africa retained the same team which thrashed the home side by an innings and 63 runs inside three days in the first Test. However West Indies drafted in Gabriel in place of specialist off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall. Opening batsman Kieran Powell, who was a concussion substitute for middle-order batsman Nkrumah Bonner, retained his place. West Indies must win this match to avoid an eighth consecutive Test series defeat to the Proteas since pulling off victory in their historic first-ever Test match encounter, a one-off meeting in Barbados in 1992. str/dj Rodriguez gives Argentina Copa edge in tense derby win over Uruguay English-born Ben Brereton scored his first goal for Chile in only his second appearance after switching allegiance from England Guido Rodriguez scored the only goal of the game as Argentina edged past fierce local rivals Uruguay in a disappointing Copa America clash on Friday. The victory sent Argentina joint top of Group A with Chile on four points while Uruguay remain without a point. These two sides have played each other more times than any other local rivals and played the first ever international match to be held outside the United Kingdom. They have won the Copa 29 times between them but familiarity can breed caution and for much of the encounter they canceled each other out. Six-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi had the first real chance, cutting in from the right onto his favored left foot to force a full stretch save from goalkeeper Fernando Muslera, who was relieved to see Lautaro Martinez unable to turn in the rebound. Moments later, Cristian Romero rose highest in the area to meet a Rodrigo De Paul cross but Muslera made a comfortable save. The pressure was relentless in the early stages and Argentina took a deserved lead on 13 minutes as Messi got to the byline and stood up a cross to the back post where Rodriguez rose above his marker to head home off the far post. Uruguay gradually stemmed the tide and started to get a foothold in the game, only to see Argentina counter at pace before Muslera parried a fierce Nahuel Molina drive at his near post. Despite enjoying the lion's share of possession, Uruguay were unable to test Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. A slew of early substitutions in the second half disrupted the flow of the game and chances were at a premium. Despite boasting Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani up front, Uruguay struggled to create any chances of note. When Matias Vina put in a devil of a ball across the six yard box, neither Suarez nor Cavani could get a touch to turn the ball in. Soon afterwards, Suarez went for the spectacular with a leaping bicycle kick but sent the ball high over the bar. Up the other end, Messi fired a free-kick from 20 yards straight into the wall as the game petered out into a scrappy affair. Story continues - English touch - Earlier, English-born Ben Brereton was the unlikely hero as Chile beat Bolivia 1-0. The 22-year-old Blackburn forward was born in Stoke-on-Trent to an English father and Chilean mother, and only made his national team debut on Monday when he came off the bench in Chile's 1-1 draw with Argentina. But Brereton, who has played his entire career in the English Championship, was in the right place at the right time to finish off a rapier counter-attack and hand Chile victory. Chile dominated the first period and could easily have gone in at half-time with a larger lead. Bolivia's goalkeeper Carlos Lampe mounted almost solo resistence at times, saving from Jean Meneses, Erick Pulgar and Brereton. The goal came after Bolivia were caught out by a lightning counter-attack on 10 minutes, with Eduardo Vargas squaring to Brereton, who calmly took one touch to beat a sliding defender and then slotted home with his second. Soon after, Meneses lashed a shot just past the post and veteran captain Arturo Vidal put a header straight at Lampe. Bolivia were under the cosh for much of the first half but still came close themselves through Roberto Fernandez, Erwin Saavedra and Ramiro Vaca. Lampe, though, had to make seven saves before halftime to keep his team in the tie. Bolivia made a good start to the second half and Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo was forced into a sprawling save to deny Saavedra. The Bolivians created the better second half chances and were unlucky when a shot from substitute Danny Bejarano took a huge deflection before sailing just past the post. But it wasn't enough to earn their first point of the tournament. bur-bc/gph PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday said that the goal of European defence autonomy could go hand in hand with NATO membership. "We have succeeded in instilling the idea that European defense, and strategic defence autonomy, can be an alternative project to the trans-Atlantic organisation, but very much a solid component of this," Macron told a news conference before holding talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Macron also said U.S. President Joe Biden had expressed his respect for the European Union on the political level as well as his desire to work with the EU as a partner. Merkel, who prefers to see NATO remain the centerpiece of European defence, said she was happy the U.S. had recreated a "climate of cooperation". "It is very clear from the G7 and NATO talks that the United States sees itself as both a Pacific and an Atlantic nation and, given the strength of China, is naturally challenged to be much stronger in the Pacific than perhaps it was 20 years ago", she added. "And that means for us Europeans that we have to take on certain tasks and responsibilities for ourselves ... but I see the absolute necessity - and I think this is also expected of the United States of America - that we act coherently", Merkel said. (Reporting by Richard Lough and Paul Carrel; Editing by GV De Clercq and Jonathan Oatis) West Indies made early inroads during a rain-interrupted first session to have South Africa struggling at 44 for three at lunch after they were put in to bat on the opening day of the second Test on Friday. Heavily criticised after choosing to bat first on a seaming pitch a week earlier in the first Test at the same venue, home captain Kraigg Brathwaite did not hesitate to bowl first on winning the toss again. It proved justified with Shannon Gabriel, who missed the first Test through injury, relative newcomer Jayden Seales and senior seamer Kemar Roach taking a wicket each on a challenging morning for the Proteas. Gabriel had laboured through two Test matches for just one wicket against Sri Lanka in the previous series three months earlier on placid pitches in Antigua. But he enjoyed immediate success here with Aiden Markram slashing at a short, wide delivery before he had scored to give Roston Chase a comfortable catch at backward-point. Keegan Petersen attempted to settle down in partnership with captain Dean Elgar but then edged a full-length delivery from Seales for former captain Jason Holder to snare the catch at second slip. Rassie van der Dussen laboured to get bat on ball and then fell to his own error of judgement, offering no shot to Roach only for his off-stump to be knocked back. It was left for Kyle Verreynne to battle through to the interval with opening batsman Elgar, who navigated 77 deliveries, several of which fizzed past the outside edge of his bat, in getting to an unbeaten 22. South Africa retained the same team which thrashed the home side by an innings and 63 runs inside three days in the first Test at the same venue a week earlier. West Indies drafted in Gabriel in place of specialist off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall. Opening batsman Kieran Powell, who was a concussion substitute for middle-order batsman Nkrumah Bonner, retains his place in the team. West Indies must win this match to avoid an eighth consecutive Test series defeat to the Proteas since pulling off victory in their historic first-ever Test match encounter, a one-off meeting in Barbados in 1992. str/dj WASHINGTON (AP) With the Affordable Care Act now secure in the framework of the nation's health care programs, Democrats are eager to leap above and beyond. BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) Montanas firefighting aircraft returned to duty Friday as officials sought even more personnel and aircraft ahead of a shift in the weather that could stir up a large blaze on the Wyoming border. As African Americans, its nothing new to us, said Bivens, who said he is in his 50s and has lived in Texas for decades, acutely aware that he is both a political and racial minority. We know we have no power over whats going on but our votes, and if you take that away from us ... , he said, trailing off. In a December poll from The Associated Pres-NORC, only 7% of voters listed voting laws as a top issue, though it gained disproportionate interest from Republicans, 14% of whom cited it. Martinez, whos studying to teach English as a second language, is one of those people who hasnt thought much about voting. She cast her first vote for Biden in November, and neither she nor anyone else in her family had any issues or concerns. Everything was fine, Martinez said. Martinez thinks it would be nice to vote by mail something Texas makes difficult for most voters but it's not an issue that drives her. The company was founded by Faleys father, Mike Faley, who ran the business out of his mothers garage in Dubuque. Teddy Jo said his father would travel from gas station to gas station, largely selling oil filters. At the time, cars were less complicated feats of engineering. Ford cars all shared the same Ford oil filters, while the Dodge-Chrysler family of cars all had a filter of their own. When it came to individual manufacturers, it was largely a one-size-fits-all model, Faley said. As time has gone on, cars have become more complex in their design, and the number of unique parts made for each make and model of a vehicle has expanded dramatically. We used to have only a few different types of oil filters, Faley said. Now, I have hundreds of different oil filters to fit all the different types of cars out there. IWI has looked to meet this increasing complexity by expanding outward with new warehouse locations in order to fit its ever-expanding supply, including Iowa locations in Cascade and Dyersville, along with Wisconsin locations in Lancaster and Platteville. DES MOINES -- Child care should be considered infrastructure and belongs in the federal infrastructure funding package being crafted in Congress: that was the message U.S. labor secretary Marty Walsh and Congresswoman Cindy Axne conveyed during an event Friday at a child care center. Walsh and Axne heard from central Iowa child care stakeholders during a roundtable discussion at Oakridge Neighborhood in Des Moines. President Joe Biden proposed a $1.7 trillion infrastructure bill that included $200 billion for child care. A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators developed a counter proposal that came in just shy of $1 trillion. We are fighting tooth and nail to keep (funding for child care programs) in the bill, because it should be in there, Axne told the group. We are actively engaged in making sure that this comes to fruition. Advocates say many low-income families cannot afford child care, and the cost is keeping many Americans out of the workforce as they find it more affordable to not work than to pay for expensive child care. MALJEVAC, Croatia (AP) Dozens of human rights advocates briefly blocked Croatias border with Bosnia on Saturday to protest the European Unions migration policies. There was a time when the Keystone XL pipeline, which was officially declared dead and laid to rest last week after more than a decade of legal wangling, made perfect sense. With Keystone XL pipeline nixed, Nebraska advocates look to next steps In fact, when it first came to our attention sometime in 2009, this editorial board was in favor of it. It supported the project because of the safety of pipelines relative to other forms of transporting oil, such as rail, and the construction jobs it promised to bring. That was at a time when America was digging itself out of the Great Recession. Jobs -- any jobs -- were considered a good thing, as were the easement payments landowners would have received to subsidize their income at a time when their farms were struggling. A dozen years later, we've done an about face. We support doing away with the pipeline because our world today is a far different place than it was back then and continued delays made the pipeline increasingly less feasible. This article is adapted from Shock and Awe, the eighth episode of Slow Burns new season. On March 17, 2003, George W. Bush demanded that Saddam Hussein surrender power. Saddam stayed where he was, and the U.S. invaded Iraq 48 hours later. The U.S. was joined by a small coalition that included Great Britain and Australia. Bush announced the start of the war to the nation in an Oval Office address. The people of the United States and our friends and allies will not live at the mercy of an outlaw regime that threatens the peace with weapons of mass murder. We will meet that threat now with our Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, and Marines so that we do not have to meet it later with armies of firefighters, police, and doctors on the streets of our cities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When the Americans arrived, Jamal Ali was an aircraft engineer in Baghdad. I remember we were, we were sleeping. We just hear the bombing everywhere, he told me. So thats when the war started. And we fall off the bed, because the whole house was shaking. Ali heard a rumor a week beforehand that the invasion might be happening soon. He hadnt believed it. But he bought a generator and stored some food, just in case. I call it really a dirty war because they want to get it over fast. So they targeting either the water stations, electric station, and all the essential things for the people, which isthats not good he said. Everywhere you live, at least there is something important for the allies to hit. Advertisement Some of my friends, some of my relatives, some of them there have been missing. They dont know what happened to them. The night the shock and awe bombing of Baghdad began, NBCs Ann Curry was on the U.S.S. Constellation aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf. Curry watched as the planes took off. There was a young pilot named Nathan that Curry had spent time with while reporting from the ship. When the planes finally got back, I searched out Nathan and there was an older pilot with him, she said. Nathan was talking a mile a minute about taking out targets in Baghdad and how the mission worked. And then I turned to the older pilot, and he had experienced the first Gulf War. And he had been quiet this whole time until finally he said that flying over the desert, he could see the headlights of the U.S. ground forces moving in, and he passed over them. Advertisement I look in the skies, and I see the American coalition forces, aircraft, and I was like [] that means theres no resistance at all, because otherwise they would not be so visible. Atheer Kakan And as he was heading towards Baghdad, he had the strange feeling, knowing that on the Iraqi side, there would be some poor slob in some tower, probably no idea what was going to happen and no choice but to man his post. And he felt for him. And it was just so interesting to hear that from a man who just drop bombs. And knew hed kill people. By early April, American forces were all over Baghdad. Atheer Kakan lived in the neighborhood of al-Mansour, full of well-off people and Iraqi government officials. He grew up with Kurdish relatives and a leftist mother. He hated life under Saddam. I asked him what he thought when he heard that Saddam was going to go. Advertisement Advertisement I was supportive of Saddams to go, but I wanted him badly to go by Iraqi hands, he said. Kakan was working as a journalist and translator. One day, he went up to the roof of his aunts house. It was clear that Saddams military was on its way out. And I look in the skies, and I see the American coalition forces, aircraft, and I was like, gee, Zouliou, [] that means theres no resistance at all, because otherwise they would not be, like, so visible. Then, Kakan went out into the streets. There were huge crowds of people, all in civilian clothes. He saw one Iraqi soldier drop a duffel bag on the ground, and take off his uniform. The soldier was trying to escape. Advertisement And I asked them what is happening? And they said, its a massacre, man. Its a massacre. They are sending us, like, to confront the Abrams tanks and stuff, Kakan said. And its like they give us, like, our RPGs. But our RPG is like, dont even hit the American tanks and stuff. Or like nothing happened when we hit them. And then the American tank will shoot us with one bomb, and well be, like, chopped into pieces, like shredded into pieces and stuff. And my heart likelike, I felt like somebody stomped on my heart, he said. I cannot believe it; I knew these guys are going to their death. Advertisement On April 9, 2003, Donald Rumsfeld announced that Baghdad had fallen. The Iraqi capital was in chaos. Looters busted into the National Museum, and stole priceless antiquities. U.S. soldiers were as close as 50 yards away, but did nothing for six days. Advertisement Pentagon officials said this was a matter of prioritization. Soldiers had secured more important sites, like the Ministry of Oil. And there was still combat going on, especially outside the city. Rumsfeld said the chaos was part of the price for a liberated Iraq. Stuff happens! And its untidy. And freedoms untidy, and free people are free to make mistakes. And commit crimes and do bad things. Theyre also free to live their lives and do wonderful things and thats whats gonna happen here. After the invasion, Atheer Kakan and his neighbors took food and supplies from a warehouse near his home. That warehouse belonged to Red Crescent, the Muslim worlds version of the Red Cross. Advertisement If you dont have a law system that, like, govern your life, chaos is going to be the only ruler. And thats what happened, he said. Im just saying its human being nature. Im really sorry if many people thinks theyre superior to Iraqis. Theyre just like, misguided. Advertisement Advertisement There was no electricity in Baghdad, so Kakan and his friends would play backgammon in the street. So that was our only joy. And then the American troops would come in and like, kick us into our houses. And you can imagine. I mean, youre American, right? he asked me. I told him yes. He apologized for the question, but I told him it was OK. After all, I had asked where he was from. Imagine I came from another country, he said, as invader. And I tell you, go back to your house. And imagine how would you feel about it. Listen to this full episode of Slow Burn below, and subscribe to Slow Burn on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Join Slate Plus for your ad-free feed. Former Vice President Mike Pence spoke at a conservative conference on Friday and it was quickly clear that some people were not happy he was there. Pence was met with boos and was forced to speak over hecklers shouting traitor as he spoke at the Faith & Freedom Coalition Conference in Orlando. People who shouted were removed or left the event. Pence gets drowned out by hecklers at the Faith & Freedom Coalition summit, some of whom appear to be chanting "traitor!" pic.twitter.com/pAQxavsK3O Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) June 18, 2021 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pence ignored the hecklers and kept speaking. Im a Christian, a conservative and a Republican in that order, Pence said in what has now become a familiar line for the former vice president that always elicits lots of cheers. The reaction to Pences speech showed that while he still has lots of backing in conservative circles many supporters of former President Donald Trump havent forgiven him for certifying President Joe Bidens Electoral College win. Trump has been publicly critical of Pence since that day. A few cries of "traitor!" when Mike Pence starts talking at Faith & Freedom Coalition summit; the people shouting it are being led out or leaving, one guy in Bikers for Trump swap filming himself. Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) June 18, 2021 Advertisement Pence addressed the issue earlier this month, saying that while he and Trump have spoken several times since the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, its likely the two would never see eye to eye on that day. But he still praised Trump several times during that speech and said he would always be proud of what we accomplished for the American people over the last four years. During his speech Friday, Pence also celebrated what he characterized as accomplishments during the Trump administration while criticizing President Joe Biden. He also said the Democratic Party was responsible for a violent crime wave thats wreaking havoc on families all across the country and took time during the Juneteenth holiday to say that Black lives are not endangered by police. As far as Pence is concerned, Black lives are saved by police. Slovaks are the only EU members that cannot film with a drone abroad Slovakia failed to prepare a registration system according to the valid EU ordinance. Top stories Nebraska Community College Association (NCCA) Executive Director Greg Adams will retire later this year. Diane Keller, of Harvard, chair of the NCCA board of directors and a member of the Central Community College Board of Governors, has announced that Adams will step down on Dec. 31. The NCCA board thanks Greg Adams for his dedicated leadership, which greatly benefitted Nebraskas community colleges and the communities and students they serve, said Keller. As a former speaker of the Nebraska Legislature, he was well suited to collaborate with lawmakers to support economic development across Nebraska through a well-trained workforce. We wish Greg all the best in his retirement. Adams, who became executive director of the NCCA in 2016, devoted his professional career to education. He previously served as president and executive director of Accelerate Nebraska, a non-profit corporation focused on improving educational outcomes and the alignment between high school, postsecondary institutions and the workforce. He also has served as a distinguished professor of practice at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and is former teacher at York High School. In addition, Adams was mayor of York and served eight years in the Nebraska Legislature, representing District 24, from 2006-2014. He served as speaker from 2013-14. BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) Montanas firefighting aircraft returned to duty Friday as officials sought even more personnel and aircraft ahead of a shift in the weather that could stir up a large blaze on the Wyoming border. A red flag warning indicating critical fire weather conditions was issued for areas in southern Montana and northern Wyoming through Saturday evening. Dry and unusually warm weather, accompanied by gusts, was predicted. A helicopter crash earlier this week grounded the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation's fleet as major wildfires broke out. An initial review released by the agency Friday blamed the crash landing on heavy winds. But it said the accident was preventable had the pilot followed procedures that would have given him more time to evaluate the conditions as the helicopter came in for a landing. Five agency personnel were aboard the Bell UH-1H (Huey) helicopter when it crashed Tuesday alongside Highway 12, rolled and burned while returning to base during the fight against a fire east of Townsend. A grant subcommittee of the trust had recommended funding 77 grants in 2020, but the ethanol grant was not among them, ranking 78th. The five grants that were defunded were ranked near the top, ranging from No. 7 to No. 36. While some board members said they have the discretion to alter the recommendations, critics including some former members of the Trust Board said such a switch was unprecedented. The lawsuit alleged that giving money for the ethanol pumps violated two requirements of the trust: that grants do not primarily benefit a private interest and that grants shouldnt be given to projects that could be funded without the trust money. Confer said a portion of the lawsuit, which alleges that the Trust Board violated open meeting laws at a November meeting, should go forward. He said his clients also want the state to pay its legal expenses. That will be argued at a court hearing scheduled for Wednesday in Lincoln. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 June 17 was Achievement Day for the Iredell County Extension and Community Association, and numerous awards were presented during the program, which was held at the Iredell County Agricultural Resource Center on Bristol Drive in Statesville. President Judy Athey presided over the event and welcomed everyone to the special day noting that it had been 15 months since the various clubs had been together and that its just great that we have been able to get you all together. Its such a blessing to see all your faces and to know that we are still in progress. Athey challenged each one in attendance to think of ways to get people motivated to return to the club and get new members that can do something both for the club and the community. The program continued with a greeting from Andrea Sherrill, the county extension agent, who shared how glad she was to see everyone and be able to feed off everyones energy. That is what weve missed, that connection, that relationship building. The Wytheville Enterprise and Bland County Messenger newspapers have a new home. On Monday, the office relocated to a new office at 150 W. Main St. in downtown Wytheville, located to the left of the Big Pencil. The former office at 460 W. Main Street was sold in March. We are excited to about the move to our new location on Main Street in the heart of Wytheville, said Regional Publisher Jim Maxwell. Easier access and a wonderful modern new facility gives us the opportunity to better serve our readers and customers in a warm and welcoming environment. We look forward to continuing our legacy of providing the best local news coverage and print and digital marketing solutions for our readers and advertisers. This is the third move for the newspaper in recent memory. The newspaper office was located at 275 W. Monroe St. (now home of Mattress by Appointment) until 1978 when the staff moved into the office at 460 W. Main St. For Fathers Day, June 20, 2021, guests and locals visiting Four Seasons Resort Orlando can enjoy the full regular menus, plus additional food & beverage specials including the following, below. Several chefs on their team who are dads (Executive Chef Fabrizio Schenardi, Capa Chef Gabriel Massip, and Executive Pastry Chef Rabii Saber) and we spoke to them recently about the meaning of Fathers Day below! Fabrizio Schenardi Executive Chef Four Seasons Resort at Walt Disney World Resort -Fathers day is a day to spend with your children, but also a day to remember the fathers who have done an incredible job raising children with many sacrifices and unfortunately get forgotten by society. -Im not the type of person who need a gift to be recognized; a simple hug from my son is the best gift! For his ideal Fathers Day dinner: -I would like cannelloni with sausage and spinach, bechamel and tomato sauce. Bocche di leone alle fragole, is a small pastry from the area where Im from in Italy, made with brioches, whipped cream, strawberry. Fabrizio and son Lorenzo, who is headed to college in the fall! Gabriel Massip Capa Restaurant Chef Chef Gabe, Wife Khristy, daughter Addie What does Fathers Day mean to you? Fathers day means the celebration of every dad and families. What is on your wish list for a Fathers Day gift this year? A new drill, the one I have isnt working anymore! What would you wish for to eat for your perfect Fathers Day meal? A good roast beef and mashed potatoes like my mother makes. This represents the family weekends with my entire family back in France, with my cousins. Rabii Saber, Executive Pastry Chef What does Fathers Day mean to you? Fathers Day is a special day for our family where I feel recognized for providing unconditional love, encouragement, protection, and for being simply father to my two little boys. What is on your wish list for a Fathers Day gift this year? I am always curious to see the cards they make, that highlight their creativity to show their love and emotions. What would you wish for to eat for your perfect Fathers Day meal? We have the ritual of having a dessert every day. It can range from a quick sundae to a more elaborate pie or cake. However, sometimes we just enjoy eating fruits, mangos (their favorite), strawberries or blueberries which we pick when they are in season in Florida. I grew up in Morocco, and the dessert I grew up eating the most and on a daily basis included fruits. Having the opportunity to travel, as well, helped me to discover new and exotic fruits. When I am at the market, what catches my eye the most are fruits when they are ripened, appealing or exotic. I love to help the kids discover new flavors by taking them for a trip through a dish or simply a new fruit. Last year, during the quarantine time, I made the boys many dishes. The ones that stand out and the kids still talk about and ask for constantly are mango granita for dessert, and homemade pizza baked on the grill this would be a perfect meal to make for this special day. Rabii Saber and kids: Zidane, 9, and Zain, 6 Fathers Day Special Features Capa 40 days Dry Aged 30 oz. Prime Tomahawk $160 Oakwood Fire Grilled | Duck Fat Hand Cut Fries | Smoked Onion and Truffle Aioli Plancha Tranquilo Steak & Eggs $32 8 oz. Marinated Strip Loin | Sweet Potato Eggs In A Hole Chorizo | Avocado | Onions | Peppers | Scallion Baileys & Raspberry Stuffed French Toast $20 White Chocolate | Raspberry Syrup Shrimp & Potato Hash $22 Sunny Side Up Egg | Kielbasa | Tomato | Onion | Scallion Cheddar | Avocado | Cilantro | Yogurt PB&G Michelada $14 Half Beer, Half Bloody Mary Pastrami Sandwich $25 Brisket | Swiss Cheese | Cabbage Slaw Country Rustic Bread | Russian Dressing | Fried Pickles Washington Association of School Administrators awards recently were presented by the Educational Service District 112 to people who made extraordinary contributions to kindergarten through 12th grade education. The Award of Merit, Student Achievement Leadership Award and Community Leadership Awards were given virtually at a ceremony held via Zoom in May. Mary Beth Tack, Superintendent of the Kelso School District, received the Student Achievement Award for her implementation of innovative programs, according to a press release from ESD 112. As schools were closed and districts struggled with transitioning to remote learning, the KSDs Teaching and Learning team under Tacks guidance began expanding online offerings. Online education previously was offered via the Kelso Virtual Academy to eighth- through 12th-graders. By fall 2020, KVAs virtual learning program was expanded to include all kindergarten through 12th-grade students who could take exclusively online classes or blend with remote classes, according to the press release. Enrollment jumped from 30 students last year to 1,000 students this year. A major electrical failure at the Longview Westlake Chemical company plant in June has rippled out across Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Northern California as chlorine chemicals used to disinfect drinking water and treat wastewater have become scarce. The cities of Kalama and Rainier have asked people to conserve water both inside and outside, including shutting off sprinklers and not filling pools. Water still is safe to drink, the cities and the Oregon Department of Emergency management said, and there are reserve supplies on hand. Westlake Chemical spokesman Chip Swearngan said the plant, which is located inside Nippon Dynawave Packaging on Industrial Way, manufactures chlorine and caustic soda. The Longview facility was purchased by Westlake Chemical in 2016 with its acquisition of Axiall Corp. Westlake is an international manufacturer with headquarters in Houston. Earlier in June, a piece of equipment experienced a failure with an electrical transformer. The failed piece of equipment is in the process of being repaired at an off-site location due to the nature of the damage, the Oregon Department of Emergency Management said. Officials expect the plant to be offline until the end of June at a minimum. China's crackdown on cryptocurrency "mining" has extended to the southwest province of Sichuan, where authorities ordered cryptocurrency mining projects closed in the major mining centre. Cryptomining is a big business in China, accounting for more than half of global bitcoin production. But the State Council, China's cabinet, last month vowed to clamp down on bitcoin mining and trading as part of a series of measures to control financial risks. Friday's move in Sichuan - where miners mostly use hydropower to run the specially designed computer equipment used in verifying bitcoin transactions - suggests the crackdown is more broadly based. The Sichuan Provincial Development and Reform Commission, and the Sichuan Energy Bureau issued a joint notice, dated Friday and seen by Reuters, demanding the closure of 26 suspected cryptocurrency mining projects by Sunday. Sichuan is China's second-biggest bitcoin mining province, according to data compiled by the University of Cambridge. Some miners move their activities there in the rainy summer to take advantage of its rich hydropower resources. The notice orders state electricity companies in Sichuan to conduct inspections and make corrections, reporting their results by Friday. They are to immediately stop supplying electricity to cryptomining projects they have detected. The authorities urged local governments in Sichuan to start combing for cryptomining projects and shut them down. It banned new projects. Other regional mining centres including Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and Yunnan have ordered crackdowns on bitcoin mining. Friday's notice appears to indicate that Beijing's displeasure with cryptocurrency mining extends beyond cases where it uses electricity generated by burning coal. "Renewable power does not help," said Winston Ma, NYU Law School adjunct professor and author of the book "the Digital War". "The four largest mining regions - Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Yunnan and Sichuan - have implemented similar crackdown measures, even though mining in the latter two are mostly based on hydropower, whereas the first two are on coal," Ma told Reuters. Some miners have been considering moving elsewhere due to the crackdown. Alphabet unit Google could face its biggest regulatory threat, with EU antitrust regulators set to open a formal investigation into its lucrative digital advertising business before the end of the year, said people familiar with the matter. It would mark a new front by the EU competition enforcer against Google. It has in the last decade fined the company more than 8 billion euros ($9.8 billion) for blocking rivals in online shopping, Android smartphones, and online advertising. An EU probe would focus on Google's position vis-a-vis advertisers, publishers, intermediaries, and rivals, one of the people said, indicating deeper scrutiny than the French antitrust agency's case concluded last week. Google made $147 billion in revenue from online ads last year, more than any other company in the world. Ads on its properties, including search, YouTube, and Gmail, accounted for the bulk of sales and profits. About 16% of revenue came from its display or network business, in which other media companies use Google technology to sell ads on their website and apps. Both units are under fire. The US Justice Department, joined by some states, sued Google last year for abusing its dominance in search ads. A group of states led by Texas in a later lawsuit focussed on anti-competitive behaviour on the network side of the house. France last week settled with Google for $268 million and various commitments over similar allegations related to the network business, and the unit also must work closely with Britain's competition regulator on upcoming software changes as part of a settlement reached days later. The Commission declined to comment. Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A new EU inquiry could end up targeting all of Google's ad empire. Market researcher eMarketer expects Google to control 27% of global online ad spending this year, including 57% for search ads and 10% of display. While the numbers may not look monopolistic at first blush, advertisers and rivals contend that Google's various software play a role in so many facets of the market that the company is impossible to avoid. They say Google takes advantage of the dependence buyers, sellers and intermediaries have on it to extract high fees from all sides and block rivals from fairly competing with it. In a questionnaire sent to Google rivals and third parties earlier this year and seen by Reuters, the EU watchdog asked if advertisers receive rebates when they use Google intermediaries which allow advertisers or media agencies to buy advertising inventory from many sources. The Commission should conclude ongoing cases before starting new ones, said Thomas Hoppner, a partner at law firm Hausfeld, and who advises several complainants against Google. "From the practitioner's point of view and from the industry's point of view, it appears equally important to bring investigations into local search and Google's job search to an end when other authorities have opened investigations into Google's adtech," he said. WhatsApp has just launched a new sticker pack to celebrate Fathers Day 2021 called Papa mere Papa. The Facebook-owned messaging platform just launched an animated sticker pack called Love & Pride for both Android and iOS and has rolled out the Papa mere Papa on the Sticker Store, as WABetaInfo reports. Importantly, this Papa mere Papa animated sticker pack is a regional one and was going to be available in specific countries only on Android and iOS both. WhatsApp is releasing a new regional sticker pack, Papa mere Papa! Reminding sons and fathers that they're loved by helping them say the things that seem hard to say. It's a regional sticker pack, available in India and Indonesia!https://t.co/JoNIHyRt37 WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) June 18, 2021 The Papa mere Papa WhatsApp sticker pack was first released in India and Indonesia first and has now been made global so anyone can access it from the chat bar on WhatsApp and download it. Understandably, WhatsApp launched the sticker pack in the countries where fathers are called Papa, but since this is no longer restricted to a country or two, the animated sticker pack has been made global. The Papa mere Papa sticker pack has been created by Sajid Shaikh and the description reads - Reminding sons and fathers that they're loved by helping them say the things that seem hard to say. How to download the Papa mere Papa sticker pack - Open WhatsApp and go to any chat. - Now, click on the sticker icon on the chat bar. - This will open up your sticker gallery and on top, you will be able to see all the stickers packs you have already downloaded. - You will be able to see a + sign at the end of the sticker list on top. Click on this. - This opens up a list of all the sticker packs available on WhatsApp that you can download. - You will find the Papa mere Papa sticker pack right on top. Just hit download. Make sure you download the Papa mere Papa sticker pack today, just in time for Father's Day tomorrow. (WABetaInfo) How to send stickers on WhatsApp - Once you have installed the Papa mere Papa sticker pack on WhatsApp, head over to the chat with your dad. - Now, in the chat bar you just need to tap on the sticker icon. - This will show you all the new stickers, starting with the Papa mere Papa sticker pack that you have just downloaded. - Tap on any of them and they will be sent in the chat to your father. Dont forget to download the Papa mere Papa sticker pack today itself since Fathers Day is tomorrow! Besides the other Acer laptops and 2-in-1 monitors, Acer Malaysia also introduced a new Enduro Urban N3. If you're not familiar, it's relatively a new product line that was introduced at the end of 2020. It's rugged, durable and quite impressive on the tech specs. Let's get into it. Featuring an 11th gen Intel Core processor with Intel Iris X Graphics, this laptop is designed for workers who are in the field or manufacturing line. With this, the body durability has been tested to meet military standard certification of MIL-STD 810H. For the memory configuration, it has up to 8GB of RAM and 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD. Weighing at 1.85kg, the Enduro Urban N3 has slim bezels on the 14-inch IPS display. The display also supports FHD resolution and 450nits to keep the visual viewable and clear outdoors. On top of that, it's also IP53 certified so don't worry about water splashes on the laptop, IO ports, speakers and buttons. Pre-installed with Microsoft Office Home & Student 2019, the Enduro Urban N3 comes in three variants at every Acer official online stores and all Acer authorized resellers nationwide which you can refer to below with the prices: 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor model - RM3699 (end of June) 11th Gen Intel Core i5 processor model - RM2999 (now available) 11th Gen Intel Core i3 processor model - RM2799 (now available at SenHeng and SenQ) In conjunction with Fathers Day, any purchase of Enduro Urban N3 from 19-21 June 2021 will the customer to redeem gifts worth up to RM497 at select Acer official and certified stores in Shopee and Lazada. In addition, customers who purchase Enduro Urban N3 before 30 June 2021 will also be entitled to participate in the #CreateYourDreamSpace Contest. In the #CreateYourDreamSpace contest, customers are entitled to redeem RM100 credit from either Touch n Go or Boost and stand a chance to win their dream space makeover by Woody Lab worth up to RM63,000. Makeover items include Acer monitor or projector and Woody Lab Smart Desk, monitor stand and other items. Details of the promotion period and participating stores can be referred to in the table above. For more information, you can contact Acer Malaysia Facebook page or call Acer's Product Infoline at 1800-88-1288 (9 AM - 6 PM, Mondays to Fridays), or email ama.marcom@acer.com. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com. The VB 10,000 crane vessel completed its cut of Section 3 from the shipwrecked Golden Ray in the St. Simons Sound at around daybreak Thursday, ending an eight-week ordeal stymied by dense steel brackets and a massive internal fire. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) California on Friday started offering residents a digital record of their coronavirus vaccinations that they can use to access businesses or events that require proof they got the shots. The states public health and technology departments said the new tool allows Californians access to their COVID-19 vaccination records from the states immunization registry and includes the same information as the paper cards issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To access the information, Californians will enter into a state website their name, date of birth and email or phone associated with their vaccine records and they will be asked to create a four-digit PIN. The record will include a QR code that users can save to their mobile phones. With nearly 20 million people fully vaccinated in California and proof of vaccination already required in some circumstances such as travel, state health officials felt there would be demand for the tool, though it remains optional, said Dr. Erica Pan, the state's epidemiologist. The odds are someone is going to misplace their paper CDC card and a digital COVID-19 vaccine record provides a convenient backup, she told reporters. The latest storm was expected to make landfall late Friday or early Saturday, imperiling Fathers Day weekend commerce in tourism areas already suffering economic losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Of course, with weather like this, you know you cant run, but weekends, holidays, thats when tourists are coming down here, said Louisiana swamp tour boat captain Darrin Coulon. He canceled tours Friday and hoped for better weather Saturday and Sunday as he secured his boats in Crown Point. Worries were similar for Austin Sumrall, the owner and chef at the White Pillars Restaurant and Lounge in Biloxi, Mississippi. He had 170 reservations on his books for Sunday, but was concerned that some patrons would cancel. We saw, especially last year, the rug can get jerked out from under you pretty quickly," he said. A tropical storm warning extended from Morgan City, Louisiana, to the Okaloosa-Walton County line in the Florida Panhandle. Coastal surge flooding was possible and flash flood watches extended along the coast from southeast Louisiana into the Florida Panhandle and well inland into Mississippi, Alabama and into parts of central and northern Georgia. I hope it just gets in and gets out, said Greg Paddie, manager of Tacky Jacks, a restaurant at Alabamas Orange Beach. Harris refused to take the bait, though she could easily have made an early visit on her terms, inspecting facilities and noting she would be trying to persuade Central American nations to help ease the situation. By consistently refusing to take questions about her role, it was inevitable that, when she visited the region in early June, she would be asked. What was not inevitable was that she would be so ill-prepared to reply. The question that has come up ... and you heard it here and youll hear it again Im sure, is, Why not visit the border? NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt asked Harris. We have to deal with whats happening at the border, she replied, adding that her focus was on why people were coming. When Holt asked if she had any plans to visit the border, she replied, At some point, you know, we are going to the border, then added three times, Weve been to the border apparently a reference to visits while a California senator. You havent been to the border, Holt said. And I havent been to Europe, Harris said, a flip answer that hardly helped her out of the political hole she had dug. The fact that Congress was looking into possible collusion with Russia by Trump as part of its impeachment inquiry makes this danger clear. If the president can launch inquiries into the members of the branch of government charged with overseeing him, he can short-circuit the power of Congress. To put it bluntly, the president and the Department of Justice could break democracy. A first step in appropriate reform is for the Department of Justice to announce guidelines according to which it will not investigate members of Congress or subpoena their records unless they are being investigated for a statutory crime such as corruption. Attorney General Merrick Garland said Monday that his department would do so. This would match the Justice Departments recent announcement that it will stop issuing subpoenas against members of the press in leak investigations, a practice previously used by administrations of both parties. If these guidelines arent enough to constrain the executive, it might be worth going further, and requiring special vetting by independently appointed, nonpartisan prosecutors before any such investigation could be launched. The closest analogue would be the practice of appointing special counsel to investigate members of the executive branch such as the president. In our radically polarized political world, the Department of Justice is a formidable tool with the power to subvert democracy. Ideally, the department would be sufficiently independent from presidential political influence that we wouldnt have to worry about the president using it to satisfy his own personal vendettas. But as we knew at the time, and know even more now, the Trump Department of Justice repeatedly violated traditional norms of departmental independence. Now we need formal steps to help restore that independence fast. Noah Feldman is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist and host of the podcast Deep Background . He is a professor of law at Harvard University and was a clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter. The report used earlier Rand studies as well as data from Defense Department anonymous surveys in 2016 and 2018 that seek information about sexual assaults and harassment that may or may not have been formally reported. And it compared that to other military personnel and demographic data. Soldiers assigned to the Washington, D.C. region, meanwhile, have some of the lowest risk totals, with the Pentagon showing the lowest of all installations listed. Among the bases with the lowest reported risk were Fort Belvoir, in northern Virginia, and Fort George G. Meade and the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, in Maryland. According to the study, an estimated 8.4% or about 1 in 12 of the roughly 5,883 Army women who served at Fort Hood were sexually assaulted, while at the Pentagon it was 1.8%, or about one in 50. The study noted, however, that the difference is not surprising considering that its likely that women at the Pentagon are, on average, older, more senior-ranking and more highly educated. They also are more likely to be working with older and more senior-ranking men. The report said that the data can be used to help the Army tailor prevention and other programs to better counter sexual assault in the ranks. South Korea's state-run Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) on Friday disclosed that its internal network was infiltrated by suspected attackers operating out of its northern counterpart. The intrusion is said to have taken place on May 14 through a vulnerability in an unnamed virtual private network (VPN) vendor and involved a total of 13 IP addresses, one of which "27.102.114[.]89" has been previously linked to a state-sponsored threat actor dubbed Kimsuky. KAERI, established in 1959 and situated in the city of Daejeon, is a government-funded research institute that designs and develops nuclear technologies related to reactors, fuel rods, radiation fusion, and nuclear safety. Following the intrusion, the think tank said it took steps to block the attacker's IP addresses in question and applied necessary security patches to the vulnerable VPN solution. "Currently, the Atomic Energy Research Institute is investigating the subject of the hacking and the amount of damage," the entity said in a statement. The development comes following a report from SISA Journal, which disclosed the breach, alleging that the agency was attempting to cover up the hack by denying such an incident took place. KAERI attributed it to a "mistake in the response of the working-level staff." Active since 2012, Kimsuky (aka Velvet Chollima, Black Banshee, or Thallium) is a North Korean threat actor known for its cyber espionage campaigns targeting think tanks and nuclear power operators in South Korea. Earlier this month, cybersecurity firm Malwarebytes disclosed a wave of attacks undertaken by the adversary to strike high-profile government officials in the country by installing an Android and Windows backdoor called AppleSeed for amassing valuable information. The targeted entities involved the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador of the Embassy of Sri Lanka to the State, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Nuclear Security Officer, and the Deputy Consul General at Korean Consulate General in Hong Kong, with the aforementioned IP address used for command-and-control (C2) communications. It is not immediately clear what VPN vulnerability was exploited to breach the network. But it's worth noting that unpatched VPN systems from Pulse Secure, SonicWall, Fortinet FortiOS, and Citrix have been subjected to attacks by multiple threat actors in recent years. That bonding is important, as the incoming middle school students get to know people they can trust who will share the middle school hallways with them. Participants play games and do other fun activities, from challenging one another in a friendly-but-fierce game of dodgeball to writing affirming messages at school grounds with sidewalk chalk. Tjaden said the SRO camp format lends itself to bonding with the students. I think its the easiest way to combine all of that together to engage with those kids and get them to learn something while theyre having fun, he said. The age range is no coincidence, Tjaden said. Our thoughts behind the youth program: We wanted to take those kids that were leaving fifth grade and heading into middle school, knowing theyre the most apt to be recruited into gangs and start having huge peer pressure. According to Voices for Children in Nebraskas Juvenile Justice 2020 report, in 2019 Nebraska children 10 years of age and under accounted for 0.4% of misdemeanor offenses; at ages 11-13, that percentage jumps to 12.9%. Tjaden said, We wanted to give a chance to educate them a little bit before they get into middle school. KEARNEY A traveling exhibit, Discover the Sun, Earth, Universe, has opened at the Kearney Area Childrens Museum at 5827 Fourth Ave. It can be seen through December. The exhibit asks questions like, How is Earth changing? What is it like on other planets? and Does life exist beyond Earth? Packed with engaging, hands-on interactive exhibits and dazzling imagery, this 600-square-foot exhibition will connect visitors with NASA science research and launch them on a journey to explore the universe. Children of all ages can enjoy the following: - Follow the design-build test cycle of engineering - Build a model spacecraft for your own mission to space. - Spin a tumbler of 10,000 beads, representing all the stars seen from Earth, to search for the unique one that represents our Sun. - Reveal hidden images using the same tools NASA scientists employ to explore the invisible forces and energy of the universe. - Play the Your Mission to Space board game - Help younger visitors pilot rovers across the Mars landscape play table. Salyer said, I didnt know if I could fall in love again. I thought it would take a long time. Im still amazed. We both are. No red flags have come up. Everything just feels right, and our families and friends feel that way, too. Lessons learned For Salyer, the last two years have taught him how much we take our loved ones for granted sometimes, and how important relationships are, especially the marital relationship. Its easy for people to get caught up in work, ambitions and hobbies and not spend quality time with people closest to them. He said, Dawn and I had an incredible relationship, but we took each other for granted, like everyone does. But just doing everything for her 24 hours a day for all those months it was awful, but Ive never been a better husband than in those moments. I felt like I was doing what I was supposed to be doing, he said. He also saw with fresh eyes how involved Dawn was with their children. Being put into that role, I developed a greater intimacy with the kids. Thats been sweet even though it came out of pain and loss, he said. More loss Paris, TX (75460) Today Mostly cloudy early with scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 87F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 67F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. RJW Logistics Group, a logistics, trucking and warehouse company, recently announced an expansion of its operations with a seventh warehouse in Lockport. Its looking to hire 75 people by Aug. 1 for the facility with a goal of staffing up to 250 by the end of the year. The company recently hired seven college students and is planning to hire four more, CEO Kevin Williamson said. RJW Logistics declined to say how much it is paying the new hires but touted other benefits like company barbecues. Not all businesses have had the same hiring luck, even when it comes to teen workers. Like other establishments in the service industry, Aztec Daves Food Truck has been short-staffed for some time. Although business is as busy as ever, owner Ramon Torres has only been able to add two people in the past month despite actively looking for workers for over five months. While he typically employs a high school student during the summer months, he hasnt been able to find one yet. Hes created his own internship program that pays an hourly rate of $14 plus tips in an effort to attract applicants. Hes also working with Iskali, a nonprofit organization that serves Latino youth, to help with outreach. Were doing everything we can possibly can to find qualified, honest, hardworking service industry people, Torres said. Local alert featured top story As Illinois reopens, social services are making a comeback at a critical time bhetzler / Byron Hetzler, The Southern Tyler Fauke plates up food for a dinner at the Good Samaritan House soup kitchen on Friday in Carbondale. The soup kitchen reopened for daily dinner recently after being closed due to the pandemic. bhetzler / Byron Hetzler, The Southern Tyler Fauke pulls baked potatoes from the over while preparing dinner at the Good Samaritan House soup kitchen on Friday in Carbondale. The soup kitchen reopened for daily dinner recently after being closed due to the pandemic. CARBONDALE As the region slowly climbs out from the nightmarish COVID-19 quarantine, some are thrilled to see the return of nightlife and meals out and others are thanking the stars that their support network is coming back online. COVID-19 left scorched earth as it shut down businesses and restricted movement of the regions residents. But while many were forced to stay home and pray they could find toilet paper, others were faced with the reality that their safety net of social services was likely about to go dark. Hundreds of people across Southern Illinois are homeless, living in shelters, cars and abandoned buildings This past week, social service providers across Southern Illinois attempted to count how many people here are living in homeless shelters, sleeping outside or making due in places like abandoned buildings, sheds or cars. I felt bad not being able to do more after (so) many years of seeing those people, Aaron Barnett, soup kitchen coordinator for Good Samaritan House in Carbondale said of missing his regulars during the shutdown. Barnett said the daily breakfasts, lunches and dinners served to the public at Good Sam had to quickly shut down when pandemic restrictions were implemented. He hated to see it happen but knew it was important and, for their part, he said clients seemed to understand, too. I think a lot of them understood because of the guidelines and they were wanting to stay safe, as well, he said. But Bennett said it was definitely hard. Over the last year, Barnett said he has wondered and worried about the faces he no longer saw every day. You wonder how theyre doing, how theyre holding up without the assistance and the meals, he said. Don Thebeau, 52, of Pinckneyville, was not one of those regulars. But he said after losing his part-time job at the start of the pandemic, he had to jump into a world he had never before experienced housing and income insecurity. Inside public housing where cockroaches drop from the wall and kids are getting sick Our new analysis shows that problems are widespread across the state of Illinois. Illinois HUD inspection failure rate is among the worst in the nation for the two types of properties that the department funds and inspects: apartments owned by public housing authorities and complexes run by for-profit or nonprofit owners under contract with HUD to house low-income people. He bounced from couch-to-couch trying to find some stability until he was told about Good Samaritan House in Carbondale. But even when he called he had to wait a week before finding a bed in the emergency shelter. He stayed there for a short time until he moved to the transitional housing program about a month ago. He said the entire experience has opened his eyes. I had always ... looked at people that didnt have a place to be a certain stereotype, he said. When it happened to me, myself, my whole mind just changed about the outreach programs and the soup kitchens and the warming centers," he said. He said the need is more profound than he had previously realized. I hate to even think about what I would have done (without Good Samaritan House), Thebeau said. Good Sam isnt the only service doing its best to keep options available for those in crisis. Diana Brawley Sussman, director of Carbondale Library, said the library has done its best to help as many in the community as it could despite the inherent challenges that came with COVID precautions. Brawley Sussman and her staff have taken to heart that a library is a community resource serving as more than just a place to rent free books. Often, there is a social worker on staff to help community members and at the very least there is a current and up-to-date list of local services for those in crisis. Its a matter of pointing people in the direction, she said. This could be to substance abuse programs, soup kitchens, warming center or affordable housing. The library tries to serve the community in a lot of ways that are behind the scenes in terms of problem solving (and) helping projects get off the ground, Brawley Sussman said. Homelessness extends beyond what is most visible CARBONDALE Leonard Wilmore passes his days gathering firewood and trying to earn a dollar. Brawley Sussman is also on the board for the Carbondale Warming Center and said the group, through grant funding, has stayed open beyond the cold months of the year in order to help offset guest limitations at other local shelters because of COVID-19 restrictions. Though the region is fully open as of this month, many places are still being cautious. Barnett said the soup kitchen at Good Sam reopened June 9 but in a far more limited way than it had before. Barnett is now offering an evening meal to go for community members in need. Not quite the three square meals previously provided but its a start. I know the need is there, Barnett said. He said he and his team are still figuring out the right balance in preparing enough meals. He never wants to come up short but doesnt want to waste food, either. He said the numbers for carry-out meals Wednesday night was below ten, a steep fall from the 40-70 people he could expect pre-pandemic. But he said he doesnt think it will take long before people get the word they are serving meals again, even if its not quite what it used to be. Im kind of ready for it to get back in full swing, he said. To-go meals are handed out daily at Good Samaritan House in Carbondale between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The shelters food pantry is also open Mondays and Fridays from 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Thieves often use a cordless saw to remove the catalytic converters, she said. "This theft is often concealed as the thief will slide under the passenger side of the vehicle along the curb, and out of the view of passing vehicles," Franklin explained. "Offenders will park their vehicle along the curb to blend in to the neighborhood and wait a short time to make sure the area is clear." When a catalytic converter has been removed, the vehicle will make a loud roaring sound upon starting. In Park Ridge, police are seeing many hybrid vehicles targeted, Gadomski said. "Because the catalytic converters don't work as hard, the precious metals inside are in better shape and worth more money," he said. In neighboring Niles, 11 catalytic converters were reported stolen between May 1 and June 14, with Honda Accords, Honda CRVs and Toyota Prius vehicles targeted the most frequently, said Bureau Chief Nick Zakula. In Des Plaines, at least 15 incidents of catalytic converter thefts were reported to police between May 1 and June 14, said Police Cmdr. Matt Bowler, while in Glenview, seven such reports were taken by police, said Sgt. Joel Detloff. MM: There were some members of your caucus that aired disagreements with one another on the House floor. But you have said disagreements are a good thing. Explain that a little bit. CW: Well, we have a diverse caucus. Diversity is a strength in our state, and it shows up in our caucus. Diversity comes in a whole lot of different forms. It comes in race, religion, gender, ethnicity, culture and, with that comes a diversity of thought. And when you govern from a big-D democracy standpoint, you can't stifle debate, you have to let the debate take place. I've always said as long as that debate is professional and courteous, it should go forth. We need civility and compassion in politics, but we also need debate. That's extremely important. And I think what you saw here was democracy on display, and I'm proud of that. BM: Youve talked about openness and transparency. Youre on social media frequently, often posting pictures of various guests who come into your office a place many had never seen during the previous speakers tenure. Was that a deliberate point? Ramirez-Rosa predicted the grassroots plan would have better odds in the full council than the committee. As we all know, the roster of the Public Safety Committee is much more conservative and whiter than the City Council as a whole, he said. So we hope it passes in committee, and then if it doesnt, we will reassess our options for the full council. Before the language was changed Friday, the version designed by the grassroots groups called for Chicagoans to vote on a referendum to create a 11-member civilian board. The board would be made up of nine elected members and two members appointed by the board itself, and would have authority to hire and fire the police superintendent. It also would be able to submit the Police Department budget and negotiate contracts with the Fraternal Order of Police. Three of the nine elected commissioners would come from the North Side, three from the South Side and three from the West Side. If the referendum failed, three elected community board members in each police district would have the authority to nominate seven board members who would have less regulatory authority over the department, much like the commission Lightfoot envisions. Innate decency urges us to put together the pieces of the puzzle that make up the journey and history of Africans and all Black people in America. The real history, the one that lets us see a rich and important culture whose American experience has long been neglected, overlooked and vastly misunderstood. Black peoples American experience is complicated by many different kinds of human rights issues and injustices such that no one path would be fully effective. The work will have to cut across all disciplines and likely take years and even generations to accomplish, but it needs to be done. One reason we must begin this work now is because our democracy depends on itso when we say, We the People, we mean, All the People. It would be a mighty world if a powerful nation, like the United State initiated a national social movement to right a wrong, with a kind of restorative justice that atones, educates and enriches its population culturally and socially. If done with the utmost of understanding and loveand even forgiveness, we could succeed in this effort. But we must begin by doing the hardest of all tasks in a democracy, hearing the truth. Google announced a partnership with the South Carolina Department of Education to train up to 1,000 publicly employed teachers statewide in districts that use Google as the Learning Management System. The Google for Education Level 1 Certification offers educators mastery in using Google products and tools that support strong classroom experiences and student outcomes. Workforce development and education are among top priorities for Google and this program is intended to reach teachers who may not have training opportunities in underserved areas of the state. Teachers who complete the L1 Certification will feel more capable and confident in using technology in the classroom, which makes for a better student experience in both remote and in-person learning environments. We are thrilled to partner with Google to provide teacher training across the state, said State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman. Our teachers are at the heart of every classroom and the more training we can provide them will only elevate the student experience and outcomes. OCtech President Dr. Walt Tobin said, When we transitioned to a completely virtual environment more than a year ago, my staff and I were committed to making sure that we could continue to deliver a high-quality academic experience for students. For us to accomplish those goals, students in specific programs had to return to campus. With a safety-first and student-first philosophy in mind, our physical plant staff increased the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting, our IT staff increased access to technology and our campus police maintained the security of our campus, the president said. Tobin said that the staff members returned to work with a willingness to perform their duties and that he cant say enough about how proud he is of them, along with faculty and students. Summers felt a sense of accomplishment in helping the college move forward amid the pandemic. This college is pretty much family-oriented. We all speak, we all talk and we all get along. To work in this pandemic with these people that you normally can touch and talk to and (then) you had to pull back, it was out of the norm. So I felt a lot of sense of accomplishment to keep that camaraderie just going on, he said. Cornelius said he was especially proud of his department. Lourdes Cuca put it this way: I need to work, because it is my emotional support. The jobs they are considered volunteers," not employees are hardly lucrative. Some customers give them tips of about 1% of the bill or less, with many just leaving five or 10 cents. In some places in Mexico, teenagers are baggers, but in others the elderly were given spots under a program arranged many years ago with the government's National Institute for the Elderly. Walmart said it had notified the Institute in December that the arrangement would not be renewed. But the baggers only got word of the change in May, when Mexico City loosened pandemic restrictions amid a drop in case numbers. That is because the elderly baggers whose age puts them at higher risk for severe COVID-19 had not been working at the stores since March 2020, and many had only recently contemplated the possibility of going back. It's not just Mexico City; in early June, the legislature in the northern state of Tamaulipas approved a resolution urging that fully vaccinated elderly adults be allowed to return to work as grocery baggers to obtain some more income for themselves and their families. Coquille, OR (97420) Today Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High 73F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 56F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Many displaced coal workers end up taking new jobs with longer hours and lower pay, sacrificing time with their families and losing the financial stability their old jobs provided, Schirmer said. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Its easy to think, OK, you just work harder, or you work more hours, in order to support your family you do what you have to do, and nobodys saying they wouldnt do that for their family, she said. But in order to have similar income and support your family like you have been, if you have to work more hours and or multiple jobs, then youre not looking at the same kind of life youve had. Displaced workers can already access some transitional support, including help choosing a new career path and funding for the subsequent training, at workforce centers run by the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services. Those programs can provide a lifeline for laid-off workers struggling to find new employment. The state unemployment rate has declined since the worst of the pandemic, but its still concerningly high, said Ty Stockton, communications manager for the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services. Plenty of retraining funding is available for displaced workers across all employment sectors. Stockton believes there is low engagement with such programs because many unemployed workers dont know they exist. The team roping was the biggest shock how do they get the legs while the steer is running? I couldnt help getting goosebumps watching the close-up shots of riders being lowered onto a bucking horse or bull. I was genuinely let down anytime someone got a no-time score, and my jaw dropped pretty much every time I saw someone smoothly dismount a running horse, no matter the event. On Wednesday night, I was determined to truly get the full experience. I walked into The Beacon around 8:30 p.m., and didnt emerge until the lights came on at 2 a.m. A few friends accompanied me in, but by about 1 a.m. I was going it alone. Theres a lot of talk in this city about how important the CNFR is for its financial wellbeing. Last year, millions in government aid helped keep Casper and the surrounding towns afloat. This year, as Casper looks forward to a much more optimistic fiscal year than the last, bartenders at The Beacon told me how essential this week is for them financially. Its the best tipping week of the year at the club, they said, and they spend a season getting ready. The Beacon stays open until 2 a.m. every night during the CNFR, and most employees dont leave the bar until around 3 a.m. Usually, those hours are reserved for weekends but every night is a weekend during the rodeo. They just cram as many people in there and drink as much as they possibly can in the shortest amount of time possible, says Jim Berkman, whos working security with Gaylord tonight. Money is no object to them, they just spend and have themselves a good time. Its like cowboy spring break. Most fights during rodeo week, employees say, start with locals. Berkman says they dont happen every night, but Sunday saw two big fights between some customers whod had too much to drink. We got them broke up, and then out of nowhere this other dude just sucker punches another guy, Berkman said. And it was all on again. 10:22: The band booked for the week, Twenty Hands High, is well into its first set of the night and playing Wagon Wheel when a couple breaks from the crowd on the sides of the bar to start swing dancing. Buckets of Bud and Miller Light on ice start flying out to seated groups. At one table, the man carrying a pair of buckets over for his friends gets a flurry of hat tips and hands start grabbing bottles before he can even put the buckets down. The Broadwater County Sheriffs Office posted that people who would like to donate water, food and other items should call Pastor Eric Krueger at 406-465-5895. Monetary donations can be taken to Opportunity Bank and deposited into the Broadwater County Fire Fund. On Tuesday, roughly 60 homes in the Grassy Mountain Subdivision and about 130 residents of the Springdale Hutterite Colony were evacuated and a helicopter from the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation crash landed amid high winds, tipped onto its side and caught on fire. Minor injuries were reported among the five agency personnel aboard, authorities said. The DNRC grounded its fleet for 48 hours out of what officials said was an abundance of caution. The aircraft returned to duty Friday. Ferrucci also asked people not to fly drones to scout the fire, adding the firefighting aircraft cannot drop water if drones are in the way. A Type 1 team has been put in charge of the blaze. These teams have the resources and experience to handle the most complex fires and are made up of personnel from several agencies. The Prime Minister has an open mind on the selection of a police commissioner. Asked yesterday whether as head of the Cabinet, his Government was prepared to approve a nomination coming to the Parliament for the continuation of Gary Griffith as Commissioner of Police, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said: We in the Cabinet keep an open mind on matters of national interest like that. The Cabinet has a duty to keep an open mind. The authority (Police Service Commission) advises us and we will look at the advice with an open mind as you would have seen us doing before. Do you have a news tip? Want to share good news story, or do you have information that should see the light of day? Then we want to hear from you. More here If the scenes of despair circulating around the nation and the desperate pleas by people are not enough to get the Government to understand the generational crisis we are facing, what will? If you're participating in this year's #ThisIsTucson Summer Reading Challenge and you've already breezed through the list, the Pima County Library has five lists of additional books inspired by our challenge. Tommijean worked as a psychologist in private practice and had been a professional dancer when she was young. Thomas, 82, worked in computer engineering for 40 years. Now, Thomas just wants Tommijean, 79, to be able to stay with him at home. He was told after that particularly bad fall that it might be time to begin investigating end-of-life care. He contacted Casa de la Luz Hospice but, as it turned out, she didnt need hospice. However, she did need palliative care to help manage her medical and cognitive challenges. Soon, through Casa de la Luz, Koon and a social worker named Laura Aylmer started visiting the Thomas home. They are still providing that care for the couple, but now its through ElderHealth, which the couple joined in April. Last week, physician Self made her first house call to their home. As a palliative social worker, Aylmer helps Thomas by providing support and helping him navigate all of the information and options related to his wifes care. Her training, she says, has taught her how to hold space for people as they go through difficult times or work out how to keep a loved one at home. Ricardo Valdespinos heart raced as he walked through the tunnel of camp counselors at Triangle Y Ranch Camp. At the other end of the tunnel were his grandchildren Elias, 7, and Grace Brown, 12, whom he had not seen in seven years. The children and their parents lived in Germany for the past seven years because their father, Ricardo Brown, was stationed there. A few months ago, the family relocated to Vail after Ricardo Brown was transferred to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. As fate would have it, Ricardo Sr. also made a move to Arizona. He is now Triangle Y Ranch Camps new food services director. Ricardo Sr. flew into Tucson on June 11 and went straight to Tri Y to get to work. His grandkids had no idea. Andy Hockenbrock, Triangle Y Ranch Camps executive director introduced campers to the camps new chef. While Papa Ricardo made his way through the welcome tunnel, Grace screamed to her friend, Thats my grandpa! Grace ran to her grandpa and gave him the biggest hug. Ricardo described it as, amazing, just really, really, amazing. OPELIKA, Ala. (AP) An armed 20-year-old man was fatally shot early Saturday during a standoff with sheriffs deputies and Alabama state troopers, authorities said. Alabama Law Enforcement Agency troopers identified the slain man as Jeff Melvin of Salem, an unincorporated community that's part of the Auburn metropolitan area. Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones said deputies received a 911 call just after 1 a.m. from a motorist who reported that there was a man with a gun near the road. When deputies arrived, they found Melvin armed with a shotgun, news outlets reported. Deputies told Melvin several times to drop the weapon, but he refused, according to Jones. He continued to hold the weapon and racked the action on the weapon to chamber a round," Jones said. As additional deputies arrived, they continued to try to get Melvin to drop the gun. Negotiations continued for nearly two hours when Melvin pointed the gun at officers, Jones said. At that point, officers fired. Melvin was pronounced dead at a local hospital. No officers were injured. Melvin's mother told authorities that her son suffered from mental health issues. Jones said he spoke with Melvins mother and offered his condolences. But the lawsuit says at least part of what is missing are any contracts involving third-party vendors that the Senate directly or indirectly retained through Cyber Ninjas. Desai also wants any records reflecting the audits budget and any external funding that may have been received. Fann has told Capitol Media Services the only thing she knows about is the $150,000 that the Senate has agreed to pay. That clearly is not covering the cost of the audit which has now been going on for months. And the America Project, started by a millionaire who says the election results were fraudulent, is trying to raise $2.8 million to support and pay for expenses of the Maricopa Audit. It was founded earlier this year by Patrick Byrne, the former Overstock.com CEO. Byrne, in an interview earlier this year with New Tang Dynasty, said he was setting up the organization to continue the right over the 2020 election results. It was a fraudulent election, he told the television network. It didnt end for us on Jan. 20. So far the group, operating the site raising money for the audit, says it has collected more than $1.9 million. At sunrise the mob entered the canyon and slaughtered, mutilated and scalped 136 Aravaipa Apache women and children. Only eight were men. The intended victims, the men, were away from their families, hunting. John Wasson, editor of the Arizona Citizen, had fanned the flames of hatred for the worthless troops at Camp Grant and called for the end of the savage Apaches. Our highest peak in the Tucson Mountains is named after after the man, a fitting honor, I assume, for mass murderers. Sam Hughes was sorry he couldnt be there with his pals for the slaughter but provided the mob with carbine rifles, water and supplies. Lee and Oury had parks and streets named after them. What sounds startled the Apache mothers awake that morning? The thumps of bludgeoned skulls? The crack of Sam Hughes rifles? The shrieks of the mothers as their babes were torn from them and, according to eyewitnesses, dismembered? Their village was leveled. Twenty-eight small orphans were taken by the mob as slaves. President Grant was horrified. PRYOR The principals responsible for bringing electric vehicle maker Canoo and 2,000 jobs to MidAmerica Industrial Park did manage to enjoy a champagne toast Thursday. But they arent about to get dizzy with complacency. Instead, they plan to take Canoos $400 million investment and cash in on the momentum, MAIP CEO David Stewart said. We are right between Tulsa and Bentonville (Ark.), he said. We are at the epicenter of one of the largest concentrations of workforce development in the area. Its not going away. The trajectory is going to be upward. So we need to get more aggressive about our thought process and have the vision of what this can be. MAIP is the worlds eighth-largest industrial park in the world with more than 80 companies. Seven Fortune 500 firms have operations there, including Google and DuPont. The investment by Canoo, a Los Angeles-based startup company, is among the largest ever made in the area, rivaling the $550 million American Airlines committed to its maintenance base in Tulsa in early 2020. Like other naming rights agreements at the fairgrounds, SageNets deal comes with benefits beyond the right to put its name on a building. The agreement also gives the company free, private use of the building for two days a year with staffing provided by Expo Square. SageNet would be responsible for food and beverages. The company also would have the right to use the building for private or public fundraising and promotional events and be given preferential rental of the facility on other dates, based on availability. SageNet also will receive a minimum of six tickets to every event in the building and 1,000 gate tickets a year to the Tulsa State Fair. I think its a win-win for us, said County Commissioner and Trustee Karen Keith. I cant see how he (Woodard) gets anything out of it, but its really good for us. Speaking after the meeting, Keith clarified her remarks, saying that as a technology company as opposed to a business selling directly to the general public the naming rights deal likely would not have as much direct impact on SageNets business as it might for another type of business. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill Thursday to expand qualified immunity for police officers and enhance penalties for protesters, including elevating rioting to a felony. This is about protecting law enforcement and giving them the tools they need to keep our communities safe and showing them that we have their back, said state Rep. Jarad Klein, a supporter of the bill. The bill passed the GOP-controlled Legislature despite promises last summer by the Republican governor and GOP legislative leaders to try to end discriminatory police behavior and adopt other criminal-justice reforms. Reynolds introduced measures at the start of the 2021 legislative session to ban racial profiling by police and establish a system for tracking racial data on police stops. Both ideas were recommended by a task force the governor appointed in November 2019. Instead, Republican lawmakers left out those proposals and pushed through the new bill. Reynolds acknowledged that she doesnt always get what she wants, even from her own party. She plans to reintroduce the measures next year, a spokesperson said. Reform advocates found the quick reversal by Iowa Republicans disappointing. LOS ANGELES (AP) California residents were asked to voluntarily conserve power again Friday as the heat wave that is baking the U.S. West strained the state's energy grid and raised the possibility of rotating outages. As temperatures spiked on Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an emergency proclamation that suspended certain permitting requirements allowing power plants to ramp up operations if necessary to meet the demand for electricity. The proclamation cited the extreme heat peril facing the state this week. The California Independent System Operator, which runs the state's energy grid, issued a Flex Alert for 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday. People were urged to set their thermostats to 78 degrees (25.5 degrees Celsius) or higher and to avoid using washers, dishwashers and other major appliances. However, the period passed without any outages and the operator thanked residents for their conservation efforts. During an intense Western heat wave last August, the state had two days of rotating outages that affected more than 200,000 people. They were the first such blackouts since 2001. Barbara and Christine Colucci long to remove their masks and kiss their 102-year-old mother, who has dementia and is in a nursing home in Rochester, New York. They would love to have more than two people in her room at a time so that relatives can be there too. We dont know how much longer shes going to be alive," Christine Colucci said, "so its like, please, give us this last chance with her in her final months on this earth to have that interaction. Pandemic restrictions are falling away almost everywhere except inside many of Americas nursing homes. Rules designed to protect the nations most vulnerable from COVID-19 are still being enforced even though 75% of nursing home residents are now vaccinated and infections and deaths have plummeted. Frustration has set in as families around the country visit their moms and, this Fathers Day weekend, their dads. Hugs and kisses are still discouraged or banned in some nursing homes. Residents are dining in relative isolation and playing bingo and doing crafts at a distance. Visits are limited and must be kept short, and are cut off entirely if someone tests positive for the coronavirus. SACRAMENTO, Calif. A Oklahoma mayor has joined 10 others in a pledge to pay reparations for slavery to a small group of Black residents in their cities, saying it is an example for the federal government on how a nationwide program could work. Keisha Currin is the mayor of Tullahassee a small town of fewer than 200 people in northeast Oklahoma is the oldest of the surviving all-Black towns in the states that were founded after the U.S. abolished slavery. Many of the first Black people to live there had been enslaved by Native American tribes that had allied with the Confederacy during the Civil War. Slavery has played a huge part in my family and in my community, Currin said. This program is going to show our community that we care. The effort comes as Juneteenth, which marks the end of slavery in the United States, has become a federal holiday. President Joe Biden signed a bill Thursday that was passed by Congress to set aside Juneteenth, or June 19, as a holiday. Slavery officially ended in the United States in 1865 with the adoption of the 13th amendment to U.S. Constitution. But its effects have lingered far beyond that, contributing to disparities in wealth and health between white and Black populations. MALJEVAC, Croatia (AP) Dozens of human rights advocates briefly blocked Croatias border with Bosnia on Saturday to protest the European Unions migration policies. The protesters demanded that EUs border agency, Frontex, be dismantled and countries end their pushbacks of migrants trying to reach Western Europe. Waving banners reading Stop deportation, or No human is illegal, they parked cars at the border and shouted slogans against EU policies. No incidents were reported as Croatian police stood nearby. Croatian officers have faced allegations of using violence to turn back migrants trying to come in from Bosnia, which authorities have denied. Thousands of people remain stranded in Bosnia while waiting for a chance to cross into the EU member state Croatia and move on toward other, wealthier EU nations. Francesco Cibati, from a rights group based in Trieste, Italy, said protesters came to demand that everyone be granted the right to seek asylum. He said organizations from Spain, Germany, France, Austria and Slovenia supported the protest. A spokesperson for Stitt said the story of HB 1849 sounds more dramatic than it was. The veto decision was about policy not personality, the governors office said. The governor is open to comprehensive tax reform, but isnt interested making more one-of-a-kind carve-outs for various groups. School support organizations have a variety of options available to avoid tax problems, including making sales through related organization that qualify under current state law. The veto decision certainly was made well before debate on SB 1080 began, probably days before, and the spokesperson said its hard to imagine the governor heard anything Fugate had to say that day. The governors office added that Fugate has a history of posting challenging comments on social media that reflect a lack of understanding about how the governors office works. Fugates bill had passed both legislative chambers by what normally be described as veto-proof majorities, 35-11 in the Senate and 70-4 in the House. But Fugate said he didnt see any point in trying to rally lawmakers to take up an override vote. Revelations that ultra billionaires Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk pay no taxes was not that shocking. Irritating, but not surprising. Then I saw the Tulsa World cartoon on June 16 showing a caricature of a smiling Bezos in a dollar rocket heading to outer space with the caption Money to burn not a nickel for taxes. That made my blood boil. Why is it we accept that it is OK for these people not to pay their fair share, while people like me fork out a large percentage each year to pay for government programs, including national defense? These people have swarms of lawyers and tax accountants working the numbers and spreadsheets. While that is an obvious truth, the fact remains that these folks would have nothing to work with but for the special laws enabling the rich to shield their income. There are two reasons for this. Congress members and senators spend a substantial part of every day raising funds for their re-election, whether it is two or six years away. Editor's note: The story below is written by Ton Nu Thi Ninh, president of the Ho Chi Minh City Peace and Development Foundation, in response to Tuoi Tre newspaper's 'Ho Chi Minh City Goes Global' contest. It was edited by Tuoi Tre News for clarity, consistency, and coherence. I find the theme 'Ho Chi Minh City Goes Global' exciting and the contest through an open forum quite timely. I have been interested in nation branding for Vietnam for decades. Similarly, Ho Chi Minh City needs proactive and effective branding. Now may be a good time. Let me share just a few preliminary thoughts in this regard. 1. Why does our city need branding? - Because this is a competitive world out there in Southeast and East Asia where such countries as Korea not long ago had a nation branding unit within the presidents office, which was thus in a position to foster the Korean Wave or Singapore, the city state, which has been single-mindedly strategic in how to promote itself. As for New Zealand, although somewhat geographically isolated in the region, it is also deliberately marketing itself through Enterprise New Zealand, which I have had the opportunity to visit. - Because within Vietnam itself our city is facing stiff competition from sister cities such as Hanoi and the central region cluster of Danang - Hoi An - Hue in terms of attracting attention and interest from potential international visitors and partners. - Because we have to position ourselves distinctively in the eyes, minds and hearts of the outside world so that we may stand out, provoke curiosity to find out and discover enticing opportunities that will keep international friends and partners engaged with us fruitfully over time. 2. What do we need to do? We need to identify what we believe our defining features, salient strengths, and relative attractiveness are, how we wish to be perceived and recognized, but also to find out what the perspective is from people outside Vietnam, including the five-million-strong Vietnamese diaspora, or from the expatriate community in Vietnam. There may be a gap between the two. Therefore, we have to, on the one hand, live up to expectations linked with our own desired self-branding, and on the other hand, to communicate that brand effectively to the international audiences. This will entail pointing to less perceived salient points of attraction and differentiation besides broadly recognized features. Reaching consensus on what defines our citys brand will not be easy as opinions on the matter can diverge greatly. For example, which labels, characteristics stand out most from a long list of possibilities such as: vibrant, pulsating, energizing, creative, diverse, exciting, bold, enterprising, forward looking, contrasting, and so on? - That is why an open forum where different views, ideas and suggestions can be put forth and debated is important because the end product - our citys branding - cannot simply be the work of professionals if it is to be alive, strong and sustained: it needs recognition, support and contribution by all stakeholders from government to business, culture and communication professionals to city residents i.e. society at large. In other words, defining and building up the message is centrally important, but the message has to translate into consistent, coordinated and effective action by all relevant quarters, institutional and individual, public and private. 3. Allow me to round off this very succinct first take by sharing a few suggestive hints as to taglines, which are indispensable in any promotion or branding drive, just as food for thought. What about: - Come to where East meets West: come to Ho Chi Minh City - Ho Chi Minh City: Where legacy and future meet/merge - Ho Chi Minh City: City of the future in the East - Ho Chi Minh City: Mosaic of colours and cocktail of flavours - Feel the pulse, listen to the buzz of Saigon Ho Chi Minh City 4. Finally, a very specific recommendation: just as Incheon Airport made smart use of long airport corridors to welcome incoming international visitors with such nation branding posters as Dynamic Korea or Creative Korea, why do we not use such corridors at Tan Son Nhat Airport to promote Ho Chi Minh City to foreign visitors, such as Vibrant Ho Chi Minh City or Energizing Ho Chi Minh City, and so on? Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Teachers at a foreign language center in Vietnam have recently complained that the establishment has failed to settle their remuneration payments for nearly two years. Having many branches in Ho Chi Minh City, southern Binh Duong and Dong Nai Provinces, and central Da Nang City, the Saigon Vina Foreign Language Center (SGV) signs contracts with teachers for short-term courses, lasting less than three months each, with remuneration payment supposed to be made at the end of the courses. However, many teachers have complained that they have not been paid for nearly two years. S., a teacher at a SGV branch in Tan Phu District, Ho Chi Minh City, said he had repeatedly asked the center to pay up, but all he received were empty promises. The center kept postponing the payment date, claiming that there was no source of income. Meanwhile, all leaners are usually required to fulfill for their tuition fees at the beginning of each course, S. added. Another teacher said she had spent the past months trying to claim VND30 million (US$1,300) worth of remuneration owed by the center. They promised to pay all of the money within one month if I agreed to teach one more course, but I have not received any penny up to date. H., who teaches Chinese at a branch in District 4, said her last course at SGV ended about two years ago, but the center still owes her VND12 million ($522). N., another victim, said he has managed to claim VND4.5 million ($195) out of VND30 million ($1,300) after multiple aggressive attempts. Another teacher said SGV has been paying him a small amount under VND1 million (VND1 million = $43.5) each month, but still owes him about VND10 million ($434). The teacher also showed his text messages with a SGV accountant named Hung, who cited that the center had run out of money and had to borrow from multiple sources in order to pay its teachers. During a conversation in February, Hung said that there was no source of income as no learner had signed up for weeks due to the pandemic. In order to solve the issue, many teachers said they are planning to file a collective petition to competent authorities. Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters have been unable to contact any SGV leaders but a representative. SGV still exists and may be able to pay all of its debts in the future, the representative stated. If you make a bigger deal out of this situation, we may end up declaring bankruptcy, and no debt will be settled, he added. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Read what is in the news today: COVID-19 Updates -- The Vietnamese Ministry of Health confirmed 94 new local cases of COVID-19 on Saturday morning, raising the national tally to 12,508 infections, with 4,733 recoveries and 62 deaths. -- A batch of 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine produced by Chinas Sinopharm Group Co., Ltd. is slated to arrive in Vietnam on Sunday, according to the health ministry. -- About 500 workers at the Saigon Hi-Tech Park in Thu Duc City are the first to get vaccinated against COVID-19 on Saturday given Ho Chi Minh City's mass inoculation drive with 836,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses, the municipal Department of Health said in a urgent announcement on Friday night. -- Three delivery men working for a same company at Hai Son Industrial Park in southern Long An Province tested positive for the coronavirus, the local authorities said on Friday night. -- An official from the Department of Health of Da Nang confirmed on Friday afternoon the detection of a local COVID-19 case, who had come into direct contact with a driver from Ho Chi Minh City, after the central city had gone one month without recording community infections. Society -- Authorities have busted eight drug trafficking rings operating in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Hai Duong and Binh Duong Provinces in relation to about 127.5 kilograms of synthetic drugs discovered in 13 parcels transported from the Netherlands to Vietnam in April. -- Authorities in Vietnam have uncovered two companies operating many offices, workshops and 15 warehouses across Hanoi to print and sell nearly three million counterfeit books nationwide. -- Twelve men and eight women were caught using drugs in five rooms at a hotel in Tam Ky City, located in central Quang Nam Province, at 1:50 am Friday. Business -- National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has received a Foreign Air Operator Certificate (FAOC) issued by the Transport Canada, allowing it to operate flights to the North American country starting this month. Sports -- Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen has been discharged from hospital following a successful operation, days after he collapsed on the pitch during Denmark's Euro 2020 opener, Reuters cited the Danish Football Association (DBU) as saying on Friday. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! An official from the Department of Health of Da Nang confirmed on Friday afternoon the detection of a local COVID-19 case, who had come into direct contact with a driver from Ho Chi Minh City, after the central city had gone one month without recording community infections. H., a 59-year-old security guard at a company on Dien Bien Phu Street in Thanh Khe District, was among the firms workers having their samples collected for COVID-19 testing by Family Hospital in Hai Chau District. H.s test results later returned positive for the novel coronavirus. According to epidemiological investigation results, on June 6 and 10, the patient handled two vehicles transporting imported goods from Ho Chi Minh City to his companys warehouse. There were three people from Ho Chi Minh City, currently a COVID-19 hotbed in Vietnam, on each vehicle. On June 15, the driver of the shipment on June 10, N.V.V., was determined to have caught the disease and registered as patient No. 12,190. V.s wife tested positive for the pathogen on June 10. Besides his company, H. often helped his wife at her small restaurant on Le Duan Street. Da Nang has not recorded a single community coronavirus case for a month before H.s infection. The new case took the citys tally documented since the beginning of the new wave of domestic infections in Vietnam on April 27 to 159. The Ministry of Health confirmed 94 new local cases of COVID-19 on Saturday morning, raising the national tally to 12,508 infections, with 4,733 recoveries and 62 deaths. As many as 9,266 domestic infections have been recorded in 41 out of the countrys 63 provinces and cities in the ongoing round. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The mass coronavirus immunization drive using over 800,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses kicked off in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday morning, with around 500 workers of a company in the Saigon Hi-tech Park to be the first to receive inoculation. The launching ceremony for the drive was held at FPT Software Co., Ltd., located in the park in Thu Duc City. It was attended by Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh, officials from some ministries and the city, and the Japanese Consul General to Ho Chi Minh City, Watanabe Nobuhiro. The Thu Duc City Medical Center expected to complete the inoculation of about 500 workers of the company within the morning of Saturday by arranging five injection teams having five members each. Before the injection, the workers underwent health check-ups for screening purposes and were given relevant instructions and recommendations, the center reported. The vaccination of these workers marked the start of the citys largest-ever mass immunization drive as well as the beginning of the countrys largest vaccination campaign in its history. FPT workers are seen waiting for vaccination at the Saigon Hi-tech Park in Ho Chi Minh City on June 19, 2021. Photo: Duyen Phan / Tuoi Tre The drive will be carried out at 650 injection points every day for about seven days, using 836,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine jabs developed by British-Swedish firm AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, said the municipal Heath Department. It is expected that around 200 people will receive inoculation at each point per day, and at such a rate, the mass immunization will be completed by June 27, the department said. The central government has allocated these doses to the city after it received nearly one million jabs donated by the Japanese government to Vietnam on Wednesday. In addition to priority subjects designated by the government, this vaccination drive benefits others including essential service providers, teachers, health workers, people working at administrative agencies, people over 65 years old, and workers at industrial parks and export processing zones. The city currently needs nearly 2.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to inject 10 priority groups, said the municipal Department of Health. The target groups including workers at industrial parks and export processing zones, residents in Go Vap District and two wards of District 12, people aged over 65, the poor, and social policy beneficiaries. Since March 8, when the city began vaccination for local residents, nearly 44,000 people have received their first shots and 50,718 people have finished the two-dose regimen, local health authorities reported. The Ministry of Heath confirmed 112 new coronavirus cases on Saturday morning, including 109 domestic and three imported cases, of which 64 were reported in Ho Chi Minh City. The new cases have taken the Southeast Asian countrys tally of patients to 12,620, including 4,733 recoveries and 62 deaths, since early 2020. Since April 27, when the pandemics fourth wave appeared in Vietnam, the country has documented 9,375 cases, of which 1,938 have recovered. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A porter working at Binh Dien Market, the largest wholesale market in Ho Chi Minh City located in District 8, tested positive for the novel coronavirus in his rapid test, a districts leader told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Saturday. The porter, specializing in carrying fish, lived in District 1. Following the detection of his infection, local authorities disinfected the entire Binh Dien Market, where more than 20,000 drivers, customers, and merchants from different localities visited every day, and have collected samples from related people as well as carried out epidemiological investigation. About 1,000 samples were collected from people working near the porter on Friday evening, according to a representative of District 8s medical center. Some 300 other porters at the market also took the COVID-19 test. Among them, 21 people were already sent to a centralized quarantine facility for coming into direct contact with the porter in question. Functional forces in the district have continued to collaborate with their colleagues in District 1 to trace direct contacts of the man. The initial investigation results showed that the man had a complicated travel schedule and met a lot of people, the medical representative said. Before his testing result returned, he had taken two days off to look after his relative, who had been treated at a hospital and later tested positive for COVID-19 in a rapid test. The relatives real-time PCR test result is still pending. Previously, District 8s authorities had already conducted a mass sampling drive at Binh Dien Market. The officers have planned to continue another pooled sampling drive on all merchants at the marketplace. Vietnam has documented 12,508 COVID-19 cases as of Saturday morning, with 4,733 recoveries and 62 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health. The country has logged 9,266 local infections in 41 out of its 63 provinces and cities since the fourth wave erupted on April 27, including 1,386 cases in Ho Chi Minh City. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Police in Hanoi City have handed over a wanted South Korean man, who is charged with fraud, to the South Korean police after arresting him at a local apartment building. The handover of the hunted man, 58-year-old Shin Youngho, took place on Saturday between the police in Hanois Bac Tu Liem District and their South Korean counterparts at the Noi Bai International Airport. Local police earlier detected the hunted foreigner while he was living in a flat of Sunshine City apartment building in the districts Dong Ngac Ward. The detection came while the district police were conducting inspections at a number of local accommodation facilities. As the foreigner showed signs of suspicion, police checked his passport and visa and detected his overstay in Vietnam, since his authorized stay period expired on September 20, 2019. Through identity verification, the police discovered that Shin Youngho was being hunted by South Korean police for fraud and property appropriation. After being escorted to a police station for interrogation, Shin admitted to the crime. Earlier in March, another South Korean man, also charged with fraud, was arrested in Hanoi after he had been put on the international wanted list by South Korean police. Police of Hoang Mai District detained 52-year-old Lee Suk Joo on March 27 and handed him over to South Korean police four days later at the Noi Bai Airport. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Frankie J. Holden will join 7TWO travel series Adventure All Stars. Produced by Charity TV Global the show is billed as a socially conscious travel series, and will see him join other celebrities and everyday Australians who will raise at least $10,000 for their chosen charity. Participants will spend six days in mystery locations around the country and explore them from a different perspective for the shows second series. Holden, who owns NSW holiday park Tathra Beachside with wife Michelle Pettigrove, told Stellar, I was in the original team on The Great Outdoors with Ernie Dingo and Penny Cook in 1993. Holden and his wife also made two travel shows, Discover Downunder and Whats Up Downunder, in 2009 and 2010. The concept of making television for a good cause is exciting and worthwhile because if you look at whats on the TV now theres some great drama but theres some, lets say, regrettable stuff. This is a chance to do something worthwhile for someone else. The show also airs internationally on Outdoor Channel Asia. Photo: About Regional Tyler, TX (75702) Today Thunderstorms likely this morning. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High 89F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with showers and a few thunderstorms. Low 72F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. Tyler, TX (75702) Today Thunderstorms likely this morning. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High 88F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with more showers at times. Low 72F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. Tyler, TX (75702) Today Thunderstorms likely this morning. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High 89F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with more showers at times. Low 72F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. (Bloomberg) -- Brazil reached 500,000 deaths from Covid-19 on Saturday, a toll second only to the U.S. As the milestone was officially passed, thousands protested in major cities against President Jair Bolsonaro and his handling of the pandemic. U.S infections have fallen to the level of the first lockdowns in March 2020, though President Joe Biden warned of a deadly threat from the highly-transmissible delta variant first found in India and now expected to become the dominant strain in the U.S. The U.S. sent 2.5 million doses of Moderna Inc.s vaccine to Taiwan, reflecting part of Bidens pledge to donate 25 million shots worldwide to stem the pandemic. Key Developments: Global Tracker: Cases exceed 177.9 million; deaths pass 3.8 millionVaccine Tracker: More than 2.55 billion doses administeredMany Brazilians insist on Pfizer even with 500,000 dead of CovidCovid counts hit zero in U.S. hospitals once overrun by victimsU.K. is a test case for Covid endgame as variant upends the mathSubscribe to a daily update from Bloombergs Prognosis team here. Brazil Passes 500,000 Fatalities (5:03 p.m. NY) Brazil reached 500,000 deaths from Covid-19 on Saturday, a toll second only to the U.S. As the milestone was officially passed, thousands protested in major cities against President Jair Bolsonaro and his handling of the pandemic. Demonstrators asked for the presidents impeachment, a faster vaccination pace and an increase in cash assistance during a third wave of Covid-19 in Latin Americas largest economy. I am working tirelessly to vaccinate all Brazilians in the shortest time possible and to change this scenario that has plagued us for over a year, Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga tweeted on Saturday before the official toll was announced. Almost 30% of the nation has received at least one dose of vaccine, and 11.6% is fully vaccinated, according to the Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker. Mexico City to Close Schools (2:35 p.m. NY) Mexico City schools will suspend in-person classes as of June 21 after the local government moved to a yellow code alert from a green light according to the countrys stoplight system. Story continues The federal education authority for Mexico City said that it is suspending classes including public and private elementary, high school, college-level and teacher training, according to a joint statement with the education ministry. U.S. Sends Taiwan 2.5 Million Doses (12:22 p.m. NY) The U.S. sent 2.5 million doses of Moderna Inc.s vaccine to Taiwan, reflecting part of President Joe Bidens pledge to donate 25 million shots worldwide to stem the pandemic. While the U.S. has criticized China for what it says have been attempts to block vaccine supplies to Taiwan, an administration official said the U.S. shipment came with no political strings attached. Taiwan is receiving Moderna shots on a plane that left Memphis on Saturday morning, according to two administration officials. Malawi Runs Out of Vaccines (11:53 a.m. NY) Malawi has run out of vaccines because of delays in shipping, its health ministry said on Saturday, according to Agence France Presse. The nations inoculation campaign began in April, and many people are due for their second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. With a new viral wave sweeping across Africa, Gambia said on Thursday that it too had run out of its AstraZeneca shots. It didnt say when new doses will be imported. Delta Strain Likely to Dominate in Germany (11:26 a.m. NY) The delta variant will probably dominate in Germany within three to four weeks, Bavarian Premier Markus Soeder warned at a meeting of the youth wing of his party on Saturday, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported. If you get out of bed too soon after being sick, you risk a severe relapse, the newspaper cited Soeder as saying. He defended a cautious re-opening strategy as authorities seek to speed the pace of inoculations, in particular second doses. Israel Defends Vaccine Shipment (11:23 a.m. NY) The first batch of Pfizer vaccines Israel sent to the Palestinian Authority on Friday as part of a larger swap deal was completely normal and identical to the vaccines being given to Israeli citizens, Israels Health Ministry said in a statement on Saturday. On Friday, the Palestinian Authority canceled the exchange agreement, saying the doses were about to expire. The Israeli Health Ministry said it sent vaccines with expiration dates that were known, agreed upon and in accordance with the agreement between the parties. U.S. Outbreak Improves as Variant Threatens (8:01 a.m. NY) The U.S. reported just over 13,000 new cases on Friday as new infections dropped to the level seen in the first lockdown in March 2020, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg. Fridays number was a 10th that of the same day six months ago. Another 368 deaths were reported, with average daily deaths about half of a month ago. The continued improvement is clouded by the spread of the highly transmissible delta variant first found in India and hampering a final reopening in England. On Friday, President Biden called it a serious and deadly threat and urged Americans to get vaccinated. Full vaccination has been shown effective against the variant. Oman Locks Down (6:55 a.m. NY) Oman announced a partial lockdown as the nation deals with its worst coronavirus outbreak since the start of the pandemic as variants spread rapidly. Movement of individuals and vehicles will be banned from 8 p.m. until 4 a.m. starting on Sunday, and public spaces and commercial activity will be shut, state-run Oman TV reported. Some essential businesses such as pharmacies and supermarkets may remain open. The Gulf nation has over the past two weeks reported the highest number of daily deaths since the start of the pandemic. Hospitalizations have also increased after reporting cases of the delta, alpha and beta Covid-19 variants. U.K Considers New Quarantine Rules (5:33 p.m. HK) Britons who have been double-vaccinated could be spared a 10-day period in quarantine if they come into contact with a Covid-19 carrier, under new rules being considered by the U.K. government, according to the Times of London. Instead, people who have been contacted under the U.K.s test-and-trace system could opt to take a Covid-19 test each morning for a week, with each negative result giving them a 24-hour waiver from the legal requirement to self-isolate, the paper reported, citing unidentified sources. Russia Cases Spike (5:00 p.m. HK) Russia added the highest number of new cases since January 31, reporting 17,906 more infections on Saturday. Moscow remains the nations virus hot spot, registering 9,120 new cases, the highest on record. Russia is experiencing a resurgence of the virus amid a rapid spread of the more contagious delta strain first identified in India. The resurgence has forced Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russias two largest cities, to restore some public restrictions just as many cities in the U.S. and Europe are easing them. Moscow mayor Mayor Sergei Sobyanin earlier this week ordered mandatory vaccination for at least 2 million workers in the capital as rising cases threaten to overwhelm the capitals hospitals. Uganda Demand for Oxygen to Soars (4:50 p.m. HK) Demand for oxygen in Uganda may rise almost nine-fold in a month as surging Covid-19 infections stretch health-care capacity in the East African country. Daily oxygen consumption by coronavirus patients could climb to 25,800 cylinders from about 3,000 cylinders now, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said in a televised address. Confirmed cases have jumped by 46% this month to 68,779. India Holds Off on Vaccine Exports (12:20 p.m. HK) India wont resume exports of Covid-19 vaccines until it meets domestic needs, Dr. Vinod K. Paul, the head of the countrys Covid-19 task force said in an interview with the Associated Press. Once our immediate need of vaccinating a significant proportion of Indian people is achieved and vaccine stockpiles are visible from multiple sources, we would then like to play the role of serving others, Paul said. India can expect at least 740 million doses between August and December, he said. The worlds biggest producer of vaccines was sending jabs to over 90 countries in January, but curtailed the export program by April after a virulent second wave made India the worlds worst hotspot. Paul declined to say when he thought exports may recommence. Last month, the Serum Institute of India, the worlds largest supplier of vaccines, said it may not be able to start delivering doses until the end of the year. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2021 Bloomberg L.P. Germany threw the Euro 2020 group of death wide open with a 4-2 win over holders Portugal, while Hungary held world champions France to a 1-1 draw in front of a raucous Budapest crowd. Saturdays late match saw Poland fight back to draw 1-1 in Group E against Spain, who took the lead through a goal given on VAR review and then missed a second-half penalty. In Munich, Joachim Lows men were up against it having lost their opening Group F match against Les Bleus. After seeing an early goal ruled out for offside, Germany found themselves behind when Cristiano Ronaldo scored following a swift counter-attack. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so. However, own goals from Manchester Citys Ruben Dias and then Raphael Guerreiro put the hosts in front before half-time. Germany added another through Kai Havertz and a header by wing-back Robin Gosens to secure a memorable victory, despite Diogo Jota pulling a one back in the 67th minute. Hungary had earlier given a noisy crowd at a packed Puskas Arena plenty to celebrate with a battling 1-1 draw against France. Despite dominating for long periods in the sweltering Budapest heat, Les Bleus were stunned as defender Attila Fiola fired the hosts ahead in first-half stoppage time before Antoine Griezmann equalised in the 66th minute. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so. Spain, who could only manage a 0-0 draw with Sweden in their opening match had gone ahead in the 25th minute through Alvaro Morata after his close-range effort had initially been ruled out for offside before being overturned by VAR. Poland, looking for a first point after being beaten by Slovakia , responded and were deservedly level early in the second half when Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski headed in at the back post. There was, though, more drama to come when Spain were awarded a spot-kick, after the referee reviewed the incident on the pitchside monitor, only for Gerard Moreno to hit the post and Morata then knocked the rebound wide. Post of the day To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so. With another bumper 60,000 crowd, it was party time again inside the Puskas Arena and also for those enjoying the nations moment in the Budapest sun wherever they could find a decent view. Story continues Gosens in the groove To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so. Atalanta wing-back Gosens impressed for Germany, setting up Havertz to score from close range early in the second half and then nodding home the fourth goal which saw him receive plenty of applause when he went off for the closing stages with a job well done. Quote of the day Fantastic Fiola Attila Fiolas goal sparked wild celebrations at the Puskas Arena (Tibor Illyes/AP). Spain pay the penalty To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so. No sooner had Poland pulled level, Spain were given a great chance to retake the lead when Italian referee Daniele Orsato reviewed what had looked minimal contact on Morenos foot by following a challenge from Jakub Moder and awarded a spot-kick. Moreno, though, struck the base of the post, and Morata stabbed the rebound wide. Stat attack To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so. France striker Griezmann took his international tally to 38 with a second-half equaliser against Hungary. The Barcelona forward, who won the Golden Boot at Euro 2016, is now the joint third top scorer in the tournaments history with seven goals in the finals. Up next June 20 Italy v Wales (Group A, Rome, 1700) Switzerland v Turkey (Group A, Baku 1700) In this week's Torah portion, Chukat, the children of Israel grouse to Moses, "Why did you take us out of Egypt to die here in the desert?" And God gets angry and sends a plague of snakes, and the snakes bite the people, and people start dying. The people return to Moses and say, "We sinned by speaking out against God; help!" Moses relays this, and God instructs him to make a copper snake and mount it on a pole. When the people see the copper snake, those who were bitten by the snakes are healed. Rashi notes that the word snake, nachash, is related to copper, nachoshet. The Hebrew wordplay hints at the miracle here: when someone sees the figure of the snake cast in copper, they are healed from the venom. The reminder of what bit them helps them heal from the bite. This year, as I read this story, all I can think of is a copper coronavirus. Clearly what we need is a copper sphere covered with a corona of spiky proteins, to hang on a flagpole for the whole nation to see! Okay, gazing at a copper coronavirus wouldn't actually heal anyone. But that's kind of a metaphor for what vaccination does, isn't it? Our immune systems learn to recognize the shape of the virus. The vaccines teach our bodies to recognize that spiky little mace. And then when they encounter it, they can fight it off. Like our ancient spiritual ancestors looking at those copper snakes. On my refrigerator, I have the front page from a December 2020 Berkshire Eagle. It shows my kid lighting the North Adams city menorah. And alongside that image, above the next column of print, there's a headline: "Vaccine Endorsed By Panel." Subheader: "Country now one step away from starting immunization." Six months ago the first vaccine was approved for future use. Remember what a big deal that was? This week I read about a fourth vaccine now becoming available. Local numbers are the lowest they've been in a year. In some places, masks are optional for those who are vaccinated. About 44% of the nation is fully vaccinated, as is more than half of MA. And President Biden recently announced plans to give 500 million doses of Pfizer to other nations in need. The pandemic isn't over. But we've come an incredibly long way since Chanukah. Modern medicine is miraculous. And because of the tireless work of immunologists and virologists and doctors and nurses and so many others, we're starting to be able to gather safely again without risking each other or ourselves. Because vaccines teach our bodies to recognize and respond to the virus, we're safer than we were. And that too feels to me like a deeper teaching this year. What are the things we need to recognize as a community and as a society, so that together we can respond? What are the injustices and inequities we need to be willing to see, in order to repair them? Tomorrow is Juneteenth -- the date in 1865 when enslaved African-Americans in Texas learned that the Emancipation Proclamation had freed them two and a half years prior. One step toward healing racial inequity is for those of us who are white to recognize the harms experienced by Black people and people of color, both then and now. The copper snake in this week's parsha reminds us: we need to see the sickness in order to begin repair. If we don't recognize it, we can't fight off a literal virus. If we don't recognize it, we can't fight off the spiritual sickness of racism and prejudice, either. We have to see the problem in order to begin to build something new. And COVID-19 has had a deadlier impact on communities of color than on mostly-white communities. Even as we celebrate the high rates of vaccination where we live, there's still work to do before we're all safe. So pause with me in this Shabbat moment. Take a deep breath. Recognize how lucky we are to be vaccinated, to be in a place that's getting safer. Join me in trying to open our eyes to everything we need to see within us and around us. May we be gentle with ourselves and each other as we work toward healing: for ourselves, for our communities, for everyone. This is the d'varling I offered at Kabbalat Shabbat services at my shul tonight (cross-posted to my From the Rabbi blog.) From August 1, 2021, a 5 percent VAT and 2 percent PIT will be imposed on services such as saunas, massage, karaoke, discotheques, billiards, internet, games, tailoring, laundry, haircut and hairdressing, and other services. The stipulation is part of the Ministry of Finance's newly released Circular No 40 VAT and PIT management. The newly released circular has added some business fields to the list of products and services subject to VAT and PIT. In addition to these services, the service of repairing computers and household appliances will have 5 percent VAT and 2 percent PIT, commencing from August 1. This means that the total tax the providers of these services have to pay is 7 percent. Legal advice, financial consultancy, accounting, auditing, and tax and customs procedure services will also bear similar taxes. Data processing services, information portal rental, IT and telecommunications equipment leasing, and advertisement on digital information content products and services will also be taxed a total of 7 percent. The highest tax rate, 10 percent (5 percent VAT and 5 percent PIT), is being imposed on services that lease assets, including house, land, retail premises, workshops and warehouses, except for accommodation services; leasing means of transport, and equipment without regulators; and leasing other assets with no services associated. Other services, including cargo and passenger transport; food; equipment and transport vehicle repair and maintenance will be taxed 3 percent VAT and 1.5 percent PIT. The circular also stipulates that business households and individuals satisfying the requirements to pay tax in accordance with a declaration method, that have followed the taxation regime before the Circular 40 took effect and now have no demand to shift to other tax calculation methods, will continue applying the tax regime until the 2021 tax period. Under the circular, business households and individuals who have revenue from production and business activities in one calendar year of VND100 million or lower wont have to pay VAT and PIT. Also in the circular, MOF has released a list of business fields that will have to pay VAT and PIT depending on percentage of revenue. Others to be subject to VAT and PIT: 1/ business households and individuals engaged in e-commerce activities 2/ business households and individuals engaged in production and business activities in border and border gate markets, and markets in border economic zones in Vietnamese territory 3/ asset leasors and .vn domain name transfer 4/institutions cooperating with individuals to do business; institutions and individuals who make tax declaration and payment for other individuals and 5/ lottery companies, insurers and multi-level sales companies that pay income directly to individuals. Anh Tuan PM wants to reform tax regime to prevent real estate speculation Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has emphasized that the national housing strategy needs to include reasonable social housing development, and the tax regime on land speculators should be adjusted. The Government should develop nationwide universal regulations on Covid-19 prevention and control, and provinces and cities should not be allowed to arbitrarily apply anti-epidemic measures on their own, officials have proposed. In a draft report to the Prime Minister about enterprise development in 2020 and the first five months of 2021, the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) summarized 12 groups of solutions that the business community has suggested. First, procedures on access to government support policies. Enterprises have asked to amend some requirements which they believe are too strict and not feasible. For example, companies are only eligible if more than 50 percent of workers have lost jobs. Enterprises say the regulations need to be compiled in a clear and realistic way so as to exactly identify the subjects that need support, and to make it easier and quicker to access support. The Government has been asked to extend support packages for businesses until the end of 2021, including the corporate income tax and land rent payment extension, the 50 percent reduction for payments for social insurance, and health insurance and unemployment insurance premiums for 2020 and 2021; and to continue the 50 percent automobile registration tax reduction. Enterprises want the delay of the 2 percent payment for the trade union fee or a fee reduction of 1 percent. They have asked to review and clarify the regulation on fees for using infrastructure works, public works and utilities in seaport border gate areas in HCM City (which is expected to take effect on July 1); and the Ministry of Transports regulation on installing cameras on transport automobiles prior to July 1. The business community said that the Government needs the same regulations on fighting Covid-19 across the country to ensure that accurate and transparent information is provided. Cities and provinces should be prohibited to independently apply their own pandemic fighting measures, because the arbitrary application of different measures has caused problems for enterprises when distributing their products. They have also proposed speeding up vaccinations for workers at enterprises. Enterprises should be allowed to vaccinate their staff in accordance with the Ministry of Health (MOH) instructions. They should also be allowed to take the initiative in negotiating with vaccine suppliers to buy vaccines based on the list of vaccines accepted by the MOH. It is also necessary to expand the vaccination force to satisfy the needs of a large-scale vaccination program. The force should include not only vaccination centers but also hospitals and medical centers satisfying the requirements set by MOH. Enterprises want to speed up the vaccination process and are willing to support and accompany the Government. It is necessary to set universal regulations on issuing vaccination certificates, including the form of certificate. There should be a QR Code on the certificates to better control and create favorable conditions for people to travel within Vietnam and abroad. The Government should develop nationwide universal regulations on Covid-19 prevention and control, and provinces and cities should not be allowed to arbitrarily apply anti-epidemic measures on their own, officials have proposed. Enterprises have asked to amend some legal documents that have caused difficulties for their production and business activities. They want the Government to apply the sandbox mechanism to help technology startups to develop; and set a transparent mechanism on open data sources of the public sector so that technology firms can access digital resources to develop innovative products and services. Enterprises said that the improvements caused by administrative reform remain unsatisfactory and uneven at all levels. In the draft, the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) asked the Prime Minister to assign ministries and branches and related organizations to continue joining forces to reach the dual goals of fighting Covid-19 and ensuring economic development. MOH has been asked to issue instructions on classification rules for the application of measures throughout the country, so as to avoid excessive local-only rules which hinder enterprises operation. MOH has been asked to work out on a plan to speed up the vaccination program, with priority given to workers in Industrial Zones, foreign specialists, and workers in enterprises who regularly have to go abroad for business and meet foreigners. MPI has asked the Prime Minister to assign ministries and branches to propose cuts in tax, fee and land rent. It proposed that the Ministry of Finance (MOF) should compile the draft resolution on cutting the 2021 Corporate Income Tax by 30 percent, to be applied to enterprises, cooperatives, public non-business units and other organizations that had 2020 total revenue of no more than VND200 billion. MOF was asked to cut the VAT by 50 percent in 2021, to be applied to the business fields most seriously hit by Covid-19, such as tourism and hospitals. This would help cut service fees, stimulate demand, and support domestic travel. A zero percent VAT for six months for transport firms, a 50-percent registration tax reduction for autos that newly register for transport service, and an air-fuel cut from VND2,100 to VND1,000 for 2021 have also been suggested. In addition, MPI has also suggested that the Vietnam Labor Federation ask the Government and National Assembly (NA) to allow the delay of trade union fee payment and 50 percent fee reduction in 2020 and 2021; and that MOT exempt tolls for transport firms. Luong Bang Businesses look forward to state bailout after fourth Covid outbreak Businesses have once again shouted for help as they are coming closer to bankruptcy because of the fourth Covid-19 outbreak. Affirming that there has been no sign of massive cyberattacks on many newspapers, the Authority of Information Security said it would soon issue a procedure for quickly responding to cyberattacks on press agencies. Some online newspapers, including VOV, Phap Luat Thanh Pho HCM, Saigon Giai Phong and Thanh Nien, some days ago incurred DDoS attacks, which caused access interruption. There was speculation that a campaign of cyberattacks was targeting press agencies. AIS on June 16 confirmed with VietNamNet that since June 12, the agency had been cooperating with network operators to help VOV at their website vov.vn and Phap Luat Thanh Pho HCM at plo.vn to troubleshoot the attacks. AIS said only these two press agencies incurred attacks, on June 12 and June 15. Appropriate agencies are continuing the investigations and tracing to find the sources, subjects and methods used in the attacks. The websites returned to normal shortly after with early support from the agency in charge of information security, and network operators, and enhanced security solutions, and on-call technical personnel from infrastructure service providers. Thanh Nien and Saigon Giai Phong on June 14 also incurred access interruption because the two newspapers were running on the same infrastructure with Phap Luat Thanh Pho HCM and were indirectly influenced by the attack on plo.vn. AIS denied that there is a large-scale attack campaign aimed at press agencies, saying that only two e-newspapers have been attacked so far. Most press agencies have been aware of the importance of the application of solutions to ensure cybersecurity. However, others are not paying appropriate attention to this. Ministry of Information and Communications has assigned AIS to act as a focal point, joining forces with relevant agencies to assist press agencies in handling information insecurity incidents. AIS and MIC now have an adequate legal framework to coordinate and respond to cybersecurity incidents for state agencies, organizations and enterprises. AIS is focusing on giving more specific guidance on the process of responding to and handling incidents shared in the national information security incident response network, and to have a dedicated process for more than 800 press agencies. Its expected that a communication channel will be established to have real-time cooperation between the agency and press agencies IT departments. The draft process is scheduled to be submitted to MIC leaders next week. For the time being, press agencies need to contact ais@mic.gov.vn for support if they think they are incurring attacks. Phap Luat Thanh Pho HCM Deputy Editor in Chief Nguyen Duc Hien told VietNamNet that the attack on the newspaper ended on the evening of June 15. The attack caused a drop in the number of viewers, but he declined to give the exact figure. Trong Dat Ministry of Public Security investigating attackers into VOV Online Newspaper The Department of Cyber Security and Hi-tech Crime Prevention, Ministry of Public Security (A05) announced that it has just received a request from VOV Online Newspaper to investigate cyber criminals who attacked the formal website of VOV. The Drug-related Crime Investigation Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security warned that many foreigners have been taking advantage of traveling to Vietnam to commit a drug crime. Major General Nguyen Van Vien speaks at the press brief. (Photo: SGGP) A leader of the Drug-related Crime Investigation Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security said at a press brief on the occasion of the month of action against drugs this morning. According to the Departments information, currently, foreigners take advantage of the open-door policy, and Vietnams favorable regulations of customs procedures and loopholes in the law of immigration to connect with Vietnamese people to set up fake companies operating with sophisticated and cunning tricks, such as renting warehouses and workshops to disguise drugs in goods containers to be shipped abroad. According to Major General Nguyen Van Vien, director of the Drug-related Crime Investigation Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security, in the past time, although the Covid-19 epidemic has been developing particularly complicated, drug criminals in the world, the region and the country have continued working with unpredictably new methods and tricks. Moreover, they have frequently been changing their tricks and activities; worse, they have been thoroughly taking advantage of scientific and technological achievements to cope with police officers detection and accusation. Due to the direct impact of drug crimes in the world and the Asian region, drug crimes in Vietnam have been very complicated. Drug criminals have bought drugs from abroad and then transported them into Vietnam for consumption or shipped to a third country via land, sea, and aviation. Vietnams Northwest region has been lately emerging as a key place for crime associated with drug trafficking. Drugs are hidden in batches of good. (Photo: SGGP) Over the past time here, police forces have been focusing on cracking down the crime; however, a sign of complicated development of drug crime has been shown lately; noticeably, the illegal drug trafficking rings have been operated from Laos through the countrys Northwest and North Central to China for consumption. Criminals have been often changing routes to escape the detection of police officers and border guards. In the southern region, especially Ho Chi Minh City and key southern provinces, along the Vietnam-Cambodia border, drug trafficking has developed complicatedly, becoming a "hotspot" for drug crimes. After China authorities toughly cracked down on organized crime groups as well as tightening control over Chinese, Taiwanese (China) and South Korean criminals, they have been recently moved their operations to Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam; accordingly, the Southeast Asia region is at risk of becoming a global drug hub. Because of the complicated developments of the Covid-19 pandemic, the transport of passengers was temporarily halted or strictly controlled, drug criminals have taken advantage of express delivery and consignment of gifts by the air route to send drugs cleverly hidden in batches of goods from European countries to Vietnam, and then to other countries for consumption. In addition, the sea route continues to be used by criminals to trade and illegally transport drugs in large quantities from abroad to Vietnam, transit through Vietnam, and from Vietnam to third countries. Criminals usually transport drugs through seaports in the south such as in Ho Chi Minh City, the Southern Province of Ba Ria - Vung Tau, the Northern Province of Hai Phong with very sophisticated tricks. In addition, police discovered drug-related cybercrime that criminals have been increasingly utilizing the internet in their activities. This is an alarming problem in the industrial revolution 4.0 with the strong development and popularity of the Internet in social life. Drug retailers have been enticing other people to illegally use drugs rampantly. Drug criminals changed to rent motels, hotels, apartments, luxury resorts to use drugs unlawfully. Specifically, a mentally disabled addict was found living it up, soundproofing his room, using loudspeakers, strobe lights, storing drugs in the National Mental Hospital under the Ministry of Health. The case has stirred public concern. Police officers arrested members using the drug illegally in May alone. Drug-related crime investigation police nationwide have detected 12,421 drug trafficking, arresting 17,710 criminals involving drug crimes seizing a total of 290 kilograms of heroin, 1.42 tons of narcotics, and 840 kilograms of ketamine and properties in the first six months of the year. Source: Saigon Giai Phong Vietnamese, Scot jailed in Hanoi on drug offences The Hanoi City Peoples Court on August 3 handed down jail sentences to a Vietnamese and a Scot on charges of trafficking drugs. The largest ever COVID-19 vaccination campaign with 786,000 doses distributed to Ho Chi Minh City kicked off on June 19. Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh inspects COVID-19 vaccination at FPT Software Co. Ltd. in HCM City (Photo: VNA) Addressing the event, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh praised tireless efforts of local officials and people in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, especially unanimous cooperation of local residents with the municipal authorities to effectively cope with the health crisis. He requested local residents to continue strictly following with pandemic prevention and control measures in order to curb the spread of COVID-19, especially the 5K message, comprising khau trang (face masks), khu khuan (disinfection), khoang cach (distancing), khong tu tap (no gatherings), and khai bao y te (health declarations). Although the supply of vaccines is limited, the State and Government are making every effort so that people can have access to vaccines as soon as possible, especially in high-risk areas, he affirmed. Ho Chi Minh City is currently a hotspot in the fourth wave of COVID-19 outbreaks, so the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control decided to immediately allocate 786,000 doses out of 1 million doses of vaccine donated by Japan to the city. Binh asked the city to well perform the reception and preservation of the vaccine, and the organisation of vaccination in accordance with regulations. According to Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Health Nguyen Huu Hung, 650 injection stations will be organised across the city, including mobile stations. The campaign is expected to be completed before June 27. Hung said HCM City is speeding up negotiations with vaccine suppliers and looking for vaccine sources, aiming to continue expanding vaccination for local residents, moving towards herd immunity as quickly as possible. It has set a goal that by the end of 2021, two-thirds of the city's population will be vaccinated against COVID-19. In a related move, Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan emphasised the need to take safety first in COVID-19 vaccination when he addressing an online training session to ensure the safety of vaccination on the same day. To ensure safe vaccination, the health sector must make every effort from closely monitoring the preservation and transportation of vaccines to ensure safe vaccination, and quickly and effectively handle cases of post-injection reactions, he stressed. Thuan asked medical staff to strictly follow professional instructions, and pay attention to the treatment and emergency work in order to ensure that any injection is safe./. Source: VNA HCM City extends social distancing order for two more weeks as COVID-19 outbreaks grow Chairman of HCM City People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Long on Monday agreed to prolong city-wide social distancing in line with the Government's Directive No 15 until the end of June, amid developments of coronavirus outbreaks in the city. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh recently highlighted technology as a spearhead in the countrys strategy to combat COVID-19. The Bluezone application is playing an important role in tracing COVID-19 patients. VNA/VNS Photo Minh Quyet The contribution of technology during the pandemic to prepare for recovery, reconstruction and socio-economic development is very important. In many countries around the world, technology played an important role in re-establishing lives and economic recovery as the pandemic was brought under control. In Vietnam, applications in medical declaration, robots and testing are promoting the power of science and technology in effective pandemic prevention and control. Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Bui The Duy, who is also the head of the Quick Response Information Team under the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, said that the quick response information team always updated, analysed and used monitoring information and data to assess the situation and make forecasts about pandemic developments in the world and in Vietnam. The team also established a mechanism to monitor those on entry and in quarantine, develop response plans, build a COVID-19 safety map, and provide advice to emergency services, as well as implementing measures to help localities with the pandemic in the area. Regarding the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in COVID-19 prevention and control, a group of scientists from the Faculty of Medicine under the HCM City National University has just announced a new study, in which AI is used to manage people in quarantine areas, hospitals, industrial parks, border gates, and crowded areas to prevent COVID-19. The solution introduces a control system capable of detecting people who have been in close contact with COVID-19 patients who are required to be quarantined. The monitoring system is deployed at apartment entryways, hospital gates, doors to office buildings, quarantine areas and amusement parks. This system helps identify faces and checks the temperatures of many people at the same time. Associate professor Pham Xuan Da, representative of the research team, said the system was very beneficial if the country had a policy of quarantining F1 contacts at home. The number of contacts can be very high, so the quarantine centres will be a burden for the localities, from the arrangement of medical facilities to service personnel. Therefore, the application of technology and AI was a good solution in Vietnam, said Da. The people in the F1 and F2 categories will be entered into the system, including names, phone numbers and quarantine status. If they go through the monitoring system, a warning is issued to firstly notify those people that they have violated the quarantine regulations, then simultaneously notify those responsible for quarantine management. This data is also directly connected to automated reporting software to reduce human intervention. According to the research team, this system also helps to detect high-risk cases that are not under surveillance but show signs of fever. In addition, the application will present statistics every hour about temperature measurements of people in the area, which is the basis for determining the risk of people infected with COVID-19. In particular, in quarantine areas, this system will minimise direct contact between medical staff and quarantined people thanks to the automatic temperature measurement feature, which is an effective solution in terms of saving time, manpower and costs. BKAV Group an enterprise operating in the fields of cybersecurity and software has developed the Bluezone application, which is playing an important role in tracing COVID-19 patients. Businesses with extensive experience in turning research results into commercial products in the spirit of "fighting the pandemic like fighting the enemy" have worked on many scientific and technological products and projects such as diagnostic kits and vaccine research. The medical robot system in quarantine areas has been put into operation to replace medical workers to transport food, medicine, necessities, and garbage collection. They serve patients and can especially support visits and examination, minimising contact between people. Source: Vietnam News Three keys to fight against Covid-19 in Vietnam Along with the 5K message, Vietnam is strictly implementing three counterattacks: large-scale testing; implementation of a vaccine strategy; and application of technology for Covid-19 tracing. Vietnam is expected to continue receiving additional supplies of COVID-19 vaccines approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) through the COVAX Facility in the near future, including vaccines funded by the Chinese Government. This information was unveiled by the Ministry of Health (MoH) at a meeting of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control held on June 18 on the rollout of the biggest ever vaccination drive in the country. According to leaders of the MoH, the country has officially received supplies of two vaccines of from both AstraZeneca and Sputnik so far. Apart from Pfizer, the nation is anticipated to receive additional vaccine doses as approved by the WHO, including three types of AstraZeneca vaccines produced in the Republic of Korea, India, and Europe, along with Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, SinoPharm, and SinoVac. In addition to one million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the Japanese Government recently, the country will continue to receive bilateral aid from other sources, including vaccine sources funded by the Chinese Government over the coming days. During the meeting, the Steering Committee agreed to create favarouble conditions for local administrations and businesses can gain access to COVID-19 vaccine supply sources. The Standing Committee has therefore requested the MoH swiftly issue an additional document on priority groups for vaccination, including people working in production and service establishments. After the vaccination scheme for priority groups is complete, the MoH will then launch mechanism to operate the expanded vaccination programme, The Steering Committee also agreed to facilitate the trial of "Made in Vietnam" vaccines, adding that the MoH will submit it to competent authorities for approval for use in an emergency in case of vaccine scarcity. At present, a number of businesses have invested in building a vaccine production factory featuring cutting-edge technologies, with the primary aim of establishing a large-scale vaccine factory that can be put into operation by the end of the year or in early 2022. The MoH is also delegating the Vaccine and Biological Production Company No. 1 (Vabiotech) to receive the technology transfer of producing the Sputnik V vaccine from Russia under two phases. The MoH also plans to gain access to all vaccine supply sources between now and the end of the year, whilst it will also strive to achieve herd immunity. There will also be a mechanism to create optimal conditions for investors to produce vaccines domestically as part of the COVID-19 battle, along with the development of the vaccine industry for domestic demand and export, according to MoH leaders. Source: VOV Pfizer vaccine only supplied via deals with Governments Pfizer vaccine is only supplied via bilateral deals with Governments, said John Paul Pullicino from Pfizer Vietnam during an online training session for market management staff on June 16. More and more privacy infringement cases have been reported recently, but some victims of the cases are not even aware of their privacy rights. Nguyen Quang Dong, head of the Institute for Policy Studies and Media Development (IPS) Nguyen Quang Dong, head of the Institute for Policy Studies and Media Development (IPS), said at a workshop on privacy and personal information protection held recently that the leaking of personal data is common around the world, including Vietnam. IPS reports show the two most common kinds of privacy infringement in Vietnam are personal information sales/purchases and personal information collection from social networks. According to Dong, the Law on Information Security stipulates that the information collector must get consensus from the information owner to be able to transfer the information to another party. In most cases, the information is traded without the agreement of information owners. In these cases, the signs of legal violations are clear. Dong said that Vietnamese awareness of privacy rights is low. This can be seen in the sex clip case of V.T.A.T, an actress in Ve nha di con (Come Home, My Dear), a TV drama series. A rumor circulated that Ts sensitive clip was disseminated after local police seized her mobile phone and asked her to provide her phone password. Hanoi Police later denied the involvement of policemen in the disclosure of the clip. Dong said that V.T.A.T provided the password of her smartphone as she reported. This shows that the actress was not aware of her right to protect her personal information. Under the laws, state agencies can see personal data only if they receive an official decision about prosecution. Lawyer Nguyen Tien Lap from IPS, in Vietnam, said the Civil Code clearly states that personal life and personal and family information are protected, which are basic civil rights. Lap said that every individual needs to know about their rights regarding personal data. This can be implemented by education by guiding conduct in cyberspace. Personal values, including privacy, are respected. Vietnamese laws now have provisions to protect individuals privacy. However, Vietnams educational system has not done this. In recent cases, when information about comedian Hoai Linhs bank account was exposed to the public, and 10,000 identity cards were offered for sale, and the sex clip of the actress was disseminated on social networks, the victims themselves were also at fault, not just the collectors and spreaders of the information. Trong Dat Experts warn of high risks for information security in 2021 Still coping with difficulties caused by Covid-19, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) also face risks in information and data security in 2021. NEW YORK (AP) Prosecutors asked a judge Friday to limit what jurors can hear of the psychological history of victims in a forced labor case, saying they were manipulated by a man who posed as a mental health expert and was sometimes there before or after many of them attempted suicide. The request came in the case against Lawrence Ray, 61, who was arrested in February 2020. Ray has pleaded not guilty to charges that he forced vulnerable college students into prostitution or unpaid labor over the span of a decade starting in 2010, when he moved into his daughters residence at Sarah Lawrence College. Prosecutors say he befriended her classmates and became a patriarchal figure who exerted a manipulative influence over their lives. Ray used physical, sexual and psychological abuse to extort nearly $1 million from victims, including five students, prosecutors said. One victim was forced into prostitution, the government has said. A message seeking comment was sent to Ray's attorneys. Q: So does that mean the UFOs are not real? A: Well, you can often debunk one story, but you will then get another story and someone will say, Okay, but explain this one. In one video, a pilot said the UFO resembled a large Tic Tac mint and that it was defying the laws of physics over the ocean and moving fast. The problem here is that we dont know how far away it was. If it was high above the ocean, then the apparent motion is likely due to the airplane and not the object. This is called parallax. You can often find answers like this, and so on. So I am not optimistic that we will be shown extraordinary evidence where there is no natural explanation for what is seen. Q: So you are saying that you can rule out most UFO sightings as something else and not a UFO? We all started getting really concerned about two years ago, said Jordan Moenck, his niece. I remember when we saw him in 2019, he was a shell of who he used to be. Thats when the family rallied through social media campaigns, window stickers and ads on Facebook to find a donor something Moore casually noticed on her phone while scrolling through Facebook in February 2020. Though she always was willing to be an organ donor, it wasnt something she had thought about in depth before. Oh, Im his blood type, Moore remembered thinking. Did I think of cutting my kidney out before that moment? No. But after confirming the match through extensive testing for blood type, antibodies, her own kidney function, tests to ensure the kidney wouldnt be rejected and tests to ensure she could live with one kidney, she committed herself to going through with it. I cant expect someone to help me if I wont be willing to help, said Moore, director of early childhood education with Xavier Catholic Schools. Hes got grand kids. If (my kids) needed something, I would hope someone would help them. But the gravity of her selflessness hasnt quite hit her yet. Lubbock, TX (79423) Today Partly to mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 82F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Isolated thunderstorms this evening. Cloudy with rain arriving overnight. Low 68F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Lets talk calmly and objectively about U.S. immigration policy, shall we? And, lets focus on whats happened so far this year following our nations latest change in strategy. Those changes have sparked an unprecedented flood of refugees across our southern border. The U.S. Border Patrol reports that during the month of May agents grappled with more than 180,000 migrants. In April the number was 178,000. A government estimate says we are on track to handle more than 2 million immigrants entering via the southern border by the end of this fiscal year. That doesnt count all the other immigrants who enter the United States legally. No matter how often administration officials tell potential refugees Do not come or declare the border is closed, the truth is massive numbers of immigrants continue to come across the U.S./Mexican border and that border is as leaky as a spaghetti sieve. Dont be fooled by statements that a vast majority of the people will be turned away from the border. Nope, most dont show up at official checkpoints. The majority of todays immigrants are being dropped off by money-grubbing handlers at wide-open spots along the southern border, forced to travel on foot the rest of the way. They also arrive clinging to the undercarriage of railroad cars or take the journey via boats that drop them near the California coastline. Some are greeted by U.S. authorities. Others, the so-called got-aways, simply disappear into the United States. Texas has seen a particularly high number of migrants, as have New Mexico and Arizona. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ But todays record-breaking immigration numbers dont tell the whole story. Success of getting to the United States from Central America or any other country for that matter largely depends on help from vicious drug cartel coyotes. It is frightening to realize what can happen to migrants, including young children, who travel this dangerous route. FBI Director Christopher Wray says the cartels track these refugees and force them to do cartel work while in the United States. Testifying before the House Judiciary Committee this month, Wray painted a bleak future for immigrants who are intimidated into either trafficking illegal drugs or participating in prostitution rings. Its a modern form of slavery, Wray said, adding, its almost Medieval. The migrants, he said, must do what they are told or face savage retaliation either against themselves, a loved one in the United States or a family member back in their home country. They fear deportation if they ask police for help. Some caught in this web may never escape a life of exploitation. Also, think about those immigrants who get to the United States, take the chance to ignore the order to return for their prescribed court date, and then must look over their shoulder for years worried theyll be caught. Living life under the radar ensures living in poverty and fear. Menial jobs, inadequate health care and education and not a chance of becoming a legal homeowner or business owner. The American Dream, whatever that is these days, is never quite within their reach. If they had entered the country legally they could enjoy all this country has to offer. One more important point. While our overwhelmed Border Patrol is distracted with processing throngs of migrants each day, the Mexican cartels grand scheme is flourishing. They successfully send countless drug mules to slip across remote areas of our border carrying massive quantities of illegal drugs. Last year, a year in which Americans were supposedly isolated at home and away from their dealers, there were still more than 87,000 overdose deaths, most attributed to fentanyl from Mexico. This column is designed to make Americans aware of what actually happens to many migrants once they get here. Is it a better life from whence they came? Yes, for some of them. But when the tendrils of Mexican drug cartels reach deep into the United States and squeeze freedom from these new arrivals, then no one wins. Politics has gotten us to where we are today. If we are ever to come to a fair solution to the immigration situation fair to U.S. taxpayers and to the newcomers we must first be honest about the consequences of the current policy. It isnt working. www.DianeDimond.com; e-mail to Diane@DianeDimond.com. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. A onetime state Cabinet secretary who resigned her position in former Gov. Susana Martinezs administration in the midst of an investigation was convicted of two second-degree felonies on Friday. A jury found former Taxation and Revenue Secretary Demesia Padilla, 61, guilty of embezzlement over $20,000 and computer access with intent to defraud or embezzle over $20,000 following a trial in 13th Judicial District Court. Attorney General Hector Balderas, whose office led the investigation and prosecution, announced the verdicts Friday evening. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Authorities say that, between 2011 and 2013, Padilla stole more than $25,000 from a Bernalillo business, Harolds Grading and Trucking, while she was Cabinet secretary. To do so, Padilla linked her personal credit card to the business checking account. Small businesses are undoubtedly the lifeblood of New Mexicos economy and should not be stifled by internal corruption, Balderas said in a statement. We are pleased to secure justice for the significant economic harm to the victims, and we will hold any person in a position of power accountable for unlawful conduct. Padilla will be sentenced at a later date. She faces up to nine years on each of the counts. Her attorney could not be reached by phone Friday evening. The verdict is just the latest chapter in an ongoing saga that began in February 2015 with a call to the state auditors fraud hotline alleging that Padilla had tried to improperly influence the departments tax audit of a former client. Then-Auditor Tim Keller launched an investigation, which was eventually handed off to the Attorney Generals office. Padilla, one of the original members of Martinezs Cabinet, resigned the position in December 2016, a day after AG investigators raided the agency in search of tax documents connected with Padilla and her husband. Roughly 18 months later, she was charged with embezzlement and public corruption. She was accused of using her position to push for favorable tax treatment. Authorities alleged that she sought to remove penalties against a Bernalillo trucking company that had been a client of her accounting firm and that she took money from the trucking company through unauthorized fund transfers. But, in 2019, state District Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer in Santa Fe dismissed the five ethics charges she was facing, finding that prosecutors cannot use broad language in the Governmental Conduct Act as a kitchen-sink approach to filing charges. The charges she was eventually convicted on were refiled in the 13th Judicial District due to jurisdiction issues. The AGs Office appealed the dismissal of the ethics charges, but the state Court of Appeals refused to reinstate them, finding last year that two sections of the Governmental Conduct Act are too vague for criminal charges. Those parts of the law require public officials to act in a way that justifies the confidence placed in them by the people, and for them to make reasonable efforts to avoid undue influence and abuse of office. Journal city editor Martin Salazar contributed to this report. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Barbara and Christine Colucci long to remove their masks and kiss their 102-year-old mother, who has dementia and is in a nursing home in Rochester, New York. They would love to have more than two people in her room at a time so that relatives can be there too. We dont know how much longer shes going to be alive, Christine Colucci said, so its like, please, give us this last chance with her in her final months on this earth to have that interaction. Pandemic restrictions are falling away almost everywhere except inside many of Americas nursing homes. Rules designed to protect the nations most vulnerable from COVID-19 are still being enforced even though 75% of nursing home residents are now vaccinated and infections and deaths have plummeted. Frustration has set in as families around the country visit their moms and, this Fathers Day weekend, their dads. Hugs and kisses are still discouraged or banned in some nursing homes. Residents are dining in relative isolation and playing bingo and doing crafts at a distance. Visits are limited and must be kept short, and are cut off entirely if someone tests positive for the coronavirus. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Family members and advocates question the need for such restrictions at this stage of the pandemic, when the risk is comparatively low. They say the measures are now just prolonging older peoples isolation and accelerating their mental and physical decline. They have protected them to death, said Denise Gracely, whose 80-year-old mother, Marian Rauenzahn, lives in a nursing home in Topton, Pennsylvania. Rauenzahn had COVID-19 and then lost part of a leg to gangrene, but Gracely said what she struggled with the most was enforced solitude, going from six-day-a-week visits to none at all. Rauenzahns daughters eventually won the right to see her once a week, and the nursing home now says it plans to relax the rules on visits for all residents in late June. But it has not been not enough, as far as Gracely is concerned. I believe its progressed her dementia, Gracely said. Shes very lonely. She wants out of there so bad. Pennsylvanias long-term care ombudsman has received hundreds of complaints about visiting rules this year. Kim Shetler, a data specialist in the ombudmans office, said some nursing homes COVID-19 restrictions go beyond what state and federal guidelines require. Administrators have been doing what they feel is necessary to keep people safe, she said, but families are understandably upset. Weve done our darndest to advocate for folks to get those visitation rights, she said. Its their home. They should have that right to come and go and have the visitors that they choose. A recent survey by National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, an advocacy group, found time limits on visits remain commonplace, ranging from 15 minutes to two hours. Some facilities limit visiting hours to weekdays, making it difficult for people who work during the day, or restrict visits to once or twice a week. Rauenzahns Pennsylvania nursing home has been limiting most residents to a single, 30-minute visit every two weeks. Federal authorities should restore full visitation rights to nursing home residents without delay, Consumer Voice and several other advocacy groups said in a June 11 letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Residents are continuing to suffer from isolation and decline because of the limited visitation permitted in the current guidance, the letter said. Advocates also take issue with federal guidance on how nursing homes deal with new COVID-19 cases. The guidance says most visits should be suspended for at least 14 days. Some family members, administrators and advocates complain that the recommendation has led to frequent lockdowns because of one or two cases. Weve never had a real long, lengthy period of time where were able to have visitors, said Jason Santiago, chief operating officer at The Manor at Seneca Hill in Oswego, New York. He said continued isolation is inflicting a heavy toll. Weve got to do things that make more sense for these residents, make more sense for these families. While the federal government recently eased restrictions for vaccinated nursing home residents, New York state has not gone along. Those who eat together in communal spaces must remain socially distanced, for example, and they have to be masked and 6 feet apart during activities, no matter their vaccination status. That makes crafts, bingo, music a lot of what nursing home life is about more difficult, said Elizabeth Weingast, vice president for clinical excellence at The New Jewish Home, which runs elder-care facilities in and around New York City. We prioritized vaccinating nursing home residents and thats wonderful, but theyre not getting the same liberties that you or I have now, said Weingast, who recently published an opinion piece calling for a loosening of restrictions. Her co-author, Karen Lipson of LeadingAge New York, which represents nonprofit nursing homes, said the rules force this kind of policing of love that is really, really challenging. With the virus infecting more than 650,000 long-term-care residents and killing more than 130,000 across the U.S., nursing homes had a duty to take precautions when COVID-19 was out of control, said Nancy Kass, a public health expert at Johns Hopkins University. But she said she is baffled by the continued heavy emphasis on safety at the expense of residents quality of life, given were not in that state of affairs anymore. In Ohio, Bob Greve was desperate for a change of scenery after being cooped up in his Cincinnati-area nursing home for most of the last year. But the administrator wouldnt permit a visit to his sons house because of COVID-19 concerns even though both men are fully vaccinated. The policy led Greve to a breaking point, according to his son, Mike Greve, who said his 89-year-old father called six, eight, even 10 times a day out of boredom and frustration and talked constantly about getting out. Mike Greve said he pressed the nursing home administrator for outside forays, only to be told: If I let you take your father out, I have to let everybody else. Greve said the administrator was worried about residents bringing COVID-19 back with them. The administrator did not return phone and email messages from The Associated Press. A day after AP sought comment, Greve said, the administrator called him into the office, offered to allow his father out for a visit and said the policy would be changed for everyone else, too. Father and son spent a glorious afternoon soaking in the sunshine at Greves house, where his dad spotted a deer. He said, Hallelujah I dont know how many times, Greve said. He said, I dont know how you got me out, but Im so happy I could cry.' ___ Rubinkam reported from northeastern Pennsylvania. Associated Press reporter Marina Villeneuve in Albany, New York, contributed to this story. ___ This story corrects the spelling of the surname of Denise Gracely, whose 80-year-old mother, Marian Rauenzahn, lives in a nursing home in Topton, Pennsylvania .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... SANTA FE The attorney for Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan says prosecutors cherry-picked jurors to support change-of-venue motions filed in two cases involving the lawman, the first of which ended in a hung jury this month. Defense attorney Jason Bowles said in response to special prosecutor Andrea Rowley Reebs motions to move the trials that she based her argument on hearsay affidavits from four of 12 jurors in Lujans trial that ended June 4 in which he was charged with bribery of a witness and harboring or aiding a felon. Reeb filed a motion earlier this week claiming witness intimidation and juror bias in the case. The motion says Lujans own deputies controlled courthouse security throughout the trial, held a barbecue in the courthouse parking lot in support of Lujan, and that jury members worried that deputies and others could hear their deliberations through the courthouse windows. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ In response, Bowles asserts the change of venue is an after-the-fact, sour grapes attempt to engineer or move to a county in which the state believes it will have the best chance to win. Rather than wanting a fair trial, the state wants a stacked trial, slanted as much as it can against Mr. Lujan. Bowles said the first trial was fair and argues that Lujan has a right to be tried in the community where the alleged crimes occurred. Reebs initial motion proposed moving the trials to Chaves, Dona Ana or San Juan counties. She said she chose those counties because they had little to no publicity of the case, while Lujans court cases have received extensive media coverage in the 1st Judicial District. But Bowles said 18 of the 31 news articles Reeb cited were from a news organization he claims is biased toward the Espanola Police Department. Media coverage doesnt necessarily equate to prejudice and that, if anything, news coverage was slanted against Lujan, he said in the motion. But Reeb said in a phone interview that its not about the quantity of articles, but the saturation of the media coverage in the area. I think one of the biggest things here is (Lujan) is the elected official of that county, she said. Those are his voters, and the jurors expressed that they were not comfortable because he had so much power in that county. Lujan is also charged with three counts of resisting, evading or obstructing an officer in a trial scheduled to begin July 26. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Joe Powdrell has been celebrating Juneteenth almost his entire life. As a child growing up in Texas, Powdrell, now the owner of Mr. Powdrells BBQ in Albuquerque, listened to stories explaining the significance of the date and learned about the brutal history that preceded it. In fact, as a 23-year-old soldier in the Vietnam War, Powdrell faced punishment for organizing a small celebration of the holiday, which commemorates the end of slavery. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ For 73-year-old Powdrell, June 19 extends beyond barbecues and civic events and instead represents a time for the Black community to connect to each other and themselves. I had to explain to my commanding officer that this is not a riot, he said about his experience organizing a Juneteenth celebration in Vietnam. This is a sharing of historical experience, spiritual experience that people who are descendants of slavery have in common. Powdrell, the founder of Albuquerques first Juneteenth celebration in 1976, said that while the holiday is now surrounded by fanfare, it still represents a time for the Black community to own and tell their story. Celebrated on June 19 for the past 136 years, Juneteenth marks the day the last group of enslaved people in Texas learned that slavery had been abolished. As of this week, its also the newest federal holiday. President Joe Biden signed legislation Thursday recognizing Juneteenth as a federal holiday. In honor of the day, various celebrations are being held across the state this weekend, including a three-day event held at Civic Plaza in Albuquerque. But in the midst of celebrations, Cathryn McGill, founder of the New Mexico Black Leadership Council, said the holiday is still a time to reflect on the past and work toward the continuous pursuit of freedom. She said the passing of the legislation is an acknowledgement and a step in the right direction, but more work needs to be done at the national and state levels. We dont want to be in a situation where we forget how long it took to get to where we are right now, who brought us here. We stand on the shoulders of our ancestors, McGill said. And also the fact that many of the issues we face are still here in spite of the fact that we have an MLK day. Marsha Hardeman, a University of New Mexico professor who helped organize the first Juneteenth celebrations in Albuquerque, said she is glad to know that more people are now learning about the holiday and that she hopes the acknowledgment of the holiday at the federal level will continue to bring people together. As hard as the last four years have been, where there seems to have been such energy spent on divisiveness and division, we are so much better off when we can put that aside and come together to celebrate one another, she said. Powdrell said while the holiday has grown since he first organized Albuquerques celebration in the 70s, he worries about the motives behind designating Juneteenth as a federal holiday. I dont like us celebrating something for years and then they come in and say, Hey, were going to make this a national holiday, he said. Its already national. Powdrell said that with the nationalization of the holiday, he worries the Black community will step away from organizing and teaching each other about the true meaning of the date and that the difficult conversations surrounding the brutality of slavery wont be discussed. If you explain the Emancipation Proclamation you have to talk about slavery. If you talk about slavery, you had to talk about women getting raped, people getting killed, he said. So as a child Im getting a history lesson, Im getting a spiritual lesson about how you stand up, how you embrace what is right and proper about life not only for yourself but you understand that other people have the same right that you have, the same responsibility that you have. Instagram Celebrity The 'Ted' actor has worked out with American soldiers during a gym session when visiting the Marine Corps Air Station in San Diego, California to open his fitness facility. Jun 19, 2021 AceShowbiz - Mark Wahlberg has put his fitness to the test by hitting the gym with U.S. Marines. The "Ted" star paid a visit to the Marine Corps Air Station in San Diego, California last weekend (12-13Jun21) to help open the base's new gym, where the F45 Training programme, a high-intensity circuit training class in which Wahlberg is an investor, is used. He took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Marines commander Colonel Charles B. Dockery and then joined active members of the military for one of the classes. The sweat session came as Wahlberg continues to shed the extra weight he recently piled on for his new movie role in "Father Stu", adding 30 pounds (13.6 kilograms) to his fit frame in just six weeks. According to the New York Post's Page Six, Wahlberg personally covered the costs of his trip to San Diego and then spent "three hours taking selfies with the Marines and their families, personally thanking everyone for their service." Besides "Father Stu", Mark Wahlberg will next be seen in biographical drama "Joe Bell", sci-fier "Infinite", and video game adaptation "Uncharted". "Father Stu" is a biopic about boxer-turned-priest Father Stuart Long and the role requires the actor to fatten up once they've wrapped filming on the shoots in the ring. "They want me to do it as healthy as possible and I'm like, 'Dude, I've been on such a regimen for so long, I just want to eat everything in sight,' " he previously said. "I want to go to bakeries, I want to go to Denny's (diner), I want to get pancakes, I want to get everything I can possibly get my hands on!" Instagram Movie Sharing a glimpse of the female superhero's suit are none other than director Andy Muschietti and the actress Calle themselves, who take to their respective social media accounts to post the pic. Jun 19, 2021 AceShowbiz - Another sneak peek at the long-awaiting "The Flash" movie has been officially released. Making its way out online, the new photo gives first look at Sasha Calle's Supergirl costume in the upcoming standalone pic. On Friday, June 18, both the film's director Andy Muschietti and actress Calle took to their respective social media accounts to share a glimpse of the female superhero's suit. Posting it on his Instagram page, the filmmaker simply tagged "The Flash" movie's official Instagram account, while Calle captioned it, "Supergirl. X," on her own post. The photo gives a close-up look at the Supergirl logo on the chest area. Dominated in red and blue with a little bit of yellow to fill in the "S" symbol, the costume bears a resemblance to Henry Cavill's Superman costume, but it has its own style with the red featured on the top. Calle was officially announced as part of the movie's cast in February. "I saw more than four hundred auditions. The U.S., Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia. The talent pool was truly amazing and it was very hard to make a decision, but we finally found an actress who was destined to play this role," Muschietti said of choosing Calle, who will be the first Latina to star as the iconic character, to take on the role. Prior to sharing the Supergirl costume photo, Muschietti unveiled the first glimpse of The Flash's new costume in the movie. In similar fashion, the image, gave a close-up look at the superhero's lightning insignia on Barry Allen's chest, which is different from the one on Barry's suit during his debut in "Justice League". The new Flash costume also seems to be wired with circuitry that is centralized around the lightning insignia on his chest. Muschietti has also teased Batman's return in The Flash movie by offering a look at Michael Keaton's Batman suit. In the image posted last week, the Gotham superhero's logo is stained with blood. "The Flash" is currently in production with the script provided by Christina Hodson. Plot details are kept under wraps, but the movie will reportedly see Barry traveling back in time to prevent his mother's murder, which brings unintentional consequences to his timeline. In addition of Keaton's Batman, the solo movie is said to feature Ben Affleck's version of the Caped Crusader. Ezra Miller reprises his role as The Flash/Barry Allen, Kiersey Clemons is cast as Barry's love interest Iris West, with Maribel Verdu and Ron Livingston starring as Barry's mother and father respectively. "The Flash" movie is due in theaters on November 4, 2022. WENN/Avalon Celebrity Making use of Twitter, the Jonathan Fraser of 'The Undoing' shares a screenshot of the most popular results for 'Hugh Grant's wife', with one stating they wed 'for passport reasons.' Jun 19, 2021 AceShowbiz - Hugh Grant has shot down rumors suggesting he only married Swedish TV producer Anna Eberstein for "passport reasons." The "Notting Hill" star recently discovered his personal life had become a top search topic on Google, and he decided to set the record straight. Taking to Twitter on Thursday, June 17, the British actor shared a screenshot of the most popular results for the phrase, "Hugh Grant's wife", with one report stating the private couple had wed "for passport reasons." Hugh Grant set the record straight on reason why he married Anna Eberstein. Responding to the claim, Grant wrote, "No I didn't, @Internet. I married her because I love her." He and Eberstein became husband and wife in 2018. They are parents to three children, while Grant also shares two older kids with his ex, Tinglan Hong. Speaking about parenthood, Grant admitted in 2020 that he found it exhausting at his age. "I did this job partly to get away from my young children as they are exhausting at my age," he confessed when chatting with TV host Graham Norton to promote "The Undoing". "I thought it would be great to have a break but every time I arrived in New York I missed them so badly I was a mess, so every scene was suddenly a cue for tears for me," he went on sharing. "I'd even go into a cafe and ask for a cup of coffee and the tears would come!" The 60-year-old actor further blamed age for him being more emotional. "Having spent a career unable to muster a single emotion, I find in my old age I can't stop them," he spilled. "It's something to do with children or love, or my wife, or something, but I can't keep it at bay." Instagram Celebrity After over a year of being engaged to her fiancee Jason McDonald, the catwalk beauty announces her first pregnancy through a sweet social media post on Instagram. Jun 19, 2021 AceShowbiz - Martha Hunt is set to become a first-time mother. The Victoria's Secret model shared the exciting news on her social media account by flaunting her "full heart" growing baby bump. Taking to her Instagram feeds on Friday, June 18, the catwalk beauty announced that she is expecting her first child with her fiancee Jason McDonald. "Full heart growing belly," she simply captioned a photo of herself smiling at the camera in a bikini, revealing her baby bump. Martha's post has since been flooded with well wishes and warm congratulatory messages in the comment section. Former Victoria's Secret angel Gigi Hadid commented, "MAMA CONGRATULATIONS ANGELS @marthahunt & @j_mcd lucky lucky baby," while "Queer Eye" star Antoni Porowski chimed in, "Sugar lemon crepes to celebrate !!!" Victoria's Secret runway regulars, including Sara Sampaio, Lais Ribeiro, Elsa Hosk and Jasmine Tookes, also took to the comment section to weigh in on the baby news. Sara wrote, "Omg congrats love," while Elsa gushed, "Yayyy congrats beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!" Jasmine, on the other hand, left some heart-eyes smiling face emojis. Martha announced her engagement back in January 2020 via Instagram. "I have a secret" the model of Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood" video wrote alongside a series of photos. One showed off her new engagement ring, the second featured her and Jason snuggling up to one another, while the last ones showed her planting a sweet kiss on her photographer fiancee's cheek. She put the location of the post as Harbour Island, Bahamas. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Martha and her soon-to-be husband had to postpone their wedding, as per PEOPLE report. Still, she took the positive side as saying, "This is going to make us stronger." She added, "If we can spend this amount of time around each other [we] can survive anything." "It's not our fault. We just have to be malleable to these new circumstances in our life," Martha, who first met Jason on the set of a photoshoot back in 2015, continued. "At the same time, it's shown me that I'm so grateful that I have someone during this time." WENN Celebrity The 'Ghost Rider' actor is mourning the loss of his beloved mother Joy Vogelsang who passed away after she had been hospitalized in Los Angeles for two weeks. Jun 20, 2021 AceShowbiz - Nicolas Cage's mother has died at the age of 85. Former dancer Joy Vogelsang had been hospitalised in Los Angeles for two weeks before passing away late last month (26May21). The "Face/Off" star's brother, Christopher Coppola, shared the sad news in a tribute on Facebook. "She had a very hard life with mental health issues...," he wrote. "I learned from my mama what 'affection' really means. I believe only a mama can truly teach that... Thank you for all your prayers and being with me the last few days." Joy divorced Nicolas' father August, an author and film executive, in 1976. He died in 2009. In addition to Nicolas and Christopher, who is a director, the couple also had son Marc Coppola, who works as a DJ. Joy's funeral has not yet taken place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cage is currently in the Cayman Islands shooting his next film, "The Retirement Plan". Nicolas Cage was raised by his father as his mother spent much of his youth in mental institutions due to schizophrenia. In a 2013 interview, the actor insisted growing up in a troubled household affected him less than it might have, "I think I was just some people would call it under the protection of a guardian angel; other people would call it a child's solipsism. It's whatever you want to call it, but I was happy in the bubble of my imagination." And he said his mother was very proud of his success, "Yes, she's fun. She watches my movies when they come on television and gets excited. Quite childlike about it, actually." CHICO, Calif. - Business is back to normal at Tomfoolery on Third street in downtown Chico, thanks, in part, to Aaron Rodgers. Owner Terry Strasser was one of 80 businesses in Butte County that reaped the benefits of the Aaron Rodgers Small Business COVID-19 fund. The money went directly towards Strasser's rent. The grants were specifically set aside to help keep the lights on. Rodgers and the North Valley Community Foundation made out a check to each businesss landlord. Its a phenomenal thing for the community," Strasser said. "It was basically throwing us a lifeline because for most small businesses, as people know, it has been difficult. Because of COVID, we were shut down for several months. Strasser added that not having to worry about rent took the pressure off him while reopening. Instead, he focused on purchasing inventory for his store. Many businesses on Third street received funding from the foundation. Rodgers relief fund donated a total of $1.6 million through two rounds of grants. Bolo Indya, Indias first home-grown social live streaming platform has joined hands with the Ministry of Ayush to drive mass awareness for traditional Indian systems of medicines such as Yoga, Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha to promote healthy living amongst Indias regional internet users. Through this collaboration, more than 10 million Indians are expected to be reached in the next 12 months. Bolo Indya will promote various initiatives of the Ministry of Ayush around healthy living and will see the well-known Yoga practitioners live streaming their Yoga training sessions on Bolo Indya and actively engage with the semi-urban and rural population of India at scale. The partnership will also drive mass awareness around the newly launched 24*7 helpline number by the Ministry of Ayush 14443 to support the people and address all their queries for healthy living. The partnership also aims at driving engagement around the Ministry of Ayushs solutions for COVID-19 for tier 1/2/3 language users of the country. As part of this initiative, the Ministry of Ayush will host a series of programs under the Be with Yoga, Be at Home campaign for International Day of Yoga (IDY) (21st June) on the Bolo Indya app. Bolo Indya users residing in Tier 1, 2, and 3 will now get access to the free of cost quality online Yoga training programs and snackable videos, infographics, and all relevant information around best practices of Yoga as well as all-around health and wellbeing. To guide Bolo Indya users on how to perform different asanas and to inform the community about the benefits of practicing Yoga and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, the Ministry of Ayush plans to host sessions by renowned Yoga and Health experts. This shall assist the esteemed Ministry to reach out to the population that uses Bolo Indya on a regular basis. For sharing all the important updates and to driving engagement with the users, the Ministry of Ayush has activated an official handle @MinstryofAyush on the Bolo Indya platform across two languages which will eventually be activated in 14 languages. Moreover, the official Ministry of Ayush profile will also be equipped to live stream all major video content and facilitate all announcements to address the language users on Bolo Indya who are residing in tier 2/3/4, towns. PN Ranjit Kumar, Joint Secretary and Spokesperson, Ministry of Ayush said, - "The Ministry of Ayush is happy to join the Made in India social live streaming platform, Bolo Indya. This is an additional digital touchpoint to reach citizens through regional languages. We hope that the partnership encourages the adoption of Ayush Solutions among the citizens to stay healthy as well as to further enhance the love for Yoga in India. Commenting on the partnership, Varun Saxena, Co-Founder and CEO Bolo Indya said, We take pride in joining hands with the Ministry of Ayush and are pleased to be a part of the annual global moment- International Day of Yoga. At Bolo Indya, our endeavor is to create strong values for our users through social live streaming driven active engagement and with this partnership, we stand committed to take Common Yoga Protocols and their multiple benefits, along with COVID19 relief initiatives by the Ministry to Ayush to the users of Bharat at an unprecedented scale. Bolo Indya has also recently partnered with the Governments citizen engagement platform MyGov India, to aid the Centres efforts in combating the menace of the coronavirus pandemic through an awareness drive. Public Relations (PR) and Social Media agency, Crosshairs Communication has been awarded PR mandate for Clensta- a personal care brand driven by technology. The Boutique Agency would be helping the brand gain recognition for its unique line of products. Crosshairs Communication is one of the leading Public Relations and Social Media agencies in India. The core values that drive its philosophy are innovation, strategy, and entrepreneurial spirit, leading to impactful results and delivering beyond expectations. Commenting on this successful venture, Ms. Stuti Jalan Surekha, Founder, Crosshairs Communication said, We are ecstatic to be the PR agency for Clensta and promote it as a brand that is sustainable and is an integral part of the changing requirements of hygiene. In helping this brand get the recognition it requires we would also be contributing to making the environment a better place. Clensta is into personal care and home care space with a focus on science & sustainability. Founded in 2016, backed by IIT Delhi & DST we have 28+ Products in our portfolio. Multichannel presence with recurring customer base, National Awarded Clensta achieved 4X growth since last FY. It has a team of IIT-IIM grads who believe in novel ideas and smart execution. Post commercialization of Waterless Body Bath, Waterless Shampoo and CoV-Guard Protection Lotion with Prolonged Antiviral Protection Technology (PAR), they have developed a new category of Homecare products based on EBDC Technology with Innovation in Products, Processes and Packaging. Clensta aims to develop environmentally compassionate products that benefit all. The brand has been fortunate to have received appreciation by The Honorable President of India, and have also gained recognition across the U.S. Embassy New Delhi (Nexus: The Innovation Hub), The Indian Biotech community, BIRAC, Ministry of Chemical and Fertilizer, Falling Wall Venture & also a National Awardee Company. As an agency Crosshairs Communication has handled an array of clients in luxury, lifestyle, hospitality, and corporate space. Instagram had recently announced about the launch of reels in ads and is now expanding its feature and making it available in all the regions. As explained by Instagram in their blogpost, "After testing in select countries, today were launching Reels ads to the world. Reels is the best place on Instagram to reach people who dont follow you and a growing global stage where brands and creators can be discovered by anyone. These ads will help businesses reach greater audiences, allowing people to discover inspiring new content from brands and creators." Instagram is a big platform that helps brands and individuals to reach their audience with the Instagram promotions, as Reels has now become a bigger element for all the users. "As with regular Reels content, these ads will loop and can be up to 30 seconds. People can comment, like, view, save and share Reels ads." The reach completely depends on how engaging and creative the ad will be. Instagram initially launched Reels ads in India, Brazil, Germany and Australia back in April, before expanding them to Canada, France, the UK and the US late last month. Instagram has also said that Reels has seen specific usage momentum in India, where TikTok was banned last June and Reels was launched just after few days. This feature will not only be beneficial for brands but will also help the tech company to increase its revenue more than before and will encourage the creators to build rich content for their audiences. Twitter officials appeared before a Parliamentary committee headed by Shashi Tharoor yesterday (June 18, 2021) and insisted that it had its own policies in place that it follows to safeguard users privacy and security on the microblogging platform. This didnt go down well with the panel, which comprised members from across political parties. The Parliamentary committee told Twitter officials in no uncertain terms that Rule of the land is supreme and not your policy. According to sources, the deposition lasted for 90 minutes. The Panel has asked Twitter to submit its written response to various questions posed by its members. While all major digital players have complied with the new IT Rules 2021, which came into effect from May 26, 2021, Twitter has been at loggerheads with the Government and is yet to appoint a grievance redressal officer, even as it has named interim compliance and nodal officers in India. A couple of days back, officials had said that with the non-compliance, Twitter stands to lose the immunity as an intermediary under the Indian laws and could be held accountable for any unlawful comment posted by users on the Twitter. Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister for Law & Justice, Communications, Electronics & Information Technology, too, lashed out at Twitter, calling its non-compliance a deliberate action. In a series of Tweets, Prasad stated, Indian companies, be it pharma, IT or others that go to do business in USA or in other foreign countries, voluntarily follow the local laws. Then why are platforms like Twitter showing reluctance in following Indian laws designed to give voice to the victims of abuse and misuse? Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy, the critically-acclaimed six-part CNN Original Series that follows Academy Award nominee Stanley Tucci as he travels across Italy to discover the secrets and delights of the countrys regional cuisines, debuts on CNN International this weekend. In the first episode, airing on Sunday 20th June, Tucci visits Naples and the Amalfi Coast. Here, he feasts on pizza in Naples, before embarking on a whirlwind tour to find the freshest mozzarella and the best San Marzano tomatoes, and enjoying spectacular spaghetti and zucchini. Subsequent episodes will air weekly on CNN International with Tucci visiting a different region or city of Italy, including Rome, Bologna, Milan, Tuscany and Sicily. Naples is the third largest and most populous city in Italy. But its history and beauty has been tainted with underdog status from close association with Vesuvius - the worlds most dangerous volcano, the Camorra a notorious branch of the local mafia, and poverty. In the citys historic Spanish Quarter, Stanley meets Professor Elisabetta Moro who takes him to the last authentic fried pizza maker, Fernandas. Elisabetta explains that in a poor city that suffered from cholera, pizza fritte was important because it was cheap and hot oil was a way of sterilizing food. Not only is the fried pizza combo of creamy ricotta with salty pork lard delicious, it also underpinned the emergence of pizza proper. Stanley meets Enzo Coccia, the proud King of Neapolitan Pizza to learn the secret art of arguably the worlds best pizza. Stanley embarks on a whirlwind tour to find the freshest mozzarella and the best San Marzano tomatoes for Enzo to work his magic on. The result is a perfectly balanced triumph of the senses. Stanley visits Scampia, an isolated, poor neighbourhood outside the city. The residents have opened a restaurant to bring hope to an area of high crime and unemployment. The local Roma population have joined forces with the Neapolitans to create mouth-watering culinary fusions such as sarme, a delicious stuffed cabbage roll and Serbian-style moussaka made using friarelli, a distinctly Neapolitan broccoli. Just a short boat ride from Naples lies the small island of Ischia where Stanley revisits one of his favourite restaurants, Il Focolare, perched on the side of a mountain. Here the DAmbra family all live, work, cook and eat together. Ischia is overrun with rabbits, so the traditional Sunday dish is mouth-watering rabbit-in-a-pot with tomatoes, white wine and a whole bulb of garlic. Naples is part of Campania, a region encompassing one of the most beautiful coastlines on earth the Amalfi Coast. Stanleys next stop is Lo Scoglio restaurant, which makes spectacular spaghetti and zucchini. Located on an idyllic beach overlooking azure waters, his wife, Felicity, flies out to join him. Theres just one small problem a storm is rolling in. Stanley survives the storm and heads up coast to Minori to meet pastry chef maestro Salvatore de Riso to savour his sensational Delizie al Limone. After demonstrating the sublime qualities of the Amalfi lemons, Sal shows Stanley the delicate art of creating the creamy dessert. Andy Hayes doesnt know how many families will show up at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, July 3, for th Lake Charles, Louisiana (70615) Today Partly cloudy skies this morning. Thunderstorms likely during the afternoon. High 88F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Low 74F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%. The New York Times headlined a recent article, "Biden's $6 trillion budget aims for path to middle class, financed by the rich." But is it possible to confer middle-class status on individuals just by giving them a handful of unearned money? Is it possible for someone to say, "I'm middle-class because I'm getting checks from the government"? Most thoughtful observers will recognize the absurdity of this notion, but it doesn't seem absurd to Biden or his progressive supporters just as it didn't seem crazy, back in the 2000s, to gift a middle-class home to those who could not pay for it, or today that one can transform a mediocre student into an Ivy Leaguer just by adding points to his application based on race. Or, for that matter, that one can confer health on the poor by buying them health insurance, or that one can end illegal immigration by destroying American energy independence in the name of climate change. The problem with all of these expensive boondoggles is that self-improvement requires effort. Individuals do not "become middle-class" just because they receive $30,000 or $40,000, or more, from the government. Actually, they become less middle-class, because one of the key middle-class values is responsibility and the self-respect that goes with it. What Biden's plan will accomplish is the gradual destruction of the true middle class those who will be called upon to pay for the giveaways in his various "plans" for the poor. Biden's plan to purchase middle-class status for the poor goes to the heart of all that is wrong with progressive thinking. One's "class," as the word suggests, is earned through effort, intelligence, and training. It also has a lot to do with one's background and especially the faith and hope that loving parents, or grandparents and others, confer. It has nothing to do with an extra $3,600 per child or an expanded program of tax credits. Respectability is the key to being middle-class, and receiving welfare payments like the expanded childcare tax credits starting up this month doesn't make one any more respectable. If one wants to learn the true path to the middle class, one might read Clarence Thomas's autobiography, My Grandfather's Son: A Memoir. As Thomas writes of "Daddy," the maternal grandfather who raised him, social class is not simply a matter of money. Daddy's character and values became a model for the grandson, and it was these that served as a path to the middle class for Clarence Thomas. Per child tax credits of $3,000 or $3,600 per year also serve as a "model," but the wrong sort. They are a throwback to the old "welfare mom" mentality of the past, and they teach only dependency and self-contempt. And all too often, this climate of dependency is the path to gangs, drugs, and failure. It was not Justice Thomas's mother, living in squalid public housing in Atlanta, who taught him self-respect it was his strong and independent, though poor, grandfather. According to Bureau of Justice statistics, 5.1% of Americans will be imprisoned sometime during their lifetime, based on 1991 rates. For black males, the rate is 28.5% (for all males, 9.0%). Clearly, there is a problem, but the problem is not poverty itself any more than it is "overrepresentation" or police bias. It is that those who have learned dependence in childhood are more likely to become criminals and so be sent to prison. It is perverse to imagine that putting people on welfare will make them middle-class. Moving people into public housing, paying for their food and health care, providing a small annual income on the condition that they do not work will not transform them into middle-class citizens; it will perpetuate the opposite. Biden's American Rescue Plan and American Families Plan promise to "lift more than five million children out of poverty this year" by "helping families cover the basic expenses that so many struggle with now." This plan, at a cost of $1.8 trillion, promises free preschool childcare, two years of free community college (with an additional $46 billion earmarked for traditionally minority institutions of higher learning), expanded Pell Grants for low-income college students, comprehensive paid family leave, and expanded government-paid health care and nutrition assistance, along with making permanent the "emergency measures" of the American Rescue Plan including larger child tax credits, earned income tax credits, expanded health care tax credits, and child and dependent care tax credits. By some accounting magic, Biden promises that one dollar "invested" in these welfare schemes will produce up to $7.30 in benefits to the economy. If that's the case, all we need to do as a nation is to print trillions more, and we'll all be rich. But somehow, the welfare schemes of the past never produced $7.30 in benefits they produced $0.00 in benefit, or less, for every dollar spent. As Wendy McElroy points out, "social status refers to a person's standing in a community. It refers to how highly others in society value a person." One of the casualties of government assistance has been the family, black and otherwise. As McElroy stresses, "the single most important cause of black impoverishment" is "the decline of the black family, for which government bears much responsibility." Now, under Biden, government is doubling down in its assault on the self-respect of the poor. Millions have now received a series of COVID relief checks, federal unemployment checks, and child support payments, and shown little inclination to better themselves for example, by graduating from college. Biden wants taxpayers to pay for two years of free community college, but only 13% of community college students graduate within two years. That "investment" has all the makings of a boondoggle. Biden exhibits gross ignorance on how one becomes middle-class. The path to the middle class derives from the values of discipline, hard work, prudence, self-responsibility, and persistence. Government assistance destroys these values, as every study of the welfare state from Daniel Moynihan to Deirdre McCloskey has shown. It is hard to believe that Biden's advisers are not aware of this fact. One can only conclude that their real intention is to destroy the path to the middle class and replace it with the road to serfdom. Jeffrey Folks is the author of many books and articles on American culture including Heartland of the Imagination (2011). Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. What do we do when great people do bad things, hold bad beliefs, or support bad causes? (Cancel them?) Across America, communities are arguing over what to do with statues of and memorials to great figures in American history, whose actions or beliefs conflict with modern standards. In Virginia, one of the states premier colleges is struggling with how (or whether) to honor the legacy of one of the nations greatest military figures. The outcome of that struggle could influence how modern-day Americans eventually reckon with our countrys glorious-but-checkered past. For more than one hundred years, a statue of General Thomas J. Jackson, known to the world as Stonewall Jackson, stood overlooking the grounds of the Main Post at the Virginia Military Institute, or VMI. Jackson taught at the school for the ten years before the Civil War broke out and he became a general in the Confederate Army. VMI graduate Moses Ezekiel, who fought as a cadet at the Battle of New Market, sculpted the statue. A Washington Post article from December 7th called the statue the spiritual centerpiece of the institute. No longer. In the wake of the George Floyd murder, Black Lives Matter protests, and an explosive Washington Post article alleging racism at VMI, the institutes Board of Visitors voted to remove the statue. Completely. They didnt relocate it to a less-prominent place on the campus. They sent it completely off post. Stonewalls statue ended up seventy miles away, in New Market, at a VMI-run museum that commemorates the cadet corps fight there against Union troops in 1864. If VMI needed to atone for past racism, banishing Stonewall Jacksons statue was an odd way to do it and especially odd for a military school. Stonewall Jackson was one of Americas most accomplished battlefield generals. In the spring of 1862, Jackson commanded a Confederate force defending Virginias Shenandoah Valley against three separate Federal commands. Stonewall led his troops from battle to battle, marching over 350 miles in one month. He defeated all three of those Union commands, whose combined strength was three times that of his force. Jacksons campaign prevented Lincoln from reinforcing Union troops menacing Richmond, the Confederate capital. Jackson then eluded his pursuers in the Valley, joined up with Robert E. Lee, and assisted Lee in defeating the Union army outside Richmond, which saved the city. In 2014 journalist S.C. Gwynne wrote Rebel Yell, a New York Times bestselling biography of Jackson. Its cover says Stonewall engineered perhaps the greatest military campaign in American history, and had become one of the most famous men in the Western world. One year later, Jackson engineered another momentous victory. At Chancellorsville, he led his command around the flank of the Union Army, smashed and routed it. Jacksons strategic innovations shattered the conventional wisdom of how war was waged, says the cover of Rebel Yell. He was so far ahead of his time that his techniques would be studied generations in the future. That sounds like someone a military institute would want to commemorate, not banish. But, was Jackson an evil racist? It was allegations of racism at VMI that prompted the removal of his statue. Was Stonewall Jackson a Virginia version of Simon Legree, the villain of Uncle Toms Cabin? Or Nathan Bedford Forrest, a founder of the Ku Klux Klan? Hardly, according to Gwynne, a former bureau chief and editor at Time and a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Jackson did own six slaves. Three of them came from his wifes family. The other three, writes Gwynn, came to Jackson and asked him to buy them. One hoped Jackson would let him buy his freedom. Another was about to be sold to pay her masters debts. The third was a child whose owner could no longer care for her. Jackson didnt need these slaves; his purchases of them seem motivated mostly by charity. Gwynnes biography shows no evidence that Jackson mistreated his slaves or was cruel to them. In fact, given the times he lived in, Jacksons treatment of African-Americans was uncommonly good, even exemplary. In 1855, the VMI professor started a Sunday school for Blacks. Jackson believed strongly in the endeavor, writes Gwynne. Jacksons minister said he threw himself into this work with all of his characteristic energy. Jackson soon had eighty to one hundred slaves in attendance, writes Gwynne. The school was entirely his creation: he conceived it, financed it, organized it, promoted it and recruited students and faculty. Jackson led services and gave Bibles to top students. From what evidence we have, writes Gwynne, Jackson was well-liked by blacks in town. Many 19th-century residents of Lexington, the hometown for VMI, werent happy to see Blacks in school. It was actually against the law in Virginia then to teach slaves to read! (Jackson apparently taught them anyway, so they could read the Bible). In 1858 three lawyers accosted Jackson. One called his Sunday school an unlawful assembly and another hinted at legal action. Nowadays, someone in that kind of situation, fearful of cancel culture, might back down. Not Jackson. Jackson, normally the most civil of men, responded angrily, writes Gwynne. Sir, if you were, as you should be, a Christian man, you would not think it or say so. Jackson then strode off indignantly. The Sunday School stayed open. Jackson even paid to keep it operating during the Civil War. That sounds like a citizen a university would want to honor, not diminish. Woke activists, however, are litigating people in the past, using the moral framework of today, Ayaan Hirsi Ali told Congressman Dan Crenshaw on his podcast. Stonewall Jackson had his shortcomings. He was an eccentric. (John Hay, Abraham Lincolns secretary, said Jackson reminded him of John Brown. Hay didnt mean this as a compliment). He was an average teacher (at best), and he did follow his state out of the Union. The fact that he owned slaves and tolerated slavery does leave a stain on his legacy. Nevertheless, Jacksons strengths and accomplishments outweigh his flaws. He was one of Americas greatest generals, and he literally broke the law to help slaves. Who among us would risk harassment, even arrest, to do the right thing? Stonewall Jackson did. It beggars belief that VMI (or the activists pressuring it) cant (or wont) devise a solution that acknowledges his shortcomings, but still honors a great general and a good person, on the campus of the school to which he dedicated much of his professional life. If, to be inclusive and tolerant, we must sandblast our past and sanitize our heritage, we risk becoming an emotionally and culturally brittle nation and a shallow people. Is this what inclusion has to look like? For all of us, across this country? Good leaders lead by example, as Jackson did with his Sunday School. The Stonewall Jackson statue affair could have set a good example for others to follow, by showing how modern-day Americans can acknowledge the flaws of our heroes (and the times they lived in), but still commemorate their character and accomplishments. Unfortunately, VMIs treatment of Jacksons legacy looks less like commemoration, and more like cancel culture. It sets a bad precedent. Stonewall Jackson deserved better. As did we all. Donald Smith was raised in Virginia. He graduated from the University of Virginia and the Joint Military Intelligence College. He is a defense contractor and retired Army Reservist. IMAGE: VMIs stonewall Jackson statute removed. YouTube screen grab. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Its that time of year again! Summer, when things get hot and dry and certain seasonal extreme weather events naturally occur -- as do alarming claims about them. When hurricanes form during hurricane season, expect climate alarmists to claim human-caused climate change is creating them, even though hurricanes have always formed at this time of year (thus the existence of the term hurricane season). When wildfires break out during wildfire season, scorching thousands of acres of mismanaged, overgrown forests, expect climate alarmists to claim human-caused climate change is causing them, even though wildfires have always been sparked at this time of year (thus the existence of the term wildfire season). The third in the trifecta of weather-related horror stories we can expect to read about every summer is drought. Droughts are normal and natural. At any point in time, portions of the United States and the world suffer from a drought of some length and severity. The areas suffering from drought change in response to shifts in short- and long-term weather and oceanic patterns of varying scales that affect precipitation. But that a drought is occurring somewhere, sometime is almost a certainty. Some regions of the world and places in the United States are more prone to drought than others, of course. Those same areas are also more prone to prolonged droughts of multiple months, years, and sometimes even decades or millennia. The western United States is one such area. This years drought-scare climate hype season has begun. A recent Yahoo! News article promoted the false claim human-caused climate change is responsible for a historic drought in California and the western United States. Back-to-back dry years in conjunction with above-average temperatures have exacerbated drought conditions across the American West, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said on its website, notes Yahoo News. The extent of the drought is unprecedented in recorded history Data show back-to-back dry years are not unusual in California or the western United States, even in recorded history. Neither California nor the western United States is experiencing a mega-drought. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) resurrected Climate Change Indicator series mid-May post titled Climate Change Indicators: Drought, undermines Yahoo News historic drought fairy tale. Average drought conditions across the nation have varied over time, writes EPA. The 1930s and 1950s saw the most widespread droughts, while the last 50 years have generally been wetter than average [see the figure below]. Over the entire period the overall trend has been toward wetter conditions, wrote EPA. EPAs report confirms what other sources of data demonstrate. As reported in Climate at a Glance: Drought, for example, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports America is currently undergoing its longest period in recorded history with less than 40 percent of the country experiencing very dry conditions. Also, the United States in 2017 -- and then again in 2019 -- registered its smallest percentage of land area experiencing drought. In California, for example, 2019 ranked among the states wettest years since official records have been kept. Interestingly, Yahoo News excludes the western states of Colorado and Wyoming from its analysis. Perhaps thats because had Yahoo News included data from these two states, it would have further undermined the claim that the drought in the American West was historic. In less than six months, the area of Colorado experiencing some level of drought fell from 100 percent to less than 50 percent. The area of Colorado experiencing severe drought conditions or worse, declined from 93 percent of the state to approximately 35 percent at present. By contrast, in June 2020, nearly 99 percent of Wyoming was drought-free. This has changed. At present, 24 percent of Wyoming is experiencing at least severe drought, still far below Yahoo News assertion that 72 percent of the western United States was suffering from a severe, multi-year drought. Colorado and Wyomings precipitation records show how dramatically drought conditions can change in short periods. The lesson: drought comes and goes, lingering in some places longer than in others. Research conclusively demonstrates the current drought in the western United States is not historic in length or severity. In the book The West Without Water, the authors note, Prolonged droughts -- some of which lasted more than a century -- brought thriving civilizations, such as the ancestral Pueblo (Native Americans) of the Four Corners region, to starvation, migration, and finally collapse. Indeed, research shows decade-long droughts happen once or twice a century in the western United States. Whats more, droughts lasting for multiple decades occur a few times each millennium. To conclude, back-to-back years of drought are hardly uncommon, and dont count as mega-droughts. Also, because mega-droughts in the western United States have lasted for decades and even centuries, it is impossible to attribute current drought conditions, barely two years old, to human-caused global warming. Americans should know these facts. Especially as the mainstream media and radical climate alarmists bombard the public with reports claiming human-caused climate change is causing a historic mega-drought in the West and that conditions will become worse in the future unless Americans cede power to international climate experts and cease using fossil fuels. Unlike droughts, their arguments are all wet. H. Sterling Burnett, Ph.D. (hburnett@heartland.org) is a senior fellow at The Heartland Institute, a nonpartisan, nonprofit research center headquartered in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Image: Pixabay To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. General Granger's Orders Number 3 read at Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865: The people are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. Granger's proclamation and argument were a two-year-delayed application of Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. Texas was one of the last vast locales to receive the word. This is why the news was viewed incredulously by black populations in Texas upon its hearing and why the date retains the important Afro-idealist sentiment of a "Texas independence day." Texas was not a longstanding U.S. state, and her founding was marred with compromises on the keeping of slavery despite Stephen F. Austin's acknowledgment that the practice was "evil." The date became black Americans' enduring "Texas independence day." Black Americans often utilized parks and churches across Texas to commemorate this incredible news, and in 1980, Texas was understandably the first state to make it a government holiday. This is now mimicked by almost all U.S. states, and there is a growing sense of treating it as a national and even international holiday. Despite its longer tradition in Texas, this year is another culture war theater, as Governor Abbot recently issued an order for preserving the ideals of Texas history, such as those events surrounding the famous Alamo. The intellectual acidic tensions of critical theory now enter the fray, with a goal of tarnishing Texas history in a manner consistent with the tarnishing of U.S. history. Academic skeptics say it is a "truer" history, but they have larger political goals. In this grand narrative, the Republican Party is essential and inescapable both at the national level and in Texas. An honest historical reading would acknowledge the driving force of the Republican Party to stop the advance of slavery across the United States. In Texas, the Republican Party was founded on July 4, 1876, in the aftermath of the Granger declaration. Granger was removed from his command within six months of his order by Democratic president Andrew Johnson, who opposed the substantial features of emerging black rights. The first state Republican convention for Texas met in Houston on July 4, 1867, and was predominantly black in composition, with about 150 black Texans attending and twenty Anglos. The details of this convention were reported in the Tri-Weekly Austin Republican on October 26, 1867. The final sentence of their declaration has an eerie ring today, describing the former Democratic government of Texas that supported the Confederate rebellion: "we will make no further attempt, by any compromise of our principles, to conciliate the enemies of the National government." The ongoing intellectual effort to refuse credit to Republicans in their inception and contemporaneous political acts to enact anti-racism is a profound impediment to the current national dialogue on race. President Biden stated in his 2020 campaign that any black person who did not vote for him "ain't black." Yet blacks did vote in increased numbers for the president's opponent and the party with a powerful history of fighting racism. The current president's party secured the greatest growth in support from 2016 among white males: 7 percent. This support was indispensable to his victory. Juneteenth remains more than political; its Christian resonance is also inescapable. In 1900, the anthem "Lift Every Voice" was sung for the first time. Its final verse is reminiscent of the Jewish victory over Egyptian slavery found in Exodus 15: God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, Thou who has brought us thus far on the way; Thou who has by Thy might Led us into the light, Keep us forever in the path, we pray. Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee, Lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee; Shadowed beneath Thy hand, May we forever stand. True to our God, True to our native land. That God intended blacks to be free in America is an inescapable contention. President Bush noted the matter vividly from the disembarkment point of many slave ships at Goree Island, Senegal in 2003: In America, enslaved Africans learned the story of the exodus from Egypt and set their own hearts on a promised land of freedom. Enslaved Africans discovered a suffering Savior and found he was more like themselves than their masters. Enslaved Africans heard the ringing promises of the Declaration of Independence and asked the self-evident question, then why not me? In the year of America's founding, a man named Olaudah Equiano was taken in bondage to the New World. He witnessed all of slavery's cruelties, the ruthless and the petty. He also saw beyond the slave-holding piety of the time to a higher standard of humanity. "God tells us," wrote Equiano, "that the oppressor and the oppressed are both in His hands. And if these are not the poor, the broken-hearted, the blind, the captive, the bruised which our Savior speaks of, who are they?" Down through the years, African Americans have upheld the ideals of America by exposing laws and habits contradicting those ideals. The rights of African Americans were not the gift of those in authority. Those rights were granted by the Author of Life, and regained by the persistence and courage of African Americans, themselves. As a Texan and former Texas governor, Bush was versed in the importance of Juneteenth. He acknowledged the holiday as president. Juneteenth is a time for all Americans to think about what we will do with our freedom. What risks are we willing to take among those who would deny it? For black Americans in Texas on June 19, 1865, and the many days that followed across the state, it was both a joyous and a perilous time to imagine a world outside bondage. Black Americans in Texas rose to that occasion and formed a government rejecting the former Confederate government of Texas. Their memory is more than sufficient to inspire us all again today. Dr. Ben Voth is an associate professor of rhetoric at Southern Methodist University and the author of four academic books on related matters, including his most recent 2021 book: Debate as Global Pedagogy: Rwanda Rising. Image via Public Domain Pictures. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Is there any argument leftists won't use to keep the U.S. borders open and profitable for Mexico's brutal human-smuggling rackets? Apparently not. Here's what passes for "reporting" from the left-leaning Dallas Morning News. The article lacks a "nut graf" and goes all over the place structurally, but its one-sided activist agenda is clear. The headline and subhead sum it up well: Border residents fear more violence after 'invasion' rhetoric by Texas politicians This week, Gov. Abbott and Lt. Gov. Patrick took a page out of Donald Trump's playbook and likened the arrival of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border to an invasion. That worries people who lived through the El Paso Walmart massacre. The article goes on to quote illegal aliens who say they are worried about "racism" in the country they insist on living in illegally, instead of fleeing as a racist hellhole. The unintentional irony is amazing. And more to the point, the reporter apparently found some person or other who said he was afraid of a rare, mass shooting, by some psychological sicko, to make the argument that Gov. Greg Abbott's plan to build a border wall in the wake of a historic migrant surge needs to be called off. So those border residents fear more violence, as the headline claims? And that justifies halting a border wall as a result, leaving the border open with a White House that is refusing to stop the avalanche of crime that has come of it? That claim doesn't explain much about the recent elections in Texas, where Texans of Mexican descent flipped hard for Republican candidates who vow to secure the border from illegal invaders who traffic in human beings and abandon them in the desert heat as a means of distracting the Border Patrol so they can ship illegal drugs across the border with zero consequences. These monsters are committing strings of crimes against Texans living near the borderlands in order to get their evil job done, and forcing longtime Democrat voters in those areas to dump the open-borders Democrats to try to get some semblance of relief from the crime that inevitably comes in when unvetted criminals are allowed in. Here's what's happening to Texas ranchers as a result of the migrant surge, according to the Washington Post: Some degree of illegal immigration, human smuggling and organized crime has long been part of life in mesquite country, especially along the busy Interstate 35 corridor, but South Texas law enforcement officials say it has increased in recent weeks, and hazardous high-speed chases have become a routine occurrence in rural communities. Tiny law enforcement agencies, such as the one here in LaSalle County, act as a second layer of a border enforcement apparatus that tries to stop smugglers, drugs and undocumented immigrants [sic] before they disappear into big cities. This increase has worried many local residents, and the debate over possible solutions often plays out on the Facebook pages of sheriff's and police departments, with views falling along already tense political lines. LaSalle County, where more than 87 percent of residents identify as Hispanic, has long been led by Democrats. But in the 2020 election voters backed Donald Trump, making him the first Republican presidential candidate in at least three decades to win the county. Anyone who has lived in South Texas in the past 30 years can wax poetic about giving water to parched "walkers" or migrants of years ago, usually single men from Mexico looking for work. But the past four years of border policies make this feel different, residents of different political persuasions say. They are afraid that the border-crossers evading capture at the river often while the Border Patrol is busy processing large numbers of migrant families and unaccompanied children are ending up in the back of smugglers' stolen cars and threatening their safety. Here's what the Border Patrol is finding among the numbers they do manage to catch, which is far from all of them, according to the New York Post: Border Patrol agents in one sector of Texas have seen a staggering 900 percent increase in arrests of illegal immigrants with criminal backgrounds since this time last year, according to Customs and Border Protection. In a release put out by CBP Thursday, the agency said it had arrested 760 undocumented individuals since October in the Laredo sector of the Lone Star State. That's up from 60 arrests in the same time last year. The group includes gang members and sex offenders. Compared to the remote possibility of a mass shooting by some deranged person who could go off for any excuse whatsoever, the very real crimes committed against residents on the border are being dismissed by these leftists as unimportant. There likely is no hope for the Dallas Morning News, which doesn't seem to be capable of writing an honest, multi-sided story at all these days on the effects of the border surge. It continues to use its platform for woulda-coulda-shoulda stories to spread fear of might-happens from activists with questionable sourcing, instead of report on the very real criminal activity in Texas that is fueling election shifts and drawing Gov. Greg Abbott to do the job the Biden administration won't do. The bad thing here is that leftists will seize on this argument for propaganda purposes and promote this as its argument for halting the border wall, hoping some leftist judge will buy it. It's hypocrisy in the extreme, and it ought to be exposed as such. It's also bad, lousy, worthless reporting from incompetents who don't know how to do journalism. Image: U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, public domain. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. When Senator Lisa Murkowski voted to convict President Trump on impeachment charges late in his term of office, she guaranteed that he would campaign against her receiving the GOP nomination for her 2022 re-election campaign. In March, he promised to travel to Alaska to campaign against her, and yesterday he endorsed candidate for Senate Kelly Tshibaka. The New York Times signaled to the rest of the agitprop media the line of attack to take against the endorsee in the first paragraph of its story on the endorsement: Former President Donald J. Trump endorsed Kelly Tshibaka on Friday in her race against Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, giving his support to an outsider candidate who promoted false claims of election fraud last year and has written articles in support of gay conversion therapy. Stand by for a torrent of media, backed by endless dollars of dark money for online and on-the-ground campaigning, painting Kelly Tshibaka as a crazed right-wing religious fanatic likely to lead an insurrection on the U.S. Capitol. A.G. Merrick Garland may even target her for thought crimes now that he has made questioning the 2020 election's integrity evidence of incitement to insurrection. President Trump beat Joe Biden by over 10 points in Alaska in the 2020 presidential race, but because third parties got nearly 10 percent of the vote, Trump carried only 52.83% of the vote. It is by no means a sure thing for Tshibaka to defeat Murkowski, who pulled off a nearly impossible win in 2010, when Tea Party candidate Joe Miller won the primary, but Murkowski won the November election on a write-in vote. That remarkable accomplishment took place in the aura of her father, former senator and governor Frank Murkowski, but the twelve subsequent years may have dimmed the effectiveness of that tie. However, thanks to a ballot initiative passed in 2020, Alaska has adopted an open primary system that insulates Murkowski from an almost inevitable loss were the GOP to have a primary election: in August 2022, it won't be just Republican voters who decide whether Murkowski should advance to the November ballot. She and whoever else wants the seat, of any party, will be on the same ballot for all primary voters. The top four will advance to the general election, and voters will rank them on the November ballot. Murkowski said the new open primary and ranked-choice voting puts her in a better position. "I think so," she said. "I actually, after giving it a fair amount of study, I like that this will put forward, hopefully, a process that is less rancorous." Scott Kendall, the father of Ballot Measure 2, worked on Murkowski's past campaigns. He said he didn't design the new system to benefit her. The impetus came when he was chief of staff to independent Gov. Bill Walker. Kendall said he saw how reluctant state legislators were to forge a compromise on a big bill, even when they thought it made good sense. They'd tell him they'd lose their seat in a primary. "Whenever a public official acted in the public good, and probably acted in a way their constituents wanted, kind of their leadership moments," Kendall said. "In the old system, their leadership moments would be their biggest liabilities." The open primary rewards moderation, Kendall said, because candidates can make their case to the entire constituency, rather than only the party faithful. Expect massive media attention on the August 2022 Alaska primary and claims that Trump no longer rules in the Republican Party if Murkowski appears on the November ballot, as she almost certainly will. If Tshibaka gets all of Trump's 2020 voters, she may win an absolute majority. But if not, then the second choice of the fourth-place finisher will be added to the vote totals of the top three. You can expect plenty of money going into securing second-place votes for Murkowski by demonizing Tshibaka and Trump. If there is still no winner of an absolute majority, then the second-place votes for the number-three candidate will be added to the frontrunners' totals. It is a wild card: impossible to predict. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. We already knew that a man with a high-level position in the Chinese Communist Party had defected to America. We also knew that the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) refused to let the other intelligence agencies in on the secret because it was immediately apparent that our government is riddled with Chinese spies, agents, true believers, and people on the payroll. Now, though, we know who the spy is and the broad outlines of the information he provided and it's a lot worse than you thought. As before, Jennifer Van Laar who I believe first reported about the defector's existence has the most comprehensive information. For the deep dive, go to RedState; for the short(ish) summary, stick with me. The defector's name is Dong Jingwei, and he's the vice minister of state security. He knows where all the bodies are buried, both in China and, I'm sorry to say, in America. According to Spy Talk, Dong "was responsible for the Ministry's counterintelligence efforts in China, i.e., spy-catching, since being promoted to vice minister in April 2018." Spy Talk also reports that China demanded Dong's return, but Blinken said no. Interestingly, the weak, woke Blinken said "no" not as a matter of principle. Instead, he took a stand only because the DIA hadn't told the administration about Dong's existence. That tells you about how little the DIA trusts the Biden administration. According to Spy Talk, Dong's presence in the U.S. is a rumor. However, Van Laar seems very sure of her sources, who told her China possesses "embarrassing and damaging information about our intelligence community and government officials in the 'terabytes of data' he's provided to the DIA." Van Laar also shares information from a Washington Free Beacon report claiming that, when China realized that Trump was about to close travel from China, it sent hundreds of "students" back in January, much earlier than their planned return dates, to monitor events in America. These students (spies), summarizes Van Laar, "were charged with reporting back on public policy changes, economic response and damage, impacts on the healthcare system (equipment/hospital bed shortages, etc), supply chain impacts (including how long it took things like semiconductors from China to reach the United States), civil unrest, and more." And here, straight from Van Laar herself, is other information Dong brought with him that should have you simultaneously furiously angry and really terrified: Early pathogenic studies of what we know as COVID. China's models about what COVID would do to the U.S. and the world (which makes it sound as if COVID was a bioweapon, not an accident). Financial records about which organizations and governments funded COVID "and other biological warfare" research. The identity of U.S. citizens who gave intel to China. The names of Chinese spies working or attending universities in America. Financial records showing American businesspeople and officials who took money from China. (Note: At least as to the businesspeople, these may have been legitimate transactions. I don't know how they can have been for the officials.) U.S. government officials who met (knowingly or not) with Chinese and Russian spies. Details about the Chinese government getting into the CIA communications system, which led the Chinese to kill dozens of CIA assets in China. Hunter Biden's hard drive, which meant that the Chinese knew all about his porn and drug problems, his acting as a conduit for money to Joe, and his and Joe's corrupt financial dealings generally. News that at least a third of Chinese students on American campuses (who pay full retail, so they drive out American students) are Communist Party assets or the children of high-level communist officials in America under false names. There's every reason to believe that all this information is true. Says Van Laar, "DIA has high confidence in the veracity of Dong's claims." In a sane, just world, our government would act upon this information immediately. China would become a pariah nation, with immediate steps taken to shut down all possible trade with China; Chinese students would be returned to China; corrupt officials and politicians (regardless of party) would be fired and, if appropriate, indicted; and our intelligence agencies would be cleaned up or, if too corrupt, disbanded. The mainstream media, however, are currently keeping a tight lid on this story, and it's doubtful that the Biden administration will act especially considering how compromised both Biden and his son are. We'll have to wait for the 2022 election for things to happen. If Republicans gain the majority in Congress, there should be some very interesting hearings. And if DeSantis becomes president in 2024, the indictments had better start rolling out. Image: Chinas 70th-anniversary parade. YouTube screen grab. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. On Thursday, Andrea Widburg reported on the unanimous Supreme Court decision in Fulton v. Philadelphia holding that Philadelphia violated Catholic Social Services' First Amendment rights when it barred organizations opposed to gay "marriage" from certifying homes for foster child placement. In Kentucky, this ruling is already beginning to bear fruit. There's been a conflict between the Kentucky Baptist Convention and Governor Andy Beshear over a single sentence in a contract with Sunrise Children's Services ("Sunrise"). Sunrise, which was started in 1869, is both one of Kentucky's oldest foster care providers and an institution of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. Beginning in the 1970s, it's partnered with Kentucky to facilitate foster placement and adoptions. The problematic sentence concerns LGBT rights. The Kentucky Baptists had held out in signing a new contract that required them to abandon a deeply held religious belief. This issue had never before been a problem. Now, though, the governor and his administration have insisted that Kentucky law mandates the contract language: Susan Dunlap, a spokeswoman for the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services, argued the agreement submitted to Sunrise is "an agreement required by federal law." Adding to the confusion, the Courier-Journal, the paper of record in Kentucky, characterized the dispute with the misleading headline, "Baptist group refuses Kentucky state contract to provide care for abused, neglected kids." This dispute has a significant impact on kids in need. Sunrise is the largest private residential childcare provider in Kentucky, providing daily care to more than 1,000 children and families. The agency has also facilitated more than 500 adoptions of Kentucky children. Sunrise has worked with the commonwealth for approximately 80 years and through 14 gubernatorial administrations and sees caring for children as its religious calling: At the close of the Civil War, families in Kentucky were left devastated. As a border state with torn loyalties, Kentucky saw families split and broken by the conflict. Death, sickness, and the poverty that followed left many children orphaned with no one to care for them. Since our beginnings as a ministry, Sunrise continues to be fueled by a faithful dedication to God's call for His people to be the hands and feet of Jesus in caring for innocent children. Maybe now Sunrise can continue to rescue children without having to abandon its core beliefs. That's because, on Thursday, in Fulton v. Philadelphia, the Supreme Court determined that requiring a religious organization to go against its deeply held beliefs is unconstitutional. Daniel Cameron, Kentucky attorney general, reacted quickly, as did agriculture commissioner Ryan Quarles, auditor Mike Harmon, and the state's House and Senate majority caucuses. All joined Cameron in urging the governor to grant a child services contract to Sunrise Children's Services as previous governors had. Cameron was clear about the Fulton decision's applicability to SCS: "This ruling unanimously upholds the religious freedoms enshrined in our Constitution and is a victory for all Kentuckians and Americans of faith," Cameron said. "We will continue to fight to ensure the sacred liberties of our Constitution are upheld for Kentuckians and faith-based organizations across the Commonwealth. To that end, we urge Governor (Andy) Beshear to reinstate the contract with Sunrise Children's Services in light of this unanimous ruling from the nation's highest court. Sunrise must be allowed to continue serving Kentucky's children." For the sake of children caught in the system in Kentucky, it is to be hoped that Gov. Beshear and his administration recognize that the Supreme Court's Fulton ruling squarely applies to Sunrise. Image: A family in the sunrise by Austin Lowman. Unsplash. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. On Tuesday, Revolver and Tucker Carlson made a stunning claim: they argued that the FBI's charging papers against the people they arrested for entering the Capitol on January 6 (almost all of whom are still in solitary confinement) reveal that the FBI may well have been the ones encouraging people to engage in the activity the Democrats now claim was an "insurrection." Having an "insurrection" now justifies A.G. Merrick Garland's forming an anti-extremist task force that targets people who doubt the November election or think the federal government is too big. There's been legitimate pushback against this narrative, but Tucker has more information that still makes it possible that January 6 was indeed an FBI set-up. For the background to this post, you can read my post from June 16, or, if you have the time, I urge you to watch Tucker's monologue: Tucker: We are looking at growing authoritarianism | https://t.co/Vd22H3qZNZ Bookwormroom (@Bookwormroom) June 16, 2021 The pushback came from one of RedState's excellent writers, a person who writes under the name "shipwreckedcrew." He's a former prosecutor (which gives him credibility), and he contends that both the Revolver and Tucker misunderstood the FBI's documents. Instead, he says the presence of unindicted co-conspirators can mean several things, none of which puts the FBI in a bad light: Having written between 500 and 600 indictments, I'll say this: You call someone an "unindicted co-conspirator" in an indictment when 1) you're not sure of their true identity; 2) they are not yet under arrest, you're not certain where they are, and you think they might flee if they see their name in an indictment; 3) they are cooperating; 4) you have charged them in a different case with other defendants for tactical reasons you can't name them in two cases for the same conduct; 5) you are not sure as to that specific person that you will have sufficient admissible evidence to convict them at trial when you go to the grand jury; 6) the person is not an actual conspirator because they didn't know what crime was being conspired about by the others they only knew something illegal might be happening soon. This is by no means an exhaustive list. Mark Wauck, a former FBI agent, agrees with shipwreckedcrew that both Tucker and the Revolver misunderstood the concept of unindicted co-conspirators. By definition, they cannot be agents and informants. That is, if an agent or informant is working against a conspiracy, he can't be a co-conspirator, unindicted or otherwise. However, Wauck throws in some other information that's important: That, of course, is how it's supposed to work. However, UC agents and informants have been known to go overboard and contrary to instructions actually cross the line into advancing the conspiracy in ways that would not have occurred but for their actions. That type of conduct will get the case dismissed. This can get factually very complicated, so I'll leave it at that. And that's where Glenn Greenwald and Tucker come in again. Glenn Greenwald has a long, detailed Substack post detailing the innumerable times the FBI has crossed the line from getting close to criminals to engaging in criminal activity. It's too long and complicated to summarize but I strongly suggest that you read the whole thing. (Years ago, an FBI agent told me how they caught a terrorist by working with him to plan a bomb attack, so I don't doubt Greenwald's veracity.) Tucker, meanwhile, did not address whether he and the Revolver misunderstood the charging documents. Instead, in his Friday monologue, he followed the same thread Greenwald did, providing information about FBI agents and informants encouraging people to commit crimes and then arresting them even when they hadn't acted on the FBI's encouragement. He also discussed at least one case (the Garland, Texas shooting) in which the FBI agent did everything short of firing a gun. When the FBI does this type of thing, it isn't police work or due process; it's police state activity. From there, it was easy for Tucker to move to the issue of the Merrick Garland "extremist" task force, which defines as a dangerous extremist anyone who opposes Biden, whether that means worrying about the veracity of the November election or being concerned about the federal government's expansive size and reach. Again, I encourage you to watch and learn. Information, after all, is power. Tucker: This is a nightmare for civil liberties | https://t.co/bSKgJ8Qmu8 Bookwormroom (@Bookwormroom) June 19, 2021 Political scientist warns new Biden DOJ document about 'domestic terrorism' could ensnare any Biden critic | https://t.co/97SGw3VUiu Bookwormroom (@Bookwormroom) June 19, 2021 Image: Twitter screen grab. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Don Surber posted an amazing pair of maps yesterday, showing the way that federalism is working to enable citizens to defend themselves with firearms. While the federal Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms, states regulate firearms licensing, and in the past 35 years, a landslide of states has recognized the right to carry a firearm. Check out the night and day contrast between 1986 and 2021: Source: Jeff Doge CC BY-SA 3.0. In fact, the creator of these maps, Jeff Doge, made a gif showing the year-by-year progression of the right to carry a firearm: Don comments: Without firing a shot (except at the firing range), Americans have won a revolution -- state by state. This is correct. The "no issue" red states have gone from predominant to zero. The "may issue" states, where the right to carry (i.e., bear) arms can be infringed, are now confined to the coastal progressive enclaves of the Northeast (except the far NE) and California and Hawaii. They are small islands of repression in a sea of liberty. With states now asserting their constitutional role in elections... Article I, Section 4, Clause 1: The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators. ...and a state attorney general vigorously defending the right of his state to audit the election results on constitutional grounds... Source: Arizona Office of Attorney General. ...the Founders' wisdom is on display. Pennsylvania is poised to join Arizona and Georgia in forensic audits of the last federal election. The federal government may well be corrupted, but "the states created the federal government," as A.G. Brnovich reminds A.G. Garland. We conservatives see the commanding heights of politics and culture the White House, Congress, the media, academia, nonprofits controlled by the left and sometimes despair. But the Founders knew that state governments would always be closer to the people than the distant federal government. That's why the Tenth Amendment cited by Brnovich is so important. With signs that the Supreme Court may be reacting against threats to pack it by issuing more 9-to-0 decisions, there is even the possibility that it will finally start enforcing the Tenth Amendment. That would be revolutionary, but well within the intent of the Founders. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Purchase an online subscription to our website for $7.99 a month with automatic renewal. Each online subscription gives you full access to all of our newspaper websites and mobile applications. To cancel you may contact Customer Service @ 256-235-9253 or email JPAYNE@ANNISTONSTAR.COM For a limited time, for NEW SUBSCRIBERS ONLY a NEW ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION is just $59.99 for the first year. Existing customers do not qualify for the specials! After the first year, well automatically renew your subscription to continue your access at the regular price of $69.99 per year. Please note *Your Subscription will Automatically Renew unless you contact Customer Service To Cancel* The son of Daniel Morgan has labelled the findings of a report into his fathers death a national shame, as he criticised the Metropolitan Police for its response. A report by an independent panel accused the Met of a form of institutional corruption for concealing or denying failings over the unsolved murder. Mr Morgan, who was a private detective, was killed with an axe in the car park of the Golden Lion pub in Sydenham, south-east London, in March 1987. Despite five police inquiries and an inquest, no-one has been brought to justice over his death, with the force admitting corruption over the original murder investigation. The panel accused the Met of a form of institutional corruption (Kirsty OConnor/PA) Mr Morgans son, also named Daniel, who was four when his father died, has hit out at the Met for not accepting the panels findings. He told the BBC: Its a personal tragedy for us and a national shame. Its difficult to feel proud of being a Londoner when the people who protect us have failed, and are allowed to fail and theres no consequence for those failings. Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said it was a matter of great regret that no-one has been brought to justice and that our mistakes have compounded the pain suffered by Daniels family. However, she hit back at the findings as she defended Scotland Yards work and her job. Dame Cressida Dick has defended Scotland Yard (Victoria Jones/PA) Mr Morgan said in response: I think weve heard enough apologies what theyve said doesnt give us grounds for confidence that they can approach the follow-up work thats clearly required from a document with such gravity. He also said: I just dont see the Metropolitan Police as a credible organisation and what they say makes it to me feel even less credible. And frankly it makes me angry. Mr Morgan has previously declined to have his photograph taken or do a television interview, saying that he likes to keep a level of anonymity. Led by Baroness Nuala OLoan, the panel found the Met put protecting its own reputation above finding Mr Morgans killer. The panels report said: Concealing or denying failings, for the sake of the organisations public image, is dishonesty on the part of the organisation for reputational benefit and constitutes a form of institutional corruption. The Met admitted in 2011 that the grossly inadequate first investigation into Mr Morgans murder which saw the murder scene left unsearched and unguarded had been hampered by corruption. Mr Morgan added I think the commissioner should consider her position. A lot of this happened way before she was ever the commissioner but she is a continuation of the same culture, Im afraid. The culture of the Metropolitan Police is cancerous and I think the only way that you get rid of cancer is you cut it out. Newly appointed Stormont First Minister Paul Givan has been told he will be expected to resign as part of the DUP leadership transition. Party officers do not want to see Mr Givan leave his post as joint head of the devolved executive before the next leader is in place and ready to appoint a successor. DUP party officers have set a date of June 26 to elect a new leader, it was announced on Saturday. A departure prior to that would add further instability to the already fragile powersharing institutions, as it would set the clock ticking on a seven-day deadline to nominate both a new First Minister and renominate Michelle ONeill as Sinn Feins deputy First Minister. If that deadline is missed, the UK Government would be under a legal obligation to call a snap election at the Assembly. Edwin Poots leaves DUP headquarters in Belfast after he said he will stand down as the party leader (Brian Lawless/PA) The current frontrunner for the DUP leadership is Lagan Valley MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson. It is understood party officers have had a number of discussions with Mr Givan about his future in the wake of Thursday nights dramatic resignation of party leader Edwin Poots, who is his long-time friend and constituency colleague. The DUP is craving stability after a turbulent two months that has seen former leader Arlene Foster resign after an internal heave against her and Mr Poots follow suit after he was also fatally weakened by a party revolt. His resignation on Thursday night came after just three weeks in the post. It was prompted by his decision to press ahead with reconstituting the Stormont Executive alongside Sinn Fein, despite a significant majority of his MPs and MLAs being vociferously opposed to the move. Anger at a UK Government pledge to grant Sinn Fein a key concession on Irish language laws was behind the internal opposition to Mr Poots decision to nominate a First Minister to lead the administration alongside the republican party. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so. Sir Jeffrey narrowly lost to Mr Poots in last months DUP leadership contest to replace Mrs Foster. Chastened by that bruising campaign, the party hierarchys preference is for an uncontested appointment this time round, though it remains to be seen whether Sir Jeffrey, if he does run, will face any challengers. That will soon become clear, after DUP party officers set a deadline of 12 noon this Tuesday for nominations in the leadership contest to be submitted. A meeting will be held next week, on June 26, at which the next DUP leader will be selected. Speaking on Saturday, party chairman Lord Morrow said: Following a meeting of the party officers in Belfast today the following decisions were taken. The party officers have set the date of June 26 as the date for a meeting to elect a new leader. In accordance with the constitution and rules of the Democratic Unionist Party only party members, who are also members of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the House of Commons are entitled to vote for the leader or deputy leader. Details have been sent to all eligible voters. During the last campaign Sir Jeffrey vowed to quit as an MP in Westminster to return to the Assembly and take up the role of First Minister. If that were to happen, it would mean a Westminster by-election in Lagan Valley, a seat held by Sir Jeffrey since 1997. One possibility is that he could seek to replace Mrs Foster as the MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone when she steps down. However, with the DUP currently in such turmoil there are doubts whether the party would want to voluntarily trigger a by-election in Lagan Valley any time soon. A Loyalist protest in Newtownards, County Down, against the Northern Ireland Protocol (Brian Lawless/PA) Another option could see Sir Jeffrey wait until just before the next Assembly election, scheduled in May 2022, before he resigns his parliamentary seat. In that scenario he might appoint a temporary First Minister to fill the role in the interim. On Friday, deputy First Minister Ms ONeill said she remained committed to working with Mr Givan for as long as he remained in the role of First Minister. She urged her partners in government to get their act together to ensure effective governance at Stormont. Elsewhere, a rally against Brexits Northern Ireland Protocol in Newtownards on Friday heard calls for the DUP not to nominate a new First Minister until the contentious Irish Sea trading arrangements are abandoned. Several hundred people turned out at the protest rally, where the leader of the Traditional Unionist Voice party, Jim Allister, launched a stinging attack on Mr Poots and called on the DUP to effectively collapse Stormont unless the Protocol is abandoned. He told the crowd: What needs to be done in Stormont is the new DUP leader needs to find a backbone, and he needs to resign the First Minister. He needs to say to the British Prime Minister, there will be no First Minister so long as there is a Protocol. John Bercow spent more than 10 years in the limelight as Speaker of the House of Commons. The one-time Conservative MP for Buckingham, with a high-profile Labour-supporting wife, made a catalogue of unconventional comments during his decade in the Speakers chair from 2009. He survived attempts to remove him from the chair, including from former colleagues in the Tory party, revelations about his expenses and allegations of bullying which he denied. John Bercow (Stefan Rousseau/PA) It is perhaps his interventions in the Brexit crisis, and the relish with which he seemed to make them, that people may remember most. Regular Parliament watchers may recall his inimitable style, such as his bellowing shouts of order and division, clear the lobby quirks that brought him international attention when the eyes of the world became fixed on the Commons throughout 2019. As the Brexit debate raged and senior opposition figures played every trick in the parliamentary book to prevent the governments of Theresa May and Boris Johnson from pursuing their preferred policies, Mr Bercow drew the ire of hardline Eurosceptics for perceived bias. After he allowed an amendment by Tory rebel Dominic Grieve to be voted on, he was labelled Speaker of the Devil by one newspaper, while the Daily Mail called him an egotistical preening popinjay (who) has shamelessly put his anti-Brexit bias before the national interest and is a disgrace to his office. He voted Remain, discussing it candidly with a group of students, but in an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica denied this meant he had lost his impartiality. John Bercow holding a Question and Answer session with students from Yale Sixth Form College in North Wales in Portcullis House in the Houses of Parliament (Stefan Rousseau/PA) If Im biased, Im biased in favour of Parliament. Parliament being heard. Parliament having a right to speak. Parliament having time. Parliament being respected by the government of the day and indeed by the opposition, he said. After being elected as the 157th Speaker of the House of Commons in June 2009, he delivered many caustic put-downs, earning him both loathing and appreciative laughter from MPs. He had a fractious relationship with former Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom after he was accused of calling her a stupid woman. In January 2017, he was caught on microphone warning Sir Michael Fallon it would be stupid to pick a fight with a senior MP. He made the unguarded comment after the then defence secretary had been grilled about reports that a Trident ballistic missile veered off course during a test firing. He admonished MPs for repeatedly asking for a tea break or whether they could use the toilet during a long-running Brexit debate. John Bercow going through his daily routine of preparing to preside over the days events in the chamber of the House of Commons (Stefan Rousseau/PA) His decision to strip parliamentary officials of their traditional wigs in 2017 was met with disapproval from a number of MPs. In his last few years as Speaker, he faced scrutiny of his expenses. In November 2015, it was revealed he had spent almost 20,000 of taxpayers money to fly to a conference in Japan with an aide. In February 2016, a PA news agency freedom of information request revealed that he spent thousands of pounds wining and dining fellow MPs, plus almost 2,000 on a dinner with his Australian counterpart and hundreds of pounds to tune the grand piano in his apartments. His office argued that the overall expenditure of the Speakers Office had fallen during his tenure, from 626,029 in 2009/10 to 504,737 in 2015/16. In February 2020, Mr Bercow was strongly rebuked by the House of Commons authorities for naming members of staff without their permission in his autobiography. In a highly unusual move, a spokesman for the House said it was unacceptable for Mr Bercow to publicly identify current and former staff particularly for the purpose of financial gain or commercial success. John Bercow (Jonathan Brady/PA) A spokesman for Mr Bercow strongly defended his actions, saying he was entitled to address unfounded allegations made by a small but highly vocal group of people who were trying to blacken his name. Born on January 19 1963, the son of a Jewish taxi driver, Mr Bercow went to school in Margaret Thatchers Finchley constituency and first got involved in politics as a teenager. He attended Essex University, where he gained a reputation as something of a firebrand, and became a member of the hardline Tory Monday Club, notorious for its hang Nelson Mandela slogans, joining its Immigration and Repatriation Committee. At the age of 20, he left the pressure group, saying some of its members views about immigration were unpalatable. After a short spell at Hambros Bank, Mr Bercow embarked on a career as a lobbyist, serving as a councillor in Lambeth, south London, at the same time. At the 1992 general election, he stood unsuccessfully against Labours Dawn Primarolo in Bristol South. Three years later, he went into politics full-time, becoming special adviser to chief secretary to the treasury Jonathan Aitken until his resignation, and then to heritage secretary Virginia Bottomley. Mr Bercow finally secured a berth in the safe seat of Buckingham, and, despite Labours landslide victory, entered Parliament at the 1997 general election. He was made shadow chief secretary when Iain Duncan Smith became Tory leader in 2001 before quitting the Conservative front bench in November 2002. In June 2021, Mr Bercow said he had switched allegiances to join the Labour Party. The partner of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has described his ongoing incarceration in one of Englands highest security prisons as intolerable and grotesque. Stella Moris, 38, and the couples two young sons Gabriel, four, and Max, two, visited Assange in prison for the first time in eight months on Saturday morning. Despite winning his long-running extradition battle in January against the US, Assange remains in HMP Belmarsh in south London pending the outcome of an appeal. Visits to the prison have been limited due to Covid-19 restrictions. Assange is still wanted in the US on an 18-count indictment, facing allegations of plotting to hack computers and conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information. The prosecution followed WikiLeaks publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents in 2010 and 2011 relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, as well as diplomatic cables. Ms Moris said the last time she had seen Assange in the flesh was his last court appearance in early January. Judge Vanessa Baraitser ruled Assange should not be extradited to the US on mental health grounds due to his suicide risk. But she refused to release the 49-year-old while US prosecutors appeal the decision over fears he would abscond. Julian Assange, pictured in 2017 (Dominic Lipinski/PA) Ms Moriss visit to the prison coincides with the date Assange sought diplomatic protection from the Ecuadorian Embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden on sex offence charges which have since been dropped. Assange and Ms Moris first met when she joined his legal team while he was in the Ecuadorian Embassy to help him fight the extradition process to Sweden and later to the US. Ms Moris told the PA news agency: He was happy to see the kids, but hes suffering. You know its a grim, horrible place. When asked about Assanges mental health, Ms Moris told PA: The situation is utterly intolerable and grotesque, and it cant go on. You know hes been in there for two years and going on to two-and-a-half years. Today is actually the nine-year anniversary of him going into the Ecuadorian Embassy. It is the first time Assange has seen his partner and their two children in months (Dominic Lipinski/PA) She added: The situation is just getting more and more oppressive. Ms Moris said she hoped that they would remain in the UK if the US prosecutors appeal was blocked. At least he will be safe here. I just want to be where Julian is safe. She said that she and Assanges lawyers were hopeful that there is less of an appetite to prosecute him in the US following Joe Bidens election victory. The Biden administration is showing signs of wanting to project a commitment to the first amendment, Mr Moris said. The only logical step for (Mr Biden) to take would be to drop this entire prosecution, and I hope that cooler heads prevail than under the Trump/Pompeo/Barr administration. Ms Moris said the UKs decision to keep Assange behind bars degrades the country. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so. Having Julian locked up and facing extradition degrades the UK, and it is a threat to press freedom in the UK, she said. (The UK authorities) need to look at this situation afresh and bring it to an end, because its gone on for too long, and Julians life is at risk. Ms Moris added: Theyre driving him to deep depression and into despair. When asked if she though he was being kept safe in prison, she said: Its not the right place for Julian at all, he shouldnt be in prison at all, he shouldnt be prosecuted at all, because he did the right thing: he published the truth. Ms Moris said her partners life is at risk (Dominic Lipinski/PA) She continued: Its not safe for him at all, he should be at home with his family. And, you know the prison guards know it, the prisoners know it, everyone tells him: You shouldnt be here. And the UK Government knows it. This is intolerable and it has to be brought to an end. Ms Moris said Assange was struggling, but added: He has his family to come back to. Announcing her decision to deny bail in January, Judge Baraitser said: As a matter of fairness, the US must be allowed to challenge my decision, and if Mr Assange absconds during this process they will lose the opportunity to do so. Mr Assange still has a huge support network available to him should he again choose to go to ground. Lawyers for Assange have said he now only wishes for a sheltered life with his family. Morrisons has rejected a 5.5 billion takeover bid from a private equity firm, believing it would have significantly undervalued the company. Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) earlier said it noted the press speculation regarding a potential transaction involving Morrisons and confirmed that it was considering a possible cash offer. CD&R, which has until July 17 to announce a firm intention to make an offer under UK takeover rules, added in a statement that there can be no certainty an offer will be made. Morrisons said it rejected a conditional cash offer from CD&R of 230 pence per share which amounts to just over 5.5 billion. In a statement, the supermarket chain said: The board of Morrisons evaluated the conditional proposal together with its financial adviser, Rothschild & Co, and unanimously concluded that the conditional proposal significantly undervalued Morrisons and its future prospects. Accordingly, the board rejected the conditional proposal on 17 June 2021. Last month, Morrisons said sales in the 14 weeks to May 9 grew 2.7% on a like-for-like basis, excluding fuel, including a 113% jump in online sales. But before the easing of lockdown, the supermarket said it had to spend an extra 27 million in Covid-19 costs during the past three months to cover for staff absences and store marshals. Democracy in the UK is being undermined by a small but vocal minority, the Culture Secretary has said after multiple brands pulled advertising from GB News. Oliver Dowden has warned that basic democratic values can no longer be taken for granted after the upstart channel saw the withdrawal of advertising from companies such as Ikea, cider firm Kopparberg and Octopus Energy. The network, which launched last Sunday, has promised to take on so-called cancel culture. Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Dowden said: When he launched the channel, veteran broadcaster Andrew Neil vowed that GB News would not be an echo chamber for the metropolitan mindset, and that it would empower those who feel their concerns have been unheard. GB News launched and promised to offer an alternative to current affairs shows from the likes of the BBC and Sky (Gareth Milner/GB News/PA) Rightly so. A free media is one that has a diverse range of opinions and voices. He added: Sadly we can no longer take them for granted. Across the West, our values of tolerance and freedom of expression increasingly risk being undermined by a small but vocal minority. GB News has faced accusations it will be broadcasting US-style partisan news shows in the UK, and campaign group Stop Funding Hate challenged advertisers on social media. Swedish furniture giant Ikea said it had not knowingly advertised on GB News. It added: We are in the process of investigating how this may have occurred to ensure it wont happen again in future, and have suspended paid display advertising in the meantime. In its statement, Kopparberg also said it was unaware its adverts were running on the channel and said they had been suspended pending further review of its content. Octopus said it would only advertise with GB News if it proved to be genuinely balanced. The Open University also paused its advertising. Mr Dowden said the channel seeks to empower those who feel their concerns have been unheard. The Shanghai OCAT gallery has pulled the exhibit, which ranked women from "prettiest to ugliest". (Song Ta) A Chinese art gallery has removed a video exhibit that ranked the pictures of women on the level of attractiveness. The OCT Contemporary Art Terminal (OCAT) in Shanghai has apologised for hosting the "Uglier and Uglier" installation which included around 5,000 images of women on a university campus. The seven-hour long video exhibit from male artist Song Ta, which rated each woman from "prettiest to ugliest", caused an uproar online. The gallery released a statement on the Weibo platform, saying: "After receiving criticism, we re-evaluated the content of this artwork and the artist's explanation, we found it disrespected women, and the way it was shot has copyright infringement issues. "As a museum that supports diversity, we will take this as a warning, improve our services and treat everyone with empathy." Song has been unapologetic about the exhibit since he created it eight years ago and it has appeared in a number of shows over the years. In 2019 he told Vice magazine, "I think I have the right to tell the truth when responding to critics of the project. Song said the images and video of the women had been sorted into several files with names including "forgivably ugly" and "unforgivably ugly". He added he hired female assistants to take the images so it "wouldn't seem as perverted". Weibo users called the project "misogynistic" and questioned how it could be displayed. One person wrote: "It's already 2021, how can you still objectify women so boldly, without any shame?" Another user added: "This artwork is not only insulting but infringes on individuals' portrait rights, and these women didn't even know they were being filmed A pickup truck ploughed into cyclists competing in a community road race in Arizona on Saturday, critically injuring several riders before police chased down the driver and shot him outside a nearby hardware store, police said. Six cyclists were taken to a hospital in critical condition after the crash in the mountain town of Show Low, about a three-hour drive northeast of Phoenix, police said. At least two others went to the hospital themselves. The suspect, a 35-year-old man, also was hospitalized in critical but stable condition. The identities of the suspect and victims were not immediately released. A Ford pickup truck struck the bicyclists about 7:25 am in downtown Show Low during the annual 58-mile (93-kilometre) Bike the Bluff race, then fled, police said. Officers pursued the driver and tried to stop him before he was shot, authorities said. The circumstances of the shooting were not immediately released. Our community is shocked at this incident and our hearts and prayers are with the injured and their families at this time, police spokeswoman Kristine Sleighter said in a statement. Officials said the Navajo County sheriffs office and the Arizona Department of Public Safety were helping investigate. US 60, the main street in the town tucked in the White Mountains, was closed in the area. Not at all. It just seems like a lot of back-and-forth talk. Yes. I'm growing very worried over what might happen. If it keeps up, I might be a little more concerned. I think there are much larger things to concern us as a country. It's hard to tell; I can't take the leader of either country seriously. Vote View Results Take shorter showers. Only use the sprinklers in the cooler parts of the day. Run the dishwasher less often. Recycle sink and shower water for plants. Turn off the water while your brushing teeth. I don't. Other. Vote View Results No, people are still catching the virus No, there are new variants and unvaccinated people I'm not sure We are getting close to normal Yes, all the restrictions are gone or coming off There never was a pandemic It's just the flu! Vote View Results Online Access for Print Subscribers. Do you have a print subscription with the Argus-Press? If yes, then click here to enjoy complimentary access to our Online Content! Christopher Elliotts latest book is How To Be The Worlds Smartest Traveler (National Geographic). Get help by contacting him at http://www.elliott.org/help. The Ministry has sought relevant facts from Swiss Authorities along with their view on possible reasons for the increase/decrease in funds The ministry said that the media reports allude to the fact that the figures reported are official figures reported by banks to the Swiss National Bank (SNB) and do not indicate the quantum of much-debated alleged black money held by Indians in Switzerland. (PTI Photo) New Delhi: The Finance Ministry on Saturday refuted claims that funds of Indians in Swiss Banks have risen to over Rs 20,700 crore in 2020, the highest figure of deposits in the last 13 years. "Certain reports have appeared in the media on 18.06.2021 stating that funds of Indians in Swiss Banks have risen to over Rs 20,700 crore (CHF 2.55 billion) at the end of 2020 from Rs 6,625 crore (CHF 899 million) at the end of 2019, reversing a 2-year declining trend. It has also been stated that this is also the highest figure of deposits in the last 13 years," the ministry said. The ministry said that the media reports allude to the fact that the figures reported are official figures reported by banks to the Swiss National Bank (SNB) and do not indicate the quantum of much-debated alleged black money held by Indians in Switzerland. Further, these statistics do not include the money that Indians, NRIs or others might have in Swiss banks in the names of third-country entities. "However, the customer deposits have actually fallen from the end of 2019. The funds held through fiduciaries have also more than halved from the end of 2019. The biggest increase is in "Other amounts due from customers". These are in form of bonds, securities and various other financial instruments. It is pertinent to point out that India and Switzerland are signatories to the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters (MAAC) and both countries have also signed the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement (MCAA) pursuant to which, the Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) is activated between the two countries for sharing of financial account information annually for the calendar year 2018 onwards. Exchanges of Financial Account information in respect of residents of each country have taken place between both countries in 2019 as well as 2020. In view of the existing legal arrangement for the exchange of information of financial accounts (which has a significant deterrent effect on tax evasion through undisclosed assets abroad), there does not appear to be any significant possibility of the increase of deposits in the Swiss banks which is out of undeclared incomes of Indian residents. The Finance Ministry has also sought the relevant facts from Swiss Authorities along with their view on possible reasons for the increase/decrease in funds. Director Amit Masurkar has pulled off a feat thanks to the screenplay by Aastha Tiku that is political, intelligent and very well researched Rating: Sherni Cast: Vidya Balan, Vijay Raaz, Brijendra Kala, Neeraj Kabi, Mukul Chadda, Sharat Saxena Direction: Amit V Masurkar Rating: ***1/2 Streaming on Amazon Prime Sherni has a very simple story: An aadam-khor tigress is on the prowl under the jurisdiction of the Bijaspur Van Vibhag in Madhya Pradesh. The forest department has to tranquillise and capture her and then release her in the national park. Or, it has to goad her passage into the wild, away from the humans she is threatening. Writer Aastha Tiku and director Amit V Masurkar take this guileless story to plot a survivor thriller that courses through the treacherous terrain of a nation that is self-sabotaging. Sherni's screenplay is woven with India's reality, which is irony in perpetual motion. We get a macro and micro view of the ecological destruction that is taking place, one crisis, one government scheme at a time. While making plans to save the environment, contracts are given out to plunder and profit from it. Forest cover, animals' habitat, people's lives and livelihoods all are under threat in a deadly cycle of devastation and superficial patch-ups that is made unending by electoral politics. Amit Masurkars 2017 Newton was a sharp commentary on India's claim to be a republic. It had a snarky screenplay that looked for the absurd as the dance of democracy played out between the officious and the bewildered. Packed with fast and crackling dialogue, its excellent performances have stayed with us because the film made us think while we laughed. At many levels, Sherni and Newton are similar in their concerns and setting. Shernis political credentials are secular, chivalrous and inclusive. The characters it front-lines, the names and jobs assigned to them are a delightful leap from how Christian and Muslim characters are often portrayed by Bollywood. There is an interfaith marriage, a married woman who doesn't want kids, a biryani meal shared by all and politicians baying for blood as they play politics over dead bodies. But Sherni plays out in a more frugal landscape of events, characters and dialogue. In fact, at times Sherni feels like a van vibhag documentary. And that is not just because its pace seems to be in step with bureaucratic indolence, but also because while Sherni has one set of characters created with love and respect especially the ones assigned to stars the other lot are stock characters. Another problem is Shernis inability to laugh at itself. It is a little smug and in love with its own virtue. There is a clear pecking order in the Bijaspur Van Vibhag. In the office, Bansal (Brijendra Kala) sits on top and is close to the unctuous contractor incharge of the upkeep of the forest. Incompetent and uninterested, Bansal ignores lapses because the contractor's jijaji is the local legislator. Divisional forest officer Vidya Vincent (Vidya Balan), a South Indian Christian, reports to Bansal. She is no longer charmed by her sarkari naukri. It's been nine years and there doesn't seem to be a promotion in sight, she tells her husband over a video call. Always at the service of the resource-strapped van vibhag is a zoology professor from a local college. Noorani (Vijay Raaz) understands animal behaviour, cares for them and wants to help. On top of them sit several people. The big babu, Nangia (Neeraj Kabi), who has a cultivated manner and grey beard. He seems to be cynical but learned, intellectual but also well networked. This package of false impressions feeds his inflated ego and hides a withered spine. Then there is Rajan Rajhans urf Pintu bhaiyya (Sharad Saxena) who runs a retreat nearby. He calls himself a conservationist but is a hunter looking for his next kill. On top of them all are politicians of various hues and clout. Close to the bottom is T12, the man-eater of Bijaspur. And squished right at the bottom, below T12, are the trapped villagers -- forced to take their cattle to a particular patch of jungle because the traditional grazing ground is now a profitable teak plantation that the government is proud of. Vidya Vincent is focused, upright but low-key in the way women often are in a system populated by men with fragile egos. Assembly elections are underway and after two villagers are killed, the man-eater becomes an election mudda between two rival candidates. One promises to kill the tiger and save people, the other lies about a third death. Passions are roused over dead bodies, officers are attacked, a jeep is burnt and a hawan is organised in the office to predict who will triumph -- the tigress or Bansal. The threat to T12 rises from within the system that is working at cross purposes. While one lot sets out to capture and release her, the other lot is armed and keen to kill because elections have to be won... It is easier to "act" when there is action, lots to do, heavy dialogue to maaro. Actors can rehearse and train for it. It is also relatively easier for actors to have a trait, a stand-out emotion they can project. Balan plays a married woman and a female officer with the glory of commonness. She is measured, believable and warm. She fits seamlessly in the officious entourage and yet she stands out as she carries Sherni's roaring politics with quietude. Neeraj Kabi is excellent as the posturing, lecturing, creepy narcissist. As the one who gives hope and then smashes it, he becomes symbolic of all that is wrong with the "system". Vijay Raaz and Brijesh are talented but are also given to overacting. Here they give restrained performances. Director Amit Masurkar has pulled off a feat thanks to the screenplay by Aastha Tiku that is political, intelligent and very well researched. There isn't much action and yet the film says a lot. Sherni is also cinematically simple, with a few flourishes thrown in for our joy. In Sherni, females populate all spaces the office, the field, the village, the jungle and the casting is nicely done. They all seem to belong to the spaces and roles assigned to them. The problem is that most remain part of the landscape and never come alive. Like Sharat Saxena. He is not bad. But there is something about his presence, his oily, bahubali act that, together with the two rival politicians and the villagers, feels reductive and strikes a stale note. The two states also agreed to complete the Dudhganga dam project at the earliest and Maharashtra will also fund it For the past three years, the state has been witnessing flood in Krishna and Bhima rivers following downpour in its catchment areas in Maharashtra. (Representative Image: PTI) Bengaluru: Karnataka and Maharashtra on Saturday decided to have better coordination and communication regarding flood management and water supply in the drought-hit regions of both the states. Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and state Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai held a high level meeting with Maharashtra Water Resource Minister Jayant Patil here to resolve the water related issues between the two states. Addressing reporters after the meet, Yediyurappa said both the states have agreed to share real time data on rainfall and water release from reservoirs both in Krishna and Bhima basin in order to manage the floods effectively. "We discussed various issues regarding flood management in Krishna and Bheema river basins. It was decided to have better coordination and communication between two states at ministerial level, Secretaries level and at the field level," the CM said. It was resolved that a technical team will work towards getting four TMC water from Maharashtra and in return release water to the drought hit areas of the western state, the Chief Minister said. The two states also agreed to complete the Dudhganga dam project at the earliest and Maharashtra will also fund it. "Maharashtra will also supply enough funds for the completion of Dudhganga dam," Patil said in the press conference. Pointing to the shortage of water during April and May in the Krishna basin region, Bommai said since 2013, Maharashtra has been charging money for the release of water to the state. However, it has been agreed upon that Karnataka will not pay but will supply water to the drought-hit Jath taluk of Maharashtra during the rainy season. For the past three years, the state has been witnessing flood in Krishna and Bhima rivers following downpour in its catchment areas in Maharashtra. TMC supremos plea under the Representation of the People Act was listed for mentioning before Justice Chanda Tweeting a list of 10 cases, fought by Mr Chanda as a lawyer for the BJP, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek OBrien wondered: See what we found. Matters where Justice Kaushik Chanda has appeared for the Bharatiya Janata Party before the Calcutta high court. And now he has been assigned to hear the Nandigram election case. One big coincidence? DC Image Kolkata/Berhampore: A major controversy has hit Justice Kausik Chanda of the Calcutta high court as West Bengals ruling Trinamul Congress on Friday linked the judge to the BJP after he scheduled chief minister Mamata Banerjees election petition, challenging her Assembly poll defeat to Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram, for hearing after a week. At around 11 am, the TMC supremos plea under the Representation of the People Act was listed for mentioning before Justice Chanda. The judge said the petitioners presence as mandatory during the hearing in such a case. He also sought to know from the CMs panel of lawyers led by Soumendra Nath Mukherjee whether she would attend the hearing. Mr Mukherjee assured the judge of abiding by the law. Justice Chanda then fixed June 24 as the date of hearing. An hour later, TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh tweeted two photos of Mr Chanda, when he was a lawyer earlier, at a BJP legal cell meeting addressed by state chief Dilip Ghosh. In his post, the former TMC Rajya Sabha MP said: With due respect to Judiciary: Justice Kaushik Chanda. He has been assigned to hear the Nandigram Case.@MamataOfficial @abhishekaitc @AITCofficial @nandigram. He then called the judge a BJP sympathiser and asked him to recuse himself from the case. He later claimed: The question of bias is there. How could a judge with a strong political affiliation be assigned to hear a sensitive petition filed by the CM on her poll defeat? Tweeting a list of 10 cases, fought by Mr Chanda as a lawyer for the BJP, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek OBrien wondered: See what we found. Matters where Justice Kaushik Chanda has appeared for the Bharatiya Janata Party before the Calcutta high court. And now he has been assigned to hear the Nandigram election case. One big coincidence? Before becoming a judge, Mr Chanda, sources said, was appointed by the BJP government at the Centre as its additional solicitor general in the state for his success as a lawyer in the cases against the TMC government over its allowance to imams and the cancellation of Union home minister Amit Shahs rally at Esplanade. Later Sanjay Basu, one of the CMs lawyers, wrote to the acting high court chief justice, Justice Rajesh Bindal, seeking transfer of the election petition from Justice Chandas court to another judge. A group of lawyers wearing black badges also took out a protest rally at the high court premises in the afternoon. They sought no politicisation of the judiciary. The BJP was stumped by the sudden volley of attacks by the TMC till Mr Ghosh broke his silence and countered the ruling partys claims, but he could not deny his past association with the judge. In Berhampore in Murshidabad, the Midnapore BJP MP said: The TMC is playing dirty and politicking on the issue. It published my photos, which are three-four years old, with Mr Chanda. He was known to me when he was a lawyer earlier. While I was the MLA of Kharagpur, he was present at a few meetings with me. He also attended a programme at the high court. But now he is a judge. This is his present status. The role of social media in the current framework is not quite as simple, but whether they are completely hands-off is debatable Twitter, the micro-blogging giant, is no longer the hubless network of global chatter that its model would appear to indicate. After it failed to appoint a full-time officer in charge of compliance in India, its country managing director will be criminally liable for inflammatory or hateful remarks on the platform. In real terms, this means that the social media platform will now be responsible for what the Twitterati say. Not complying with one of the rules mandated by the Indian government has cost Twitter dearly, as it lost the very legal cover that would have enabled it to be treated as an intermediary. Intervention itself could come in the way of intermediary status. Social media platforms have claimed to be common carriers, or hands-off intermediaries. Section 79 of the Information Technology Act offers a legal shield so long as Twitter remains an intermediary -- when it does not initiate message transmission, does not select the receiver, and does not modify the message. The loss of the safe harbour offered under Section 79 -- perhaps the first such experience in the world -- means that the essence of the business model of the social media has come crashing down. As with any house of cards, this crash was just waiting to happen. Arguably, a companys vulnerability is at its peak when a nations political values are being rewritten. A newspaper editors job is to act as a gatekeeper, assigning various pages, positions, lengths and levels of prominence to news stories. Unlike a legacy editor, a social media platform does not edit the content of what we write. It is far more democratic in that way than a newspaper. The role of social media intermediaries in the current framework is not quite as simple, but whether they are completely hands-off is debatable. Whether in the way algorithms are written, or the level of engagement, or other protocols, there is a process of message prioritisation that essentially means one message can attain more visibility than another. Syllogistically, assigning prominence to some content over other content should be seen as a form of editorial intervention. This form of editorialisation, however indirect and driven mainly by those who wrote the programmes, means that the social media business model that is fed to us -- that the social media is truly a free marketplace of ideas -- should be questioned. Users may assume that because of the sheer volumes, their posts have the same chance of visibility and impact as their neighbours. Have social media platforms been transparent with us about how it all really works, and whether it is simply an organic process like Darwins theory of natural selection? But the concern for the billions of social media users is much larger. Regulation comes at the price of more, not less, intervention. Liberal policies in a democracy implicitly must assume one factor that really is debatable: fairness. If a government tangles with private players and creates a shield of opacity from regular folks, it is unfair to the spirit of democracy. In the same spirit, is it fair to hold a company responsible for what its users do? After all, users are not employees of the company. Would the police charge the bicycle manufacturer for a rider who chooses to ride illegally on the wrong side of the road? The difference is that in a social media model, the company and the user are bound by a trapeze-like relationship, bound to each other for a critical moment of usage. So, could the answer be an openly stated pre facto intervention? The problem with taking responsibility for content someone else creates is that any damage can only be mitigated after it is done. We may not have reached the stage of being able to prevent an impending message in time (although efforts in that direction could be ongoing). But if it were and Twitter did intervene before a tweet goes public, it would still lose its status as an intermediary. Perhaps as a first step in a precautionary method, Twitter could filter out the bots and fake profiles. Flagging posts for dubious content was always a great idea, but can it be pre facto and more transparent? If intervention is needed, should Twitters editorial job then be limited to accepting or rejecting posts? It will be naive to assume that everything will go according to the spirit of the law. Twitter will now be an easier target for those who find a post inconvenient, and when users find that their legal responsibility is indirect at best, one wonders whether bad content will be prone to sink even further. In the Ghaziabad incident on the heels of the loss of Twitters indemnity, the Uttar Pradesh police named the company and some of its users in a First Information Report, accusing it of circulating a fake video. This means that the police has assumed a broader scope of culpability, holding both the platform and its users liable. Twitter may therefore need a new operational model. Twitters India experience also could fortify the brewing idea that after decades of enjoying the status of being the most unregulated and unfettered among modern media technologies, the social medias growth may be cooling off. A report predicted these trends from nearly three years ago: An Oxford University-Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalisms Digital News Report had reported back in 2018 that for the first time since the phenomenon began, among users in 37 countries across continents (not including India, albeit), the dependence on social media for news consumption had showed a decline. It is indeed astounding, as information technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad pointed out, that an entity that projects itself as the flag-bearer of free speech should defy the law. That observation, however, should apply to governments and private corporations alike. Governments that promote nationalistic narratives, and the societies that are hegemonised into those narratives, prefer images, walls and controls. The new rule is a flag-bearer of that philosophy. Now we can expect less inconvenient chatter from the Twitterati. Free speech is illusory anyway, and if social media giants were to deny that any form of control exists, whether political or not, it would be a little rich. These platforms have been our public dhobi ghats for dirty linen. But it seems that is not how we prefer it. San Angelo, TX (76909) Today Some clouds and possibly an isolated thunderstorm this afternoon. High 93F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms developing late. Low 73F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%. On June 15, Mayflower , a fully automated trimaran with zero crew onboard, started on what would be the worlds first crossing of the Atlantic by a large autonomous vessel. On June 18, Mayflower was back to its starting point in England, having been called back due to some unspecified (but minor) glitch.Those trying to access the mission dashboard for the live progress of the ship will now find that the ship is offline. Instead, theyre welcomed by a brief message, reading, MAS400 has developed a small mechanical problem and is going back to base so we investigate further. We hope to get turned around and on our way as soon as possible.MAS400 is the official name of the trimaran, the Mayflower Autonomous Ship, a 5-ton, 50-foot (15-meter) tri-hulled ship packed with AI, sensors and tech, and theoretically able to cross the ocean, collect impressive amounts of data, and adjust and optimize course.Its a years-long project by research organization ProMare and IBM, which provided most of the software, and it departed from Plymouth, England, heading to Plymouth, Massachusetts by way of the Isles of Scilly and Privincetown on Cape Cod.ProMare doesnt offer an estimate for the delay, but once Mayflower is ready to set off again, it should complete the journey in about three weeks. The possibility of a glitch mid-trip was a primary concern from the start, as the video below shows: its one thing when something trivial breaks in the middle of the Atlantic and you have a competent crew to fix it, and its an entirely different story when theres no one on board We hope we're wrong and that all this talk of hybrid this and hybrid that has made us a bit cynical, but if we're being honest, even Ferrari will have to align its lineup to the modern requirements regarding fleet emissions and such. We're well aware it needs to happen, but if we could choose only one brand to be exempt from these new regulations, then we know very well which we would choose.We get the feeling AutoTopNL's Max would opt for the Prancing Horse as well, and who can blame him? The sound alone of this engine, coupled with the exhaust note, is the stuff of dreams. If you were to pick one last sound you could hear before going deaf, you could do a lot worse than a Ferrari 812 Superfast at full blast. Did we mention it makes full power at 8,500 rpm?Speaking of power, that's the second bit that makes the 812 so special. With an output of 800 hp, the 6.5-liter V12 is the most powerful engine ever fitted in a Ferrari road-going car. That title now has to go to the Competizione version, the more track-focused 812 released a little over a month ago but, as you can see, it stayed in the family.The blue 812 Superfast you see here, however, is a special example. It was built at Ferrari's Atelier, the Italian brand's comprehensive customization program. As a result, it gets a plaque in the trunk where everything that sets it apart from a standard Superfast is listed. However, by showing us the plate, Max also unwillingly catches the sound made by closing the trunk lid. Let's just say it doesn't sound expensive enough. We also get to witness the twitchy alarm system, but that might not necessarily be a bad feature on a Ferrari. It's better to wake the neighbors a few times than to have it stolen.The moment you step into the cabin and fire up that engine, everything is forgiven. The interior's appearance is a matter of taste - we find this particular one a bit too flashy for our understanding of what Ferrari stands for, but at the same time it's something we could definitely get used to if you know what we mean - but it's almost impossible to fault the layout.As Max hits the Autobahn ramp, his constant reminder that "this is not a GT" becomes blatantly obvious: the 812 Superfast sounds like a race car. A few more seconds down the famous German highway network, and that feeling only intensifies as the Ferrari makes short work of hitting 211 mph (340 kph) During the previous century, theres been absolutely no shortage of iconic motorcycles produced in the United Kingdom. Of all the manufacturers based on British soil, Norton has remained among the most prominent names to this very day, despite facing some rather turbulent times over the course of their history. Additionally, vintage Nortons are now considered to be some of the tastiest collectors items in the two-wheeler realm.If youve been searching for the opportunity to get your hands on one such creature, this might just be your lucky day. The bike youre seeing in these photos is a reconditioned 1974 model from Nortons legendary Commando 850 range, and its going under the hammer on Bring A Trailer ! At this time, youd need about twelve grand to bring this old-school treasure into your garage, and you may place your bid until Sunday, June 21.In stock form, the Commandos air-cooled 829cc parallel-twin mill is capable of summoning up to 60 ponies at optimal rpm. The engines force is routed to a four-speed transmission, which spins the rear wheel by means of a chain final drive, resulting in a top speed of 118 mph (190 kph). Now that weve reminded ourselves about the machines powertrain characteristics, lets examine the restoration work applied to this particular entity.For starters, its bodywork was enveloped in a fresh coat of black paint and gold accents, while the frame has been powder-coated to keep things looking clean. After polishing the aluminum components to a mirror finish, the current owner went about installing a pair of round bar-end mirrors, rear-mounted foot pegs from Tarozzi and a modern steering damper.You will find a Lucas handlebar taking pride of place in the cockpit. Furthermore, the Commando s hoops were rebuilt using new spokes and rims, which sport Avon RoadRider rubber on both ends. An assortment of higher-spec goodies have also been fitted to the twin-cylinder powerplant, such as oversized pistons, an Alton electric starter and revised carbs. Lastly, the gearbox was refurbished to further optimize the beasts performance. FutureLand, an information center that opened more than a decade ago, is the project's predecessor. Because of the popularity of FutureLand, a more comprehensive information center with a larger, permanent exhibition was needed to teach visitors about Europe's largest port.The new Harbour Experience Centre will open its doors in a widely known location on the beach, and it will stand out from the flat surroundings. It will occupy a 3,533 square meters (38,029 square feet) area, and each of the five boxes will represent a floor. Windows are designed for each side of the building, offering a panoramic view towards Rotterdam's buzzing harbor.Its floors will be strategically stacked. The ground floor cafe will be facing westward, so people will be able to watch the North Sea and the dunes. Those on the fourth floor will see both the North Sea and the harbor's lights during the evening. A wide atrium will function as an exhibition space in the building's center, and it will have an explanatory kinetic sculpture hanging in the middle, with a model of the Port of Rotterdam underfoot.There will be staircases surrounding the building on the outside and on the inside leading to the rooftop. While climbing up to the rooftop, visitors will be able to take a look at the exhibition inside.MVRDV claims that the building will be energy-neutral, with steel donated from demolished structures being utilized in its construction. Parts of the facade panels will be made of recycled materials, while the ceilings will be built with recycled paper.The building's structure will be demountable so that its components can be reused, and the facade panels will be returned to the manufacturer at the end of the building's lifespan. The energy used will be produced by 266 solar panels and its own windmill. EV Endurance is, on paper, the electric pickup truck of tomorrow offered today. Lordstown has spared no effort in presenting it as the most revolutionary, safest and most practical commercial offering on the market right now, which also happens to be fully-electric, to boot. With 600 hp on tap and four hub motors, Endurance has been described as the safest and most practical pickup truck ever. And it was. It is! But still on paper only.Lordstown has been having a terrible year, and thats putting it lightly. The initial presentation of the e-truck led to a booming market valuation through a SPAC (Special-Purpose Acquisition Company) merger, and an impressive capital rise. Pre-orders were pouring in and so were investments. Lordstown told investors big and small that they were, together, part of a history-making moment: the first market delivery of a commercial electric pickup truck. Forget about the Tesla Cybertruck or the more recently announced Ford F-150 Lightning : here was a startup making it happen.The first signs of trouble became apparent with the publication of a report from short-seller Hindenburg Research, leveraging serious allegations against Lordstown and now-ex CEO Steve Burns. They included, among others, claims that the firm orders for Endurance were both artificially boosted and non-binding (so, amounting to nothing); the claim that the in-wheel motor technology was far from developed enough to be included in a production vehicle; the claim that Endurance was actually years from production phase, even though the timeline included deliveries in September 2021; and an alleged history of lying and overstating of facts from Burns, the mastermind behind Lordstown.The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) launched an investigation into the merger and the claims of fraud. As of the moment of press, its findings are yet to be made public, but that hasnt kept the cracks in the once-lovely Lordstown facade from showing. Theyre getting bigger, too, to the point where the promising Endurance e-truck is now a removed dream. Reuters obtained a new regulatory filing with SEC, in which Lordstown admits that the $5 billion of future revenue claimed in legally-binding pre-orders is, more or less, a guesstimate. Put it differently, the same pre-orders that Hindenburg Research claimed were not binding and that Lordstown has been saying are firm all along, are surprise, surprise! not binding.Although these vehicle purchase agreements provide us with a significant indicator of demand for the Endurance, these agreements do not represent binding purchase orders or other firm purchase commitments, the filing reads. Translation: theyre not orders per se but a tool to gauge potential interest in the truck. This wouldnt be as bad as it looks if, just 48 hours earlier, new President Rich Schmidt hadnt assured investors that Lordstown had enough orders for production for 21 and 22 and that the orders were firm.This comes hot on the heels of Lordstown admitting to investors its stuck in financial hell, where it cant fulfill promised production unless it secures more funds. At best, the company is looking at a halved production of the Endurance ; at worst, its looking at massive delays or even complete dissolution. It doesnt help either that one official statement contradicts the previous one, or that several lies have already gone on the record (like this one, about the firm orders, which Lordstown has been saying since March, only to do a complete 180 on it after the SEC filing). Burns recent ousting as CEO and, before that, his statements that Endurance was comparable to the Ford F-50 Lightning but better, and his promises that the Endurancebe the first commercial electric truck to market, only add to the weight thats bearing down on this formerly-promisingAt this point, Lordstown actually delivering Endurance in three months time is looking like a pipe dream. Whether its because of ill-will or deliberate deceit on part of Burns & Co., or this is yet another case of underestimating the production process, no one knows. But maybe time will tell. Palmdale, CA (93550) Today Sunny skies. Becoming windy late. High 101F. Winds SW at 20 to 30 mph.. Tonight A few passing clouds, otherwise generally clear. Low near 70F. SSW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Corruption is a growing concern for voters in Europe, with respondents across the 27 EU member states twice as likely to think it's getting worse (32%) in their country than getting better (16%), according to a Transparency International survey. The big picture: As you move south and east, the concerns grow more acute. Huge majorities in countries like Croatia (92%), Bulgaria (90%) and Slovenia (84%) view corruption as a big problem versus 16% in Finland and 12% in Denmark. Respondents in Central and Eastern Europe tend to think that corruption is getting worse or at best staying the same, per the poll. Zoom in: In Bulgaria, often ranked as the EU's most corrupt member, 48% of respondents said graft was growing worse, 19% paid a bribe to obtain a public service over the past year, and 17% said they knew someone who had been asked for sex to obtain an essential service. Driving the news: The Biden administration used its first major anti-corruption action earlier this month to target six Bulgarian power brokers and 64 companies linked to them for sanctions effectively stepping onto the EUs turf to do so. A week later, European Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi arrived in Bulgaria for her first mission abroad since her office was launched at the start of the month. She urged Bulgarians to report serious corruption-related crimes to a newly created EU body empowered to prosecute suspected perpetrators. The latest: This week, the Bulgarian Finance Ministry published a blacklist of 21 individuals and 33 companies linked to businessmen and politicians who have been sanctioned by the US. What to watch: The concerns about corruption have major political implications. A new anti-establishment party with a focus on fighting corruption just took a narrow lead in the polls ahead of Bulgarias parliamentary elections on July 11. State Republicans' stab at election reform has confused the hell out of the 67 county elections supervisors from around Florida. What's new: The supervisors vented at a summer conference Wednesday with Florida Division of Elections director Maria Matthews at Tampa's Water Street Marriott. "Were all still struggling with how vague some of the new things put into law are," Okaloosa County election supervisor Paul Lux told the Tampa Bay Times. "We need answers." The state of play: If supervisors are confused about SB 90, which is already facing four separate lawsuits, voters likely will be too. "Some of this is unworkable. Some of it just doesnt make much sense. Some of it seems to disenfranchise voters," Leon County supervisor Mark Earley told the Times. The big picture: Since the state's 2020 election was a resounding success, some elections supervisors are calling the law, originally 400 pages, a solution looking for a problem. Go deeper: Read the bill for yourself Iran regained its United Nations General Assembly vote on Friday after it made a minimum dues payment, while denouncing the United States for sanctions that had blocked billions in funds, AP reports. The big picture: The Biden administration on Thursday lifted sanctions on former Iranian officials affiliated with the National Iranian Oil Co., signaling that it's willing to ease economic pressure on Iran, the Wall Street Journal reports. The U.S. also lifted sanctions Thursday on several other Iranian energy companies involved in trading and shipping petrochemical goods, per the WSJ. What they're saying: "After more than 6 months of working on it, the UN today announced it has received the funds. ALL inhumane sanctions must be lifted NOW," Irans U.N. Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi said Friday on Twitter. Juneteenth, a once-obscure commemoration of emancipation of enslaved people in Texas, has transformed into an annual reminder about how slavery robbed Black Americans of generational wealth. Why it matters: That lack of generational wealth still denies Black families the economic security that many white families take for granted. The ongoing disparities can be directly linked to the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow, says Shawn Rochester, author of The Black Tax: The Cost of Being Black in America. By the numbers: Around $50 trillion of economic resources and labor has not been paid to Black people since slavery, Rochester told Axios. Advocates say this legacy of slavery must be addressed to tackle systemic racism. By the end of 2020, the homeownership rate for Black families stood around 44%, compared with 75% for white families, U.S. Census numbers showed. A Washington Post analysis found that a typical middle-class black household had $13,024 in wealth, compared to $149,703 for the median white household in 2016 a larger percentage gap than in 1968. Black households had $8,762 in cash or equivalent liquid assets, compared with $49,529 for white households in 2016, an Economic Policy Institute analysis of government data found. Protesters gather in Washington, D.C., to support Black Lives Matter and to Juneteenth in 2020. Photo: Michael A. McCoy/Getty Images Context: In the 1800s, the U.S. became an economic power because of the use of enslaved labor in the growing cotton industry. Enslaved Black people built the Capitol building, the White House, roads and infrastructure, and various universities across the country with little to no compensation. The selling of enslaved people also financed universities like Georgetown. By 1860, the value of the enslaved people was roughly three times greater than the total amount invested in banks, and it was equal to about seven times the total value of all currency in circulation in the country," Steven Deyle wrote in Carry Me Back: The Domestic Slave Trade in American Life. Right before emancipation, Black Americans free and enslaved owned only one-half of 1% of the national wealth. In the decades after slavery, Black Americans were often banned from buying property, limited in pursuing legal claims, prevented from voting, and banished to segregated schools. Successful Black businesses thrived in enclaves like Tulsa, Okla., and East St. Louis, Ill., only to be destroyed by white mobs. Those business owners that had insured their enterprises were unable to collect on their premiums. Driving the news: The death of George Floyd last year forced a national reckoning on social justice, and this year more Juneteenth events are coinciding with forums on how the nation financially benefited from enslaved Black lives, and how the labor of all people of color came to valued less than their white counterparts. The Movement for Black Lives is using Juneteenth celebrations to discuss reparations as a means to build wealth and address racial disparities in education, housing, and business ownership. address racial disparities in education, housing, and business ownership. Georgetown Law School's Institute of International Economic Law and the Black Economic Alliance hosted members of Congress this week at a Juneteenth forum on including Black Americans in the digital economy. And the McKinsey Global Institute and the McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility this week released a report that detailed Black economic participation in the U.S. economy and disparities that remain after generations of exclusion. The intrigue: A focus on the economic effects of slavery and segregation comes as Republican-controlled legislatures are passing bills that prohibit schools from studying systemic racism as part of the U.S. legal framework, an area known as critical race theory. Don't forget: For years, Juneteenth has been celebrated in Houston and Galveston, Texas, to commemorate General Order No. 3, issued by U.S. Major General Gordon Granger a month after the formal end of the Civil War. Republican-held state legislatures have passed bills that give lawmakers more power over the vote by stripping secretaries of state of their power, asserting control over election boards and creating easier methods to overturn election results, according to the New York Times. Why it matters: The bills, triggered by baseless claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election, threaten to politicize traditionally non-partisan election functions by giving Republicans more control over election systems. By the numbers: Republican state lawmakers have introduced at least 216 bills in 41 states to give legislatures more power over election systems, according to the States United Democracy Center, a bipartisan organization created to protect democratic norms. 24 of the bills have been enacted into law across 14 states. What they're saying: Had these bills been in place in 2020, they would have significantly added to the turmoil that surrounded the election, and they would have raised the alarming prospect that the outcome of the presidential election could have been decided contrary to how the people voted," States United warned in April. The big picture: The effort also comes as legislatures have introduced and adopted multiple restrictive voting bills, including in battleground states like Georgia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Michigan, Arizona and Wisconsin. Go deeper: Florida's new voting law has elections supervisors stumped The Biden administration wants to finalize a deal with Iran to return to the 2015 nuclear deal in the six weeks remaining before a new Iranian president is inaugurated, a U.S. official tells Axios. Key quote: The official said it would be "concerning" if talks dragged on into early August, when Iran's transition is due to take place. "If we don't have a deal before a new government is formed, I think that would raise serious questions about how achievable it's going to be," the official said. Driving the news: Conservative judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi, a close ally to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, is the clear favorite to win Friday's presidential election in Iran. No prominent members of the reformist camp were permitted to run, meaning the more moderate President Hassan Rouhani will almost certainly hand power to a hardliner. Analysts and some diplomats involved in the negotiations have long said it would be easier to reach a deal with the outgoing administration than with a newly inaugurated government, particularly one led by Raisi. Six rounds of talks have been held so far in Vienna, with the U.S. not in the room but negotiating indirectly through EU intermediaries. State of play: Iran's top negotiator, Abbas Araghchi, said this week that while a deal wouldn't be possible in the current round of talks, Iran had no interest in "wasting time" and the elections wouldn't be a factor. Russian envoy Mikhail Ulyanov said earlier this week that a deal was perhaps "a couple of weeks" away. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas also stressed that "playing for time is in no one's interest." But Rafael Grossi, director of the UN's nuclear watchdog, told La Repubblica newspaper this week: "Everyone knows that, at this point, it will be necessary to wait for the new Iranian government." What they're saying: The U.S. official said such a timeline would be "concerning" not so much because a conservative government would be taking power, but because the longer the negotiations continue without a breakthrough, the lower the chances of success will be. "We don't have infinite time to get this done. So I think we'll know I don't want to give a timeline but we'll know it when time has run up and we've concluded that it can't reached within a reasonable time," the official said. "I'm not predicting that," the official added, noting that Iran was "engaged seriously" and a deal could be reached within a few weeks. But the U.S. does not intend to continue negotiations for months and months, "and I think the Iranians would say the same." "Our whole view of this, informed by what we're being told by the Iranians, is that the elections are not a factor, that the decision-making will continue before and after the elections and so things will not be interrupted as a result of the election," the official said. The bottom line: "We'll negotiate the same way we've been negotiating so far. What happens after his inauguration, that's a different matter, but hopefully we'll get a deal before then. If not we'll have to consider." Worth noting: The official declined to specify the biggest remaining obstacles to a deal, but said progress was being made both in determining the sanctions relief the U.S. must provide to return to the deal, and the nuclear steps Iran must take to get back in compliance. Monday, June 21 is the birthday of Leo Adler, Baker Citys beloved benefactor who died in 1993 Juneteenth is a national holiday. Can it be taught after Texas limited teaching on race? Millions of J&J COVID-19 shots expire soon. States are struggling to use them Executive Editor Christine Peterson answers your questions and takes your complaints about The Californians news coverage in this weekly feedback forum. Questions may be edited for space and clarity. To offer your input by phone, call 661-395-7649 and leave your comments in a voicemail message or email us at soundoff@bakersfield.com. Please include your name and phone number. Stay up to date on COVID-19 Get Breaking News Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. Tim Fischer/Midland Reporter-Telegram (Bloomberg) -- Royal Dutch Shell Plc is reviewing its holdings in the largest oil field in the U.S., a possible sale that could raise as much as $10 billion, according to Reuters. The potential sale could include all of Shells 260,000 acres in the Permian Basin, Reuters reported citing unidentified people familiar with the matter. Shell declined to comment on Reuters report. Laredoans have always reached for new heights. However, one local may reach a place few have ever before albeit, in unusual fashion. On Tuesday, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced a contest as the winner will be sent to space to help collect data on the surface of the moon. But theres one caveat: the candidates will be going posthumously as NASA will be creating a mannequin, or Moonikin, in their honor. The NASA Artemis Program features eight names which commemorate unsung heroes, which are considered individuals who have committed great deeds or accomplishments but have received little recognition during their lifetime, as well as other important names. And the Laredoan who is up for the honor is Arturo B. Campos, a former NASA electrical engineer. Campos contribution to the aerial space organization helped in the development of life-sustaining electrical power systems from both the Apollo spacecraft and the shuttle. Without the subsystem mangers help in developing the life-saving technology, the shuttle of Apollo 13 would have been another tragedy for NASA as it had about 72 hours before crashing into the Earth and leaving no survivors when Campos and other experts like him were notified to find a way to safe the shuttle and those on board. A few days later after beginning work on a rescue plan, Apollo 13 splashed down safely in the water with a major accident being avoided. The way the family got notified took them by surprise. I received a message in Messenger from someone that is not my friend, and I looked at it and read it, and it gave me an email address that ended with NASA.gov. So I replied, and she said that they wanted to tell me that they had selected him because of his role in having developed a very important piece of hardware for Apollo 13, said Campos daughter Leticia Campos Maddix. Dad came up with a solution for the power, and they were really excited because of that. On Tuesday, NASA announced the rules for the naming contest that will begin on Wednesday to choose the Moonikin. The eight individuals are in a bracket with voting between two at a time. The winners will advance to the semifinals before moving to the third round in the finals. The dedication to Campos was made by NASA due to the fact that they state his role was key in bringing Apollo 13 home and evading a horrific tragedy, as it entered back into the atmosphere mainly due to his quick work handling the shuttle falling uncontrollably back to the planet. According to the NASA website, Campos was chosen as a possible name for the Moonikin as Campos was resourceful and a problem-solver. The rules of the contest were posted on NASA's website Tuesday morning as voting will be done every other day to ensure who the contestants will be moving forward to the next bracket. Votes will be counted via social media. Every other day starting Wednesday, NASA will ask social media users on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to vote between one of two names. The final showdown will be on June 28 before the Moonikins name will be announced on June 29. As NASA gears up for the Artemis I mission around the Moon that will pave the way to send the first woman and the first person of color to the lunar surface, we have an important task for you (yes, you!), states NASA about the mission. Artemis I will be an uncrewed flight test of the Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft ahead of the first flight with crew on Artemis II. We want your help to select a name for the suited mannequin, or Moonikin in this case, that will fly aboard Orion to help gather data before missions with astronauts. Campos is one of eight names up for consideration. The others include: Ace Stands for Artemis Crew Explorer, a practical name as the Moonikin will be a member of the first official crew of Artemis I. Delos In 2017, NASAs Terra satellite captured an image of islands scattered across the Aegean Sea. One group sat in the central region of the Aegean, encircling the island of Delos. Duhart Named after Dr. Irene Duhart Long, the first African American woman to serve in the Senior Executive Service at Kennedy Space Center. She was the first woman and person of color to serve as chief medical officer as her career spanned 31 years. Montgomery Named after Julius Montgomery, the first African American hired at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station working as a technical professional. Rigel One of the 10 brightest stars in the Earths sky, forming part of the Orion constellation. Rigel is a nod to the Orion spacecraft, which the Moonikin will be riding aboard. Shackleton Refers to the Shackleton Crater on the moon, named after Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton. NASA research finds that ice may make up the interior of the crater at nearly 22% of the surface material. Wargo Named after Michael Wargo, who represented NASA as the first Chief Exploration Scientist for the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. He was a leading contributor of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS), which launched together on to the Moon and confirmed water existed there in 2009. Each name reflects an important piece of NASAs past or a reference to NASAs Artemis plans, NASA Headquarters Public Affairs Officer Kathryn Hambleton said. Some of the names were selected based on people who have had an impact on the agency and space exploration, but have not received as much recognition as some more well-known figures. According to NASA, a mannequin is commonly used in training for emergency rescues, medical education and research. The Moonikin ultimately chosen will not just be sent to space to travel with the real life crew but also will be used to collect data on the moons surface. Laredoans and others around the world will be able to travel with the Moonikin passengers virtually every step of the way on their voyage. The mannequin will be loaded into the Orion spacecraft closer to the mission, and people will be able to follow along as Orion and its passengers travel around the Moon and back, Hambleton said. In efforts to take part in the contest beginning on June 16, people must follow the official account of @NASAArtemis via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram where they will be able to vote for the Moonikin that they will take to the sky as the bracket challenges will be announced through there. More information about Campos legacy and his work in NASA can be found by going to a page dedicated to his work and tenure at the aeronautics organization at nasa.gov/moonikin/arturo-campos. jorge.vela@lmtonline.com Two activists have met with Midland leaders, including representatives from Fasken Oil and Ranch, County Commissioner Randy Prude and U.S. Rep. August Pfluger, to discuss what they see as the solution to Texas nuclear waste problem. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is currently reviewing an application for a high-level nuclear waste site in Andrews County that critics have argued would open the Permian Basin up for a potential terrorist attack, as well as the risk of a leak when the waste is transported by train through Midland County. Kevin Kamps of Beyond Nuclear and Lon Burnam of Public Citizen are trying to put pressure on the federal government to invest in what they believe is the safest way to store nuclear waste hardened onsite storage. Its much better designed containers with much better designed systems, fabricated well to last for as long as its going to be needed to contain this stuff from the living environment, which is forever, Kamps said. Kamps and Burnam worked on the defeat of Rep. Brooks Landgrafs House Bill 2692, which aimed to ban the storage of high-level nuclear waste in Texas. However, as noted in a letter from Rep. Tom Craddick to House Committee on Environmental Regulation members, the bill didnt have the power to ban waste because storage sites are decided at the federal level. Burnam called the bill a Trojan horse. This bill pretended to do something that it couldnt do, he said, noting the bill would have also given a tax break to Interim Storage Partners, the company seeking to build a waste storage site in Andrews County. A better solution, according to Kamps and Burnam, is to pass legislation at the federal level relating to hardened onsite storage, a concept first described by Dr. Gordon Thompson of the Institute for Resource and Security Studies in 2003. They are proposing steel casks filled with dry nuclear waste be placed on individual concrete pads that are surrounded by earth or gravel barriers. The casks would also have airflow vents to prevent overheating. Nuclear waste is currently stored in different containers depending on the storage site. Interim Storage Partners is proposing storing dry pellets of spent nuclear fuel in above-ground casks at the site in Andrews County. Kamps and Burnams plan also calls for moving waste from fuel pools and reactor sites where there is a potential for earthquakes or other risks. For waste that needs to be moved, they propose constructing storage sites as close as possible to reactor sites to avoid risks from transportation. And although ISP has applied for a license to store high-level waste temporarily for 40 years, the activists said any site needs to be built with permanent storage in mind because theres no permanent repository in the U.S. after construction of Yucca Mountain was discontinued. Kamps and Burnam said they are hoping the U.S. Congress will use legislative power to enforce hardened onsite storage, which they said significantly lowers the risk of a terrorist attack because any release would be so insignificant that it becomes an unattractive target. Fasken has really moved the Texas congressional delegation, and I think were going to make more headway this year than weve ever been able to make, Burnam said. Tim Castilleja was so rattled about testifying in a murder trial last week that federal agents had to arrest him to get him into court. On the stand, Castilleja told jurors that he feared reprisals for telling them what he saw at his tavern on the Yakama Indian Reservation two years ago. But his testimony was important for prosecutors making the case that Jordan Stevens, a member of the Yakama tribe, had shot and killed Alillia "Lala" Minthorn, 25, and then hidden her body in a remote wilderness on the reservation. Stevens was convicted of murder on Thursday. Two days later, Castilleja's tavern burned to the ground - and the witness has also vanished, the Yakima Herald-Republic reported. Now the FBI is working with local authorities to determine what happened to Castilleja's establishment, the Brownstown Tavern, and to try to find Castilleja. The fire and disappearance are a twist to a case that federal authorities had heralded as proof of their renewed focus on violent crime on Indian reservations, where advocates have long demanded action on unresolved cases involving missing women and girls. Last year, when the Bureau of Indian Affairs established a new cold-case task force, there were more than 1,500 unsolved cases of missing or murdered Indigenous women nationwide. "This office is committed to prosecuting aggressively cases involving violent acts committed against Native American women who reside on Reservation lands within this District," Joseph Harrington, the acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, said in a statement after Stevens's conviction last week. Before the trial, Minthorn was among dozens of women listed as missing or mysteriously killed on the Yakama Indian Reservation. She was first reported missing on May 9, 2019, and was last seen getting into a car near "the compound," a homeless encampment in the reservation, according to court documents. For weeks, her whereabouts were unknown. Then, in mid-May, a woman named Jasmine McCormack called the FBI with a harrowing tale. McCormack said she had been driving with Stevens and another woman when they picked up Minthorn. They drove to a closed-off area of the reservation, north of a small community called Brownstown. Then Stevens marched Minthorn out of the car and killed her with a rifle. The motive, the feds later said, was Stevens's belief that Minthorn had talked to police about an earlier incident when he and McCormack allegedly tried to steal a vehicle and assaulted the driver. After the killing, McCormack said, she and Stevens and the other woman drove to the Brownstown Tavern, where they hung out and eventually cleaned blood out of the car. When Stevens suddenly became convinced his own blood had gotten onto Minthorn's clothes, they drove back to the remote spot where they had dumped her and removed her clothes. After talking to agents, McCormack tried to flee with Stevens, but both were arrested on May 20. Nine days later, federal agents said, McCormack led them to Minthorn's body. Castilleja later provided key supporting testimony to federal agents, telling them that he'd seen McCormack, Stevens and the other woman at his tavern on the day of the murder. He'd also seen Stevens brandishing a rifle and a woman frantically cleaning out the car. When it came time to testify in court, though, Castilleja was a no-show, the Herald-Republic reported. Chief District Judge Stanley Bastian ordered federal agents to arrest him to compel him to talk, and on the stand on June 9, he repeated what he had told federal agents - and warned that he was scared about testifying, the Herald-Republic reported at the time. On Thursday, the jury found Stevens guilty of first-degree murder. Federal authorities hailed the result as visible progress in combating a wave of crime on the reservation. "Too often, violence on the reservation results in the tragic and senseless loss of life," Donald Voiret, the FBI's special agent in charge of the Seattle field office, said in a statement. "The FBI is committed to combatting crime on our state's reservations." Then, around 4:40 a.m. on Saturday, Yakima firefighters raced to the Brownstown Tavern to find the business fully engulfed in flames. "At that point, it was unsurvivable conditions," Yakima County Fire Chief Kevin Frazier told the Herald-Republic. Castilleja, who lived in the tavern, hasn't been seen since, the Herald-Republic reported. Fire officials told the newspaper they expect to meet Thursday with FBI agents at the tavern, which was reduced to a smoldering pit of broken bricks and rubble. Stevens, meanwhile, is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court in September. Beaumont school district trustees on Thursday approved a general budget of $173.4 million for the 2021-22 year beginning July 1 an increase of 1.6% compared with this years ending budget. The new plan brings $800 raises for teachers and instruction coaches as well as a 1% mid-point raise for other staff; a $500 increase to new teacher salaries and use of a federal COVID-19 grant over the next three years to make building improvements. The vote was 6-1. Trustee Kevin Reece voted against it, but he did not elaborate. A tax rate needed to support the budget wont be set until certified property values are reported to the Texas Education Agency. The agency will then calculate the tax rate that would raise revenue coming into the district. That won't happen until at least July 25, said Cheryl Hernadez, the district's chief financial officer. Trustees will set the tax rate in an August board meeting. Related: BISD faces budget shortfall from low attendance The district's property tax rate currently is $1.22 per $100 of value, which covers maintenance, operations and debt service. Over the past budget year, local property taxes raised $132.1 million. State aid contributed $36.7 million, and an additional $4.5 million came from assorted grants. This coming year will see a new $57 million grant from federal coronavirus relief. Of that money, $24 million will go to improvements across the district's 58 buildings and more than 3 million square feet of actively-used space. That means new windows and doors to make the buildings more energy efficient. Plumbing also will be improved and other repairs made. Local contractors will be able to bid for the projects once the district makes formal application for the grant, which is part of the federal government's American Rescue Plan. Top hits: Get Beaumont Enterprise stories sent directly to your inbox Christian Barlow, co-owner of Centrix-Energy and a consultant hired by BISD to assess upgrade needs across the district, said he expects at least half the work can be done by local contractors. Some jobs have tighter deadlines and specialized contractors will have to come in to satisfy federal rules. The rest of the grant will be used for items such as teacher support, learning strategies and other efforts to help students become college-, career- or military-ready upon graduation. Also during the meeting, Teresa Simpson, executive director of Lamar's community relations and economic development and student access, discussed the universitys "Cardinal NEST" partnership with Beaumont ISD elementary schools. As part of the program, which stands for Navigating Excellence, Success and Triumph, Lamar will open pods in each of the district's elementary schools by the end of the 2022 school year, she said. Lamar education majors will then staff the learning pods spread across eight elementary schools to help students with science, technology, engineering, arts and math. Related: Districts plan as state hashes out federal funding The effort also intends give early-grade students access to financial literacy and career exploration as well as cultivate readiness for post-secondary schooling. Then pods are supported by donations and volunteers. For example, the Rotary Club of Beaumont donated $15,000 to operate a NEST at Martin Elementary School. District Superintendent Shannon Allen told trustees that she expects 18,000 students will start the year with Beaumont ISD. She encouraged parents to register on the school district's web site, www.bmtisd.com. Allen said attendance is crucial, not just for district revenue from the state, but for students who must attend at least 90% of instruction in-person to receive education credit and to be eligible for promotion. To help eliminate boundaries to attending school, the district will make COVID-19 vaccinations available June 29 at the administration building from 3 to 5 p.m. and again on July 4 from 1 to 5 p.m. at Amelia Elementary School. Allen said 76 percent of all staff had self-reported vaccinations thus far. Dan Wallach is a freelance writer. DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) Teddy Jo Faley has the part someone is looking for. Hes devoted 100,000 square-feet of storage space to guarantee it. Since 1962, Faleys family business, IWI Motor Parts, has built up to become a major automotive part wholesale distribution company in the tri-state area and beyond. With a little more than 250 employees and 14 locations, the business has grown dramatically since its early days of selling filters out of a station wagon. Its been every emotion that you can have, said Faley, the companys president and owner. Sometimes it was scary. Sometimes it was a lot of fun, but it was always a lot of hard work. The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reports that IWI Motor Parts acts as the primary supplier of automotive parts for more than 3,000 car dealerships, mechanics and automotive centers through eastern Iowa, southwest Wisconsin and western Illinois. Every day, the company transports thousands of parts to numerous businesses seeking to repair customers vehicles. We supply the parts needed to fix all the cars locally, Faley said. Theres no way that any single car dealer or automotive center could hold every needed part for a car, so we make sure to have it on hand for them. The company was founded by Faleys father, Mike Faley, who ran the business out of his mothers garage in Dubuque. Teddy Jo said his father would travel from gas station to gas station, largely selling oil filters. At the time, cars were less complicated feats of engineering. Ford cars all shared the same Ford oil filters, while the Dodge-Chrysler family of cars all had a filter of their own. When it came to individual manufacturers, it was largely a one-size-fits-all model, Faley said. As time has gone on, cars have become more complex in their design, and the number of unique parts made for each make and model of a vehicle has expanded dramatically. We used to have only a few different types of oil filters, Faley said. Now, I have hundreds of different oil filters to fit all the different types of cars out there. IWI has looked to meet this increasing complexity by expanding outward with new warehouse locations in order to fit its ever-expanding supply, including Iowa locations in Cascade and Dyersville, along with Wisconsin locations in Lancaster and Platteville. Faley joined the family business in 2003 and became president in 2008. He said his company reaches automotive centers throughout the tri-state area and beyond, with freight deliveries regularly making their way to Decorah, Iowa, and Rockford, Ill. Most recently, the company has made an effort to increase its presence in Southwest Wisconsin. Faley said IWI Motor Parts has established itself as a reliable supplier of quality parts, never settling for knock-off products. Its a devotion to quality that the company needs to give an edge over larger competitors. We are competing with national companies, Faley said. They have thousands of stores, so we are going to guarantee that we arent going to sell you something from China that was reverse engineered. For several Dubuque mechanics and automotive centers, IWI is the best option for parts. Ron Vaughn, owner of Vaughns Automotive in Dubuque, said he has been a customer of IWI Motor Parts for 26 years, largely because of their reliability and devotion to quality. They always stand behind their parts, Vaughn said. Its always nice to be able to put an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) part on. Mark Merfeld, co-owner of Merfeld Brothers Automotive in Dubuque, said he has purchased parts from IWI since starting his business in 2004 and praised the companys variety of choices. They have quality parts and the staff have always been helpful, Merfeld said. They have always been our go-to. Faley said he intends to continue to expand the footprint of IWI. While the complexity of vehicles and the number of parts may continue to expand, Faley said its a challenge that he and his employees are more than happy to take on. We are really proud of the work we have done, Faley said. The business has been a leap of faith, and its great when something like that works. Medina Lake is now "fully infested" with zebra mussels. The lake is about 43 miles west of San Antonio. The invasive species were first sighted at Medina Lake in February, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. It was the first time the critters have been found in the San Antonio river basin. In late May, officials followed up by conducting intensive shoreline and snorkeling surveys that located numerous zebra mussels in the water. The most recent discoveries indicated the species are reproducing at Medina Lake, designating it as "fully infested," TPWD stated in a news release Thursday. RELATED: 5 tips to follow to keep invasive zebra mussels out of San Antonio lakes Courtesy Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Zebra mussels are one of the most problematic aquatic invasive species in the state, as they put native fisheries at risk and can coat and clog water infrastructure, such as pipes, causing millions of dollars in damage. On Thursday, TPWD also announced Lake Brownwood, near Abilene, and Inks Lake, near Burnet, are also "fully infested." In Texas, the species has now spread to 32 lakes, with 27 of them being fully infested. "As zebra mussels are continuing to spread westward and southward to new areas in Texas, and as those lakes become fully infested, nearby lakes have an increased risk of being invaded and it is vital that boaters take steps to clean, drain, and dry boats to help slow the spread," Monica McGarrity, senior scientist for aquatic invasive species, states in the release. "Boats owned or recently purchased that have been stored in the water must be decontaminated before moving them to another lake to prevent the spread of these highly invasive mussels." Boaters and anglers who transport the mussels can face a fine of up to $500 per violation, according to TPWD. The department is also encouraging lake visitors to help keep track of the spread by photographing and report sighting of mussels. Reports can be sent to aquaticinvasives@tpwd.texas.gov. DALLAS (AP) The Texas bar association is investigating whether state Attorney General Ken Paxton's failed efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election based on bogus claims of fraud amounted to professional misconduct. The State Bar of Texas initially declined to take up a Democratic Party activist's complaint that Paxton's petitioning of the U.S. Supreme Court to block Joe Bidens victory was frivolous and unethical. But a tribunal that oversees grievances against lawyers overturned that decision late last month and ordered the bar to look into the accusations against the Republican official. MORE POLITICAL NEWS: Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert actually asked if moon's, Earth's orbit can be 'altered' The investigation is yet another liability for the embattled attorney general, who is facing a years-old criminal case, a separate, newer FBI investigation, and a Republican primary opponent who is seeking to make electoral hay of the various controversies. It also makes Paxton one of the highest profile lawyers to face professional blowback over their roles in Donald Trump's effort to delegitimize his defeat. A spokesman for the attorney general's office did not respond to requests for comment. Paxton's defense lawyer, Philip Hilder, declined to comment. Kevin Moran, the 71-year-old president of the Galveston Island Democrats, shared his complaint with The Associated Press along with letters from the State Bar of Texas and the Board of Disciplinary Appeals that confirm the investigation. He said Paxton's efforts to dismiss other states' election results was a wasteful embarrassment for which the attorney general should lose his law license. He wanted to disenfranchise the voters in four other states, said Moran. It's just crazy. Texas' top appeals lawyer, who would usually argue the state's cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, notably did not join Paxton in bringing the election suit. The high court threw it out. Paxton has less than a month to reply to Moran's claim that the lawsuit to overturn the results in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin was misleading and brought in bad faith, according to a June 3 letter from the bar. All four of the battleground states voted for Biden in November. From there, bar staff will take up the case in a proceeding that resembles the grand jury stage of a criminal investigation. Bar investigators are empowered to question witnesses, hold hearings and issue subpoenas to determine whether a lawyer likely committed misconduct. That finding then launches a disciplinary process that could ultimately result in disbarment, suspension or a lesser punishments. A lawyer also could be found to have done nothing wrong. The bar dismisses thousands of grievances each year and the Board of Disciplinary Appeals, 12 independent lawyers appointed by the Texas Supreme Court, overwhelmingly uphold those decisions. Reversals like that of Moran's complaint happened less than 7% of the time last year, according to the bar's annual report. Claire Reynolds, a spokeswoman and lawyer for the bar, said state law prohibits the agency from commenting on complaints unless they result is public sanctions or a court action. The bar's investigation is confidential and likely to take months. But it draws renewed attention to Paxton's divisive defense of Trump as he and Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush vie for the former presidents endorsement in the Republican primary to run for attorney general in 2022. On the Democratic side, Joe Jaworski, the former mayor of Galveston, has said he'll run. Moran said Jaworski is a friend but that he played no role in the complaint against Paxton. Paxton's election challenge was filled with claims that failed to withstand basic scrutiny. A succession of other judges and state elections officials have refuted claims of widespread voter fraud, and Trump's own Justice Department found no evidence of fraud that could have changed the election's outcome. Nonetheless, Paxton's lawsuit won him political and financial support from Trump loyalists at a time when fresh allegations of criminal wrongdoing led many in the state GOP to keep their distance from the attorney general. Last fall, eight of Paxton's top deputies mounted an extraordinary revolt in which they accused him of abusing his office in the service of a wealthy donor. The FBI is investigating their claims. Paxton has denied wrongdoing and separately pleaded not guilty in a state securities fraud case that's languished since 2015. He has also used his office in ways that have benefited allies and other donors. The new criminal allegations prompted an exodus of the top lawyers from Paxton's office. But Solicitor General Kyle Hawkins was still serving as Texas' top appellate lawyer at the time of the election lawsuit. Although the solicitor general usually handles cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, it was a private Washington, D.C.-based lawyer who brought election challenge with Paxton. Hawkins has since moved to private practice. A spokesman for his firm said we cant help you" with questions about why he didn't handle the suit. Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday began announcing details of his plan for Texas to build its own border wall, starting the hiring process for a program manager and providing $250 million in state funds as a "down payment." "Texas will build a border wall in our state to help secure our border," Abbott said. The governor did not specify how long the wall would be or where it would be built, saying that those decisions will need to be determined by a program manager after more research. On Wednesday, Abbott directed the Texas Facilities Commission to hire a program manager to begin that work. MORE POLITICS: #AbbottFailedTexas trends as ERCOT asks 29 millions Texans to 'conserve energy' - again "My belief based upon conversations that I've already had is that the combination of state land as well as volunteer land will yield hundreds of miles to build a border wall in Texas," he said. Last week, Abbott hinted during a self-styled border summit in Del Rio that he would create a border barrier to stem the flow of immigrants and illegal drugs into the state, but he did not give details on where the barrier would be built or how it would be funded. On Tuesday morning, Abbott told Ruthless, a podcast about Republican politics, that the state would solicit donations from across the country to help pay for the wall. He said he would have a link prepared when he made the announcement, and all the money donated would be tracked and accounted for. Abbott, a two-term Republican governor, has blamed the Biden administration in Washington for a recent surge of immigrants on Texas southern border, saying in an earlier disaster declaration that new federal policies have paved the way for dangerous gangs and cartels, human traffickers, and deadly drugs like fentanyl to pour into our communities. Abbott has deployed National Guard troops to the border and ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to arrest immigrants and charge them for state laws such as trespassing, illegal entry, smuggling and human trafficking. Immigrant rights advocates have said arresting and prosecuting immigrant parents who cross the border with their children seeking asylum could lead to the same separation of families seen under the Trump administration. Advocates have also expressed concern that the move essentially criminalizes seeking asylum. But critics have also questioned Abbotts authority to get involved in immigration regulation, which is a federal government purview. The League of United Latin American Citizens has threatened to sue the state as soon as Abbott finalizes his plan for the border wall. Building a wall along the entire U.S.-Mexico border was a hallmark of former President Donald Trumps campaign. Once in office, his administration built about 450 miles of barrier, mostly in Arizona and far less in the Rio Grande Valley, according to The Washington Post. On Tuesday, Trump said he received and has accepted an invitation from Abbott to tour the border at the end of the month. Federal lawmakers have said building portions of the wall in Texas cost $26.5 million per mile. The Biden administration, which has ordered the federal government to stop construction of the wall where possible, said last week that building the wall cost taxpayers $46 million per mile in some areas along the border. Abbotts plan to crowd-fund the border walls construction is reminiscent of We Build The Wall, a private fundraising effort that raised more than $25 million for construction of a border wall. Last year, four people involved in We Build The Wall including Steve Bannon, Trumps former adviser were charged with allegedly defrauding donors to the effort. Trump pardoned Bannon before leaving office in January. The plan has another parallel to a 2011 effort by the Arizona Legislature to create a website that raised funds for constructing a fence on its Mexico border. That effort received almost $270,000 by 2014, and an advisory committee gave most of it in 2015 to a county sheriff who invested the money in security technology like GPS systems, according to The Arizona Republic. The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans and engages with them about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha speaks virtually from Bangkok during the 75th annual U.N. General Assembly in New York, Sept. 25, 2020. The U.N. General Assembly on Friday adopted a resolution calling on Myanmars military to restore democratic rule, and urging member states to prevent the flow of arms to the country, where security forces have killed more than 800 people mostly protesters since a Feb. 1 coup. Four of 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Brunei, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand abstained from the vote, again showing divisions within the bloc on how to deal with the Burmese junta that overthrew an elected government on Feb. 1. The resolution calls upon the Myanmar armed forces to respect the will of the people as freely expressed by the results of the general election of 8 November 2020, to end the state of emergency, to respect all human rights of all the people of Myanmar and to allow the sustained democratic transition of Myanmar. It also called for the release of President Win Myint, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, and all those who have been arbitrarily detained, charged or arrested some 4,880 people, according to the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. Myanmars U.N. ambassador, who speaks for the civilian shadow government, said the resolution falls short of our expectations because it did not include the imposition of an arms embargo on the country, where the military ousted an elected government on Feb. 1. A total of 119 countries voted in favor of the resolution. Thirty-six U.N. member-states abstained, and 37 were not present for the vote. Belarus was the only country that voted no. China abstained from the vote, saying it opposes country-specific resolutions, and Russia also abstained, saying the resolution would not contribute to resolving the crisis in Myanmar. Myanmars Kyaw Moe Tun said he was disappointed that it took three months to adopt this watered-down resolution. Still, Myanmars civilian representative voted yes because it will to some extent put pressure on the military to stop inhumane acts in Myanmar. Risk of large-scale civil war in Myanmar A vote on the resolution, which was introduced by Liechtenstein, was postponed last month, as the U.N body tried to garner more support for it, especially from ASEAN, which wanted the arms embargo clause dropped from the draft. A revised version was adopted on Friday. The resolution urges U.N. member-states to prevent the flow of arms into Myanmar in accordance with a Security Council resolution from July 2020 calling for a global ceasefire and de-escalation of violence amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The adoption of the resolution is a significant step, because it send[s] a message that there can be no business as usual with a military junta that murders its own people, said Simon Adams, executive director of the Global Center for the Responsibility to Protect, via Twitter. Meanwhile, U.N. Special Envoy on Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener told the assembly that the opportunity to reverse the military takeover [in Myanmar] is narrowing. She was speaking after the vote on the resolution, to brief the assembly about her weeks-long trip to Southeast Asia in the wake of the Myanmar coup. She was not allowed into Myanmar, but observed the situation mostly from neighboring Thailand. She said the risk of a large-scale civil war is real and warned that half the countrys population could sink into poverty by 2022 if the violence continued. 4 ASEAN member-states abstain from vote The resolution said ASEAN had a central role to play in engaging with Myanmar and facilitating a peaceful solution in the interest of the people of Myanmar and their livelihoods. Still, ASEAN member-states Brunei, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand abstained from the vote, showing how divided the regional bloc is. The U.N. body in it resolution also called on Myanmar to swiftly implement the five-point consensus ASEAN hammered out with the Burmese junta chief on April 24. But ASEAN has made no progress on any of the five points, one of which was the appointment of a special envoy to Myanmar and a visit by an ASEAN delegation to the crisis-ridden country, headed by that envoy. Aung Thu Nyein, director of the Yangon-based Institute of Strategy and Policy Myanmar, said that ASEAN member states dont have a unified position on Myanmar issues, given the fact that most [of its member-] states are not even democratic states. Still, the regional bloc can play a part, Aung Thu Nyein told Radio Free Asia (RFA), a sister entity of BenarNews. I think ASEAN still has a central role in handling Myanmar crisis. Many countries support ASEANs five-point consensus, Aung Thu Nyein told RFA. I think the ASEAN way is not adequate but as many countries are now supporting the five-point consensus we should stick to that path. The Myanmar Service of Radio Free Asia contributed to the report. If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. Amanda Burke covers Pittsfield City Hall for The Berkshire Eagle. An Ithaca, New York native, she previously worked at The Herald News of Fall River and the Fitchburg Sentinel & Enterprise. Find her on Twitter at @amandaburkec. Reporter Heather Bellow, a member of the investigations team, joined The Eagle in 2017. She is based in the South Berkshire County bureau in Great Barrington. Her work has appeared in newspapers across the U.S. The Talisman Players of Kutztown return to the Boyertown State Theatre to perform Pandemic: The Year We Lost. Berks residents are asked to share their pandemic stories in a survey that will be scripted into live stage scenarios. The theater group is pictured performing "The Wizard of Oz" at the Boyertown State Theatre in 2019. Republican Texas governor Greg Abbott has officially signed a heavily-criticized and controversial bill to quell the amount school teachers can teach students about racism. According to the Houston Chronicle, House Bill 3979 targets critical race theory and forbids teachers from discussing certain viewpoints in the classroom, including the concept that some people are inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously. Opponents of the measure, which is one of many sweeping through far right legislatures nationwide, say it seeks to whitewash lessons about slavery and discrimination in America both in its past and present. Last month, Democratic Rep. James Talarico of Round Rock raised a procedural complaint, blocking the bills passage. Senate Republicans, however, were able to get around the blockage by backtracking on numerous last-minute changes they made, including removing historical figures of color from a list of required reading for students. RELATED: Educators Taking Action With Rallies Against Bills Targeting Teaching Americas Racial History The bills author, Rep. Steve Toth, said that racism is part of our reality, and thats part of our shame, and we shouldnt do anything to cover that up. However, he continued, But what we should also not do is blame that on tender, little children that have done nothing wrong. Critics of the bill include Stephanie Boyce, an African American studies professor at the University of Houston and affiliate with the Texas Alliance of Black School Educators. Last month, according to the Chronicle, she said teachers are already trained to present diverse viewpoints when discussing subjects. Additionally, she claims politicians are just trying to block students from learning the uncomfortable truths about America or more actively engaging in the political process. Its not even like theyre trying to make it complicated to see whats happening, Boyce said. We should be trying to find ways to make these processes more inclusive, to bring students into the process even more. Texas is just the latest state attempting to whitewash history in its schools. In May, Tennessee banned the teaching of critical race theory in its schools. And last week, Florida did as well. A man reportedly pleaded guilty this week to charges that he threatened to lynch two lawmakers: Black Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri after the January 6 Capitol riots, and Steve Cohen of Tennessee in 2019. According to Axios, court records reveal Kenneth Hubert pleaded guilty Thursday (June 17) to two charges of threatening to assault a U.S. government official. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of six years in prison. On January 7, Hubert, who was arrested in March, called Cleavers office, called him a racial slur, and claimed he was "as dumb as a rock" and added: "How about a noose around his neck?" Hubert said he did not like that Cleaver ended the opening prayer on the first day of Congress by saying, "Amen and A-woman." RELATED: Missouri Man Threatens To Kill Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, Mentions Noose Hubert also admitted he called Cohens office in May 2019 and told a staff member he had "a noose with the congressmans name on it" and he planned to "put a noose around his neck and drag him behind his pickup truck." The York Times reports prosecutors revealed that Hubert had a history of making threatening phone calls. On the day of the insurrection, he called the Missouri Democratic Party and said members should stay in hiding. Additionally, Hubert called a Montana federal judge after the states 2014 ruling that its same-sex marriage ban was unconstitutional. Call ahead to confirm events. Due to COVID-19, many events have been canceled but hosting organizations might not have updated their entries. Email Blast Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Daily News Headlines & Events Email Blast Would you like to receive a digest of each day's headlines & events from The Daily News by email? Signup today! The Amplifier Headlines & Events Email Blast Would you like to receive a weekly digest of headlines & events from The Amplifier by email? Signup today! Daily News Hosted Events The Daily News is a proud host of community enrichment events. Join our Daily News Events mailing list to learn about the next event we are planning. Sign up now. Manage your lists Spearfish, SD (57783) Today Sunshine this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 89F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low 69F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death. Go to form Spearfish, SD (57783) Today Sunshine this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 86F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low 66F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. SEATTLE - On Friday, June 18, Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced a legally binding agreement with a California-based company that was caught in a sweep of online vaping retailers. The company, E-Juice Vapor Inc., will pay $375,000 to resolve a lawsuit Ferguson brought in August 2020 after its initial refusal to cooperate with the investigation. The resolution concludes the Attorney Generals Office 2019-2020 investigation into online vaping retailers. The Attorney Generals Office caught seven retailers violating Washingtons online age verification law. The seven retailers signed judgments requiring them to pay just over half a million dollars, which will go toward continued enforcement of Washingtons vaping product laws. Unlike the six other companies, E-Juice Vapor did not cooperate in the initial phase of the investigation and did not provide information about its sales into Washington. Consequently, Ferguson filed a lawsuit in August 2020. E-Juice Vapor is paying more than the other six targets of the attorney generals sweep because of its initial lack of cooperation and because its sales into Washington state were significantly higher than the other retailers. E-Juice Vapor illegally put profits over the safety of children, Ferguson said. We will continue to work with parents to keep nicotine products out of the hands of youth. Fegusons lawsuit against E-Juice Vapor stemmed from a 2019-2020 sweep of online vaping sales by investigators from the Attorney Generals Office. After assembling a list of 148 online sellers of vapor products, the investigators posed as minors or used false identifying information to attempt to make purchases of nicotine-containing vapor products. Washingtons law requires stringent age verification for online sales of vapor products. For example, vapor product sellers must verify the buyers age using a third-party service to crosscheck and confirm the buyers identity. Seven of the 148 online sellers illegally sold products to the Attorney Generals investigators without verifying the ages of the purchasers. Six of those companies previously signed legally binding agreements to change their advertising and online sales practices to comply with Washingtons law. The six companies that cooperated with Fergusons investigation agreed to pay the following amounts to the Attorney Generals Office: VanVal Vapor, based in Spokane, paid $30,000 Zenith, based in New York, paid $50,000 Local Vape, based in Henderson, Nev., paid $25,000 Northland Vapor, based in Moorhead, Minn., paid $7,000 WOV, based in Castle Rock, Colo., paid $20,000 Vaping Zone, based in Columbia, S.C., paid $40,000 Washington law on vapor products The sweep represents a continuation of Fergusons efforts to reduce youth access to vaping products. In 2016, Ferguson helped draft Washingtons youth access and online age verification law for sales. In 2019, he co-led the effort to pass legislation raising the purchase age to 21 for vapor and tobacco products. The new minimum age went into effect on Jan. 1, 2020. In order to sell vapor products to Washington residents, retailers must do the following: Clearly state Washingtons minimum legal age of purchase on their website Use a third-party verification service to confirm the purchasers name, age and residential address Verify the credit card information, and it has to match the information the purchaser provides Get a signed certification from the purchaser, saying they are who they say they are, and they are of legal age to purchase vapor products Include shipping documents that clearly state the package contains vapor products Provide information about Washington law regarding the purchase of vapor products by minors None of the seven companies complied with any of these requirements. In addition, four of the companies did not have a license to ship these products to consumers. E-Juice Vapor specifically advertised its products as similar to candy. Investigators discovered its Candy King vapor product line profiled to suggest a flavor like Sour Patch Kids, Strawberry Sour Belts, Swedish Fish and Strawberry Watermelon Bubbalicious. The description continued, take a ganderyou will see they look precisely like sacks of your most loved candy. Youth vaping epidemic The use of e-cigarettes among teenagers has skyrocketed in recent years. For example, in 2016, 13 percent of high school sophomores in Washington used vaping products. In 2018, that number nearly doubled to 21 percent. In 2011, less than one percent (0.6) of middle schoolers used e-cigarettes. By 2019, one in 10 middle schoolers nationwide used e-cigarettes. This increase is undoing decades of advances in driving down youth smoking rates. According to the U.S. Surgeon Generals Office, vaping use among youth has reached epidemic proportions. In September 2020, Ferguson sued JUUL, the largest e-cigarette company in the nation, for illegally targeting underage consumers in its advertising and product design. Local firm Holista Colltech secures an initial order for 15,000 units in Malaysia Holista Colltech Ltd has been granted permission from the Medical Devices Authority (MDA) of Malaysia's Ministry of Health (MOH) to import and distribute the antigen rapid test kit (RTK-AG) developed and manufactured by Hecin Scientific Inc. in China. With this approval, the Company has secured an initial order for 15,000 units in Malaysia. Holista, a natural wellness and health products specialist headquartered in Petaling Jaya and listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, said the Hecin(TM) 2019-nCOV diagnostic test kits can be used to detect the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 viral antigen from nasal swabs within 15 minutes. The 15,000 units will be shipped by the end of this month to Klinik Mutiara, part of Amegajaya Sdn Bhd, a medical consultancy that works closely with MOH and related organizations. The maiden order secured by Holista's wholly-owned Holista Biotech Sdn. Bhd. is worth approximately A$95,000 ($73,000). The kits will be used by registered professionals at Klinik Mutiara for screening purposes. MOH's Medical Devices Authority (MDA) has granted Holista permission to import and distribute up to 45,000 units of the Hecin antigen test kit for emergency use within three months from the date of approval on 14th June 2021. Holista has the rights to distribute the Hecin COVID-19 test kits in Brunei, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore and the United Kingdom. The channel distribution will be handled by Holista's long-time partner, Zuellig Pharma. Holista will build upon the approvals and commercial arrangements for these test kits to extend distribution rights and partnerships worldwide for pandemic-related infection control, testing and related healthcare solutions. A three-year-old was administered ZOLGENSMA, a single dose intravenous injection gene therapy Hyderabad-based Rainbow Childrens Hospital has performed a rare gene therapy for the third time in the last 14 months. Three-year-old Ayaansh Gupta, suffering from Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) was administered ZOLGENSMA at Rainbow Childrens Hospital, Secunderabad, under the supervision of Dr Ramesh Konanki, Consultant Pediatric Neurologist. ZOLGENSMA costs Rs 16 crore and has been imported from the US. ZOLGENSMA is a single dose intravenous injection gene therapy, in which the defective SMN1 gene is replaced through an adenoviral vector. Earlier, two children have been given ZOLGENSMA at Rainbow Childrens Hospital, Secunderabad, in August 2020 and April 2021, and the medicine was provided by Novartis free of cost, on compassionate grounds. Both these children are recovering quite well and making progress in their physical growth and development. Elaborating details, Dr Konanki stated that currently, there are three proven treatments for children suffering from SMA. He said, "They have to be given either of ZOLGENSMA, SPINRAZA and RISDIPLAM and unfortunately none of these medicines is currently available in India, and all are hugely expensive. SPINRAZA and RISDIPLAM need to be taken life-long, and costs around Rs 40-70 Lakh per year. Many children affected with SMA do not have access to any of these treatments due to the mammoth costs involved for treatment, Dr Ramesh said. The Consultant Pediatric Neurologist, on behalf of the medical community and the SMA community (CureSMA group) request Central and State governments to negotiate with respective pharma companies and make these medicines available at an affordable price. Further, Dr Ramesh Konanki desired policymakers to encourage research into treatments for rare diseases through the provision of research funding and also provision of medical insurance for frequent hospitalisation and surgeries. The parents were able to arrange the amount after going through crowdfunding by ImpactGuru.com, and the union finance ministry has waived off the tax worth around Rs 6 crores. I would like to request the Indian government to make this injection available in India for a price that can be afforded by every parent, said Dr Preetham Kumar, Consultant - Pediatrician & Pediatric Intensive Care, Rainbow Childrens Hospital Secunderabad. What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 814-368-3173 or email nfinnerty@oleantimesherald.com. What's next for Israel after Netanyahu's ouster as Prime Minister? Photo/Getty Images Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin Netanyahu has been ousted as Israels Prime Minister after a no-confidence vote by the Knesset. Netanyahus historic and regularly controversial 12-year political reign makes him the longest serving Premier in Israels history. With Naftali Bennett ascending to Prime Minister, Israel may be on the cusp of change. Brandeis professor Yehudah Mirsky, a former U.S. State Department official and an expert on Israeli politics, is currently conducting research in Jerusalem and spoke to BrandeisNOW about Netanyahus departure and what it means for all levels of Israeli society. What are some immediate areas of attention for Naftali Bennett now that Benjamin Netanyahus government will change over? There are almost too many to count. Theres a forthcoming investigation of a recent tragedy at a pilgrimage site in Meron in which 45 people lost their lives, and that will entail a range of questions about governance in general, particularly the seeming autonomy of much of the ultraorthodox sector. And there needs to be a government budget after two years without one. Bigger picture issues also include repairing relations with the U.S., especially the Democratic Party and American Jewry, plus easing Israeli society out of the economic damage wreaked by COVID-19, forming better working relationships with the Palestinian authority, improving the civic climate overall and formulating a policy reponse to the U.S. seeming re-entry into the Iran nuclear deal. In what ways are Bennett and Netanyahu similar? Aside from their temperaments and approaches to politics, are there significant differences? The similarities are in their fundamentally hawkish stances on security and aggressively pro-free market approaches to economics. They both served as officers in the same elite military units. Among the differences are that Bennett, while not a religious leader or thinker as such, is religiously observant and the first Prime Minister to wear a kippah. While Bennett differs politically from much of the U.S. Jewry, he fundamentally respects them. Unlike Netanyahu, whose father was a stalwart right-wing Zionist intellectual dating to pre-state days, Bennett is the child of North American immigrants and successful high tech entrepreneur, and represents a real generational shift. Netanyahu has vowed to return to power, but does he have a clear path to regaining control in the future? You can be sure that as we speak Netanyahu is hard at work planning how best to use his considerable political talents to return to power. There are some murmurs of potential replacements in his Likud Party but hes made clear he is not relinquishing power. Of course, much depends on the outcome of the criminal trials against him which were at the heart of the political turmoil around him in recent years. And the new governing coalition is both numerically narrow and ideologically fractured, and Bennetts voters never imagined this was what they were voting for, which leaves much room for political skirmishing, and little room for error. What is the single most significant change to Israel that having a new prime minister will bring? We need to remember that there are, in essence, two new Prime Ministers: Bennett is sitting in the Prime Ministers seat because Yair Lapid, the undisputed leader of the anti-Netanyahu coalition, whose party received 17 Knesset seats to Bennetts six, magnanimously let Bennett become Prime Minister and take the first rotation. Its really quite remarkable, and politics aside, sets a very different tone. Also, the presence of an Arab party in the governing coalition is a real first. The absence of Netanyahu from the Prime Ministers chair, and the end of his domination of the news cycle and public agenda, is itself momentous. While the new coalition took shape as a motley assortment of anyone but Netanyahu, along the way its begun to take on its own character as some sort of hopeful return to norms of governance, substantive social policy and maybe even a slight calming of the fevered political climate. Has there been any consensus among Israelis about what such a change in leadership represents? For opponents of Netanyahu, there wasnt just a shared desire to be rid of him but also a sense that things in Israel have been stuck for a while and they could now get unstuck. Things have been stuck because its been a time of political crisis. The country has had two years of elections and no budget. Netanyahu has been under indictment and has been working to pass legislation to make himself immune from prosecution. The government has also not passed a budget in two years, so there are many acting positions in government, with the handling of COVID-19 before the vaccines widely seen as shambolic. There is also progress to be made with infrastructure, underserved Israelis, and better integrating Israeli Arabs and the ultraorthodox into society. This change in Prime Minister has occurred on the heels of the recent acts of aggression between Israel and Palestine. What might the Bennett government do for Israeli-Palestinian relations? The new government is unlikely to make any significant peacemaking moves, though there is a desire to improve day-to-day relations with the Palestinian Authority. I also think theres a desire to tone down the combative rhetoric, and in general many Israelis are really not interested in clashing with Palestinians and ruling with an iron hand. Searches for unmarked graves of Indigenous children at former residential school sites are being set up across the country, and on Friday a local First Nation gave an overview on how their efforts are proceeding. Advertisement Advertise With Us Searches for unmarked graves of Indigenous children at former residential school sites are being set up across the country, and on Friday a local First Nation gave an overview on how their efforts are proceeding. The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, Sioux Valley Dakota Nation and representatives of the project looking into unmarked graves at the site of Brandon's former residential school held a Facebook live-stream to dive into the specifics of their work. Though the children buried in Brandon are from numerous First Nations, Sioux Valley is taking the lead on the project as the closest First Nation to the site and owner of the land along Grand Valley Road where the residential school once stood. It is believed at least 104 children are buried around the former Brandon Indian Residential School site. Participating in the call were Sioux Valley Chief Jennifer Bone, AMC Grand Chief Arlen Dumas, project community liaison and Brandon University student Darian Kennedy, forensic anthropologist and Brandon University professor Emily Holland and Katherine Nichols, who has been studying and researching the former residential school site for years as she works on her PhD from Simon Fraser University. Bone gave a brief history of the efforts to locate and identify children buried on the grounds of the former residential school and the land surrounding it. "The goals of the project are to identify the names of children who died while at the school through archival research and interviews with survivors and to work with affected communities whose children may be buried in those cemeteries," Bone said. "To guide the research forward in a respectful way, Sioux Valley Dakota Nation has appointed a committee of Elders who work with the project team." The four Elders on that committee regularly meet with the project team. Though the announcement 215 children had been found buried in unmarked graves at the site of the former Kamloops Residential School in British Columbia only came last month, Bone said work on this project has been ongoing since 2012. "Historical documents have been difficult to access and COVID-19 has prevented important community gatherings and ceremonies in relation to our project," Bone said. "When it's safe for everyone to resume community engagement, our next step with the project was to reach out to other First Nations and affected communities. We're in the process of that right now. The chief expressed hope the project being led by Sioux Valley will provide an example for other First Nations and Indigenous communities starting their own searches for children who never returned home. Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc. Grand Chief Garrison Settee visited the residential school site in Brandon with Bone on Thursday to pay his respects to those buried on the grounds. In a post made on the organization's Facebook page Thursday, Settee said at least 54 children from northern Manitoba are buried in Brandon. In her overview of the project, Nichols said the project is being guided and led by Indigenous communities with support from university researchers. Apart from archeological and forensic studies, Nichols talked about the importance of historical photos to the work. "Could we find photos of students who survivors could identify from those photos and even having the historical photos could help explain how the landscape was used in the past and the changes that have been made since then to help inform these archeological and forensic surveys," she said. "Another thing that we discussed was that there were a few survivors in the community who were willing and ready to share their stories and through chief and council, we were able to have those initial conversations. I have to stress the importance of their eyewitness accounts in guiding the forensic work in narrowing down the search because in Brandon we have over 900 acres." Nichols initially planned on performing searches at the site of the one known cemetery on the premises, but her conversations with survivors helped her expand the scope to other locations. Before any work on the site occurred, ceremonies and smudges were held. Going over his role in the project, Kennedy said he is making sure the needs and cultural beliefs of the affected communities are put at the forefront because of the sensitivity surrounding residential schools. He said science is being used to validate Elders' stories about key locations. Dumas said he'd only missed going to residential school by a couple of years, but his mother, aunts and other relatives hadn't been so lucky. Because it was a hard topic to discuss, he didn't realize the full scope of what had happened at residential schools until later in life. Discussing funding, Holland said the project applied for and received a federally-funded partnership development grant, which was the only way Sioux Valley could find funding for the work. While $27 million in funding was recently made available for burial searches by the federal government, Dumas believes that amount is inadequate. "We're gonna need other individuals to assist," Dumas said. Describing her role in the project, Holland classified herself as being in a support role available to help any of the parties involved. "If communities desire to excavate areas where there might be unmarked graves, that involves certain legal implications for found human remains in the province," Holland said. "As a forensic anthropologist in the province, I can help navigate those kinds of situations." The tool used to find the unmarked graves in Kamloops is called ground-penetrating radar. Holland said the radar is used to detect pieces of land where ground has been disturbed. "Ground-penetrating radar basically looks at different densities of the soil and it can tell you when something is not consistent with what's surrounding it," Holland said. "What it's essentially doing is telling you there's something anomalous, there's a difference in one part of the soil versus another. It is possible to identify potential graves that way, but there's no real way of making sure there's an individual in that grave unless the soil is removed." During the live-stream, those watching chimed in with comments on the process. One woman named Clara Kirkness, who said she was a survivor of the Brandon school, commented that a group of Inninew Cree survivors who were picked up along the Hudson Bay line railway are planning to make a trip to the former school site. "We are connected and feel part of the young children whose remains were found," she wrote. "They didn't survive and we did and got to go home. Our emotions are raw. We want closure and (to) pay our respects together." Bone said she welcomes those who come to pay their respects and to visit as part of their healing journey. cslark@brandonsun.com Twitter: @ColinSlark Advertisement Advertise With Us The process of implementing the Wall Reports 51 recommendations for Manitoba Hydro is officially underway. Crown Services Minister Jeff Wharton announced during a Friday morning press conference that a formal process for implementing the recommendations has been established. So, too, has been a team to respond to the recommendations and an expert panel that will advise the government on future decisions regarding the Crown corporation. The three members of this new panel are Mark Podlasly, director of economic policy at the First Nations Major Projects Coalition, Tim Stanley, president at Stratice Consulting and engineer and Christ Gaue, an engineer and former president of project delivery at Infrastructure Ontario. Released in February by former Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall, the report examined multi-billion dollar cost overruns for Manitoba Hydros Keeyask generating station and Bipole III transmission line projects and made recommendations on how to prevent similar scenarios from playing out in the future. Given that Fridays announcement came approximately four months after the Wall report was released, Wharton was asked why it took so long for it to be made. In response, the minister said some of the recommendations from the report have already been implemented, pointing to Bill 35 as an example. He added that his government intends on implementing all 51 recommendations. Bill 35 proposes amendments to the Public Utilities Board Act that would limit the boards power to independently set electricity and natural gas rates, among other tweaks. Until March 31, 2024, electricity rates would be set by government regulation, after which theyd be set in five-year intervals by the Public Utilities Board. As the Official Opposition, the Manitoba NDP is allowed to hold more than five bills from one legislative session to another. Bill 35 was one of the bills the party delayed from the recently-finished session to the fall session later this year. Wharton said the province isnt considering selling off any part of Manitoba Hydro, but he also wouldnt rule out selling off elements that dont meet the corporations core mission, as the Wall Report recommends. "I wont preclude what the final outcomes of the next several weeks and months of digging into these recommendations will conclude, but certainly all 51 are being looked at and nothing is being left off the table," Wharton said. Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew told the Sun Friday afternoon that the current governments handling of Manitoba Hydro is "pretty bad." Many of Manitoba Hydro subsidiaries are money-makers, and Kinew said privatizing them would only lead to rate increases for Manitobans. "Whats the concern around partial privatization? Well, were losing these assets weve invested in and were going to lose them forever, plus its going to make your Hydro bill more expensive," he said. "I think back to when this report first came out. I asked the premier about it in question period, I said, What are you going to sell off first? His answer, basically, was Manitoba Hydro International, so they clearly already have some ideas, some plans around the partial privatization of Manitoba Hydro. The fact that you have a minister out there who cant give a clear answer, based on what we know about the PCs and Hydro, its essentially confirmation." Kinew also said Bill 35 would remove one of the last safeguards in place against removing Manitoba Hydro. cslark@brandonsun.com Twitter: @ColinSlark RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) Anti-government protesters took to the streets in more than a score of cities across Brazil on Saturday as the nation's confirmed death toll from COVID-19 soared past half a million a tragedy many critics blame on President Jair Bolsonaro's attempt to minimize the disease. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro greets those gathered for a graduation ceremony at the Naval Academy, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, June 19, 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. People gathered across the country Saturday, to protest Bolsonaro's handling of the pandemic and economic policies protesters say harm the interests of the poor and working class. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) Anti-government protesters took to the streets in more than a score of cities across Brazil on Saturday as the nation's confirmed death toll from COVID-19 soared past half a million a tragedy many critics blame on President Jair Bolsonaro's attempt to minimize the disease. Thousands gathered in downtown Rio de Janeiro waving flags with slogans such as Get out Bolsonaro. Government of hunger and unemployment. Brazil is experiencing a great setback. The country was an exemplary country for vaccination in the world. We have widely recognized institutions, but today we are in a sad situation , said Isabela Gouljor, a 20-year-old student who joined the protest in Rio. Other marchers hoisted posters reading: 500 thousand deaths. Its his fault, alluding to Bolsonaro. Similar marches took place in at least 22 or Brazil's 26 states, as well as in the Federal District, Brasilia. They were promoted by left-wing opposition parties who have been heartened by Bolsonaro's declining poll ratings with next year's presidential race looming. A woman, wearing a protective face mask, holds a sign in the shape of a cross with a message that reads in Portuguese;"500 k deaths", during a protest against Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and his handling of the pandemic and economic policies protesters say harm the interests of the poor and working class, in Cuiaba, Brazil, Saturday, June 19, 2021. Brazil is approaching an official COVID-19 death toll of 500,000 second-highest in the world. (AP Photo/Andre Penner) Get out Bolsonaro, genocidal, yelled Rio demonstrators, some of them wearing t-shirts or masks with the image of former leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva who leads Bolsonaro in some polls. In Sao Paulo, protesters dropped red balloons as a tribute to the victims of the virus Bolsonaro's supporters have taken more often to the streets over the past month, in large part because many agree with his dismissal of restrictions meant to stifle the coronavirus and anger that lockdown measures have hurt businesses. A girl points at a mural featuring the face of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro during a protest against his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic along Paulista Avenue, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, June 19, 2021. Brazil's COVID-19 death toll is expected to surpass the milestone of 500,000 deaths on Saturday night. (AP Photo/Marcelo Chello) Critics say such messages, as well as Bolsonaro's promotion of disproven treatments such as hydroxychloroquine, have contributed to the soaring death toll and a sluggish vaccine campaign that has fully inoculated less than 12% of the population. The country of some 213 million people is registering nearly 100,000 new infections and 2,000 deaths a day. For the leftists, putting their followers in the streets is a way of wearing Bolsonaro down for the election," said Leandro Consentino, a political science professor at Insper, a university in Sao Paulo. But at the same, time they are contradicting themselves and losing the discourse of maintaining health care, because they are causing the same agglomerations as Bolsonaro. Saturday's marches came a week after Bolsonaro led a massive motorcycle parade of supporters in Sao Paulo, though his allies and foes differ dramatically on the size of that event. Bolsonaro needs to show that he maintains significant support to give a message of strength to those who are investigating the actions of his government in Congress, Consentino said. Want to praise someone or get something off your chest? Darts and Pats is the place to do it. Scott Morrison thought he had a relatively easy choice to make on climate change at the G7 summit in Cornwall last weekend. In his mind, there was an acceptable position between action and inaction that would assure Australias allies of our good intentions and appease his governments junior Coalition partner, which wants nothing to do with the G7s agenda. To that end, the Prime Minister used the summit to sign new partnerships on clean energy technology and hydrogen with Japan and Germany, respectively the worlds third and fourth largest economies, while refusing to sign up to the G7s ambitious targets to halve greenhouse emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050. He also stayed on in London to strike a free trade agreement with Boris Johnson, Britains first such deal since leaving the European Union. In any other age, Morrisons overseas trip would be big news; a sign of Australian relevance on the global stage. Unfortunately, Joe Biden had no time for the PMs attempt to chart a middle course on climate change and pointedly avoided a one-on-one meeting with Morrison. It was not the greatest snub an Australian leader has faced from a US president on climate change. Barack Obama, who Biden served as vice president, famously embarrassed Tony Abbott when the Liberal prime minister hosted the G20 summit in Brisbane in 2014. Obama used a speech to students at the University of Queensland urging Australia to step up on climate change. Abbott could console himself that Obamas agenda was being blocked by a Republican-controlled Senate, and that Canada, the country most like ours in terms of its economic dependency on resources, was still a member of the sceptics club at the time. But Morrison does not have that partisan luxury. Unlike Obama, Biden leads a credible, and accelerating, global push for net zero with every rich nation, including Canada, on board. In Morrisons version of events, it was his idea to arrange a three-way meeting with the US President and British Prime Minister, the host of the G7 summit. The temptation and use of emergency powers to combat crime has proved irresistible for police who not only accessed data from the SafeWA app but also the interstate COVID passport system used in WA and Tasmania called G2G. Loading The G2G system requires anyone entering the two states to provide detailed personal information, make declarations about why they are entering and declare if they have recently been to any COVID-19 hot spots. A quirk of the tough state border in WA has been a series of large busts made by police with officers stationed at Perth airport to scrutinise G2G passes as well as the two main road entries at the border towns of Kununurra and Eucla. WA Police have sought to obtain G2G data on 13 occasions in relation to crimes including murder, sell or supply a prohibited drug, breach of violence restraining order, and property laundering. Mr Dawson has indicated his wish to make elements of the existing border controls legal after the state of emergency ends although Mr McGowan was forced to backtrack in March when his suggestion to an extension of the tough measures beyond the pandemic was widely criticised. Such laws would have to go before the parliament and properly face public scrutiny but in the interim there appears to be no end in sight for WAs state of emergency. Mr McGowan has cited vaccination as the way back to normal but even if Australia achieves herd immunity it is unclear how long state restrictions will remain as the rest of the world catches up and new coronavirus variants emerge. Australia should be wary of a creeping normalcy the concept of an objectionable major change being deemed acceptable when achieved by small unnoticeable increments when states of emergency never end and police continue to have extraordinary powers. The time is fast approaching for discussion about what the nations new normal is and what laws are needed to live safely in it without a despotic shift to fewer personal freedoms compared to before the pandemic as a result. Loading WA Opposition Leader Mia Davies told 6PR on Thursday she heard the argument about how people who had committed no crimes had nothing to fear when it came to collecting residents data by stealth but refused to agree with the sentiment. Im not comfortable with that. I think you have to be open and honest with the people of Western Australia about what it is that youre collecting and what youre going to use it for so that that people understand what theyre being asked to do, she said. Theyre being compelled to provide this information and so the government should be absolutely transparent with them about where that information is going to go. WA Greens MP Brad Pettitt said it was not just personal privacy concerns we should be cautious about when governments like Mr McGowans were bringing in so-called COVID stimulus packages in the planning portfolio when the construction industry was booming. Some industries say that these should be extended and become the new normal and are undermining the way the planning system has been set up for decades, he said. I think there is real risk there is a creep around this that becomes very centralised government processes where communities are pushed out and we have an almost less accountable and transparent system as a result. Do we even care anymore? Australia has a spotty history for protecting its citizens data compared to places like Europe. Curtin University internet studies professor Tama Leaver said Australians were only just coming to terms with the value of their personal data. Its only been in the last two or three years that people realise were not giving nothing to Facebook and its seeing everything we do, he said. Professor Leaver said despite growing awareness, Australian jurisdictions had not caught up when it came to personal data protection. But like the cowering humans monologued to by the Nordic trickster god Loki Laufeyson in the first Avengers film, do we really want free will? You were made to be ruled. It is the unspoken truth of humanity that you crave subjugation. In the end, you will always kneel. Loki Laufeyson The Avengers [2012] The first volleys against her go back to 2017, when it was revealed her work on Special Forces conduct in Afghanistan, commissioned by Defence, helped trigger the Brereton war crimes inquiry. In July of that year The Australian newspaper complained of being refused Freedom of Information access to a range of her reports and of being unable to contact Crompvoets. The latest trigger appears to be that Crompvoets, who has worked extensively on organisational psychology in the Defence Force, has now completed a book, Blood Lust, Trust and Blame. It has drawn fire from Defence Minister Peter Dutton, no less, who has said he is unlikely to allow his department to commission further Crompvoets-like culture change introspection. A loose grouping of media obsessed with alleged wokeness, veterans and social media trolls have piled on, the latter branding the Canberra-based sociologist a vile slug who needs to be bashed. Dr Samantha Crompvoets, one of the people who originally blew the whistle on allegations of war crimes in the Australian special forces, has come under serious attack in the past few weeks. At The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age it was not so different. We can say with authority that her findings with regard to war crimes, a seven page Special Operations Command (SOCOMD) Culture and Interactions Insights and reflection paper of January 2016, was never leaked by Crompvoets. The railing against the feminist sociologist persisted, infused with vitriol about defence leadership allegedly prioritising gender equity over success on the battlefield. As one unnamed critic in the blogosphere put it at the time: I look back now on my time and know I could not do it again with the current leaders in Canberra. They are going to get people killed in the name of political correctness. In 2018, current Sky News commentator and then Sydney Morning Herald columnist Cate McGregor countered: Already the usual suspects are running around hysterically because a female academic was involved in the examination of culture within special forces. It is far easier to dust off grandpas slouch hat and rant about unpatriotic feminists obsessed with toxic masculinity than to deal with the substance of the [war crimes] allegations. The Afghanistan conflict had revived debate as old as Boudicca about women at arms. Defence has long been plagued by ingrained misogyny and a revolving door of harassment scandals which has left many a parent wary about approving a daughters career in uniform. For the duration of Australias longest war, the ADF struggled with both manpower and female representation. At the beginning in 2001, the female quotient of permanent members was around 13 per cent, rising only slightly by the end of the conflict in 2013. Of the three services, the Army has the smallest representation. In 2011, a path to the front line was cleared with women allowed to serve in combat roles, and by 2014, prospectively in special forces. One of the states largest hospitals has cancelled non-urgent elective surgeries and will look to increase bed capacity and bring in additional staff to cope with anticipated increased demand. The Royal Brisbane Hospital has cancelled non-urgent elective surgeries as a result of anticipated increased demand that was affecting bed capacity. A spokeswoman from Metro North Hospital and Health Service said a range of measures will be looked at to address bed capacity at RBWH. Credit:Michelle Smith The cancellation will see non-urgent elective surgeries rescheduled for the next fortnight. A Metro North Health spokeswoman said the two-week period would allow further strategies to be implemented to address current capacity issues as well as anticipated increased demand during flu season. Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack has brushed aside speculation his predecessor Barnaby Joyce will challenge him for the Nationals leadership as soon as Monday, declaring himself unfazed by people pushing personal ambition. Climate change would once again be used as the trigger for the leadership spill, with ructions in the junior Coalition partner over the governments shift toward the goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050. The Australian Financial Review quoted a source on Saturday saying: Barnabys got the numbers and the plan is to call a spill on Monday. Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack at the dispatch box in question time, with David Littleproud behind him. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Mr McCormack, who has just completed a week as acting prime minister while Scott Morrison was overseas at the G7, said ordinary Australians were not interested in the Nationals leadership woes. Trade Minister Dan Tehan says the federal government is negotiating with Singapore about a potential travel bubble with Australia, but is in no rush to open the borders to international travel. Speaking in Melbourne on Saturday, Mr Tehan refused to provide a benchmark, such as a vaccination rate, that would see Australia open up a travel bubble with Singapore, saying it would be up to medical experts. Trade Minister Dan Tehan said the government would form a travel bubble with Singapore once it was safe to do so. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen It will largely depend on how these various variants play out, he said. It has been made very clear we will only create a bubble with Singapore when it is safe to do so and in the meantime we are looking at what would be the processes that would allow that to be as safe as possible. United Nations: In a rare move, the UN General Assembly has condemned Myanmars military coup and called for an arms embargo against the country in a resolution that demonstrated widespread global opposition to the junta and demanded the restoration of the countrys democratic transition. Supporters had hoped the 193-member UN General Assembly would approve the resolution unanimously by consensus, but Belarus called for a vote on Friday New York time (Saturday AEST). The measure was approved with 119 countries voting yes, Belarus voting no and 36 countries abstaining including Myanmars neighbours China and India, along with Russia. UN special envoy Christine Schraner Burgener warned the General Assembly after the vote that the risk of a large-scale civil war (is) real. Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi at right bumps elbows with with Myanmars Foreign Minister U Wunna Maung Lwin in Chongqing, China on June 8, 2021. Beijing abstained from the UN vote condemning the junta. Credit:Xinhua Time is of the essence, she said. The opportunity to reverse the military takeover is narrowing and regional threat increasing. Diversified conglomerate GMR Infrastucture has posted a consolidated loss of Rs 725 crore for the January to March quarter as compared to a loss of Rs 1,127 crore in the year-ago period. It posted gross revenue of Rs 2,321 crore in Q4 FY21 as against Rs 2,349 crore in Q4 FY20. In the entire fiscal 2020-21, the company posted higher total loss of Rs 3,428 crore and lower revenue at Rs 6,229 crore as against a loss of Rs 2,198 crore and revenue of Rs 8,556 crore in 2019-20. has interests in airports, energy, transportation and urban Its overall performance has been hit due to COVID-19 pandemic. The company said it is taking various initiatives including monetisation of assets, sale of stake in certain assets, raising finances from financial institutions and strategic investors, refinancing of existing debt and other strategic initiatives to address the repayment of borrowings and debt. Since May 2020 when the restrictions were lifted on operations of domestic flights, airports business saw a significant traction in traffic. February 2021 was the best month post first wave of Covid when the passenger traffic reached 60 per cent of pre-Covid levels at Delhi airport and 64 per cent at Hyderabad airport. "We are now experiencing traffic turnaround from last week of May and continued recovery in June," the company said in a statement. "We expect traffic to gain further momentum with the reducing trend in covid cases, lifting ofgovernment restrictions on airline capacity and the increased pace of vaccination." In energy business, power demand and coal supply are improving as the lockdown is easing up, resulting in higher plant load factors. While the Hyderabad Vijayawada expressway traffic increased by 16 per cent year-on-year to 11 million in Q4 FY21, per day average traffic volume decreased by 36 per cent month-on-month in May due to lockdown but increased by 9 per cent month-on-month in June as the lockdown eased. Traffic at Ambala Chandigarh expressway has been suspended since October 12, 2020 due to farmer's agitation. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) co-founder Saurabh Kumar has decided to leave the company but will continue to remain a Board member and shareholder in the delivery platform, according to CEO Albinder Dhindsa. The development comes at a time when the SoftBank-backed company is looking at launching an initial public offering (IPO). Dhindsa, in a tweet on Friday, said he spent the last 8 years building with Kumar and that "SK is moving on to other challenges". "So, while SK will no longer be involved in day-to-day responsibilities at Grofers, he will continue to be a board member and a shareholder at the company. This is the end of an era for Grofers, and I know all of us will absolutely miss having him around everyday," Dhindsa said in a blogpost. Kumar shared an e-mail he had written to employees announcing his exit. His next destination is not known. "After almost 8 years of building Grofers, I have decided to call it time on my current journey...I have been reflecting on my life and personal ambitions for some time. And my decision to step away is the outcome of that. I want to wander again," he said. Grofers has seen a strong growth in business amid the pandemic as containment measures introduced millions to the convenience of online shopping, and prompted seasoned online shoppers to buy more, including everyday grocery items. Social distancing compulsions, massive smartphone base and reliable broadband have galvanised e-commerce uptake beyond metros, deep into smaller cities and towns. Last year, Dhindsa had said the company has advanced its plan to launch an IPO by the end of 2021 as it continues to focus on enhancing customer experience and strengthening its capabilities in the segment. Grofers competes against players like Amazon, Flipkart, Alibaba-backed Bigbasket and billionaire Mukesh Ambani's upstart JioMart in this space. India's USD 950 billion retail market is predicted to grow to USD 1.3 trillion by 2025-26. Of this, e-commerce business is estimated at around USD 78 billion and forecast to cross USD 100 billion by 2025. Grocery is the latest category where e-commerce firms are now slugging it out. Reports suggest that Grofers is in talks for a USD 100-120 million fund raise. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) IT major said that some of the glitches that impacted the seamless operation of the new portal have been addressed and these were related to filing forms, e-proceedings, KYC-related issues and instant payment among other areas. The company's statement came while answering queries from shareholders at its 40th Annual General Meeting on Saturday U B Pravin Rao, COO, said: We are committed to resolve the concerns around the new I-T e-portal. Over the last week several of the tech glitches, which impacted the performance and stability of the portal, have been addressed and as a result we observed lakhs of unique daily users on the portal. Close to 100,000 IT returns have been filed so far. As new functions are introduced in this new complex platform we have observed concerns related to filing forms, e-proceeding KYC related issue and instant payment among other areas. Our project teams are working to resolve this to ensure seamless experience for users," added Rao. takes great pride in working with the Income Tax department and the Government of India where we have been managing the I-T platform for a decade. We are deeply concerned with the initial glitches in the new e-portal for the users and are committed to resolve all the issues at the earliest. We look forward to working with all the stakeholders over the next few weeks to make sure that all concerns are addressed to the objective of delivering enhanced functionality and seamless user experience," Rao further clarified. The new portal for e-filing of income-tax returns went live on June 7, at 8.45 pm. However, users started tweeting that they were unable to access the portal. The next day, the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in a tweet, asked Infosys and its non-executive chairman Nandan Nilekani to fix glitches in the portal. In her tweet, FM said: The much awaited e-portal 2.0 was launched last night 20.45hrs. I see my TL grievances and glitches. Hope @Infosys & @NandanNilekani will not let down our tax payers in the quality of services being provided. Ease in compliance for taxpayer should be our priority. Infosys was awarded the contract in 2019 after a bidding process that had a budget outlay of Rs 4,241.97 crore. With this project, by 2020 the I-T filing system was supposed to be managed completely by Infosys. The project was to be completed in 18 months and was to be launched after three months of testing. The new IT portal is expected to bring down the I-T return processing time from current average of 63 days to just one day and also speed up refunds. Many big mall developers such as Raheja-owned Inorbit Malls, DLF, and Lake Shore are looking at giving a waiver to retail stores in the lockdown during the second wave of the pandemic. Most of the states in the country have announced a lockdown since April this year after the second wave of the pandemic became evident. We are considering it. Retailers dont have money. How will they pay? We have to support them, said Rajneesh Mahajan, chief executive at Inorbit Malls, which runs malls in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, among others. Inorbit gave a waiver to ... Chairman Nandan Nilekani on Saturday said the IT major has continued to strengthen its talent pool by recruiting 19,230 graduates in India and 1,941 outside the country to serve its clients' burgeoning demand for digital acceleration. Speaking at the company's 40th annual general meeting, Nilekani noted that is well-positioned for another year of "market-leading performance" in a post-pandemic, cloud-first digital era. "We continued to strengthen our talent pool by recruiting 19,230 graduates in India and 1,941 both graduates and associate degree holders outside India to serve our clients' burgeoning demand for digital acceleration. We expanded our US hiring commitment to 25,000 by 2022 with an additional 12,000 new American jobs across a variety of roles," he said. He further stated: "As part of our continued expansion into Canada, we also committed to double Infosys' Canadian workforce to 4,000 employees by 2023. In the UK, we announced plans to create 1,000 digital jobs to fuel post-pandemic growth". Nilekani said had industry-leading, healthy revenue growth at 5 per cent in constant currency, totalling USD 13.6 billion in 2020-21. Its large transformation deals peaked to an all-time high of USD 14.1 billion, with 66 per cent being net new, he said. "While a challenging 2020 has ushered in a 2021 fraught with uncertainty, one thing is clearly evident: Infosys is well-positioned for another year of market-leading performance in a post-pandemic, cloud-first, distinctly digital era. The dramatic shift to living and working online has altered the entire business landscape in irrevocable ways," he noted. The Aadhaar architect said over the last three and a half years, Infosys has built a highly credible market position for itself as a global digital services and consulting provider of choice for enterprises. "While the pandemic put this to a test, the results we delivered, the resilience we have displayed and the brand strength that we have accrued clearly shows how well-placed we are to thrive and to help our clients thrive in challenging but exciting digital-first markets...we will seize the moment to build on this head start to expand our market share further as we serve global enterprises in their digital acceleration journey," he said. Nilekani pointed out that the company has expanded its financial commitment towards COVID-19 relief to Rs 200 crore, supporting community efforts in the country. For employees and their families in India, the company has set up vaccination centres at its campuses and COVID-19 care centres across locations; collaborated with hospitals and ambulance services; facilitated access to oxygen and medicines; and deepened employee support. "Globally, we implemented more than 900 employee wellbeing initiatives to help them better manage these trying times," he said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Brussels court has ordered to deliver an additional 50 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to (EU) member states by September or face a maximum of 500 million euros ($593 million) in fines. In a ruling on a legal case filed by the European Commission, the Court of First Instance of Brussels on Friday ordered the pharma giant to supply 15 million doses by July 26, 20 million by August 23, and 15 doses by September 27 in addition to the 30.2 million doses it had delivered as part of the original deal, reports Xinhua news agency. In case of non-compliance with the deadlines, will have to pay a penalty of 10 euros per dose not delivered. The Court's decision is based on the fact that committed a "serious breach" of its contractual obligations with the EU, the European Commission said in a statement. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the decision, saying that the EU's vaccination program was built on a sound legal basis. "This decision confirms the position of the Commission: AstraZeneca did not live up to the commitments it made in the contract. It is good to see that an independent judge confirms this," she said in a statement issued late Friday. But even the pharma company claimed victory, saying the number of doses it was ordered to supply was far less than the 120 million vaccine doses cumulatively by the end of June 2021, and a total of 300 million doses by the end of September 2021 requested by the European Commission. "To date, the Company has supplied more than 70 million doses to the EU and will substantially exceed 80.2 million doses by the end of June 2021," AstraZeneca said in a statement. --IANS ksk/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At the start of the pandemic last March, stood gravely in front of television cameras and told the harsh reality. Many more families are going to lose loved ones before their time, he said. If that was the moment that brought home the gravity of the unfolding crisis, next months planned lifting of restrictions will require the U.K. prime minister to level with the public again. More loss of life is inevitable, and the issue is just how many more deaths will ensue as collateral damage to rescue the economy. After inoculating a larger proportion of people than any other major economy, is emerging as a test case in Europe as it attempts to draw a line under Covid-19. Levels of infections are now back to their highest since February and the pound is taking a hit on concern a recovery may be slipping further into the future. Johnson described unlocking the economy on July 19 as a terminus after he announced a four-week delay because of the surge in cases. That involves the next pivotal risk calculation as ministers and officials pore over data for evidence that the vaccines are overwhelmingly breaking the link between the virus and serious illness. But they know infections will not disappear, and nor will the reticence among portions of the public to return to offices, pubs and nightlife. Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Parliament on Wednesday that the aim is now to live with the virus like influenza, as the hospitality industry and some members of the governing Conservatives call for a return to normality two weeks sooner. The question is what level of infections and hospitalizations are we prepared to tolerate? said Lawrence Young, a virologist at Warwick Medical School. The government says waiting another four weeks will prevent adding thousands to whats already Europes highest death toll by allowing more people to get their second vaccine dose. Data show thats crucial in protecting against the delta variant that was first detected in India and now accounts for 99% of British cases. Two thirds of U.K. adults will be fully vaccinated by July 19, according to the government. While Public Health England figures reported on June 17 showed infections were increasing in all age groups, case rates were highest in people aged 20 to 29, many of whom havent yet been vaccinated. All over 18s are now beginning to be offered shots. The economy is about 5% smaller than it was pre-Covid and some pandemic wounds could turn into scars. Nightclubs remain closed, restaurants and pubs struggle to break even with limits on capacity, and airlines suffer more restrictions on overseas travel than the rest of Europe. The delay to reopening could cost hospitality 3 billion pounds ($4.1 billion) in sales and have an impact on bookings throughout the summer and beyond, according to Kate Nicholls, chief executive of the industrys main trade association. Luke Johnson, chairman of Risk Capital Partners, accused the government of neurotic risk aversion. The private equity firm has invested in a number of restaurant chains. So many of the public remain irrationally frightenedand investors and business owners suffer more losses and uncertainty, he said. A culture of safetyism means jobs will go and companies fail. Indeed, looks more out of sync with other European nations. The delta variant is poised to take hold across the continent, World Health Organization senior official Hans Kluge warned last week. Yet Germany and France are easing their Covid rules this summer, and on Friday the European Union lifted travel restrictions for U.S. residents. The travel industry has hit out at British government measures to force passengers returning from most countries to quarantine regardless of vaccination status. On Friday, Italy introduced a five-day isolation for travelers coming to the country from Britain because of the jump in cases. What Johnson has to balance is the future death toll from and the harms caused by 15 months of restrictions including undetected cancers, deteriorating mental health, business closures and job losses. Many people are now too scared to do the things they used to, according to Jamie Jenkins, former health analyst at the Office for National Statistics. The government should instigate a national debate about the risks before July 19 so the public are prepared, he said. Were going to have accept a certain level of risk and we should be having that debate now, said Jenkins. Were never going to get to zero deaths. A poll by JL Partners for the Daily Mail newspaper in April found that 65% of respondents would back mostly lifting restrictions if the number of Covid deaths was the same as those from influenza. There were just under 4,000 fatalities in England in the 2018-19 flu season, according to official data. Covid also is both more infectious and more deadly. There are also concerns over vaccine supplies. Nadhim Zahawi, the minister responsible for the rollout, warned on June 11 that Pfizer-BioNTech shots would be tight over the next few weeks. Under-40s have been advised against taking AstraZeneca vaccine due to concerns about very rare blood clots. Some members of the governing Conservatives are pushing the government to move faster, regardless of how far the vaccination program has managed to get a grip on the virus. Former minister Steve Baker warned that Britain would be a hollow and haunted country after all the affected businesses have collapsed. As House of Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg put it in a ConservativeHome podcast: You can't run society just to stop the hospitals being full. New Delhi (India), June 19 (ANI): With the getting new port projects in Sri Lanka, a top officer said that it 'could pose a threat' to Indian interests in the region and there is a need to keep a close watch on such activities. In an interview with ANI, Navy Vice Chief Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar said the is very well prepared to secure the maritime boundaries of the country and there is no way anyone can surprise us. "If you want to analyse whether it is a threat or not, it is a very difficult question. But the fact that when somebody is external to the region starts showing so much interest even though they might have rational reasons to do so as the majority of their energy sources pass through this region ... Is it a logical thing for nations to do, yes? Could that pose a threat to us, it could. We just need to ensure that it is being closely watched," he told ANI on Friday, responding to a query on whether China's getting hold of a new port in could pose a threat to India. Asked if the was keeping a close watch on such activities, he said, "Yes, on the entire region." The Chinese have been making inroads in where they recently got a reclaimed port city near Colombo. Prior to that, they gained control over the Hambantota port which was built by them. Responding to a query on whether the Chinese could surprise us through the sea route as they did along the northern waters last year, he said that after the 26/11 attack on Mumbai, India had taken a number of steps like installation of coastal security network and had enhanced surveillance capabilities. "The chances of we getting surprised in the maritime domain to have reduced... we are much better prepared today than what we were a decade ago," the Vice Admiral said. He said that the Indian Navy is a capability-driven force and more strength would be added to it in form of new assets in the near future. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With the getting new port projects in Sri Lanka, a top officer said that it 'could pose a threat' to Indian interests in the region and there is a need to keep a close watch on such activities. In an interview with ANI, Navy Vice Chief Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar said the is very well prepared to secure the maritime boundaries of the country and there is no way anyone can surprise us. "If you want to analyse whether it is a threat or not, it is a very difficult question. But the fact that when somebody is external to the region starts showing so much interest even though they might have rational reasons to do so as the majority of their energy sources pass through this region ... Is it a logical thing for nations to do, yes? Could that pose a threat to us, it could. We just need to ensure that it is being closely watched," he told ANI on Friday, responding to a query on whether China's getting hold of a new port in Sri Lanka could pose a threat to India. Asked if the was keeping a close watch on such activities, he said, "Yes, on the entire region." The Chinese have been making inroads in Sri Lanka where they recently got a reclaimed port city near Colombo. Prior to that, they gained control over the Hambantota port which was built by them. Responding to a query on whether the Chinese could surprise us through the sea route as they did along the northern waters last year, he said that after the 26/11 attack on Mumbai, India had taken a number of steps like installation of coastal security network and had enhanced surveillance capabilities. "The chances of we getting surprised in the maritime domain to have reduced... we are much better prepared today than what we were a decade ago," the Vice Admiral said. He said that the Indian Navy is a capability-driven force and more strength would be added to it in form of new assets in the near future. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India on Saturday reported a net reduction of 38,637 in active cases to take its count to 760,019. Indias share of global active cases now stands at 6.55 per cent (one in 14). The country is second among the most affected countries by active cases. On Friday, it added 60,753 cases to take its total caseload to 29,823,546. And, with 1,647 new fatalities, its Covid-19 reached 385,137, or 1.29 per cent of total confirmed infections. With 3,300,085 more Covid-19 vaccine doses being administered on Friday, Indias total count of vaccine shots so far reached 272,388,783. The count of recovered cases across India, meanwhile, reached 28,678,390 or 96.16 per cent of total caseload with 97,743 new cured cases being reported on Saturday. With a daily increase of 60,753 in total cases, Indias tally of coronavirus cases has risen from, 29,823,546 on Saturday to 29,700,313 an increase of 0.2%. has reached 385,137, with 1,647 fatalities, an all-time high in daily spike. Now the second-most-affected country by active cases, total cases and recovery, and third by death, India has added 464,391 cases in the past 7 days. India now accounts for 6.55% of all active cases globally (one in every 14 active cases), and 9.96% of all deaths (one in every 10 deaths). India has so far administered 272,388,783 vaccine doses. That is 913.33 per cent of its total caseload, and 19.55 per cent of its population. Among Indian states, the top 5 in terms of number of vaccine shots administered are Maharashtra (31844634), Uttar Pradesh (29936707), Gujarat (25507997), Rajasthan (25381297), and West Bengal (22735178). Among states with more than 10 million population, the top 5 in number of vaccine shots per one million population are Kerala (408073), Gujarat (399359), Delhi (398715), Uttarakhand (362783), and J&K (335103). Backwards from here, the last 1 million cases for India have come in 13 days. The count of active cases across India on Saturday saw a net reduction of 38,637, compared with 28,084 on Friday. States and UTs hat have seen the biggest daily net increase in active cases are West Bengal (618), Meghalaya (210), Manipur (144), Mizoram (84), and Andhra Pradesh (4). With 97,743 new daily recoveries, Indias recovery rate stands at 96.16%, while fatality rate remained unchanged at 1.29%. The Indian states and UTs with the worst case fatality rates at present are Punjab (2.66%), Uttarakhand (2.07%), and Maharashtra (1.96%). The rate in as many as 18 is higher than the national average. Indias new daily closed cases stand at 99,390 1,647 deaths and 97,743 recoveries. The share of deaths in total closed cases stands at 1.68%. Indias 5-day moving average of daily rate of addition to total cases stands at 0.2%. Indias doubling time for total cases stands at 339.9 days, and for deaths at 161.7 days. Overall, five states with the biggest 24-hour jump in total cases are Kerala (11361), Maharashtra (9798), Tamil Nadu (8633), Andhra Pradesh (6341), and Karnataka (5783). Among states with more than 100,000 cases, the five with worst recovery rates at present are Karnataka (93.90%), Kerala (95.69%), and Maharashtra (95.73%). India on Friday conducted 1,902,009 to take the total count of tests conducted so far in the country to 389,207,637. The test positivity rate recorded was 3.2%. Five states with the highest test positivity rate (TPR) percentage of tested people turning out to be positive for Covid-19 infection (by cumulative data for tests and cases are Goa (18.58%), Maharashtra (15.24%), Dadra & Nagar Haveli-Daman & Diu (14.5%), Kerala (12.82%), and Sikkim (12.03%). Five states with the highest TPR by daily numbers for tests and cases added are, Sikkim (11.48%), Meghalaya (10.61%), Manipur (10.29%), Kerala (10.22%), and Goa (7.84%). Among states and UTs with more than 10 million population, five that have carried out the highest number of tests (per million population) are Delhi (1102055), J&K (691146), Kerala (608753), Karnataka (479455), and Uttarakhand (466500). The five most affected states by total cases are Maharashtra (5954508), Karnataka (2796121), Kerala (2785304), Tamil Nadu (2406497), and Andhra Pradesh (1839243). Maharashtra, the most affected state overall, has reported 9798 new cases to take its tally to 5954508. Karnataka, the second-most-affected state, has reported 5783 cases to take its tally to 2796121. Kerala, the third-most-affected state by total tally, has added 11361 cases to take its tally to 2785304. Tamil Nadu has added 8633 cases to take its tally to 2406497. Andhra Pradesh has seen its tally going up by 6341 to 1839243. Uttar Pradesh has added 149 cases to take its tally to 1703882. Delhi has added 165 cases to take its tally to 1432033. India, the world's largest manufacturer of vaccines, wants to resume of doses but can't do so until its domestic needs are met, the head of the country's Covid-19 task force said Friday. Once our immediate need of vaccinating a significant proportion of Indian people is achieved and vaccine stockpiles are visible from multiple sources, we would then like to play the role of serving others and providing vaccines to them, Dr. Vinod K. Paul said in an interview with The Associated Press. Paul defended the Indian government's move to restrict vaccine in April as it battled a ferocious surge in infections. He noted that India had given away a substantial amount of vaccines at the start of the year as it launched its own immunization drive. So that has to be respected and has to be recognized, as not many nations have done that, he said. From January, India began exporting vaccines to more than 90 countries. But the stopped when infections soared in India, leaving many developing countries without adequate supplies and affecting millions of people. As critics accused India of mismanaging its sluggish vaccination efforts at home, countries such as Nepal and Bangladesh began looking toward China to fill their vaccine shortfalls. The Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine maker, also abandoned its role as the main supplier to COVAX, the U.N.-backed project to supply vaccines to poor regions of the world. Last month, it said it may not be able to start delivering doses until the end of this year, dealing a significant blow to global efforts to immunize people against the Paul said a resumption of exports is still very much on the radar. But when asked when the restrictions would be lifted, he answered, It is not fair to put any date at this point in time. Confirmed cases in India have surpassed 29 million, while deaths have surged beyond 380,000. Experts believe both numbers are vast undercounts. Media reports have cast doubts on the government's data collection, with crematoriums and statewide tallies of deaths showing different figures. Paul said the government has no reason to hide deaths or cases. New cases are finally tapering off after exceeding 400,000 a day in May, a global record. But authorities are gearing up for another possible wave of infection and are focusing on yanking vaccination rates up. Currently, less than 5% of India's people are fully immunized, with experts cautioning that vaccination rates must go up significantly to protect a sizable chunk of the population by the end of the year. The hope is that India will achieve a rapid increase in inoculations in the coming months. Last month, Paul told reporters that about 2 billion doses could be available by December under a roadmap that depends on India's two main suppliers -- Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech -- ramping up production and five other potential vaccines being made available in the coming months. But experts and critics pointed out that both Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech have struggled to boost manufacturing, and that the other potential vaccines are still undergoing trials with no clear date for when they would be available, raising questions over whether Paul's estimate was realistic. Paul acknowledged Friday that it was an optimistic projection. But he said it was based on estimates by the manufacturers themselves and that the figure showed there is the potential. We are also mindful of the fact that there are steps to be met, he said, conceding that vaccine makers may face regulatory hurdles or trouble obtaining raw materials. He said India can expect to see at least 740 million doses between August and December. But this includes 300 million of a vaccine that is still in late testing and not yet available. More orders will be placed in the future, he added. While much of India's vast rural hinterlands were largely spared from COVID-19 last year, that has not been the case during the recent surge. Access to healthcare is much more limited in the countryside, raising fears that the virus could rip through small towns and villages unabated. Going forward, the focus will have to shift to these small towns and villages, Paul said. The spread of our preparedness will be much more into the hinterlands, into the rural areas, he said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In order to assess the effectiveness of containment measures, Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha on Friday chaired a COVID review meeting with all Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of Police (SPs) and senior officials of the administration through video conferencing. As per a release issued by Raj Bhavan, while taking a district-wise appraisal of the COVID situation, the Lt Governor took note of the decrease in positivity rate across the districts and called for sustained efforts to effectively implement the containment zone policy in order to ensure that a declining trend of the new infections is maintained. "J & K UT continues to report a sustained slide in the positivity rate but we cannot afford to let our guard down now. All the districts should strictly implement the Containment Zone Policy and Contact Tracing. Along with public participation, doctors, and health workers, we should also involve civil society groups and religious leaders to speed up vaccination drive," Lt Governor said. The Lt Governor outlined the collective responsibility of all stakeholders and urged the people to inculcate behavioural changes to make COVID appropriate behaviour part and parcel of their day-to-day life. "The Civil administration and the Police have to put in extra effort to sensitize people about social distancing, wearing masks, and proactive testing in the containment zones. They should constitute joint teams to reach out to people in markets and other areas. COVID Care Centres in Panchayats should be effectively utilized. I urge everyone to adhere to COVID protocol to finally beat the COVID", he added. Raj Bhavan said Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Medical Education Department, Atal Dulloo, briefed the chair about the district-wise analysis of COVID-19 situation, weekly new cases per million population, test positivity rate, contact tracing, bed occupancy, vaccination coverage, functional status of COVID Care Centres (CCC) at Panchayat level, and status of Vaccine availability. It was also informed that the overall recovery rate in the UT as on date was 95.2 per cent while the positivity rate has dropped to 1.3 per cent in the last 24 hours. "Further, 9 districts viz. Bandipora, Ganderbal, Shopian, Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Reasi, Udhampur, Kishtwar in the UT are in Green Category where the epidemic is being controlled through measures with limited and localized disruption to social and economic life," the release said. While acknowledging the collective efforts of the administration and other stakeholders in containing the pandemic, the Lt Governor exhorted officers to ensure easy availability of basic amenities to the people, besides renewed thrust on achieving maximum vaccination coverage in the districts. Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to Lt Governor; Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary; Dilbag Singh, DGP; Shaleen Kabra, Principal Secretary to the Government, Home Department; Shailendra Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Government, Public Works (R and B) Department; Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Lt Governor; Pandurang K Pole, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir; Vijay Kumar, IGP Kashmir; Raghav Langer, Divisional Commissioner Jammu; Choudhary Mohammad Yasin, Mission Director, NHM; Deputy Commissioners and SPs, attended the meeting, in person and through virtual mode. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Palestinian government on Friday announced cancellation of a deal with Israel relating to the supply of around one million doses of (COVID-19) vaccine. The cancellation came after the government found the doses fall short of meeting the technical criteria. ''After the technical teams of the Ministry of Health examined the first batch of the vaccines that were received this evening from Israel, estimated at 90,000 doses, it was found that they do not conform to the specifications contained in the agreement, and accordingly, Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh instructed the Minister of Health to cancel the agreement,'' WAFA news reported quoting government spokesman Ibrahim Melhem. During a joint press conference with Health Minister Mai Alkaila, the official added that the first batch of the cancelled deal were returned to Israel. Earlier on the day, Health Minister Mai Alkaila said that Palestine had received an offer from to urgently obtain about one million Pfizer COVID-19 doses from Israel, provided that the manufacturer, at the end of this year, will hand over the same amount to the Israeli side that was initially supposed to be allocated to Palestine prior to the aforementioned Pfizer offer. The ceasefire deal, between Israel and Palestine that was reached on May 21, was violated on June 16. Israel and Hamas concluded 11 days of fighting during which hundreds of rockets were launched from both Israel and Palestine sides. According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, 253 Palestinians were killed during the fighting, including 66 children, while 13 Israelis, including a 5-year-old boy and a soldier, were killed. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister is likely to chair an with leaders of next week, sources said on Saturday. This comes after Lieutenant Governor of Manoj Sinha held a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in the capital. The agenda of the meeting between Sinha and Shah was developmental issues and the current situation of the Union Territory, the official sources had said. In August 2019, the Centre abrogated Article 370 that gave special status to and also bifurcated the erstwhile state into two union territories - Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019 was notified by the government on August 9, 2019, paved the way for the creation of two Union Territories - Jammu and Kashmir, which will have a legislature and Ladakh, without it. The Act provides that the number of seats in the legislative assembly of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir shall be increased from 107 to 114, and delimitation of the constituencies will be determined by the Election Commission. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) recorded 8,183 fresh COVID-19 cases on Saturday, including three returnees from Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, pushing the caseload to 24.14 lakh, while 180 deaths took the toll to 31,015. Recoveries continued to outnumber new cases with 18,232 people being discharged, taking the tally to 23,04,885,leaving 78,780 active cases, a health department bulletin said. recorded its highest daily cases at 36,184 on May 21 and since then has been reporting a declining trend. The daily case count dropped below 10,000 on June 17. The decline in numbers also reflected in the Test Positivity Rate, with Minister for Medical and Family Welfare Ma Subramanian saying that the TPR now stood at five per cent in Tamil Nadu, compared to 8-9 per cent in other states. Coimbatore was the only district to report over 1,000 cases today, adding 1,014 infections, while the remaining were scattered across other districts. As many as 26 districts, including the state capital, reported new cases in triple digits and 10 in double figures. Chennai registered 468 new infections, aggregating 5,28,768 till date. The number of COVID-19 related fatalities in Chennai as of date stood at 8,032. A total of 1,71,179 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, pushing the cumulative number of specimens examined so far to 3,09,96,798. Of the deceased, 45 did not have any co morbidities. Earlier in the day, Subramanian said that after a 40 day gap, the TPR in stood at five per cent, compared to between 8-9 per cent in other states. "Tamil Nadu reported the highest number of new infections on May 21 with the daily infection tally reaching 36,184. After a gap of about 40 days, it dropped to 8,633 yesterday. The government has been taking various measures to bring down the virus spread," he told reporters. He said more awareness programmes conducted by the government had resulted in a lot more people coming forward to take the shots. "We received 1.22 crore doses of vaccine and 1.14 crore people have received the shots so far. We have about 5.56 lakh doses in stock and another three lakh doses are expected to arrive", he said. To a query on 'Black Fungus' disease, he said till June 18, 2,382 people had been affected, of whom 111 had recovered and been discharged from hospitals. Asked whether the treatment for it would be covered under the Chief Minister's Health Insurance Scheme, aimed at benefiting a large number of BPL families, he said a decision would soon be taken on that. On the possibilities of a third wave of COVID-19, he said the government wished that it should not recur, but was adequately prepared to deal with any eventuality. "Already we have stepped up measures (in case of third wave) by strengthening the medical infrastructure -- adding additional beds and also appointing 2,000 doctors and 6,000 nurses," he said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After over a month of imposing lockdown curbs to check the COVID-19 surge, the government on Saturday decided to lift the shutdown in the state from Sunday in view of a decline in cases and also reopen educational institutions from July 1. The state cabinet, which met on Saturday, took decisions to this effect and directed officials of all departments to remove all restrictions imposed during the lockdown, an official release said. The decision was taken after examining reports submitted by medical and health department officials that COVID-19 cases have come down in the state and the virus is now under control,it said. on Friday reported 1,417 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the tally to 6,10,834, while the toll rose to 3,546 with 12 more deaths. According to the release, the cabinet took note that the virus is coming under control in neighbouring states as well. On June 8, the Cabinet had decided to extend the lockdown for 10 days (up to Saturday). The state government had first imposed the shutdown from May 12 during the second wave of the COVID-19 spread and extended it subsequently. As part of the lockdown that came to an end on Saturday, relaxation has been given from 6 AM to 5 PM with a grace period of one hour (up to 6 PM) for people to reach home. The education department has been directed to reopen all categories of educational institutions from July 1 with students allowed to attend classes physically. In view of the decision to reopen educational institutions, the cabinet has asked the education department to prepare guidelines on different issues, including students' attendance and online classes and release it at the earliest, it said. Observing that the decision (to end lockdown) was taken with the view that the livelihood of common people should not suffer, the cabinet sought support and cooperation from people, reminding them that COVID-19 precautions like wearing masks and maintaining social distancing should be followed. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The UK is undergoing a third wave of infections as a result of the highly transmissible Delta variant, an expert who advises the government on its vaccination programme said on Saturday. Professor Adam Finn, who advises on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), told the BBC that the country is now in a firm race between the vaccines and the Delta variant first identified in India. "It's going up, perhaps we can be a little bit optimistic it's not going up any faster, but nevertheless it's going up, so this third wave is definitely underway, said Prof. Finn. "We can conclude that the race is firmly on between the vaccine programme, particularly getting older people's second doses done, and the Delta variant third wave," he said. He was asked about how confident he was that the UK's vaccination programme can outpace the Delta variant with the current rate of jabs, which have now opened up to all adults. "No, I don't feel confident, but I think there's some grounds for optimism. The latest ONS [Office for National Statistics] figures continue to show a rise, but that rise has not accelerated quite as much as I'd feared over the last week, he said. "So, the race is on. The sooner we can get, particularly second doses, into older people, the less of a hospitalisation wave we'll see this time around. That's the critical thing, that's what's grounded us all in the past, and if we've managed to protect enough older people that we can avoid a great big surge of hospitalisations and deaths, then things will be able to move back towards normal," he said. The latest ONS figures show that one in every 540 people is infected, with the Delta variant now the dominant strain of the deadly virus circulating in the country and accounting for almost all infections. According to the latest data from Public Health England (PHE), a single dose of vaccine reduces a person's chances of catching and needing hospital treatment by about 75 per cent, even with the Delta variant. And among people who had received the recommended two doses, the chances of catching and being hospitalised by was reduced by more than 90 per cent. The latest R number or rate of infection is between 1.2 and 1.4, which means on average every 10 people infected will infect between 12 and 14 other people. It comes as the UK recorded a further 10,476 cases of COVID-19 on Friday, showing a steady rise in the number over the past few weeks. It had led UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to delay a planned end to all lockdown measures on Monday by four weeks, with July 19 now the expected timeline. Meanwhile, surge testing is being rolled out in further parts of England, including south London, to track the spread of the growing Delta variant. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in India is inevitable and could hit the country in the next six to eight weeks, chief Dr Randeep Guleria told a news channel on Saturday. "As we have started unlocking, there is again a lack of Covid-appropriate behaviour. We don't seem to have learnt from what happened between the first and the second wave. Again crowds are building up... people are gathering. It will take some time for the number of cases to rise at the national level. A third wave is inevitable and it could hit the country within the next six to eight weeks... maybe a little longer," Dr Guleria told NDTV. "It all depends on how we go ahead in terms of Covid-appropriate behaviour and preventing crowds," he added. Many parts of the country, including cities such as Delhi and Mumbai, earlier ravaged by the spread of the virus and under strict lockdowns, have lifted their lockdown and curfew restrictions this month, as Covid cases have declined steadily across the country. In the last 24 hours, India recorded 60,753 new Covid cases and 1,647 deaths because of the virus. The daily positivity rate is 2.98 per cent the 12th consecutive day it has remained below 5 per cent. Guleria added that vaccination remains the core weapon against the virus and increasing the gap between the two doses of the Covishield vaccine may not be a bad approach to provide more people with protection. "Vaccination is the main challenge. A new wave can usually take up to three months but it can also take much lesser time, depending on various factors. Apart from Covid-appropriate behaviour, we need to ensure strict surveillance. Last time, we saw a new variant - which came from outside and developed here - led to the huge surge in the number of cases. We know the virus will continue to mutate. Aggressive surveillance in hotspots is required," the chief added. On the spread of the Delta variant in the United Kingdom, which is now facing a third wave, he said, "Virus is still mutating, we need to be careful". The highly transmissible variant first identified in India is now making up 99 per cent of fresh COVID-19 cases in the UK, news agency PTI reported. The number of Delta variant infections has jumped by 33,630 in a week to hit a total of 75,953 in the UK, with the highly transmissible variant first identified in India now making up 99 per cent of all COVID-19 cases in the country, health officials warned on Friday. Public Health England (PHE), which has been tracking variant of concerns (VOCs) on a weekly basis, said its data shows an increased risk of hospitalisation with Delta VOC compared to Alpha the VOC first detected in the Kent region of England. It also pointed to its previous findings that two doses of a COVID vaccine gives a "high degree of protection" against hospitalisation from the Delta variant. The gap between the new waves is shortening and it's 'worrying', Dr Guleria said. "During the first wave (in India), the virus was not spreading that rapidly... all that changed during the second wave, and the virus became much more infectious. Now the Delta variant that's spreading is much more infectious. Faster spread is likely," said the chief. On the Delta plus variant, the AIIMS chief explained: "We need an aggressive genome sequencing to see how the virus is behaving. Does the vaccine efficacy come down, does the monoclonal antibody treatment work? To do all of that, we need to have a large or very good network of labs to study the data. I think that's where to move in the next few weeks. And that's the new frontier we need to develop if we want to succeed in our fight against Covid." Guleria reiterated that till now, there is no evidence to suggest that children will be affected more in the next wave of the infection. Earlier, India's epidemiologists had indicated that a third wave of COVID-19 is inevitable and is likely to start from September-October. India was hit severely by a brutal second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in April and May, claiming a massive number of lives daily, with shortage in oxygen supply at various hospitals adding to the woes. However, the number of cases have shown a downward trend and the positivity rate too has been shrinking in the last several days. From a daily case count of over 4 lakh, the number of new COVID-19 cases has been hovering around 60,000 in the last couple of days. There needs to be aggressive surveillance strategy in Covid hotspots and lockdowns in case of any significant surge. The moment a significant surge in cases in noted in a particular area and the positivity rate goes beyond 5 per cent, area-specific lockdown and containment measures should be implemented, he said. "However, a national-level lockdown cannot be a solution (to rein in the pandemic) keeping economic activity in mind." With 60,753 new Covid cases being reported in a day, India's total tally rose to 2,98,23,546, while the number of active cases stand at 7,60,019, the lowest in 74 days, according to Union health ministry data updated on Saturday. The death toll climbed to 3,85,137 with 1,647 fresh fatalities and active cases comprise 2.55 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has improved to 96.16 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed. On Friday, a Reuters poll of medical experts said that the third wave of Covid infections in India is inevitable and could hit the country by October this year. The 40 healthcare specialists from around the world who took part in the survey added that the third wave will be better managed than previous outbreaks, considering the increase in the pace of vaccinations in India. However, they added that Covid-19 will remain a major public health concern in India for at least another year. US President on Friday (local time) announced that America has administered 300 million COVID-19 vaccine shots in 150 days, bit behind the set target of getting 70% of US adults to receive at least one dose of a Covid vaccine by July 4. "Today, we've passed 300 million shots in 150 days. When I took office, our nation was in crisis. Today, the virus is in retreat and our economy has smashed previous records for job growth. That's just four months, folks," Biden said. The President also urged unvaccinated Americans to roll up their sleeves to protect themselves against emerging variants of the virus. During a speech at the White House, Biden called 300 million shots in 150 days "a truly American accomplishment." "Just remember what the situation was like 150 days ago," Biden said. "We didn't have enough vaccine supply for all Americans. We didn't have the vaccine infrastructure or the people to administer the vaccines or the places where the people could get vaccinated. But we turned it around together by working quickly, aggressively, and equitably," he said. While touting his administration's national vaccination effort, which has brought COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths down significantly in recent months, the President underlined the need to get other Americans vaccinated. Concerned over the rising cases of coronavirus where the vaccination rate is lower, he said, "The truth is that deaths and hospitalizations are drastically down in places where people are getting vaccinated. But unfortunately, cases and hospitalizations are not going down in many places, in the lower vaccination rate states. They're actually going up in some places." According to New York Times, Biden had set the July 4 goal in early May for administering the first dose in 70% of American adults. He also allowed the lifting of virtually all of their pandemic restrictions on business and social distancing in California and New York. But the time frame is tight. An analysis by The New York Times shows that, if the rate of adult vaccinations continues on the seven-day average, the country will fall just short of Biden's 70 percent goal, with 67.6 per cent of American adults having had their first shot by July 4. As of Friday, 65 per cent of adults have had at least one shot, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US government is investing more than $3 billion to accelerate the development and manufacturing of antiviral medicines to treat Covid-19, according to a statement by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The plan, called the Antiviral Program for Pandemics, will respond to the urgent need for the antivirals by spurring the availability of medicines to prevent serious illness and save lives, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying on Friday. This plan will support research to identify and accelerate availability of breakthrough treatment options. It also will build sustainable platforms for developing antivirals for other viruses with pandemic potential, said the HHS. The plan provides more than $300 million for research and lab support; nearly $1 billion for preclinical and clinical evaluation; and nearly $700 million for development and manufacturing through the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA),the statement added. Identifying effective treatment options to prevent people diagnosed with Covid-19 from progressing to serious illness and death are vitally important, even as hundreds of millions of Americans get vaccinated against the disease and cases, hospitalisations and death rates continue to fall, experts have said. Highly effective oral antiviral medicines that can be taken at home early in the course of infection, similar to antiviral treatment for influenza, would save lives and prevent overwhelming surges in hospitalizations, according to the HHS. "New antivirals that prevent serious Covid-19 illness and death, especially oral drugs that could be taken at home early in the course of disease, would be powerful tools for battling the pandemic and saving lives," said NIAID Director Anthony Fauci. "Throughout this public health emergency, we have worked with industry to develop treatments to reduce severe illness, hospitalisations, and deaths, and this proposal will help us go even further to accelerate and deliver more safe and effective treatments that are easy to administer," said BARDA Director Gary Disbrow. Currently, a total of 19 therapeutic agents have been prioritised for testing in rigorous clinical trials for outpatients and inpatients with Covid-19, according to the HHS. Last week, President Joe Biden's administration announced that it will procure approximately 1.7 million courses of an investigational antiviral treatment, molnupiravir (MK-4482), for Covid-19 from Merck, pending approval from the Food and Drug Administration. --IANS ksk/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Asin Sharma lies idle on a cot near his restaurant by a highway linking India's capital New Delhi with the northern state of Punjab. Few motorists stop at the line of five open-fronted roadside eateries on this stretch of highway. Those who do venture cautiously inside ask only for tea and water. The restaurant's tandoor, a traditional clay oven used for making flatbreads, sits cold and unused. "We are in a very bad situation and the restaurant is on the verge of dying," said the 35-year-old. "We have no work and so many expenses to bear. Our condition is pathetic." The eateries, or "dhabas" are ubiquitous in India. Tens of thousands line national highways but many are now struggling to survive as customers stay at home despite several state governments relaxing curbs on movement. Many dhabas are family-run and employ millions, including local people and migrant workers. The problems they now face are part of a wider malaise in the travel and leisure industry, and the Indian economy in general. India on Friday reported 62,480 new daily cases, down significantly from a peak of more than 400,000 on May 9 during its second wave of COVID-19 infections. Given low vaccination rates, experts are already warning of a third wave later this year. Economists fear the sector faces weakness into next year, even if the government can vaccinate the majority of India's near 1.4 billion people. Only 6% are fully vaccinated now. STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE Last year, the government extended federal guarantees on bank loans for small businesses including hotels and restaurants, as well as a moratorium on some bank loans through to the end of March. Some restaurant owners have already had notices from banks to repay these loans. Finance ministry officials last month said the government could consider more measures for restaurants later this year. A spokesman declined to comment further on the plans. Restaurant owners interviewed said many could be forced to shut their businesses permanently in the absence of further government support. Others said they were likely to delay bank loans, defer payments and sell properties if the third wave does hit. Most have cut salaries and laid off staff. Sonu Sharma, manager of Mannat Haveli Restaurant, says in normal times the restaurant is so busy they have a staff of 300, but now there are only about 50 to 60 people at work. These unemployed migrant workers have been forced to fall back on low-paying farm work. The huge job losses in the restaurant sector reflect a broader rise in India's unemployment, which almost doubled to 11.9% in May from 6.5% in March, according to CMIE, a Mumbai-based think tank. On the highway between New Delhi and India's financial hub Mumbai, Hans Restaurant, which used to thrive on catering for weddings and birthday parties, has tried to survive by selling takeaway food, but there are not enough orders, said manager Kailash Chand Meghwal. "We never thought we would see such a day," he said. "Almost 80% of our staff have gone back to their villages." (Reporting by Manoj Kumar and Sunil Kataria in Karnal; Editing by Alasdair Pal and Karishma Singh) (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The India Business Process Outsourcing Promotion Scheme (IBPS) launched by the Centre has facilitated expansion of several IT and BPO companies in tier-II and III cities across the country and has become the second State in new job generation, the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) said on Saturday. Under the IBPS Scheme, is the highest in employment generation by creating 12,234 new jobs followed by at 9,401 while remaining was spread across Punjab, Odisha, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Bihar, an official press release said. STPI, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, is the executing agency for India BPO Promotion Scheme. "In recent years, IBPS has generated direct employment for more than 40,000 people residing in tier-II and III cities, out of which about 38 per cent are women. The units have reported more than 3,000 additional employment generation in the last year," the release said. "The BPO Promotion Schemes have received an overwhelming response from the BPO industry. Currently, 252 BPO/ITeS units are operational on 47,043 seats under the scheme," said STPI, director general, Omkar Rai. Noting that the Indian BPO and ITES sector grew and was centered around a few metropolitan cities, Rai said it forced many youth from other locations to migrate to metro cities for jobs. "The scheme has helped thousands of local youths get employment at their native places and also helped in attracting investments in the regions. It has led to the establishment of in cities untouched by BPO/ITES sectors such as Baitalpur, Mayiladuthurai, Bhimavaram, Majuli," he said. On the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, he said the Centre introduced new simplified other service provider (OSP) guidelines which was aimed for the BPO and ITES to reduce the compliance burden and facilitate 'work from home' culture. The new guidelines provided the much-needed impetus to the BPO sector and are helping the industry sail through the pandemic. Several timely relaxations were introduced to sustain the operations of BPO companies during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor The ministry on Saturday asserted that Indian customer deposits in Swiss have fallen since 2019, but said it is seeking details from Swiss authorities on the relevant facts along with their view on possible reasons for changes in the funds parked by individuals and entities in 2020. In a statement, the ministry said the deposits have halved but did not give numbers. Quoting data from Switzerland's central bank, PTI had reported on June 17 that funds parked by Indian individuals and firms in Swiss banks, including through India-based branches and other financial institutions, jumped to a 13-year high of 2.55 billion Swiss francs (over Rs 20,700 crore) in 2020 on a sharp surge in holdings via securities and similar instruments, though customer deposits fell. In its statement, the ministry said the figures "do not indicate the quantum of much debated alleged black money held by Indians in Switzerland. Further, these statistics do not include the money that Indians, NRIs or others might have in Swiss in the names of third-country entities." The ministry noted that customer deposits have actually fallen from the end of 2019. The funds held through fiduciaries have also more than halved from 2019-end. "The biggest increase is in 'Other amounts due from customers'. These are in form of bonds, securities and various other financial instruments," the ministry added. It also listed out the reasons that could have led to the increase in deposits, including rising business transactions by Indian companies, rise in deposits owing to the business of Swiss bank branches located in India and increase in inter-bank transactions between Swiss and Indian Besides, capital increase for a subsidiary of a Swiss company in India and increase in the liabilities connected with the outstanding derivative financial instruments could be the other potential reasons for this jump in deposits, the ministry explained. "The Swiss Authorities have been requested to provide the relevant facts along with their view on possible reasons for increase/decrease....," the ministry added. An automatic exchange of information in tax matters between Switzerland and India has been in force since 2018. Under this framework, detailed financial information on all Indian residents having accounts with Swiss financial institutions since 2018 was provided for the first time to Indian tax authorities in September 2019 and this is to be followed every year. The ministry said exchanges of financial account information in respect of residents of each country have taken place between both countries in 2019 as well as 2020. "In view of the existing legal arrangement for exchange of information of financial accounts (which has a significant deterrent effect on tax evasion through undisclosed assets abroad), there does not appear to be any significant possibility of the increase of deposits in the Swiss banks which is out of undeclared incomes of Indian residents," it added. As per Swiss National Bank data (SNB), the aggregate funds of Indian clients with Swiss banks stood at 899 million Swiss francs (Rs 6,625 crore) at the end of 2019, and the increase in 2020 reverses a two-year declining trend. The total amount of CHF 2,554.7 million (Rs 20,706 crore), described by the SNB as 'total liabilities' of Swiss banks or 'amounts due to' their Indian clients at the end of 2020, included CHF 503.9 million (over Rs 4,000 crore) in customer deposits, CHF 383 million (over Rs 3,100 crore) held via other banks, CHF 2 million (Rs 16.5 crore) through fiduciaries or trusts and the highest component of CHF 1,664.8 million (nearly Rs 13,500 crore) as 'other amounts due to customers' in form of bonds, securities and various other financial instruments. While the funds classified as 'customer account deposits' have actually declined from CHF 550 million at the end of 2019 and those through fiduciaries also more than halved from CHF 7.4 million, the money held via other banks rose sharply from CHF 88 million in this period. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The (ADB) on Friday approved a $250 million policy-based loan to the government of to help finance reforms aimed at improving the inclusiveness and responsiveness of the country's social development and resilience program. The Strengthening Social Resilience Program will include institutional and policy reforms to address cross-sector issues of social development in Bangladesh, said the Manila-based lender in a statement received here Friday. "Enhancing social protection support is critical to cushioning the effects of the pandemic," said ADB Senior Social Sector Specialist for South Asia Hiroko Uchimura-Shiroishi. He said, "ADB supports the government's intention to leverage the Covid-19 pandemic as an opportunity to strengthen its social protection programs as an essential means of building the resilience of the poor and supporting an inclusive recovery." According to the statement, has made remarkable progress in reducing poverty over the past two decades. The poverty incidence declined from 48.9 per cent in 2000 to 20.5 per cent in 2019, it added. --IANS int/rs (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An assertive is "a very dangerous presence" and has brought members of Quad together, a foreign affairs expert from Japan said on Saturday while noting that the United States and will compete in a host of areas including semiconductors, artificial intelligence and deep space exploration besides military technologies. Speaking at the inaugural event of 'Global Policy Insights' QUAD Forum, Tomohiko Taniguchi, who was Special Advisor to former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said that has given up its "low-profile" posture. The event was held virtually. Taniguchi said Washington has become aware of building "more robust bridges between and among" the US, Japan, India and Australia, the four countries who form the Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue). "Going forward, 2049 is going to be the most important year for China for an obvious reason because it is going to make a centenary since the establishment of a new China - the People's Republic of China," he said. Taniguchi said China wants to surpass the US as the leading global power and develop a more powerful military arsenal. "We have got a time slot between 2021 and 2049 - nearly a generatio'Assertive China very dangerous, 'n and I think the Chinese leaders are determined to make difference, as much as possible. Using that time period, it wants to surpass the United States as regards its economic size and along the way, China is keen to develop a more powerful military arsenal in the world," he said. "Today, the United States and China will compete on a host of different fronts, from semiconductors and artificial intelligence and deep space exploration. You name it. Let alone military technologies," he added. Taniguchi said in his keynote address that the US brought itself close to China in 2001 for help after the 9/11 terror attacks in New York. "When China came out of its cocoon and hosted the first time one of the multilateral gatherings at Shanghai for APEC, China then put aside the low-profile posing and over time the Indians and Japanese became aware that an assertive China is a very dangerous presence. That assertive China has brought all of us together," he said. He said that the Trump administration earlier and the Biden administration now were laying focus on Indo-Pacific. "The United States has come to be aware, perhaps belatedly, that by itself they could make no difference. So both the Trump administration and the Biden administration have chosen to focus on the Indo-Pacific region," he said. "It is not a landscape but a seascape. We are looking at a vast stretch of oceans and as Shinzo Abe spoke about 2007 to the central hall audience of the Indian parliament that it is the confluence of the two oceans - the Indian and the Pacific. My argument point two is that the United States has come to be aware that they should build more robust bridges' between and among these four nations - the United States, Japan, India and Australia," he added. Taniguchi said former Chinese Communist leader Deng Xiaoping had argued that China should keep a low profile but that has gone and an assertive China has emerged. "It is, of course, the emergence of an assertive China. An assertive China is no longer the China that Deng Xiaoping famously argued that they (China) should be low profile. It's gone." He said members of Quad had also changed their outlook that led to the formation of the grouping. Taniguchi said the "change that took place in India has been one of the catalysts to make Quad happen," adding that Japan's internal development, United States' change in attitude, China's rise also propelled the formation of Quad,. The QUAD Forum is an initiative of Global Policy Insights, a centrist policy institute, aimed at fostering dialogue and understanding around the Quad grouping of nations comprising of the United States, India, Japan and Australia. The first Leaders' Summit of the Quadrilateral Framework was held virtually in March this year. In their joint statement, the leaders had expressed their commitment to promoting a free, open rules-based order, rooted in law to advance security and prosperity and counter threats to both in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. The leaders said they support the rule of law, freedom of navigation and overflight, peaceful resolution of disputes, democratic values, and territorial integrity. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In order to counter new foreign sanctions, started with 'Wolf Warrior' diplomacy to dissuade member states from imposing new sanctions against Beijing under pressure from the US. It was Chinese President Xi Jinping himself who first introduced China's Wolf Warrior diplomacy. Wolf warrior diplomacy originated from what Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi referred to as Xi's "great diplomatic philosophy," reported Newsweek. Moreover, it was Xi himself who bolstered the Chinese public's sense of nationalism as part of a strategy to further consolidate his power and increase his prestige. In an opinion piece in Newsweek, Jianli Yang wrote that over the past two years, Xi Jinping demanded that Chinese diplomats demonstrate a "fighting spirit" and take a tough stance on Sino-US relations and challenges. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of hastily passed its new law on countering foreign sanctions before the 47th summit convened in England. It was done in response to concerns about forced labour in Xinjiang and the suppression of human rights in Hong Kong. and European Union countries imposed sanctions on certain Chinese companies and individuals, after which Beijing imposed counter-sanctions on the countries in question. Doing so would demonstrate the shared resolve of the seven most powerful countries in the West to resist totalitarian Beijing was wary of this, and thus deemed it necessary to take preventive actions, wrote Jianli. On the eve of the G7 summit, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) passed the Law on Countering Foreign Sanctions (also known as the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law). The law is intended to influence countries that are not as strong as the United States and the United Kingdom (such as Germany, Japan and other states that are less willing to stand up against China) to consider the cost of Chinese countermeasures and choose not to go along with Nearly six months since US President Joe Biden took office, China has clearly demonstrated that Washington must shed the illusion that US-China relations can return to some sort of pre-Donald Trump status quo. Seeing that the relationship between the US and China isn't getting better, Beijing feels justified in using all available means and tools to counter the West's attempt to contain China, reported Newsweek. At a CCP Politburo study meeting held on the afternoon of May 31, Chinese President Xi Jinping instructed officials to do a good job of telling the "Chinese story"--to propagate the voice of China, ensure that China has an voice commensurate with its comprehensive national power and global status, "grasp the right tone," be "modest and humble," pay attention to the "strategy and art of the 'public opinion struggle'" and "elevate the persuasiveness of Chinese discourse." Observers have noted that Xi wants to make some adjustments to China's 'Wolf Warrior' diplomacy, wrote Jianli. The fact that the CCP's diplomatic efforts have hit a brick wall beyond China's borders is not essentially a question of the choice of words, tone, or posture adopted by Chinese diplomats. Rather, the fundamental problem is one of soft power. As long as Xi fails to change his "great diplomatic philosophy," as long as he continues to rely on strong nationalist sentiment to maintain his power and prestige, and as long as the CCP maintains its present course and continues to commit gross violations of human rights, then no matter what superficial changes Xi makes with respect to form and style, no one will regard him as trustworthy, respectable, or likeable and China's wolf warrior diplomacy will continue to rear its ugly head time and again. China's passage of the Law on Countering Foreign Sanctions makes it abundantly clear that Xi does not intend to reduce his confrontational approach, let alone abandon confrontation altogether, reported Newsweek. Although the law increases deterrence against multinational corporations in the US and other Western countries, it will undoubtedly lead to more resistance, wrote Jianli. The West, especially the United States, will not lift sanctions against China simply because of the law's introduction. On the contrary, it may provoke the US to use even more power and resources to fight China, reported Newsweek. Of course, Beijing must have considered such consequences when introducing the law, but despite knowing what the result would be, the CCP rushed to pass it before the G7 summit. This demonstrates that Xi is ready for an escalated confrontation between China and the United States as a result of the law. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) is considering ending its limits on childbirth by 2025 after finding its population growth is slowing down, said a report. According to told The Wall Street Journal, the country could completely eliminate its childbirth restrictions at the end of the government's current five-year economic plan. China's National Bureau of Statistics found in May that the country's birth rate dropped for four consecutive years from 2016 to 2020. Xinjiang province has reportedly seen the sharpest birth rate drop globally since 1950. Citing sources TWJ stated that would start easing restrictions in areas with the lowest birth rates before moving to other provinces. has an ageing population due to its policies to sterilize women, force abortions on them, impose fine and give jail time to those who break rules surrounding giving birth. Last year, despite the changes, China produced fewer newborns than in any year since the depths of the Great Famine and the recent economic growth of the country, per capita income is still less than half that of neighbouring South Korea, reported Washington Post. Earlier, in a CNN article some experts questioned why Beijing did not scrap birth caps entirely? The reason might be Xinjiang. Ben Westcott, writing in CNN said that China kept a limit on parents because of Beijing's attitudes towards its ethnic minorities, particularly those in Xinjiang. The Chinese government has strictly enforced its family planning policies on minorities in the far-western province, where Beijing is accused of committing genocide against the Muslim-majority Uyghur people. The crackdown caused local birth rates to plunge by a third in 2018.Experts said Beijing is reluctant to remove all quotas on the number of children per family for several reasons. But one major factor is that ending the policy would make it much more difficult to justify Beijing's attempts to limit the population in Xinjiang and other regions with large minority groups, which tend to have more children, reported CNN. Moreover, retaining control over Xinjiang birth rates is not the only reason for the Chinese government's retention of three-child limits on families. Experts said Beijing would be reluctant to find new roles for the tens of thousands of people employed by the government to oversee the country's massive family planning policy. China's birth rate has been falling rapidly since the introduction of the one-child policy more than 40 years ago, which limited couples to one baby in order to alleviate poverty and stem a population boom. While the policy successfully reined in birth rates as China developed, in more recent years officials have become concerned the country won't have enough young workers to keep powering its economic growth. Faced with a demographic crisis, the Chinese government relaxed the policy in 2016 to allow for two children, but many couples in the Han middle class were reluctant to have more than one child, citing the high costs of raising families particularly in cities. In 2020, the birth rate fell by almost 15 per cent year on year. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The on Friday lifted travel restrictions on American travelers along with over ten other countries after over a year. Apart from the US, the EU has lifted restrictions on non-essential travel from 13 other countries including Albania, Australia, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, New Zealand, Republic of North Macedonia, Rwanda, Singapore, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, and China (subject to confirmation of reciprocity). According to an EU statement, the criteria for determining the non-EU countries for which the current travel restriction should be lifted cover, in particular, the epidemiological situation and containment measures, including physical distancing, and economic and social considerations. They are applied cumulatively. Last year on June 30, the Council adopted a recommendation on the gradual lifting of the temporary restrictions on non-essential travel into the EU. This recommendation included an initial list of countries for which member states should start lifting the travel restrictions at the external borders. The list is reviewed every two weeks and, as the case may be, updated. On 20 May, the Council adopted an amending recommendation to respond to the ongoing vaccination campaigns by introducing certain waivers for vaccinated persons and easing the criteria to lift restrictions for third countries. At the same time, the amendments take into account the possible risks posed by new variants by setting out an emergency brake mechanism to quickly react to the emergence of a variant of interest or concern in a third country. The Council recommendation is not a legally binding instrument. The authorities of the member states remain responsible for implementing the content of the recommendation. They may, in full transparency, lift only progressively travel restrictions towards countries listed, the statement read further. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BERKELEY, Calif. (Reuters) - Long-time Inc executive and president Jerome Guillen, who left the company earlier in June, has sold an estimated $274 million worth of shares after exercising stock options since June 10, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The filing, which was submitted to the SEC on Tuesday, said that Guillen expected to sell 215,718 shares for $129 million that day, and that he offloaded 145,289 shares worth $89.6 million on June 14, and 90,111 shares worth $55 million on June 10. Guillen, a former Mercedes engineer who was with since 2010, oversaw the company's entire vehicles business before being named president of the Heavy Trucking unit in March. He left the company on June 3. The departure of Guillen, one of Tesla's top four leaders, including Chief Executive Elon Musk, has sparked market concerns about Tesla's future vehicle programs like the Semi electric truck and new batteries called 4680 cells. Gordon Johnson, an analyst at GLJ Research, estimated that Guillen has cut his exposure to Tesla from 1.3 million shares a weak ago to about 150,000 as of Friday. "Should TSLA be on the verge of technological and autonomous breakthroughs and breakout 2Q21E deliveries/earnings, as well as EV domination, why has what many assumed was the second most important person at the company (i.e., Jerome Guillen) sold $274mn worth of TSLA stock," he said in a report. "It could raise some eyebrows for investors," Wedbush Securities analyst Daniel Ives said, adding that investors are going to watch closely to see if he sells more. Stock options give employees and executives the right to buy their company's stock at a specified price for a certain period of time. When share prices rise above the exercise price, they can buy the stocks at discounted prices. It was not immediately known how much Guillen paid to exercise the options. (Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin, additional reporting by Jessica DiNapoli; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall and Steve Orlofsky) (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A fresh clash between Palestinians and Israeli Police erupted on Jerusalem's Temple Mount on Friday afternoon, amid fears of renewed fighting with the in the Gaza Strip over the situation in the Holy City. The Palestinian Red Crescent said nine people were hurt, with three hospitalised, as Israeli forces fired rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades, emptying the compound of thousands of worshippers, reported Al Jazeera. Times of Israel (TOI) reported citing Police that the clashes began after Friday afternoon prayers at the holy site in the Old City with a procession of several hundred people, dozens of whom refused to disperse when they arrived at the exit to the compound and began hurling rocks at police. The clashes occurred after the Israel Defense Forces conducted airstrikes on targets throughout the Gaza Strip on Thursday night in response to ongoing arson attacks from the enclave. The IDF has confirmed strikes against targets in Gaza Strip on Thursday in retaliation to arson balloons attack launched from the region. "In response to arson balloons launched from Gaza into Israel, we struck military compounds and a rocket launch site belonging to Hamas in Gaza," the IDF tweeted. Times of Isreal reported that at least eight fires were sparked in southern Israel yesterday, and four the day before, by balloon-borne incendiary devices launched from the Strip, as per Israeli Fire and Rescue Services. The ceasefire deal, between Israel and Palestine that was reached on May 21, was violated on June 16. Israel and Hamas concluded 11 days of fighting during which hundreds of rockets were launched from both Israel and Palestine sides. According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, 253 Palestinians were killed during the fighting, including 66 children, while 13 Israelis, including a 5-year-old boy and a soldier, were killed. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ultraconservative cleric Ebrahim Raisi swept to a landslide win in Irans presidential election, potentially setting the oil-rich country on a more hostile course toward the West as world powers attempt to revive the 2015 nuclear deal. Raisi secured 17.8 million votes and the only moderate candidate in the race, Abdolnaser Hemmati, came third with 2.4 million ballots, Jamal Orf, head of Irans presidential election headquarters said in a statement on state TV, adding that 90% of ballots have been counted so far. Figures given by Orf indicate that turnout was 48%, the lowest in a presidential vote in the history of the Islamic Republic, with Raisi securing 62% of ballots cast. Millions of voters stayed home after most moderate and reformist candidates were disqualified from running. The victory for Raisi, 60, may complicate efforts to restore a landmark nuclear accord that has major implications for security and global oil markets. The U.S. exit from the deal under former President Donald Trump empowered hardliners and principlists in Iran, who were always critical of the agreement and won control of parliament last year. Earlier on Saturday, pro-reform candidate Hemmati, who stepped aside as Central Bank governor to run for president, congratulated Raisi in an Instagram post. President Hassan Rouhani visited his would-be successor in person to congratulate him, according to state television. Washingtons withdrawal from the nuclear deal in 2018 sent tensions soaring in the Persian Gulf, fueling regional conflicts and prompting Tehran to abandon constraints on its nuclear program contained in the pact and to enrich uranium close to the level needed for a bomb. An austere cleric whos deeply hostile to the West, Raisi has been critical of the 2015 nuclear accord yet told voters during his campaign that he intended to preserve it. His election comes as world powers are trying to revive the agreement at talks in Vienna before Rouhani leaves office in the coming months. Seen as a favorite to one day succeed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Raisi was sanctioned in 2019 by the Trump administration, which cited his role in a deadly crackdown a decade earlier on protesters alleging vote fraud. Dolakha administration of on Saturday issued a flood warning for people living along the floodplains of River Tamakoshi. As per the administration, landslide has already damaged the river system near RongXia city, Tingri County and it could cause sudden flash food. Earlier, Meteorologists of and other South Asian nations had predicted that this year's monsoon will arrive earlier than last year and and some other Asian countries are expected to receive normal to above-normal rainfall. As per Nepal's Meteorological Forecasting Division, the monsoon has already hit Nepal from June 1 and it will continue for about three months. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, as many as 20 people including three Indians have gone missing as triggered by heavy rains struck Sindhupalchok district in central Nepal. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) North Korean leader "solemnly swore" to navigate his country out of deepening economic troubles as he concluded a major ruling party meeting, acknowledging food shortages and urging officials to prepare for both dialogue and confrontation with the US. North Korea's state media released Kim's comments shortly before President Joe Biden's special representative for North Korea, Sung Kim, arrived in South Korea on Saturday for talks over stalled nuclear diplomacy with the North. had presided over a four-day plenary meeting of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee, which he summoned to discuss efforts to salvage a dismal economy, hurt by years of mismanagement and US-led sanctions that were made worse by pandemic border closures. As he closed the meetings on Friday, Kim solemnly swore on behalf of the Central Committee that the party will surely break through head-on the difficulties lying in the way of the revolution, the Korean Central News Agency reported. Kim earlier ordered his government to prepare for both dialogue and confrontation with the United States, which has been urging the North to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions and return to talks. Kim has threatened to bolster his nuclear deterrent and says the fate of diplomacy and bilateral relations depends on whether Washington abandons what he calls hostile policies. Kim opened the Central Committee plenary on Tuesday by warning of potential food shortages, urging officials to find ways to boost agricultural production because the situation is now getting tense. He said the country should brace for extended COVID-19 restrictions, suggesting it would extend border closures and other steps despite the stress on its The economic setbacks have left Kim with nothing to show for his ambitious summitry with former President Donald Trump, which derailed over disagreements in exchanging the lifting of sanctions with the North's denuclearization steps. US officials have suggested President Joe Biden would adopt a middle ground policy between his predecessors Trump's direct dealings with Kim and Barack Obama's strategic patience. But some experts say Washington won't likely provide the North with meaningful sanctions relief unless it takes concrete denuclearization steps first. During his stay in South Korea, Sung Kim will meet with South Korean senior diplomats and participate in a trilateral meeting that includes Japanese nuclear envoy Takehiro Funakoshi on Monday. His travel emphasizes the importance of three-way cooperation in working toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the US State Department said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Everyone in the world could have access to clean, affordable energy within the next nine years if countries modestly increase investments, according to new UN reports released, in advance of a major ministerial meeting on June 21-25 where countries and businesses will begin to announce energy plans for the decade. Annual investments of around $35 billion could bring electricity access for 759 million people who currently lack it, and $25 billion a year can help 2.6 billion people gain access to clean cooking between now and 2030. The required investment represents only a small fraction of the multi-trillion-dollar global energy investment needed overall, but would bring huge benefits to one-third of the world's population. The recommendations on energy access are part of a proposed global roadmap with concrete actions to achieve clean, affordable energy for all by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050, launched by the on Friday, to set the groundwork for a large-scale mobilization of commitments this year. National and city governments, foundations and businesses are expected to start announcing significant commitments in the form of "Energy Compacts" at Ministerial Forums to be held June 21-25, driving action towards a High-level Dialogue on Energy, a summit to be convened by the UN in September. Major energy compact commitments and partnerships for clean electricity access and cooking solutions are among those expected to be announced during the June Forums, which are co-hosted by thirty Global Champion countries. "The ambitious energy compacts being put forward by countries, businesses, cities, and many other partners are a spark of hope for achieving a just transition towards sustainable energy and for improving the lives of millions of people in the process," said Dialogue Secretary-General Liu Zhenmin, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. "But this is only the beginning and we need much more commitment and concrete action at this year's High-level Dialogue on Energy to get where we need to be by 2030." The proposed roadmap, which will inform the High-level Dialogue on Energy in September and be considered in the political statement resulting from the summit, is based on reports submitted by five Technical Working Groups that have brought together over 160 experts since March, co-led by 16 UN and organizations, grouped by thematic focus. The five focus areas are: energy access; energy transition; enabling the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through inclusive, just energy transitions; innovation, technology and data; and finance and investment. In order to achieve the SDGs and Paris Agreement targets, energy transition must become a transformational effort, a system overhaul, the proposed roadmap suggests. The reports recommend a rapid scale-up of available solutions to reach 8,000 GW of renewables by 2030 from 2,800 GW currently, and to increase the average annual rate of energy efficiency improvement from the current 0.8 to 3 per cent. By 2025, 100 countries should establish targets for 100 per cent renewable-based power, and there should be no new coal plants in the pipeline globally. The share of fossil fuels in the global mix would fall from the current 60 per cent to 30 per cent by 2030. The proposed roadmap also calls for countries to phase out coal by 2030 in wealthier countries that are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and by 2040 in non-OECD countries, recognizing that many developing countries will need support for this process. By 2050, 92 per cent of power would come from renewable technologies. "The energy revolution is underway, but 759 million people still live without electricity and the opportunities it provides," said Achim Steiner, Administrator of the UN Development Programme and Co-Chair of the High-level Dialogue. "It is one of the most blatant examples of inequality in our world today. Affordable access for all is the foundation for achieving a global energy transition that is fast and fair." "At the upcoming Ministerial Forums, we will see bold commitments put forward as Energy Compacts as well as large financial commitments from partner institutions, and we need more of them, to ensure we leave no one behind and that we transition in a just and inclusive manner to net zero by 2050," said his Co-Chair, Damilola Ogunbiyi, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Sustainable Energy for All. "This is an opportunity of our lifetime to provide universal energy access by leveraging new partnerships and technologies, and funding innovations that can create a cleaner, brighter and more equitable economic future." The reports indicate that a just and inclusive energy transition can create 30 million new jobs in sustainable energy by 2030 and 42 million by 2050. They call for ensuring gender equality in all aspects of energy transition, including more women taking on roles as engineers, policymakers and entrepreneurs. --IANS vg/in (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Some 900 civilians have been killed by security forces in since the military takeover on February 1, United Nations Special Envoy Christine Schraner Burgener told the "Despite attempts by the military and its appointed officials to justify its ongoing repression, we must refrain firm: there can be no business as usual under the current circumstance," Schraner Burgener said on Friday. "Killings continue. Some 900 civilian protesters and passerby have been verified by the organization Assistant Association for Political Prisoners since February." Schraner Burgener also said is seeing increased risk of sexual violence by security forces against anti- protesters. "These numbers are climbing as the military struggles to stabilize its hold on power," she said. The special envoy said civilians have started to form defense unions after receiving military training from ethnic groups and these developments could lead to a large-scale civil war. "The opportunity to reverse the military takeover is narrowing and regional threat is increasing," she said. Schraner Burgener called on the UN member states to continue pushing for all-inclusive dialogue to not miss the opportunity to put on the path of democracy. Escalating violence across Myanmar including attacks on civilians must be halted to prevent even greater loss of life and a deepening humanitarian emergency, UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet said earlier. Bachelet's appeal follows reports of a continuing military build-up in various parts of the country including Kayah State in the east - where more than 108,000 people have fled their homes in the last three weeks - and in Chin State in the west. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United States has never decided to hold back security assistance to Ukraine, Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in response to media reports that the Joe Biden administration held back 100 million dollars worth of arms for "The idea that we have held back security assistance to is nonsense. Just last week - in the run-up to the US-Russia Summit - we provided a $150-million package of security assistance, including lethal assistance. We have now provided the entire amount appropriated by Congress through the security assistance initiative," Psaki said in a statement on Friday (local time). "We have also prepared contingency funds in the event of a further Russian incursion into Ukraine. As President Biden told President Putin directly, we will stand unwavering in support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, it added. The has reportedly temporarily frozen a military assistance package to Ukraine that was meant as a response to Russian troop buildup on the border with Ukraine earlier this year, The Hill reported. The package was reportedly put together but halted when Russia said it would draw down troops on the border with Ukraine, the report said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Centrum Capital said that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued an in-principle approval to Centrum Financial Services, the company's step-down subsidiary, to establish a small finance bank (SFB). Resilient Innovations (BharatPe), one of India's fastest growing fintech companies, will be an equal partner. The RBI would consider granting a licence for commencement of banking business under Section 22 (1) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, on being satisfied that the applicant has complied with the requisite conditions laid down by RBI as part of "in-principle" approval. The central further said that this in-principle approval has been accorded in specific pursuance to the Centrum Financial Services' offer dated 1 February 2021 in response to the expression of interest notification dated 3 November 2020 published by the Punjab & Maharashtra Co-operative Bank, Mumbai. Centrum said that the RBI's in-principle approval is a validation of Centrum's proven expertise in financial services and BharatPe's Digital Leadership, both essential for setting up a New Age Bank. Starting off with existing capabilities of an NBFC and a Fintech, active and potential customer base, digital reach and technology, should enable the SFB to scale up quickly. The SFB will be guided by the directions and timelines of the RBI on the amalgamation of Punjab & Maharashtra Co-Operative Bank. Jaspal Bindra, executive chairman, Centrum Group, said "We are delighted that a new banking license will be issued to a NBFC after a gap of nearly 6 years and would like to thank the RBI for the opportunity and confidence shown in us. We are excited to partner with BharatPe to create this new age bank, with a strong team." The Centrum Group has diversified fee businesses and a lending platform for institutions and individuals. institutional services include investment banking, mid-corporates & sme credit and broking to fiis, pension funds, indian mutual funds, domestic institutions etc. It also provides MSME credit, wealth management services to HNIs and family offices, affordable housing finance in tier 2 & 3 cities, micro finance loans and retail broking. Its asset management business offers funds across private debt and venture capital. Centrum Capital recorded a consolidated net loss of Rs 16.02 crore in Q3 FY21 as against a net profit of Rs 3.35 crore in Q3 FY20. Total income declined by 7.2% YoY to Rs 123.12 crore during the quarter. The scrip surged 8.30% to end at Rs 50.25 on Friday. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The offer received bids for 5.56 crore shares as against 1.44 crore shares on offer. The initial public offer (IPO) of Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences received bids for 5.56 crore shares as against 1.44 crore shares on offer, according to the stock exchange data. The issue was subscribed 3.86 times. The qualified institutional buyers (QIBs) category was subscribed 5.26 times. The retail individual investors category was subscribed 2.90 times. The non-institutional investors category was subscribed 1.89 times. The issue opened for bidding on Wednesday, 16 June 2021, and closed on Friday, 18 June 2021. The price band for the IPO was set at Rs 815-825 per share. The IPO comprised fresh issue of shares aggregating up to Rs 200 crore and an offer for sale of up to 2,35,60,538 equity shares from promoters and existing shareholders. Ahead of the IPO, the company finalized allocation of 1,15,84,060 equity shares to anchor investors at Rs 825 per share aggregating to Rs 955.68 crore. The company proposes to utilize the net proceeds of the fresh issue towards repayment/pre-payment, in full or part, of certain borrowings availed by the company and by subsidiaries viz KHKPL (KIMS Hospital Kurnool), SIMSPL (Saveera Institute of Medical Science) and KHEPL (KIMS Hospital Enterprises) amounting Rs 150 crore and balance towards general corporate purposes. Total borrowing as on 31 March 2020, was at Rs 220.164 crore. Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) is one of the largest corporate healthcare groups in Andhra Pradesh (AP) and Telangana in terms of number of patients treated and treatments offered. It provides multi-disciplinary integrated healthcare services, with a focus on primary, secondary & tertiary care in tier 2-3 cities and primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary healthcare in tier 1 cities. The company operates 9 multi-specialty hospitals under the KIMS Hospitals brand, with an aggregate bed capacity of 3,064, including over 2,500 operational beds as of March 31, 2021, which is 2.2 times more beds than the second largest provider in AP and Telangana. It offers a comprehensive range of healthcare services across over 25 specialties and super specialties, including cardiac sciences, oncology, neurosciences, gastric sciences, orthopaedics, organ transplantation, renal sciences and mother & childcare. The company reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 201.22 crore and total income of Rs 1329.94 crore in the twelve months ended on 31 March 2021. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The board of UCO Bank will meet on 23 June 2021 to consider the proposal of raising Tier II Capital of upto Rs 500 crore. In an exchange filing, UCO Bank said, "The Board of directors of the bank will consider the proposal for raising of Tier II Capital upto Rs 500 crore at its meeting scheduled to be held on Wednesday, 23 June, 2021." UCO Bank is a commercial bank. Its segments include treasury, corporate/wholesale banking, retail banking and other banking operations. It offers personal banking, corporate banking, international banking and rural banking services. As of 31 March 2021, the Government of India held 94.44% stake in the bank. Shares of UCO Bank fell 2.15% at Rs 13.63 on BSE. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former union minister Jitin Prasada, who recently switched from the Congress to the BJP, on Saturday met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister here and said they discussed issues related to strengthening the organisation. "I met the chief minister and sought his blessings," said Prasada who arrived in his home state Uttar Pradesh for the first time after joining the on June 9. A UP government official termed it as a "courtesy meeting". Prasada said they discussed ways to ensure that the welfare schemes reach the public more effectively and the party organisation is strengthened further "so that the state and the country can be served". On the decision to join the BJP, Prasada said it is the only party where the people are rewarded for their hard work. "There is high enthusiasm among my supporters, and this decision was taken keeping in mind public sentiments. "There is a strong leadership, organisation and a clear-cut direction in the party. The is the only party where policy decisions are made keeping in mind the views and sentiments of the workers and the organisation. It is the only party where on the basis of hardwork people are rewarded," he said. On June 9, Congress leader joined the BJP, seen as an attempt by the ruling party to shore up its caste arithmetic for assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh scheduled for early next year. The 47-year-old Prasada, who was a minister in the previous UPA government, comes from a well-known Brahmin family of Uttar Pradesh and was serving as the Congress leader in-charge of West Bengal before joining the His father Jitendra Prasada was a key Congress leader whose fortunes plunged following his decision to contest against Sonia Gandhi for the post of party president in 2000. According to BJP sources, Jitin Prasada's joining would help the BJP keep Brahmins, a section of whom are said to be unhappy with the party in Uttar Pradesh, in good humour in the politically most important state of India. was part of the group of 23 leaders who had written to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi last October seeking organisational overhaul and elections at all levels, triggering a storm in the party. Speculation was rife even during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections of Prasada joining the BJP, but it is believed that the Congress leadership had then managed to persuade him against quitting the party. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : A political slugfest has broken out in between Chief Minister and State chief K Sudhakaran over their college life with both trading barbs and allegations. A day after Vijayan said the KPCC chief had plotted to kidnap his children, Sudhakaran came out with a rebuttal and asked the Chief Minister to maintain the "dignity of the post he is holding." Hitting out at Vijayan for having levelled the allegation during his press meet to give details of COVID-19, Sudhakaran wanted to know why no complaint had been filed with the police. "Vijayan raised so many allegations. It was the press conference of the Chief Minister. We saw the real yesterday (Friday), who came out of the PR agency's cover. His stance was that of a political criminal. I cannot reply like him. My post and stature does not allow me to stoop to his level," Sudhakaran said. Vijayan had on Friday, while replying to a query from reporters about certain remarks made against him by Sudhakaran in an interview, raised the allegation that a person close to the current KPCC president had years ago revealed to him that Sudhakaran had plans to kidnap Vijayan's son and daughter who were school students then. "Why has he not revealed the details, why has he not complained to the police? He said he had not revealed it to anyone. Not even to his wife. Usually, if there is any threat against kids, one will inform the mother as they are always there to protect the kids. Is that how a father reacts?," Sudhakaran asked. Vijayan had raised allegations against the KPCC chief after an interview of Sudhakaran was published in a vernacular magazine in which he said he had kicked Vijayan down during an incident that happened around 50 years ago at Brennen College, their alma mater, at Thalassery in Kannur district. Meanwhile, Sudhakaran said some of the references, attributed to him in the magazine, were off record and should not have beenpublished. It was the fault of the reporter and the media house, he said. The Chief Minister had also pointed out various allegations made by other leaders against Sudhakaran including certain smuggling activities and assault cases against the chief. However, in the the press meet at Kochi, Sudhakaran denied all the allegations and said he would resign from the KPCC president post if the charges were proved. During the press meet, Sudhakaran raked up the gold- smuggling case to counter Vijayan. "The Chief Minister is raising allegations against me. We have not forgotten the gold-smuggling case, the appointment of Swapna Suresh and other matters," Sudhakaran said. The party colleagues of Sudhakaran, Opposition leader V D Satheeshan and senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala came out in support of the KPCC chief and said the Chief Minister should not have raised such allegations against Sudhakaran. "Currently, the controversial tree-felling matter is going on and this was an attempt by the Chief Minister to deflect the attention from such matters. Sudhakaran had clarified earlier itself that the published interview was wrong," Satheeshan said. Former opposition leader Chennithala, who is in Delhi, said the Chief Minister should understand the value of the post he is holding. "I strongly condemn the remarks made by the Chief Minister against the KPCC president," Chennithala told the media at Delhi. However, CPI(M) secretary in-charge A Vijayaraghavan said the KPCC chief is taking the tone of a street goon. "Those who have appointed him as the chief of congress should reconsider it," Vijayaraghavan said. Amid all these, the BJP hit out at both the Chief Minister and the KPCC chief and said they bothhave proved that they are criminals. "The Chief Minister and the KPCC chief have both accepted publicly that they are basically criminals and goons. They have made it public in their press conferences. This is an attempt to deflect the attention from various pressing matters faced by the State," Union Minister V Muraleedharan said in a release. Vijayan was a senior to Sudhakaran in the government Brennan College at Thalassery. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar will meet Union Home Minister at his official residence in Delhi on Saturday at 11 am. "Governor WB Jagdeep Dhankhar will call on the Union Home Minister Shri at his official residence at 11 am today before returning to Kolkata in the afternoon," tweeted Dhankhar's office. Dhankhar had a meeting with Shah on Thursday as well. He extended his stay at the national capital for today's meeting with the Union Home Minister. He also met President Ram Nath Kovind and First Lady Savita Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Thursday. Dhankhar had arrived in Delhi on June 16. Over the past few weeks, Governor Dhankhar has raised concerns regarding the alleged incidents of political violence in (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A federal appeals court refused Friday to hear Chinese tech giant Huawei's request to throw out a rule used to bar rural phone carriers on national security grounds from using government funds to purchase its equipment. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Federal Communications Commission was fully within its power and competence to issue the rule barring Universal Service Fund subsidies recipients from buying equipment or services from companies deemed national security risks. The three-judge panel also dismissed a claim by Technologies Ltd that the FCC lacked the expertise to designate the company's equipment as a security risk to US telecommunications infrastructure. Assessing security risks to telecom networks falls in the FCC's wheelhouse, the judges wrote in a 60-page opinion, rejecting any suggestion it was some sort of junior-varsity agency on national security matters. did not immediately offer a response to the ruling. The Trump administration imposed a series of sanctions on Huawei, claiming it could not be trusted not to spy for Beijing because Chinese law so compels it. says it is employee- not government-owned and denies it might facilitate Chinese spying. Huawei sued the FCC in late 2019 after the agency voted to bar rural carriers from using government subsidies to buy equipment from Huawei or its Chinese rival, ZTE Corp. At the time, the company called the decision based on politics, not security. It claimed the FCC was exceeding its authority by making national security judgments. Friday's decision was in line with a longstanding tradition of US courts not to second-guess government judgments about national security. Huawei's US sales plunged after a congressional panel warned in 2012 the company and ZTE were security risks and told carriers to avoid them. In May of 2019, the Trump administration tightened the noose by blocking access to US technology and components, including semiconductors and Google's popular mobile services. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Alphabet unit could face its biggest regulatory threat, with set to open a formal investigation into its lucrative digital advertising business before the end of the year, said people familiar with the matter. It would mark a new front by the EU competition enforcer against It has in the last decade fined the company more than 8 billion euros ($9.8 billion) for blocking rivals in online shopping, Android smartphones and online advertising. An EU probe would focus on Google's position vis-a-vis advertisers, publishers, intermediaries and rivals, one of the people said, indicating deeper scrutiny than the French antitrust agency's case concluded last week. made $147 billion in revenue from online ads last year, more than any other company in the world. Ads on its properties, including search, YouTube and Gmail, accounted for the bulk of sales and profits. About 16% of revenue came from its display or network business, in which other media companies use Google technology to sell ads on their website and apps. Both units are under fire. The U.S. Justice Department, joined by some states, sued Google last year for abusing its dominance in search ads. A group of states led by Texas in a later lawsuit focussed on anti-competitive behaviour on the network side of the house. France last week settled with Google for $268 million and various commitments over similar allegations related to the network business, and the unit also must work closely with Britain's competition regulator on upcoming software changes as part of a settlement reached days later. The Commission declined to comment. Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A new EU inquiry could end up targeting all of Google's ad empire. Market researcher eMarketer expects Google to control 27% of global online ad spending this year, including 57% for search ads and 10% of display. While the numbers may not look monopolistic at first blush, advertisers and rivals contend that Google's various software play a role in so many facets of the market that the company is impossible to avoid. They say Google takes advantage of the dependence buyers, sellers and intermediaries have on it to extract high fees from all sides and block rivals from fairly competing with it. In a questionnaire sent to Google rivals and third parties earlier this year and seen by Reuters, the EU watchdog asked if advertisers receive rebates when they use Google intermediaries which allow advertisers or media agencies to buy advertising inventory from many sources. The Commission should conclude ongoing cases before starting new ones, said Thomas Hoppner, a partner at law firm Hausfeld, and who advises several complainants against Google. "From the practitioner's point of view and from the industry's point of view, it appears equally important to bring investigations into local search and Google's job search to an end when other authorities have opened investigations into Google's adtech," he said. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee, additional reporting by Paresh Dave in San Francisco; editing by David Evans, Chizu Nomiyama and Louise Heavens) (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) TTK Prestige Ltd extended its e-commerce network to include its leading UK cookware brand Judge, which was launched in India in 2017. The brand is part of the TTK Prestige-owned Horwood Homeware company and is targeted at value-seeking customers, who are in the market for quality kitchen solutions at competitive price points. The Judge portfolio includes a vast array of products such as pressure cookers, cookware, gas stoves, bottles and flasks, mixer grinders, dinner sets as well as small appliances. Judge's new e-commerce site is , where consumers can find the entire collection for purchase. With a 100 year legacy in the UK, Judge's innovative products are renowned for their quality and craftsmanship. The brand offers consumers functionality and performance, with attractive price points ranging from Rs 225 up to Rs 7995. All products are backed by the after-sales network of TTK Prestige. "We are pleased to launch the e-commerce platform for Judge Kitchenware and Appliances. This is an opportune moment for us to accelerate the company's footprint by catering to a new segment of value-seeking consumers, who might be seeking lower price points. Now consumers across the country can avail of high quality and affordable products that can transform their kitchens and their cooking experience," said Chandru Kalro, Managing Director, TTK Prestige. The e-commerce platform has very attractive discounts and offers on almost all products ranging from 20 to 30 per cent. TTK Prestige Limited (www.ttkprestige.com) is part of TTK Group. Over the past six decades, TTK Prestige has emerged into India's largest kitchen Appliances Company catering to the needs of homemakers in the country. Every Prestige brand product is built on the pillars of safety, innovation, durability, and trust, making the brand the first choice in millions of homes. In April 2016, TTK Prestige launched 'Prestige Clean Home' a range of innovative home cleaning solutions. The company also launched Judge Brand in India in August 2017. This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) E-commerce giant Amazon reported 40 per cent year-on-year (YoY) growth in its fashion category in the financial year 2020-21. The firm stated that the fashion industry had "re-strategised" amid COVID-19 curfews and lockdowns that pushed customers towards ordering products online. Amazon added that 65 per cent of overall demand emerged from tier 2, 3, and 4 regions. "Fashion and beauty are among the largest categories for Amazon in India and also the fastest growing category in terms of acquiring new customers for Amazon India as one out of every three new customers starts her shopping journey with Amazon Fashion," Saurabh Srivastava, director and head, Amazon Fashion India, told Mint. Srivastava added that the fashion sector had to re-strategize amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. He stated that the future of fashion is expected to be more flexible. "From not restricting themselves to specific seasons to preferring comfort along with style and showing an inclination towards sustainable and eco-friendly fashion, consumers are making conscious changes to their shopping habits," Srivastava explained. Due to COVID-19 induced lockdown and other curbs, the apparel sector suffered significantly as stores were shut. Many retailers moved online in order to sell their stock. During the pandemic consumer demand also shifted as more and more people bought casual wear online. As a result of these factors, online sales increased greatly. Overall order volumes in the fashion category increased by 45% in FY21. This included orders across marketplaces as well as brand websites, according to a recent report on the online fashion market by Unicommerce. The report added that in the country's smaller cities, online shopping was gaining prominence. It further mentioned that 118% volume growth had come from tier-2 cities, 192% from tier-3 cities of India. Amazon has reported similar trends for the fashion category. The firm reported increased penetration and coverage of online shopping in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. "The top cities include Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Kanchipuram, Gurgaon, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, and Lucknow among others," said Srivastava. Also Read: Flipkart, Amazon challenge Karnataka HC order on antitrust probe Also Read: Karnataka HC rejects Amazon, Flipkart plea to quash antitrust investigation Infosys on Saturday said it is deeply concerned with the inconvenience caused by the technical glitches in the new income tax e-filing portal, and it is working to resolve all the issues at the earliest. The new portal was launched on June 7, with the I-T department as well as the government saying it was aimed at making compliance more taxpayer-friendly. However, users complained of technical issues while using the site from the very first day. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman herself had asked Infosys and its Chairman Nandan Nilekani to fix the technical glitches. On June 9, Infosys had said it expects the system to stabilise in the course of this week. Finance ministry officials will meet representatives of Infosys on June 22 to discuss issues and glitches on the portal as users continue to face inconvenience. "Infosys is working to resolve the concerns in the new income tax e-filing portal. For the last week, several of the technology glitches, which impacted the performance and stability, have been addressed. And as a result, we have observed lakhs of unique daily users in the portal," Infosys Chief Operating Officer Pravin Rao said at the 40th annual general meeting of the company. Also read: Infosys sees 12-14% revenue growth in FY22, gives margin guidance of 22-24% Responding to a query from a shareholder, Rao said close to one lakh income tax returns have been filed so far. He noted that as new functions are introduced on the "complex" platform, concerns related to filing forms, e-proceedings and other instances were observed. "Our project teams are working to resolve this to ensure a seamless experience for the users...We are deeply concerned with the initial inconvenience this new e-filing portal has caused to the users and are committed to resolving all issues at the earliest," he said. Rao added that the company looked forward to working closely with all stakeholders over the next few weeks to "ensure that all inputs and feedbacks are being reviewed and addressed towards the objective of delivering enhanced functionality and seamless end-user experience". In 2019, Infosys was awarded a contract to develop the next-generation income tax filing system to reduce processing time for returns from 63 days to one day and expedite refunds. Also read: North Korea food crisis: Bananas selling for Rs 3,300 per kg, coffee for over Rs 7,400 The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology told Twitter on Friday that the "law of the land is supreme" and not the company's policies. The panel, headed by Congress Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor, had summoned Twitter over concerns of misuse of the social media platform as well as the protection of citizens' rights. Twitter India's public policy manager Shagufta Kamran and legal counsel Ayushi Kapoor deposed before the Parliamentary committee amid the ongoing row between the Centre and the company over the new IT rules. The committee told Twitter India's officials that the company will have to abide by the government's rules. Also Read: Twitter reveals what's holding it back from complying with new IT rules In response, the officials told the panel that "we follow our own policies," which was strongly objected to by the committee members, who categorically told the Twitter India officials that the company is not above the law of the land. "We appreciate the opportunity to share our views before the Standing Committee on Information Technology. Twitter stands prepared to work with the Committee on the important work of safeguarding citizens' rights online, in line with our principles of transparency, freedom of expression, and privacy," a Twitter spokesperson said in a statement. The spokesperson added that the company will also continue to work alongside the Indian government as part of its shared commitment to serve and protect the public conversation. According to sources, members of the Parliamentary panel also asked Twitter why it should not be fined as it has been found "violating" the rules of the country. Earlier this month, the Centre had issued a notice to Twitter giving it one last chance to "immediately" comply with the new IT rules and warned that failure to adhere to the norms will lead to the platform losing exemption from liability under the IT Act. The government, earlier this week, slammed Twitter for deliberate defiance and failure to comply with the IT rules, which has led to the US giant losing its intermediary status in India and becoming liable for users posting any unlawful content. Twitter has allegedly not fully complied with the new rules, called Intermediary Guidelines, that mandate setting up a grievance redressal mechanism and appointing officers to coordinate with law enforcement. Also Read: 'Will comply with new IT rules, need more time': Twitter tells Centre The rules became effective from May 26 and Twitter, even after the expiry of the additional time, had not appointed the requisite officers, leading to it losing the ''safe harbour'' immunity. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on IT, chaired by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, had summoned Twitter officials over issues related to misuse of the platform and protection of citizens' rights. On Friday, members of the panel asked some tough and searching questions to Twitter India officials, but their answers lacked clarity and were ambiguous, sources said. The members strongly objected to the observation by Twitter India officials that its policy is on par with the rule of land and categorically told them "rule of land is supreme, not your policy," sources said. Twitter and the government have been at loggerheads over multiple instances in the past months, including during the farmers' protest and later when the microblogging platform tagged political posts of several leaders of the ruling party BJP as "manipulated media", triggering a sharp rebuke from the Centre. (With inputs from PTI.) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday greeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on his 51st birthday, praising his "selfless, untiring work to establish an egalitarian India." "Wishing my beloved brother @RahulGandhi on his birthday and I join others in praising his selfless, untiring work to establish an egalitarian India in every aspect," Stalin tweeted. "His commitment to the ethos of the Congress Party has been exemplary," the DMK President added. Wishing my beloved brother @RahulGandhi on his birthday and I join others in praising his selfless, untiring work to establish an egalitarian India in every aspect. His commitment to the ethos of the Congress Party has been exemplary. pic.twitter.com/nvjMkbYDVP M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) June 19, 2021 Also read: Rafale aircraft to be inducted into Indian Air Force by 2022: IAF Chief AirAsia Group Bhd's chief executive officer said the aviation industry could return to normal next year as international borders gradually reopened, state news agency Bernama reported on Saturday. Tony Fernandes also called for better government policies to avoid disruptions when travel resumed, and decisions on what would be required to open up borders, including documents needed to travel. "I think that will be sorted out by September or October when we allow interstate travel and some international flying," he was quoted saying in a webinar. Also read: Domestic air traffic 63% lower in May than April: DGCA Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray reviewed infrastructure projects that are key to transportation in metropolitan areas of the state including Mumbai and asked for their speedy completion. He also launched a book on the Mumbai Metropolitan Region's (MMR) regional plan which gives information about various projects and their utility. The current status of the Mumbai Trans Harbor Link (MTHL) and Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, and Nashik Metro projects was reviewed in detail at the meeting, said an official release. Also Read: Parliamentary panel directs Highways Ministry to wind up 888 delayed projects before announcing upcoming ones About 35 to 40 per cent of the MTHL project has been completed and efforts are being made to complete the remaining part by September 2023, it said. Thackeray also instructed officials to take precautionary measures to ensure that rainwater does not accumulate at metro project sites in the MMR. Backing the 12-16 weeks gap between the two doses of Covishield in India, the chief investigator of the AstraZeneca vaccine clinical trials on June 18 said that the level of protection provided by one dose of the preventive significantly increases in the second and third months after the jab. In an interview with The Wire, Professor Andrew Pollard said the immunization policy in Britain and India should not be compared because of the different circumstances in the two countries. "An immunization policy that aims to vaccinate the largest number of people in the quickest possible time with at least one dose makes sense in the present circumstances in India," Pollard, who is also the Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, said. The scientist noted that in India, the vast majority of the population is unvaccinated and, therefore, unprotected at a time when the Delta variant, first identified in the country, is "a widely spreading and increasing threat". India has administered a cumulative number of 26,89,60,399 (26.89 crore) Covid-19 vaccine doses so far. Pollard, who is also a professor of Paediatric Infection and Immunity at Oxford University in the UK noted that AstraZeneca is not working on a single-dose vaccine. "Two doses are needed. One may be good but the second is needed to boost protection," said the scientist. He also said that his group is not planning or working on a booster or a third jab, saying it may not be "necessary". Pollard said that in a situation of vaccine shortage it makes sense to ensure a measure of protection for the widest number of people rather than provide a better level of protection for a smaller number of people He explained this by saying that one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, known as Covishield in India, provides above 70 percent protection against serious illness and hospitalisation which has to be the main concern. "One should not be deterred or deflected by the fact that one dose provides only 30 percent protection against symptomatic illness," the scientist said, adding symptomatic illness usually means nothing more than a cold, cough, and fever, which most people can easily handle. He also noted that as more mutations and variants inevitably appear, symptomatic protection from vaccines is likely to diminish. "What we need to focus on is a high level of continuing protection against serious illness and hospitalisation," Pollard said. In India, the gap between two Covishield doses was four to six weeks, then increased to six to eight, and is now 12-16. Referring to the UK reducing its Covishield doses gap just as India increased its, Pollard said that Britain reduced the gap at a time when a substantial proportion of its population was already vaccinated. "In India, the converse is the case. The vast majority of people are unvaccinated and unprotected. Therefore, you need to ensure that as many as possible are protected against serious illness and hospitalisation, even if that means a large number will have lower levels of protection against symptomatic infection," the scientist explained. Pollard said another sensible reason for extending the gap in circumstances where the supply of vaccine is short is that the level of the protection provided by one dose of AstraZeneca significantly increases in the second and third months after the jab. AstraZeneca is an adenovirus vectored vaccine. Scientists have engineered a version of adenoviruses that infect chimpanzees to carry the gene responsible for the spike protein of the coronavirus, which the virus uses to enter and infect human cells. With 62,480 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India's total tally of Covid-19 cases rose to 2,97,62,793, while the death toll climbed to 3,83,490 with 1,587 fresh fatalities, the lowest in 61 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday. Also read: WHO working with AstraZeneca, SII, Indian govt to restart COVID-19 vaccine shipments Also read: India hopes to resume COVID-19 vaccine exports once domestic needs are met: Dr VK Paul Whats new: Australia is taking China to the global trade arbiter over anti-dumping duties on its wines. Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan said he had consulted with Australian winemakers, and will refer China to the World Trade Organization (WTO) for dispute resolution to vigorously defend their interests. Australias use of the WTO in this matter is consistent with its previous use of the WTO and aligns with our support for the rules-based trading system, Tehan said in a joint statement with Agriculture minister David Littleproud on Saturday. Australia remains open to engaging directly with China to resolve this issue, the statement said. The background: Beijing announced in March that it would impose tariffs of more than 200% on the countrys wines for five years, formalizing measures that had been in place for months amid an increasingly fraught relationship with Canberra. Levies of between 116.2% and 218.4% which came into effect on March 28 have priced many Australian brands out of the market. Duties on Treasury Wine Estates, Australias largest listed winemaker best known for its Penfolds brand, were set at 175.6%. The wine tariffs followed similar measures on other Australian goods such as barley, and have led many brands to seek out new markets beyond the Asian powerhouse. Quick Takes are condensed versions of China-related stories for fast news you can use. Related: China Sets Duties on Australian Wine for Five Years as Ties Sour Contact reporter Flynn Murphy (flynnmu@caixin.com) Download our app to receive breaking news alerts and read the news on the go. Get our weekly free Must-Read newsletter. Construction of the new Workers Stadium began last year, with the aim of creating a world-class soccer venue and restoring the Beijing landmark to its original appearance from the 1950s. The home of the Beijing Guoan soccer team has hosted a number of key events over its history and has been renovated three times since the 1990s Jul 02, 2021 07:44 PM Here you'll find our latest collection of Caledonian-Record reports on the coronavirus outbreak and local response, from the beginning of April. Our January, February and March stories are here: https://www.caledonianrecord.com/news/local/our-coronavirus-coverage/collection_5885178c-692e-11e Become A Subscriber A subscription opens up access to all our online content, including: our interactive E-Edition, a full archive of modern stories, exclusive and expanded online offerings, photo galleries from Caledonian-Record journalists, video reports from our media partners, extensive international, national and regional reporting by the Associated Press, and a wide variety of feature content. CAMEROUN :: Cameroon and the Anglophone problem: How to quench the erupting volcano? Lawyers-protestToday Cameroon should be attracting and reassuring investors in view of its emergence slated for 2035. But the country is rather facing poignant emergencies such as rampant corruption, massive youth unemployment, daunting insecurity with attacks by Boko Haram, etc. And worse still, it is the Anglophone problem that can throw the country into disarray. It is up to the State authorities and the elites, without any distinction of political leanings, to understand this crisis and work out appropriate solutions in full responsibility. This can only be achieved through a serene and honest dialogue with the real representatives of the angry but not desperate Anglophone community, whose obvious wish is to be considered and listened to, and not insulted or ignored as it has so far been the case. I - What exactly is the Anglophone problem? Maybe the average Francophone cannot fully grasp the problem with Anglophones. Only the one wearing tight shoes can feel the pinch, but the powers that be should understand it and stop turning a blind eye to the issue. The Anglophone problem is a set of demands formulated in various ways and on many occasions by Anglophones in Cameroon. These are identity and language claims that actually question the form of the State. Indeed in 1961, the Anglophones formed a two-state federation with the Francophones, but today Anglophones are merely two administrative regions out of ten. Their grievances should be received and examined, accepted or rejected, just like in any normal democratic setup. But Anglophones cannot simply be contemptuously turned away or ignored, accused of identifying themselves in relation to a foreign language, told that the malaise is national and not just Anglophone, or be brutalized by the police. Such responses from the State exacerbate tensions in a country where the right to protest is guaranteed. Anglophones are not just Cameroonians who speak English as their first official language, as opposed to those whose first official language is French. As Simo Bobda (2001) argues, being an Anglophone in Cameroon is a more ethnic, cultural and regional concept than a linguistic categorization. This definition excludes the Francophones who have long settled in the Anglophone area, even though they may possess economic assets or family ties there, as we analyzed in our book Fifty Years of Bilingualism in Cameroon - What Perspectives in Africa? (L'Harmattan, Paris, 2010). This approach also excludes Francophones with Anglo-Saxon education, and those who have studied in Anglophone schools in French-speaking Cameroon. In short, Anglophones in Cameroon do have a particular cultural identity, a limited geographical space and a specific sociopolitical history, even before being a linguistic community. With this clarification in mind, we can better and fully grasp the nature and the scope of the Anglophone problem, which is today causing riots and tensions in the South-West and in the North-West. II - A brief historical flashback When France and Great Britain took over from Germany in Cameroon from 1916, this created a Cameroonian Anglophone community living in 1/5 of the territory on the one hand, and a Francophone community living in 4/5 of the country on the other hand. The Anglophone minority was used to relative political and cultural autonomy during the British indirect rule colonization. But France applied a strict Jacobin type of centralism in the Francophone zone, coupled with linguistic and cultural assimilation, though Cameroon was not technically a French colony. One can therefore understand Anglophones' uneasiness within a highly centralized State, which the first Francophone president saw as the best way to achieve rapid development in peace and unity. After adopting French-English bilingualism based on biculturalism in 1961, reunited Cameroon became the meeting ground of French and English, two of the most prestigious languages in the world. Indeed, the new political dispensation allowed the country to take advantage of the great heritage of French (a beautiful language of Latin origin spoken by more than 400 million people worldwide, full of refinement, enriched and defended since 1539 by generations of writers and scholars, and present in more than 70 countries and territories). In addition, the country would benefit from the prestige of English (an international language spoken by one billion people around the world, which is dominant in strategic sectors such as communication, diplomacy, business, etc.). But the blessing of adopting English in Cameroon has seemingly become a curse, or at least has contributed in giving rise to the Anglophone problem. Why? Just because in the course of its implementation since 1961, Cameroon's bilingualism has run into a number of difficulties: the law of the majority has conferred a de facto preponderance on French, despite all relevant constitutional provisions; the promotion of bilingualism has remained minimal or just academic, instead of being systematically implemented through specific laws and regulations in each sector like in South Africa; bilingualism has become lopsided as it is not always supported by strict biculturalism. In the end, Anglophones cannot culturally enrich or impact the governing system in Cameroon, hence their feeling of being assimilated by the Francophones. In that respect, in 1964 in the Cameroon cultural review Abbia, Bernard Fonlon in an article entitled We Should Make or Mar, had the following complaint to make: "After Reunification, we now drive our cars on the right, the franc has replaced the pound as our currency, the academic year has been aligned with that of the Francophones, the metric system has replaced the British measurement units, but in vain have I have looked for a single institution brought back from Anglophone Cameroon. Anglophones' cultural influence is virtually nil ". Even when Anglophones are appointed to high positions in the administration, their cultural and linguistic specificities should be protected by relevant and binding laws and regulations. In his book entitled My Faith, a Cameroon to Refurbish (Veritas, Douala, 2010), Christian Cardinal Tumi writes: "The daily anguish of the Anglophone Prime Minister on certain issues, the repeated, chronic and open disregard for him from some members of the government just aggravate a situation which is already very embarrassing ". Official bilingualism cannot just be used to conceal or cover up the State's failures in other important aspects of national unity or harmony. III What are Anglophones' Worries? The main threat to the Anglophone sociological entity in Cameroon came on May 20, 1972: Ahmadou Ahidjo organized a referendum to put an end to the federal system that had been in place since 1961. Under that dispensation, the Anglophones constituted a federated state and were able to manage their own local and regional affairs without any interference from the Francophones. But of what significance are the Soviet-like results of a popular consultation organized in a context of tyranny and single-party politics? Ahidjo's political maneuver was just a trick to neutralize and better assimilate the Anglophones, with the overt and covert complicity of France. In that connection Christian Cardinal Tumi, still in his book quoted above, writes (on page 33) that a French diplomat in Rome had told him that France's policy in Cameroon was "to wipe out the Anglo-saxon culture of the Anglophone minority in Cameroon ". At any rate, since 1972 the Anglophones in Cameroon have been able to realize, with Ahidjo and even after him, the real meaning of the unitary State for them: adamant political marginalization, impossibility for them to head a number of key ministerial departments (Finance, Foreign Affairs, Territorial Administration, Education, Defense, etc.), Francophone administrative authorities in Anglophone areas, the absence of good roads linking the South-west to the North-West, the growing political divide between the two Anglophone regions, the dilution of the Anglophone cultural heritage, the non-respect of the Anglophone Prime Minister by some Francophone cabinet members, the publication of official texts mostly in French, etc. It was after realizing that huge trickery that John Ngu Foncha, who had led the Anglophones to the 1961 Reunification, opted to resign in 90s and demanded a return to federalism. With the return to a multiparty system in the 90s, Anglophone group unity began to crumble. Political opposition between their two regions was exacerbated. After the All Anglophone Conference (AAC) and the meeting of Anglophone teachers and parents in Buea in 1993, the two Anglophone regions remained politically divided. Worse still, through their elites and traditional rulers, they engaged a fierce competition for the State favors. The contention intensified in the 1990s after Achidi Achu (from the North-West) and Mafany Musonge (from the South-West) were alternately appointed prime ministers, from 1992 to 1996 for the former, and from 19996 to 2004 for the latter. They both proclaimed that politic na njangi, just a way to say that politics is a game of interest in which the ruling party gives favors only to the constituencies that have given them their votes. That mercantilist and non-democratic conception of power politics, which gave rise to unspeakable backstage maneuvers for appointment positions, was detrimental to the values that characterized Anglophones: restraint, hard work, moral probity, transparency, honesty, selflessness and dedication. And not surprisingly many Anglophones were subsequently seen indulging in fraud, the rigging of elections, the corruption of traditional rulers, the embezzlements of public funds, etc. Concerning the educational system, a serious threat to the Anglophone entity was the francophonization of technical and vocational education. Indeed, technical secondary schools in the English-speaking area have operated since 1972 like in the francophone zone, and their pupils had to write the same examinations such as the CAP, the technical Probatoire and the Bac, even after the GCE Board was created. Worse still, most technical education teachers were Francophones until the year 2009, when the first Higher Teachers' Training College for Technical Education was opened in Bambili in the North-West region. Moreover, since colonial times the Anglophones have always made it a point of honor to inculcate civic values to young children (good morality and citizenship, hard work, obedience, etc.). That was achieved through religion and moral education courses taught at all levels, in public schools as well as in secular and denominational institutions. These two subjects were officially disqualified in 1976 by presidential decree as criteria for admission to university or to employment in Cameroon. The Anglophones saw in that move a desire to radically francophonize their school subsystem. Following the creation of Anglo-Saxon universities after the massive failures of Anglophone students in the bilingual national universities, the Anglophones noted that Francophone lecturers were appointed to teach or to manage those Anglo-Saxon institutions. This could be seen as real attack on the Anglophones' specific cultural identity. A similar threat was the migration to the Anglophone areas of thousands of Francophone students attracted by the high quality of the Anglophone subsystem. Indeed, many Francophone students and their parents had discovered, after the inception of the GCE Board in 1993 and the admission of Cameroon to the Commonwealth in 1995, that Anglophone certificates could open up more doors worldwide than Francophone diplomas. As a result, France was no longer the first destination for serious undergraduate or post-graduate studies: Cameroonian students preferred to study in the US, Canada, the RSA, India, etc. And to get better prepared for that, the Anglophone subsystem was the ready answer. These new linguistic Anglophones, expected to increase in number as time goes by, can gradually turn the original ethnic Anglophones into a minority among all English-speaking Cameroonians. IV - The Responsibility of the State Such are the hard facts, as seen through Anglophones' eyes. What should the State do at this point in time? The difficulties faced by Anglophones are of identity, socio-political and linguistic in nature, with many psychological implications. Therefore the first measure towards solving the Anglophone problem is human and communicational: finding credible mediators who can really build the bridges and destroy the walls, in order to (re)establish dialogue between the concerned parties. Then the second step should be technical and scientific. The 1996 Constitution, by establishing a decentralized unitary State, has visibly failed to create the desired level of harmony in Cameroon. The persistence of the Anglophone malaise is clear evidence of that failure. The country needs a strong national unity combined with a real regional autonomy. That is the system at work in the US, in South Africa, in Germany, and even in neighboring Nigeria. It is called federalism. It allows democratically elected officials placed at different levels of hierarchical responsibility - local, regional and federal - to manage the country according to the rule of law, and with due respect for objectivity, fairness and accountability. But Cameroonian experts and constitutionalists could also invent for their country a form of federalism that is even more adapted. The government and the governed, to preserve the unity of the nation, must stop seeing anglophonization as a threat to some, and francophonization as death to others. Besides, the governed are sometimes ahead of the government: many Francophone families in Yaounde and Douala have anglophonized their children without getting the green light from the State. The future of Cameroon will be a judicious anglophonisation/francophonisation of a number of cultural elements that came to us either from France or from England. And if our national interest one day requires us to borrow some ways of doing things from Germany, China or Japan, shall we refuse that move just to keep our cherished Francophone or Anglophone identity? It is high time we changed our way of thinking, and started behaving as Cameroonians aware of building their future as Africans in a global context of rapid change. Indeed, as discussed in my recent book Time for Africa's Emergence? With Focus on Cameroon (USA, 2016), in this era of globalization, Africa's emergence will rely more on our geography than on our history. It is therefore up to us to strike the right balance between our identity and our aspirations that is between our roots and our wings. But it should be noted that federalism in Cameroon would be a boon not only to Anglophone regions, but also to many other regions whose elites have been sending memoranda for years to the central government. These regionalist claims clearly express the thirst of all Cameroonians for a better distribution of national wealth, a better conduct of local affairs, and a better management of regional peculiarities. Obviously each and every region would like to be part of a well-managed country where all the citizens, in harmony with one another, can develop their full potential through hard work, in strict respect of their individual as well as collective rights? Conclusion Today the urgency for the State in Cameroon, conscious of its obligations before History, should be to appease Anglophones while correcting or redressing any institutional dysfunctions to preserve or perfect our national unity. The Anglophone problem (or any other similar set of grievances) is actually a thermometer that reveals high temperature, the urgent need to reform our institutions to enhance our living together. In that respect, and by way of example, the educational system is a great tool for a sound homogenization of the rising generations without sacrificing natural regional diversity, and not a nursery where short-sighted politicians can sow the seeds of future hatred and discord. More importantly, what the Anglophone regions are asking for (that is more freedom, autonomy, political initiative, better local government, etc.) is also good for other regions in the country. In the final analysis, the Anglophone problem is the manifestation of the discomfort of a community aspiring to better living conditions, but it also reveals a need that can be found all over the country. Obviously 22 million Cameroonians cannot be governed today with the same reflexes, methods and institutions as in 1972, when the country had only 6 million inhabitants. remaining of Thank you for reading! This is your last free article before you will be asked to subscribe. Already have a paid subscription? Sign in Do you have an athlete in mind that contributes to the team or sport, holds sportsmanship and team spirit, has epic playmaker moments and/or in general makes the the sports fun? If yes, please make your nominations for our edition of Athlete Spotlight. CLICK TO NOMINATE Widespread angler Cole PIrrung took a dip in the water on Friday night as is customary for first-time billfish anglers. He reeled in a 656.5-pound blue marlin on day 5 to win the 63rd annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament. (Big Rock photo) This invasive species of sea squirt, C. oglonga, has been spreading across the North Carolina coast since 2015. (Kaytelyn Theuerkauf photo) Read all the news online FREE, for 30 days at no charge. After the trial period well bill your credit card just $6 per month. The charge will appear as "Country Media Inc." on your credit card statement. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription, or activate your access, to continue reading. This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact The Chanute Tribune office at 620-431-4100 if you have any questions I don't know who advised our President to basically give Vladimir Putin a road map as to which 16 critical infrastructure platforms not to cyber attack but that is a subject for another day. Cyber security is everyone's responsibility. Despite your long lost uncle's dalliance with a Nigerian princess, she's not going to send you $10 million even if you send her your bank account information, drivers license, PIN etc. Also, Walmart, Amazon, Target, et al will not randomly pick your email address and decide to send you a one hundred dollar gift card if you only enter you name, address, and age. Fedex will not send you an email about the laptop you ordered that they are trying to deliver to you (which you didn't order). Some basic safety tips: If something sounds too good to be true, it is. Never give out your personal information on a website that you are not sure of. Always check the sender's email address. You can do this by hovering your mouse over the sender's email address. If it's some bunch of random letters or not from the company that supposedly sent it, it's not real. Check for correct spelling and grammar in the email message. Not only can your personal information be stolen, leading to hackers getting your bank account info, you can also inadvertently infect your employer's computer network. Once the hackers have gained control of your computer (without you knowing it) and you decide to check your work email, they now have your username and password for your work account. From there, they can log in to your company's network and try to gain access. As the last few cyber attacks have taught us, higher gas prices and higher beef prices are only the tip of the iceberg. Utility companies are doing a fantastic job of protecting their network, but it just takes one person to hack into a utility and disable the power grid. Just think about all the things our society relies on electricity for. Kind of scary. Please be vigilant. The reliance that everyone has on computers can be a blessing, but it can also be a curse. Alan Janney The Chattanooga Audubon Society announced that it has received funding from the Maclellan Foundation for enhancements to Maclellan Island, which is one of its nature preserves located in the Tennessee River in downtown Chattanooga. Phase One funding includes: - Educational Signage Development - Composting toilet installation - Dock Repair - Bunkhouse Roof Repair (for group camping) - Trail improvement Phase Two funding includes: - Signage Production/Installation - Picnic Tables/Benches purchase and installation - Purchase of canoes and kayaks for guided tours and volunteer use - Continued trail improvement The Chattanooga Audubon Society (CAS) was established in 1944 and is the first land trust in Hamilton County. Maclellan Island was donated to the CAS in 1954 by Robert J. Maclellan and has been one of its protected sanctuary properties since that time. Maclellan Island is a unique, 18.8-acre nature sanctuary, situated in the middle of the Tennessee River. The island is home to a great diversity of plants, animals, and birds. Muskrats, geese and kingfishers can be seen feeding at the waters edge, while the forest is home to songbirds, turkeys, raccoons, owls, opossums, fox, woodpeckers, and more. Maclellan Island is also a place to quietly watch nesting osprey and great-blue heron as well as an important feeding area for migrating warblers. It is a place of serenity in the heart of Chattanooga. The Chattanooga Audubon Society is a non-profit recognized by the state of Tennessee. All donations are tax-deductible. Ina Gartens got lunch covered when it comes to hot summer days. The longtime Barefoot Contessa host has a number of no-cook recipes that are perfect for when temperatures rise and standing in front of the stove is the last place anyone wants to be. 1. Creamy Cucumber Salad Ina Garten | Mike Smith/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank RELATED: Barefoot Contessa: 4 Easy Ina Garten Salads for Barbecues This is a lighter lunch option from Garten. Her Creamy Cucumber Salad is a combination of sliced red onions, dressing, and of course, cucumbers. A Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics recipe, this dish really is back to basics. Its essentially chopped vegetables and dressing. It doesnt get much simpler than that. Per Food Network, Gartens instructions call for the onions and cucumbers to drain for at least four hours. So prep the salad in the morning and assemble it at lunch or get it started the night before. 2. Tuna and Hummus Sandwiches RELATED: Barefoot Contessa: The Hardest Year of Ina Gartens Life Led to Her Cookbooks This is a twist on the classic tuna sandwich. Inspired by a dish she had at a restaurant in Belgium, Garten made her own Tuna and Hummus Sandwiches on Barefoot Contessa. She described it as classic tuna ingredients with the volume turned up. What makes this sandwich a great lunch option is that it tastes better when its been made in advance. Everything tastes better if you make it a little ahead of time, Garten told viewers as she prepared the recipe in the barn where Barefoot Contessas filmed. To make the process even easier, skip making homemade hummus in the food processor like Garten does for this recipe and get store-bought. After all, Garten often says how store-bought is fine, right? 3. Herbed Goat Cheese Sandwiches This is another light lunch option for when temperatures rise. The Barefoot Contessas Herbed Goat Cheese Sandwiches have three elements. First, a creamy goat cheese spread that can be prepared using a standing mixer or a food processor. Second is thin slices of cucumber. Third, a loaf of hearty bread. Put them all together to get an easy lunch. 4. Greek Salad RELATED: Ina Gartens Easy Fresh Peach Cake Is the Perfect Way to Celebrate Peach Season This salad gives off major summer vibes. Have homegrown tomatoes and cucumbers? Use those instead of buying some from the store. Chop them up along with red onion and feta cheese. Make a vinaigrette, something Garten thinks everyone should know how to do, and toss everything together. Add olives then set the salad aside for 30 minutes so the flavors can blend. 5. Turkey Sandwiches with Brussels Sprouts Slaw This is a quick Barefoot Contessa lunch recipe from Cook Like a Pro. From start to finish its ready in approximately 15 minutes, according to Food Networks instructions. Use the food processor one of Gartens must-have kitchen gadgets to chop the Brussels sprouts. Prep time will be that much faster. Mix the sprouts with a mayonnaise-mustard dressing before putting them on ciabatta with sliced turkey. Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux from Below Deck Sailing Yacht broke his silence about the rumors that he could be the father of Dani Soares baby. Cerza-Lanaux said on Instagram he was not sure if the child was his, but if she was, he would want to be completely involved. And while Cerza-Lanaux is finally addressing the rumors, his castmates arent buying the remarks he is making on social media with chief engineer Colin Macrae telling Cerza-Lanaux to man up. Macrae commented on the thread: Dont play the innocent victim here JL. Man the f**k up. Below Deck Sailing Yacht cast photos of Dani Soares and Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux |Laurent Basset/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux wants to be involved if he is the father of Dani Soares baby Cerza-Lanauxs statement about Soares baby is his first after rumors dogged the deckhand for weeks. Theres a lot of gossip about my social media silence so I think its time to clear the air, he posted. While others are off chasing their 15 minutes of fame, I am working on a yacht in Central America and heartbroken to have to hear about the babys birth on social media and read headlines like Dani Soares Says Her Babys Father Doesnt Want Anything to Do With It All I can say is if its mine, I want to be involved 100%. As someone who grew up with parents who werent together, I wouldnt wish that on any child, he continued. Not looking for a pity party. Just want everyone to know how strongly I feel about this, especially the haters who are so sure I am neglecting my responsibility. No one wants to know more than me if this is my baby girl! This #BelowDeckSailing mid-season trailer has our blood pressure like Dont miss any of the drama every MONDAY at 9/8c! pic.twitter.com/ztUPDmrcps Bravo (@BravoTV) April 26, 2021 RELATED: Below Deck Sailing Yacht: Captain Glenn Compares the $20,000 Boat Crash to Having Your Brakes Fail The reunion trailer already teased that Soares shares that the babys father does not want anything to do with the child and that he does not believe the baby is his. However, Captain Glenn Shephard addressed the question when asked during a Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen appearance and said the math checked out and that he believed the baby was Cerza-Lanauxs. Dani Soares said she planned to raise her child alone In addition to Macrae, Alli Dore commented on Cerza-Lanauxs post. No one is stopping you from getting a paternity test, she wrote. Chef Natasha de Bourg added, Im sorry JL but sounds like a pity party to me . Why didnt you reach out 9 months ago ??? No woman deserves to be treated the way you treated Danny. Soares said she was prepared to raise the child alone with support from coworkers and friends in Australia. That's a wrap on Monday! Celebrate with a NEW #BelowDeckSailing TONIGHT! pic.twitter.com/4eZNQIoLR0 Bravo (@BravoTV) May 11, 2021 RELATED: Captain Glenn Reveals Why Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 2 Was Better Than Season 1 I dont have my family here, unfortunately, Soares said. I couldnt bring my mom because of COVID. And thats really sad because obviously you really want your mom there, she told Showbiz Cheat Sheet before her daughter Lilly was born. But the place I work at now, people are so amazing, she added. My coworkers are being so supportive. I only work with women and theyre just like, Were here for you and well babysit, well take care of you. And Im like Oh my God, you guys are amazing. Former Below Deck Mediterranean chief stew Hannah Ferrier said she planned to stop by Soares house to give her support and hopefully a break. With the news that Dexter is coming back to Showtime, many are wondering what to expect from the series. The crime drama ended its seven-year run in 2013 with Dexter Morgan banishing himself to Oregon and starting over as a lumberjack. But based on reports, thats not where Dexter Season 9 is picking up. In an interview, actor Luna Lauren Velez was asked for her thoughts on the revival series, which was first announced in October 2020. Velez, who appeared on the show as Maria LaGuerta, a police captain who died in pursuit of Dexter, said shes not sure of whatll happen, but she does have an interesting idea for the reboot. Luna Lauren Velez on the red carpet at an event in June 2019 in New York City | Lars Niki/Getty Images for The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Luna Lauren Velez talks the Dexter revival Speaking to the website Comic Book Movie, Velez said that shes really excited about the Dexter reboot, but mainly for the fans, as many were left disappointed by the series finale. I think the last season left a lot of people hungry for a better resolution, she said. Its great that theyre bringing it back. People really want to see something that feels more satisfying for them in terms of what becomes of Dexter. Im not sure everyones okay with the serial killer just getting away with it. I have no idea what happens, but I hope it will be fulfilling. Thats all I can say. When the interviewer commented on how cool it would be for LaGuerta to become a ghost that haunts Dexter, Velez replied, saying: I need to see all of his foes come back. Its a very interesting thing to me that all the women in the show were killed. Rita, Maria, Debsall the women died. I think they need to come back and ask him some questions. Wouldnt that be awesome? While plenty of people would probably say yes to that, it, unfortunately, looks like Michael C. Hall (Dexter Morgan) is the only returning cast member. RELATED: Dexter: Everything the Original Cast Members Have Said About the Revival The next season of Dexter will have an all-new look The revival will pick up on Dexters life a decade after the events in the series finale. Teasing details, Hall previously told the website Louder Than War that Dexter is living a completely recontextualized life. As far as what I can reveal about the new show is, I dont want to say much, other than as you can imagine given where we left him his life is completely recontextualized, he explained. Hes in a different place leading a different life surrounded by different people. That place has since been revealed to be the fictional Iron Lake, New York, where Dexter has assumed the alias Jim Lindsay, a sales associate at a local shop. In Iron Lake, hell find an enemy in community man Kurt Caldwell, who will be played by Clancy Brown. Powerful, generous, loved by everyone hes a true man of the people. If hes got your back, consider yourself blessed. But should you cross Kurt, or hurt anyone that he cares for, God help you, Kurt Caldwells character description reportedly says. RELATED: Dexter Showrunner Hints at Why He Moved From Oregon to New York When does Dexter return? So far, theres no official release date for the revival, which has been taping for months in different parts of Massachusetts. But it is expected to come out sometime in the fall of 2021. The reboot has been described as a 10-episode limited series, but Hall has said it could continue beyond that. Im reluctant to say definitely, you know? he told NME when asked if the show will definitely conclude after those 10 episodes. Lets see. Whats plain now is that theres 10 new episodes. The F9 trailer blew Fast and the Furious fans minds when Sung Kang showed up. Kang played Han in four movies from Tokyo Drift through Furious 6. Fans thought theyd neve see Han again, and for good reason. Now, Kang and director Justin Lin reveal exactly why they brought Han back. [Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for previous Fast and the Furious movies.] L-R: Sung Kang and Vin Diesel | Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures Lin and Kang spoke at a F9 press conference on June 12. Youll see how F9 explains Hans return when it opens June 25, but Lin and Kang explained their reasons for even attempting that explanation. Why fans wanted #Justice4Han since Furious 6 Han died in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. Fans knew it was coming ever since Fast & Furious decided to be a prequel and show Han riding with Dom (Vin Diesel)s crew. But, when Furious 6 revealed that Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) killed Han, fans demanded justice. Especially when Deckard became a hero in The Fate of the Furious, fans tweeting #Justice4Han couldnt just excuse the murder. L-R: Sung Kang and Tyrese Gibson | Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures RELATED: F9: Fast and the Furious Is Ready for Bollywood, According to Han Actor Sung Kang I think the #Justice4Han movement from the fans, I give them 100% credit, Lin said. When I was away, I heard about this movement and when I asked about it, I was equally baffled and probably a little upset that one of our most beloved characters was being treated, or even just dismissed. I look back now and I actually feel very fortunate because if there was never that movement or any of that, I dont think I was going to bring him back. For it all to happen, I give the fans passion and vocal support all the credit. Sung Kang also thanks the fans for bringing Han back in F9 At the time of Furious 6, Kang thought he was finished with The Fast and the Furious. Hed had a good run of four movies. After we did 6 we closed the book on the journey and said this was a wonderful experience, wonderful ride, Kang said. We got to make all these movies together and live our Hollywood dream together. We were happy. There was no plan to leave room for Han to survive in Furious 6. But, when the fans demanded #Justice4Han, and Lin returned to direct F9, it all fell into place. l-R: Jordana Brewster, Anna Sawai and Sung Kang | Universal Pictures RELATED: F9 Star Jordana Brewster Says 1 Character Was Cut Out of the Latest Fast and the Furious Movie When the opportunity came for Justin to come back and you see all this fervor over #Justice4Han and the love for that character, I think just the stars aligned, Kang said. It was perfect timing. Everything worked out. A lot of it was out of our control. It just seemed like the world needed Han back if you will. F9 costars wanted Han back too The Fast and the Furious crew adds new members with each sequel, but they were sad to see Kang go. Ludacris said he was following #Justice4Han and happy to welcome Kang back. My thoughts on the #Justice4Han movement, I absolutely loved it, Ludacris said. We all missed Sung so much and his character coming back just fills that gap that needed to be filled to feel complete. I just think that he brings so much great not only intellect but hes very, very strategic, his character, in everything that he does. He kind of sits back and hes quiet, but hes cool, calm and collected but when its time for action, he springs to life. Thats what I love about his character. Ludacris found out before the fans did. We had to keep it such a secret, Ludacris said. It was so much of a secret he couldnt even come out of his trailer while we were shooting because they didnt want paparazzi to catch him and for the secret to get out. All of that, marketing and promotion we did was absolutely great. Galavant stars Mallory Jansen and Joshua Sasse are reuniting. The pair star in the new Hallmark Channel movie Her Pen Pal, about a wedding planner who reconnects with her childhood pen pal during a trip to Paris. It airs June 19 as part of the networks Summer Nights programming event. Her Pen Pal was filmed in France RELATED: Emily in Paris Season 2: Why Emily Isnt in Paris Anymore In Her Pen Pal, Jansen plays an elite wedding planner named Victoria with a tight-knit circle of friends. Victorias best friend is planning a destination wedding in Paris, and Victoria is looking forward to being the maid of honor. But things get a little uncomfortable when Victorias ex, who is also the best man, announces hes planning on bringing a date to the wedding. Shocked and hurt by her exs move, Victoria ends up reconnecting with Jacques (Sasse), her pen pal from her childhood. As Jacques and Victoria explore the City of Lights together, its clear that the pairs childhood crush is turning into something more meaningful. Naturally, Her Pen Pal was filmed in Paris, France, and the movies trailer featuring shots of the Eiffel Tower and the Seine. Paris is always a good idea, Jansens character says in the preview. Joshua Sasse and Mallory Jansen in Her Pen Pal | 2021 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Kim de Souzy On Instagram in early May, Jansen shared several photos of the cast and crew hard at work on the movie in France, including a shot of herself in front of the Eiffel Tower and a group shot in front of the Arc de Triomphe. Sasse also shared a behind-the-scenes look at the movie on his Instagram, posting a black-and-white photo of himself and Jansen in front of the famous arch. This photo perfectly encapsulates my experience on Her Pen Pal. Nothing but joy, joy, joy. Thank you to everyone that worked on [this] beautiful production, he wrote. Joshua Sasse talks about reuniting with his Galavant co-star Joshua Sasse in Her Pen Pal | 2021 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Kim de Souzy In another Instagram post, Sasse reflected on getting the chance to reunite with his Galavant co-star Jansen. (The show aired for two seasons from 2015 to 2016.) [F]or all those @galavantabc fans out there I think youre in for a treat with this one, what a blessing to work with you again my dear @mallory_jansen I couldnt have imagined filming in Paris with anyone else. What a dream, he wrote. In the ABC series Galavant, Sasse played the title character, a knight who was in love with Jansens Queen Madalena. The shows loyal fans were thrilled to learn the two would be reuniting in the new Hallmark movie, with many sharing their excitement in comments on Sasses Instagram posts. Yes! Gal and Madalena back together, one wrote. Love it! Her Pen Pal airs Saturday, June 19 at 9 p.m. ET on Hallmark Channel. Check out Showbiz Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Game of Thrones stars Kit Harington and Rose Leslie will soon be celebrating their third wedding anniversary. The couple tied the knot in June 2018 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in front of family and friends. The actual venue for the ceremony was reminiscent of Winterfell, as it was a real-life Scottish castle. Game of Thrones stars Kit Harington and Rose Leslie on their wedding day | Mark Milan/GC Images Kit Harington and Rose Leslie met while working together on Game of Thrones Harington (Jon Snow) and Leslie (Ygritte) first met on the set of Game of Thrones back in 2012. They proceeded to spend a lot of time together both on and offscreen because their characters were each others love interests. They didnt go public with their relationship until 2016. But when they did, Harington admitted that Game of Thrones did much more than launch his acting career. It gave me my future family and my life from here on in, he said in the press room at the 2018 Emmy Awards, according to People Magazine. Thats the main thing it did for me, and its changed it completely. Kit Harington and Rose Leslies engagement announcement didnt include social media Both Harington and Leslie are extremely private, and neither one has any social media accounts. Instead of announcing their engagement on Instagram, the couple actually revealed the news in their local paper. The engagement is announced between Kit, younger son of David and Deborah Harington of Worcestershire, and Rose, middle daughter of Sebastian and Candy Leslie of Aberdeenshire, the announcement read, according to the BBC. Harington and Leslie became husband and wife on June 23, 2018. They married at the Kirkton of Rayne Church at Wardhill Castle. Several of their Game of Thrones co-stars in attendance. Rose Leslies family has owned a castle for generations According to Architecture Digest, the Leslies have owned Wardhill Castle for nine centuries. The familys castle was constructed in the 1100s, and the stone-covered construction is decorated with towers and turrets, just like Eddard Starks Winterfell. The 700-acre estate features views of the Bennachie hills, and the castle itself has eight bedrooms (four are en suite). Theres also a rustic one-bedroom cabin on the property. RELATED: Rose Leslie Kicked Kit Harington Out of Their Home For 1 Reason That Game of Thrones Fans Can Totally Relate To The historic items in the castle include a bed from the Queen of Spain, curtains from the Paris Embassy, and centuries-old trunks. The iconic estate is available to rent for weddings and other events, at the cost of 2,500 per night. Rose is closely connected to royalty Of the dozens of Game of Thrones cast members, Leslie is actually the one who is closest to actual royalty. She was raised in Lickleyhead Castle in Aberdeenshire because her father is the Aberdeenshire Chieftain of Clan Leslie. Outlander fans might be interested to find out that Leslies mother also has noble ties because she comes from Clan Fraser. The actor whose full name is Rose Eleanor Arbuthnot-Leslie is connected to Charles II. Her maternal great-great-grandfather was Simon Fraser, 13th Lord Lovat, and descendant of Charles II of Scotland and England. Will Kit Harington and Rose Leslie ever work together again now that they are married? Even though Harington and Leslie met on the set of Game of Thrones, he says that hes not sure they could ever work together again. Now that they are married, Harington says its not easy to act alongside his wife. I think almost the worst thing about falling in love with Rose and marrying her is that its going to be very hard to work with her again, he told InStyle. Working opposite her was one of the highlights of my life and career. I dont know when, if ever, Im going to get to do that again, because were married now, and its hard to work opposite your wife. All eight seasons of Game of Thrones are available on HBO Max. Erin Corwin disappeared in 2014. On a June morning, the 19-year-old military wife left home, telling her husband she planned to explore hiking trails near Joshua Tree National Park. Two months later, her body was discovered in an abandoned mine shaft. The story of who killed Erin and why is explored in Lifetimes latest ripped from the headlines movie, Secrets of a Marines Wife. Secrets of a Marines Wife is based on a real crime Erin was just 18 when she married Jon Corwin, a Marine. Soon after, the couple moved from Tennessee to California, where Jon was stationed at the Marine Corps base in Twentynine Palms. Erin got pregnant but had a miscarriage. In the aftermath, trouble emerged in her relationship with Jon and Erin began a relationship with Chris Lee, another Marine. When Chriss wife discovered text messages between him and Erin, she exposed the affair, according to Shanna Hogans book Secrets of a Marines Wife (via the New York Post). But Chris and Erin didnt stop seeing each other. When Erin vanished, police initially looked at both her husband and the man with whom she was having an affair. But before long, their suspicions settled on one man: Chris Lee Chris Lee killed Erin Corwin Chris Lee during his trial for the murder of Erin Corwin in 2016 |John Valenzuela/MediaNews Group/The Sun via Getty Images During the course of their investigation, police had learned that Chris had been scoping out old mines in the desert in the week before Erin disappeared (via CBS News). That, combined with evidence of the affair and the knowledge that Erin was pregnant with his baby, led them to suspect he was involved in her disappearance. After an exhaustive, two-month search, Erins body was finally found in an abandoned mineshaft in a remote area of the desert. She had been strangled. Police moved to arrest Chris, only to discover hed fled to Alaska, where he was eventually apprehended. During his trial, Chris argued that he had killed Erin because he believed she was molesting his 6-year-old daughter. (There is no evidence Erin had abused Chris child, and Lees allegations are not mentioned in the movie.) Im no longer scared to tell the truth, Lee said during his trial, the Desert Sun reported. People have to know what I did. I made the decision to kill her, Lee also testified. I was controlled by the anger. The hate I felt that day, it was something I never want to experience again. Chris Lee was found guilty of Erins murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Secrets of a Marines Wife star Sadie Calvano says the movie is a story of complex relationships Sadie Calvano plays Erin in Secrets of a Marines Wife. In an interview with MediaVillage, she stressed that the story in the Lifetime movie wasnt one that questions Erins sexual choices. This isnt a story that talks about how because she had an affair, she got murdered, the actor said. This is a story about complex relationships; about a young girl who was looking for love and connection and was going through a really tough time in her life and was looking for support. I really hope people can see the story of love and seeking, can fall in love with her, and wonder. Secrets of a Marines Wife airs Saturday, June 19 at 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime. RELATED: Gone Mom on Lifetime: Who Was Jennifer Dulos and What Happened to Her Husband? Check out Showbiz Cheat Sheet on Facebook! The Handmaids Tale is a hit show based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood. The show has a dystopian tone and the intriguing plotline of a religious autocracy overtaking the United States, and this oppressive government views women as second-class citizens. Anyone who tries to escape it will face horrible punishments, like the main character June (played by Elisabeth Moss). After getting captured, June is forced to be a handmaid, one who carries children for higher-class individuals who do not have children of their own. Sounds pretty dark, right? Thats only the beginning. Learn more about a potential storyline within the fourth season, involving Junes daughter Hannah below. A recap on the Hannah situation During the sixth episode of season four, Junes old friend Moira (Samira Wiley) came to her rescue while she was stuck in a desolate Chicago. The pair agreed to work to rescue Hannah from Canada, before June later learns from Nick that Hannah is in Colorado Springs. The last two encounters June had with her daughter, Hannah was frightened when she saw June. At one point, June sees Hannah in an abandoned mansion, and Hannah runs and hides behind a guard, Martha. Hannah eventually warms up to her, and June is able to express the love she has for the girl. Later in the series, Hannah is kept in a glass cage with nothing but a doll for company. Hannah seems used to the Aunts and the Guardians, but she recoils in fear when she sees June. Nick, a love interest, also gives June photos of Hannah, all of which show the young girl looking happy and smiling. Eery foreshadowing alludes to Hannahs brainwashing Along with Hannahs fear of June, there is also a storyline of a young boy who grew up under Gilead before being relocated to Canada. Evidently, the boy had trouble adjusting and wanted to go back to Gilead despite the new freedoms he had in Canada. Both plot points seem to foreshadow that Hannah may not want to be rescued or leave Gilead, which ties into an interesting tidbit of information provided by the showrunner of The Handmaids Tale, Bruce Miller. According to Express, Miller seems to be contemplating another series based on Atwoods other book, The Testaments. Miller states that, I hope that The Handmaids Tale, when its done, you can buy the DVD and put it next to the book and its a good companion piece. He continues on to express hopes that The Testaments would be the same, a companion piece that is heavily based on the book, but explores some aspects of the story that werent fully fleshed out. According to Time,The Testaments is partially narrated by Agnes, which is the name Hannah is later given in Gilead. This would mean that if The Testaments were created in a way that is accurate to the book, Hannah would have to stay in Gilead. This could either be because June is unable to get her back, or because Hannah chooses to stay in Gilead, thanks to the extensive brainwashing of the regime. Where the story may go from here Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Samira Wiley, Madeline Brewer, Bradley Whitford and Mike Barker | Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Hulu Its hard to say what the writers have up their sleeves for the series involving Hannah, though many fans are hoping to see June and Hannah reunited before the shows conclusion. The Handmaids Tale is notoriously ruthless and dark, and although some may cross their fingers in hopes of the mother-daughter pair being together again, it may seem too good to be true to fit with the rest of the shows themes. Only time will tell what happens to Hannah, June, and the rest of the compelling characters from The Handmaids Tale. You can stream all the episodes of the show on Hulu RELATED: The Handmaids Tale: Why Nick Did Not Tell June About His Marriage A private family graveside service will be held for Wayne Robnett at the Marlow Cemetery in Marlow, OK. Wayne passed away on June 18, 2021 at the age of 83 in his home in Chickasha, Oklahoma with his family at his side after battling cancer. Wayne was born on June 4, 1938 in Oklahoma City, O Bible withdrawn from UK auction after Ethiopia demands its return Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment An auction house in the U.K. has withdrawn a leather-bound Coptic Bible from auction after the Ethiopian embassy in London identified it as one of the artifacts looted by British forces from the Ethiopian empires fortress at Magdala during the colonial era and requested its repatriation. The Ethiopian embassy said it has reached an agreement with Busby Auctioneers and Valuers in Dorset after making a formal request to the auction house for the withdrawal of the items from auction with a view to facilitating their eventual repatriation to Ethiopia. These items are of immense cultural, spiritual, and historical value to Ethiopians, Deputy Head of Mission Beyene Gebremeskel said in a statement. Current and future generations of Ethiopians are deserving of the restitution of their cultural heritage, so we very much look forward to returning these precious items to Ethiopia in due course. The Ethiopian Bible on vellum housed in a sewn leather satchel, together with an Ethiopian cross and a set of graduated horn beakers, had been scheduled to go to auction on Thursday. The two articles were collectively estimated to be worth around $950, according to The Telegraph. Its a well-established fact that British soldiers engaged in indiscriminate looting of both the Fortress of Maqdala and the surrounding areas after the 1868 Battle of Magdala, the embassy said, adding that the items are from the estate of Major-General William Arbuthnot, a serving member of the late 19th century British expedition to Abyssinia, which culminated in the battle of Maqdala. Magdala was the mountain capital of Emperor Tewodros II in what was then known as Abyssinia. In a letter to Busby, the embassy said that the Ethiopian government views the auctioning of these items as at best, unethical and, at worst, the continuation of a cycle of dispossession perpetrated by those who would seek to benefit from the spoils of war. It added that Ethiopias position remains unequivocally clear the looting of Maqdala was a great injustice of the 19th century and persists as a scar on the, otherwise, warm and friendly relations between the peoples of Ethiopia and the United Kingdom. It is our belief, the letter continued, that all Magdala objects must find their way home to bring closure to generations of Ethiopians dispossessed of their heritage and aggrieved by this painful chapter in our shared history. The Guardian quoted a spokesperson from Busby as saying that the matter had been resolved with the vendor and the embassy in London. The Ethiopian embassy and the private seller are in talks to decide how the artifacts will be returned to Ethiopia. Catholic bishops to move ahead with drafting document on worthiness to receive communion Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Catholic bishops have voted to approve the continued drafting of a controversial document that would advise Catholic politicians who support abortion to refrain from taking communion. As expected, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops discussed the document at its general assembly meeting this week, which took place virtually. Discussion on the proposed document took place Thursday and the vote tally on the question of whether the body of bishop[s] approve the request of the Committee on Doctrine to proceed with the drafting of a formal statement on the meaning of the Eucharist in the life of the Church was reported Friday. An overwhelming majority of the bishops (168) voted in favor of proceeding with the draft document, while 55 voted against proceeding. Six bishops abstained from the vote. Now that the document has been approved, bishops will continue working on the document, which will be presented to the public at a later date. While the document will provide guidelines for the reception of communion, it will leave decisions on withholding Communion up to individual bishops. While the vote was expected to pass, the number of dissenting votes was smaller than expected. Last month, more than 60 bishops wrote a letter to Archbishop Jose Gomez calling for the delay of the debate over whether pro-abortion Catholic politicians should receive communion, citing concerns that implementing a national policy on the matter would pose a threat to the unity of the Church. The news of the vote comes just two days after the pro-life group Students for Life Action held Fight for Life & Faith rallies outside cathedrals in seven cities to urge Catholic bishops to approve the drafting of the document. At the rally in Washington, D.C., Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins accused Catholic Church leadership of sending mixed messages about abortion by failing to implement an explicit policy barring pro-abortion Catholic politicians from receiving communion. According to Hawkins, allowing pro-abortion Catholic politicians to receive communion suggests that our Church must not really mean it when we talk about abortion. Maintaining that supporting the murder of innocent children is incompatible with the faithful practice of Catholicism, she called on Church leaders to act like it by supporting the document. Supporters of withholding communion from pro-abortion Catholic politicians, both inside and outside the Church hierarchy, point to the Churchs Code of Canon Law as the justification for their position. The Code of Canon Law states that those who are obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to Holy Communion. A 2004 letter from then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who served as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of the Catholic Church at the time, explained to U.S. bishops that the Church teaches that abortion or euthanasia is a grave sin. He quoted from the Encyclical Letter Evangelium vitae, which states: In the case of an intrinsically unjust law, such as a law permitting abortion or euthanasia, it is therefore never licit to obey it or to take part in a propaganda campaign in favor of such a law or vote in favor of it. Meanwhile, Bishop Robert McElroy, an opponent of withholding communion from pro-abortion Catholic politicians, contends that depriving political leaders of Eucharist based on their public policy stance amounts to a weaponization of [the] eucharist. The debate over whether pro-abortion Catholic politicians should receive communion has intensified following the election of President Joe Biden, a pro-abortion Catholic who attends mass regularly. As he campaigned for president ahead of the 2020 presidential election, a priest in South Carolina refused to serve Biden communion due to his abortion advocacy. On the other hand, Cardinal Wilton Gregory, who serves as Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, said that he would not deny Biden communion because of his support for abortion. Gregory was one of two bishops that Students for Life of America sought to rally & encourage at Fight for Life & Faith rallies because they have been working to stall and stifle efforts by their fellows to address the scandal. June 17th Victory for religious freedom at the Supreme Court Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Yesterday, June 17, 2021, is a day that should be celebrated and cherished by lovers of religious freedom and defenders of traditional religious values across this nation and beyond. In a unanimous 9-0 decision, the US. Supreme Court ruled decidedly in favor of what had been traditional understandings of the religious free exercise clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia. There are several important aspects of this decision that are very encouraging to those who cherish religious freedom. First, the decision was unanimous (9-0). Given the fractious nature of this Court, particularly on issues involving the LGBTQ community, this fact alone signals a significant Court shift on this issue. Second, the fact that the unanimous opinion was written by the Courts Chief Justice, John Roberts, adds to the signaled significance of this opinion given the Chief Justices perceived reticence in recent years to take decisive and bold action on such contentious culture war issues. Third, the decision amplifies the fact that elections have consequences. If Hillary Clinton had won the 2016 presidential election, Justices Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett would not be Supreme Court Justices and a President Clinton would have appointed justices who would have ruled in a very different fashion and would have exercised a gravitational pull on the more liberal justices: Kagan, Breyer, and Sotomayor. Instead, we have a unanimous decision affirming the free exercise of religious rights of Americans and refuting the drumbeat of articles in law school journals and other venues over the last two decades. The argument was that when LGBTQ rights conflict with traditional religious beliefs, religious free exercise rights must always give way as if every issue was, and is, a zero sum game where one side must win and the other side must lose. Many of those defending exceptions that respect genuine religious convictions (including myself) have argued that this is not the case and that the rights of the LGBTQ community could be recognized while still respecting the religious convictions of their fellow citizens. The Fulton decision proves the zero sum belief of complete winners and complete losers was fallacious. John Roberts, the Chief Justice, writes in his unanimous opinion that the City has burdened the religious exercise of CSS through policies that do not meet the requirement of being neutral and generally applicable. The Chief Justice then notes significantly that the decision prohibits no one from serving children, but rather simply ends a state discrimination against those with deeply held religious convictions. Roberts is arguing here that both the LGBTQ and Catholic Social Services (CSS) community can be accommodated and more needy children can be served. What a civilized and civil solution. As the Chief Justice also noted, CSS seeks only an accommodation that will allow it to continue serving the children of Philadelphia in a manner consistent with its religious beliefs; it does not seek to impose those beliefs on anyone else. One could only wish that the LGBTQ community were as tolerant and as accommodating of their fellow citizens as Catholic Social Services has demonstrated itself to be. This is indeed a day and a decision to greatly encourage those who love and believe in freedom of conscience from government coercion in matters of religion. How big a victory is it? Given the recent history of this issue, it was a huge, perhaps game-changing victory. If this signals a sea change in Supreme Court thinking, enabled and energized by the Trump Triumvirate (Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett) of Justices, then it very well may signal a decision as significant as Brown v. Board of Education, 1954, (good) or Roe v. Wade, 1973, (bad). At the very least, it signals that momentum has changed jerseys and the wind is at freedoms (and civilitys) back. I pray that is so. *For those readers expecting the second part of my column on Critical Race Theory (CRT), I have postponed that column until next week in order to address this very important strategic victory at the Supreme Court for defenders of religious liberty and soul freedom. Juneteenth becomes 12th federal holiday Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Juneteenth, the celebration of the anniversary of when slavery was officially abolished in the United States, has become a federal holiday through strong bipartisan support. President Joe Biden signed the law on Thursday, making Juneteenth, which honors the date when Union troops read aloud the Emancipation Proclamation to slaves in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, the newest federal holiday. In remarks made Thursday at the signing of the "Juneteenth National Independence Day Act," Biden said the holiday marks both the long, hard night of slavery and subjugation and a promise of a brighter morning to come. You know, today, we consecrate Juneteenth for what it ought to be, what it must be: a national holiday, the president added, noting that it was the first new national holiday since the creation of Martin Luther King Holiday nearly four decades ago. Im especially pleased that we showed the nation that we can come together as Democrats and Republicans to commemorate this day with the overwhelming bipartisan support of the Congress. I hope this is the beginning of a change in the way we deal with one another. Biden added that with Juneteenth being a federal holiday, all Americans can feel the power of this day, and learn from our history, and celebrate progress, and grapple with the distance weve come but the distance we have to travel. The truth is, its not simply not enough just to commemorate Juneteenth. After all, the emancipation of enslaved black Americans didnt mark the end of Americas work to deliver on the promise of equality; it only marked the beginning, he continued. To honor the true meaning of Juneteenth, we have to continue toward that promise because weve not gotten there yet. Also known as Freedom Day or Jubilee Day, Juneteenth is considered the longest-running celebration for an African American-centered holiday, having been first observed in 1866. Texas made the observance a state holiday in 1980, with calls for it to be made into a federal holiday gaining strength over the past year. When the Act to make Juneteenth into a holiday was brought before Congress, only 14 members of the House of Representatives all Republicans voted against the bill. Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas, one of the 14 who voted against the bill, explained to USA Today that he felt there were enough federal holidays right now and thus did not see the reason in doing it. Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., released a statement in which he said that the Juneteenth Act was an effort by the Left to create a day out of whole cloth to celebrate identity politics as part of its larger efforts to make critical race theory the reigning ideology of our country. Since I believe in treating everyone equally, regardless of race, and that we should be focused on what unites us rather than our differences, I will vote no, stated Rosendale. Tigray women forced to choose between rape or death Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Dozens of African and African-origin women observed the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict on Saturday by speaking out against an ongoing campaign of sexual violence that's at a level of cruelty beyond comprehension in the war-torn and predominantly Christian region of Tigray in northern Ethiopia. Fifty-six women from Africa or of African descent wrote an open letter and launched a petition to be delivered to the U.N. Security Council, the African Union and the European Council calling for urgent action. It is estimated that 30% of all incidents against civilians involved sexual violence used as a weapon of war, as a means to humiliate, terrorize and traumatize an entire population today and into the next generation, according to a study quoted in a report by the U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Sir Mark Lowcock, the letter says. Organizations, including Amnesty International, CNN and Sky News, have previously published investigations into massacres committed against civilian populations in the Tigray region. Fighting began after the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front attacked an Army base as part of an uprising in the region, which sparked military responses from Ethiopian forces joined by defense forces from neighboring Eritrea last November. Reports continue to emerge from Tigray of wives being raped in front of their husbands; mothers raped in front of their children and vice versa; family members forced to choose between raping female relatives or death, and of women themselves being forced to choose between rape or death, the letter states. Several victims report their assailants boasted of cleansing their bloodline, while others arrive at medical facilities having suffered additional traumatic injuries to their reproductive organs inflicted by attackers to prevent them from bearing children, added the authors, which include human rights activists, writers, artists, parliamentarians, politicians, religious leaders, lawyers and academics from more than a dozen countries. The perpetrators, the authors of the letter say, were identified as members of the Ethiopian National Defence Forces, Eritrean Defence forces, Amhara Special Forces, and other irregular armed groups or aligned militia, and nearly a quarter of the cases involved gang rape over an extended period of time. The authors added that appalling violations are underway in the nation where the African Union is based, and amidst profound silence from African leaders, which impugns the aspiration for African solutions to African problems. Appeals and statements of condemnation are not sufficient, said Dr. Khataza Gondwe, the U.K.-based group Christian Solidarity Worldwides head of advocacy and team leader for Africa and the Middle East. The international community must move swiftly, decisively and robustly to ensure a ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian access to the entire region, and that those implicated in violations that may amount to atrocity crimes are held accountable using every available mechanism, Gondwe added. Thousands of civilians, including priests and Sunday school children, have been killed in Tigray since last November. Priests, old men, women, entire families and a group of more than 20 Sunday school children, some as young as 14, were among the thousands killed previously in Tigray by soldiers from Ethiopia and Eritrea, according to eyewitnesses and family members who spoke with CNN. In one instance of violence, hundreds of people were hiding in Maryam Tsiyon Church in Axum city, which is said to contain the Ark of the Covenant described in the book of Exodus, on Nov. 28. In another attack, witnesses say Eritrean soldiers opened fire on the Maryam Dengelat Church, where hundreds of believers celebrated mass. Although many tried to flee on foot to neighboring villages, troops were said to have chased after them. The massacre was said to have continued for three days as soldiers went house to house, dragging people from their homes and slaughtering residents. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment It is no gain saying that Christianity is under siege in Nigeria and that Nigeria is one of the worst countries for Christians to live in. The sector that is hardest hit by insurgency, terrorism, and banditry is missionary work. Many missionaries have been killed along with their followers and many mission agencies and churches are vacating northern Nigeria because of attacks. Afri-mission and Evangelism Network has gotten a share of the pains and frustrations. On May 25, I received a call from one of our missionaries, informing me that bandits have invaded our mission fields among the Kambari and Dukawa ethnic groups in Niger and Kebbi states. According to the missionary, cows, camels, goats and domestic fowls were rustled by bandits and all the communities within the vicinity were ransacked, and the occupants were chased into bushes. She reports: "as I am talking to you now, we are all hiding in mountain caves because bandits have taken over our communities". She told me that some missionaries have been killed and some wounded and need urgent medical help. Many of the people whom we have labored to bring to the saving knowledge of Christ for the past 14 years are now refugees. As of last week, we counted about 600 of our converts who are displaced and need urgent humanitarian aids. We are at present trusting God for provisions and relief packages. We planned to visit them on Sunday, June 13, but they got in touch with us informing us that bandits have already taken over the roads in the area. It is heartbreaking to watch our labor of love and vision destroyed by the enemies of the Gospel. In the 14 communities where we are pioneering the Gospel, not a single person has gone to school. The children roam the villages and bushes like wild animals. We vowed to rehabilitate these children and put them in schools. While we were able to furnish and equip the classrooms through the helping hands of World Outreach Ministries International and Ignited Church life, bandits have already chased them and their parents out of their communities in the month of May. We cannot deny the fact that the activities of these bandits have created fears in our hearts. Some of our best missionaries are quitting in droves, and those of us who are still standing are reluctant to embark on missionary journeys even after signing our death warrants for the sake of the Gospel. We have realized that martyrdom is a necessity if the unreached must be reached. The enemies of the Gospel have succeeded in tormenting many missionaries in Nigeria with fear. We desperately need prayers. Instead of praying for our safety, American Christians should pray that we have the boldness to preach Christ amid the risk and persecution. God has given us a plan B. We are presently raising willing Christians who will continue to reach the unreached in the diaspora through the support from Kingdom Missions Fund (KMF)an American Christian organization based in Little Rock, Arkansas, with the mandate to support innovative mission projects worldwide. We have developed a strategy: "Operation evangelize your killers before they kill you, to mobilize Christians in Nigeria and sensitize them to the dangers of leaving the unreached and un-evangelized. If conventional mission has been frustrated by terrorists and bandit attacks in northern Nigeria, Christians can still reach the unreached that are migrating to the southern part of Nigeria daily. We stand the chance of becoming the last generation of Christians in Nigeria if we do nothing to stop this genocide. We must reach the unreached with the Gospel and love of Christ. For more information, click here. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Recently, a student of Justice High School in Fairfax, Virginia, led the graduation ceremony in the Pledge of Allegiance. In this public-school setting, when she got to the part about one nation under God, she said, instead, one nation under Allah. This was apparently without any permission from school officials. The idea of one nation under Allah is a natural outgrowth of the idea of multi-culturalism but is inconsistent with our history. It is true that in some Muslim-dominant nations, Christians there use the name Allah for God. But its also true that the Allah of the Quran is different than the God of the Bible. Presumably, the student used the opportunity to tweak the noses of those who believe in the Judeo-Christian tradition of America as one nation under God. One nation under God allows the Muslim, the Buddhist, and the atheist to practice what they wish. One nation under Allah restricts the freedom of those who disagreeeven fellow Muslims of a slightly different stripe. The idea of multi-culturalism may sound good to the naive. While we can learn something from virtually every culture, to say that all cultures are the same is ignorant. They are not. In places where the worship of Allah is compulsory, there is little room to disagree. Even many Muslims find restrictions under strict Islam troubling. There are many Iranians and Pakistanis and Afghanis lining up to try and live in America. But we dont have a lot of Americans lining up to go live in Iran or Pakistan or Afghanistan. Heres what Rabbi Daniel Lapin once told me in a television interview for D. James Kennedy Ministries video, What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?,: The easiest way to answer the question of whether life on planet earth is better because Jesus walked Jerusalem or not is very simple, and that is: Just watch the way people vote with their feet. Watch where the net flow of immigration is in the world today. Is it from Christian countries to non-Christian countries or the other way around? It is so obvious. America shines like a beacon because America is one nation under God. Although the secularist denies it and gnashes his teeth at the idea that the Christian God had anything to do with the founding of America, the evidence abounds in the actual documents of Americas settling and founding eras, as found in The Annals of America, or the Avalon Project of Yale University. In their own words: The Pilgrims came for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith (Mayflower Compact, 1620). The Pilgrims came for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith (Mayflower Compact, 1620). The Puritan founder of Boston, Rev. John Winthrop, said (quoting Jesus), For we must consider that we shall be like a City upon a hill; the eyes of all people are on us (A Model of Christian Charity, 1630). The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut (1639), which historians believed was a direct ancestor to the Constitution, notes that the purpose of their settlement was for the liberty and purity of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. This is why Connecticut is called the Constitution state. And on it goes. The Pilgrims, Puritans, and Quakers who founded British North America, fled England and other countries to get away from religious tyrannyin that case tyranny from professing Christians. James Madison, a key architect of the Constitution, wrote the Memorial and Remonstrance. In this document, he notes that as Christians we must have tolerance for those who have not yet been enlightened by the Gospel of Christ. Madison once said: "Whilst we assert for ourselves a freedom to embrace, to profess, and to observe the religion which we believe to be of divine origin, we cannot deny an equal freedom to those whose minds have not yet yielded to the evidence which has convinced us. If this freedom be abused, it is an offence against God, not against man: To God therefore, not to men, must an account of it be rendered. And thus, the founders established a nation where there would be no establishment of religion, but neither would the free exercise of religion be squelched. But now the secularists have been imposing in effect a religious system of secular humanism. Rabbi Lapin calls them the secular fundamentalists. They are like the mullahs of Islam, only they seek to impose secular orthodoxy, including sexual libertinism. And so, an enlightened student in America calls this country one nation under Allah. But that sentiment is far removed from our history and is totally anathema to freedom. Only as one nation under God, do people, even of the Islamic faith, can enjoy liberty in America. Pastor Ed Litton vows to 'build bridges, not walls' in new role as SBC president Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment NASHVILLE, Tenn. Shortly after Ed Litton was elected as the new president of the Southern Baptist Convention, the Alabama pastor vowed to build bridges, not walls during his tenure as head of the denomination. Litton, the senior pastor of Redemption Church (formerly First Baptist North Mobile), won the election in a runoff vote on Tuesday, defeating Georgia Pastor Mike Stone. Litton was nominated by SBC's first and only black president, Fred Luter, and has a long history of promoting racial reconciliation. Litton received 52% of the vote in a runoff election against Stone, the former president of the SBC's Executive Committee, who has been in the news recently over accusations he and other members of the committee mishandled sex abuse allegations. Litton received 6,834 votes in the runoff, while Stone received 6,278 votes. The election comes at a contentious time for America's largest Protestant denomination amid differing opinions on how it should handle sexual abuse and racial issues. During a press conference following the election, Litton told reporters that moving forward, he hopes the Gospel can establish unity among a largely divided SBC, which is comprised of nearly 50,000 churches. The pastor said he believes God has called him to help us remember again why were a family and what the focus and objective of our family is, which is to get the good news of the Gospel of Jesus to as many people as can hear it. In the days ahead, Southern Baptists will have to work out and iron out some of our differences, Litton said, adding that he hopes to build bridges and not walls and help the denomination return to the roots of what God has called us to do. Under his leadership, Litton said he hopes the SBC will focus on showing love to the hurting and poor. He highlighted the need for humility among SBC leaders to work out their differences. Four men were nominated for the role of president from the stage of the annual meeting: Litton, Stone, the Northwest Baptist Convention Executive Director and Treasurer Randy Adams and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. More than 15,600 messengers were registered at the time of the election, and 14,300 ballots were cast in the first four-way contest. Mohler received 3,764 votes and Adams received 673 votes. Neither advanced to the runoff. Litton, who has led his Alabama church since 1994, called pastoring the local church the highest honor of his life. Still, the pastor said he wants to do whatever he can to pull the SBC together. I think we can find that common ground [in Jesus], he said. Litton went on to address hot-button issues in the SBC, including critical race theory, the sexual abuse crisis and the role of women in the church. "At a time when conservative Southern Baptist African American leaders are questioning their connection to the convention, Ed has uniquely shown his commitment to racial reconciliation," Luter said. When it comes to the issue of sexual abuse within the SBC, Litton said he hopes to bring all of this out and expose it to the light. He said the denomination needs to work hard to ensure all their churches are safe places for people to be protected and not victimized. He called the recent reports of abuse eye-opening and said he believes Southern Baptists are concerned about the issue. Luter commended Litton for his handling of the issue of sexual abuse within SBC churches. Luter is confident that Litton can build the bridges and keep each other from fighting in the barracks. The former president said that Litton has a "compassionate and shepherding heart" who is "uniquely gifted for this role." "[W]e need him now," Luter said in his nomination speech. Though he is personally extremely conservative in his politics, Litton said he does not address political issues from the pulpit. I am to be a Gospel-centered person, he explained. When dealing with a largely Democratic administration, Litton said he will treat politicians who differ from him with dignity and respect. My job is to represent Jesus Christ wherever I go, he said, adding he represents Jesus Christ first and foremost. Just weeks removed from the resignation of former SBC Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission President Russell Moore following accusations from the Executive Committee that some of the political stances taken by SBC's public policy arm could hurt SBC giving, Litton called the ERLC critical to the SBC. He called on the denomination to support and not defund the agency. When asked if SBC-affiliated churches that ordain women should be kicked out of the denomination, Litton, a self-professed complementarian, simply said: Thats something were going to have to work out. Litton, a father of three, has a Bachelor of Arts degree in religion and theatre from Grand Canyon University, a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctorate of Ministry from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Earlier in the press conference, Litton shared how he grew up in an abusive home but it was thanks to the witness of a Southern Baptist that his father converted to Christianity and turned his life around. I had a front-row seat to a miracle theres nothing God cannot do, he said. The pastor reflected on the death of his first wife, Tammy, who died in a car accident. He revealed that his second wife, Kathy, also lost her late husband in the same way. It alters the course of your life, he shared. We both have a profound sense of pain, suffering in our life that has changed us. Litton referred to himself and his wife, who is director of planter spouse development for the North American Mission Board, as Great Commission Baptists. We felt so loved by the people of this convention. ... We felt their compassion. We felt their prayers. We still do, we felt their love," he said. "We will leave this place focused, we will leave this place with a direction, and I believe a better direction, for the future. Conference attendee Steve McKinion, professor of Theology at Southeastern Seminary, told The Christian Post hes delighted by Littons election. He described the pastor as a man of deep integrity. I think he represents what, as a convention, we clearly want to be and what we want to do, McKinion said. [Littons] church has exemplified what Southern Baptists are always about, which is reconciliation with God through Christ and reconciliation with other people. He's faithful in helping people to know the Gospel and respond to it. McKinion added that he believes Southern Baptists are more unified than they may appear. Even where we have differences of opinion in applying certain things, we still believe the same Gospel and are committed to the same mission, he said. Even though it may appear that there are divisions among Southern Baptists. I think we're much more unified than other people may think, so I think we'll continue down the same path that we're on right now. Pastor Willy Rice slams those who contribute to disunity in SBC: 'We need to remember who we are' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment NASHVILLE, Tenn. Calvary Church Pastor Willy Rice issued a blistering condemnation of Southern Baptists who contribute to disunity within the denomination and warned against taking a careless sledgehammer to the house of God just to build a name for yourself. During a message delivered at the annual Southern Baptist Convention on Wednesday, the Florida-based pastor stressed that the denomination must remember its identity and mission following a particularly contentious season. The pastor said his heart has been broken in recent days by seeing the disunity among Southern Baptists. He based his remarks on 1 Corinthians 3, where the Apostle Paul warns against strife among the Body of Christ. We've embarrassed ourselves by our conduct, Rice said. I've thought so many times, We're better than this. I just want to believe that we're better than this. And again, maybe not. Maybe this is who we are, and maybe that's what makes this so hard. We may not be better than this, but Jesus is, he continued. Jesus is better than this. And that's why my hope isnt in me. My hope isn't in you. My hope isn't even in us. My hope is in Him because Jesus is better than this, we can be better than this. Undernderneath this mess of hay and straw that we've made is a foundation, and that foundation is the message of Jesus because that foundation endures, so will we. Pride and inflated self-importance, he posited, are partly to blame for the issues within the SBC. We have seen the product of a celebrity culture, where pastors and leaders become the star of the show, photo bombing Jesus at every turn, Rice said. What does it say about us when we have more green rooms than prayer rooms? he asked. We don't need stained glass icons, preachers in designer sneakers and wannabe celebrities obsessed with building their own social media platform or personal brands. We need to remember who we are. We do not own the field. We do not own the house. We labor in the Lord's work, and He gives the increase. He acknowledged that the past season in the SBC has been marked by unusual strife, name-calling, even slander. Something is wrong when we spend more time tearing down than we spend building up, Rice lamented. Something is wrong with those who relish attacking others who profess the name of Christ. The pastor stressed that there is a profound difference between honest debate and carnal controversies and between brotherly engagement and worldly strife. It is time we call it out and say to those whose voices seem constantly motivated to produce dissent and unrest that this will not go unchallenged or unchecked. We should not surrender this convention to strident voices who want to play the playground bully behind keyboards tearing others down so they can build themselves up, he declared. Rice highlighted the importance of speaking the truth in love and abiding by the fruits of the Holy Spirit, adding: I don't care how sound your doctrine, or how razor-sharp your intellect, or how snappy your retorts are on Twitter. If you do not mirror the character of Christ, then your words and your work are nothing but wood, hay and straw. Be careful before you take a careless sledgehammer to the house of God just to build a name for yourself," he warned. "Eternity is coming. God is watching. Earlier in his message, Rice addressed some of the contentious topics in the SBC, including critical race theory. Rice said that at its core, CRT offers a flawed diagnosis, a hopeless prognosis, and writes a powerless prescription rooted in materialistic humanism and political power. It is powerless because it cannot cure the deepest ills of the human heart. It brings no transformation, produces no love, and results in no justice. It cannot produce what only the Gospel can produce: A changed heart and a new humanity, he said. Every idea and teaching must be tested against the message of Scripture, Rice said, adding: We must always anchor ourselves to those truths, or we will drift where we do not want to go. While the SBC must be known for holding to the truth, Rice said he doesnt want the denomination to be known as the church with angry old men with rocks in their hands. If we are for biblical justice, then we should value the voices of those who have suffered injustice, including many of our black brothers and sisters, he explained. Rice concluded by stressing that the SBC does not need Jesus to take a side. Rather, it needs Jesus to take over. Dear friends, let us go back to the fields. Let's get back to building. There is work to be done, he said. The theme of the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting, chosen by former president J.D. Greear, is We are Great Commission Baptists. A total of 15,693 Southern Baptists attended this years meeting. SBC committee to consider disaffiliating Saddleback Church for ordaining women pastors Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A committee within the Southern Baptist Convention is set to consider whether a prominent megachurch led by bestselling author Rick Warren can continue in fellowship with the denomination after it ordained three women pastors last month. At the annual meeting of the SBC this week in Nashville, a motion asking if the denomination should break fellowship with Saddleback Church in Orange County, California, was referred to the denomination's Credentials Committee. The Credentials Committee is tasked with evaluating whether SBC-associated churches meet the denomination's standards of faith and practice. The megachurch posted on social media that it ordained three female pastors on a "historic" Thursday night, which drew criticism from Baptist leaders who believe female ordination goes against SBC teachings and praise from supporters of women in ministry. The motion was introduced by Pastor Shad Tibbs of Fellowship Baptist Church in Trout, Louisiana. The church is led by Warren, the author of the mega-bestseller The Purpose Driven Life. The 67-year-old Warren recently announced that he is searching for his successor amid plans to retire. During a press conference following his SBC presidential election victory, incoming SBC President Ed Litton was asked whether churches that ordain women should be "kicked out" of the denomination. As a self-professed complementarian, Litton said: Thats something were going to have to work out. The motion from the Louisiana pastor comes amid heightened tension in the denomination about what Scripture says about gender, particularly whether or not women are permitted to hold certain offices and preach in church. The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 plainly states that the pastoral office is "limited to men as qualified by Scripture." The issue has become one of the most visible divisions in the convention, especially after popular Bible teacher Beth Moore announced that she could no longer identify as a Southern Baptist and left the denomination. Proponents of this view, sometimes called complementarians, often reference 1 Timothy 2:9-15, where the Apostle Paul speaks of not allowing women to teach or exercise authority over men. Egalitarians, by contrast, assert that this particular scripture seeks to correct a specific problem in the church in Ephesus and that it is not a permanent nor universal restriction. They argue that the phrase in Greek is more accurately translated as "I am not now allowing" a woman to teach. The national convention has yet to remove a church from fellowship for this reason. But some local and state conventions have done so. Once reviewed by the Credentials Committee, a recommendation will be made to the Executive Committee. Should the Executive Committee decide that a church is no longer in cooperation with the denomination, the decision will be made public. Should a church opt to appeal the decision, messengers at the denomination's annual meeting may decide whether to uphold the decision. In early May, Saddleback ordained Liz Puffer, Cynthia Petty and Katie Edwards as pastors. Days after the ordination of the three women, then-SBC President J.D. Greear said in a blog post that although he respected Saddleback's ministry and their heart for taking the Gospel around the world, he disagreed with the ordination. He called the move "disappointing." In Israel: This time it was different Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Everyone we met with at some point in the conversation said, This time it was different. As a delegation of two organizations, The Philos Project and Passages, that bring young, Christian leaders to Israel, we were curious about how the recent conflict had been felt on the ground. The three weeks of violence that started with a property dispute over four homes in the Sheik Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem spilled onto the Temple Mount where Israeli police and Muslim worshippers clashed. Then came the riots, the rockets from Gaza, and the attacks on Jews around the world. The sheer number of rockets alone, nearly 4300, should have been enough to say, This time was different. But that doesnt really get at the heart of the issue. This time coexistence was questioned. This time the veil separating anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism dropped. This time no one was safe. Lod is not a tourist destination, but it is one of the oldest cities in the world. The city lies at a crossroad intersecting the ancient highway along the coast and the highway coming out of the mountains where Jerusalem sits. Given that its just outside the Ben Gurion Airport, most pass by on their way to somewhere else. Lod is also a mixed city. Jews and Arabs live side by side. Apartment buildings and grocery stores are full of Jews and Arabs. In Lod, we met Tahael. Tahael is an orthodox Jewish woman who moved to Lod with her husband and two children so that her children could grow up in a mixed community. She was at an event for Jewish youth when the riots began. They barricaded doors and waited for the police to escort kids home. The local Imam is pretty radical and regularly called for men to embrace violence. This time they did. Jewish cars were targeted and burned. A Jewish apartment was ransacked and set on fire. Five synagogues were burned, some severely. Then came the rockets from Gaza. Riots ran the streets and rockets fell from the sky. During the chaos, Tahael went with her family to the bomb shelter. She was there with her Arab neighbors. Just days earlier she spoke with her neighbors, helping each other carry groceries up the stairs. But in the bomb shelter, the Arab men of the apartment building are absent. Are they in the streets? At the riots? The pavers in front of the apartment building have been taken up and used as stones. I cant look at my neighbor anymore, Tahael said with pain in her eyes. This time it was different. Also in Lod, we met Yoav. He is Jewish. His dad owned a computer repair shop, the last shop in a strip of repair shops. Next to Yoavs dads shop is Suhels shop. Suhel sells and repairs tires. He is Arab. The only Arab shop in the strip. During the riots in Lod, perhaps as retaliation to the attacks on Jews, old tires were stacked up against Suhels shop and set on fire. In a matter of minutes a lifetime of labor went up in smoke. Yoav is into live action role play (LARP) and built a studio in the back of his dads shop. It too was completely destroyed. The next day as Suhel was trying to salvage anything he could in the shop, everything was covered in black soot. He tearfully struggled to understand how this could have happened. To help his neighbor, Yoav started a small fundraising campaign by reaching out to his fellow online LARPers. Donations from Jews and Arabs around the country began to pour in. His small campaign went viral. Two shops unintentionally modeling coexistence were destroyed. And yet, the nation rallied to support the rebuilding of both. This time it was different. Ashkelon is another one of those ancient cities. In the Bible it is described as one of the capital cities of the Philistines. Today it is a thriving city on the edge of the Mediterranean and, until the last war, just outside the reach of Hamas rockets. It was in Ashkelon that we met Roz. Before COVID shut down the tour industry in Israel, Roz was a guide. Those who knew Roz before the recent conflict remarked, Roz is more serious now. The last war had taken its toll. He actually lives in one of the small farming villages right on the border with Gaza. His kids, like everyone else in the Gaza Envelope deal with PTSD minus the P. There is no post in the trauma there, always present. Roz talked about how he once took his kids to a playground in Jerusalem. They were reluctant to play on all the fun obstacles and slides. After a while he asked them why they were not playing, his kids, 5 and 7 years old, said, Its not safe. There is no [bomb] shelter. Living so close to the border with Gaza, Roz is used to the rockets and mortars regularly launched at his village by one of the terrorist organizations that is ruling Gaza. The Iron Dome rocket interception system doesnt protect his village, but it does protect Sderot, Ashkelon, and the many Jewish and Arab towns and villages that dot the landscape of Southern Israel. However, 4300 rockets nearly overwhelmed the Iron Dome system. This time it was different. Amal lives in a Bedouin town. The Bedouins are a nomadic Arab people who settled down mostly in the southern and northern parts of Israel. Many have integrated into Israeli society and serve in the IDF. As we sat in her familys ancestral home enjoying tea and sweets, Amal described her life. While most girls from her town were married off after 6th grade, Amal finished school. She overcame many obstacles to become a nurse and is one of the first in her town to get a drivers license. For many, Amal is a trailblazer for womens rights in Bedouin society. But she is also an advocate for coexistence. Amal chose to send her daughter to a Jewish school so that she would learn the value of coexistence. Yet, it is not hard to imagine how the recent conflict fostered suspicion and threatens coexistence. Amals daughter, a 5th grader, was told by her teacher to go back to Gaza. When confronted, the school did not act. The matter is still unsettled and Amals daughter refuses to go to school. The pain and frustration of living in constant fear of rocket attacks is very real. So is the fact that Jews and Arabs both are under threat from Hamas. The majority of the rockets launched out of Gaza are low-tech. Light poles are cut down and filled with explosives and a propulsion system are hurled at Israeli population centers. The deaths of Arabs, children, and even Gazan kids from these faulty rockets are worth it to Hamas if even one Jew dies or leaves Israel. The new high-tech rockets and anti-tank missiles used this time are made by Iran and smuggled into Gaza. These rockets can reach Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Amal described how one of the rockets landed near her home. This time it was different. Rockets reached her too. When asked how she felt about being targeted by Hamas she didnt answer. More likely, she couldnt. Hamas has long arms. As we were meeting with individuals impacted by a month of violence that sought to destroy coexistence, a new government in Israel was being formed. A coalition that, for the first time, included an Islamist Arab Israeli political party. Unified in its opposition to the former Prime Minister Netanyahu, this government, nevertheless, is formed the very moment coexistence seems impossible. In those first few days it seemed that the fabric that made Israel a model of pluralism was torn. Yet all along the way we heard stories of Jews and Arabs choosing coexistence. As the fabric of Israel was torn, there were those stitching it back together one meeting at a time. This time it was different, meaning Israel is at a crossroads. Down one path, Hamas wins and coexistence becomes a memory. Down the other path, coexistence wins and eventually Hamas becomes a memory. People of good will can support only one of those paths. Luke Moon is Deputy Director of the Philos Project and regularly writes on Christian engagement in the Middle East. Follow him on twitter @lukemoon1 UK Christian group alarmed by push to criminalize prayer in conversion therapy ban Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A Christian group in the U.K. has said it is alarming that the government is being urged to include in its proposed "conversion therapy" ban even gentle non-coercive prayer to help individuals overcome unwanted sexual attractions or gender identity confusion. While not opposing a ban that protects people from harmful pseudo-medical practices, the Christian Institute said, the idea that gentle non-coercive prayer should be included in a list of illegal actions is alarming. In any event, it would violate the human rights of believers, added the charity that exists for the furtherance and promotion of the Christian religion in the United Kingdom and the advancement of education. The charity issued the statement in response to a call from Jayne Ozanne, a prominent lesbian Anglican and former LGBT government adviser who is pushing for gentle non-coercive prayer to be included in legislation banning LGBT conversion therapy. Supporting the ban, David Walker, the bishop of Manchester, told the Guardian earlier this month, Where activity has harmed someone, the person who has caused the harm should face prosecution. He added that activity should include prayer aimed at changing someones sexual orientation. However, Walker clarified that he was not referring to gentle, non-coercive prayer, but where there is a level of power imbalance and a level of force. Ozanne, who's also pushing for full acceptance of same-sex marriage and transgenderism in the Church of England, responded to Walkers clarification, saying, Im very grateful to Bishop David for his clear support for a ban, although I would strongly refute that gentle non-coercive prayer should be allowed. She added, All prayer that seeks to change or suppress someones innate sexuality or gender identity is deeply damaging and causes immeasurable harm, as it comes from a place no matter how well-meaning that says who you are is unacceptable and wrong. The Christian Institute said its view is confirmed by a legal opinion from Jason Coppel QC, one of the U.K.s leading human rights lawyers, which says a conversion therapy ban encompassing ordinary prayer would be likely to violate Convention rights. The charity stressed that those pushing for the ban to include ordinary prayer seem to attribute the worst possible motives to those of us who hold different theological beliefs from them. They are not willing to listen to mainstream Christian groups or to their concerns. Now they have gone a step further by stating that the legislation should cover not only practices they consider coercive but all forms of prayer, no matter how mild, it added. Responding to Ozannes remarks, Simon Calvert, deputy director for public affairs at The Christian Institute, said, It shows the focus here is not about protecting people from genuinely abusive behavior. Its about criminalizing mainstream theology that campaigners on the fringes of the church dont agree with. Calvert added, In Britain, we worked out centuries ago that prosecuting people for praying the wrong kind of prayer was oppressive, counter-productive and wrong. Apparently, there are some who want to drag us back to the dark days of prosecuting people for not having the same religion. Conversion therapy is being defined as any effort to change ones sexual orientation or gender identity. A bill banning conversion therapy is expected to make its way through Parliament later this year. Some LGBT activists are calling for a complete ban on any practice that seeks to help individuals overcome unwanted sexual attractions or gender identity confusion. And such a ban would also prohibit prayer and pastoral support. Proponents of such a ban say the practice is cruel, ineffective and contributes to suicide among LGBT-identifying people. Opponents of a therapy ban argue that the term conversion therapy belies what is actually occurring, particularly in Christian churches and ministries, because electroshock and other forms of aversion treatments have been against the law for many years. What is practiced in some therapeutic environments often though not always religious is talk therapy, where individuals who present with conflicting feelings or distress regarding their sexual attractions or gender confusion speak with a counselor. The Christian Institute's Deputy Director for Communications Ciaran Kelly said in an earlier statement that it's deeply worrying to see the level of ignorance of the beliefs and practices of mainstream Christianity on display from some of these MPs. Of course we believe people should be protected from quack therapists and charlatan preachers. Most of these practices are already illegal and we would urge the government to ensure the law is applied properly, he said, adding that there must also be room for the preaching of Gods Word and for believers to receive prayer and pastoral support, whatever temptations they are facing. Kelly continued, A pastor or church should not face prosecution if a gay man or woman attends church, comes to faith and seeks help in following Christs teaching on sexual ethics. West Point cadets facing harsh punishments for not taking COVID vaccine, parents say Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment UPDATE: 11 a.m. ET June 23: The U.S. Military Academy Public Affairs Office told The Christian Post that the academy "does not have a vaccination policy" and follows guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Department of Defense and the U.S. Army for its unvaccinated cadets. "[Guidance] requires them to wear masks indoors and outdoors when not able to maintain six feet of social distancing. Most of cadet summer training takes place outdoors and allows for social distancing so unvaccinated cadets spend minimal time wearing masks during training events," the USMA statement reads. "Currently the DoD is not mandating vaccinations for U.S. military members, and it remains optional but encouraged for West Point personnel. Any harassment, abuse, threats, or punitive measures targeting unvaccinated personnel is antithetical to West Point policy, ideals, and Army values. West Point takes every report of inappropriate behavior very seriously and takes immediate actions to address such reports in a timely manner. Original: West Point cadets who've opted out of taking the COVID-19 vaccine have faced disciplinary actions and are being treated with disdain at the military academy, according to their parents. Although the U.S. military doesn't have a vaccine mandate, the majority of West Point cadets are vaccinated. Only about three dozen remain unvaccinated at West Point, which has more than 4,500 students, Fox News reports. Unvaccinated cadets have been called names like dirty and are forced to wear masks in shared spaces, including barracks and when taking a shower. In an interview with Fox News opinion host Sean Hannity on Thursday, three parents of unvaccinated West Point cadets shared how their children have faced a ridiculous amount of pressure to take the vaccine. Mathias Sampson, an Army veteran, said his daughter has valid concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine and how it could have long-term effects or affect her fertility. A West Point cadet familiar with the matter told The Christian Post in an interview that a fellow cadet who is unvaccinated is packing immense pressure from other cadets. He and other unvaccinated cadets are getting pressure from other cadets, the source told CP. I believe theres a little bit of making fun of them [for not taking the vaccine] and things like that, from what I understand. He added that an unvaccinated cadet he knows has significantly less time for summer break due to the mandatory quarantine period required for the unvaccinated. CP contacted West Point for comment but did not receive a response by press time. Brian MacDonald's whose daughter has natural immunity and also attends West Point, told Hannity that she has decided not to take the vaccine. Cleveland Clinic released a study that found those who had COVID-19 already have natural immunity and were not at risk of being re-infected, with or without receiving the vaccination, Life Sciences reported. Another study found that people who've had COVID-19 will likely produce antibodies to fight the first for the rest of their lives. "I dont understand what the leadership at West Point is doing right now," MacDonald told Fox News. "Quick thing on my daughter: She loves the Lord; she loves her country. And all she wants to do, her dream, is just to serve both at West Point right now. He said West Point is putting a ridiculous amount of pressure on his daughter to be vaccinated even though she has the antibodies, which are proven to fight the infection. Its clearly not about the science anymore, MacDonald said. As an American, MacDonald said he is deeply concerned about what is happening at the military academy. Watch the latest video at foxnews.com Elita Perusek, a 1994 West Point graduate, now has a son at West Point who also has a natural immunity to COVID-19. Since he did not receive the vaccine, he will have to give up some of his leave and had to return seven days early for what she described as isolation or quarantine. My son is a first-class cadet, and he is very much looking forward to being an officer and defending the rights of fellow Americans and his right to not take the vaccine, she said. An anonymous cadet told Fox News: "It's like solitary confinement for a disease we don't have." A spreadsheet with personal information and students vaccination status has reportedly been circulated on campus. Col. Laura Dawson, a medical officer at West Point, has been accused of berating cadets and calling them selfish for not getting the vaccine or suggesting they get the vaccine or leave the military academy. "Currently, the Department of Defense is not mandating vaccinations for U.S. military members, and it remains optional but encouraged for West Point personnel," the academy's public affairs office said. "Any harassment, abuse, threats, or punitive measures targeting unvaccinated personnel is antithetical to West Point policy, ideals, and Army values. West Point takes every report of inappropriate behavior very seriously and takes immediate actions to address such reports in a timely manner." House Republicans prevent passage of pro-abortion, pro-LGBT bills in 'stunning' development Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment UPDATE June 22 at 4 p.m. ET: In an email to The Christian Post, Stacey Daniels, the communications director for Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., announced that Congresswoman McClain accidentally voted the incorrect way [on the Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act] and the Congressional Record has been updated to reflect that fact. The Congressional Record now features a quote from McClain, who said, Mr. Speaker, on Roll Call No. 160, I mistakenly voted yes when I intended to vote no. According to Daniels, When the vote comes back up this week, she will be voting no. McClains vote change means that 21 Republicans supported the legislation as opposed to 22. Original article: Congressional Republicans and conservative activists are celebrating stunning victories after GOP lawmakers successfully derailed pro-abortion and LGBT-related bills in the U.S. House of Representatives. The House held votes on the Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act and the LGBTQ Business Equal Credit Enforcement and Investment Act Tuesday. In both cases, lawmakers voted on whether to suspend the rules and pass the bills. According to the Congressional Research Service, when a bill or some other matter is considered under suspension, floor debate is limited, all floor amendments are prohibited, and a two-thirds vote is required for final passage. While the CRS describes the suspension of the rules as a procedure that the House of Representatives often uses on the floor to act expeditiously on relatively noncontroversial legislation, opponents of the bills do not believe that they are noncontroversial. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act would eliminate copayments that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) charges to veterans who receive contraceptive items from the Veterans Health Administration. However, the conservative Christian activist organization Family Research Council warned that the Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act would have increased insurance coverage to 100 percent for all FDA-approved forms of contraception for veterans. This includes emergency contraceptives like Plan B and Ella, which act as abortifacients by preventing implantation or ending the life of an embryo before implantation, wrote Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, a leading social conservative activist. American taxpayers should not be forced to pay for abortifacient drugs, but that is exactly what H.R. 239 mandates. Ultimately, 240 members of Congress supported the Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act, leaving it far short of the two-thirds threshold needed for passage. Every House Democrat voted for the measure, along with 22 Republicans. The LGBTQ Business Equal Credit Enforcement and Investment Act would amend the Equal Credit Opportunity Act to require the collection of small business loan data related to LGBTQ-owned businesses. As currently written, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act is designed to facilitate enforcement of fair lending laws and enable communities, governmental entities, and creditors to identify business and community development needs and opportunities of women-owned, minority-owned, and small businesses. The LGBTQ Business Equal Credit Enforcement and Investment Act would insert the phrase LGBTQ-owned after every use of the term minority-owned in the existing law and expand the definition of sex in the document to include sexual orientation and gender identity. In the roll call vote, the bill received the support of 247 lawmakers. Perkins lamented the alarming number of Republicans who voted for both bills. Reps. Mike Bost, R-Ill.; Rodney Davis, R-Ill.; Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Penn.; Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla.; Tony Gonzales, R-Texas; Anthony Gonzalez, R-Ohio; John Katko, R-N.Y.; Young Kim, R-Calif.; Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill.; Nancy Mace, R-S.C.; Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y.; Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa; Dan Newhouse, R-Wash.; Jay Obernolte, R-Calif.; Tom Reed, R-N.Y.; Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla.; Michelle Steel, R-Calif.; Fred Upton, R-Mich.; and Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J.; supported both bills. Reps. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas; Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.; and Lisa McClain, R-Mich.; supported the Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act while opposing the LGBTQ Business Equal Credit Enforcement and Investment Act. Reps. Ken Calvert, R-Calif.; Tom Cole, R-Okla.; Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla.; Tom Emmer, R-Minn.; Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y.; Mike Garcia, R-Calif.; Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa; David Joyce, R-Ohio; Patrick McHenry, R-N.C.; Greg Murphy, R-N.C.; Peter Meijer, R-Mich.; and David Valadao, R-Calif.; supported the LGBTQ Business Equal Credit Enforcement and Investment Act while opposing the Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act. In an interview with Breitbart News, Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., the chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, described the defeat of both bills as a stunning development and a leverage point to try to restore the balance on Capitol Hill. He predicted that if you start taking some of these down, It gives you leverage points so the Democrats come back to us and say alright, lets make a deal. Its what our base wants us to do, he added. That it worked is good. Now we need to make it work on a regular basis, and if we do that, things are going to change up. Biggs accused the Democrats of trying to "change all the rules and traditions of the House" to "force all of their agenda ... down our throats." "Our position has always been that we have to fight on every issue," Biggs said. "Thats why we ask for roll call votes on the suspension votes because we want transparency for the American public ..." In most cases, legislation can pass the House of Representatives with a simple majority. This has enabled Democrats, who have a narrow majority in the lower chamber, to pass progressive legislation with ease despite accumulating little to no Republican support. Such legislation includes a bill to make Washington, D.C. a state, the Equality Act seeking to codify discrimination protections for the LGBT community into federal law and the For the People Act, which would increase federal oversight of the way states conduct federal elections. Most legislation in the U.S. Senate requires 60 votes to pass. Since Democrats only have a narrow 50-50 majority in the upper chamber, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote, Democrats need to secure the support of 10 Republicans to pass most legislation. Additionally, one Senate Democrat, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, has announced his opposition to the For the People Act and the D.C. statehood bill as well as the elimination of the 60-vote rule, an idea that has been floated by Democrats seeking to pass progressive legislation approved by the House without Republican support. As a result of the makeup of the Senate and current Senate rules, the progressive legislation has failed to pass the upper chamber thus far in the 117th Congress. Texas announces $250M for border wall construction; Gov. Abbott warns 'homes are being invaded' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced the state's plans to build a border wall as the immigration surge continues and authorized the transfer of $250 million as a down payment to launch the construction. Abbott held a press conference on Wednesday to address the state's plans for border wall construction to help thwart the flow of migrants entering the U.S. through the southern border. Abbott and other top state officials signed a letter authorizing the down payment. The governor explained that the state budget allocates $1.1 billion towards border security. The governor had early vowed that Texas will not sit idly by as this crisis grows. "The problems people are continuing to suffer on the border are just continuing to get worse," Abbott said. "They are getting worse for residents living in that region. They are getting worse for people in all regions across the entire state of Texas. If you just look at the numbers, they paint a picture." "Look at the number of people who were coming across the border last April when President Trump was president," the Republican added. "They apprehended just over 17,000 people coming across the border last year. This year, in the month of April, they have apprehended more than 170,000 people." Abbott reported that "similar numbers were echoed in the month of May." The declining immigration numbers for 2020 follow a dramatic rise in border apprehensions in 2019 as the Trump administration closed the border during the coronavirus pandemic and enacted policies requiring asylum seekers to wait outside the U.S. for their asylum cases to be adjudicated. "Also, the type of people coming across the border is changing. Early on, it was unaccompanied minors. Now, the majority of people coming across the border are adults coming across alone," the governor explained. "Also, what is changing is the carnage that is being caused by people who are coming across the border." He said that some ranchers' fences had been completely decimated, causing border ranchers to lose their livestock and border farmers to lose crops. "Homes are being invaded. Neighborhoods are dangerous and people are being threatened on a daily basis with guns of people either coming across the border of those working with those coming across the border," Abbott added. "Cartels, human and drug smugglers and human traffickers, they are all profiting off our open border crisis." Former President Donald Trump, who campaigned on securing the southern border, is set to visit the U.S.-Mexican border on June 30 with Abbott. Around 450 miles of border wall construction was completed under Trump. "The Biden administration inherited from me the strongest, safest, and most secure border in U.S. history and in mere weeks, they turned it into the single worst border crisis in US history," Trump said in a statement. "We went from having border security that was the envy of the world to a lawless border that is now pitied around the world," the former president continued. Illegal immigration numbers are climbing, and border agents are overwhelmed with the number of immigrants arriving at the border. Preliminary Customs and Border Protection data shows the illegal immigrant surge crossing the U.S.-Mexico southern border in the fiscal year 2021 surpasses the totals of every year since 2006 with four months left, Axios reported on June 8. The border surge also correlates with drug smuggling and human trafficking. Customs and Border Protection agents have seized more fentanyl, a fatal drug, in the fiscal year 2021, which began last October, than they seized during all of the fiscal year 2020. CBP continues to see a large influx of illegal migration along the Southwest Border, CBP Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner Troy Miller said in a statement. In order to disrupt criminal organizations that have little regard for human life, CBP is leading the way alongside external law enforcement partners through Operational Sentinel, Miller continued. Day after day, CBP rescues migrants abandoned in harsh terrain, left for dead with no food or water. CBP is committed to enhancing the security of the U.S. border and helping save the lives of vulnerable migrants. There has also been a 163% increase in unaccompanied minors at the border from March 2020 to March 2021, according to CBP. A Border Patrol agent of 31 years said illegal immigrants had caused more intentional damage, mentioning cases in the past six months of immigrants trespassing on ranches, destroying fences and water pipes, leaving water faucets on and breaking into homes. Kinney County Sheriff Brad Coe thinks the actions are done out of spite, and are not as respectful as they have been in the past. Were starting to see more intentional damage, Coe, who was formerly a Border Control agent, told The Epoch Times. Ive never seen it quite like this. Somebodys making a statement. Uvalde County Sheriff Ruben Nolasco told the news outlet that the illegal immigrants are now more aggressive, which means many ranches or homeowners need to carry a gun on their property. Nolasco shared that an uptick in stolen vehicles, criminal mischief and burglaries correlated with the surge of migrants pouring into the country, even though they are located around 60 miles from the border. Its a mess. Thats what it is. But nobody seems to care about us down here, Nolasco shared. ... And they say that everythings OK. No, its not OK." Vice President Kamala Harris, who was tapped to be border czar on March 24, is yet to visit the southern border. Harris has faced heavy criticism from Republicans. Harris visited Guatemala and Mexico last week to address the root causes of immigration and told people thinking of leaving for the U.S.: do not come. On his first day in office, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to halt border wall construction, a move Republican lawmakers say is unauthorized since funds for construction had already been appropriated. Biden also reversed many of the Trump era immigration policies. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Biden and Harris could fix the border crisis tomorrow if they ended the catch and release policy and reinstated the "Remain in Mexico" policy. Texas will finish what President Trump started, Abbott tweeted. The Lone Star State will do what Biden REFUSES to do protect our citizens along the southern border. Texas will finish what President Trump started. Later this week, I will unveil our plans to build a border wall. The Lone Star State will do what Biden REFUSES to do protect our citizens along the southern border. pic.twitter.com/qQ7vQTDWAI Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) June 15, 2021 Abbott recently hosted a Border Security Summit in Del Rio to announce a new plan to address the surge in illegal immigration. President Bidens open-border policies have led to a humanitarian crisis at our southern border as record levels of illegal immigrants, drugs, and contraband pour into Texas, Abbott said in a statement. While securing the border is the federal governments responsibility, Texas will not sit idly by as this crisis grows, Abbott continued. The state is working collaboratively with communities impacted by the crisis to arrest and detain individuals coming into Texas illegally. Our efforts will only be effective if we work together to secure the border, make criminal arrests, protect landowners, rid our communities of dangerous drugs, and provide Texans with the support they need and deserve, he added. This is an unprecedented crisis, and Texas is responding with the most robust and comprehensive border plan the nation has ever seen. Abbott announced on June 10 Texas will "arrest and detain individuals coming into Texas illegally" and surge "resources into border communities to make arrests and to help set up and maintain extra jail space." Judge rules against Christian baker Jack Phillips in transgender 'birthday' cake case Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A judge has ruled that Colorado Christian baker Jack Phillips violated state anti-discrimination law by refusing to bake a pink-and-blue transgender birthday cake. Denver District Court Judge A. Bruce Jones ruled Tuesday that Phillips violated the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act by refusing to make the cake for Autumn Scardina. In his opinion, Jones concluded that Phillips engaged in unlawful discrimination by denying goods and services" because of Scardina's "transgender status." The ruling states that Phillips' wife had initially agreed to make a pink cake with blue frosting for about six to eight people. But the cake was rejected after Scardina disclosed the meaning behind the cake's custom design. Defendants admit that they were willing to make the requested cake until Ms. Scardina identified that she chose the colors to reflect and celebrate her identity as a transgender female, wrote Jones. Defendants are, however, willing to make cakes for non-transgender individuals that reflect that persons gender. And Defendants would gladly make an identical looking cake for other customers. Jones also wrote that it was possible that the analysis would be different if the cake design had been more intricate, artistically involved, or overtly stated a message attributable to Defendants. Defendants expressive conduct argument fails because Defendants presented no evidence that a reasonable observer would attribute any message that was conveyed by the cake to Defendants, he continued. Defendants have failed to carry their burden to show that providing the requested cake constituted any type of symbolic or expressive speech protected by the First Amendment. Alliance Defending Freedom General Counsel Kristen Waggoner, whose organization represents Phillips during his years of legal battles, vowed to appeal the decision. Radical activists and government officials are targeting artists like Jack because they wont promote messages on marriage and sexuality that violate their core convictions, said Waggoner. We will appeal this decision and continue to defend the freedom of all Americans to peacefully live and work according to their deeply held beliefs without fear of punishment. Over the past several years, Phillips has weathered extensive legal battles over his religious objections to making cakes for a same-sex wedding and a cake to celebrate transgender identity. In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that Colorados Civil Rights Commission unfairly treated Phillips when it punished him for refusing to make a same-sex wedding cake in 2012. Scardina filed a lawsuit against Phillips and Masterpiece Cakeshop in June 2019 after the baker refused to make Scardinas transgender birthday cake. The lawsuit claimed that Phillips violated the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act and the Colorado Consumer Protection Act when he refused on religious grounds. In March, Judge Jones dropped the charge that Phillips had violated the CCPA by allegedly engaging in an unfair or deceptive trade practice. Defendants contend that Plaintiff cannot show an unfair or deceptive trade practice because the most salient materials Plaintiff allegedly relied on are not advertisements. Because the Court agrees with this contention, it need not address Defendants remaining arguments, wrote Jones. Plaintiff has failed to establish an actionable unfair or deceptive trade practice. Accordingly, summary judgment enters in Defendants favor on Plaintiffs CCPA claim. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Juneteenth. Its a profound holiday that was known by relatively few until now. Ive written about it for years. It has special meaning to me for several reasons. Juneteenth (a mashup of June 19th) signified the nearly three-year delayed emancipation of 250,000 slaves in Texas who hadnt yet received the news (even a month after the end of the civil war). It exemplified the hard-fought self-sacrifice of black and white brothers and sisters working together to end the evil of chattel slavery. Its the anniversary date of the release of my book Not Equal: Civil Rights Gone Wrong which challenges todays civil rights movement and its failure to defend the most marginalized and most vulnerable in our society. Its also the date that my parents, even though I was conceived in rape, saw my inherent and equal value and chose to adopt and love me as their son. And now, bipartisan legislation passed overwhelmingly by both the House (415-14) and the Senate (unanimous) establishes Juneteenth National Independence Day as a federal holiday. President Biden signed it into law. He probably shouldve taken the opportunity to praise Texas for taking the lead and officially making Juneteenth a state holiday four decades ago. The bill was offered by Democrat legislator Al Edwards and signed into law by Republican governor William Perry Clements Jr. in 1980. I only wish that the alternative names used for Juneteenth wouldve become the official name, like Juneteenth Emancipation Day or Juneteenth Freedom Day. I think those names evoke the truer essence of this historical moment. I can see how this will be exploited by those whose propensity to divide us by color, class, or any other characteristic seems to know no end. (Just watch the House discussion of the passage of the legislation.) Juneteenth doesnt belong to one group of people. It belongs to all Americans. Its a testament to the unity of both black and white people who went to great lengths to break the chains of bondage. It can be a great reminder to the American public and the world how the Democratic Party went to war to protect the evil of slavery, but a radical Republican named Abraham Lincoln altered the trajectory of a nation. No amount of 1619 revisionism can change that. Biden even proclaimed at the bill signing: Great nations dont ignore their most painful moments, they embrace them. We come to terms with mistakes weve made. He kept invoking equity and racial justice but failed to take seize the perfect moment to apologize on behalf of the Democrat Partys pro-slavery DNA, inequalities and racial injustices. He didnt. Instead, he nihilistically declared: Hate only hides. It never goes away. I reject that. Ive seen too many transformed people in my life to accept that hopeless lie. I believe too much in a God (notice, not a government) that truly transforms us into new creations. Juneteenth commemorates the collective realization that our national creed, created equal, was becoming a (slow but assured) reality. That equality, because its not given to us by man or woman or governmental institution, should start at the moment were createdthe moment of conception. Sadly, half the country doesnt believe this today and supports another group of human beings being dehumanized and discriminated against for who they are. The unborn are violently treated like property, and just as with the institution of slavery, deemed less than human. Nothing good ever comes from denying any persons humanity. I dont play semantics game. Every person is a human. Every human is a person. Juneteenth is about the emancipation of an entire nationof freeing those previously shackled and preventing former shacklers from treating fellow human beings like property. Its a reminder of the biblical principle that were created from one blood (Acts 17:26) implemented in the natural. Yes. Were one beautifully colorful human race. Major General Gordon Granger and 2,000 Union soldiersmany of whom saw so much loss and devastation in a nation at war with itselfdelivered the delayed news that hundreds of thousands of slaves were no longer bound. Speaking the truth about emancipation was an extremely difficult journey for all involved in that sacred effort. Despite the existence of the telegraph in 1860s, obviously the message of liberation was ignored. Major General Granger traveled from place to place in Galveston, Texas in order to read General Order, No. 3 which proclaimed all slaves are free. He and the soldiers under his command had to bring the truth to the people. Its tragic how many times we, as humans, remain in chains that have already been broken. The work of spiritual and ideological emancipation today, in light of so many broken worldviews that shackle millions, is no less arduous. To the abortion abolitionists out there, keep speaking the truth and rescuing wherever you go. To the anti-trafficking abolitionists out there, keep speaking the truth and rescuing wherever you go. To the ones who defend Gods design for humanity, keep speaking the Truth and rescuing wherever you go. Love is the ultimate chain-breaker. And God is Love. May Juneteenth remind us that Hope is never in vaineven when things seem impossible. Keep holding tenaciously to your faith. Though the reward of Hope is often delayed, truth and freedom will make their way and break through. You wake up startled by the sirens sound. You look at your phone. It's 7 a.m. Why the hell hasn't the alarm sounded? Yes it rang, but you didn't hear it. You jump out of bed and take a running bath. You just tied your tie to grab your thermos of coffee and run down the stairs. You get in the car and enter the Periferico traffic at 7.30 am. The Waze warns you that there is an accident that slows down traffic for 20 minutes ... This is the day to day for many of us, perhaps not every day, but surely more than one has identified with this first paragraph. The point is that when we become adults, our life becomes a problem solving and unexpected situations all the time. And things that are beyond our control, by default, create stress . So, although surely you already know more than one trick to manage your bad moments, it is good to have all the possible tools to keep us focused on our goals. Here are five very simple exercises that science has shown work very well to control tension . To find out more: What is a 'rage room' and how you can make money with one 1. Learn to breathe to regulate yourself in any circumstance Yes, breathe. Alan Watts , the Zen guru of the 1970s, said that much of the secret of a happy life is learning to breathe properly and laughing as much as possible. So let's listen to Master Watts, now, right here at this very moment. Take a breath through your nose as deeply as you can (I'm waiting for you to start). Very well. Now exhale through your mouth as deeply as you can. How's it going? Hasn't it worked and are you still the same? Repeat again inhaling again as deep as you can. Remember to blow air through your nose, exhale through your mouth, and repeat this sequence up to 10 times. What still doesn't work? Keep repeating the exercise but now mentally count the seconds you use to inhale and exhale also counting. 2. Do you want to do the same and get less tired? Let your body relax Stretch your arms back for a moment; Take a breath and then release it. Lean back in your chair for a moment, close your eyes and think of something that relaxes you (your last visit to the beach, your favorite song, the best party of your life with friends). How's it going? Better not? You can do this three times a day for 5 minutes each time and then go back to your business. Stretch your arms back for a moment; take a breath and then let it go / Image: Depositphotos.com 3. Stop blaming your boss It is done. We all know that your boss is not the best person in the world, you have told us a million times. Don't you realize that every time you repeat your terrible story, your brain recreates it over and over again in great detail and you feel the same frustration and anger as the first time, you also generate more stress hormones than you then will you have to undo? Don't you feel exhausted? Let's see, one thing is to vent which is very necessary, quite another is to make criticism the center of your life. If you can't stand your boss, quit your job, period. And if it's not that bad, stop hurting yourself. 4. Get rid of people who drain your energy Surely in all the self-help books you've read they tell you. I am going to repeat it to you because it is one of the things that weighs the most when it comes to generating stress that I call collateral. Relocate or remove from your life all those people who take away your enthusiasm, the desire to do things, who tell you that you can't, who feel bad emotionally for you. And I say relocate because many times some of those people who make us feel bad are family or very close people that you cannot get rid of. But with those exceptions, if things don't work, change the environment, it's that simple. You are solely responsible for choosing the people around you and choosing those who bring you well-being and not tension. The point here is that you look for people who contribute to you and that you are capable of creating a personal core that recharges you, in which you can trust in your difficult moments. Those with a solid nearby nucleus have been shown to live longer and suffer less from stress. To know more: 4 routines to exercise in the office 5. Enjoy nature "I just live in Mexico City", "I just don't have time." Blah, blah, blah. It is clear. If it is really impossible to take a walk around the field from time to time or go to a park to step on a bit of green, what you can do is create pleasant environments in the places where you spend most of your time. Talk to your co-worker who is a connoisseur of feng shui and ask him to organize your office a bit with some oriental touches. Look online for a tutorial to give your house a more relaxed touch, put on relaxed music, take the television out of the room, pick up the house a little more so it does not look like a battlefield, talk to a decorator and repaint your office with pastel colors. Make your workplace a refuge that helps you relax, be calm and recover. If you are able to do these five exercises daily for a month I guarantee that your stress levels will be dramatically reduced. Copyright 2021 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved WASHINGTON (AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin faulted his imprisoned political rival for leaving Russia without legal permission, omitting the vital detail that the departure was, literally, an unconscious decision: Alexei Navalny was in a coma. After meeting President Joe Biden in Geneva, Putin also weighed in on U.S. affairs in distorted ways as he tried to equate the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol with his political opposition at home and argued against the evidence that the United States is a more pernicious source of cyberattacks than his country. Biden overstated the tribulations of his stateside political opponents. Republicans are not a vastly diminished" party, as he contended in trying to assure the Group of Seven major industrial nations and NATO allies that his policies won't be shredded by the next election. A look at the veracity of some statements from Biden's week of diplomacy and his return to the domestic fray: POLITICS BIDEN: I think its appropriate to say that the Republican Party is vastly diminished in numbers." news conference Monday, when asked how he reassures allies that the U.S. will be a reliable partner in future years given former President Donald Trumps enduring influence over the GOP. THE FACTS: No, the Republican Party hasn't withered. Everywhere you look the Senate, the House, governor's offices, statehouses, the 2020 election results it's potent. Biden correctly pointed out fractures in the GOP leadership and ranks brought on by Trump's refusal to concede his presidential election defeat and his stoking of the mob that stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6. Biden's observation that the Trump wing of the party is the bulk of the party also may be true in terms of who exerts the most influence at the moment. But the GOP is far from a spent force. Gallup polling, for example, finds that 29% of Americans surveyed last month identified as Republican compared with 33% who said Democratic. That share is basically unchanged from a year ago. Republicans in November narrowed Democrats margin in the House to single digits by flipping 15 seats while winning in each of the races that had a GOP incumbent. Republicans doubled their low number of women in the House to 31, a record for the party, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, and added new ethnic minority lawmakers as well. The Senate is evenly divided at 50-50. Republican governors lead in 27 states, Democrats in 23. In November, 74 million people voted for Trump, 81 million for Biden. Both vote counts were a record. Elections for the House and numerous Senate seats will be held in November 2022. ___ RUSSIA PUTIN, defending Navalnys imprisonment: This person knew that he was breaching the laws effective in Russia. ... Consciously, I want to underline this, ignoring the demand of the law, this gentleman went abroad for treatment. ... He didnt register with the authorities. ... He knew that he was then being investigated and he came back deliberately. Geneva news conference. THE FACTS: He left the country in a coma; he did not leave Russia by choice. Navalny was taken into custody Jan. 17 when he returned to Russia from five months in Germany where he was recovering from nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin. Navalny fell severely ill on a domestic flight in August and was taken to a Siberian hospital in a coma. Two days later, after resistance from doctors, he was flown to Germany for treatment, still in a coma. Putin, however, implied that Navalny had made a conscious decision to leave the country, ignoring the demand of the law" as he went abroad the treatment. Authorities later determined that Navalnys time abroad violated terms of a suspended sentence he had been handed in an embezzlement case that he says was politically motivated. Nonetheless, he returned to Russia, knowing he faced potential prison time. Navalny is now serving 2 years in prison for violating his suspended sentence terms. After Putins comments, Navalnys wife, Yulia Navalnaya, posted on Instagram a photo of a covered human form on a gurney outside an airplane. I kept a photograph of how Alexei, deliberately ignoring the requirement to be registered at the inspection, went abroad for treatment, she wrote, mocking Putins words. ___ CRIME REP. KEVIN McCARTHY, House Republican leader: Crime is rising in every step of the way. Fox interview Tuesday, in which he contended Americas worse off because of Bidens weakness. THE FACTS: No, crime isnt rising across the board. Violent crime is up. Burglaries and drug offenses are among categories where crime is down. The FBI recorded 25% more homicides in 2020 than in 2019, and 12% more violent assaults. More murders are being seen nationwide, including in some cities that increased police spending and in some cities led by Republicans. McCarthy and other Republicans have tried to blame Democratic defund the police efforts for squeezing police department budgets and enabling crime to rise. But Biden opposes cutting money for policing. He favors giving police departments more money, not less, as long as they adhere to standards of decency. The Democratic-controlled House passed a police overhaul bill in March that avoided diverting money from police departments. It would ban chokeholds and end qualified immunity from lawsuits against police officers, while creating national policing standards. The bill has stalled in the evenly divided Senate, where Republicans oppose it. ___ CYBERATTACKS PUTIN: From American sources, it follows that most of the cyberattacks in the world are carried out from the cyber realm of the United States. Second place is Canada. Then two Latin American countries. Afterward comes Great Britain. Russia is not on the list of countries from where from the cyberspace of which most of the various cyberattacks are carried out. Geneva news conference on Wednesday. THE FACTS: This portrayal defies the record. Russian-based digital malfeasance is well established by U.S. officials and security researchers alike. The most damaging cyberattacks on record have come either from state-backed Russian hackers or Russian-speaking ransomware criminals who operate with impunity in Russia and allied nations. In one such attack, the NotPetya virus did more than $10 billion in economic damage in 2017, hitting shipping giant Maersk, the pharmaceutical company Merck, the food company Mondolez and more. A global ransomware plague has caused tens of billions of dollars of damage in the past 18 months hitting a company, hospital, school or other target about every eight minutes. The May attack on the Colonial Pipeline, which prompted it to cut off fuel supplies to the U.S. East Coast for five days, was the first major attack on U.S. critical infrastructure by a Russia-linked criminal group. While U.S. officials have said they dont believe the Kremlin was directly involved, the Russian-speaking ransomware gangs behind the global scourge enjoy safe harbor in Russia and allied states and some of their members are alleged to have worked directly for Russian security services in espionage operations. As well, Russian intelligence operatives famously interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election by hacking Democratic email accounts and orchestrating the release of those communications to boost Trump's campaign. Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov identified LexisNexis Risk Solutions as the source of his statement that most cyberattacks came from the cyber realm of U.S., Canada and other countries, not Russia. But the authors of that research said their report was actually about criminal online fraud, not attacks such as ransomware that involve penetrating corporate and government networks, so it was not relevant to the issues Biden raised with Putin in Geneva. ___ JAN. 6 PUTIN, on the U.S. Capitol insurrection: People came to the U.S. Congress with political demands after the election. Over 400 people have criminal cases opened against them, theyre facing prison terms of 20, or maybe even up to 25 years. Theyre being called domestic terrorists and accused of a range of other crimes. Seventy of them were immediately after these events, and only 30 of them are still under arrest, unclear on what grounds. Geneva news conference. THE FACTS: His suggestion that dozens of Jan. 6 insurrectionists were arrested and quietly imprisoned for political speech with unclear legal grounds is incorrect. More than 480 people have been arrested in connection with the attack, mostly on federal charges ranging from unlawfully entering the Capitol to conspiracy. They include more than three dozen members and associates of right-wing extremist groups such as the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers. Each of the suspects charged by the Justice Department was arrested based on a criminal complaint signed by a federal judge and requiring investigators prove they have probable cause the person committed a federal crime, or an indictment from a grand jury. The cases have attracted media attention, prosecutors have highlighted many of the arrests with news releases and court records in the U.S. are generally public. The Justice Department also set up a website to list the cases it brought against suspects charged in the attack. It contains links to the charging documents against them. So far, four people charged in the attack have pleaded guilty to federal charges. ___ BIDEN, on Putin comparing the Capitol attack to political opponents trying to undermine him in Russia: I think thats a ridiculous comparison. Its one thing for literally criminals to break through a cordon, go into the Capitol, kill a police officer, and be held unaccountable than it is for people who are marching on a capitol saying, youre not allowing me to speak freely, youre not allowing me to do A, B or C or D. Geneva news conference. THE FACTS: His allegation that attackers killed a police officer is unproven. The truth about the death of Brian Sicknick, a U.S. Capitol Police officer, is more complicated. The District of Columbia medical examiners office ruled that Sicknick died from natural causes, though the stressful circumstances he faced in the melee a day earlier had probably contributed to his condition. Two men have been charged with assaulting and spraying a chemical irritant at Sicknick in the riot. Sicknick had a stroke. The medical examiners determination means that his death is not the result of any injuries. Capitol Police accepted the medical examiners findings but said the ruling didnt change the fact that Sicknick had died in the line of duty, courageously defending Congress and the Capitol. ___ Bajak reported from Boston. Associated Press writers Jim Heintz and Daria Litvinova in Moscow, David Klepper in Providence, Rhode Island, Tom Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa, and Michael Balsamo, Eric Tucker and Colleen Long in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Find AP Fact Checks at http://apnews.com/APFactCheck Amid the pandemic, thousands of companies orchestrated mass layoffs and job terminations, leaving many with no main source of income other than aid. Deemed a temporary but beneficial solution, the government rolled out of federal pandemic unemployment benefits in March 2020 that offered jobless Americans an additional $300 per week. The benefits are slated to expire in September 2021, but some state governors have signed legislature to end benefits in their respective states early as the pandemic begins to wane down and businesses begin to fully reopen. The latest state to make this decision is Louisiana, which will be the first state with a Democratic governor to do so. On Wednesday, Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards signed a bill that will end the supplemental pandemic benefits on July 31st while simultaneously agreeing to raise the states regular unemployment benefits by $28 beginning in 2022. "What we know is that when kids go back to school, parents have more of an opportunity to go back to work without having to worry about child care, Edwards said last week. Iowa, Mississippi and Missouri ended the additional benefits in their state on June 12, with Alabama, Alaska, Indiana, Idaho, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming set to end theirs this week. Edwards had also noted that he was originally thinking about cutting off the pandemic-related aid in August when state schools would be back in session. "Enabling businesses to compete with other businesses for talent rather than an enhanced unemployment program will help fill record-breaking openings and get Louisianans back to work," Adam Knapp, CEO of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, said in a statement. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that nearly 2.7 million Americans have been employed for a full year, per the April jobs report. The same report found that over 4.2 million people were unemployed for over six months. Louisiana currently has a 7.3% unemployment rate. Related: 4 Work Models that Will Define the Post-Pandemic World Copyright 2021 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Every year, Hollywood inevitably comes under criticism for its lack of racial diversity. But another lesser-known yet still pervasive problem also resurfaces: the lack of diversity in skin tone. It happened again with In the Heights, a big-budget film based on the musical created by Lin-Manuel Miranda, which was called out this week for its dearth of dark-skinned, Black Latinos in leading roles. Colorism or discrimination against darker-skinned people within their same ethnic group lurks deep among pretty much all communities with varying levels of melanin. But it doesn't get talked about, and that could be a setback for the racial justice efforts that intensified after the police killing of George Floyd last year. Avoiding the conversation will hinder the battle for racial justice because the two are fully and inextricably linked, said Ellis P. Monk, Jr., a sociology professor at Harvard University who has been researching colorism for years. Monk says the issue is prevalent in all communities of color and has been taboo in part because its uncomfortable to talk about internal strife while also fighting against broader discrimination based on race and ethnicity. In a way, colorism and skin tone stratification is an even more difficult problem to fix because you could make the argument that everyone is involved in the system of colorism, Monk said. If we think about race and racial inequality without taking these skin tone differences seriously, then were actually missing how this system of racial inequality works. Miranda, best known as the creator of the Broadway musical Hamilton and a longtime champion of including Latinos in the arts, recognized his own short-sightedness in addressing colorism and issued an apology. I can hear the hurt and frustration, of feeling still unseen in the feedback, Miranda wrote. I hear that without sufficient dark-skinned Afro-Latino representation, the work feels extractive of the community we wanted so much to represent with pride and joy. The legendary Rita Moreno likewise turned introspective on colorism after she faced backlash in her defense of Miranda when she implied that Latinos should be grateful they're being represented in any fashion. She has since apologized. There is little data that tracks discrimination based on skin tone, and therefore it is hard to quantify just how pervasive colorism is. But the studies that do exist show that people with darker skin have higher incarceration rates, lower access to health care and education and live in poorer neighborhoods, several experts say. Nayeli Chavez, a clinical psychologist and faculty at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, has spent a decade looking into racial differences between ethnic groups. We have been socialized from childhood to look down on darker skin, on indigenous features, Chavez said. As a psychologist who has dedicated her career to helping people heal from racial trauma, Chavez sees how avoiding the topic of colorism is detrimental and says there is a false assumption in Latin America that because those places were colonized and its people are of mixed races, there is no racism. The key to changing behavior is by teaching history accurately and admitting that those biases exist. Racial justice begins with our own community. It literally begins in our own families, Chavez said. This is an area that theres so little about. We are barely like touching the tip of the iceberg. Nancy Lopez, a professor of sociology at the University of New Mexico, said one way Latinos and other communities of color can begin to address colorism is by asking themselves a simple question: what is your street race? Street race refers to the race someone assumes you are when youre walking down the street and they know nothing else about you. Take former President Barack Obama, who is half-white. Someone who saw him in the street would likely see him as Black his street race. Lopez, who also directs and co-founded the Institute for the Study of Race and Social Justice at UNM, said the concept of street race affects family dynamics, too. Two siblings from the same parents may have different skin tones and therefore different experiences in how theyre perceived and treated, Lopez said. Reflecting on your street race is one way of practicing solidarity with those siblings, cousins, partners, relatives who may be racialized very differently than you, may be experiencing racializing in a very different way, she said. While some may find calling attention to colorism divisive, Lopez says its the opposite. If communities dont talk about it, theyre not in total solidarity, she said. In a speech, President Biden celebrated the U.S. reaching a milestone 300 million vaccinations in 150 days while warning communities with low vaccination rates that they will be very hurt by the Covid-19 variants that are spreading across the globe. I see an important milestone that just didnt happen on its own or by chance, Biden told reporters at the White House on Friday. It took the ingenuity of American scientists, full capacity of American companies and whole government response across federal, state, tribal and local governments. But, the president cautioned people who are not fully vaccinated that they will be especially vulnerable to the Covid-19 Delta variant. People getting seriously ill and being hospitalized due to Covid-19 are those who have not been fully vaccinated, he said. [The Delta variant] is a variant that is more easily transmissible, potentially deadlier, and particularly dangerous for young people. The president encouraged people who have not yet completed vaccination to Get vaccinated now, now. Currently, the nation is on track to miss the presidents July 4th goal of having 70 percent of American adults vaccinated. According to the most recent CDC data, 65.1 percent of Americans over the age of 18 have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, also issued a warning about the Delta variant on Friday, saying it will likely become the dominant strain in the United States. When these viruses mutate, they do so with some advantage to the virus. In this case, it is more transmissible, Walensky said in an appearance on Good Morning America. [The Delta variant is] more transmissible than the Alpha variant, or the U.K. variant, that we have here. We saw that quickly become the dominant strain in a period of one or two months [in other countries], and I anticipate that is going to be what happens with the Delta strain here. Vice President Kamala Harris was also pushing vaccination on Friday during an appearance at a vaccine clinic at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. When you get the vaccine for yourself, that means that you will not possibly pass it on to somebody else in general because youre unlikely to get Covid, the vice president said, adding, Isnt that an extension of love thy neighbor? Clinics like the one at Ebenezer Baptist are designed at reducing racial disparities in vaccination rates. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of CDC data, across 40 states, white people were receiving vaccines at rates 1.4 times higher than black people and 1.2 times higher than Hispanic people. Even as the U.S. celebrates reaching 300 million vaccinations and the White House touts a 90 percent decrease in Covid-19 deaths since Bidens inauguration, the nation marked a more somber milestone earlier this week as its Covid-19 death count exceeded 600,000 deaths from the virus. Click here to read the full article. As the highly transmissible Covid-19 Delta variant has spread to 74 countries in just six months since its discovery, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky is warning Americans that the strain will become the predominant variant in the months ahead in the United States. The Delta variant is believed to be 43 to 90 percent more transmissible than the previous Covid-19 strains and is now the dominant strain both in India and in the United Kingdom. When asked on CNN this week why the Delta variant is responsible for 99 percent of the new cases in the U.K. and if she sees that happening in the U.S., Walensky compared the strain to one that hit the U.S. previously. So this is exactly what happens here with the B.1.1.7 or U.K. variant, Walensky said. Turns out when these viruses mutate and these variants take hold, they generally do so because it has some advantage to the virus. Walensky continued, When it has that advantage that is more transmissible, you see exactly what youre seeing now. So, the U.K. variant was more transmissible. That is now nearly 70 percent of the virus here. We know that the Delta variant is even more transmissible than the U.K. variant, and I anticipate that will be the predominant variant in the months ahead. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said she anticipates the Delta variant first identified in India will be the predominant variant in the months ahead in the US. https://t.co/z84AwuIaxD pic.twitter.com/hVVhQnPnNC CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) June 18, 2021 On Friday, President Biden addressed the issue and cautioned Americans who are not fully vaccinated that they will be especially vulnerable to the Delta variant. People getting seriously ill and being hospitalized due to Covid-19 are those who have not been fully vaccinated, Biden said. [The Delta variant] is a variant that is more easily transmissible, potentially deadlier, and particularly dangerous for young people. Walensky said those who are fully vaccinated, having received both shots of either Pfizer or Modernas vaccine, are protected from the Delta variant. But results from studies that are underway are needed to know whether or not the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine is effective against the strain. The first thing to know is the vaccines that we have now, the Moderna and the Pfizer vaccines, we do know that after two doses you are protected from the Delta variant, the director said. And studies are underway now to examine the Johnson & Johnson [vaccine]. We just dont have as much data with that vaccine. Sign up for Rolling Stone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed the section of the states budget that funds the Texas Legislature on Friday. Its a move that Abbott threatened to make when state Democrats walked out of a legislative session, breaking quorum in order to block the passage of a restrictive voting bill from being passed last month. According to the Texas Tribune, the governors veto could affect the paychecks of not only the states lawmakers but their staff members and the budgets of legislative agencies. Texans dont run from a legislative fight, and they dont walk away from unfinished business, Abbott said in a statement. Funding should not be provided for those who quit their job early, leaving their state with unfinished business and exposing taxpayers to higher costs for an additional legislative session. I therefore object to and disapprove of these appropriations. State Democrats objected to Senate Bill 7, legislation that would severely suppress the vote in Texas by limiting voting hours, eliminating 24-hour polling stations and setting restrictions on access to mail-in voting. The Texas Tribune also points out that the constitutionality of Abbotts unprecedented veto has come into question and was condemned by the House Democratic Caucus Chair Chris Turner of Grand Prairie, who called the action an abuse of power. Texas has a governor, not a dictator, Turner said in a statement. The tyrannical veto of the legislative branch is the latest indication that [Abbott] is simply out of control. Texas legislators make $600 per month plus a $221 per diem each day the legislature is in session. Pride Month is in full swing and after a year in lockdown, what better way to celebrate than to patronize a local LGBTQ-owned business? While many companies recognize Pride with a new rainbow paint job on their logos, this year, let's celebrate by giving back to the businesses that work hard year-round to be inclusive and serve queer clients. SOUL FOOD: Here's where you can get some of the best soul food in Houston Here's a list of 11 LGBTQ-owned businesses around Houston, from fashion houses to dance studios and restaurants to yoga retreats. Anthony Ferrell and Alan Lett, Owners When it comes to high-quality customized shirts, no company does it better than AF Custom Shirts. Apart from excellent apparel, Ferrell and his husband Lett provide monthly training to small businesses with videos and seminars to help them learn how to use resources that are readily available to them. Rosa Montereal, Owner At one of the few trans-owned businesses in the Houston area, Montereal provides top-notch haircuts at an affordable price. She is a professional master stylist, creative colorist and amazing barber. Christopher Barry, Owner Buddys is more than just a gay bar in Houston. Buddys provides fantastic events every month that vary from fashion shows to steak nights, to its popular Karaoke nights. Michael Dorsey and Chih Lin, Owners Dumpling Dudez Looking for a unique dumpling experience? Look no further than Dumpling Dudez. Where else can you get rainbow dumplings in the Houston area? Dorsey and his husband Lin, in their cooking classes, help people create lasting memories and delicious dumplings. This is part of the magic that happens when you attend a class with the Dumpling Dudez. Juan Quintero, Owner HortiProcess, dedicated to the specialty coffee and tropical fruit industry, highlights tradition and culture through the gastronomy of the tropics. For Pride Month, use the promotional code PRIDE for 35 percent off. Antonio and Diego Chiarello, Owners This Italian cafe features gorgeous pastries that remind us of the beauty Italy has to offer. Diego, an esteemed chef, shares his love of his culture and homeland at La Sicilia. This establishment captures the American essence of baked goods and merges them wonderfully with his specialties from Sicily. Charles Armstrong, Owner JRs Bar and Grill is one of the most talked about gay bars in Houston. Offering a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community, this establishment promotes local artists and DJs from the queer community. JRs continues to be a destination for a good time, Pride month or not. Perfecto Ramirez, Owner Owned and operated by Ramirez, Sky Dreams Dance Studio provides everyone an enjoyable experience. His dance choreography encourages kids and adults to understand the importance of being responsible, committed and hard-working. By motivating local kids and adults to understand the concept of teamwork, he not only teaches them how to dance but also builds confidence and allows them to explore different genres of music and cultures. Tamika & Lenie Caston-Miller, Owners Annie Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Contributor This wellness community creates a space where BIPOC and LGBTQ+ people can feel seen, heard and empowered. The facility allows members to reconnect with nature and each other through art and yoga. In addition, they offer free and dramatically discounted services for any paid workshop or event at TRH for those who need it most. All proceeds go back to funding scholarships and education programs for the community. Krysten Mabry, Owner Mabry works hard to create an environment where everyone can improve themselves through the practice of yoga. With classes focusing on fitness, mindfulness and recovery, what better way to spend a Monday night? Julie Mabry, Owner Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer One of the last lesbian bars in Texas, and one of the last 21 in the U.S., the Pearl Bar serves as a hangout for many. Now with a more inclusive vibe, non-stop parties and awesome drinks, it is an environment where everyone is appreciated and accepted. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) Five people were wounded in two separate shooting incidents in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Friday night, police say. The first shooting involved a disturbance between two "known groups at a mall carnival, where three juveniles were transported to a hospital, Colorado Springs police tweeted. AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Texas Gov. Greg Abbott followed through on his threat and vetoed Friday the new state budget's line item providing for legislative staff pay. The Republican governor had threatened the veto after a walkout by House Democrats in the final hours of the regular legislative session. The walkout denied a House quorum to vote on controversial voting restrictions that Abbott had prioritized. Texans dont run from a legislative fight, and they dont walk away from unfinished business, Abbott said in Friday's veto message. Funding should not be provided for those who quit their job early, leaving their state with unfinished business and exposing taxpayers to higher costs for an additional legislative session. However, a summer special session already was expected so the Legislature can redraw district lines for congressional, legislative and other government offices. The budget is to take effect on Sept. 1. Abbott is expected to push the voting restrictions bill gain during the summer special session. Rep. Chris Turner, the Grand Prairie Democrat who chairs the House Democratic Caucus, engineered the walkout. In a statement Friday, he called Abbott's veto tyrannical and the latest indication the Republican governor is out of control. The caucus is considering all of its options, Turner said, including immediate legal options. Lets be clear, he said. "Vetoing the legislative branch will cause direct harm to Texans. Members of the Legislature provide vital services in our districts helping single parents receive child support payments, assisting a family with healthcare enrollment for their children or resolving a driver license issue. Our constituent services are the lifeblood of our public service, something Abbott should try learning about. By placing a termination date on the employment of all legislative staff, the governor is cutting off services to millions of Texans. Messages seeking comment from House Speaker Dade Phelan and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presides over the Senate, were not immediately returned. Both are Republicans. VATICAN CITY (AP) Robert Schuman, a French statesman who paved the way for the bloc that eventually evolved into European Union, has moved ahead on the Catholic churchs path toward possible sainthood. The Vatican said Pope Francis on Saturday approved a decree declaring the heroic virtues of Schuman, a former prime minister, finance minister and foreign minister for France after World War II. In 1950, as foreign minister, he developed a plan to promote European economic unity in hopes of furthering peace. Schuman died in 1963 after serving as the first president of the forerunner of the European Parliament. The pope's decision means Schuman can be called venerable by the Catholic faithful. It is one of several steps in a usually long process that can result in sainthood. The European Commission website describes Schuman as one of the founding fathers of European unity,'' hailing him as the architect of the project of European integration." The Vatican described Schuman as a man of Catholic faith. Behind the action of the public man, there was the interiority of the man who lived the sacraments, who, when he could, would take to an abbey, who would reflect on the sacred Word before finding the shape of his political words, it said. Born in Luxembourg in 1886 to a Luxembourg mother and a French father in a area annexed by Germany, he was a German citizen at birth. After World War I, when the area was returned to France, Schuman became a French citizen. A lawyer and a member of the French National Assembly, Schuman was arrested in 1940 by the German Gestapo after the German occupation of France, but escaped in 1942. The European Commission biography of him notes his activity in the French Resistance. After the war, Schuman served as finance minister, prime minister, foreign minister and justice minister. On May 9, 1950, Schuman gave a speech pitching cooperation between European nations to help converge their economic interests. Such cooperation, especially involving France and Germany, he argued, would make another war on the continent both unthinkable and impossible. His plan helped see the realization of the 1952 European Coal and Steel Community, a forerunner of the Common Market formed in 1958. Last year, noting the 70th anniversary of his speech, which became known as the Schuman Declaration, Francis praised the statesman's legacy. Francis said from that point on there came a long period of stability and peace which we benefit from today. LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. (AP) A 16-year-old California boy has died after suffering critical injuries when his personal watercraft collided with a boat on Arizona's Lake Havasu last weekend. The Mohave County Sheriffs Office said Friday that Jorge Contreras of Rialto, California was pronounced dead at a Las Vegas hospital on Tuesday. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) For 20 years, Sacramentos Black community has organized a Juneteenth festival to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. The celebration features a parade, talent show, food and health fair, and even a golf tournament. Its a meaningful undertaking for Gary Simon, executive director of the event, but this years Juneteenth carried even more significance for him. This is the first Juneteenth where its being recognized nationally and socially, by the masses and not just within our community, Simon said. Weve seen an uptick in non-Black folks coming here for the last several years, and Im seeing the difference in just the conversations taking place today. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, two months after the Confederacy had surrendered. It was about 2 1/2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in Southern states. President Joe Biden on Thursday signed a bill creating Juneteenth National Independence Day. Since June 19 fell on a Saturday, the government observed the holiday Friday. Santa Clara County became the first county in the state to close offices and give employees the day off with pay to recognize the holiday. In San Francisco, an art installation inspired by America's moment of racial reckoning was unveiled on the eve of Juneteenth. The work consisting of 350 sculptures, representing the first Africans who were sold into slavery, surrounded the site of a Francis Scott Key sculpture that was toppled by protesters angered by the police killing of George Floyd a year ago. Juneteenth offered the first major opportunity to party in public after California lifted all coronavirus restrictions and reopened Tuesday. In the Los Angeles area, people flocked to a car parade in Inglewood and a jubilant street festival in Leimert Park, the civic heart of the city's Black community, as it reopened Saturday for the first time in three years. UPPER ST. CLAIR, Pa. (AP) Officials say a falling tree branch struck and killed a woman and seriously injured her husband in a western Pennsylvania park. Upper St. Clair Township officials said the two were hiking along the Morton Ravine Trail in the township's Boyce Mayview Park on Thursday evening. Officials said the woman succumbed to her injuries early Friday morning. There was no immediate word on the condition of her husband. As Gustavo Irizarry walked the dark streets of Adjuntas, Puerto Rico, he thought of the wife and children he was forced to leave at 3 a.m. to turn on his pizza restaurant's generator. Across the island, nearly 1 million people were left in the dark after a fire broke out June 10 at the Monacillos electrical substation - the first of two massive power outages to hit Puerto Rico in the span of a week, sparking anger at the island's new private utility operator and rekindling fears of another prolonged blackout. Irizarry worried for his safety as he hurried through his hometown - known as the "city of the sleeping giant" in reference to the rolling mountains nearby - while also fretting over food left in the fridge and the growing list of appliances lost to unexpected voltage changes. "We're already running out of resources to be able to continue producing, and it's going to unleash a chain of problems," he said. "The cost of all products has increased due to the pandemic. Now, without electricity, costs are going to increase even more." Nearly four years after Hurricane Maria pummeled Puerto Rico's electrical grid, leaving some in the dark for almost a year, frustration over the island's still fragile power supply is mounting. Many are turning their anger to LUMA Energy, the consortium between North American companies Atco and Quanta Services that took over Puerto Rico's power transmission and distribution system earlier this month. Gov. Pedro Pierluisi has asked citizens to give the company time to adjust, but for residents like Irizarry, the recent blackouts are a stark reminder that Puerto Rico remains vastly unprepared for another major storm as hurricane season gets underway. Many are now scurrying to purchase diesel, generators and control transformers after a second outage Wednesday left 347,616 people without power. LUMA did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Washington Post, but Jose Perez Velez, LUMA's external affairs adviser, told El Nuevo Dia that the company had inherited a frail system and that its daily breakdowns stem from the network's "advanced deterioration." Impatient and upset, many Puerto Ricans have flooded social media to express their anger. Community organizations, labor unions and civil society members held a small protest Friday to demand the cancellation of LUMA's contract. Irizarry said the latest electrical woes have made him feel forgotten. The outages have reduced the hours his business is able to operate. The unreliable electricity damaged the freezer where he stored pizza ingredients. "The government should have consulted with citizens and small business owners on how it was going to make this transition," Irizarry said. "Neither the governor nor LUMA listens to us, and I feel marginalized. I want to provide a service. I want to give my best for the country, but if they don't listen to us, I can't." Hurricane Maria's ravaging winds severely weakened Puerto Rico's already outdated energy infrastructure when it struck the island in 2017. The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA), the government-owned company tasked with the generating, transmitting and distributing electricity, struggled in the aftermath to provide reliable service, having essentially filed for bankruptcy even before the storm. With Puerto Ricans simultaneously facing habitual outages and expensive energy costs, the government awarded LUMA a 15-year contract to streamline the island's power grid. Its mission statement: "To provide reliable electrical energy and transform the system that illuminates [ . . .] every corner of Puerto Rico." LUMA billed Puerto Rico's government $159 million during the year-long preparation period before formally beginning to operate the network, which represented a 20.2 percent increase from the projected billing amount, according to NotiCel, an island digital media outlet. Arturo Massol-Deya, executive director of Casa Pueblo, a project seeking to provide communities with solar energy, said the island is facing an energy situation akin to what it has experienced after being hit by a natural disaster. He said despite the preexisting challenges, LUMA isn't devoid of responsibility. "We are talking about scenarios where voltage changes have been dramatic and they have destroyed medical equipment and burned down houses," he said. "The Monacillos explosion - the nucleus of the energy distribution system - is like a culmination of the technical incompetence of this company." Several municipal mayors have declared states of emergency, citing inconsistent electricity since LUMA took over. Though LUMA released a statement asking municipal authorities to refrain from resolving energy issues on their own, Aguadilla's mayor, Julio Roldan, decided to take matters into his own hands after some of his constituents reported facing up to 11 consecutive days without power. In an interview with Telemundo, Roldan said he will utilize $200,000 to send local linemen brigades to make repairs, and will also provide affected residents with $100 to $200 to replace damaged food and medicines. "Here, we the mayors, we're the ones battling. We are the line of defense for our communities," Roldan said. "Without a doubt this has been a complete disorganization, a total failure of the central government in terms of the LUMA decision." On Thursday morning, Yvonne Santiago, a San Juan-based graphic illustrator, woke up to the sound of her apart air conditioning suddenly shutting down. Almost automatically she reached over to turn on the battery-powered fan she bought after Hurricane Maria left her in the dark for months. Part of her was eerily accustomed to Puerto Rico's blackouts; but she also grew anxious thinking about what would happen if another storm struck the island. "We have Hurricane Maria PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder]," Santiago said. "These past massive outages have given me flashbacks from Maria, and I feel like I'm living through it again - sitting at home unable to work, not eating because I'm afraid of spoiling the food inside the fridge." With hurricane season already underway, Santiago panics over what could happen to the power grid. "I try not to think about it because I cry and get anxiety attacks, but, if we get hit by a hurricane as bad as Maria, it will take us so far back that we'll be able to see Christopher Columbus' ships," Santiago said. According to the emergency response plan LUMA submitted to the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau, the company has the necessary staffing and resources to respond to a Category 2 Hurricane. It also indicated that it has signed two mutual aid agreements in case the island is hit by a stronger storm. However, with the prospect of an active hurricane season looming over, some are not so optimistic about the future. "We don't know if we're ready," Massol-Deya said. "We have this huge, widespread anxiety. I mean, when Maria hit, more than 3,000 people died, partly due to the collapse of the electrical system - imagine what would happen if we're actually not prepared." LONDON, Ky. (AP) A federal jury ruled that two Kentucky constables violated peoples rights by illegally searching or detaining them and taking money or other property without going through the legal process. Pulaski County constables Michael Wally Wallace and Gary E. Baldock were convicted Friday of conspiring to violate civil rights and one charge each of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported. Mary Altaffer/AP GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (AP) A Long Island police commissioner said Friday he wont resign over comments to Newsday blaming the lack of diversity in his police department on Black and Hispanic broken homes. Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder told reporters that he serves at the pleasure of the county executive, Laura Curran, and will remain on the job as long as she has me. SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. (AP) In 1964, a white German shepherd scratched at the doors of a house at 701 East 11th St. in Scottsbluff. Three years earlier in Sacramento, California, seven of the 11 members of the Martinez family were staying at a hotel as they tried to figure out their next steps after leaving Scottsbluff and heading west. They took their white German shepherd named Chinook with them. While Chinook was a family dog, one Martinez brother, Antonio, had the deepest connection with him. He spent three of his teen years taking care of, playing with and raising the dog, oftentimes alongside his brother Rick. He also liked Chinook. And it was, it was he and I who played with Chinook all the time. So it was the three of us always together, he told the Star-Herald. But for me, it was a personal thing with Chinook. He was my dog from my heart. He was a family dog from the soul also, as well for everybody else. But for me, I accepted that with me, he was my friend and he was he was Chinook, the white German shepherd. And the one dog that I (will) love til the day I die. Thats why, when Chinook strayed from his walk with Antonios sister in Sacramento that fateful night, Antonio was devastated. We advertise, we call the media, we went back and forth checking, he said. Nothing of the dog. Nobody heard anything. Nobody knew anything. After much searching, the Martinez family finally felt like they had to accept that Chinook was gone for good. The seven family members ended up staying in Sacramento, keeping a sliver of hope in the backs of their minds that theyd get a phone call from someone someday saying they found a white German shepherd. Of course, they were expecting the phone call from someone in Sacramento or the surrounding areas not from someone over 1,400 miles away. Three years later, Calvin Freouf of Scottsbluff called Ben Martinez, one of the family members who stayed behind but lived at a different house in Scottsbluff. Freouf was a neighbor to the Martinez family before they left the house, and he was the one who discovered the white German shepherd sniffing around the old Martinez home in March 1964. Ben headed over right away. When he arrived, he called, Chinook! and the dog came bounding over to him. He responded to his name and to several commands given by Ben. He even seemed to recognize Bens son, Ben Jr., who was only two years old when Chinook left Scottsbluff for Sacramento. Somehow, someway, Chinook managed to trek halfway across the country through desert, mountains and more to come back home. When the rest of the Martinez family who had been on the initial California trip got the news that Chinook was back, they couldnt believe it. Antonio, who had since moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the military and was now working at a brokerage firm, jumped on the next flight out to see his long-lost pup. To this day, we wonder what really brought him back with all those miles. (It) could have been because of the family members some were missing, only seven of us were there. And maybe he missed mom, maybe he wanted to be more comfortable, he said nearly 60 years later. But going through mountains and rivers and wild animals, no food, no water and people picking him up and not knowing whether he would live or die. I dont know how he did it. Antonio told the Star-Herald that as soon as he saw his dog, he hugged him like hed never let go again. But he would have to eventually. Chinooks journey told Antonio that he belonged in Scottsbluff, so Chinook lived out the rest of his days with Bens family. Chinooks journey received national and international media attention, including numerous magazines and newspapers, a publication from Ripleys Believe It or Not! and a 2013 book called Four-Legged Miracles by Brad Steiger and Sherry Hansen Steiger. Eight years later on the day after Christmas, Ben Jr. found Chinook dead next to a pond not far from their house. He had been in bad health and wandered from home not long before, most likely to die, the family thought. For Antonio, Chinook couldnt leave the world behind without something to preserve his legacy. So, he, with the help of the Panhandle Humane Society, friends and the community, placed a memorial at the Panhandle Humane Society in the dogs honor in 1982. The memorial was donated by a dog-loving memorial company owner in Milwaukee that a friend of Antonios knew. He says, Im going to do it for you. I have a granite stone four feet, 1,800 pounds or whatever in the warehouse sitting there that had a mistake, and it should go to somebody because I can erase all of that printing and put new letters and whatever kind of epitaph you might want, Antonio recalled. Tell Tony to give me what he wants on there. After Antonio sent him the words for the memorial, he shipped it to Scottsbluff. His generosity was so amazing that he offered to deliver it from Milwaukee to Scottsbluff whether it came by train, plane or truck, but he did it, Antonio said. He says, Im going to do that for you because I love dogs, and I love this story. The memorial still stands at the southeast corner of the Panhandle Humane Society at 126 S. Beltline Highway West to this day. Antonio, along with his son Ricardo, recently visited the memorial to this special dog. Antonio said hes had other dogs since Chinook, most of them also being white German shepherds, but none of them came close to the same bond he had with his childhood best friend. Thats why Antonio wants Chinooks legend to live on. Just as the memorial reads, Chinooks three-year journey gives added meaning to the concept of mans best friend. When asked if he ever had a similar connection to another dog as he had with Chinook, Antonio said, Never. I just (felt) the closest to him that I felt in my heart, he said. He was loving. He was that dog that you just wanted to hug all the time, because you think hes a protector. All of those things go with you. I just loved him. WAVELAND, Miss. (AP) A Mississippi coast city is considering installing surveillance cameras on its properties in an effort to decrease crime. The thought is the cameras will catch people who vandalize city parks, the lighthouse and other public properties, Waveland Mayor Mike Smith told WLOX-TV. Police think the cameras would be an asset for them. Smith said that the Waveland Lighthouse and public bathrooms are targets of repeated vandalism, resulting in a financial drain on the city. The idea has received a mixed reaction from residents and visitors. Some people feel the cameras are a smart move. It is a good protection," tourist Michael Pugh told the television station. "Everyone is against it until it happens to them. Then they will cry for the police and wonder why we are not getting any help. Waveland resident Pat Erickson said the increase in violent crime happening in the state has been frightening and she supports any ideas that could deter it from continuing. There are too many murders in the towns up and down the coast right now," she said. Others see it as a risk to their privacy, and would like a town hall meeting before Waveland invests in cameras, Smith said. Smith said the city is exploring all options and taking residents' feedback into consideration. PARIS (AP) French police clashed with party-goers as they tried to break up an unauthorized rave in western France, authorities said Saturday. A 22-year-old man lost his hand and several others were injured amid the violence, including police. The tensions erupted in a field near the Brittany town of Redon on Friday night, just two days before France lifts an overnight virus curfew that's been in place for more than eight months and has prompted growing frustration among young people. Police repeatedly fired tear gas and charged clusters of violent partygoers who hurled metal balls, gasoline bombs and other projectiles at security forces, according to images shared online and comments by the top government official in the region, prefect Emmanuel Berthier. Local authorities estimated about 1,500 people took part in the event despite a local ordinance banning it. Berthier accused the attendees of extreme and inexcusable violence. It took police more than seven hours to disperse the crowd and authorities were still evacuating people from the field Saturday morning, Berthier told reporters. Regional prosecutor Philippe Astruc said three investigations are under way into the clashes, including how the 22-year-old lost his hand. Regional gendarme chief Pierre Sauvegrain told France-Info radio that the man was believed to have picked up an object that exploded. Other investigations are probing violence that left five police officers injured, and looking into who organized the party. An underground New Years Eve rave party in the same area drew at least 2,500 people and led to multiple arrests. Participants in Friday night's event said they were honoring a man killed in 2019 as police cleared out another unauthorized party in the nearby city of Nantes. The tough stance by French police against such raves has grown tougher amid virus restrictions. France has been gradually lifting restrictions in recent weeks as infections wane and vaccinations rise. France's curfew, among the strictest and longest in Europe, is set to expire on Sunday. Revelers have defied authorities and staged rogue parties in multiple European countries as the weather warms and frustrations with virus restrictions mount. In neighboring Germany, about 4,000 people came together at a park in Hamburg on Friday night, drinking and celebrating despite current pandemic rules banning such big groups. Police tried appealing to people several times to go home but when their calls were ignored, officers decided to clear the park, the German news agency dpa reported Saturday. Police were attacked with bottles and two officers were slightly injured, but most people had left by 1 a.m., police said. ___ Follow all AP stories about the global pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) Armenia's leader is facing a tough challenge at the polls after a humiliating defeat for Armenian forces in last year's fighting with Azerbaijan over the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called the early election for Sunday, seeking to assuage public anger over the peace deal he signed in November that triggered months of protests demanding his resignation. The Moscow-brokered agreement ended six weeks of fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces, but saw Azerbaijan reclaim control over large parts of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas that had been held by Armenian forces for more than a quarter-century. The deal was celebrated as a major triumph in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku, but thousands of Armenians took to the streets in Yerevan and denounced it as a betrayal of their national interests. This is very much a referendum or an election defined by security or more correctly, insecurity given the unexpected and very much unprecedented loss in the war for Nagorno-Karabakh, Richard Giragosian, director of the Yerevan-based Regional Studies Center, told The Associated Press. The attack by Azerbaijan, with Turkish military support, has redefined the political landscape in Armenia. Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but was under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by the government in Yerevan since a separatist war between the two Caucasus Mountains neighbors ended in 1994, leaving the region and substantial surrounding territory in Armenian hands. Hostilities flared in late September 2020, and the Azerbaijani military pushed deep into Nagorno-Karabakh and nearby areas in six weeks of fighting involving heavy artillery and drones that killed more than 6,000 people. Pashinyan, who came to power after leading large street protests in 2018 that ousted his predecessor, has defended the deal as a painful but necessary move that prevented Azerbaijan from overrunning the entire Nagorno-Karabakh region. He stepped down as prime minister as required by law to hold the early vote but has remained in charge as acting prime minister. In Sunday's election, more than 2,000 polling stations will open across Armenia, with nearly 2.6 million people eligible to vote. The ballot includes 21 political parties and four electoral blocs, but two political forces are seen as the main contenders: the ruling Civic Contract party led by Pashinyan and the Armenia alliance, led by former President Robert Kocharyan. Both have used harsh rhetoric while campaigning. Kocharyan suggested a duel against Pashinyan with any type of weapon instead of debates, while Pashinyan brandished a hammer at his rallies, promising political vendettas and staff purges, referring to officials supporting the opposition as rusty nails. Recent media reports cite polls showing Pashinyans party and Kocharyans bloc neck and neck, and it's unclear if either will be able to win 54% of parliament seats necessary to form a government. Pashinyan, a 46-year-old former journalist, seemingly continues to enjoy broad support despite the humiliating defeat in Nagorno-Karabakh and demonstrations demanding his resignation. When opposition protests swelled in Yerevan, he drew thousands into the streets to rally in his support. During his final campaign rally Thursday, Pashinyan told supporters in Yerevan that he has visited all corners of Armenia and spoken to tens of thousands of people. After eight months of hell, exhausted and followed by threats, curses and insults, we entered this election race. And the Armenian people welcomed us, as one welcomes relatives returning from captivity, Pashinyan told a crowd of about 20,000. Kocharyan, a Nagorno-Karabakh native who was president between 1998 and 2008, ran on promises of reinforcing the countrys shaken security, encouraging economic growth and reconciling a society divided by the war and the political tensions. We must overcome the loser complex, Kocharyan said at a campaign rally. Were rejecting the crisis, rejecting the hatred, rejecting life on our knees! Alexander Iskandaryan, founding director of the Yerevan-based Caucasus Institute, believes that those who would vote for Kocharyan don't support him as much as they dislike Pashinyan. Its not about people who love Kocharyan. Maybe there are some, but not a lot. The majority of people who would vote for Kocharyan are people who hate Pashinyan, Iskandaryan told the AP. Voters, in the meantime, remain polarized. Some continue to back Pashinyan and believe it is time to leave the bitter defeat behind. The back of our nation is broken, but we are strong. We have already seen three wars. But life goes on and we will always honor those who died, said Nelli Karapetyan, a Pashinyan supporter from the city of Sisian. Others say Kocharyan needs to win in order for Armenia to do well. We want Armenia to be strong, ... and all prisoners of war to come back. I want Kocharyan to be elected and Armenia to prosper," Mariam Gevorgyan told the AP at a rally Friday. We came (to the rally) to free our homeland from the defeatist (Pashinyan), added Narek Markosyan, who also attended the rally. He can't stay, period. Just period. He can't stay in our homeland. And some cannot get past the war with Azerbaijan. Anahit Aleqyan, a 65-year-old from the village of Shurnkh in southern Armenia, says she will vote for anyone who will make (Azerbaijan President Ilham) Aliyev shut up. Her village was cut in two by a newly defined border with Azerbaijan, and she lost her house in the peace deal. Every day I come here to gather thyme, look at (my house) and cry, she lamented. __ Associated Press writer Daria Litvinova in Moscow contributed. MOSCOW (AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday said his foreign minister and his defense minister will head the candidates list for the dominant United Russia party in Septembers parliamentary election. By placing Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on the list, Putin aims to increase voter enthusiasm for the party whose support has been waning. The Sept. 19 election for all 450 seats in the Duma, the lower house of parliament, is widely seen as an important part of Putins efforts to cement his rule ahead of the 2024 presidential election. The 68-year-old leader, who has been in power for more than two decades, pushed through constitutional changes last year that would potentially allow him to hold onto power until 2036. Both Shoigu and Lavrov have substantial popularity for their firm positions on the military and and challenges to the West. Being on the party list does not oblige them to take parliament seats if elected. Notably absent from the list announced at a party convention was Dmitry Medvedev, the former president and prime minister who is United Russias chairman. Medvedev left the premiership in January 2020 and took the less-visible post of deputy chairman of the national security council. Although United Russia dominates the countrys politics and is Putins power base, its support is dipping. A survey in April by the independent pollster Levada Center found only 42% of voters would vote for the party in the parliamentary election. Ahead of the September election, Russian authorities have moved to stifle opposition, most notably by outlawing the organizations founded by imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny. That prevents people associated with Navalnys Foundation for Fighting Corruption and his sprawling regional network from seeking public office. Many of Navalnys allies had hoped to run for parliamentary seats in September. OPELIKA, Ala. (AP) An armed 20-year-old man was fatally shot early Saturday during a standoff with sheriffs deputies and Alabama state troopers, authorities said. Alabama Law Enforcement Agency troopers identified the slain man as Jeff Melvin of Salem, an unincorporated community that's part of the Auburn metropolitan area. Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones said deputies received a 911 call just after 1 a.m. from a motorist who reported that there was a man with a gun near the road. When deputies arrived, they found Melvin armed with a shotgun, news outlets reported. Deputies told Melvin several times to drop the weapon, but he refused, according to Jones. He continued to hold the weapon and racked the action on the weapon to chamber a round," Jones said. As additional deputies arrived, they continued to try to get Melvin to drop the gun. Negotiations continued for nearly two hours when Melvin pointed the gun at officers, Jones said. At that point, officers fired. Melvin was pronounced dead at a local hospital. No officers were injured. Melvin's mother told authorities that her son suffered from mental health issues. Jones said he spoke with Melvins mother and offered his condolences. I believe there were extensive efforts undertaken to communicate with this individual prior to the shooting," Jones said. ALEAs State Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation into the shooting, which is standard for officer-involved shootings. Once the investigation is complete, the findings will be turned over to the Lee County District Attorneys Office. SHOW LOW, Ariz. (AP) A driver in a pickup truck plowed into bicyclists during a community road race in Arizona on Saturday, critically injuring several riders before police chased the driver and shot him outside a nearby hardware store, authorities said. Six people were taken to a hospital in critical condition after the crash in the mountain town of Show Low, about a three-hour drive northeast of Phoenix, police said. Helmets, shoes and crumpled and broken bicycles were strewn across the street after the crash, and a tire was wedged into the grill of the truck, which had damage to its top and sides and a bullet hole in a window. Two other people went to a hospital themselves, city spokeswoman Grace Payne said, and one of the severely injured was later flown by medical helicopter to a Phoenix-area hospital. The suspect, a 35-year-old man, also was hospitalized in critical but stable condition. We dont know the motivation, Payne told The Associated Press. We know he fled the scene. Police said a Ford pickup truck struck the bicyclists about 7:25 a.m. in downtown Show Low during the annual 58-mile (93-kilometer) Bike the Bluff race, then fled. Officers pursued the driver and tried to stop him before he was shot, authorities said. Tony Quinones, 55, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, told the New York Times that he had been riding for about six minutes with other cyclists ages 55 and over when a black pickup that had been driving in the opposite direction crossed over three lanes and headed toward the cyclists. He assumed the driver was turning into a parking lot. Instead, the driver plowed directly into the cyclists who had been ahead of Quinones, he said. I dont know who the heck this guy is, or what his motive was, Quinones told the Times. But he intentionally did not go left into a parking lot. He drove his truck directly and intentionally into our group, and you could hear him accelerate until he hit that telephone pole. Quinones said he had seen bikes and bodies flying. After the driver hit a telephone pole, cyclists ran up to the truck and started pounding on the windows, screaming at the driver to get out, he told the Times. But rather than stop, the driver hit the accelerator and backed out, drove down the road, made a U-turn and then headed back toward the cyclists, Quinones said. Payne said the driver did not comply when officers tried to arrest him, but the circumstances of the shooting were not immediately released. Neither were the identities of the suspect and victims. Officials said the race had 270 participants. Our community is shocked at this incident and our hearts and prayers are with the injured and their families at this time, police spokeswoman Kristine Sleighter said in a statement. The Navajo County sheriffs office and Arizona Department of Public Safety were helping investigate. U.S. 60, the main street in the town tucked in the White Mountains, was closed in the area. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) A new student group in the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry is looking to continue the effort to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in the school. The group, Better Together, hosted its first event on May 25, exactly one year after George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis. Arpun Johal, a third-year student in the school and one of the groups founding members, said Floyds murder prompted the groups formation. Last year, I feel that many people did a lot of reflection about racism and the political climate in the U.S., Johal said. From that, we noticed that there was a lot of work to be done in our own careers to help with the larger civil rights movement. The groups first meeting covered recent hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, anti-Asian racism, the experiences of Asian dental students at the University and how to become a better ally to Asian students and patients, The Minnesota Daily reported. Since May 2020, hate crimes against Asians in 16 of the countrys largest cities and counties are up 164%, according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State University San Bernardino. New York City saw the largest increase in such reported crimes against Asians with a 223% spike in early 2021. Johal said it was important to cover this topic at the first meeting given the spike in hate crimes and anti-Asian sentiment in the country. We wanted to capture the moment and have these discussions when the whole country had just experienced these events, Johal said. The concepts are more likely to hit home if the topic is fresh; people are still thinking about it and are more likely to take action. Zayna Jan, another third-year student and founding member of Better Together, created a toolkit for bystander intervention that students can review and utilize. I wanted (the toolkit) to be something that people can look at easily and understand quickly and for it to be dental school specific, Jan said. Giving students the ability to share their stories has already been effective. Incidents of racism are often suppressed by students of color and thus these situations can go unnoticed by the majority of dental students, she added. Education and open discussion is the first step, and we are trying to get people involved and just listen, Jan said. Whether people acknowledge them or not, these things affect the way people treat their patients it does affect the line of work that we do, and I hope that sparks something in people. Dr. Naty Lopez is a professor in the school and is the assistant dean for admissions and diversity, equity and inclusion. Lopez applauded student efforts over the past year and said she looks forward to continuing the conversations. What has been so important about this last year is that we have responded to the current events as a grassroots movement instead of a top-down approach, Lopez said. (Students) were not just satisfied with learning about bias and discrimination, they wanted to be prepared as future health care professionals to work with a diverse patient population. As of spring 2021, students pursuing a doctor of dental surgery were 62% white. The next largest racial group was Asians at 12%, while Black and Hispanic students made up around 2% of the student body respectively. Lopez said that the dental school is not yet where it wants to be in terms of structural diversity within the school. Many of the patients receiving care in the University dental clinics are from marginalized backgrounds. Having a student body that is more reflective of that patient population is difficult because of the cost and extra preparation necessary for students to reach dental school, Lopez said. The projected four-year cost of attendance at the school for non-Minnesota residents graduating in 2024 is almost $511,000. For Minnesota residents it is just under $343,000. Along with other students, Jan said it was conflicting to ask the dental school to admit more students of color because they believe the current environment and culture would not be entirely beneficial for those students. Why would you put more students of color into an environment that they are not safe in or are not going to thrive in? She said. Better Together wants to host at least one monthly meeting going forward, Jan said. Lopez said she believes the dental schools students, faculty and staff have turned the last year into an opportunity for positive change. You can see the coming together of different groups, and I think that is the key for the school to believe and think that this is our work, not just the work of one group, she said. With the advent of Juneteenth, Johal said Better Together hopes to cover topics relating to the Black community in the coming month. We want to continue to provide space for students to be able to share their experiences, she said. Recently released Navy videos of what the U.S. government now classifies as "unidentified aerial phenomena" have set off another round of speculative musings on the possibility of aliens visiting our planet. Like other astrophysicists who have weighed in on these sightings, I'm skeptical of their extraterrestrial origins. I am confident, however, that intelligent life-forms inhabit planets elsewhere in the universe. Math and physics point to this likely conclusion. But I think we're unlikely to be able to communicate or interact with them - at least in our lifetimes. Wanting to understand what's "out there" is a timeless human drive, one that I understand well. Growing up in poorer and rougher neighborhoods of Watts, Houston's Third Ward and the Ninth Ward of New Orleans, I was always intrigued by the night sky even if I couldn't see it very easily given big-city lights and smog. And for the sake of my survival, I didn't want to be caught staring off into space. Celestial navigation wasn't going to help me find my way home without getting beaten up or shaken down. TEXANS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN: Texas ranked Top 10 most fun states in U.S. From early childhood, I compulsively and continuously counted the objects in my environment - partly to soothe my anxieties and partly to unlock the mysteries inside things by enumerating them. This habit earned me nothing but taunts and bullying in my hood where, as a bookish kid, I was already a soft target. But whenever I looked up at a moonless night sky, I wondered how I might one day count the stars. By age 10, I'd become fascinated, even obsessed, with Einstein's theory of relativity and the quantum possibilities for the multiple dimensions of the universe it opened up in my mind. By high school, I was winning statewide science fairs by plotting the effects of special relativity on a first-generation desktop computer. So perhaps it's not surprising that I have gone on to spend much of my career working with other astrophysicists to develop telescopes and detectors that peer into the remote reaches of space and measure the structure and evolution of our universe. The international Dark Energy Survey collaboration has been mapping hundreds of millions of galaxies, detecting thousands of supernovae, and finding patterns of cosmic structure that reveal the nature of dark energy that is accelerating the expansion of our universe. Meanwhile, the Legacy Survey of Space and Time will make trillions of observations of 20 billion stars in the Milky Way. What we're discovering is that the cosmos is much vaster than we ever imagined. According to our best estimate, the universe is home to a hundred billion trillion stars - most of which have planets revolving around them. This newly revealed trove of orbiting exoplanets greatly improves the odds of our discovering advanced extraterrestrial life. Scientific evidence from astrobiology suggests that simple life - composed of individual cells, or small multicellular organisms - is ubiquitous in the universe. It has probably occurred multiple times in our own solar system. But the presence of humanlike, technologically advanced life-forms is a much tougher proposition to prove. It's all a matter of solar energy. The first simple life on Earth probably began underwater and in the absence of oxygen and light - conditions that are not that difficult to achieve. But what enabled the evolution of advanced, complex life on Earth was its adaptation to the energy of the sun's light for photosynthesis. Photosynthesis created the abundant oxygen on which high life-forms rely. It helps that Earth's atmosphere is transparent to visible light. On most planets, atmospheres are thick, absorbing light before it reaches the surface - like on Venus. Or, like Mercury, they have no atmosphere at all. Earth maintains its thin atmosphere because it spins quickly and has a liquid iron core, conditions that lead to our strong and protective magnetic field. This magnetosphere, in the region above the ionosphere, shields all life on Earth, and its atmosphere, from damaging solar winds and the corrosive effects of solar radiation. That combination of planetary conditions is difficult to replicate. Still, I'm optimistic that there have been Cambrian explosions of life on other planets similar to what occurred on Earth some 541 million years ago, spawning a cornucopia of biodiversity that is preserved in the fossil record. The more expert we become in observing and calculating the outer reaches of the cosmos, and the more we understand about how many galaxies, stars and exoplanets exist, the greater the possibility of there being intelligent life on one of those planets. HOUSTON WEATHER: Houston dodged a tropical storm. What about the next one? For millennia, humans have gazed in wonder at the stars, trying to understand their nature and import. We developed telescopes only a few hundred years ago, and since then the dimensions of our observable universe have expanded exponentially with technological advances and the insights of quantum physics and relativity. Beginning in the early 1960s, scientists have tried to calculate the odds of advanced extraterrestrial life. In 1961, researchers at the NASA-funded search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) developed the "Drake Equation" to estimate how many civilizations in the Milky Way might evolve to develop the technology to emit detectable radio waves. Those estimates have been updated over the decades, most recently by Sara Seager's group at MIT, based on observations of exoplanets outside our solar system by successive generations of advanced space-based telescopes - such as the Kepler Space Telescope, launched in 2009, and NASA's MIT-led Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, launched in 2018. Detecting the presence of life on exoplanets requires large telescopes outfitted with advanced spectroscopy instruments, which is what the James Webb Space Telescope will deliver when it launches in November. In 1995 the first exoplanet was discovered orbiting Pegasus 51, 50 light-years distant from Earth. Since then, there have been more than 4,000 confirmed discoveries of exoplanets in our galaxy. More important, astronomers agree that almost all stars have planets, which radically improves the odds of our discovering intelligent life in the universe. At the low end of consensus estimates among astrophysicists, there may be only one or two planets hospitable to the evolution of technologically advanced civilizations in a typical galaxy of hundreds of billions of stars. But with 2 trillion galaxies in the observable universe, that adds up to a lot of possible intelligent, although distant, neighbors. If only one in a hundred billion stars can support advanced life, that means that our own Milky Way galaxy - home to 400 billion stars - would have four likely candidates. Of course, the likelihood of intelligent life in the universe is much greater if you multiply by the 2 trillion galaxies beyond the Milky Way. Unfortunately, we're unlikely to ever make contact with life in other galaxies. Travel by spaceship to our closest intergalactic neighbor, the Canis Major Dwarf, would take almost 750,000,000 years with current technology. Even a radio signal, which moves at close to the speed of light, would take 25,000 years. The enormity of the cosmos confronts us with an existential dilemma: There's a high statistical likelihood of intelligent life-forms having evolved elsewhere in the universe, but a very low probability that we'll be able to communicate or interact with them. RELATED: Alien life? Weird 'living fossil' fish lives 100 years Regardless of the odds, the existence of intelligent life in the universe matters deeply to me, and to most other humans on this planet. Why? I believe it's because we humans are fundamentally social creatures who thrive on connection and wither in isolation. In the past year, many of us felt the hardship of isolation as deeply as the threat of a potentially fatal infectious disease. Enforced seclusion during the pandemic tested the limits of our tolerance for separation and made us acutely aware of our interdependence with all life on Earth. So, it's no wonder that the idea of a trackless universe devoid of intelligent life fills us with the dread of cosmic solitary confinement. For a hundred years, we've been emitting radio signals into space. For the past 60 years, we've been listening - and so far, in vain - for the beginning of a celestial conversation. The prospect of life on other planets remains a profound one, regardless of our ability to contact and interact with them. As we await evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence, I draw comfort from the knowledge that there are many powerful forces in the universe more abstract than the idea of alien intelligence. Love, friendship and faith, for example, are impossible to measure or calculate, yet they remain central to our fulfillment and sense of purpose. As I head into my mid-50s, I look forward with an infinity of hope to the moment when humans will finally make contact with extraterrestrial intelligence - in whatever far-flung star system they may live, and in whatever century or millennium moment that momentous meeting may occur. Until that day, I have no doubt that generations of young humans around the globe will continue to stand watch, looking skyward with the same sense of amazement and wonder that intoxicated me as a young boy. - - - Hakeem Oluseyi, president-elect of the National Society of Black Physicists, has taught and conducted research at MIT, University of California at Berkeley, and the University of Cape Town. His memoir, "A Quantum Life: My Unlikely Journey from the Street to the Stars," co-written with Joshua Horwitz, was published last week. Bill Maher opened the latest episode of Real Time With Bill Maher on an unexpected note: criticizing the policies that meant that his studio audience was still masked and distanced despite California being reopened. He described it as the open mic at Cedars Sinai, and expressed some hope that when the show returned after its July break, things would be more normal. It was a curious moment for someone who had tested positive for COVID-19 after being vaccinated, though its not that strange there are plenty of people out there who happily got vaccinated but who are also eager to stop masking when given the all-clear. Elsewhere in his opening monologue, Maher addressed the recent US/Russia summit, covered the heat wave enveloping parts of the country and circled back on his riff about this years Oscars being about largely depressing films. And if you spent the week wondering if Maher would address the Batman oral sex controversy and yes, typing that phrase out makes it very clear how bizarre it is youll be pleased (or horrified) to learn that he did. Comedian and podcast host Nikki Glaser was this episodes first guest. Maher spoke of wanting to have a comedian as his guest for this episode, as he himself is about to do his first standup gig in well over a year. Im nervous like I havent been since I was 23, he said. Glaser mentioned that she had done a few masked and distanced shows in the last year. I started to feel like the crowds that were coming out for those shows were anti-maskers, who arent really the people that enjoy me, she told Maher. From there, the conversation shifted to the ubiquitous debate over comedy and cancel culture. Was Glaser ever worried about getting canceled, Maher asked? She admitted that she had once been, but that spending 10 months living with her parents during the pandemic prompted a realization that that was probably what cancellation would look like. But she also added more nuance to her answer. Im accountable, Glaser said. I dont mind apologizing. And then things took a very surreal turn into whether or not Glaser could kill a shark with one punch. News Reflecting on COVID: A community unites Since the start of COVID-19, organizations throughout Grant County have banded together to help the community with the issues they face due to the virus. Brittany Howey, executive director of Habitat for Humanity, said that COVID impacted the housing industry especially hard. COVID has affected housing greatly. So, the first thing was we all had to stay home. So hopefully, we all had a home to go to, a stable home, Howey said. Despite Habitat for Humanitys helping communities for about 45 years, the organizations leaders were not prepared for the needs that would come as a result of COVID-19. So, for our programming specifically at Habitat, we dont have a lot of things that were just in place to be able to help them right now, Howey said. However, Habitat for Humanity has made changes to combat a few of the issues COVID-19. A few things that we did is our, all of our affiliates across Indiana worked with our state Indiana affiliate to get some more money put back to put into the hardest hit program. The hardest hit program allowed folks to come through and offer assistance for rent and things like that, Howey said. Yet, individuals are scared of what is happening and what will continue to happen once the moratorium on evictions is up. There are a lot of folks really worried, and one of the things that I always like to do is I like to paint both sides of the picture... The moratorium is needed right now, there is a need for that, but also, the people who own the properties, theyre not bringing in an income either. So, I try to be really careful. I think its really easy to villainize maybe one side or the other, Howey said Habitat for Humanity isnt the only organization trying to resolve these conflicts with issues coming from every side. Jessica Love, executive director of Prosperity Indiana, said that the organization has formed a new coalition that wants to work on housing stability. In light of COVID, we have actually formed the Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition, which is focused on housing stability. It was initially started really to focus on making sure that no one becomes homeless as a result of the pandemic, Love said. In addition to the coalition, Prosperity Indiana makes basic information available to people in need. We try to educate people to make sure they know their rights are, using social media where we can try to make sure that people know about real assistance resources. So, if the reason that they are potentially going to be evicted as the cause is for nonpayment of rent, they fall in behind because they lost a job or receiving less pay, Love said. Prosperity Indiana still anticipates waves in evictions based on studies conducted by the organization. Early on, we were predicting like three waves of evictions and, you know, something wasnt done, Love said. Although the spikes that research indicates are in evictions, this viruss actual outcome isnt believed to be seen until at least a year after it is over. Looking back at the last, at the housing crisis previously, I believe that the spike in evictions, the true side, didnt come until like a year or a year and a half later. And so thats what we were kind of predicting, Love said. While COVID-19 has been unpredictable and amplified issues that already existed in the community. Andrew Sprock, director at Circles of Grant County, said his client base was in a vulnerable position before COVID. I think for some of the families that we work with that are been experiencing poverty and are working to overcome that. Many of them are in kinds of jobs that have been more vulnerable, Sprock said. He said that the relationships they build with those they work with are crucial to making sure that they get the resources they need. And so, by being intentional about building relationships across some of those common boundaries, were, were creating different kinds of access and connections that can give people a greater range of resources, relational resources and connections to various community resources that will help them to be happy, I just have more, more resources to bring basically some of the challenges of moving in the direction that they hope for themselves and their family, Sprock said. Like Circles, United Way of Grant County helps the coalitions and organizations in the area. Alicia Hazelwood, executive director, said United Way serves as a support network. We do a lot of backbone organizational work, so were the backbone for several different coalitions like the Early Childhood Coalition. We participate in other coalitions like the Substance Abuse Task Force. We function as a fiscal agent, so a lot of times, when there are multiple groups that want to get together and write one grant opportunity, Hazelwood said. Not only does United Way write grant proposals for local organizations, but it also grants money and partners with local councils to ensure success for the community. And we do grant awards to organizations that are working in health education and financial stability so, programming in those three areas. We also partner really closely with the economic growth Council and the Marion Grant County Chamber of Commerce around trying to make sure that, you know, if our employers are successful, then their employees are successful, which then makes the services that the United Way and its partners provide successful because theres funding volunteers, Hazelwood said. Still many worry about housing. Cynthia Udolisa, public housing FSS coordinator at Marion Housing Authority, said this adds stress for many families. Our families who are in housing definitely have a higher stress level with trying to educate their kids. And those who dont have, especially in the spring, when COVID started, or we started staying home, it was pretty chaotic, Udolisa said. Although Udolisa said she sees the chaos now, she believes that evictions will rise despite the help that has and will continue to be offered. Once that moratorium is up, theyre going to have to prove to a judge that theyve used all their resources like theyve gone to the township trustee, theyve gone to all the resources that we have in Grant County: Salvation Army and their stimulus checks, tax returns... thats going to be a big struggle. So, people will end up being evicted eventually, Udolisa said. Gina Leckron, state director of Habitat for Humanity, said the community needs to be actively involved in the solution. I think any way that we can continue to educate people about what this means for so many families, the better off well be. And what Im worried about is that very comfortable middle-class and upper-middle-class people are going to ignore whats happening. And what we need to do is mobilize them to give more generously and to try to find ways that they can help because this is going to be devastating for the community, Leckron said. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Florida, FL (34429) Today Showers and a possible thunderstorm during the morning will give way to mostly cloudy skies this afternoon. High 83F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms this evening becoming more widespread overnight. Low near 75F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Sorry, no valid subscriptions were found for this Publication. Please select from an option below to start a subscription. SUBSCRIBE TODAY! 24 Hour Access Wilkes-Barre, PA (18701) Today Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 77F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 59F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. William Russell Allton was born in Dewey, Oklahoma on April 25, 1931 to Russell Frank and Alice Mae (Steffens) Allton. He attended school in Claremore and graduated with the class of 1948. On August 26, 1949 Bill married Jimmie Louise Reed and the couple made Tulsa home for the first 25 year The Cleveland Jewish Publication Company won three awards at the American Jewish Press Associations 40th annual Simon Rockower Awards for excellence in Jewish journalism. The awards were announced June 25 during a virtual ceremony after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of an in Celebrate the Class of 2020 Submit a profile of your favorite graduate to have them featured in our Virtual Graduation 2020 special section. Tout their accomplishments, share their photos, and wish them well! Submit profile From the start of the pandemic to May 2021, 10 child care providers closed in Cambria County and six opened in the same time period. There are a total of 67 child care centers in Cambria County. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 19) The country must maintain strict border controls to dampen threats of the more transmissible and severe Delta variant, a Health official said on Saturday. "Dapat ipagpatuloy lang ang mahigpit na border control (The strict border control must be enforced continuously) so we can prevent that it reaches our community and it will have community transmission," Health Spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a virtual briefing. The Health official reiterated that the public must comply with minimum health protocols. The Delta coronavirus variant, first identified in India in February, is believed to be 60% more contagious than the Alpha variant and can cause severe symptoms. READ: PH detects 10 new cases of COVID-19 variant from India Hospitals should expect an influx of patients with COVID-19 if the Delta variant spreads, Vergeire said. "Kapag nakuha mo ang Delta variant, ang probability na ma-ospital ka ay mas mataas," she said. [Translation: When you get the Delta variant, the probability of you being hospitalized is higher.] Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, chief scientist of the World Health Organization, said the Delta variant may emerge as the dominant coronavirus variant globally. READ: The Delta variant is on its way to becoming globally dominant, WHO chief scientist says Saratoga Springs, NY (12866) Today Cloudy. Some light rain will fall throughout the day. High 66F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. Low around 55F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Columbia, SC (29201) Today Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. High 82F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with showers and a few thunderstorms. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%. Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday. Ryan Call, a former two-term chairman of the Colorado Republican Party, is accused of stealing nearly $280,000 from a super PAC formed to support Donald Trump during the three years Call served as the committee's treasurer, according to a disciplinary complaint filed earlier this month with the state body that regulates attorneys. Call, the complaint alleges, "knowingly misappropriated" $278,169.45 from the Rebuilding America Now PAC, a pro-Trump committee established in 2016 by former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and real estate investor Tom Barrack, a prominent Trump supporter. The complaint, filed June 2 by the Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel and first reported by Colorado Newsline, alleges Call transferred the funds to himself in 37 separate transactions between September 2016 and January 2019. The complaint also alleges Call failed to report a $1 million contribution to the PAC for more than two years. Call didn't respond to emails, phone calls and texts seeking comment. Before moving to Utah in 2019, Call, who endorsed Democratic nominee Joe Biden in last year's presidential election, worked at Denver-based law firm Hale Westfall, where he routinely handled legal work involving elections and campaigns, mostly for Republican clients. The complaint states that the firm fired Call in August 2019 after learning he had entered the PAC into a secret contract to pay himself $5,000 a month for "political strategy and fundraising support and assistance." Richard Westfall, a partner in the firm, didn't respond to a request for comment. The disciplinary complaint, filed before the Colorado Supreme Court's presiding disciplinary judge, alleges Call committed "the crime of theft" and asks the court to find he engaged in "professional misconduct," which can involve "dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation." A hearing on the complaint will be set after June 28, when a response from Call is due, according to Colorado Newsline. The pro-Trump super PAC a committee able to accept and spend unlimited funds to promote or oppose candidates took in and spent around $23 million in 2016, according to Federal Election Commission reports. It spent the vast bulk of its funds on media, mostly opposing Democrat Hillary Clinton's candidacy. It wasn't until early 2019, after Call filed an amended FEC report listing the $1 million contribution from Los Angeles real estate developer Geoffrey Palmer who contributed $5 million total for the cycle that other officials involved with the PAC examined the records and discovered what the complaint said were "discrepancies" between expenditures and FEC reports. After Call failed to produce records requested by the PAC's assistant treasurer and legal counsel, the complaint states, the PAC in early June 2019 replaced Call as treasurer and terminated its representation agreement with Hale Westfall. Chris Marston, the PAC's current treasurer, declined to comment on the complaint or its allegations. Call chaired the Colorado GOP from early 2011 to early 2015, following a term as chairman of the Denver County Republican Party and a stint as the state party's legal counsel. Call was head of the College Republicans when he attended the University of Colorado at Boulder and served as national co-chairman of the College Republican National Committee. Many job advertisements for remote work are now coming with an asterisk: Coloradans need not apply. Please Note: Job cannot be performed in the state of Colorado, reads an active online advertisement for a remote sales solution architect at Concentrix. Disclaimers like that are becoming more common now after a Colorado law requiring employers to disclose salary ranges went into effect earlier this year. The goal of the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, which was passed in 2019, was to crack down on sex-based wage discrimination. In addition to mandating businesses announce employment advancement opportunities, job openings, and the pay range for openings, it also authorizes fines between $500 and $10,000 per violation a move that appears to be causing companies to try and get around it by seeking employees in only 49 states. IBM intends this job to be performed entirely outside of Colorado, read another recent advertisement for a 13-month residency program. Work location is flexible if approved by the Company except that position may not be performed remotely from Colorado, blared a job posting by Johnson & Johnson. The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment reportedly opened an investigation into a complaint against a company whose remote work job posting disqualified Coloradan applicants, Scott Moss, the director of the departments division of labor standards and statistics, told the Washington Examiner without revealing which company was being investigated. He said on Friday that the investigation was nearing closure. Colorado has offered guidance that stipulates employers need not include salary ranges for remote roles that will be performed entirely outside the Centennial State or for remote jobs posted by a company that doesnt have any employees in Colorado. "So there's no reason, and its puzzling, for entirely out-of-state employers to limit their own talent pool by excluding Coloradans, just to avoid being covered by a law that already doesn't cover them," Moss said. However, salary information would have to be posted for remote roles if a company has any presence in the state. The law has caused a bit of confusion in the pandemic-era remote work landscape, but Moss said salary-posting compliance isn't hard. He said in a statement that "it doesnt require totally rewriting job postings, only adding into job postings just one phrase or sentence with an expected pay range and only a general description of benefits. Thats probably why all employers weve found to be in violation promptly fixed their posting, and major employers we spot-checked before and after the law took effect did start posting pay information, without the prod of a complaint or investigation." Some companies, such as alcohol delivery company Drizly, have gotten around the mandate by offering two separate job postings, one targeting remote workers in Colorado and another aiming to reach potential workers in all of the other states. Doing so requires considerable additional time and effort, the company told Vice. However, we believe that this approach best allows us to avoid confusion for candidates outside of CO and ensure that Coloradans have the same opportunities as everyone else to learn about and apply for remote work positions at Drizly. The law does give a bit of flexibility to employers about how to craft salary ranges. It stipulates that compensation ranges must extend from the lowest amount of money to the highest amount that the business in good faith thinks it could pay for that position. Employers are allowed to end up paying the individual who is hired outside of that set range as long as the estimate was done in good faith. The new law has faced some legal headwinds. The Rocky Mountain Association of Recruiters filed a lawsuit against Moss of the Department of Labor and Employment, arguing that regulations associated with the law are a First Amendment violation. This week, though, a federal judge ruled against halting the enforcement of the act. In response to the myriad remote work advertisements that single out Colorado, a website was created that catalogs the companies and job openings that seek workers from states other than Colorado. Openings from dozens of companies are featured on ColoradoExcluded.com. The Washington Examiner reached out to Johnson & Johnson, Concentrix, and IBM for comment but did not receive responses by the time of publication. Roger Eddy is a retired member of the Illinois House, serving the 109th Legislative District from 2003 to 2012 and serving on the Special Investigative Committee on the impeachment of Rod Blagojevich. He recently authored a book highlighting the impeachment of Blagojevich. The book, A Front Row Seat, is available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. While currently a member of the Illinois State Board of Education, all comments are as an individual and not as a member of the State Board of Education. 100% Website tacto.jp uses latest and advanced technologies. It is very popular on the web, it's within the 1 million most visited websites of the world at position 138272 by Alexa. It supports HTTPS. The main html page has a size of 254236 bytes (248.28 kb uncompressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-01-25, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. Merck KGaA has announced its entire cosmetics portfolio, as well as its Candurin portfolio for food and pharmaceuticals, has halal standards. Featured: Breaking Down Barriers: Halal Nail Polish and the Islamic Perspective The company's full halal-certified portfolio now includes special effect pigments, cosmetic ingredients, functional fillers and food colorants. The additional 284 certified cosmetic products complement approx. 800 halal-certified products already offered by the Life Science business sector of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. For the certification, Merck KGaA worked with a network of certification bodies across the globe. Halal Quality Control (HQC) audited and certified the companys German sites in Darmstadt and Gernsheim, as well as Mollet in Spain. The U.S.-based site in Savannah, Georgia, has been certified by the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA), whereas the site in Onahama, Japan, was inspected and certified by the Japan Halal Association (JHA). There is an increasing demand for halal products across the globe, more prominently in Muslim-dominated countries, said Dorothea Wenzel, head of surface solutions at the electronics business sector of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. Our portfolio now offers a wide range of halal-certified cosmetics products and solutions. Today, many customers have a particular high awareness regarding the ingredients of the cosmetics products they use and we see that the importance of this aspect continuously increases. When and where you need it! 786 Hwy. 7 99 cent introductory offer Includes everything we offer online for 24-7 news. This option allows you to read unlimited stories at ctnewsonline.com, and access our e-Edition (digital replicate of the daily newspaper). $7.99 per month after the introductory offer. This service comes with a complimentary CT Select Card allowing for local discounts. Rates are subject to change. BRIDGEPORT When Mayor Joe Ganim in mid-April held a media event touting the recipients of $1 million in federal small business pandemic relief, he used an oversize check as a prop. Two months later, a majority of those 150 or so establishments are still waiting for their real checks to arrive. I got a letter congratulating me but I didnt get no money yet, said Joan Anderson, whose Joans Bridal Boutique qualified for the $5,000 minimum grant. The maximum was $15,000. Im still behind on my light bill and my gas bill, Anderson said. Im trying to pay them, little by little. It would help. Were just struggling to pay our bills and waiting, endlessly, said Courtney Hartl, whose Source Coffeehouse is supposed to get $5,900. You should not promise if theyre not able to do, said Paul Roxos, whose eponymous construction company is awaiting $7,400. I really dont know anybody who received the money. And the heads of the Downtown Special Services District and the Greater Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce Lauren Coakley Vincent and Dan Onofrio are fielding complaints from their respective members. At the end of the day, the point was to get money in the hands of small business owners that desperately needed it, and these logistical challenges are causing a serious problem, Vincent said. On Friday, Fred Gee, director of the citys Small and Minority Business Enterprise office, which has been administering the grants, said he and his staff are committed to making sure every business thats been rewarded will receive their funding. He blamed the federal bureaucracy and red tape requiring substantial paperwork of business owners for the delays. Ganim first announced Bridgeport would receive the $1 million in relief funneled through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in April 2020, just a few weeks into the COVID-19 pandemic that shuttered many businesses and kept much of the public home to stop the illness spread. It was not until December that Bridgeport finalized and opened up the application process, which lasted into the winter. When last fall businesses and City Council members were questioning what had taken the Ganim administration so long, the city argued the $1 million was considered a Community Development Block Grant a category of annual federal funding distributed through municipalities to nonprofits which typically require a lengthy review and approval process by City Hall and HUD. Recently, establishments that qualified for the money were forwarded five-page city contracts to sign indicating an even longer wait. Those documents explained the aid is actually a reimbursement for expenses, stating the grantee shall be paid in full within 45 days of execution of this agreement as long as the recipient provides enough supporting documentation satisfactory to the city. Its like the award is really a prequalification, Gee said. Youve reached the first step. Heres whats required for the check to be dispersed. Joey Colon is manager of JC Auto Sales and Service, which is expecting $7,000 from that $1 million. Colon said he had previously submitted the necessary paperwork. What are they going to do? Send the money when some people have to close their business because they cant afford their lease or employees? he said. George Samuels, owner of Eveready Home Improvement, said, I did already fill out and do all of these things theyre asking for. Now I was questioning why I have to go back over and do all these things again? ... Im new to these things. I dont know exactly why it takes that long and whats the real problem. It feels as though the rules keep changing, said Hartl, adding she was grateful for her own background in grant writing and her husbands accounting expertise. I think about the other businesses in the city who are struggling and dont have those resources. Gee acknowledged that unfamiliarity from the business owners has been part of the challenge. He said some establishments have not been sending in all of the requested documents or understood what is needed and his office has been trying to provide them with the necessary technical assistance. I go out personally to business owners and sit with them if I have to and go over their books and accounts and canceled checks and help them find and piece together what they need, Gee said. HUD spokesperson Rhonda Siciliano in a statement for this story said her agency had not received any complaints about the delayed checks. The city is responsible for developing the local policies and procedures that they will use to administer their program ensuring that they are in compliance with our federal statutes, she said. The businesses should first reach out to the city to request payment (and) if they do not get get a response or receive payment, then they should reach out to HUD. Frank Borres, a city business leader whose American View productions qualified for $7,600, was a little more forgiving. I cant be critical from my end because I dont know the government regulations, the hoops the city had to jump through, he said. It hasnt been fluid. It probably could have happened quicker. But we were in the middle of a pandemic. Some critics of the current process say it does not bode well for what to expect as the administration prepares to divvy up $110 million of another round of federal COVID-19 aid. Ganim and the council are being asked to give a share of those dollars to businesses and to various nonprofits for youth programs, mental health services, affordable housing and other needs. How is this going to be any different? ... Thats a question that needs to be answered, the Rev. D. Stanley Lord, president of the Greater Bridgeport NAACP, told council members during a public hearing Tuesday seeking input on how that $110 million should be spent. We do photo ops, get on the news (but) they dont get the checks. Thats a problem. Gee said those discussions are already happening and he believes that since the $110 million is not linked to HUD, there will be fewer requirements and a simpler application and a much, much, much smoother process. City Councilman Ernie Newton is co-chairman of the budget committee, which hosted Tuesdays public hearing. We did a poor job, Newton said of distributing the $1 million. With this new money, were gonna make it simple to get it in the hands of people that need it the most. Yes, have accountability (but) not put people through months of waiting. Contributed / Hartford Police Department HARTFORD Police are asking for the publics help locating a 12-year-old city girl who was reported missing from her home Friday morning. Paola Soto Santiago was last seen around 9 a.m. at her family home, according to police. At the time she was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black pants, red framed glasses and black Nike sandals. Contributed / Getty HAMDEN Police said a man from Georgia was hospitalized overnight after he was shot in his car and subsequently crashed. Police did not identify the 36-year-old man, or give his city of residence. On Wednesday evening, as Destiny Hamilton and her friend were driving through Bloomfield, they saw something that made them stop and pull over. On the wall of the community center where she made countless childhood memories, giant images of President Barack Obama and Anika Rose were shining in the sunlight. For Hamilton, Rose was not only an actress who voiced Disney's first African-American princess, Tiana, in "The Princess and the Frog," but also a woman who grew up in the same neighborhood and went to a school that she often passes by. Hamilton started taking photos with a smile on her face. "It's very empowering," she said. "We can step out of the comfort zone to do more than what's expected on us." Nearby, Andrew Brown and Harold Blanchard watched how artist Ryan Christenson, of North Haven, known as ARCY, turned the wall that was pure white just three days ago into a colorful artwork full of civil rights activists. The mural is one of five to be formally unveiled on Saturday in recognition of Juneteenth, a day celebrating the end of slavery that President Joe Biden made a federal holiday on Thursday. The other murals are at the Mahoney Center in Manchester; a building at 42 Water St. in Torrington; the Noah Webster Library on South Main St. in West Hartford; and 350 Washington St. in New Haven. The project is part of MLK39: Racial Equity Mural Tour, led by RiseUP for Arts. "By making Juneteenth a federal holiday, all Americans can feel the power of this day and learn from our history - and celebrate progress and grapple with the distance we've come (and) the distance we have to travel," Biden said. Blanchard thought of his aunt, Dr. Diane Clare-Kearney. Born and raised in Manchester, Kearney was also painted on another wall in Manchester, along with Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis and Harriet Tubman, for her contribution to the community first as a teacher and now as the director of Manchester Adult and Continuing Education. "She's all about community," Blanchard said. "(She is) somebody that's selfless and willing to go the extra mile to make sure somebody is comfortable and feels accepted because that's what she wants - everybody feels accepted." At first, the statewide year-long murals project wasn't going to be this big. Then the painting of Martin Luther King Jr. was unveiled in Manchester this January. "That first mural sparked so much positive feedback in the community of Manchester," said Matt Conway, the director of RiseUP for Arts. "We need to take this message of light, of hope, of what Martin Luther King stood for, across the entire state." More than 250 donors and sponsors helped raise over $100,000 to start the mural tour. Local artists were chosen to paint civil rights activists that community members voted for. "It definitely was influenced by all the racial unrest that was happening in 2020," Conway said. "It was a response to that because 2020 highlighted all the work that still needs to be done." The unveiling on Saturday is open to the public and will feature singing, dancing and instrumental performances by local artists. "One of the goals is to bring awareness to the history of civil rights in Connecticut, not just civil rights in the '60s, but being able to highlight those heroes in our local towns that are fighting still for civil rights," Conway said. "It's to continue the dialogue in these communities around." Local activists who are included on the murals, such as Kearney, will join and give speeches. New murals will be unveiled throughout the year until next Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Alabama Congressman Mo Brooks wants to be the next Senator from Alabama. His no vote on the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act is yet another clear indication hes not ready to take on that responsibility. Photo: Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images Early Wednesday evening, hundreds of people crammed into the basement of Our Lady of Pompeii Church on Carmine Street in the West Village to join a last-minute meeting called by the NYPDs Sixth Precinct. At one point, the line to get in stretched down Bleecker Street from Leroy Street to Seventh Avenue, and at least 100 people were locked out when the meeting finally got started. Some who were stuck outside said that they hadnt been allowed into the building by the police, though it appeared that this younger-skewing contingent was barred because there was simply no more room. It turned out that the hottest political event of the evening was not the final Democratic mayoral debate but this emergency meeting to discuss the situation in Washington Square Park. Inside a multipurpose room with a disco ball hanging from the ceiling, neighborhood residents stood up one by one to declare that the park had devolved into a den of drug users, ravaged by partiers and skateboarders. Most of those in attendance were white and in their fifties and sixties. A 21-year resident of Greenwich Village who is an artist living on Washington Place recounted that, over the past year, My family and our children have witnessed all sorts of things from lewd acts to nudity to drugs to crack being smoked in the streets. George Capsis, publisher of the WestView News, stood up to say that residents had told him they had never seen things as bad and as ominous as they are now. He also noted that attempts to close the northwest corner of the park to prevent drug use had only shifted addicts to nearby side streets. The police precinct had convened the meeting as complaints about the state of Washington Square Park and the departments treatment of late-night parkgoers have come to a head. Authorities opened the meeting with assurances to angry residents that things would improve. Were taking back that northwest corner for the public, said Bill Castro, Manhattan borough commissioner of the Department of Parks and Recreation. This coming week, were going to reopen two lanes in the northwest and south center-west to bring positive use into those lawn areas, and sort of flood the zone with good people so that the drug people get driven out. Attempts by the police to impose a 10 p.m. curfew and the ensuing clashes on weekend evenings have become a regular flashpoint in the debate about who the public space is for. A June 5 curfew enforcement by the police resulted in almost 23 arrests and left eight officers, according to an NYPD statement, with minor injuries. The curfew has since been moved back to midnight and, per some reports, is not always being enforced. At the meeting, NYPD assistant chief Stephen Hughes told the crowd: I would prefer an earlier closing. Ill go with what the consensus is. He asked for a show of hands to see whether people preferred a 10 oclock or midnight curfew. Most raised their arms for the earlier cut-off. The scene at the emergency meeting Photo: Victoria Bekiempis One detractor a longtime resident countered with: Theres always been drug dealing, theres always been mentally imbalanced people. He added, I find it interesting that right before an election, that suddenly theres all this press about how dangerous the park is when a former cop is in the lead for mayor. He was interrupted by a chorus of boos. Another commenter agreed that the park should be open until midnight, but suggested, We can get rid of the skateboarders in a day. He added, All we have to do is have the police confiscate the skateboards. It will not be that traumatic for the snowflakes. The room responded with applause. The meeting ended after more than an hour, with no major decisions beyond the crowds affirmation of the 10 p.m. curfew. The mood in the room was relatively muted; attendees trickled outside to find Carmine Street between Bleecker and Bedford barricaded. A small counterprotest continued as attendees slowly filed out. After the meeting, one skateboarder who had made it inside stood on Bleecker Street and shouted into a microphone, We need to take all of it back, all of it! and nearby, some cheered. In Monday's paper, keep an eye out for an article all about Kankakee Day 2021. Local history trivia: When did "Kankakee Depot," the name given the new town by the Illinois Central, become simply "Kankakee"? Answer: In December, 1854, the town was incorporated under the name Kankakee City. The official charter bearing that name became effective on February 15, 1855. Ten years later, when the town adopted the mayor/city council form of government, the name was shortened to the present form. Weather Alert ...The Flood Advisory continues for the following rivers in Illinois... Kankakee River near Wilmington affecting Will, Kankakee and Grundy Counties. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Flood Advisory means water levels near flood stage are imminent or may already be occurring. Water may overtop low stream banks in some areas. Persons in the advisory area should use caution and avoid flood waters. Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Additional information is available at www.weather.gov/Chicago and water.weather.gov The next statement is expected around 1145 PM CDT this evening. && ...The Flood Advisory is now in effect until early tomorrow afternoon... The Flood Advisory continues for the Kankakee River near Wilmington. * Until Saturday afternoon. * At 7:45 AM CDT Friday the stage was 5.1 feet. * Action stage is 5.0 feet. * Flood stage is 6.5 feet. * Forecast...The river is expected to fall to 3.3 feet Friday morning. * Impact...At 5.0 feet, Minor lowland flooding begins in areas immediately adjacent to the river. && Local featured ARHS presented EC Chamber's top award cday / Chris Day/The Daily Advance Holly Staples, (center, right) president of the Elizabeth City Area Chamber of Commerce, holds the Chambers Chairmans Award presented earlier to Albemarle Regional Health Services Director Battle Betts (center, left) at the Chambers 110th annual meeting at The Carolina Center in Elizabeth City, Thursday, June 17. Flanking Staples and Betts are Annalisa Morgan (left), chairwoman of the Elizabeth City Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and Rick Durren of Biggs Cadillac-Buick-GMC Truck and a Chamber board member. In a typical year the Elizabeth City Area Chamber of Commerce would present a number of awards to area businesses, nonprofits and individuals at its annual meeting. But because of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 was anything but a typical year. For that reason, the Chamber decided to hand out just a single award at this years annual meeting, the organizations 110th, Thursday night. Rick Durren of Biggs Cadillac-Buick-GMC Truck presented the Chairmans Award and he immediately gave away the winner in his opening remarks. When there is a pandemic, who do you call? Durren asked. The answer was Albemarle Regional Health Services, the eight-county regions health department. Boy, did they come through, Durren said when presenting the events lone award to ARHS Health Director Battle Betts. Durren praised ARHS for its rapid and continuing response to the COVID-19 pandemic that hit the region in March 2020. That response included extensive contract tracing, testing and finally an effective vaccination effort. Durren noted that vaccination effort has resulted in around 86,000 COVID shots administered with around 41,000 people in the eight-county ARHS region fully vaccinated. In Pasquotank County, 10,925 first doses of vaccine and another 9,655 second doses had been administered as of Thursday. About a quarter of the countys total population is now fully vaccinated. From the beginning, they took the ball and ran with it, Durren said of ARHS. The coordination was unbelievable. ARHS is truly an asset for northeastern North Carolina. Chamber of Commerce President Holly Staples said the Chairmans Award has historically been given to a business that has achieved unparalleled excellence. The Chamber board of directors selects the winner of the Chairmans Award. It is a special award that is bestowed in only the most unique circumstances and to an organization held in high regard, Staples said. Betts said ARHS was humbled to receive such a high honor from the Chamber. In remarks after the annual meeting, Betts said ARHS could not have survived the pandemic without the support of community partners in the eight-county region. Betts said ARHS received cards, letters, emails and phone calls of support from people as well as meals and supplies from area businesses. Betts recalled that during one of ARHS mass vaccination clinics on a cold January day that someone from Swimme and Son Building Contractors in Elizabeth City came through the clinic. The wind chill was unbearable and supplies kept blowing away in the frigid temperatures, Betts said. Three days later, Swimme and Son placed model sunrooms at the vaccination site that Betts said kept ARHS staff warmer and safer. There are countless examples of our fellow Chamber members providing support during the pandemic response, Betts said. Countless restaurants and businesses reached out even when their own business future was uncertain. The ARHS family is blessed to be surrounded by selfless partners that always rise to the challenge when someone is in need. The Chambers annual meeting is usually held in January but it was postponed because of the pandemic. Staples said there were moments when she didnt think the meeting would happen this year. I cant tell you how happy I am to be here, Staples said. It is so heart-warming and I am so thrilled that we are able to do this. There were moments that I didnt think this day would come. Representatives of three local businesses and another from ARHS told Chamber members about their experiences of dealing with the pandemic. Taylor Harrell of Southern Bank said COVID has changed the way people bank. Many banks were closed to walk-in clients during the height of the pandemic, offering only online or drive-thru services. Customers have moved to mobile banking, online banking, he said. I dont know if all of our customers will come back into the lobby or not. Harrell also discussed the impact that the federal governments Paycheck Protection Program had locally. PPP loans provided a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll and to maintain their operations. The loans are forgiven if businesses meet those requirements. On average, Harrell said Mount Olive-based Southern does 6,000 loans a year but the bank did 2,000 in loans just in the 12 days after the PPP application process began. People thought the money was going to run out quickly, Harrell said. Over $20 billion in PPP dollars was given to businesses in the state and Harrell said around $10 million in loans was distributed in Elizabeth City That was funneled right into the economy right here in Elizabeth City, Harrell said. Harrell said the PPP program helped businesses big and small. The average PPP loan in the first round of the program was around $101,000 while second round loans averaged around $44,000. In round two they used a different calculation to let small businesses apply, farmers as well, Harrell said. It really helped a lot of small business owners get through a really difficult time. Ghost Harbor Brewing expanded during the pandemic and owner Thomas Reese said a Facebook page created by USA Foods restaurant consultant Meredith Lewis help the brewery and other food and drink outlets survive the pandemic. She had the brilliant idea of starting an Elizabeth City Restaurant Updates page, Reese said. It was a Facebook page that restaurants could post what they had going on. For us, it was this is what we have in cans. Over 10,000 people would see our posts. Nicole Hyatt and Mel Lescota opened 2 Souls Wine Bar downtown during the pandemic and said they couldnt have opened without the support of other business owners and Chamber members. We decided to open a wine bar when bars were closed (because of COVID), Lescota said. We picked the brains of so many different people that helped us navigate through this. We would not be here where we are without the people here in this community. Amy Underhill with ARHS also gave Chamber members a presentation on the agencys response to the pandemic. Elizabeth City, NC (27909) Today Thunderstorms. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 79F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to cloudy skies after midnight. Low 66F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Herford, NC (27944) Today Thunderstorms likely. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 79F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to cloudy skies after midnight. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. Mr. Trevor Garrett Cobb, age 31, of Chatsworth, GA, passed away on Monday, June 28, 2021 at the Murray Medical Center. He was born May 17, 1990 in Dalton, GA. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Ralph Wheat, Glenn and Dorothy Ann Cobb. He is survived by his son, Granger Atlas Cobb Paul Kirby is a reporter for the Freeman, covering Kingston politics. He has been at the Freeman since August 1996. The following items are based on information provided by officials in law enforcement and the criminal justice system. Diane Pineiro-Zucker has been a reporter at the Daily Freeman since April 2013. Pineiro-Zucker worked as a reporter in the Freemans Rhinebeck bureau in the early 1980s, left to become executive editor at Taconic Newspapers in Dutchess County. The Capitol Connection Gov. Cuomo appears to be off the hook for now Phyllis Ann Broughton, 92, of Ashland, passed away Tuesday, June 29, 2021 at the Hospice Care Center in Ashland. Mrs. Broughton was born March 11, 1929 in Westwood, a daughter of the late Roy Taylor and Lenora Ellington Cook. Her mother passed away at a young age and her mother's sister Lucy Sunbury, PA (17801) Today A mix of clouds and sun. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 78F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to occasional showers overnight. Low 57F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Dale Gravett, executive deputy director of the Chester County Housing Authority, points to a sketch of a complex with 36 townhouses planned for Phoenixville. @ChescoCourtNews on Twitter Michael P. Rellahan has been a staff reporter and editor at the Daily Local News since 1982. He has covered all kinds of news over the years but is now assigned to report on court and legal news, as well as Chester County government news and politics. Can it really be 20 years since we learned that Kate Middleton was dating Prince William and over a decade since they became engaged? When she and Wills got hitched, some dared to raise concerns: not just that 'Waity Katy' had taken so long to let that ring slip on her finger but that, having worked only for her mum Carole's Party Pieces business and part-time at a High Street fashion chain, she might be a little 'workshy'. Would this elegant but quiet young woman really be able to help lead a new generation of royals into the 21st century, and secure the future of the House of Windsor? Can it be 20 years since we learned that Kate Middleton (pictured) was dating Prince William? When they got hitched, some dared to raise concerns she would be 'workshy' Well, few doubt that now. Yesterday, the increasingly visible and steely Kate launched her landmark Centre For Early Childhood: a groundbreaking project devoted to highlighting how experiences in the first years of life are 'make or break' for anyone. It's a major scheme that has been ten years in the making, with a full-time staff of six, a budget of millions (funded by outside donations, not the taxpayer) and enjoying the support of Harvard University and the London School of Economics. It aims to find practical solutions and transform the lives of the next generation. A splendid endeavour and we wish her well. This is the sort of work that senior royals should be undertaking. Kate already has a role model in Prince Philip and his long-established Duke of Edinburgh's Award, which has helped shape the lives of hundreds of thousands of children, just as her father-in-law Charles's Prince's Trust has delivered opportunities to countless disadvantaged youths. Meanwhile, Kate's late mother-in-law Diana was just 26 when she held the hand of a man dying of Aids and, some years later, brought the scourge of landmines to the world's attention as never before. Yesterday, an increasingly steely Kate showed Meghan Markle (pictured with Harry) how its done as she launched her groundbreaking project Centre For Early Childhood Diana was just 36 when she died. But Kate is now 39, William, 38. It's high time the Duchess took on such serious, lifetime work and ensured a lasting legacy. And perhaps, too, there's a lesson here for sister-in-law Meghan, also 39 and savouring the mixed success of her soppy picture book, The Bench. A best-seller in the U.S., over here, despite enjoying huge media coverage, it failed to reach the top 50. The conclusion? Brits understand the difference between serving others and self-serving drivel. Good luck, Kate, on this redefining moment. Silly boffins at the World Health Organisation decree that women of childbearing age up to 45! should not drink, ever. What, no fizz to enhance the mood? No whoopsie moment after one too many glasses of Chablis? How do these WHO wonks think women ever manage to get pregnant in the first place? CELEBRITIES PUT PARENTS IN THE SHADE In the wake of England star Marcus Rashford's admirable campaign for free meals for disadvantaged children, now celebs, including Strictly Come Dancing's Kristina Rihanoff, have set up the Sun Poverty campaign. This will dole out free sun lotion via food banks to deliver on the inalienable right of every child to be provided with free suncream. Are parents not meant to provide anything for their children any more? Surely they can all afford to buy their youngsters a sun hat. VICTORIA'S SIZE 22 SECRET Victoria's Secret, once the lingerie firm that sent busty 'Angels' tottering on the catwalk in high heels, unveils its achingly diverse new range of models, from trans women to gay activists and a former Sudanese refugee. Paloma Elsesser (pictured), a size 14, said she came into modelling to 'change the world' as she campaigns for Victoria Secret's current top size of XXL to be stretched to 5XL But the most eye-catching is the 'plus-size pioneer' Paloma Elsesser, a size 14. 'I didn't come into modelling just to do all the cool stuff. I did it to change the world,' claims Paloma as she campaigns for VS's current top size of XXL to be stretched to 5XL. Jolly good, but that's the equivalent of a size 22, or the back end of a Number 22 bus. Changes ahead indeed, including VS having to reinforce next season's catwalks. Searching in vain to find anything interesting to say about herself now her career is largely on the small screen, Reese Witherspoon says she suffered 'panic attacks' filming her 2014 movie Wild, about a woman hiking solo for 1,100 miles through the U.S. She was so terrified of 'being alone' in the wilderness, she claims, she needed hypnosis. I agree, the film was hypnotically boring. And poor Reese bereft in the wild with only a massive Hollywood crew to attend to her every whim. SEVEN DEADLY SINS After a damning public inquiry, we learn security staff and police missed at least seven chances to stop Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi killing 22 innocents at a pop concert in 2017. Security firm Showsec failed to provide enough staff for the concert, and the few who were there were mostly young and under-trained, their guidance on counter-terrorism lifted almost unbelievably from Wikipedia. One teenage guard fobbed off a concerned dad who saw Abedi wearing what looked like a suicide belt 16 minutes before the blast. Showsec's bosses were slammed for making 'excuses' and trying to 'keep themselves out of the blame' for the atrocity. And their award for this litany of failures? MD Mark Harding and three other fat-cat directors have enjoyed more than 40 per cent pay rises in the three years since the disaster plus hefty bonuses. It's truly sickening but now, at least, the families of the victims are hoping to raise corporate manslaughter charges against Showsec and others. I hope they receive millions in compensation and that the tainted money of the security chiefs dwindles to nothing. Sophie, Countess of Wessex, spoke for many when she said the death of Prince Philip had left a giant hole in all the royals' lives, especially for Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward. Tomorrow will be their first Father's Day without him. I wish I could say it gets easier with time, but the loss of anyone's dad leaves a giant hole for ever. Sophie (pictured), Countess of Wessex, said the death of Prince Philip had left a giant hole in all the royals' lives, especially for Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward Ahead of the England v Scotland game last night, Paul Gascoigne relived the moment he scored his glory goal against the tartan warriors in Euro 96, booting them out of the competition. Amazing he could kick it at all, given that he mainly hits the bottle. WESTMINSTER WARS Boris allegedly plans to step down after the next election, having told friends the job is like 'pulling a jumbo jet down the runway'. The PM is said to hanker to 'go back to writing, make money and have fun'. Which is bad news for Carrie: we all know what Boris's idea of 'having fun' is. Priti Patel admits she is 'sorry' for the shocking decline in rape convictions. New figures reveal that just 1.5 per cent of reported rapes lead to someone being charged. Now police are to spend more time investigating suspects, instead of questioning victims. Quite right. What is more depressing? That thanks to Dominic Cummings we know that just weeks into the pandemic, Boris was describing Matt Hancock as 'totally f***ing hopeless' and begging his Svengali: 'WTF do we do'? Or that even now, after 128,000 dead and 15 months on, No 10 insists the PM has 'full confidence' in his Health Secretary. OUR LITERARY TREASURE A heartwarming consortium of libraries and museums has come together to raise 15 million to save a dazzling literary collection for the nation: first editions, manuscripts and letters from our beloved Bronte sisters, Jane Austen, Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott. Where would girlhood dreams of tortuous romance be without blind Mr Rochester at last finding happiness in Jane Eyre? Or without Heathcliff and Cathy telling us of the agony and ecstasy of young love in Wuthering Heights? It is a truth universally acknowledged that Britain has the greatest literary heritage in the world. Let's hope Friends Of The National Libraries succeeds in keeping this collection here and perhaps Kate Bush, who made a fortune singing about poor Cathy for her 1978 power ballad, could be among the first to put her hand in her pocket. Now it's Keir Starmer's turn. After Boris's shock defeat in Chesham and Amersham, Labour is on course for another Red Wall by-election disaster, this time in Batley and Spen. But while the Tories were victims of a combination of local factors, including opposition to HS2 and proposed planning reforms, Labour strategists have identified a single, toxic reason for their impending loss. 'We're haemorrhaging votes among Muslim voters,' one senior Labour official tells me, 'and the reason for that is what Keir has been doing on antisemitism. Nobody really wants to talk about it, but that's the main factor. He challenged Corbyn on it, and there's been a backlash among certain sections of the community.' The direct beneficiary of that backlash is George Galloway. The former Labour and Respect Member of Parliament has brought his political circus and trademark black fedora to West Yorkshire. And according to MPs and strategists I've spoken to from all parties, he's currently eating the Labour vote alive. 'I'm in the lead here,' he tells me in a disarmingly matter-of-fact way. 'I'm going to get around 13,000 to 14,000 votes. And in a by-election that should be enough. Labour are going to come third.' The direct beneficiary of that backlash is George Galloway (pictured). The former Labour and Respect Member of Parliament has brought his political circus and trademark black fedora to West Yorkshire The implication of Galloway's belated arrival in Batley was supposed to be clear. His ability to leverage votes from the Muslim community would erode Labour's support, allowing the Tories to slip through the middle. And it's true that he's hoovering up the Muslim vote. 'I'm hegemonic in Asian areas,' he tells me. 'It's the benefit of 50 years of work. Speaking out on Palestine and Iraq. Standing up for Muslims at home and abroad.' Then last week, people began to notice a shift in his tactics. At the start of the campaign, Galloway was spending time exclusively in ethnic-minority areas. Now, he's targeting Labour's traditional white working-class support. 'The white working class despise Labour,' he tells me. 'They think Labour just don't like them. 'Things like the whole LGBTQI agenda. The working classes don't like that. They're tired of Labour's identity politics.' Contrary to popular perception, Galloway's campaign is not a single issue pitch on the plight of the Palestinians, but a full-on assault on woke, metropolitan liberalism. He's unashamedly pro-Brexit. His 'residents' surveys' highlight crime and anti-social behaviour. He has lambasted those criticising fans for booing players taking a knee. Yet despite his slightly ironic pledge to 'build the new Jerusalem', there is a dark shadow hanging over Galloway's drive to deliver another body-blow to the British political establishment. Take his reference to LGBTQI issues. Now it's Keir Starmer's (pictured, with candidate Kim Leadbeater) turn. After Boris's shock defeat in Chesham and Amersham, Labour is on course for another Red Wall by-election disaster, this time in Batley and Spen Before I spoke to him, I was forwarded a message circulating on WhatsApp groups within the Muslim community. Listing '5 reasons why every citizen should NOT vote for Kim Leadbeater, the Labour candidate' it says, '1) She is a lesbian and will push the LGBTQ agenda in our town.' Galloway categorically denies involvement in those texts. 'That's completely untrue,' he claims, before pointing out that his most senior campaign worker is herself gay. But someone is dripping poison into this campaign. The same WhatsApp messages targeting Leadbeater also warn: 'Her party leader Keir Starmer is pro-Israel and pro-Zionist. He needs to get a clear message in Batley and Spen.' Galloway campaign staffers also claim members of the Muslim community have been expressing concern to them over the fact Starmer's wife is Jewish, and that their children are being raised in the Jewish faith. Though again, they are unable to say who is circulating this information. To Starmer's numerous critics on the Left, it doesn't really matter. Ever since the by-election was called, a cavalcade of Corbynite commentators and activists have journeyed from North London to the North of England. And they have all been pumping out the same message. Labour was wrong to turn its back on Jeremy Corbyn. Labour was wrong to dial down its campaigning on behalf of the Palestinians. And these dual betrayals are about to cost them dear. Which is half-right. Starmer is indeed on course for another crushing defeat, but not for the reasons the Corbynites claim. Starmer's change of stance on Palestine hasn't cost him votes in Batley and Spen, because he hasn't changed Labour's stance at all. 'There has been no significant policy shift on Palestine and Israel since the Election,' a spokesman for Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy told me. 'We haven't changed anything,' a Starmer spokesman confirmed. What he has done is suspend Jeremy Corbyn for his refusal to fully accept the findings of the EHRC report into Labour antisemitism, and finally spoken out against the racism blighting his party. In turn, this has been weaponised by his hard-Left enemies. Their claim he has 'turned his back on the Palestinians' is really just a dog-whistle to the racists who flourished under Corbynism and are finally feeling the heat. There are actually two reasons why Labour is set to lose. One as Galloway identified is the erosion of Labour's white working-class base. This is the reason for the pivot in his campaign strategy. When he filed his nomination papers, his ambition was to siphon off sufficient Muslim support, deliver the seat to the Conservatives, and end Starmer's leadership. But he now believes he can attract enough white working-class votes to snatch the seat. The other is the totally bankrupt strategy Labour has pursued for a decade or more. As Labour's grip on its traditional base weakened, it came to cling more and more desperately to those parts of its constituency that were sticking with the party. In particular, its Muslim supporters. That's partly how Corbyn came to be elected Labour leader in the first place. It's how he was able to continue to brush the infestation of antisemitism within his party under the carpet. And it's why that party proudly waved the Palestinian flag at its annual conference while simultaneously branding as racist anyone who waved the Union flag. That's the real reason Labour is heading for defeat in Batley and Spen. It's just the latest twist in its political death spiral. Support among its traditional base continues to collapse. Labour tries to arrest its decline by frantically grasping for the Muslim vote. This further alienates its white working-class vote. And the plummet toward oblivion accelerates. There is no one in politics more skilled at exploiting this reality than George Galloway. 'I'm going to win,' he told me. He may well be right. And if he does, Labour has no one to blame but itself. How is it they have placed themselves at the mercy of this carpetbagger? How have Her Majesty's Official Opposition arrived in a position where their fortunes in a West Yorkshire by-election are inextricably linked to what is happening on the Gaza Strip? I wrote a few weeks ago that if Starmer wants to begin to win back the Red Wall, he has to shut up about the Palestinians. But he can't. His party can't. They're too scared. Of George Galloway. Of the Corbynites. Of whoever is currently knocking on the doors of Batley and Spen and quietly whispering: 'By the way, you know that Keir Starmer? His wife is Jewish. And their kids are Jewish too.' If Labour loses in Batley and Spen it won't necessarily mark the end of Keir Starmer's leadership. But looking at the poison seeping out of that by-election, maybe it would be better for him if it did. Fifteen months ago, when I launched the Free Speech Union in the pages of this newspaper, I said that our right to speak openly and freely was in greater peril than at any time since the Second World War. In its brief life, the organisation has fought many important battles. We came to the defence of Conservative politician Amber Rudd after she was no-platformed by students at Oxford University. We helped Nick Buckley, the founder of a homelessness charity in Manchester, get his job back after he was sacked for criticising the Black Lives Matter organisation. And we helped Lisa Keogh, a law student who was placed under investigation by Abertay University for challenging woke dogma in a class on feminism, gender and the law. We made sure she wasn't punished. But no battle has been more important than the one we're currently fighting against a censorious, anti-democratic organisation called Stop Funding Hate (SFH). Richard Wilson (pictured), who is the Corbyn-supporting director of the group, announced a full three months ago that GB News aims to be a British version of Fox News, the US television channel which he went on to say is 'notorious for racism' At the beginning of last week, this notorious group of activists managed to persuade a slew of advertisers to stop advertising on GB News, the television channel newly launched by Andrew Neil. SFH had falsely branded the new channel a platform for toxic, far-Right views and then encouraged its supporters to contact the advertisers via social media and repeat this smear. The companies that initially withdrew their ads included Moneysupermarket, Vodafone, Bosch, Ikea, Grolsch, Nivea, the Open University and Kopparberg, the Swedish cider maker all apparently under the impression that GB News doesn't share their values of basic decency. The Free Speech Union is writing to all of these companies urging them to reconsider. If they don't want to advertise on GB News, that is their right, but they should base that decision on an informed understanding of what the channel is all about and not on misinformation being disseminated by a shadowy, hard-Left organisation with a covert political agenda. Needless to say, SFH started smearing GB News as an outlet for hatred and prejudice long before it had broadcast a single programme. Richard Wilson, the Corbyn-supporting director of the group, announced a full three months ago that GB News aims to be a British version of Fox News, the US television channel which he went on to say is 'notorious for racism'. Not only is that a calumny on Fox News it might be right-of-centre but there's nothing racist about it it's also a grotesquely false characterisation of the new British channel. Neil, the chairman of GB News, has repeatedly made it clear that he doesn't want it to be a British version of Fox. The group managed to persuade a slew of advertisers to stop advertising on GB News, the television channel newly launched by Andrew Neil (GB News team pictured) Moreover, nothing on GB News has been remotely racist or misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic, or anything else. Like the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky News, the channel is regulated by Ofcom, which has strict rules against broadcasting any content that spreads hatred against minorities. What Neil has said is that the new channel will 'puncture the pomposity of our elites in politics, business, media and academia and expose their growing promotion of cancel culture for the threat to free speech and democracy that it is'. Perhaps that's why Wilson wants to take it down. Not that accuracy has ever been a priority for the activists behind SFH or the basement-dwelling trolls who spread its poison. It claims to campaign against media companies that traffic in bigotry and prejudice, but in reality it targets mainstream publications and broadcasters whose political views it dislikes. TOBY YOUNG: 'No battle has been more important than the one we're currently fighting - against a censorious, anti-democratic organisation called Stop Funding Hate' For instance, in 2018 SFH briefly persuaded West Coast Trains to stop selling the Daily Mail on its services because it supposedly demonised immigrants. By which it meant, of course, that the paper supported Brexit. As the trade unionist Paul Embery has written, the true ambition of SFH is to snuff out any opinions it disapproves of by publicly naming and shaming companies which advertise in media it opposes. The aim is to frighten these companies into believing that large numbers of their customers are on the cusp of deserting them unless they pull their advertising. Even though these campaigns involve just a handful of hashtag activists, the effect is to panic low-level employees such as the person operating the company's social media account into issuing an apology and announcing they'll never advertise with the 'toxic' publication or broadcaster again. It banks on the fact that once these decisions are a matter of public record, the chief executive and the board will then stick to them to avoid further embarrassment. SFH wants to win people round to its hard-Left ideology by making sure they never hear any alternative points of view and to do that under the cover of trying to 'cleanse' the media of poisonous opinions. That's a profoundly dishonest and undemocratic approach to winning political battles. If Richard Wilson thinks all newspapers and television channels should have a progressive, Left-wing editorial policy, and any that don't should be driven into bankruptcy, he should have the courage to set out that argument in the public square, not hide behind an organisation that pretends to campaign for decency. We've seen the same tactics employed by Hacked Off, the organisation fronted by Hugh Grant and supported by Steve Coogan, which campaigned for State regulation of the press. Under the guise of 'cleaning up' a supposedly unhealthy media landscape, Grant, Coogan and a host of rich and powerful supporters, such as the late Max Mosley, sought to fetter the freedom of newspapers to investigate the behaviour of high-profile individuals however seedy and expose their hypocrisy. Trying to silence your political opponents by mobilising a mob of internet bullies is a hallmark of the intolerant Left. Such underhand tactics are a dangerous assault on free speech and threaten to undermine our democracy. Again and again we've seen non-woke opinions being demonised as 'hateful' and the people who subscribe to them being condemned as 'bigots', even though they're often mainstream views that the vast majority of people share. Hard-Left trolls have launched wave after wave of vile attacks on the author J. K. Rowling because she has had the temerity to challenge trans orthodoxy. Defending people's right to express a range of views on controversial issues without being branded 'bigots' or 'phobes' is part of the reason I set up the Free Speech Union. Hacked Off was a dismal failure and, thankfully, there are signs that SFH's vilification of GB News is beginning to backfire, too. Moneysupermarket, Vodafone, Bosch and Ikea have all distanced themselves from the boycott campaign after initially withdrawing their ads, saying they're going to review the content of the new channel and will then make a decision about whether to advertise. A Vodafone spokesman said: 'We firmly believe in free speech, while also standing firmly against hateful and harmful content. We are not involved in any boycotting.' Let's hope Grolsch, Nivea and Kopparberg, which are still participating in the boycott against GB News, also come to their senses. It cannot be said too often that free speech is the bedrock on which our democracy rests. Robust debate appealing to reason, evidence and our shared values is the best way to resolve disagreements about issues without descending to violence or intimidation. And free speech is the most effective bulwark against abuses of power by politicians, with history demonstrating again and again that its denial is both the aim of tyrants, because it stops people criticising them, and an ominous precursor to the removal of other freedoms. The attempt by hard-Left activists to bankrupt a politically independent TV channel before it has got off the ground is a battle we have to win for the sake of our democracy. Advertisement The Queen's eldest grandson Peter Phillips looked to be in good spirits as he arrived for Day Five of Royal Ascot. Peter, 43, cut a handsome figure in a black tailcoat and top hat - which he paired with a grey waistcoat, yellow tie and purple boutonniere - as he strolled toward the racecourse with his entourage. It was not the royal's only appearance at the famous Berkshire meet this year after being spotted on Thursday in the Royal Box alongside F1 presenter Natalie Pinkham - a close friend of his sister Zara Tindall. It had been his first public outing since his divorce was finalised just days earlier. Peter officially split with wife Autumn, 42, - with whom he has daughters Savannah, nine, and Isla, seven - after telling their families of their 'amicable' decision to end their marriage two years ago. His attendance today coincided with the Queen making her return to Royal Ascot since 2019 after missing last year's race which was held behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic. Peter Phillips, 43, cut a handsome figure in a black tailcoat and top hat - which he paired with a grey waistcoat, yellow tie and purple boutonniere - as he strolled toward the racecourse with his entourage The Queen's eldest grandson looked to be in good spirits as he arrived for Day Five of Royal Ascot after finalising his divorce earlier this week Peter was seen beaming as he made his way toward the racecourse earlier today. He was one of twelve thousand racegoers, made up of owners and the public, permitted to attend the meeting as part of the Events Research Programme set up by the Government amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Queen, who had been a no-show at Royal Ascot since the festival began on Tuesday, also attended the races today. Her smile was wide for all to see as she waved at the cheering crowd while leaving the event on Saturday afternoon - appearing to have had an enjoyable day. The monarch was not seen in the royal box during the day, opting to watch the races privately, but had the chance to inspect her four horses in the Parade Ring after they crossed the finish line. Peter was one of twelve thousand racegoers, made up of owners and the public, permitted to attend the meeting as part of the Events Research Programme set up by the Government amid the coronavirus pandemic The royal was seen beaming and laughing with his entourage as the group made their way toward the racecourse earlier today Peter (pictured arriving) officially split with wife Autumn, 42, - with whom he has daughters Savannah, nine, and Isla, seven - after telling their families of their 'amicable' decision to end their marriage two years ago She had arrived at the racecourse to applause and cheers in a beige car at 2pm wearing an Angela Kelly outfit, including a pleated mint coat and matching hat, with a pink and mint floral dress. Punters like to bet on the colour of the Queen's hat - and this year bookmakers had said the most popular predictions were blue and green due to the change in weather. Nicola McGeady, of Ladbrokes, said: 'Punters could finally enjoy a flutter on the colour of the Queen's hat after waiting patiently for her arrival all week. 'Green was the colour that attracted the majority of bets, so plenty of punters have got the day off to a great start.' Peter's attendance today coincided with the Queen making her return to Royal Ascot since 2019 after missing last year's race which was held behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic Her smile was wide for all to see as she waved at the cheering crowd while leaving the event on Saturday afternoon - appearing to have had an enjoyable day (pictured alongside Racing Manager John Warren) The outing comes after Peter, who will continue living in Gloucestershire to co-parent his daughters, announced the finalisation of his divorce from Autumn on Monday, and said it was 'the best course of action for their two children and ongoing friendship'. A statement, released by a spokesperson on behalf of the couple, said: 'Mr Peter Phillips and Mrs Autumn Phillips are pleased to be able to report that the financial aspects of their divorce have been resolved through agreement, the terms of which have been approved and ordered by the High Court today. 'Whilst this is a sad day for Peter and Autumn, they continue to put the wellbeing of their wonderful daughters Savannah and Isla first and foremost. 'Both Peter and Autumn are pleased to have resolved matters amicably with the children firmly at the forefront of those thoughts and decisions. 'Peter and Autumn have requested privacy and consideration for their children as the family adapts to a new chapter in their lives.' Last year, Autumn and Peter announced they had split at the end of 2019, and confirmed they would continue to live in Gloucestershire and co-parent their children Savannah, nine, and Isla, seven (pictured together last June) In March this year it was revealed that Peter had driven to Aberdeenshire from Gloucestershire to see mother-of-two Lindsay Wallace, 40, (pictured wearing a cream-coloured top and a pink hat at Zara's wedding to rugby star Mike Tindall in 2011) The breakdown of Autumn and Peter's marriage will be particularly painful for the Queen, 95, who enjoys a close relationship with her grandson's wife. Last year an unnamed friend of the couple told the Sun: 'Autumn is a favourite of the Queen and I'm sure Her Majesty will be very upset by this as well. It's the last thing she needs after all her recent troubles and you get the feeling that the Royal Family is falling apart a little bit.' Peter and Autumn, who stay largely out of the media spotlight, were last seen publicly together when they joined the Queen and Prince Charles at the annual Highland Games Gathering at Braemar in September 2019. They did not join the royal family for the Christmas Day church service at Sandringham. Peter Phillips was seen without his wife as he arrived at church on the Norfolk estate during a stay in January 2020. Peter has enjoyed a decidedly more low-key life than his cousins Prince William and Prince Harry that started with his mother Princess Anne's decision not to give him and his younger sister Zara, now married to Mike Tindall, any royal titles. In March this year it was reported that Peter had driven to Aberdeenshire from Gloucestershire to see mother-of-two Lindsay Wallace, 40, a close friend of his sister Zara who knows them both from their 40,000-a-year boarding school. Furious locals called the police when Peter appeared at Wallace's 475,000 home in the village of St Cyrus near Montrose. Lindsay has also separated from her spouse - but it is not known when the pair started seeing each other. The royal said the trip to Scotland was made as a marketing consultant for company XF Medical, set up last June to provide rapid Covid tests and antibody tests for businesses. Peter has denied they are a couple. Peter is reportedly 'besotted' with Lindsay, who he has known for 'quite some time' having been three years above her at private boarding school and he understood to have made a trip to her home last August. There is no suggestion he broke Covid rules during that journey. Wallace is the daughter of a well-off oil tycoon and is thought to have split from her husband Andrew, who she married in 2010. She was pictured at Zara's wedding to rugby star Mike Tindall in 2011. She attended Aberdeenshire private school Gordonstoun - which was also attended by Prince Philip and Prince Charles - in the same year as Zara, 40. She and Peter are believed to have been reacquainted at a school reunion. The devil, as they say, is in the detail. In May, the Government announced a loosening of pandemic travel restrictions and that much-longed-for summer holiday finally seemed in reach. But things werent to be so simple. Travelling abroad was not against the rules, but strict border rules were put in place namely, the new traffic-light system. Countries have been divided into three categories: green, amber and red, depending on their Covid threat level. And in each case there is a different set of rules, should we want to visit. Those returning from amber or red-list countries are required to quarantine. Travellers coming back from a green country a list that is increasingly small arent. But in all cases, Covid testing is required. And its not just one test, or even one type of test. Most countries require holidaymakers to have taken a test either the gold standard PCR test, or a 15-minute rapid lateral flow test before they travel, or on arrival. Many EU countries are considering introducing a Covid-19 passport to ease travel between member states and eligible third countries who have low coronavirus infection rates As the UK is not part of the scheme, holidaymakers hoping to travel to Spain, Italy and Portugal could be obliged to take up to five Covid-19 tests to keep onside the law However, it doesnt end there. The new British system requires a number of tests to be carried out prior to and after returning home. This means that taking a holiday in popular destinations such as Spain, Italy and Portugal all on the amber list at time of going to press could mean as many as five tests per person. Free NHS Covid tests arent permitted for use by returning travellers, to ensure enough tests are available for Britons with Covid symptoms. This means the only option is to pay for one from a private company, racking up the cost of a family break. And while the Government website provides a list of 414 approved firms, they charge vastly differing amounts for their services, with packages ranging from 27.49 to 575 per person. We are being exploited by these companies, said aviation analyst Alex Macheras. Many European countries offer pre-flight tests for free. Instead, here were being forced to pay extortionate prices. In an effort to compile a definitive guide to navigating this potential minefield, last week The Mail on Sunday contacted every firm on the Governments list, to find out exactly what they were offering for the money. Shockingly, we discovered many were misleading potential customers about the true cost of their services. A pattern emerged among those claiming to be the cheapest: one price was listed on the gov.uk website, but after clicking through to the checkout, this figure appeared to spiral. This newspaper also obtained correspondence from the Department of Health and Social Care warning of a significant public health risk as a result of poor practices carried out by some private firms. And, worryingly, we discovered that many firms have not been inspected by UK testing watchdogs. But, in truth, it IS possible to travel without falling foul of rip-off merchants. Heres how. Don't be fooled by rock-bottom prices The lists of testing companies on gov.uk can be viewed in order of price, supposedly for what it would cost, in terms of testing, per person, to visit either an amber or green list country. However, not all is as it seems. Click on a companys name and youll be taken to its website, where it outlines the different tests it offers. In many cases, the initial price youll have seen will be for their cheapest option: testing on site, which would involve visiting its clinic to carry out a self swab. For instance, Expert TMS Limited claims on gov.uk that an amber-list package separate PCR tests that must be taken on day two and day eight of post-trip quarantine for one person would cost 49.99. It takes a bit of hunting on its website to find this offer, which is buried beneath many more expensive options, listed under Unsupervised On Site Testing. It involves attending its facility at Taylor Business Park, at Risley in Warrington, to carry out a self-swab. Fine, if you live close by, but probably not much use otherwise. Browsing the government website provides a confusing list of private firms willing to supply Covid-19 tests which will allow you to go on holiday with promised low prices difficult to find on the individual company websites The price for its amber-list home test kit, called Mandatory Day 2 and Day 8, is 149.99. Similarly, 100 Covid Clear appears on gov.uk appearing to offer amber-list packages at 49, but this is available only in-clinic in Gloucester. The at-home day two and day eight test package costs 198. The same thing happened when we clicked on the 20 cheapest companies listed on gov.uk. In many cases, the prices of these tests are not what they first appear, says Macheras. It may say one thing on the website, but by the time you get to checkout you are paying far more. Companies know how essential these tests are to customers, so make it as difficult as possible for people to make a good assessment. The sheer lack of regulation is shocking. There is no body enforcing and monitoring the claims on this site. Id recommend anyone thinking of buying tests, take some time in advance to shop around, so you arent forced to make a last-minute costly decision. Its also important to note that anyone visiting an amber-list country will also need to take a pre-departure and pre-return test dubbed Fit To Fly tests. Few companies include these in their amber-list packages, so these have to be added on, upping the cost. And, of course, a Test To Release test which can be taken on day five after returning home, in order to end quarantine early will be an additional cost. A good price for an amber-list home-test package, including pre-departure and pre-return Fit To Fly tests, is about 150, said Macheras. For a green-list package, which includes one Fit To Fly test and a day two PCR test, you should be looking at just under 100. For the best deals, look to airlines Airlines are eager to get people flying, so have partnered with some of the more trusted test providers to offer discounted test packages. Crucially, you dont need to have booked a flight with that airline to use their discount codes. British Airways is working with 11 test providers and is offering 15 per cent discounts for all of them their website ba.com has links to all their websites, and gives discount codes to apply at the checkout. One of the best deals is with mega-lab Randox. It offers an Algarve Package that includes two Fit To Fly tests along with a day two and day eight PCR tests for 189 per person, with the BA discount. Airlines such as British Airways are offering money-off codes for Covid-19 tests needed before flying - though this requires an additional trip ot the airport three days before your trip The code is BritishAirways43. Ryanair and Virgin Atlantic offer the same discount as BA on Randox tests the codes are FLYRYANAIR and VIRGIN21. EasyJet is offering 5 discounts for Randox single PCR tests, meaning they cost 43. The code is ejh2021. With the same easyJet code, you can get 20 per cent discount on tests with Collison, but this isnt as generous as it might appear. Tests have to be done at one of the companys sites, which are located at all the major airports, including Manchester and East Midlands. This means an additional trip to the airport in the days prior to flying. With the discount, Collisons Amber PCR Package the two PCR tests needed after return costs 132 per person. However, Fit To Fly tests must be purchased separately, meaning a trip to an amber-list country would set you back 231.60 in tests per person. Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic is offering discounts on Prenetics home-testing kits it offers a range of amber-list packages, with either a lateral flow pre-departure test, at 179 for the package, or a PCR pre-departure test, costing 211. The majority of the UKs international airports, including Gatwick, Stansted and Heathrow, are also housing drive-in testing sites, which customers can book visits to in advance. Popular holiday destinations such as Faro, pictured, have been placed on the Government's amber list - requiring additional Covid-19 testing These are typically cheaper than prices at high-street testing clinics, such as Boots (which charges 99 for a single PCR test). However, with PCR testing, results can take 48 hours, so it would involve going to the airport, then going home, then going back. Some airport hotels such as Sofitel and Hilton are offering free 24-hour PCR tests to those who book overnight accommodation rooms start at 179. Travel company Tui has partnered with Chronomics and is offering green-list packages for 60 which include a PCR test and a lateral-flow test to customers who have booked a holiday with it. Can private test firms be trusted? The Government says it does not endorse or recommend any particular test provider for quarantine test packages but ensures they all meet the minimum required standards. But what does this mean? Ordinarily, if a company provides medical tests, then they must pass an inspection by industry regulator the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). However, owing to the sudden demand for Covid tests, the Department of Health and Social Care drew up new rules to allow private clinics to operate without accreditation. Under the new rules, companies could self-declare that they meet UKAS requirements. These include the company having a medical director or healthcare scientist, as well as trained and competent staff. Ordinarily, if a company provides medical tests, then they must pass an inspection by industry regulator the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). However, owing to the sudden demand for Covid tests, the Department of Health and Social Care drew up new rules to allow private clinics to operate without accreditation There have been anecdotal reports of test kits and results arriving late, and, shockingly, even people being sent emails confirming a negative result before they had sent back their swab. Last Monday, a number of private test clinics received a stern email from the Department of Health and Social Care warning: It has come to our attention that there has been an increasing number of privately provided test kit samples being incorrectly labelled for return to the laboratory, or not labelled at all. This is... negatively affecting processing times and sometimes resulting in an inability to process samples altogether, leading to a poor customer experience and public health risk. The worrying message continued: We are writing to remind you of the need to ensure a full end-to-end service is in place that meets the minimum standards. From June 30, UKAS intends to begin carrying out inspections. If companies have not met the requirements, they could be removed from the Governments list. There are four major labs that process PCR tests: Randox, Oncologica, Nationwide Pathology and Nonacus. Although some smaller private companies listed on gov.uk have their own labs, many are little more than a forwarding service, handling swabs, sending them on to one of these major labs, and then ultimately forwarding the results to the customer. Consumers buying directly from a major lab will pay from 48 for a single PCR test, but small clinics, who make bulk orders, will pay less than half this amount meaning they are charging huge mark-ups. An extreme example of this can be found at the Mayfair GP Clinic, the most expensive provider on the Government approved list. A day two PCR test alone costs 399 a test that Randox charges customers 48 for. Its amber-list home test package a Day Two and Day Eight test costs 575. Add two Fit To Fly tests, and an additional test-to-release PCR at 119 per test, and testing could set you back a whopping 932 per person. The Mayfair GP Clinic does send one of its doctors to the customers home to take the swabs, but these are then sent to the Oncologica lab in Cambridge, which charges just 215 for the same tests. A representative for The Mayfair GP Clinic said its bespoke service justifies the price, and that if the test is positive, it will offer medical support at no extra charge. An inconclusive test means you pay again For tests taken pre-departure, time can be of the essence. The majority of private PCR test providers guarantee results within 48 hours, however this is dependent on how quickly the test is transported. If results are delayed, customers may be forced to miss their flight. Several test providers who send swabs to external labs told this newspaper they were at the mercy of the Royal Mail. One said: Tracked 24 is just a brand name. It rarely ever gets there within 24 hours. Read the companys refund policy carefully before purchasing a test from a private firm. Many do not offer refunds if the test results are delayed. Some do, with caveats: C19 Testing told us it would give a full refund for a late result as long the home test arrives at the lab at the right time. And again, this will be down to Royal Mail (using a courier service is another possibility, but it would crank up the cost again). Macheras said: The best most of these companies can offer you is a commitment to getting you your test on time, but there is rarely a money-back guarantee. He added: What many providers wont tell you is that, in some cases, the test can come back inconclusive, meaning it is neither positive or negative and has to be redone. If this happens, then the customer will have to pay for a brand new test. There is no legal obligation for travel companies to offer refunds or flexible booking for flights missed due to not having a test result. BA allows customers to change or cancel a flight (a voucher is given to be used at a later date) at no extra charge. This can be done at any time before check-in for the flight closes. Customers just have to pay for any difference in ticket price. Jet2 also offers this if a test provider fails to provide a result in time. The budget airlines, including Ryanair and easyJet, do not. Travel experts advise booking directly with airlines, rather than via an agent, as this usually offers the best consumer protection. Some companies claim they use smaller labs, rather than the big four. They say this means they can get PCR results in a matter of hours, because the labs are handling fewer tests. However, insiders say these facilities are most likely to be overwhelmed by high demand. A lot of these smaller labs that sprung up in the past six months made bold statements about how many tests they could take on, and then failed repeatedly to meet their orders, said one clinic owner. Its also important you dont take pre-flight tests too soon most countries will only accept tests taken no more than 72 hours before you arrive. Could the vaccinated be spared the tests? Last week, it was reported that the Government was exploring plans to scrap Covid travel tests for vaccinated Britons. The proposal would also allow travellers whod had two jabs to visit amber-list countries without having to quarantine. Fully vaccinated Britons would be able to use their vaccine certificate, found on the NHS app, as proof of their status. The scheme would mirror the EUs digital Covid certificate, due to be introduced on July 1, which will allow vaccinated people or those with a negative test to travel freely in the bloc. Reports suggest the plans could come into effect as soon as the next Government review of the traffic- light system, due on June 28. On Thursday, Financial Secretary to the Treasury Jesse Norman said the Government was thinking about all aspects of this and added it was a very dynamic evolving situation. Leading scientists have urged the government to free fully vaccinated people from undergoing multiple Covid-19 tests Leading scientists have already backed the plan and suggest that the Government could also free the vaccinated from having to have multiple tests. Professor Jackie Cassell, public health expert at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, said: The vaccines not only make you less likely to get sick, they also make you far less likely to spread the virus. As more people get both their jabs, the cost and burden of testing and quarantine will just become ridiculous, considering the reduced risk of infection. This isnt just about holidays. There are many people in this country with family who live abroad. Its not right that you can only visit your mum in Jamaica if youve got enough money for testing. Macheras said the proposal was the news the whole travel industry has been waiting for. He said: The UK is an outlier on quarantine. So many countries around the world, from the US, to Spain, and South Korea, have exempted the fully vaccinated from quarantine. These countries recognise the benefits of vaccinations, Britain needs to do the same. In The Heights Cert: PG, 2hrs 23mins Rating: In The Earth Cert: 15, 1hr 47mins Rating: The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard Cert: 15, 1hr 39mins Rating: There are some who will tell you that the only thing you really need to know about In The Heights is that it comes from the genius-dipped pen of Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of that global phenomenon, Hamilton. What I think you really need to know and, indeed, remember about In The Heights is that ITS A MUSICAL! Which means that some of you are going to hate it from the moment the central character turns directly to the camera, flashes a friendly smile and bids us good morning before breaking into his first number. There are some who will tell you that the only thing you really need to know about In The Heights is that it comes from the genius-dipped pen of Lin-Manuel Miranda The rest of us, however, are in for a toe-tapping, hip-shaking ball as Miranda, working alongside writer Quiara Alegria Hudes and director Jon M. Chu, introduces us to a Hispanic community living on a Washington Heights block threatened by gentrification and redevelopment, amid a New York heatwave and impending power cuts. Usnavi (Anthony Ramos), the young shopkeeper at the centre of this enjoyably tangled tale, is dreaming of buying back the hurricane-damaged beachside bar once owned by his late father back in the Dominican Republic. But where would that leave his unrequited love for the beautiful Vanessa (Melissa Barrera)? Or, while were on affairs of the heart, the similarly unreturned affections of humble taxi-dispatcher Benny (Corey Hawkins) for Nina (Leslie Grace), his bosss Stanford-educated daughter, the cleverest girl on the block? The fun takes a while to get going, and eventually it does slightly outstay its welcome, but a long middle section, full of numbers that alternately prompt tears and make you wish youd been paying better attention in salsa class, is an absolute delight. Go see it, but remember: ITS A MUSICAL! In forestry circles there is a growing acceptance of the initially outlandish-sounding idea that the roots of forest trees are all joined by a huge network of interconnecting fungi that might even allow trees to communicate with each other. Its been dubbed the wood wide web. Clever, huh? Well, director Ben Wheatley appears to have stumbled across the idea, super-charged it and used it as the basis for In The Earth, one of the most original British horror films of recent years. Cross The Wicker Man with Apocalypse Now and youre heading in the right sort of direction. Its not always an easy watch the pace is slow, the performances low-key and its all a bit bonkers. But as scientific researcher Martin (Joel Fry) and his guide Alma (Ellora Torchia) venture deeper into the wood, youre pretty sure theres something nasty waiting for them. In The Hitmans Wifes Bodyguard, Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson and Salma Hayek reunite for a comedy-thriller sequel that this time around sees hitman Darius Kincaid (Jackson) kidnapped by the mafia and his potty-mouthed wife, Sonia (Hayek), needing the help of bodyguard Michael Bryce (Reynolds) to rescue him. The only problem is, Bryce has been in therapy and has given up violence. In The Hitmans Wifes Bodyguard , Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson and Salma Hayek (above) reunite for a comedy-thriller sequel Expect global conspiracies, Antonio Banderas as the main baddie and an unlikely appearance from Morgan Freeman amid the enjoyable but instantly forgettable, popcorn-flavoured fun. Nero: The Man Behind The Myth The British Museum, London Until October 24 (booking essential) Rating: History hasnt been kind to the Roman emperor Nero. He ruled for little more than a decade, between 54 and 68 AD, yet is still remembered today for all sorts of unsavoury acts. These include committing incest with his mother, before having her assassinated; playing the fiddle, wholly unconcerned, while a fire ravaged Rome around him; and killing his second wife by kicking her in the stomach, while she was pregnant. A new exhibition at the British Museum argues that Nero was nowhere near as bad as weve been led to believe, however. Apparently, in the years after his death (aged 30), he was slandered by elite Roman writers such as Tacitus and Suetonius, who loathed his populism and the mud stuck. A new exhibition at the British Museum argues that Nero (above) was nowhere near as bad as weve been led to believe, however The show opens with a still from the epic 1951 film Quo Vadis, in which Peter Ustinov played Nero as deranged. After that, the exhibits offer a more positive view of the emperor such as a piece of graffiti from a wall in Pompeii, praising his rule. Elsewhere, theres a marble sculpture of the newly crowned Nero from modern-day Turkey (in the Roman empires east), celebrating his accession. We also see the tombstone of the emperors loyal secretary, Epaphroditus, whos said to have saved his masters life in a conspiracy in 65 AD. In truth, there isnt quite enough evidence for us to suddenly label Nero a hero rather than a villain. However, with 200 objects ranging from statues and wall paintings to armour and jewellery, almost all of them dating from the 1st Century AD this show offers a fascinating snapshot of imperial Rome. As for the story of the fiddling, we have it confirmed that Nero wasnt even in Rome at the time. A Very Nice Rejection Letter Chris Paling Constable 16.99 Rating: Everyone has a book in them, it is said, and, in the vast majority of cases, thats exactly where it should stay. Your memoir about life in the dog-eat-dog world of IT support? Your thriller about a woman on the top deck of the Number 19 who sees something awful through the upstairs window of a two-up two-down? Dont bother. Even if they are any good, theyll struggle to make much impact among the thousands of books published every single week in the UK. Unless you happen to be J. K. Rowling or James Patterson, writing is unlikely to make you rich. Indeed, it might actually impoverish you. The bulk of this funny and revealing book consists of novelist Chris Palings account of his authorial ups and downs OK, his downs of 2007 and 2008 At the beginning of this entertaining diary of his life in writing, novelist Chris Paling tots up his earnings for the year so far: minus 300 the deficit being due to a payment to his accountant for preparing accounts recording just how little he had earned in the previous year. Paling actually is an accomplished author, the UK and Commonwealths 1,001st Most Important Novelist (Living), by his own estimation. He has nine titles to his name and earns respectable reviews. However he is, in publishing parlance, a mid-list novelist someone who showed early promise but failed to hit the sales or prize ackpot. And, as he drily observes, there is no such thing as a low-list novelist. It is his job as a radio producer that puts bread on the table. His writerly life seems little more than series of indignities and humiliations. A statement from his publisher shows that, as a result of books being returned to the warehouse, he has sold minus 45. I have therefore sold 45 fewer novels than an unpublished writer. No mean feat. He is invited to a meeting of his local book group to talk about one of his titles, and only two people there both of whom he already knows have ever heard of him. The ideal is to write something for the screen. If a screenplay is picked up, the financial rewards can be great. At any one time, Paling has several scripts at various stages of development, and is forever having meetings with producers and promising young directors, although they are never actually filmed. The bulk of this funny and revealing book consists of Palings account of his authorial ups and downs OK, his downs of 2007 and 2008. Then hes admitted to hospital with a serious medical condition and his projects all wither away. But things start to look up. He takes redundancy from his radio job and works at his local library. The resulting memoir, Reading Allowed, sells more than his last three novels combined. A Very Nice Rejection Letter will do at least as well because everyone who is convinced they have a book in them should read it. About Time: A History Of Civilization In Twelve Clocks David Rooney Viking 16.99 Rating: What the time is depends on where you are: when its noon for you, its already 1pm in, say, Venice. It used to vary in different parts of the UK: the sun is at its highest in Lowestoft before the same happens in Aberystwyth, so there was no reason for the respective town hall clocks to show noon at the same time. I had previously believed that it was trains that put a stop to this so that passengers could avoid adjusting their watches at every station. David Rooney digs deeper in this history of timekeeping and tells us that local time in fact persisted alongside railway time until Victorian moralists keen that every pub should obey very precise licensing hours imposed Greenwich Mean Time across the land. About Time: A History Of Civilization In Twelve Clocks is a beguiling book that shifts enjoyably between the barely fathomable nature of time and historical anecdote But Greenwich no longer tells the world what time it is. The time weve now all agreed is the time is set by a constellation of satellites carrying sturdy functional boxes called atomic clocks. GPS Global Positioning System time is heeded by your phone and mine, and most modern vehicles, machines and infrastructure. Most of the 12 clocks of this books subtitle are older and prettier, and clock here can mean any kind of timepiece. There are hourglasses. There are sundials, including the 88ft monster in Jaipur known as The Supreme Instrument, so large that you can watch its shadow move. This is a beguiling book that shifts enjoyably between the barely fathomable nature of time and historical anecdote. Alan Connor All In It Together Alwyn Turner Profile 20 Rating: In the past few years, there has been a boom in books of contemporary history. The best combine the immediacy of journalism with the wisdom of history. The worst combine the randomness of journalism with the stuffiness of history. Happily, Alwyn Turners are up there with the best. Having written books about Britain in the 1970s (Crisis? What Crisis?), the 1980s (Rejoice! Rejoice!) and the 1990s (A Classless Society), Turner has now turned his attention to the first 15 years or so of the 21st Century. Reading it is almost like an out-of-body experience, in which you realise that your life and times will one day be as ancient to others as the Neolithic period is to us. Reading All In It Together is almost like an out-of-body experience, in which you realise that your life and times will one day be as ancient to others as the Neolithic period is to us Pippa Middletons bottom, the dodgy dossier, the millennium bug, Cleggmania, the duck house, Northern Rock, the nasty party: these half-forgotten items resonate like the songs of yesteryear. Big, bad or bouncy, they drag us back to a time that seems more innocent, perhaps because we were so much younger back then, and had no idea what was going to happen next. Authors of recent history have a tricky path to tread. Without a theme, their books can descend into a splurge of unrelated events, one thing after another. But if they impose a theme too heavily, the finished product can seem bogus, or more like a piece of propaganda, a vehicle for its authors prejudices. But Alwyn Turner gets it just right. He interweaves various themes into the narrative Englands increasingly troubled relationship with its past, the growing disconnect between the political classes and the people they serve, the United Kingdoms loss of a sense of itself as united but at the same time he keeps it all sprightly and organic, free from the sort of shouty opinionising that makes BBC Question Time such a dreadful bore. In his introduction, Turner makes it clear that he wont simply concentrate on senior politicians and the big events. Instead, he will dwell quite happily in the margins. Figures such as Robert Kilroy-Silk and Ann Cryer loom larger than do some chancellors and foreign secretaries. On the other hand, popular culture, whether in the form of Life On Mars or the bakery chain Greggs, matters more than the winners of the Booker or Turner Prizes. Pippa Middletons bottom, the dodgy dossier, the millennium bug, Cleggmania, the duck house (above), Northern Rock: these half-forgotten items resonate like the songs of yesteryear In one section, he compares the peculiar careers of George Galloway and Robert Kilroy-Silk. Both were clever Labour MPs with a strong sense of their own worth; both dreamed of high office; both had a taste for the good life; both were lured by the vain rewards of reality TV; both broke away to form their own cranky political parties; and both ended up as figures of fun, so marginalised as to be forgotten. Turner is wonderfully shrewd in his assessment of their characters. As so often with men of frustrated destiny (David Owen, Jeffrey Archer), there was with both of them the sense that a snarl lay just beneath the surface charm. He is also a beady researcher, possessing an eagle eye for the pertinent detail. For instance, he homes in on what a canny moneymaker Kilroy-Silk was: The material compensation was indeed impressive: a handsome salary from the Kilroy Television Company, which made his show, was topped up by income from Kilroy Executive Cars, which had the contract for bringing the guests to the studio. Altogether, the accounts for him and his wife in 2002 showed earnings of 1.2 million in presenters and consultancy fees. In a particularly brilliant chapter, Turner compares the blunt-talking working-class comics Bernard Manning and Roy Chubby Brown with their posher, university-educated equivalents such as Jeremy Hardy and Jimmy Carr, who looked like a model in a 1961 Burtons menswear catalogue. All these comedians based their careers on saying the unsayable, but it was only the university boys who were allowed on to television. Manning and Brown were both dropped from television, and Brown was even barred from some council-owned theatres. In a particularly brilliant chapter, Turner compares the working-class comics Bernard Manning (above) and Roy Chubby Brown with their posher, university-educated equivalents In addition to their educational role, universities passed on orthodox values of liberal decency, writes Turner. In the context of comedy, a degree certificate was a licence to laugh at taboos, because it proved you knew why those taboos were important and could be trusted to place an ironic fig leaf over the offending areas. He provides convincing evidence to bolster this insight, showing the similarity of jokes about rape delivered by Chubby Brown and Jimmy Carr. But only the middle-class Carr could get away with it, because it was assumed that, with a voice like that, he couldnt really mean it. Turner additionally points out how forgiving the BBC was after the Radio 4 panel-game veteran Jeremy Hardy declared: If you just took everyone in the BNP and everyone who votes for them and shot them in the back of the head, there would be a brighter future for us all. The average Radio 4 listener might think that this was some sort of call to kill those one disagrees with, but no: He wasnt inciting anyone to violence, explained the BBC. He was lampooning the attitudes of the Left and its attempts to rationalise all types of behaviour and views. Parliament was another area where a particular kind of class played a central role. To the outsider, Cameron, Clegg, Osborne, Balls and Ed Miliband all seemed much of a muchness. This was very much the modern trend: educated, metropolitan, middle-class young men with a plausible, unstuffy manner and a promise of managerial competence. Small wonder, then, that voters increasingly saw Parliament as a state-sponsored cabal, designed to keep them from having their way. The MPs expenses scandal served to foster this growing sense of us and them. Turner devotes a large amount of space to the man who took them on. His pen-portrait of Nigel Farage is characteristically sharp. Farages image was that of a late-1970s chancer: pinstripe suit, cigar in one hand, glass of malt in the other, the kind of man whod bunk off work to go to the races, roar with laughter at off-colour jokes, leave no corner uncut when dealing with taxes and expenses. He gave the impression that, along with Arthur Daley in Minder, he might have an unpaid tab at the Winchester Club. The rise in Government interference in private lives continued: surveillance cameras multiplied, cigarettes and junk food were demonised, and private opinions were monitored. Even Tony Blair got into trouble, after an account of the 1999 Welsh Assembly elections, serialised in The Mail on Sunday, revealed that he had railed against the f***ing Welsh. North Wales Police immediately launched an investigation into whether this was a hate crime. It is not trivial, pronounced the chief constable. Turner disagrees. It was, though. It was really very trivial indeed. It was a man shouting at the telly in the privacy of his own home. Busybodies had never had it so good. In one of many sparkling footnotes, Turner points out that in 2013 the British Board of Film Classification received its first ever complaint about The Railway Children; 42 years after its release, someone suggested it might encourage children to play on rail tracks. All In It Together zings along with such telltale facts and figures, often with an injection of black humour. I was pleased to be reminded that, immediately after his death, Sir Jimmy Savile OBE was treated like a saint. The flags flew at half-mast over the Queens Hotel in Leeds, where his gold-painted coffin lay in state next to a table bearing sacred relics: a half-smoked cigar in an ashtray, the books from his two appearances on This Is Your Life. Shirt and trousers, By Committee. Bikini top, Asceno When I was telling my long-married friend about a boyfriend asking me what I wanted in bed, her eyes widened in horror, then narrowed with envy, then finally creased with laughter. After she stopped laughing (which took some minutes) she spluttered, If my husband asked me that Id say, Eight hours uninterrupted sleep. I cast my mind back to my life BD (before divorce) and I was totally with her. Those days of young children pawing at you, bags under your eyes that wouldnt pass BAs check-in limit, a wardrobe characterised by food splatters and a sleep deficit that feels like it is never going to get worked off in one lifetime. During this period the only time my clothes were coming off, other than to go to sleep, was when the children debagged me (still one of my all-time most embarrassing moments was having my trousers pulled down to the ankles in the freezer aisle at Waitrose). Even my friends with previously high libidos found that theirs went MIA in the early days of parenthood. Or dwindled in long-term relationships. NB: this was mainly female friends, but to be fair I wasnt discussing the situation with male ones. It might be a generalisation, but it seemed the guys still wanted regular sex and the women, well, just didnt. According to one study, 80 per cent of couples experience desire discrepancy where one partner wants to have sex and the other doesnt. The truth for me, and a lot of my friends, is that sex was just one of the things on my tick list: wash hair. Check kids for nits. Have sex. I would promise myself all day that tonight I was going to do it. Then Id be so tired Id roll it over to the next day, till Id have to have sex every day for a millennium to make up the shortfall. Then there was the question of what frequency was acceptable. And who knows what is acceptable? Sometimes I think there should be a set limit by the government, not all that wishy-washy advice on what works for you: exercise for 120 minutes each week; have sex 2.4 times. I had regular sex during my marriage, but I will confess that in the same way I massaged my alcohol unit figure downwards to the GP, I inflated my sexual encounters upwards to myself and my ex. Having open conversations with friends, when the truth juice (dry white wine) has been consumed, you get the real facts. Theres always that friend who confesses they havent done it in a year. And then another who says they did in the park on the way home from date night last Tuesday. On the whole, though, I dont think we ever really know the truth about how often other couples do it. Heck, even the couples themselves cant agree. I know my exs version of our numbers differed from mine. But is the cliche men are gagging for it and women are the ones with a headache/hair-washing true? I feel it generally is, but I have friends for whom it was the other way round. One pal looks forward to her birthday as its the only time he will put out. Another spends all her air miles taking her husband away for luxury breaks. I went all the way to the other side of the world and we did it once, she told me one time. On my mission to be more self-aware PD (post divorce), Im trying to see situations through different lenses mainly the male one. I can now see how rejecting sex with someone might feel like a rejection of their whole selves. My friend Dee would say, Its not a rejection of them, its a rejection of sex. Even if Brad Pitt sidled over to me in the super king Id turn him down. But I can see how it would chip away at a persons self-confidence, especially if thats how they feel love. Its funny the things that suddenly make us desirous. Like seeing someone else fancying your partner makes them a lot hotter to you. I remember Eamonn Holmes (bear with me) saying that exact scenario made him propose to his wife Ruth Langsford. Like a child only wanting a toy once they realise it might be taken away. Anyway, lack of desire is not my problem at the moment instead it has been fired up by the newness of dating. Also by being desired. On that note, my newly single friend Claire just texted me that she has a hot new Italian boyfriend 20 years her junior. I felt dead between the legs for years. Now Im doing it five times a day... @lifesrosie Snapping up her own island in Nicaragua for the price of a two-bedroom home in the UK, Nicky Ray followed her dream to create the ultimate modern hideaway The 1.5-acre islands lush vegetation includes numerous mango trees. On the terrace, the sofa and chairs were crafted by local carpenters; the planters were handmade and the sun loungers were imported from Costco in Miami Have you ever gone to a place and felt immediately at home? For Cornish-born Nicky Ray, the connection to El Coyol one of 365 small islands set on freshwater Lake Nicaragua in Central America was instantaneous. I came to Nicaragua in 2013 with my husband Peter, and we toured the archipelago. I wanted my 50s to embrace new adventures as soon as I stepped on to the island, I knew I wanted to make a home here. With an overwhelming sense of calm, serenity and beauty, it felt like nowhere else I had ever been, says Nicky. Fortuitously, the island was up for sale, so the idea turned into an opportunity, with the off-radar location making land, labour and resources all affordable. The rancho, which overlooks the pool, was carved using local frijolillo wood. The table is a repurposed door attached to a welded steel base. The beautiful decking area was designed by Nicky. El Coyol is also available to rent as a yoga retreat There was already a house on the site, which made the possibility of creating our dream space cost-effective: no expensive groundworks and the chance to minimise structural costs, Nicky explains. She worked with a local architect and construction team to increase the workable space of the existing house by raising the roof height, knocking down internal walls and adding impactful glazed windows and doors. A kitchen-diner and two more bedrooms were added. Dark rooms were turned into lofty, light spaces that connect to new landscaped terraces and the pool with stunning views out to the lake beyond. The vanity unit is made from frijolillo timber and a local black granite top. A wood offcut adds a rustic touch to a circular mirror. The sink is by sinsa.com.ni and the stool is crafted from cedro timber. In the kitchen-diner, floating concrete shelves display replicas of pre-Colombian statues. The console table teams guanacaste timber with steel legs. The chairs, made on the mainland, slide away under the concrete island. The monochrome bathroom adds a contemporary edge. The hacienda-style villa sleeps eight: think secluded Robinson Crusoe hideaway meets intimate boutique home mangoes on tap, private cook if required. Nothing is formulaic, everything is personal and handcrafted. We wanted to minimise our carbon footprint so made inventive use of wood offcuts and naturally felled trees to create furniture to my designs. Tourism is welcomed, and it has been great to support local artisans and for guests to now rent our island too. We are living a life less ordinary; by day nestled among verdant flora and fauna; at night cocooned in a star-studded oasis. Life is too short to not have a go at living your dream. In the living space, the wall hangings are floor runners from rockettstgeorge.com. The coffee table was made from a fallen tree that was cut into 12 movable sections. The locally made wicker lamps were bought from a roadside stall. The cushions were adapted from H&M covers For more information, go to theislandnicaragua.com and @elcoyolprivateisland. From 575 per night for up to eight people; from 7 January 2022 you can book El Coyol for five nights or more and receive one night free Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below. Mystery: Regent Memorial's Kamran Saleem runs a used car dealer T.S. writes: Have you any update on Farnham Park Cemetery? I have heard nothing from them, and the company responsible, Regent Memorial Limited, does not respond to phone calls or emails. Have we lost our investment? I visited the site in Farnham recently and it is basically an empty field. Tony Hetherington replies: When I looked into this and wrote about it four years ago, all the warning signs were there. Salesmen were marketing cemetery plots as investments for around 1,850 apiece, with predictions that within two or three years their value would have rocketed by as much as 40 per cent because of a national shortage of burial land. In fact, Regent Memorial's website still includes a misleading picture showing headstones that belong to an adjacent genuine church cemetery. One of Regent Memorial's directors, Kamran Saleem, confidently told me in 2017 of his experience in the industry, explaining that his father, Mohammad Saleem Akhtar, was chairman of the Birmingham mosque that runs the biggest Muslim funeral service in the city and possibly the whole country. What has changed since? Well, despite the sign directing traffic from the main road in Farnham, not a single burial has taken place at the cemetery. It is a ghost town, untended and overgrown, and the shipping container that was used as an onsite sales office stands rusting. Meanwhile, Kamran Saleem runs Motorserv-UK, a used car dealership and service centre in Solihull. In 2017, I reported my suspicion that Saleem's real intention might be to build houses on at least part of the land. Sure enough, a slice of land was transferred to a Channel Islands company called Rheno Property Holdings. However, the local authority rejected a planning application for housing, submitted by a connected company, Plot (Farnham) LLP. And this has not been the only land deal in the area. Last year, land previously regarded by the council as part of the projected cemetery changed hands for more than 2million. The new owner, confusingly called Farnham Cemetery Limited, is controlled by the Ismaili Trust, an Islamic charity based in London. It told me it is not connected to Regent Memorial, adding: 'Planning already exists on our site for burial and we are looking to pursue that.' Your own agreement with Regent Memorial obliges that company to continue marketing plots and to keep the cemetery clean and tidy. Yet no marketing is being done and the site looks abandoned. Lots of investors have contacted me, complaining they feel cheated. It certainly appears that Regent Memorial is in breach of contract. Its bosses do not even acknowledge burial applications that I understand some investors have made. Saleem is not the only owner or director of Regent Memorial Limited. Behind him stands Henry Anderson, a Channel Islands businessman. Both were repeatedly invited to comment. Neither did so. I suggest you and other plot owners get together and sue Regent Memorial. Saleem and Anderson were happy to take your money. Let's see how they respond when a court hears how they benefited from false sales pitches and then left you in the lurch. Help to Buy? I need help sorting this loan chaos... Ms H.M. writes: Four years ago, I used the Government's Help to Buy scheme to purchase my flat with a loan. Since then, I have saved hard to repay the loan before steep interest charges start after five years. In January, I paid 395 for a surveyor's report, instructed a solicitor, and sent all paperwork and fees to Target HCA, the company administering the loan. Target forgot to deal with this, then refused to deal with my solicitor, and now says I have run out of time and need to pay for new reports to start again. Tony Hetherington replies: This has been a chapter of errors. When you spoke to Target in February, staff admitted they had simply forgotten to deal with your loan redemption request. The company said it would extend the redemption process by one month to make up for this, but then it sent all the forms, along with lots of personal information, to a solicitor who acted for you some years ago, and not to the solicitor you had told Target was acting for you now. And when I started looking into this for you, I ran into a fresh bit of confusion, with a document saying terms and condition were set by Target Servicing Limited, company number 08896386. When I checked, I found this number belongs to a different company, Elderbridge Limited, which is connected to Target but legally is completely separate. I asked Target to comment, and it admitted it had got things wrong. The company has now told me: 'We have extended the redemption period for Ms M until September 2021, so she will not need to pay for a new survey or additional legal fees.' I had to shield, but NatWest won't pay J.K. writes: I paid 933 to book a villa in Spain, but then received a message from the NHS telling me to shield because I have a serious underlying health condition. I cancelled the booking, but was told the deposit was not refundable. I have a NatWest Platinum account which includes travel insurance, and I pay an additional monthly fee to include cover for my underlying condition. However, NatWest rejected a claim for my 933, apparently because I cancelled more than 28 days before departure. Tony Hetherington replies: The message from the NHS said: 'You have been identified as someone who is clinically extremely vulnerable due to an underlying disease or health condition that may put you at serious risk of severe illness if you catch Coronavirus.' At first, you were told to stay at home at all times. This was later relaxed slightly to allow you to go outdoors once a day, but a trip to Spain was out of the question. At first, NatWest said it rejected your claim because its policy only allows for cancellations within 28 days of departure. It offered to reconsider if you provided a letter from your doctor, confirming that you had been told to shield for longer than this. You provided a letter confirming you were told to shield for 12 weeks, but NatWest still turned you down. I asked the bank to think again, and staff confirmed that they had considered your claim under the normal 28-day rule, but should have looked at it under a separate part of the policy that allows for medical cancellations. Your claim has now been met in full. If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TS or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned. When the UK first went into lockdown, commercial property companies were among the first to feel the effect. Investors worried that tenants would be unable to pay the rent, businesses would go bankrupt and valuations would sink. These things happened but not as much as everyone feared. While some firms have suffered from low rental payments, high vacancies and tumbling valuations, others have flourished and their shares have soared. There are also a number of firms whose resilience is yet to be reflected in their share price, offering an attractive opportunity to snap up stocks on the cheap, with generous dividends thrown in. Growing fast: Warehouse Reit lets sites to firms such as Amazon as well as local businesses Warehouse Reit While most property companies have been shunned through the pandemic, Warehouse Reit has been one of the lucky ones and its shares have soared. Midas recommended the stock in 2018 when the price was 96.5p. The shares have risen 58 per cent to 1.52 and should continue to gain ground. Warehouse owns industrial sites close to city centres and let to companies ranging from Amazon to local businesses. The majority are involved in ecommerce and have flourished over the past year. Rent collection has been strong, the value of Warehouse's portfolio has risen and the group has even raised money on the stock market to buy more assets. Midas verdict: Warehouse Reit has grown materially through the pandemic and should continue in that vein. Industrial parks are in demand, rents are rising and supply is limited. At 1.52, the shares have further to run and shareholders benefit from a 6.2p dividend too. Traded on: AIM Ticker: WHR Contact: warehousereit.co.uk or 020 3102 9465 Ediston Property Investment Company Ediston Property Investment Company, known as EPIC, has had a very different time over the past year, but the shares now look like a bargain. Midas recommended the stock in June 2018, when the price was 1.11. By March of last year, it had plummeted to 45p and big investors were clamouring to know how EPIC boss Calum Bruce was going to persuade tenants to pay the rent. Two-thirds of the company's properties are retail parks, while most of the rest are office blocks. Many market watchers considered that a pretty disastrous combination, but they have been proved wrong. The group collected 92 per cent of rent owed from last March to this, the figure rose to 95 per cent in the six months to this March and is likely to be even higher when Epic reports quarterly figures next month. Epic has benefited from several clever management choices. First, edge-of-town retail parks have fared far better through the pandemic than the high street. Second, Epic's tenants include high-performing businesses such as B&M, B&Q and Pets at Home. And third, the company focuses on areas outside the SouthEast, including Scotland, Wales and the Midlands. The firm also set up a special team when the pandemic erupted, which talked directly to tenants and worked on plans to keep both sides happy. Today, discussions with tenants are less about paying their dues and more about taking on new space or extending leases. Later this week, the group opens a new retail park in Haddington, East Lothian, already pre-let to stores including Aldi, Iceland and Costa. Further expansion is in Bruce's sights so new deals are likely in the coming months. Epic pays a monthly dividend, recently increased by 25 per cent to 0.417p, equating to 5p for the year. Further substantial increases are expected as the recovery continues. Midas verdict: Epic shares are 69p, up from their lows last year but still at a 19 per cent discount to the value of the firm's assets. Existing shareholders have had a rough ride but they can take comfort in the group's 7.3 per cent dividend yield. New investors could also grab a few shares, as the current price does not reflect Epic's prospects. Traded on: Main Market Ticker: EPIC Contact: epic-reit.com or 0131 240 8887 Palace Capital Palace Capital has also been poorly treated since Covid-19 hit Britain. The shares almost halved to 1.71 when lockdowns were imposed last year and even though they have recovered to 2.60 since then, they are still well below pre-pandemic levels and below the 3.12 price at which Midas recommended them in 2014. The decline seems unwarranted and should reverse over the coming months and beyond. Palace is run by two of the most experienced hands in the market, 83-year-old Stanley Davis and 78- year-old Neil Sinclair. The duo have long understood the value of talking to tenants and, like Epic, this has stood them in good stead over the past 15 months. Palace collected 95 per cent of rents owed in the year to March 2021 and raised its final dividend by 20 per cent to 3p, saying that shareholders would receive at least 12p in the current financial year. This reflects confidence in the future. Palace has built a portfolio of properties in cities such as York, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle and Liverpool. Vacant space is being let, demand is brisk and sales are proceeding as planned. Midas verdict: Palace Capital's portfolio is valued at 3.43 a share, so the stock is trading at a 24 per cent discount to the value of the group's assets. Yet the business is making progress, pays attractive dividends and should be a prime beneficiary of the Government's levelling up agenda. At 2.60, the shares are a buy. Existing investors should also keep the faith. Traded on: Main Market Ticker: PCA Contact: palacecapitalplc.com or 020 3301 8330 Grocery giant Morrisons has rejected a 5.5billion takeover approach by a US private equity firm advised by former Tesco boss Sir Terry Leahy. Responding to speculation about a possible bid by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, the Morrisons board said last night the proposal 'significantly undervalued Morrisons and its future prospects'. Morrisons said it had initially received an 'unsolicited and highly conditional nonbinding proposal' last Monday at 230p a share. It said a number of preconditions were attached, including the completion of detailed due diligence and the arrangement of debt financing. Rejection: Morrisons board said the proposal 'significantly undervalued Morrisons and its future prospects' The statement by CD&R followed a Sky News report that it had made a preliminary approach to the supermarket group's board and had already begun contacting banks to drum up financial backing for the plan in recent days. Morrisons, which has evaluated the proposal with its financial adviser Rothschild, said the board had 'unanimously concluded' the cash offer was inadequate and had privately rejected it on Thursday. Morrisons is run by former Tesco executives Andrew Higginson and David Potts currently chairman and chief executive of the Bradford-based chain who both worked closely with Leahy during their time at Tesco. Leahy is likely to be closely involved with completing any deal should CD&R pursue its interest in the grocer. The dramatic sequence of events is the latest seismic shift in the supermarket sector after the little-known Issa brothers acquired Asda from Walmart in a 6.8billion swoop last year. The deal was approved by the Competition & Markets Authority last week. Private equity giants and business tycoons are attracted by the stable returns and vast property assets, which CD&R could sell to make a quick return. But any attempt to buy Morrisons, one of the biggest private sector employers in the country with 110,000 staff, would attract intense public scrutiny. CD&R said in its statement there was no certainty a formal offer would be made. It has 28 days to formalise its approach. It could alternatively increase its offer price in light of the rejection or else walk away. Morrisons share price has flatlined so far this year and closed at 1.82 on Friday, valuing the business at 4.3 billion. Despite that, it is certain investors would likely demand a significant premium to hand the business over, given the strong property asset base. Amazon, a partner to Morrison, has persistently been linked to a possible bid. It has also been suggested that former Asda suitors Apollo Global Management and Lone Star could return with a bid for another supermarket after failing to acquire the Leeds-based group last year. Shares in other supermarkets, including Sainsbury's where 'Czech Sphinx' billionaire Daniel Kretinsky has a 10 per cent stake, are likely to rise tomorrow on the news. Hedge funds have taken a 162million bet against shares in property giant British Land. Official data shows the value of British Land shares held by short-sellers investors using contracts to make money from a drop in a company's share price has risen to the highest for more than two years. Placing a bet: Official data shows the value of British Land shares held by short-sellers has risen to the highest for more than two years The situation was worsened when London hedge fund Marshall Wace, run by Sir Paul Marshall and Ian Wace, increased its short position last week. That coincided with a Government decision to extend a ban on commercial evictions until next March a blow for landlords but welcome news for tenants. The rise in the level of short positions at British Land 3.6 per cent of its stock puts it into the top ten most shorted firms. Its rival Hammerson has long been among the highest with 6.5 per cent of its shares currently in the hands of short-sellers. Sainsbury's and Cineworld are the only stocks on the market with more investors betting against them. An explicit sex guide released by Norwegian public television has caused a stir in the country. Public broadcaster NRK offered a guide of no less than 60 different positions, with imaginative names including 'the squeezing koala' and 'spaghetti'. The sex positions include those for same-sex couples as well as heterosexual couples. The guide also includes practical positions for people who suffer from a certain condition such as back pain, or for those who are pregnant. The spaghetti position. All participating couples are just posing rather than actually having sex The squeezing koala position. All participating couples are just posing rather than actually having sex The 'missionary' position. The guide is laid out alongside black and white photographs on NRK's website The 'W-stillingen' position. The public broadcaster has received at least 97 complaints since the guide's release It was pieced together with the advice of midwives, authorized sexologists, doctors and therapists, according to the broadcaster. The guide is laid out alongside black and white photographs on NRK's website. According to the broadcaster, all of those pictures are couples in real life. All participating couples - who are just posing rather than actually having sex - were provided with psychological support as a precaution. The public broadcaster has received at least 97 complaints since the guide's release, with some arguing that as a public entity, NRK should remain neutral on issues such as sex. The 'Loftet' position. Some people complaining about the guide have argued that as a public entity, NRK should remain neutral on issues such as sex The 'stolen' position. The sex positions include those for same-sex couples as well as heterosexual couples The 'klining' position. The guide was pieced together with the advice of midwives, authorized sexologists, doctors and therapists, according to the broadcaster Others found the guide to be offensive. Speaking to German newspaper Bild, the editor behind the guide, Reidar Kristiansen, said: 'We are confident that we have assessed everything correctly. That's why we don't intend to change anything. 'During the preparation, we contacted over 20 experts - sexologists, psychologists and therapists. 'Everyone thinks the guide is useful and important.' He continued that support has been 'overwhelmingly positive' and 850,000 users viewed the online guide within the first five days of it being released. A 54-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly throwing a bottle of water at California Gov. Gavin Newsom in Oakland on Thursday afternoon. The governor was in town promoting small businesses when the man approached him on Washington Street in Old Oakland and allegedly threw the bottle. CHP officers swooped in to remove the man, who was arrested on suspicion of resisting an executive officer, as well as assaulting a public official. The suspect has not yet been publicly identified by police. 'This morning, the Governor was approached by an aggressive individual. Members of the Governors security detail removed the Governor from the situation and the individual was arrested by CHP officers,' the California Highway Patrol said in a statement. Newsom, for his part, did not appear to be injured during the alleged assault. He went on to joke to reporters that it was just a different way of being greeted. 'Just a gentleman wanted to say hello,' Newsom retorted, according to the Sacramento Bee. 'We all have our different ways of expressing ourselves.' California Gov. Gavin Newsom was in Oakland promoting small businesses when a 54-year-old man approached him and allegedly threw a bottle at him CHP swooped in to detain the suspect, a Berkeley native who was booked at the Santa Rita Jail The man was arrested on suspicion of resisting an executive officer, as well as assaulting a public official KCRA reports that a woman who identifies as the suspect's sister claimed that the suspect is homeless and severely mental ill. She also said the allegations were 'consistent with his past behavior.' The CHP is responsible for the governor's security. They are actively investigating the incident. Reporters on the scene didn't witness the alleged incident, but did see CHP swoop in to detain the suspect, a Berkeley native who was booked at the Santa Rita Jail. When the suspect was booked into jail, his occupation was listed as 'pumping gas' in the booking log. His bail has been set at $35,000 and he is scheduled to be arraigned in Dublin on Monday. The suspect - who has not been identified publicly - allegedly threw a water bottle at Newsom before being detained by CHP Newsom was promoting small businesses, and also met locals on a walk around town Newsom did not appear to be injured during the alleged assault Newsom is currently coping with a massive heatwave in California, which has the state's electrical grid on the verge of a crisis. Newsom declared a state of emergency on Thursday after temperatures across the state soared past 100 degrees Fahrenheit and reached nearly 130 degrees in Death Valley, where its own 1913 record for hottest air temperature ever reported on Earth could be broken. California is looking to avoid the woes of last summer, when rolling power outages plagued residents for several days during a heatwave. On Wednesday, the California Independent System Operator, the main power grid operator in the state, also issued an alert, asking for a five-hour voluntary electricity conversation effort on Thursday from 5pm to 10pm, peak usage times. Many of the provisions in the state of emergency are set to expire on Saturday night, though some last into next week. Newsom is also facing a political fight as Californians seek to have him removed from office. Newsom, for his part, did not appear to be injured during the alleged assault. He went on to joke to reporters that it was just a different way of being greeted Gavin Newsom tries a slice of pizza during a visit to Graffiti Pizza in Oakland In April, the campaign to recall Newsom - which could see him ousted from office - passed the 1,495,709 signatures required to qualify for the ballot. A recall vote will take place on an as-yet unannounced date this year. It will see voters asked whether they wish to recall Newsom. If more than 50 percent of voters say yes, he will be replaced. Voters will also be asked who they want to replace him, with the candidate who receives the most votes then replacing Newsom as governor. The recall movement has mostly centered around Newsom's handling of the pandemic. Critics have panned Newsom's restrictive lockdown measures on schools and businesses during the pandemic. They claim California did no better with COVID cases, hospitalization and deaths than Republican states including Texas and California which had far less restrictive measures. Newsom was also publicly slammed after he was seen dining at luxurious French Laundry restaurant in November 2020, where he and a party of 10 or more people were seen without face masks and none were practicing social distancing. At the time, the state had a ban on indoor dining, with the governor urging Californians to stay at home. Newsom himself has dubbed the recall effort a 'partisan, Republican recall' backed by right wing extremist groups like QAnon and the Proud Boys. Republican challengers to Newsom include John Cox and former gold medal winning Olympian, as well as reality television star Caitlin Jenner. Advertisement Prince William split his household from Prince Harry's following an angry phone conversation over claims Meghan Markle was bullying palace staff in 2018, a royal author has claimed in his new book. A friend of the Sussexes said 'William threw Harry out', according to Robert Lacey's book Battle of the Brothers which is featured in the Times, after the furious phone call which allegedly ended with the Duke of Sussex hanging up on his brother. The book claims that William suspected Meghan was 'hostile' to the royal system and possibly planned on leaving the monarchy from the very start and returning to America. Staff claim in the book that Meghan 'played the victim, but was a bully' and treated courtiers poorly in line with her experiences in Hollywood, a modus operandi allegedly passed on to Harry who was heard 'screaming' at his staff. Meghan and Harry have always denied the bullying allegations. William is alleged to have told a friend he thought she had an 'agenda' and felt 'hurt' and 'betrayed' by the rift, with the heir to the throne telling a friend his wife Kate 'had been wary of Meghan from the start'. He said he felt Meghan was 'stealing his beloved brother away from him', according to extracts from the book, and believed that she did not understand how the Royal system worked. Lacey quotes a Kensington Palace courtier as saying: 'Meghan portrayed herself as the victim, but she was the bully. People felt run over by her. They thought she was a complete narcissist and sociopath basically unhinged.' The author also writes that he believes that William thought that Meghan had an 'agenda' and had voiced his reservations to Harry before their engagement, but that the row after Meghan and Harry's trip to Australia in 2018 sealed his decision to split their households. In their infamous Oprah interview, Harry cited the Australia 2018 tour as the moment 'the family got to see how incredible she is at the job' while comparing her and the alleged treatment she received by the royal family to his mother Princess Diana. The rift was sparked by an official email claiming Meghan was bullying palace staff, which was sent by Jason Knauf, communications secretary to the Cambridges and Sussexes, in October 2018. Staff had already been allegedly coined a 'half joke' #freeHarry. A friend of the Sussexes said 'William threw Harry out', according to Robert Lacey's book Battle of the Brothers, after staff claimed Meghan 'played the victim, but was a bully' and William told his friend he thought she had an 'agenda'. Pictured, Harry and Meghan in Australia in 2018 shortly before the row is believed to have broken out William felt 'hurt' and 'betrayed' by the rift, with the heir to the throne telling a friend his wife Kate 'had been wary of Meghan from the start'. Kate arrived at a function in London yesterday during a torrential downpour but kept her composure as she clutched an umbrella A spokesman for the Sussexes has since said the couple are the target of a smear campaign, and denied allegations of bullying. William heard the allegations from Simon Case, his private secretary, who was sent the email. He immediately picked up the phone to call his brother, but the conversation ended with Harry slamming down the phone, the book claims. Lacey also dwelled on the Sussex' interview with Oprah Winfrey, where the author wrote Prince Harry claimed the brothers' falling out began because the Firm was jealous his wife Meghan was so good with people, something he said echoed his mother Princess Diana's treatment. But the brothers were no longer on speaking terms before Harry and Meghan left for Australia, the book states, adding that it was bullying allegations that sparked a brutal row. Kensington Palace was known for keeping courtiers in their jobs for long periods of time, so it was unusual when multiple aides quit in a short space of time. As those who left formed an informal fraternity they called Sussex Survivors' Club, Mr Knauf decided to do something to combat the alleged treatment. Texas-born and New Zealand-educated Mr Knauf was known for having a kind demeanour and loyalty to his staff. He wrote in a letter to Mr Case 'I am very concerned that the duchess was able to bully two PAs out of the household in the past year'. He said Meghan's alleged treatment of staff was 'totally unacceptable' and added that she 'seems intent on always having someone in her sights'. He said 'report after report' had been filed by witnesses of unacceptable behaviour by Meghan. One courtier said 'Meghan governed by fear' and when approached about her behaviour she was said to have replied 'it's not my job to coddle people'. Despite being one of Meghan's closest advisers, Mr Knauf decided to send the email because his once sympathetic attitude towards the duchess had shifted. One aide told a colleague 'I can't stop shaking' in anticipation of an encounter with Meghan, while another accused her of 'emotional cruelty and manipulation'. Another claimed they were left with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after working for the duchess. One courtier told Lacey: 'I overheard a conversation between Harry and one of his top aides. Harry was screaming down the phone. Team Sussex was a really toxic environment.' Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were said to be 'paternalistic' about their staff, just being 'really nice' to make up for the low pay. When William was told of the bullying allegations he was enraged, the book claims, because he knew the staff personally and considered them to be assets to the palace. It also confirmed his suspicions Meghan was hostile to the royal system, and he wondered if she planned all along to bring Harry with her to the US. Meghan's lawyers and PR said this was the wrong interpretation of their clients thinking in a statement provided to the Times in March 2021. The above claims were written in Mr Knauf's memo and were branded 'defamatory' by the Sussexes. It also relies on the personal account of a friend who William spoke to following the argument. Kensington Palace was known for keeping courtiers in their jobs for long periods of time, so it was unusual when multiple aides quit in a short space of time. Pictured, Harry and Meghan at the Sydney Opera House in 2018 Prince William and Kate with Prince Harry and Meghan during the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in March 2019 They said William called Harry after hearing the allegations, but Harry flared up in defence of his wife. When William persisted, Harry shut off the phone, the book claims. Lacey wrote that William had reservations about Meghan early on, warning Harry to take the relationship slow. He believed she had an 'agenda'. In the book one staffer said Meghan portrayed herself as a victim but was actually the bully, calling her a 'narcissist' and 'basically unhinged'. William had to put the monarchy ahead of his brother, and stopped seeing it as his duty to protect the younger sibling, while Harry was equally angered his brother believed the accusations being fired at his wife, the book claimed. Some sources claim in the heat of arguments the word 'racist' was used, though others deny this. In the interview with Oprah, Harry said he believed 'unconscious bias' may have played a part in Meghan's treatment. While it was previously assumed Prince Harry decided to split the households, it was actually Prince William who made the call. He wanted to be separated from Meghan, according to the book. After the argument in autumn 2018, Mr Case was told to start the process of dividing their two households immediately, Lacey wrote. MailOnline has contacted representatives for Harry and Meghan as well as Kensington Palace for comment. Meghan Markle's friend Omid Scobie makes fresh royal racism claims that family had 'not one but SEVERAL conversations about Archie's skin colour' - as he reveals Duchess WILL return to the UK next year for Queen's Platinum Jubilee Mr Scobie, a friend and confidant of the couple, was speaking at Foreign Press Association event in London He revealed Duchess of Sussex wants to fly back to the UK to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in 2022 When asked about claims of Harry's racist relative, Mr Scobie said there several chats about Archie's skin He said the couple began to feel 'well it's not just this one person, it's others as well and it becomes a much bigger issue' Meghan Markle's close friend Omid Scobie today alleged that the Royal Family had 'several' conversations about Archie's skin colour before his birth and were 'unsympathetic' to the couple's complaints. Mr Scobie also revealed that the Duchess of Sussex wants to fly back to the UK with her husband to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee next summer - but had no intention of visiting this month because of the birth of their daughter Lilibet. The Sussexes' preferred royal reporter, who co-wrote their biography Finding Freedom, was speaking at an event at the Foreign Press Association in London where he made more incendiary comments about the Queen and Prince William including racism and 'unconscious bias' against Meghan in the family. Harry and Meghan have been accused of causing a rift with the Windsors after dropping a series of damaging transatlantic 'truth bombs' about royal life, including claims to Oprah Winfrey that one senior royal asked how dark Archie's skin would be, before he was born. But according to people at today's FPA event, including award-winning Australian journalist Jacquelin Magnay, Mr Scobie claims that Harry's family had known about this comment but were 'unsympathetic' to the couple's complaints. Other conversations followed the first one and it became 'a much bigger issue' because Harry and Meghan suspected it was 'not just this one person' who was worried about how dark Archie's skin would be, he said. The revelations come on the same day that Kate gathered a panel of experts at The London School of Economics to discuss the inaugural report of her new Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood. However, it is not clear when the two events were each arranged. Omid Scobie, who wrote the Sussexes' biography Finding Freedom, was speaking at an event at the Foreign Press Association in London where he made more incendiary comments about the Queen and Prince William in relation to claims the royals are racist after comments about their son Archie 'There was one conversation that took place that affected them massively, when it came to someone within the royal family sharing concerns over the colour of Archie's skin, ' Mr Scobie said. Mr Scobie said that the Queen's statement was designed to make people question the Sussexes' account and did not go far enough to condemn racism 'To Harry I can see how it is one conversation, to Meghan who would have been involved in the follow up conversations I can see because there were other people aware of this conversation within the family and within the institution, that did also speak about it, some not so sympathetically. 'So you then are in a position where you start to feel well its not just this one person, it's others as well and it becomes a much bigger issue.' Mr Scobie said 'pass' when queried if he knew who made the initial remark about skin colour, saying he only had one source and would not write about it because he had not verified with multiple contacts. He said it was a story for the couple to share should they ever want. But cryptically he said: 'And at the time, the biggest conversation was 'did this come from a senior member of the royal family, a future head of state?'. If that individual is a head of state, then we as a public have a right to know because of course that is someone that is our head of state, head of the Commonwealth. And if they have an issue with race, we should know.' Speaking to Oprah the Duchess of Sussex also accused the institution of not helping her when she was suicidal and pregnant with Archie. The Queen responded by saying the issues were taken 'very seriously' but that 'some recollections may vary' and the matter would addressed by the family privately. Mr Scobie hit out today and said the Queen's statement 'cleverly using the phrase recollections may vary' to 'cast doubts on Harry and Meghan's version of events but didn't denounce racism in any way whatsoever'. Prince William also spoke out to deny the Royal Family is racist, and was said to be privately furious about the claims. Mr Scobie said today: 'Other individuals within the institution didn't express the kind of understanding that should have been given. "Even when William said we are not a racist family, they didn't condemn racism in any form whatsoever. We do not see the royal family ever do that. So of course it then continues this conversation about how anti-racism is the royal family, how much does the Royal Institution own its history and perhaps any kind of unconscious bias that may exist within the establishment or the family. None of these things ever seem to be addressed'. William, who was visiting School2 in east London in March after the Oprah interview, William denied the family is racist (pictured). Omid Scobie said: 'Even when Prince William said they were not a racist family, again, they did not condemn racism in any form whatsoever' As Prince William spoke out to deny the Royal Family is racist, the Duchess of Cambridge was seen sheltering from the rain with a vibrant rainbow umbrella as she arrived at Kensington Palace for an event on Friday Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, attended a reception for parents of users of a Centre for Early Childhood, on Friday - the day of the launch of the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood Despite her husband being said to be privately furious about the latest, claims the royal, 39, looked stylish in a lavender ensemble as she waved at bystanders with a warm smile on her face Meghan and Harry's media partners 'will expect something in return', Royal expert warns as they take five months paternity leave after giving Spotify 35 minutes of content so far in 18m deal Harry & Meghan holiday special now available on Spotify - the 34 minute episode is the only content available so far, aside from a three minute trailer for the podcast Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have so far broadcast just 35 minutes of podcast content on Spotify as part of their 18million deal - as a royal expert says the streaming giant will be expecting 'something in return'. The Duke, 36, and Duchess of Sussex, 39 - who are parents to two-year-old Archie - welcomed Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor earlier this month, on June 4 at 11.40am in Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, California. And before stepping back into their various business engagements the couple will 'both take some proper time off' to adjust to life as a family of four at their 11million mansion in Montecito, California, a source close to the couple told Vanity Fair. Prince Harry's paternity leave means taking time out from his executive position at a Silicon Valley start-up that claims to be worth $1.7billion. For the couple the time-off also means temporarily stepping back from their multi-million-pound deals with Netflix and Spotify - which Harry told Oprah Winfrey he was persuaded to sign when he was 'literally cut off financially' from the Royal Family. The Sussexes were last heard on their Archewell Audio Spotify podcast for the 2020 Christmas special, and the platform had planned for 'a full-scale launch of shows' in 2021. It is understood that the couple will be paid the full 18million fee after their duties have been met, The Sun reports. Royal author Phil Dampier said: 'We're being told they're having up to five months off and people who are paying them a lot of money will expect something in return.' Mr Dampier questioned whether the couple may 'have too much on their plate' after securing numerous deals and agreements before the birth of their daughter. Advertisement Meghan will not join Prince Harry when he returns to the UK later this month for the unveiling of Princess Dianas statue, it was announced yesterday. Sources in the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs office have confirmed for the first time that she plans to stay at home in California following the birth of their daughter, Lilibet. They were responding to reports in the US that the duchess was considering flying over for a whirlwind visit to support her husband at what will be a deeply emotional time for him. An entertainment website cited sources saying Harry had found it difficult to return alone for the funeral of his late grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, and his relationship with his family had only worsened since. [Meghan] doesnt want that to happen again, a source was quoted as saying. Yesterday palace insiders expressed surprise as they had heard no word that Meghan would be present. A Kensington Palace spokesman said it was a matter for the Sussexes. Later in the day, Sussex sources spoke to the media to say the story was not true and pointed out the duchess had just had a baby. Lilibet Diana was born on June 4. There was no mention, however, of the couples son Archie, two. Many in royal circles are predicting that Harry, 36, will bring his son with him to see his British family for the first time since he was taken to Canada with his parents in January last year. Harry will stay at Frogmore Cottage, his Windsor home, giving him privacy and the opportunity to visit the Queen at Windsor Castle. The moving tribute to Diana was jointly commissioned by William and Harry in 2017 to mark the 20th anniversary of their mothers death and to recognise her positive impact. Both brothers felt that an official statue of the princess was long overdue after the disaster of the official memorial fountain that was constructed to much public derision after her untimely death in 1997. But its unveiling has been delayed by the fall-out between the brothers and the Covid pandemic. It was made by sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley and will be installed in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, Dianas home, on July 1. It is the same spot where a tribute garden was planted to mark the 20th anniversary of her death and where Harry and Meghan announced their engagement in 2017. In a joint statement, the brothers said: It has been 20 years since our mothers death and the time is right to recognise her positive impact in the UK and around the world with a permanent statue. Our mother touched so many lives. We hope the statue will help all those who visit Kensington Palace to reflect on her life and legacy. Mr Rank-Broadley was seen as a very safe pair of hands for the commission. His sculpture of the Queen was the model for the image of her that has been printed on British coins since 1998. But while the Diana statue has in some ways brought Harry and William together, all eyes will be on the two warring brothers, whose once close relationship has disintegrated in recent years as a result of the Sussexes acrimonious split from the Royal Family. Earlier this year the Sussexes conducted an explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey in which they made highly damaging claims about the Royal Family, including allegations of racism and a perceived lack of support over Meghans mental health issues. Harry has also taken a number of vitriolic pot shots from across the Atlantic at his father, brother and the institution of the monarchy. Although he was brought up at Kensington Palace and moved back there as an adult, it will no doubt be a challenging return for Harry. Kensington Palace is very much his brother and sister-in-laws territory now. But the presence of his nephews and niece George, Louis and Charlotte whom he hasnt seen for a year and a half at least could help soothe troubled waters. Advertisement Modelling by government scientists suggesting the UK faces tens of thousands more Covid-19 deaths in a brutal third wave is set to be drastically revised down Modelling by government scientists suggesting the UK faces tens of thousands more Covid-19 deaths in a brutal third wave is set to be drastically revised down. Bleak projections drawn up by SAGE overestimated the number of hospital admissions facing the UK in a third wave by tens of thousands, new data suggests. The models, which influenced the Prime Minister's decision to delay 'Freedom Day', were based on old data that was too pessimistic about vaccine effectiveness. SAGE are now producing new scenarios that are likely to slash projections for Covid-19 deaths by around half. One report by Warwick University predicts that the more optimistic vaccine efficacy will cut estimates of total deaths over the next year from around 17,100 to around 6,320. And it would nearly halve the peak of hospital admissions, expected in around one month, which had been projected to reach nearly 3,000 a day had June 21 gone ahead. The overall number of Covid-19 patients projected to need hospital treatment over the next year is slashed by nearly 50,000. The figures, which provide a much brighter outlook for the trajectory of the third wave, will boost hopes that Boris Johnson will be able to go ahead with reopening on July 19. It comes after MPs including former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith accused Boris Johnson of taking vital decisions based on SAGE models which used out-of-date data. The SAGE modelling released on Monday included one worst case scenario by Imperial College London suggesting the UK could face a further 203,824 Covid-19 deaths. But the 'central scenarios' adopted by three separate modelling teams who contributed to the SAGE paper were all based on figures for vaccine efficacy that are too pessimistic. They assumed two doses of the Oxford vaccine were between 85 and 90 per cent effective at preventing hospitalisations, and two doses of the Pfizer jab were between 87 and 91 per cent effective. However Public Health England analysis suggests two doses of the Pfizer jab is 96 per cent effective against hospitalisation, while two doses of Oxford-Astra Zeneca is 92 per cent effective. Modelling groups on SAGE will now use this PHE data to create new forecasts, which is likely to revise the 'central estimates' for hospitalisations and deaths down by thousands. Experts at Warwick have already produced an 'optimistic' scenario in which the vaccine is 95 per cent effective against hospitalisation - close to the PHE figure. In this model, the overall number of deaths until July 2022 fell to just 6320 had June 21 gone ahead, and with a five-week delay, deaths fell to just 3450. This, more realistic, vaccine efficacy figure also slashed total hospital admissions over the next year from 131,000 to 82,400. These figures were based on a situation in which all restrictions were lifted on Monday - but projections will be even lower due to the four-week delay to Freedom Day. Under a 'pessimistic' scenario, in which vaccines were just 86 per cent effective, Warwick scientists had warned there could be 72,400 deaths - ten times higher than their more realistic, optimistic figure. Imperial College London had said there could be up to 80,515 deaths. Ministers and Government scientists are reliant on mathematical modelling to try and determine the future course of the epidemic, and what restrictions are needed. But the models have huge uncertainty ranges and even small changes in vaccine efficacy can make a huge difference to the projections. Yesterday a report from the Covid-19 Actuaries Response Group concluded SAGE modellers pessimistic scenarios were unlikely to occur. Matt Fletcher, lead author, added: 'The numbers of deaths and hospitalisations projected are especially sensitive to assumptions about vaccine efficacy against severe outcomes, and immune escape. Data is still emerging to support these assumptions for the Delta variant. 'We consider the more extreme adverse scenarios unlikely given the latest evidence on the effectiveness of two doses of the vaccine against hospitalisation and death, even for the Delta variant.' The report added: 'The modelling teams relied on the best data available at the time.... In particular, Public Health England (PHE) data from March suggested 80 per cent efficacy against hospitalisations, 14 days after a first dose for 80-year-olds. 'However, in the past week PHE released a pre-print study that used hospital emergency department data from England to suggest [92 per cent for two AstraZeneca doses and 96 per cent for two Pfizer doses]. 'This data was only available after the models were produced, but the point estimates appear to support figures between the Warwick central and optimistic assumptions for efficacy against hospitalisation.' More evidence Britain's Covid outbreak is slowing down emerged yesterday as a raft of official data showed the country's crisis is no longer growing uncontrollably. The Department of Health reported 10,476 new infections in the past 24 hours, up by a third on last Friday. But the same data shows the speed at which infections are increasing every week has slowed, despite the spread of the highly infectious Indian variant. Figures from the Office for National statistics also showed more than 100,000 people in England were estimated to have had Covid last week, the highest number since April. But the figure based on random swab testing of tens of thousands of people across the country nudged up by only eight per cent compared to a near-doubling at the start of June. Meanwhile, SAGE said the R rate was flat after rising for five weeks in a row following the easing of restrictions, with SAGE saying it still stood between 1.2 and 1.4. The figure which measures how quickly the virus is spreading is usually a couple of weeks out of date and less reliable when case numbers are low, as they are now. On the back of the promising data, Boris Johnson has said he is 'very confident' that restrictions will come to an end on July 19 but dismissed reports that the unlocking could be brought forward to July 5. The PM, during a visit to West Yorkshire yesterday, remained adamant a four-week delay would make 'even more of a difference' than two. But ministers will review the coronavirus situation again early next month. The encouraging data which come after MailOnline on Thursday uncovered separate figures that revealed the speed of growth was slowing come despite a surge in the Indian 'Delta' variant, which has now completed its takeover in the UK and accounts for 99 per cent of cases, with confirmed infections surging by 80 per cent in a week. However, there are still early warning signs that the spike in cases over the past month could turn deadly. The DOH's daily update showed the number of Covid hospital admissions occurring each day has spiked by more than a quarter in a week. There were also another 11 deaths from the virus recorded yesterday, down on the 17 last Friday. A Public Health England report yesterday revealed the number of people admitted to hospital after catching the strain rose more than two-fold to 806 from 383 in the past week but only one in 10 were fully jabbed, bolstering hopes that vaccines will keep the virus at bay. Deaths from the mutant strain increased from 42 to 73. Although the strain is triggering local outbreaks, there are signs these can be controlled without lockdowns, with the early hotspots of Bolton and Blackburn managing to get cases under control with extra testing and contact tracing, and officials hoping other areas experiencing surges will follow suit. Speaking about lockdown-easing plans in Kirklees yesterday, the Prime Minister said: 'We are very confident that we'll be able to go through with step four of the roadmap on the timetable that I've set out, with treating July the 19th, as I've said, as a terminus date. I think that's certainly what the data continues to indicate.' The average number of people testing positive each day (yellow bars) appears to have stopped accelerating as rapidly as it had in May and early June, with the rate of increase (red line) now showing that there are smaller increases each day, suggesting the outbreak is still growing but not as quickly as it was Yesterday's Office for National Statistics report estimated that 105,000 across the country would have tested positive last week but this figure nudged up by only eight per cent compared to a near-doubling the week before, when it hit 96,800 PHE's report yesterday showed that, since the Delta variant was first discovered in April, the most cases have been found in Bolton in Greater Manchester, where 4,684 positive tests had been linked to the strain by June 14. Other hard-hit areas were in the North of England or Midlands, too, with Manchester (3,102), Blackburn (2,762), Birmingham (1,948) and Leeds (1,642) filling out the top five The country's R rate, measuring the speed of the virus's spread, was yesterday estimated to be between 1.2 and 1.4, remaining unchanged over the past week after rising for five weeks in a row, offering another sign of a slowdown. The figure is usually a couple of weeks out of date and less reliable when case numbers are low, as they are now. It is highest in the North West, where the Indian variant is most widespread Boris Johnson, pictured on a visit to Kirklees in Yorkshire yesterday, said that he was 'confident' lockdown restrictions could come to an end on July 19 but indicated an earlier easing was unlikely Yesterday's Office for National Statistics report estimated that 105,000 across the country would have tested positive for coronavirus last week but this figure had nudged up by only eight per cent compared to a near-doubling the fortnight before, when it hit 85,600. It suggested 0.19 per cent of people - one in 520 - were carrying the virus and that it was more widespread in the North West, at 0.6 per cent, than in any other region. Cases were lowest in the East of England. This chimes with PHE's report which showed that, since the Delta variant was first discovered in April, the most cases have been found in Bolton in Greater Manchester, where 4,684 positive tests had been linked to the strain by June 14. Other hard-hit areas were in the North of England or Midlands, too, with Manchester (3,102), Blackburn (2,762), Birmingham (1,948) and Leeds (1,642) filling out the five worst-affected places. The variant is least common in rural areas, mainly in the South West, with the lowest numbers of cases found in Torridge, Devon and North Devon, which both have fewer than five cases each, and West Devon (5), South Hams, also in Devon (6), and North Norfolk (6). The ONS report also found infections are most common among teenagers and young adults, the ONS report shows, with 0.5 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds testing positive in the survey - the highest of any age group. The next highest rate was among 25 to 34-year-olds (0.4 per cent), and then positives dropped off to 0.2 per cent in school-age children and just 0.1 per cent - one in 1,000 people - in all over-35s. Lower infection rates among older people show that vaccines are working at preventing infection as well as slashing the risk of serious illness or death. Further hints that vaccines are working come in the slowing rate of increase - the eight per cent rise in cases last week continues a slowdown that saw a rise of only 13 per cent the week earlier which had followed a spike of 77 per cent. The ONS report adds to growing evidence that this is the case, with the Covid Symptom Study finding the same trend and NHS Test & Trace figures beginning to show a similar pattern with the daily average starting to level off. The UK Health Security Agency's boss Dr Jenny Harries said: 'Cases are rising rapidly across the country and the Delta variant is now dominant... It is encouraging to see that hospitalisations and deaths are not rising at the same rate.' Britain on Thursday recorded its highest number of cases since February 19 in the second wave, with 11,007 positive tests, but there are signs outbreaks are coming under control in the northern areas hardest hit by the strain. Graph left: A Public Health England report published yesterday revealed the fast-spreading variant has now completely taken over in Britain and it makes up 99 per cent of cases. Graph right: Lab testing shows that the Delta variant (pink) has accounted for thousands of cases (specimens) in recent weeks and case numbers are soaring. It has dwarfed all other variants, shown in different colours. The Kent variant is not shown in the graph because it looks at only 'S gene positive' cases which are ones that the swab test works perfectly on. The virus's S gene on the Kent variant cannot be detected by swab-testing so it is classed as an 'S gene negative' variant. 'Unclassified' tests are strains that were not categorised as a specific variant, likely because they came in such small numbers compared to the Kent variant in January Most of the surge in Indian variant cases has been driven by young people - the graph shows there are significantly more cases among under-40s than middle-aged or older people, who have mostly been vaccinated. Dr Jenny Harries said: 'The increase is primarily in younger age groups, a large proportion of which were unvaccinated but are now being invited to receive the vaccine' Just 84 out of 806 admissions were among people who had been given both vaccine doses. 135 happened after someone had protection from their first dose and 587 were among people who were unvaccinated, unknown or had had their first dose within the past three weeks meaning they were unlikely to have any immunity England's coronavirus vaccine postcode lottery: Just a FIFTH of over-25s have had their first jab in parts of Birmingham Gaps in England's Covid vaccine roll-out were laid bare yesterday by MailOnline analysis which revealed parts of the country have still only managed to inoculate a fifth of over-25s. Despite the drive lagging behind in inner-city regions home to thousands of students, some coastal neighbourhoods have already managed to fully vaccinate 85 per cent of all adults. Ministers are racing to dish out jabs to millions more adults over the next four weeks to thwart the spread of the Indian variant, with Freedom Day delayed to give the NHS more crucial time in the fight against Covid. NHS England's most up-to-date regional figures show 84 per cent of over-25s across the country have had their first jab, while 62 per cent have had both doses. But MailOnline analysis of the same statistics has revealed uptake around the country varies massively, with seven areas having reached fewer than 30 per cent of eligible adults. Selly Oak in southwest Birmingham has the lowest coverage in the country, with 1,395 of the 6,928 over-25s living in the postcode receiving their first jab 20 per cent of the age group. For comparison, Morpeth South and West in Northumberland has vaccinated 94 per cent of its 5,271 eligible adult population. Experts told MailOnline the huge gap in uptake is 'clearly concerning' and warned low vaccination rates may cause local outbreaks over the summer and beyond. England's vaccine roll-out was extended to over-18s yesterday, with the campaign now on the home-straight. Over-25s were able to start booking appointments last week. Low rates are particularly concerning given the rampant spread of the Indian variant, which has almost doubled in size over the past week. Public Health England (PHE) yesterday revealed it found another 33,000, last week taking the overall amount identified to 75,000. With the mutant strain now in almost every corner of the country and restrictions eased, cases are growing. Britain recorded more than 11,000 Covid infections for the first time since February on Thursday. Advertisement Dr Harries added: 'The increase is primarily in younger age groups, a large proportion of which were unvaccinated but are now being invited to receive the vaccine. 'It is encouraging to see that hospitalisations and deaths are not rising at the same rate but we will continue to monitor it closely. 'The vaccination programme and the care that we are all taking to follow the guidance are continuing to save lives. Please make sure that you come forward to receive both doses of the vaccine as soon as you are eligible. Don't drop your guard - practice "hands, face, space, fresh air" at all times.' Despite concerns about the numbers of positive tests spiking, there are signs the outbreak is slowing down and that vaccines are protecting people well against the variant. Only one in 10 people who were admitted to hospital with the new strain had been given both their jabs, showing that vaccines protect well because the majority of people becoming severely ill are unvaccinated. Just 84 out of 806 admissions were among people who had been given both vaccine doses. Some 135 happened after someone had protection from their first dose and 587 were among people who were unvaccinated, unknown or had had their first dose within the past three weeks meaning they were unlikely to have any immunity. In an analysis of 60,624 of the 75,953 cases since February 1, PHE found that just 4,087 infections were among people who had been given both their vaccine doses - seven per cent, or one in every 14. Official Department of Health infection data show that the average daily rate of increase in positive tests had halved in a week up to Thursday. And in another sign the outbreak is losing speed, a symptom-tracking study estimated that 15,760 people are now getting sick each day up only a third in a week after doubling a week earlier. Professor Tim Spector, the King's College London epidemiologist who runs the Covid Symptom Study, said: 'The numbers this week seem to be slowing down, which is good news. Worrying areas with a high number of cases like Scotland and the North West are starting to level off. 'I'm predicting based on past experience that, although we may not have reached the peak quite yet, within two weeks we will see cases beginning to drop again.' But he insisted the PM's decision to put 'Freedom Day' on hold until mid-July was 'probably necessary' as his study showed vaccines are doing a huge amount of heavy lifting and slashing case numbers. Explaining that jabs could be protecting areas against bigger surges, Professor Spector said: 'Wales in particular has seen tangible benefits from a faster than average vaccination rate, where they previously had some of the highest rates in the country, we are now seeing clear protection against rises. 'Wales is now several weeks ahead of the rest of the UK in terms of vaccinations, so it looks like the rest of us will soon follow suit.' MailOnline analysis has revealed uptake around the country varies massively, with seven areas having vaccinated less than 30 per cent of eligible adults Second doses followed a similar pattern, with the lowest numbers seen in student areas across England. In Cathedral and Kelham in Sheffield, just eight per cent of people are fully vaccinated WHERE HAVE THE MOST DELTA VARIANT CASES BEEN FOUND? Bolton 4,684 Manchester 3,102 Blackburn with Darwen 2,762 Birmingham 1,948 Leeds 1,642 Wigan 1,544 Salford 1,512 Stockport 1,242 Bradford 1,099 Bedford 1,094 Advertisement WHERE HAVE THE FEWEST DELTA VARIANT CASES BEEN FOUND? North Devon <5 Torridge (Devon) <5 West Devon 5 East Devon 6 North Norfolk 6 South Hams (Devon) 6 Mid Devon 7 East Cambridgeshire 9 Ipswich 9 Bolsover (Derbyshire) 10 Advertisement Most of the Indian 'Delta' variant cases have been found in the North West of England (dark blue) but they are spread across the country The ONS said Covid was now the 24th 'leading' cause of death in England as of last month down from ninth in April Covid was only the 24th leading cause of death in England last month Twenty-three diseases and conditions killed more people than Covid in England last month and the virus was responsible for fewer than 1 per cent of all fatalities, official figures show. Despite the rapid rise in infections of the Indian variant in May, the Office for National Statistics found that Covid deaths continued to fall significantly during the month. Coronavirus claimed 355 lives in May, which was down almost 65 per cent on the toll in April, in another sign that the vaccines are providing huge protection even against the mutant strain. The continued decline in Covid deaths means the virus is now the 24th 'leading' cause of death, down from ninth last month. It had been the country's biggest killer for four consecutive months from November through February. In total there were 35,401 deaths from all causes registered in England last month, which was 10 per cent lower than normal and the second month in a row they have been below average. Covid was the leading cause in just 0.9 per cent of the fatalities, accounting for about one in 110. Heart disease was the biggest killer in May (3,780) followed by dementia (3,711), while flu and pneumonia are now killing three times as many patients (1,012) as Covid. Advertisement One of the key reasons the Prime Minister decided not to go ahead with ending lockdown next week was because experts fear not enough people have been vaccinated to prevent a devastating third wave. Just over half of adults have had two vaccine doses. Over three quarters nearly 41million people have had their first jab but studies show that a single shot doesn't offer good protection against the new Delta variant, with only around 33 per cent protection from infection. 'Boris Johnson's decision this week to delay the lifting of all restrictions in the UK, was a difficult but probably necessary one,' Professor Spector added. 'It's good to see decisions being made from the data, not dates. 'Life is better than it was, where we can go out and see friends and family, so having a few more weeks will give us the time and space to get more people vaccinated. 'We have already seen that being fully vaccinated dramatically reduces both the likelihood of contracting the virus, as well as severity of symptoms, so it's crucial that everyone eligible for the vaccine gets the first or second jab as soon as possible.' There had been early signs this week that cases were beginning to come under control in the areas first hit by the Delta variant, suggesting the strain can be controlled without lockdowns. Covid cases appear to be flat or falling in the hardest-hit places, with the infection rate in Blackburn with Darwen, which took over from Bolton as the country's hotspot at the end of May, falling after appearing to peak on June 4 when there had been an average 143 cases per day over the previous week. It remains the worst-affected place in the country but if the trend keeps up the change of fortunes could suggest that, as was seen in Bolton, simple surges in testing and vaccinations and tougher advice on travelling in or out of the area and social distancing could be enough to keep a lid on local outbreaks. Ministers this week urged another 3.6million people in Birmingham, Liverpool, Warrington and parts of Cheshire to try to avoid travelling and be more careful about virus control measures in a bid to slow outbreaks there. The other areas that were first to be hard hit by the strain when it emerged in April Bedford and Burnley also appear to have arrested the spread of Covid by scaling up local efforts to stamp it out and test and isolate everyone. Those four areas, Bedford, Blackburn, Bolton and Burnley, were the first to see cases surge, the first to get extra help from the Government to control the virus, and now appear to be the first to see infections levelling off. Blackburn's public health director, Dominic Harrison, said that cases appeared to have 'peaked' there after a massive spike. On Twitter the local health chief said on Thursday: 'Good news increasingly strong signal that the [Blackburn with Darwen] case rate may have peaked on 7th June (at 667) & that the fall in daily case numbers will be sustained for at least 7 days. First sustained fall since initial Delta variant case on 7th April. 'Based on Blackburn and Bolton experience other areas with Delta variant surge (with strong surge response) may get: 8 week rise in cases, increased but manageable hospitalisations with very low mortality. This may be what 'living with COVID 'looks like!' Infections are still rising fast in many areas that have been added to the official hotspots, however, with cases going up in twice as many areas as they are flat or falling. A conservative radio show host has gone viral after he dramatically denounced Critical Race Theory at a meeting of an Illinois school board. Ty Smith, host of Cancel This on Cities 92.9 and star of a popular YouTube channel, appeared at the June 9 meeting. The Bloomington Public School area, District 87, does not teach Critical Race Theory - the controversial analysis of racial inequalities and historic disparities, which critics say encourages children to view each other as different. Teachers say they have no intention of introducing it. However, given the current debate around CRT, the June 9 session focused on the curriculum attracted around 50 people holding signs with sayings such as 'Stop indoctrination of our children' and 'No critical race theory' - packed into the small meeting room alongside others wearing Black Lives Matter t-shirts. Smith, a father of two teenage children, delivered an impassioned address, declaring: 'When you talk about Critical Race Theory, which is pretty much going to be teaching kids how to hate each other, how to dislike each other. Ty Smith, a talk radio host on a conservative Bloomington, Illinois station, gave an impassioned speech against Critical Race Theory at a June 9 meeting of District 87 of Bloomington Public Schools. CRT is not taught in the school district, but activists flocked to the meeting to speak out against the controversial educational program The school board meetings are usually uneventful and routine, but the June 9 session turned into a heated two-hour debate, enlivened further by Smith's performance The radio host, whose YouTube channel has received 58 million views, said that he never discussed the issue of color with his sons Watch this parent absolutely obliterate Critical Race Theory at an Illinois school board meeting: How do I have two medical degrees if Im sitting here oppressed? pic.twitter.com/gmCRJaphXt Benny (@bennyjohnson) June 17, 2021 'It's pretty much what its all gonna come down to. 'You're going to deliberately teach kids: 'this white kid right here got it better than you because he's white' - and you're gonna tell a white kid: 'the black people are all down and suppressed.' 'How do I have two medical degrees if I'm sitting here oppressed?' Smith said. Social media users were quick to ask Smith for details about his degrees. His YouTube channel, Modern Renaissance Man - which has received 58 million views, states that it offers 'comdey (sic), ministry, Music reaction, DIY videos, Marriage counseling, relationship discussions, motivation, self help, healthy lifestyle, live chat discussions.' His radio show biog states that he was born in Decatur, Illinois, and grew up in a tough neighborhood - but managed to turn his life around. Smith is pictured in the Cities 92.9 studio in Bloomington, Illinois Smith frequently listens to country music on his YouTube channel, Modern Renaissance Man His channel features 'comdey (sic), ministry, Music reaction, DIY videos, Marriage counseling, relationship discussions, motivation, self help, healthy lifestyle, live chat discussions' Smith continued: 'Not one white person ever came to me and said: 'Well son, you're not going to get anywhere.' 'Black folks are getting told by other black folks: 'you're never going to be able to get out there in the world because white folks are never going to let you get anywhere, the white man is going to keep you down.' 'How did I get where I am right now if some white man kept me down? Smith said that CRT could 'reverse' Martin Luther King's aim that people should be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin. Diane Wolf, the head of curriculum for District 87, agreed with Smith, saying it was not appropriate for students 'We're at the very beginning stages of truly getting to a curriculum that is representative of our student body and our community,' Wolf said, according to WGLT. According to the Illinois State Board of Education, a majority (52%) of District 87 students are non-white, including 23 per cent black, 15 per cent Hispanic and 11 per cent who identify as multiracial. Wolf noted students in the district speak 40 languages. Another board member, Superintendent Barry Reilly, said the two-hour meeting got out of hand. 'I get that these issues are hot topics right now in the community and we hear them, but we need to be able to come together and talk about them in a more civil manner,' he told WGLT. A clip of Smith's speech was shared by Benny Johnson, chief creative officer of conservative student organization Turning Point USA. It had been viewed two million times by Friday morning. Ted Cruz, the senator for Texas, retweeted it and commented: 'Powerful'. Madison Cawthorn, who represents North Carolina in the House, agreed. Smith appeared on Fox News on Friday, and doubled down on his criticism of CRT. 'To me it's a whole bunch of nonsense, virtue signaling, just trying to play off people's emotion. The only race there is the human race,' he said. 'Color was never discussed in my house, at all. 'As children grow, they just see other kids and start playing. 'My sons never had a talk about white people, Asian people - all they know is they were people. They never came home and said: 'my white friends across the street' - they just said 'my friends'. 'The fact that they want to focus so much on race, why does everything have to be about race?' Smith appeared on Fox News on Friday to discuss the viral video clip He said CRT was 'a whole bunch of nonsense, virtue signaling, just trying to play off people's emotion' He said 80 per cent of black people supported him. 'Coming from the ghetto, coming from the 'hood and the projects, they've seen me come out of it, so they're supportive.' He accused critics of 'pushing what the left want to do to make it seem like black people can't succeed.' Critics on social media were taking issue with Smith being described simply as 'an Illinois parent', without noting that he was an active Trump supporter who was a guest of honor at a Trump rally in October, to watch a presidential debate. Later that month he posted a photo to Instagram with the conservative commentator Candace Owens, taken at the White House. 'Well since someone had to rat me out!' he wrote. 'Yes she's my sister and I'm her crazy big brother! Thanks inviting your brother lil sis!' It has managed to survive the Black Death, the Reformation and the Civil War. But now the idyllic village church of St James the Less is under threat from council bureaucrats' plans for double yellow lines outside. It would limit access and make funerals, weddings, bell-ringing and visits to graves difficult without incurring fines, said the Reverend Rosalind La Stacey, vicar of the church in Dorney, Buckinghamshire, near Windsor and Eton. She is being backed by the Bishop of Buckingham in her fight against the scheme to restrict parking on the quiet country lane leading to the Grade I listed church. Its very survival would be threatened by double yellow lines after 800 years of unrestricted access, according to its parochial church council. The idyllic village church of St James the Less, in Dorney, Buckinghamshire, is under threat from council bureaucrats' plans for double yellow lines outside Mrs La Stacey said parking in Dorney is so limited that if the plan goes ahead church visitors might have to park a mile and a half away in the village of Eton Wick too far for many elderly members of the congregation to walk. The church lies opposite open fields on leafy Court Lane deserted when the Daily Mail visited this week and beside relative newcomer Dorney Manor, which dates from 1440 and was used in the 2019 film The Personal History of David Copperfield. St James the Less began its long history as the parish church in the 12th century, with an unusual brick tower added in Tudor times and a porch in the 17th century. It still has its Norman font and family pews from the 1600s. But all its history will remain just that if Buckinghamshire Council's parking plans keep visitors away. Critics say the problem of parking on the lane outside the church was largely caused by an unusual surge in visitors to Eton College's nearby rowing lake during lockdown. This has been closed to the public as a result, to be reopened over autumn and winter. The parochial church council said the proposed double yellow lines 'will severely hamper access to the building, decimating congregation numbers and its ability to hold weddings, funerals and baptisms, ultimately forcing the closure of the 800-year-old community hub'. Mrs La Stacey said: 'To put these in would severely restrict the use of the church. Reverend Rosalind La Stacey is being backed by the Bishop of Buckingham in her fight against the scheme to restrict parking on the quiet country lane leading to the Grade I listed church 'We want to be clear we must have continued unrestricted access as has existed for over 800 years to thrive and survive.' She added the number parking spaces needed varies depending on occasions ranging from bell-ringing practice to weddings, and there are no set times for services such as funerals. Mrs La Stacey said the council's only attempt at a concession to churchgoers' needs is suggesting 'unloading bays' outside. She described 'unloading' as 'an unusable concept for a funeral for example'. The Bishop of Buckingham, the Rt Rev Dr Alan Wilson, said: 'The proposals are a blunt instrument that will have catastrophic consequences for the church and its community [which] views St James the Less as a vital part of its identity.' Paul Humpleman, of the parochial church council, said: 'If parking is restricted it will probably result in our church closing.' In pursuit of their campaign, the church, vicar and bishop urged locals to lodge objections with a council consultation that has now closed. Campaigners say the yellow lines appear to have been proposed to stop 'occasional anti-social parking' outside Eton's Dorney Lake, which also lies off the same lane as the church. Buckinghamshire Council's Steve Broadbent said: 'As a result of ongoing and escalating reports of anti-social behaviour and irresponsible parking in the area by the lake, a decision was taken to carry out an informal consultation to gather local opinion and views on proposed works to alleviate the problem. 'We will make a decision on further action once these have been taken into account.' A second woman has told Scotland Yard that she was sexually abused by Prince Andrew's friend Jeffrey Epstein in the UK, it was claimed last night. Until now, only teenage 'sex slave' Virginia Roberts who claimed she was forced to have sex with Andrew, something the prince has always denied was known to have complained to the Metropolitan Police. But last night the force said a second woman had also come forward with allegations about Epstein. Scotland Yard has been under pressure this week to explain why it has never launched a criminal investigation into claims that at least half a dozen women were trafficked, groomed and abused in the UK by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Last night the force said a second woman had also come forward with allegations about Epstein (pictured) The Met has previously said it could not investigate the two complaints made by Miss Roberts because any probe concerning her would mostly be based in America. Earlier this week, police sources suggested the other woman had not led to investigations because she had not made complaints to the Met. But last night, Channel 4 News revealed the person did. A second woman contacted the force in December 2019 to make allegations of sexual assault, it said. Scotland Yard has been under pressure this week to explain why it has never launched a criminal investigation into claims that at least half a dozen women were trafficked, groomed and abused in the UK by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell Scotland Yard last night apparently conceded that a second complaint had been made. But it said this allegation was not investigated because the woman had chosen not to make a formal statement. Earlier this week, Channel 4 revealed a dossier of allegations that Maxwell and Epstein abused half a dozen women in the UK. Scotland Yard will 'review' the claims. Miss Roberts claimed she was trafficked to London aged 17 and pressured by Epstein and Maxwell into having sexual relations with Prince Andrew. The Duke of York has vehemently denied the allegations. Miss Roberts (pictured) claimed she was trafficked to London aged 17 and pressured by Epstein and Maxwell into having sexual relations with Prince Andrew The Duke of York (pictured in April) has vehemently denied the allegations Nazir Afzal, the former Chief Crown Prosecutor for north-west England, said: 'There is clearly enough evidence for the police to investigate more thoroughly.' Epstein died in prison in 2019 before he could be brought to trial. Maxwell, 59, is awaiting trial in the US on charges of recruiting and grooming teenage girls. She denies all the allegations. Last night police made no comment but a Scotland Yard statement confirmed that the second woman contacted the force but did not 'wish officers to pursue the allegations.' Met Police said: 'No other allegations of crime have been made at this time in connection with matters related to Jeffrey Epstein.' Publisher Bloomsbury has told staff vaccines will be compulsory when its offices reopen next month. The Harry Potter publisher informed employees of the policy in an email sent before the second May Day bank holiday weekend. Offices are due to reopen from July 19. It said it had based its decision on medical and scientific advice. The Harry Potter publisher informed employees of the policy in an email sent before the second May Day bank holiday weekend. Offices are due to reopen from July 19 Pimlico Plumbers previously announced Covid-19 jabs would be compulsory for staff and new employees would not be taken on if they had not been inoculated. Care home workers have also been told by the government that they should be vaccinated or risk losing their jobs. Bloomsburys edict attracted criticism online, with one person likening it to George Orwells 1984. They wrote: Time to hit Big Brother Bloomsbury Books where it hurts with its fascistic approach to its staff dont buy what theyre selling. Another said: What is the legality of this? Can staff be forced to be immunised?? What safeguards are there in place to ensure this doesnt roll over to other vaccinations? But a spokesman for the firm - which closed offices before the government ordered people to work from home last year - told The Bookseller there had been two deaths among its staff. He added: We will continue to make our own decisions, conscious of the serious consequences of making the wrong ones. Pimlico Plumbers previously announced Covid-19 jabs would be compulsory for staff and new employees would not be taken on if they had not been inoculated Inevitably, not everyone will agree. We accept this and, as with so many decisions in the pandemic, we have to do what we believe is right for the wellbeing of all our staff. A poll of 2,000 workers in March conducted by employee review website Glassdoor found more than half thought staff should be required to have a Covid vaccination before being allowed back in to work. One in seven threatened to hand in their notice if they were ordered to return before all employees had been inoculated. But the GMB union said it would be better to educate and reassure staff to encourage uptake. Bullying workers into taking a vaccine they are unsure about is cruel, unfair and a recipe for disaster, legal director Susan Harris told the BBC. The CBI said there were few industries where the compulsory approach was appropriate but added in some sectors it could prove necessary. Boris Johnson said yesterday he is very confident the remaining Covid curbs will be lifted as planned next month but Tory MPs urged him to go faster. The Prime Minister said the data continues to indicate that his July 19 terminus date, when all legal limits on social contact are set to be scrapped, will go ahead. But Tory backbenchers demanded that the Prime Minister speed up the lifting of restrictions after the Mail revealed yesterday that lockdown could end a fortnight early if the coronavirus data continues to improve. Boris Johnson said yesterday he is very confident the remaining Covid curbs will be lifted as planned next month but Tory MPs urged him to go faster A two-week review point demanded by Mr Johnson will now be a genuine review of the data which could lead to Freedom Day being brought forward to July 5. Former Cabinet minister David Davis, who was among rebel Tories who voted against an extension of coronavirus restrictions this week, led calls for an earlier unlocking. He said: If the numbers show, as we suspect, significantly lower death rates and lower serious illness rates and the vaccines continue to have an effect there is an incredibly strong argument to liberalise as soon as we can. July 5 would be a very good day for that. Ex-party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith added: The latest data show that the link between hospitalisations and infections has been broken and therefore in two weeks time we should be in an even stronger position and we should get on with it... The problem is a bunch of scientists keep pumping out these forecasts and every one of them is wrong, and every one of them has been wrong since day one. So my concern all along is thats not science its no better than pundits at the races. Former Cabinet minister David Davis, who was among rebel Tories who voted against an extension of coronavirus restrictions this week, led calls for an earlier unlocking Former Cabinet minister David Jones said: We have to learn to live with this virus, which is perfectly achievable, thanks to the success of the Governments vaccination programme. On a visit to Kirklees College in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, yesterday, Mr Johnson said: Im very confident that well be able to go through with step four of the roadmap on the timetable that Ive set out with treating July 19... as a terminus date. I think thats certainly what the data continues to indicate. It came as official analysis showed yesterday that as the pandemic receded, the death rate in England was 750 for every 100,000 people the lowest since figures were first calculated 20 years ago. The study by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the overall number of deaths in England and Wales were both more than 10 per cent below the average for the month over the five years before the virus struck. It was the second month in a row in which deaths were below average levels in England. The low mortality rates, in a month when UK infections from the virus almost trebled and fears over a third wave began, is a fresh sign of the success of mass vaccinations. The ONS report said the chance of dying with Covid-19 in England fell for the fourth consecutive month, with the mortality rate in May just 7.1 for every 100,000 people. On a visit to Kirklees College in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, yesterday, (pictured) Mr Johnson said: Im very confident that well be able to go through with step four of the roadmap on the timetable that Ive set out with treating July 19... as a terminus date.' In England there were a total of 35,401 deaths registered last month, 4,252 deaths or 10.7 per cent below the average for the month between 2015 to 2019. In 333 cases the virus was recorded as the main cause. In Wales in May there were 2,416 deaths registered some 271 deaths or 10.1 per cent below the average for the month. Doctors identified the virus as the main cause in 15 cases. The breakdown also showed that Covid was only the 24th most common cause of death in May in England. The most common killer in England was heart disease (3,780 deaths), which was ahead of Alzheimers and dementia (3,711). Flu and pneumonia accounted for 1,012 deaths. Prostate cancer, the tenth most common cause of death in England, killed 713. At the peak of the second wave in January this year there were 32,872 Covid-linked deaths in the UK 28,820 in England. St Paul's Girls' School will no longer use the term head girl as it says it is too 'binary'. The 26,000-a-year school in Hammersmith, London, will instead refer to the position as 'head of school' from the next academic year. The change has prompted backlash from some staff of the school, which boasts a list of successful women including former vaccines taskforce chief Dame Kate Bingham and actress Rachel Weisz. St Paul's Girls' School, which costs 26,000-a-year, will no longer use the term head girl as it says it is too 'binary' A source told The Times: 'Why do the girls have to change their name? 'They should be teaching young women to be proud of their sex, not ashamed of it. It's very contradictory. 'How can you be a single-sex school that exists to empower girls to do well and at the same time support girls to identify out of being a girl?' The senior pupil was known as head of school for decades after St Paul's Girls was founded in 1904. The school said their decision-making was a result of senior pupils considering themselves young women rather than 'girls' but acknowledged the 'binary connotations' were also a factor. The change has prompted backlash from some staff of the school which boasts a list of successful women including former vaccines taskforce chief Dame Kate Bingham (left) and actress Rachel Weisz (right) It said senior pupils also felt the historic title was 'more modern, age appropriate and inclusive'. The school denied that it should change its name under the same logic. It came as LGBT charity Stonewall urged schools to use the term 'learners' instead of 'boys' and 'girls'. Guidance documents also suggested teachers hold mixed sex PE classes and ditch all gendered uniforms, The Daily Telegraph reported. A former ethics chief in the Obama administration has accused President Joe Biden of thumbing his nose at government ethics with the prevalence of family ties among his administration's hires. 'I'm sorry, I know some folks don't like hearing any criticism of him. But this royally sucks. I'm disgusted,' tweeted Walter Shaub, who led the Office of Government Ethics from 2013 to 2017. 'A lot of us worked hard to tee him up to restore ethics to government and believed the promises. This is a a real 'f*** you' to usand government ethics,' he added. Shaub was responding from a new report in the Washington Post, which revealed that press secretary Jen Psaki, White House counselor Steve Ricchetti, deputy chief of staff Bruce Reed and presidential personnel office director Cathy Russell each have at least one direct family member working for the Biden administration. A former ethics chief in the Obama administration has accused President Joe Biden of thumbing his nose at government ethics with the prevalence of family ties in hiring Walter Shaub, who led the Office of Government Ethics from 2013 to 2017, has delivered a harsh assessment of familial ties in the Biden administration's hiring practices The prevalence of family ties in the new administration is infuriating to some Democrats, who had hoped that Biden would abandon the habits of Donald Trump, who notoriously hired his daughter and son-in-law as top advisors. 'While it may not be as bad as appointing your son or daughter to a top government post as Trump did with Jared and Ivanka, it is still bad,' Shaub told the Post. 'Not as bad as Trump' cannot be the new standard.' The scrutiny on hiring practices was triggered in part by the Treasury Department's announcement on Monday that it was hiring J.J. Ricchetti, son of Biden counselor Steve Ricchetti, leading to accusations of nepotism. J.J. Ricchetti, a recent college graduate with no other experience listed on his department bio, will be a special assistant to the Treasury's office of legislative affairs. The Treasury Department announced on Monday that it was hiring J.J. Ricchetti (second from left), son of Biden counselor Steve Ricchetti (center), leading to accusations of nepotism J.J. Ricchetti (left), a recent college graduate, will be a special assistant to the Treasury's office of legislative affairs. His father Steve Richetti is seen right In 2014, Sarah Donilon looks on as her mom Catherine Russell is sworn in as the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues by then-Vice President Biden Cathy Russell (left), the director of presidential personnel in the White House, has a daughter, Sarah Donilon (right), who graduated college in 2019 and works in the White House National Security Council A White House official said that the administration had prioritized hiring volunteers from the campaign, such as J.J. Russell, the director of presidential personnel in the White House, has a daughter, Sarah Donilon, who graduated college in 2019 and works in the White House National Security Council. Reed, a deputy White House chief of staff and longtime Biden confidant, has a daughter, Julia Reed, who graduated college in 2015 and works as Biden's day scheduler. 'In a country that had just come through a pandemic, how can these children of political appointees be the only people who are qualified for employment?' Shaub asked the Post. The family ties also extend to the siblings and spouses of top political appointees. Jen Psaki's sister Stephanie Psaki was appointed a senior adviser at the Health and Human Services Department in March, and White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain's wife, Monica Medina, was nominated for assistant secretary of state focused on oceans and the environment. However, both have extensive experience in their fields. Jen Psaki's (left) sister Stephanie Psaki (right) was appointed a senior adviser at the Health and Human Services Department in March, however she is highly qualified 'When little problems like this, which are so damn easy to avoid, crop up, it's a sign of much bigger rot. Because if you can't even do the easy things, you sure as hell can't do the hard things,' tweeted Shaub. The White House insists that everyone the administration has hired meets the qualifications for their roles, and that no undue influence was exerted by family members in the hiring process. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy has defended Mike Pence after the former Vice President was booed and called a 'traitor' at a Faith & Freedom Coalition event in Orlando Friday. McCarthy appeared on Fox News on Friday evening and defended Pence after he was heckled by the crowd at the 'Road to Majority'-themed event. 'It is great to be back with so many patriots. Dedicated to faith and freedom and the road to the majority,' Pence had said. As he began thanking Ralph Reed, the head of the Faith & Freedom coalition, he was met with boos and people loudly shouting 'traitor!' But speaking to Fox's Brian Kilmeade, McCarthy said: 'Mike Pence is not a traitor'. Many supporters of former President Donald Trump have turned on Pence after he refused to overturn Joe Biden's election victory on January 6 Scroll down for video Pence was the final speaker at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Kissimmee Former Vice President Mike Pence was booed and called a 'traitor' by audience members attending the Faith and Freedom coalition 'Road to Majority' event in Orlando, Florida Later in the day, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy came to Pence's defense during an appearance on Fox News McCarthy continued, 'Mike Pence served as not only as a member of Congress [during] which I served with him, one of the most conservative members. He went on to tout Pence's political record, including the push during the Trump administration to fill court benches with conservative judges, including the Supreme Court. 'He was the governor of Indiana. And he was the vice president, stood right by President Trump, helped him get through the tax reform, get those judges in. Mike Pence deserves a lot of credit.' Minority Leader McCarthy was a key Trump ally amid a fracture between the former president and his VP. Former Vice President Mike Pence (left) appeared alongside his wife Karen Pence (right) at the Road to Majority conference Friday The Road to Majority conference attracted a number of conservative household names including Sens. Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Ron Johnson, Rick Scott, Marsha Blackburn, Lindsey Graham and House Minority Whip Steve Scalise. And they pushed a number of right-wing talking points with Cruz, for example, remarking that 'critical race theory is bigoted. It is a lie, And it is every bit as racist as the Klansmen in white sheets.' Cruz also said: 'I'm going to commit a radical act, I'm going to speak the truth. America is great. Christopher Columbus discovering America was a good thing. George Washington was an American hero. Thomas Jefferson was an American hero. Abraham Lincoln was an American hero. He also lambasted the days when you could say 'Israel is our friend, boys and girls are different and the Wuhan virus came from Wuhan' without the 'fear of getting cancelled' Audience members booed and shouted 'traitor' at former Vice President Mike Pence at an event in Orlando, Florida Friday Pence barely introduced himself before the audience rebelled. 'And I want to thank my friend Ralph Reed for those overly generous words, I'm deeply humbled by them,' Pence said. 'Ralph Reed knows me well enough to know the introduction I prefer is a little bit shorter: I'm a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, and I'm honored to stand before you today,' he continued, as the shouts also continued. In the lead-up to the January 6 MAGA riot, former President Donald Trump pushed Pence, who had a Constitutional duty to preside over Congress' counting of Electoral College votes, to throw out votes from key swing states - in an effort to overturn President Joe Biden's win. 'I hope Mike is going to do the right thing. I hope so. I hope so,' Trump told the crowd at the Ellipse on the morning of January 6, before droves of them stormed the Capitol. 'Because if Mike Pence does the right thing, we win the election.' Trump falsely claimed to the crowd that Pence had 'the absolute right' to toss out Electoral Votes at his choosing. Pence publicly said he didn't see it that way. When rioters got to the Capitol later on January 6, some chanted 'hang Mike Pence' for his refusal to do Trump's bidding. During Trump's second impeachment hearing, video footage showed Pence narrowly escaping from the crowd. Trump never called to check in on him. Earlier this month, Pence tried to push that he was still on Trump's good side telling an audience at the Lincoln-Reagan Dinner in Manchester, New Hampshire that he'd spoken to Trump 'many times' since they left office. The reaction to Pence comes five months after he refused to overturn the electoral college votes that ratified Biden's win Sen. Ted Cruz spoke to the crowd Friday at the Road to Majority conference in Orlando, Florida. He said that critical race theory being promoted in some schools is 'as racist as Klansmen' He admitted, however, that they do not 'see eye-to-eye' on the January 6 insurrection. 'But I will always be proud of what we accomplished for the American people over the last four years,' Pence said. 'And I will not allow Democrats or their allies in the media to use one tragic day to discredit the aspirations of millions of Americans,' he added. He told the audience that he 'learned a lot serving alongside President Donald Trump.' 'Some people think we're a little bit different,' the ex-veep said. 'But I think what President Trump showed us was what Republicans can accomplish when our leaders stand firm on conservative principles and don't back down.' 'It was four years of consequence, four years of results,' Pence said. 'It was four years of promises made and promises kept.' A man has been slashed on the head in the busy Times Square subway station on Friday during the evening rush hour before the suspect then fled in the latest example of NYC violence. The man, 35, was waiting for a 1/2/3 train just before 7 p.m. before the brazen attack in the Big Apple's busiest station, according to the New York Post. The victim, who has not been identified, was taken to Bellevue Hospital and is expected to recover, police told the outlet. Cops are still searching for the suspect. Pictures taken outside the subway station show the victim with a heavily bandaged face being taken to an ambulance by EMTs. The man's face and clothing can be seen covered in blood, while pictured from inside the subway station show pools of blood on the floor. Further details about the stabbing were not known and DailyMail.com has reached out to the NYPD for more information and additional comment. A man was slashed on the head in the busy Times Square subway station on Friday during the evening rush hour The man was pictured with bloody bandages covering his face He was taken by ambulance to Bellevue Hospital and is expected to recover The man was seen being wheeled out of the subway station by paramedics It is just the latest example of a random attack in New York City, as the police struggle with skyrocketing crime in 2021. The slashing comes after another man was stabbed five times on a platform at the 59th Street-Columbus Circle station on Wednesday after he tried to break up a fight between a man and a woman. On Monday, an unidentified man attacked two people with a rock after an argument became physical on a Brooklyn-bound subway. One of the victims was rushed to the hospital with bruising to the head and knee, and the other victim was treated at the scene, according to police. And last month a woman was stabbed in an unprovoked attack on the subway before a passing journalist jumped in to save her. In that attack at Union Square station on Wednesday 19th May, 54-year-old Kelli Daley was jumped by a man identified as 22-year-old Joshua Nazario. Police said Nazario slashed Daley across her left shoulder, collarbone, and upper chest while she was waiting on the southbound N, Q, R platform for the train around 10.10pm. The brazen attack on Friday happened in the Times Square subway station NYPD stand over a crime scene in the subway at Times Square Police are still searching for the suspect behind the attack, who fled after the slashing Sean Conaboy, 52, a freelance cameraman for the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC), was finishing a 12 hour shift in Times Square when he saw what was happening and jumped in to stop the attack - tackling Nazario to the ground and restraining him until police arrived. The surge in shocking attacks has not only been restricted to New York City's subways. Earlier on Friday, shocking surveillance footage captured the moment two young kids were trampled by a man as he tried to escape from a shooter who fired nearly a dozen bullets in the middle of a Bronx street and pointed his gun at the terrified kids. The NYPD released the video on Friday afternoon and asked for the public's help in identifying the gunman in the latest of nearly 150 shootings across the city this month. The video opens with a boy and girl - believed to be around the ages of five and 10 - walking on a sidewalk before people scatter when a gunman chases a man in a red sweater. The man in the sweater, who police believe was the intended target, barrels into the kids and knocks them down before the gunman runs up and fires multiple times in their direction. The alleged target scrambles to his feet but trips in the three-person scrum before crawling over the kids to escape the hail of bullets. The two children are momentarily pinned under the man in the sweater while he is shot at as the older girl is seen grabbing the boy and holding him tight in an attempt to shield him. The man in the sweater was shot multiple times but is still alive, according to the NYPD, and amazingly, the children weren't shot or seriously injured. Shocking surveillance footage captured the moment two young children were trampled by a man as he tried to escape from a shooter who fired nearly a dozen bullets in the middle of a Bronx street and pointed his gun at the terrified kids The suspect momentarily retreats with the victim on the ground Then the gunman comes back for a closer shot and fires at the man with the two kids inches away from the victim The NYPD have struggled under a surge in violent crime in 2021. Felony assaults are up eight percent for the first six months of 2021, compared to the same period last year, while rapes are up by 3 percent. NYPD data shows shootings in the Big Apple have increased by 64 percent year-on-year, while murders are up 13 percent. The numbers are disturbing in themselves, but the violence has intensified and taken place in public places, like parks and subways, and in front of witnesses and surveillance cameras. Earlier this week, former NYPD commissioner Bill Bratton warned American cities, including New York City, are in for a 'very, long dangerous summer' as murder rates have skyrocketed Crimes have been rising throughout New York City, according to the NYPD Statistics show shooting crimes have been up this year city-wide compared to last year And there aren't any short- or long-term answers, Bratton told CNBC's Shepard Smith on Monday. 'Unlike the last crime epidemic that took decades to build up to the early '90s, this one has occurred, literally, overnight,' Bratton said. 'It's like the virus, it's literally, out of nowhere, and so solutions are not immediately apparent.' Bratton, who earned the nickname 'supercop' for helping clean up the streets of New York City and Los Angeles, issued his warning on Monday. In May, Governor Andrew Cuomo called the surge in violent crime a 'major problem' and said unless the NYPD gets a handle on it soon, the city would become undesirable. 'New Yorkers don't feel safe and they don't feel safe because the crime rate is up. It's not that they are being neurotic or overly sensitive - they are right.' he said. Dane Kallungi, 38, was arrested on Wednesday in Albuquerque, New Mexico, over two weeks after police in Colorado Springs issued a warrant for his arrest The husband of a woman who has been missing in Colorado for more than two years has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Dane Kallungi, 38, was arrested on Wednesday in Albuquerque, New Mexico, more than two weeks after police in Colorado Springs issued a warrant for his arrest on June 1. Dane was trying to get onto the Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico when he was arrested, officials said. His wife, Jepsy Amaga Kallungi, has not been seen since 2019, when she was 26 years old. Colorado Springs Police Department now believe she was strangled by her husband during a domestic violence incident and her body buried, FOX 21 reports. Jepsy had moved from the Philippines to the US in 2017 to marry Kallungi after the pair met on a dating website. But her mother Margie Amaga became concerned when she suddenly stopped replying to Facebook Messenger texts on March 20, 2019. Jepsy has not been heard from since, KKTV, reports. 'I just want to know if shes still alive or dead,' Margie Amaga said a month later. 'I dont know where she is, why she's gone.' His wife, Jepsy Amaga Kallungi, has not been seen since 2019, when she was 26 years old Police launched a missing persons investigation on April 4, 2019. They launched that investigation after receiving a call to check on her welfare from a friend, according to NBC News. 'There was talk about a separation but they were married at the time this incident had occurred,' Lt. Joe Frabbile said during a press conference on Friday. Margie said that Dane claimed Jepsy went with a friend to either Chicago, Mexico or the Philippines without bringing any ID or her phone. 'Well, of course, the family and friends of Jepsy have always been concerned since March 2019, weve been in contact with family members in Hong Kong and Philippines theyve been advised of the arrest and are interested in recovering Jepsy,' Frabbile added. The Colorado Springs Police Department tweeted about the arrest on Thursday Jepsy moved to the United States from the Philippines in 2017 and married Dane in July 2017 A text message between Dane and one of Jepsy's friend shows Dane's comments that Jepsy was potentially going to Chicago or the Philippines Nearly three dozen search warrants were executed during the investigation. Police have not released any potential motive for the alleged murder, for which Dane is being held without bail. Margie said that Dane and Jepsy met on an online dating site, which led Jepsy to move from the Philippines to Colorado to be with him. She moved to the United States from the Philippines in 2017 and married Dane in July 2017. Court records show that they filed for divorce, but it's unclear if the divorce was ever finalized. Police believe Dane moved to San Diego shortly after Jepsy went missing. They are looking to extradite him from New Mexico to Colorado. Margie, who lives in Hong Kong, has struggled to cope with the investigation as she tries to get a visa to the United States. Jepsy's body has not been recovered 'Its really hard for me. Its really painful for me because I am very far,' she told KOAA. 'I cannot comfort her, and I dont know where I find her. I dont know. Im only alone.' Shortly after Jepsy's disappearance, friends gathered together to pray for her safe return. 'She just disappeared without a trace, and thats why were here to find her,' Rachel Jackson said to FOX 21 at the time. 'I hope were going to have answers soon to a lot of our questions,' added Lourdes Medina. According to FOX 21, another friend described the relationship between Jepsy and Dane as 'toxic.' 'I asked her, "Why do you have to go back with him?"' Rhanae Ramos said after Jepsy's disappearance. 'And she said, "I want to try the relationship and give him a second chance."' A tornado has ripped through the city of Auckland, New Zealand leaving one person dead with damaging winds uprooting trees, exploding power lines and battering houses. The tornado hit before 8.30am on Saturday morning and fire and emergency crews have been called out to more than 100 locations affected by property damage. The force of the wind was so strong shipping containers toppled at the Port of Auckland, killing one person and injuring a further two who have been rushed to hospital, Stuff reports. A tornado ripped through Auckland on Saturday morning leaving this large truck overturned (pictured) The wind snapped trees in half (pictured) and damaged houses in the south of the city 'The tornado caused significant damage to the site and dislodged multiple containers,' a Port of Auckland spokesperson said. 'We are shocked by this freak event and our thoughts are with the people affected.' Emergency services said they attended the scene of a 'workplace accident' at Port of Auckland on Saturday morning. Residential streets in South Auckland were slammed by the weather system with cars overturned and fences ripped from the ground. 'Trees were snapped off at the roots, there's a new house being built over the road and it's all over on one side. Cars have been crushed by power poles. It's kinda crazy really,' local resident Heather Haylock told The New Zealand Herald. One house under construction was left collapsed on its side after winds tore through the street (pictured) A car overturned in south Auckland after a tornado hit the area on Saturday (pictured) She said at first she mistook the sound of the roaring wind for motorcycles tearing up her street but then the lights began to flicker. A mother and baby sleeping next door to her narrowly avoided injury after a piece of wood went through a window in the bedroom where they were sleeping. 'She was obviously really upset. The glass missed the baby - there's a whole series of miracles down the street.' Another resident said there was nothing left of his neighbour's roof. Much of the damage was centred around the southern suburb of Papatotoe. More than 20 fire and ambulance crews are have been dispatched to the area with cleanup and repairs expected to take weeks. Residents are now assessing the damage as they begin weeks of clean up and repairs (pictured) Callie Aust, 28, fell to her death on Tuesday in Wyoming's Bighorn Mountains A woman has died after plunging from a 200-foot cliff in Wyoming during a hike with her husband, in what investigators believe was a tragic accident. Callie Aust, 28, fell to her death on Tuesday during an early-morning hike to see the sunrise from Steamboat Point in the Bighorn Mountains, the Sheridan County Sheriff's office said. Callie's husband Luke Aust rushed to find cell phone reception, and called 911 to request assistance at approximately 5.50am, authorities said. After leaving the scene of his wife's fall, Luke was unable to pinpoint exactly where she might be, but joined the search party, which made a tragic discovery at about 7.15am. Callie's husband Luke Aust (with her above) rushed to find cell phone reception, and called 911 to request assistance at approximately 5.50am, authorities said Officials say that Steamboat Point has unstable cliff edges and loose rocks. 'Standing or sitting near or on the edge of cliff faces is very risky, no matter the location,' one warned The search party found Callie's body at the base of the southwest side of Steamboat Point. 'At this point in the investigation, there are no indications of foul play and the death is being considered accidental,' the sheriff's office said in a statement. Callie and Luke married in 2014, and were frequently active outdoors, according to social media posts. He is a hospital pharmacist and she worked for a Christian non-profit that runs an online marketplace to benefit victims of sex trafficking. Steamboat Point is an abandoned fire lookout with a pipe railing located near the lookout's concrete footers, a Bighorn National Forest spokesperson said. 'It is not a safe barrier, but merely a remnant of the lookout tower,' spokesperson Sara Kirol told The Sheridan Press, saying there are no specific safety measures at the place where Callie fell. 'Cliff edges are unstable and there are a lot of loose rocks on the top of these high places,' Kirol said. 'Standing or sitting near or on the edge of cliff faces is very risky, no matter the location.' Callie and Luke married in 2014, and were frequently active outdoors, according to social media posts. He is a hospital pharmacist and she worked for a Christian non-profit that runs an online marketplace to benefit victims of sex trafficking The ongoing investigation is being led by the Sheridan County Sheriffs Office with the assistance from the Wyoming Highway Patrol and Bighorn National Forest Service Law Enforcement. The Sheridan County Coroners Office is conducting an independent investigation. Callie's employer Bought Beautifully posted an emotional tribute following her death, calling the young woman 'a dynamic and entirely singular individual.' 'Her life was a literal example of living out loveshe did this exceptionally well, shining God's love and truth through her everyday actions with deep conviction and focused intention,' the tribute said. 'She loved her family with every ounce of her beingshe was everyone's biggest fan, a ready listener and wise counselor,' it added. A memorial service for Callie will be held on June 23 at Sheridan Weslyan Church. Burial will follow immediately in the Juniper Heights section of Sheridan Municipal Cemetery. A Sydney man has been charged over his alleged support for the Islamic State group in online posts. The 24-year-old was taken into custody on Friday after search warrants were executed in Chester Hill and Sefton. He has been charged with membership of a terrorist organisation, Australian Federal Police and NSW Police said on Saturday. A Sydney man has been charged over his alleged support for the Islamic State group in online posts They will allege the man's online rhetoric was escalating and that he had collected a large amount of extremist material. He's also accused of possessing several improvised explosive recipes and pledging allegiance to Islamic State. The NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team investigated the man for seven months. The NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team investigated the man for seven months AFP commander Stephen Dametto said the man's conduct doesn't represent the Islamic faith Commander Dametto said IS remains a threat and continues to radicalise people in Australia AFP commander Stephen Dametto said the man's conduct doesn't represent the Islamic faith. 'His actions are criminal and they represent hatred and terror,' he said. 'It shows there are still those in the community that seek to do us harm.' Commander Dametto said IS remains a threat and continues to radicalise people in Australia. The man is expected to face Parramatta Local Court on Saturday. A group of House Republicans have demanded that President Joe Biden remove Vice President Kamala Harris from her role as immigration crisis czar because she still hasn't visited the border or met with border patrol agents since taking the job 85 days ago. The 56 lawmakers, led by Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis., penned a letter on Thursday with a scathing review of Harris' performance after she was tapped on March 24 to lead the administration's response to the immigration crisis at the southern border. 'Despite being in the midst of a border crisis this country has not seen in two decades, Vice President Harris has not yet shown adequate interest in observing this crisis first-hand,' the lawmakers wrote. 'In the 85 days since the Vice President has been tasked with solving this crisis, she has yet to visit the border and meet with Border Patrol agents, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials and local law enforcement officials.' House Republicans have demanded that President Joe Biden remove Vice President Kamala Harris from her role as immigration crisis czar The 56 lawmakers, led by Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis., penned a letter on Thursday with the scathing review of Harris' performance As noted by Fox News, Harris recently visited Guatemala and Mexico where she met with leaders but has still not visited the U.S. border. Republicans claim it is important for her to actually go to the border for her to truly understand problems with illegal immigration. The GOP has blamed the Biden administration's rolling back of Trump era policies for recent surges of illegal immigrants at the southern border. The 56 Republicans claimed that 'the exclusive focus on Central American countries ignores the fact that we see many migrants attempting to illegally cross our southern border from countries all over the world, including Russia, Brazil, Cuba and Haiti.' 'We are also aware of no dramatic changes in Central American countries over the last few months that would result in such a wide gap of encounters at the southern border compared to last year,' the Republicans wrote. The 56 lawmakers, led by Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis., penned a letter on Thursday with the scathing review of Harris' performance The Republicans also encouraged Biden to appoint someone else to lead the administration's response to handling the border crisis. 'This country cannot afford another minute of inaction from Vice President Harris,' the lawmakers wrote. 'While you have publicly defended the Vice President, even you must be discouraged with her inaction.' Earlier this week, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas defended the Biden administration's handling of the crisis and said: 'We have a strategy.' 'We are executing that strategy, I am confident in the strategy and I am confident in the proposal we have submitted to this Congress to best resource that strategy,' Mayorkas said. Border Patrol and local police raid five homes in Texas where more than 200 migrants were hidden by smugglers Border Patrol and local police raid five homes in Texas where more than 200 migrants were hidden by smugglers Agents of the Attorney General's Office escort more than a migrants who were kidnapped, from a house in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua state, Mexico on June 9 Border Patrol and local police raid five homes in Texas where more than 200 migrants were hidden by smugglers Agents of the Attorney General's Office escort more than a migrants who were kidnapped, from a house in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, on June 9 A migrant family from Brazil waits to be processed by U.S. Border Patrol agents after passing through a gap in the border wall from Mexico in Yuma, Arizona on June 10 South Carolina Republican Rep. Ralph Norman tore into Mayorkas on Thursday when he said it was 'quite unfair' to criticize Kamala Harris for not visiting the border. Norman started the House Homeland Security Committee hearing by asking Mayorkas whether Harris should visit the border. 'I consider that question to be quite unfair,' Mayorkas replied. 'You're comments are just words, and they're very unfair,' Norman said. 'I asked you a simple question, and I would like for you to just answer simply. 'Does it make sense for the leaders of the free world to go in to talk and see what's going on at the border? South Carolina Republican Rep. Ralph Norman tore into Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Thursday when he suggested it was 'quite unfair' to criticize Kamala Harris for not visiting the border Mayorkas responded by saying that Harris was the attorney general of a border state, California, and was 'quite familiar with the situation'. 'But she's laughing at it!' Norman fired back. 'It's an insult to say that you're looking at the border wall what do you have to look at? You're not building it'. Texas GOP Senator Ted Cruz also criticized the Biden administration's response to the border crisis on Friday, saying they are 'quite simply' not doing their jobs and are failing to enforce the law. As they conducted their hearing, more migrants continued crossing the Rio Grande near Roma, Texas, to begin their bid for asylum. Photos showed men, women and children in rafts and wading in the water in the dead of night, trying to reach the US. This graph shows the number of migrants caught by the Office of Field Operation (OFO) and US Border Patrol agents in April and May This chart shows how 2021 border crossings - pictured in blue - rocketed on crossings made in 2020, represented by the brown line (2018 is pictured in gray, with 2019 in orange) The tense exchange Norman and Mayorkas also came off the back of criticism over Kamala's visit to Guatemala and Mexico and her testy responses to questions over whether she would visit the wall - that the Biden administration has vowed not to continue building. In an interview with NBC's Lester Holt, she laughed when he asked why she hadn't visited the border. 'And I haven't been to Europe either,' she responded. Last Wednesday, Customs and Border Protection released figures that show illegal crossings have exploded by 674 per cent in a year. Border guards confronted 180,034 migrants in May - the fourth consecutive monthly rise. The figures show the number of migrants rocketed by more than six-fold from the 23,237 who crossed from Mexico into the United States in May 2020. Last year's number was far lower than usual because of the COVID-19 outbreak, but this year's figures still spell worrying news for Joe Biden, with 2021 on-track to record the highest number of illegal border crossings since 2006. Single adults still represented the majority of border-crossers, data from the U.S. Border Patrol showed. In May there was a decrease in the number of unaccompanied minors, from roughly 16,910 to 13,906, Border Patrol found. CBP also said that a majority of those who crossed the border were already expelled due to Title 42, which allows the U.S. government to quickly remove people using the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the 180,034 crossers, 112,302 had already been expelled. CBP also pointed out, according to Fox News, that Title 42 is leading people to try to cross the border more than once, which could also factor into the high numbers. Axios reported last week that preliminary CBP data from the fiscal year 2021 showed that illegal crossings have been the most since 2006 - with four months still to go. Harris' trip was meant to focus on the 'root causes' of migration that have led to families and unaccompanied children heading north to the border. But she made a series of seemingly conflicting statements about her decision not to visit the border and enraged progressives by telling migrants: 'Do not come'. By the end of her trip, at a press conference in Mexico City with President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Harris insisted the trip was a success. 'Listen, I've been to the border before and I'll go again,' she said. The Biden administration announced Harris would be the 'border czar' 86 days ago, but she still hasn't been to the wall and has been under scrutiny for her visit to Mexico and Guatemala two weeks ago to address the 'root causes' of migration. On Friday she visited a vaccination site in Atlanta as part of her tour to get more shots in arms for Americans Harris greets Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms after touching down at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport on Friday She also hinted that a border trip would be 'short-sighted', but did promise to visit without giving a date. CNN reported that officials were concerned within the administration that whatever progress Harris had made on the leader-to-leader level might have been undermined by her conflicting answers and PR missteps. 'It's left some of the administration officials perplexed, and the vice president's team frustrated,' the network Wednesday. 'There was hope the trip would be a success, and in the end, they feel it may have been overshadowed by some of her answers to these questions,' the network reported. She also snapped at reporters a few times when questioned about a border visit. Among those asking about it was a CNN correspondent. Fox News correspondents have been hounding the White House on the topic for weeks, so it was unlikely to have surprised her team. Asylum-seeking migrant families disembark an inflatable raft after crossing the Rio Grande river into the United States from Mexico in Roma, Texas on June 10 Asylum-seeking migrant families from Nicaragua pray as they arrive to the riverbank of the Rio Grande river after crossing into the United States from Mexico in Roma, Texas on June 10 Asylum-seeking migrant families disembark an inflatable raft after crossing the Rio Grande river into the United States from Mexico in Roma, Texas on June 10 Migrant smugglers stand in the water of the Rio Grande river as they mock the officers on duty on the U.S. side of the river in Roma, Texas, on June 10 At the same news conference where she said she would go to the border, Harris also shrugged off the idea. I think it's short-sighted, for any of us who are in the business of problem solving to suggest we're only going to respond to the reaction as opposed to addressing the cause,' she said. It echoed her earlier comments in Guatemala, where she characterized such a visit as being for show. 'I came here to be here on the ground, to speak with the leader of this nation around what we can do in a way that is significant, is tangible and has real results,' she said. 'And I will continue to be focused on that kind of work as opposed to grand gestures.' There is an element of showmanship in any foreign trip and Harris was not shy about calling her own first foreign foray a victory. 'Do I declare this trip a success? Yes I do,' she said. Advertisement Power grids in California were being pushed to the limit on Friday as a record-breaking heatwave continued, and residents cranked up the air conditioning to cope. Energy providers issued a Flex Alert for 6-9pm on Friday, 'to reduce stress on the power grid due to extreme heat.' During those hours, people are urged to set their thermostats to 78 degrees or higher and avoid using washers, dishwashers and other major appliances. The alert was already in place for 5-10pm on Thursday, when Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, issued an emergency proclamation to deal with the heat. He loosened the rules around the use of generators so businesses could stay open, and ordered the freeing up of additional energy capacity to help the state's energy grid. Newsom's declaration came after temperatures in Death Valley hit 129F - the highest this year. Children are seen running along Alameda Beach in San Francisco on Friday, as California's governor, Gavin Newsom, issued an emergency proclamation for the heat wave. He lifted restrictions on generators, so businesses can keep themselves cool, and allowed the energy company flexibility for its power generation, as residents cranked up the air conditioning A family are seen cooling off at Alameda Beach on Friday. Californians are being asked to preserve energy and avoid excessive activity, in a bid to save their power grid during the heat wave Children in California fool around on Alameda Beach, in a bid to keep cool as the temperatures across the state soared Six-year-old Nevaek Morelos keeps cool at the Dublin Wave Waterpark in Emerald Glen Park in Dublin, California John Gillette takes a photo of Sarah Null as she stands in a swimsuit next to a thermometer displaying temperatures of 129 degrees Fahrenheit at the Furnace Creek visitor's center at Death Valley National Park. The hottest temperature ever recorded there was 134F, in 1913 - although the accuracy of that reading is debated. Last year it reached 130F Death Valley has long held the record for the highest air temperature ever recorded on Earth, with a 1913 recording of 134F - although the accuracy of the reading is debated. Last year Death Valley was confirmed to have hit 130F. Across the West, records were being broken - with California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado and Arizona all feeling extreme temperatures. In Nevada, the National Weather Service said on Friday that high temperatures in Las Vegas would peak at 114 degrees. The all-time high for Las Vegas is 117, reached in June 2017. Extreme heat danger signage stands as visitors walk along sand dunes at sunset inside Death Valley National Park Heat is seen shimmering over Death Valley at sunset, as temperatures approached the 130F mark On Thursday, the all-time high temperature was tied in Palm Springs, California at 123 degrees, breaking the previous June record of 122 degrees. Salt Lake City tied its all-time record high of 107 degrees. The old record was notably set in July when temperatures are usually at their highest for the year in that region. Denver hit 100 degrees on Thursday, marking only the sixth time in historical record keeping that it has reached 100 degrees on three or more consecutive days. The beginning of the week was even more intense: from Sunday to Tuesday alone, 159 maximum daily high temperature records were broken, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The high temperatures were coming early, too. On Thursday, the National Weather Service in Tucson said that it was 100 degrees at 8.14am - the second earliest time in the day recorded since 1948. The earliest ever time for hitting 100 degrees was 8:02am, in June 2017. The all-time high temperature recorded in Phoenix of 122 degrees occurred on June 26, 1990. Heat warnings have been in place all week, with residents urged to seek shade, drink water, and avoid excessive activity in the middle of the day. 'It feels somewhat apocalyptic with the record high heat, the smoke from wildfires tearing through the Sonoran desert and the news on the drought,' said Emily Kirkland, a communications organizer for a Phoenix nonprofit group. 'Just the 10-minute walk from my house to the light rail made me queasy.' The National Weather Service has issued excessive heat warnings for five states - California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona and parts of Colorado - warning that temperatures soaring well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) can be dangerous. 'Very hot conditions will continue for interior areas through Saturday, followed by gradual cooling into next week. Until then, USE CAUTION as heat can be deadly! Most importantly, stay hydrated and never leave kids or pets in a hot car!!' the National Weather Service station for Los Angeles said on Twitter. 'It's miserable, you literally just don't leave your house unless you have to,' said Hannah Knight, 20, a waitress at The Coronado coffee shop in Phoenix. The diner has an outdoor dining area but 'when it reaches over 110 (degrees Fahrenheit), there's no way to make it comfortable,' she said. A high-pressure ridge, or dome, over the Southwest has been blamed for the heat wave. 'Every year it's hot in the Southwest,' said Bob Oravec, National Weather Service meteorologist, from the Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland. 'It just seems to be more newsworthy when you have temperatures of 115 or so day after day. It's pretty hot.' Power systems in Texas and California have so far withstood the strain but operators said that if residents did not conserve energy in the late afternoon, rolling blackouts could be required to keep the system running. In Texas, where temperatures have moderated, demand hit a record on Monday, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). California's power demand peaked on Thursday at 41,364 megawatts and was expected to surpass that level on Friday, according to the California Independent System Operator, which operates the grid in most of the state. One megawatt can power about 200 homes on a hot day. The heat wave extended to the Midwest, prompting weather services to issue advisories for Kansas, Missouri and Illinois, before a strong cold front brings relief by the end of the weekend. Temperatures in St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri, were forecast to top 100 degrees on Friday. Relief, relatively speaking, is also forecast to come to the Southwest at the beginning of next week, Oravec said. Tucker Carlson clapped back at CNN slamming the network an 'arm of the woke national security state' after the liberal network called him a 'BS ringmaster' for speculating that FBI operatives organized the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol. Multiple CNN hosts took to criticizing Carlson for his comments which Tucker Carlson responded to on his show on Friday. Don Lemon had called out Carlson for pushing another 'baseless theory about the insurrection' while Chris Cuomo said it's another 'conspiracy theory' from 'hate TV' referring to Fox News - the network where Carlson's program runs, Mediaite noted. Brianna Keilar said: 'Fox's BS ringmaster Tucker Carlson, this week, breathing air into this false flag conspiracy theory that originated from a right-wing website that has been flagged by social media for being BS '. 'This conspiracy theory is based on references to unindicted co-conspirators and several indictments against Capitol rioters. legal analysts like Elie Honig, and anyone who you'll talk to of any legal merit, have called this legally impossible.' Carlson responded Friday, saying: 'CNN now functions as an arm of the woke national security state.' Tucker Carlson responded Friday to criticism for his recent comments about the deadly Capitol riots, saying: 'CNN now functions as an arm of the woke national security state' Brianna Keilar had said: 'Fox's BS ringmaster Tucker Carlson, this week, breathing air into this false flag conspiracy theory that originated from a right-wing website' The Fox News host started his show by recounting a story from CNN from 'way back in the fall of 2017' in an attempt to prove that 'sometimes the FBI creates crimes.' 'CNN, believe it or not, ran a pretty interesting piece on its website. We read it. It was a story of the pizza delivery driver called Khalil,' Carlson said. The FBI had arrested him after texting him while pretending to be a woman in an attempt to 'entrap a delivery boy' in which they 'created a honey trap' in a bid to file terrorist charges against him, Carlson said. 'After all of that, the FBI did not have enough evidence to file terrorist charges and nothing he said was criminal. He could have gone free but they couldn't let him go free,' Carlson said. 'That would be too embarrassing for the federal government so they charged with a non-crime, unlawful possession of a fired arm under controlled substance. He didn't shoot anyone or brandished a gun. For that they sent him to prison for five years.' Carlson added: 'A law enforcement agency should never encourage anyone to break the law. It is grotesque and yet they routinely to do that. CNN once admitted that was happening and that it was a problem. But they won't admit it anymore.' The Fox News host then transitioned into his defense for his reporting on the Capitol riots and his attacks on the rival network. 'Earlier this week, we reported on this show that among those who stormed the capital on January 6th there appeared to be people who were working for the FBI. We didn't guess that but concluded on the government's own court filings thanks to a piece in Revolver News,' Carlson said. 'Dozens of suspects the FBI said committed serious crimes on January 6th have not been charged with anything. They haven't even been identified. Why is that? Likely because they were in contact with the FBI before they committed those crimes.' He continued: 'That is the definition of corruption. You are working for the FBI so you are not charged for a crime. It is also, by the way, scary given the current climate, given January 6th is now being as a pretext to strip law-abiding Americans of their most basic civil liberties.' Carlson doubled down on his accusations about the FBI, saying: 'We believe the FBI had people on the ground - people who stormed the Capitol and committed crimes while inside.' 'The FBI has not denied it or comment on it. In fact nobody from the FBI has even commented on it. They don't have to. Because this time they had CNN squarely on their side,' Carlson said. The rioters stormed the Capitol for the first time since 1814, breaking down doors and desecrating the building Footage taken by those inside the Capitol showed the moment that Ashli Babbitt was killed as windows were smashed and doors broken down He them showed clips of CNN hosts criticizing him for his previous comments. After the CNN clips, Carlson then rattled off a bunch of rhetorical questions: 'Why don't you explain how? IF almost two dozen people who have been identified as criminals not being charged, why is that exactly? Why don't you tell us?' 'But they didn't. And then just to make it totally obvious that CNN now functions as an arm of the woke national security state, which they do, the channel the invited on former assistant director of the FBI - a man called Chris Swecker - to assure that the FBI did nothing wrong January 6th. Not one bad thing,' Carlson said. Carlson added that the 'bureau has changed its focus, its no longer going after Islamic extremism - it's is going after Joe Biden's political opponents, those domestic terrorists they have been telling you about. 'This is a nightmare. It is a nightmare for civil liberties. It's a threat to democracy itself. We should have seen it coming. We did not see it coming embarrassingly,' Carlson said. More than 2,000 criminal charges have been filed against 411 suspects, including hundreds of felonies such as assaulting officers and trespassing with a weapon. A professor of political science has claimed that President Joe Biden's new plan to counter domestic terrorism could be used to silence administration critics. Nicholas Giordano, a professor at Suffolk Community College on Long Island, raised his concerns about the new National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism in an interview with Fox News on Friday. Earlier this week, Attorney General Merrick Garland unveiled the new 32-page strategy document, which came in response to an order issued by Biden on his first full day in office, calling domestic terrorism 'the most urgent terrorism threat the United States faces today.' In a statement attached to the document, Biden insisted that that the new strategy is 'narrowly tailored to focus specifically on addressing violence' while preserving free speech. But nevertheless Giordano raised his concerns about the wording of the strategy, calling it 'overly broad and dangerous' and 'ripe for abuse and targeting any political opposition.' A professor of political science has claimed that President Joe Biden's new plan to counter domestic terrorism could be used to silence administration critics Nicholas Giordano, a professor at Suffolk Community College on Long Island, raised his concerns in an interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson 'This is actually one of the most concerning documents I have ever read, authored by government officials,' Giordano told Fox News host Tucker Carlson. Giordano noted that the document lists racism and anti-government extremism as the key factors motivating domestic terrorism, but argued that the document poorly defines the terms. 'They never really define racism except for white supremacy, of course, and superiority of white race,' he said. 'These are the same people that believe racism is inherent, you are born with it. If racism is inherent are we born domestic terrorists?' Giordano argued, referring to the belief among some on the left that all white people are racist. The strategy document calls for 'prioritizing efforts to ensure that every component of the government has a role to play in rooting out racism and advancing equity for underserved communities.' Giordano raised a second concern that the label 'anti-government extremism' could be applied to anyone who disagrees with government policy. 'If you call for small, limited government and you criticize the government in any way, are you going to be deemed as someone with anti-government sentiments?' he asked. 'If you look at the coronavirus and question the mandates that came out as unconstitutional, well, you are classified as anti-authority,' he said. 'So we have these big terms that are being used and it really could encompass anything,' argued Giordano. 'If you put out a tweet talking about election fraud, are you going to be labeled a domestic terrorist?' Attorney General Merrick Garland announces the new domestic terror strategy at the Justice Department in Washington on Tuesday Anti-lockdown protesters are seen in California in May. Giordano expressed fears that such protests could be labeled 'anti-government extremism' In releasing the new strategy, Garland insisted that it would not be used to target those of a particular political ideology. 'We are focused on violence, not on ideology,' Garland said. 'In America, espousing a hateful ideology is not unlawful. We do not investigate individuals for their First Amendment protected activities.' The new approach comes after the administration conducted a sweeping assessment of domestic terrorism that labeled white supremacists and anti-government militia groups as top national security threats. The issue took on new urgency for the Biden administration after the January 6 assault on the Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump, who were trying to overturn Biden's election victory. The new domestic terrorism strategy is not merely a philosophy, but signals a vast shift in federal funding and resources toward monitoring potential domestic terror threats and sharing intelligence across agencies. Biden's proposed 2022 budget includes an additional $100 million devoted to funding analysts, investigators, and prosecutors focused on preventing and responding to domestic terrorism. And Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced that domestic extremism has been designated as a 'National Priority Area' within DHS's Homeland Security Grants, which will provide more than $77 million to state and local officials to target domestic terrorism. The issue took on new urgency for the Biden administration after the January 6 assault on the Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump Critics of the new strategy, many of them conservative, have issued complaints that sound similar to criticism from the left in response to The Patriot Act, a sweeping bill targeting foreign terrorism in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. 'The Domestic War on Terror rollout reads almost exactly like the original. Same calls for budget increases and expanded powers, same theme of organized transnational threats all around us, same surveillance state endgame,' tweeted journalist Matt Taibbi. Journalist Glenn Greenwald, another longtime critic of the Patriot Act, shared his concerns that any criticism of the new domestic terror strategy would be shut down through personal attacks and insults. 'Concerns about civil liberties assaults & state overreach of the first War on Terror meant you were an apologist for Islamic radicalism,' he tweeted. 'Concerns over the new Domestic War on Terror make you a white nationalist sympathizer,' Greenwald added However, some critics on the left expressed their concerns that the new domestic terrorism strategy does not go far enough. Writing for MSNBC, columnist Frank Figliuzzi shared his frustration that the new document does not specifically call for new laws punishing acts and plots of domestic terrorism. 'This strategy does nothing to give investigators and prosecutors what they really need,' he wrote. 'The domestic terror threat is serious. Now we just need a strategy thats just as serious: one that makes domestic terrorism a crime.' Bill Maher on Friday night urged Lin-Manuel Miranda to 'stop apologizing' and 'stand up to the bullies' after his film In the Heights was criticized for not having enough diversity, with Maher declaring: 'This is why people hate Democrats.' Miranda's film, telling the story of a Hispanic community in New York City, was attacked for not having enough Afro-Latino actors. On Monday the Hamilton creator issued a highly-apologetic statement, promising he would 'do better' in the future. 'Please, stop apologizing,' said Maher. 'You're the guy who made the Founding Fathers black and Hispanic! 'I don't think that you have to apologize to Twitter! For f***'s sake. 'This is why people hate Democrats. It's cringy.' Bill Maher, host of HBO's Real Time, on Friday night criticized Lin-Manuel Miranda for his Monday apology for the lack of diversity in his film In the Heights. Maher pointed out that Miranda, the Hamilton creator, had made an entire show about the Founding Fathers being black and Latino, and so had no need to apologize for racist casting In the Heights tells the story of a group of Latinos living in Washington Heights, in the north of Manhattan. Miranda said it was based loosely on his own childhood experiences Miranda, who was born in New York City and is of Puerto Rican heritage, starred in the Broadway version of the film Miranda is seen on set with director John Chu, filming In the Heights, which has just been released in movie theatres and on Disney Plus Miranda, 41, who created and starred in the original Broadway version of In The Heights, responded on Monday to the backlash with a statement posted on Twitter. 'I started writing 'In the Heights' because I didn't feel seen. And over the past 20 years all I wanted was for us ALL of us to feel seen,' he said. Miranda, 41, has apologized for the casting of his new film 'I'm seeing the discussion around Afro-Latino representation in our film this weekend and it is clear that many in our dark-skinned Afro-Latino community don't feel sufficiently represented within it, particularly among the leading roles. 'I can hear the hurt and frustration over colorism, of feeling still unseen in the feedback. 'I hear that without sufficient dark-skinned Afro-Latino representation, the work feels extractive of the community we wanted so much to represent with pride and joy. In trying to paint a mosaic of this community, we fell short. 'I'm truly sorry. I'm learning from the feedback, I thank you for raising it, and I'm listening. 'I promise to do better in my future projects.' Maher's panel agreed with the host that the outcry was unnecessary. Paul Begala, a CNN commentator, said critics 'can't seem to distinguish between an oversight and an outrage.' He said activists needed to focus their attention on issues such as health and financial disparities between black and white Americans. 'Those are outrages and liberals ought to be focused on that, not the casting choices of, I think, a heroic guy who's making a film about a minority community, ' Begala said. Maher continued: 'Obviously, he felt it was important enough for him to make this apology. 'Do I think he really thinks he needs to apologize? I don't. He just wants to avoid the news cycle. 'I don't blame him, you know. I understand this, but at some point, people are going to have to stand up to these bullies because that's what it is! 'It's bullying. It's 'I could make you crawl like a dog and I enjoy it.' Maher said that Miranda had been the victim of bullying by liberals The Real Time host continued: 'I mean, he's a Latino making a Latino movie with a Latino cast - not good enough! Nothing is ever good enough for these people! 'They're like children. We don't raise our children right and it's reflected in the media. No one ever tells their children: 'Shut the f*** up, sit down, listen to your elders, stop b****ing.'' A newly-married couple have shaved their heads instead of partaking in a first dance at their wedding in a heartwarming gesture of solidarity with the bride's mother suffering from cancer. Jony Lee and her husband posted the footage to TikTok, which starts with a speech by Ms Lee before her new husband sits on a chair in front of her. 'My parents think we're going to be doing a traditional Filippino dance where you stick money in our clothes to get more money,' she says in the clip. 'If you do have a bit of cash on you we're going to be shaving our heads for cancer, and whatever money you lay in front of us we will be donating it tonight.' Jony Lee and her husband shaved their heads to support her mother who is battling cancer 'We love you so much and we want to show our solidarity with you,' Jony says Jony begins shaving her husband's head as another couple emotionally embrace the groom. Another man and the groom rub each other's shaved heads after Jony is finished. Ms Lee then gets in the chair herself as her husband shaves off her luscious, long brunette locks. 'We love you so much and we want to show our solidarity with you,' she says to her mother.. An older woman wearing pink then joins the freshly-shaved couple on stage as they embrace. The video has received more than 3.8million likes on the social media platform, with over 26,000 comments praising the couple for their 'selflessness'. Wild weather is currently battering New South Wales while a cold front is bearing down on Western Australia that will see temperatures plummet up to eight degrees below average. The NSW coast has a warning in place for damaging winds and hazardous surf, with winds already exceeding 100km/hr in some parts. A Tasman low has caused the intense weather, with the strongest gust of wind recorded at 106km/hr at Wattamolla, in Sydney's south, just before 11am. A building was also evacuated on Sydney's lower north shore at Waverton when the top section of an apartment collapsed. The wild weather (pictured) has seen winds of up to 100km/hr recorded in some parts of NSW Weather experts have advised people across NSW to avoid the ocean and beaches due to the wild conditions The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning in NSW due to damaging winds and dangerous surf Earlier on Saturday, ferry services from Manly on Sydney's northern beaches were cancelled due to dangerous conditions. Authorities have called for people in NSW to stay away from the ocean and beaches, as dangerous winds and surf continue to wreak havoc on the coast. Reports from the Bureau of Meteorology indicate ocean swells of up to six metres. 'If you're anywhere near the beach or water rock fishing, swimming, it's dangerous and hazardous, so just stay away,' said Dean Narramore, a senior meteorologist with the Bureau. The warning extends from the Victoria-NSW border up to Newcastle, north of Sydney. On Saturday morning, winds in NSW reached 80km/hr at Sydney Airport, 87km/hr at Wollongong on the NSW south coast and 98km/hr at Mount Montague and Point Perpendicular. While conditions are set to ease in NSW after the weekend, a bitterly cold front that's currently about to take hold in Western Australia should hit the eastern states late next week. 'A strong front will bring in much colder air from Sunday night into Monday with temperatures from five to eight degrees below average,' Mr Narramore said. Initially the front will cover the south-west of WA from Geraldton to Esperance. Footy fans braving the cold during the round 15 NRL match between the Knights and the NZ Warriors in Newcastle, north of Sydney, on Saturday afternoon This address at Waverton, on Sydney's lower north shore, was evacuated after the top section of the building collapsed The Ignite Kiama winter festival on the NSW south coast was cancelled due to the wild weather conditions Strong winds, widespread rain and thunderstorms will come with the front which will extend across the whole of WA, then gradually move eastward through the middle of the week. The front is due to hit eastern Australia on Thursday, bringing a return to heavy rain and high winds. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, conditions for most of Queensland and Victoria were likely to be cloudy and cool but otherwise stable heading into next week. Advertisement New York City's troubled Washington Square Park again descended into chaos overnight Friday when a woman was left bloodied and bruised after being trampled on by terrified crowds trying to flee a man armed with a large knife and a taser. The man with the knife and taser is alleged to be Jason McDermott, 41, sources told DailyMail.com McDermott has been arrested at least 10 times between 2010 and 2014, the sources said. Tensions have boiled over in recent weeks after violent rowdy late-night events saw stabbings and brawls, and sparked complaints from neighbors. There have also been needles seen in the park, as drug use and sales has run rampant, according to police and residents. The latest incident unfolded at around 12.40 am Saturday morning when Jason McDermott, 42, began waving a taser in the direction of a group of people who were gathered inside the historic park for another night of late-night partying, the NYPD told DailyMail.com. Police said McDermott was also in possession of a large knife at the time. Partygoers, who have descended on the park for nightly raves in recent weeks, were sent into a panic and ran for safety from the suspect. In the chaos, one 43-year-old woman, who has not been named, was knocked over and trampled by the fleeing crowd. DailyMail.com photos show the woman sat on the ground with blood pouring from her face following the incident. A man was seen handcuffed and being led away by police. Police said the woman was transported to Bellevue hospital in a stable condition with lacerations, contusions and abrasions. McDermott was arrested without incident and was charged Saturday morning with menacing, reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon. The NYPD said there were no other injuries from the incident and the park remained open for the rest of the night - long after the midnight curfew. The violent night comes amid a surge in violent crime across New York City and fears mounting that the city is returning to its dark days of the 70s and 80s. A woman was left bloodied and bruised in Washington Square Park on Friday night after being trampled by terrified crowds The woman was seen with blood pouring from her face Friday night ad NYPD officers went to her aid in the park Washington Square Park descended into chaos when the woman was left bloodied and bruised after being trampled on by terrified crowds trying to flee a man armed with a large knife and a taser A man was seen handcuffed and being led away by police following the incident in the historic park; police said they arrested the suspect The attack happened at around 12:40am - after the New York Police Department failed to enforce a midnight curfew on the park Witnesses on the scene initially said the woman had been slashed in the face during an argument. They said they believed she was a local resident who had entered the park to complain about the loud noise, and was attacked during an altercation with a reveler. It is not clear if the woman or the suspect were among the partygoers in the park when the incident took place. Hundreds of revelers had descended on the park again Friday night for the latest in a string of parties which has left local residents in the affluent area fuming and the police apparently powerless to step in. The NYPD had said this week its officers would enforce a midnight closure time if requested to do so by the Parks Department. On Wednesday, Rodney Harrison, the NYPDs Chief of Department, the highest ranking uniformed officer on the force, told reporters at City Hall that fliers would be handed out to park visitors reminding them to clear out by the midnight closing time. On Monday, mayor Bill De Blasio downplayed the violence and chaos at Washington Square Park in recent weeks, telling reporters that he believes the situation will resolve itself naturally. It came as liberal residents who live nearby told how they are afraid of asking for more cops to tackle the daily after-dark raves because they don't want to be viewed as less progressive. New Yorkers living around the historic Manhattan park told the New York Times they feel it is 'time to draw the line' on the escalating parties which they claim have left many 'too afraid to go inside.' The incident unfolded at around 12.40 am Saturday morning when Jason McDermott, 42, began waving a taser in the direction of a group of people who were gathered inside the historic park, the NYPD said Police said McDermott was also in possession of a large knife at the time. Partygoers, who have descended on the park for nightly raves in recent weeks, were sent into a panic and ran for safety from the suspect A man was seen being arrested by cops. Police said the suspect was arrested and charged with three counts Saturday Police help the injured woman. In the chaos, a 43-year-old woman, who has not been named, was knocked over and trampled by the fleeing crowd Police said the woman was transported to Bellevue hospital in a stable condition with lacerations, contusions and abrasions The NYPD said there were no other injuries from the incident and the park remained open for the rest of the night - long after the midnight curfew However, they admitted their desire to rein in the revelry clashes with their attitudes toward policing at a time when liberals are calling for greater police reform in the wake of the cop killing of George Floyd. Their concerns come as a professor questioned the motives behind some of the complaints about the noisy park raves, saying they are targeting young people of color. 'Is it really just about noise? What is it about really?' Setha Low, director of the Public Space Research Group at the Graduate Center at CUNY, told the Times. 'This is another old-fashioned conflict where one scenario is that you want your neighborhood to appropriate the park and take care of it. On the other hand, it is a public space resource for the city.' The local residents in the rich, elite Greenwich Village neighborhood are largely white while the partygoers are typically more diverse and have traveled to attend the parties from other parts of the city. The public park in the heart of the Big Apple has been a growing source of tension in recent weeks. With bars and restaurants facing tight restrictions over the last year due to the pandemic, it transformed into a popular party destination. Now, as the parties and reports of crime increase - and COVID-19 restrictions have lifted - residents and ravers are coming to blows. On the one side, young revelers say the park is public property. They question why they cannot use the space to enjoy parties and why the wealthy Greenwich Village homeowners nearby should have the power to decide who has access to it. On the other side, residents claim the park has become a site of increased drug use and violence, leaving them scared to walk around the area and left grappling with the noise later into the night. Hundreds of revelers had descended on the park again for the latest in a string of parties which has left local residents fuming The late-night parties have seen stabbings and brawls, and sparked complaints from well-heeled neighbors On Monday, mayor Bill De Blasio downplayed the chaos at Washington Square Park in recent weeks, telling reporters that he believes the situation will resolve itself naturally Liberal residents who live nearby have told how they are afraid of asking for more cops to tackle the daily after-dark raves because they don't want to be viewed as less progressive One resident whose family has lived in the same house around the park for almost half a century said the park resembled 'a war' some nights Partygoers claim the park is a place to 'chill out' away from the violence and police hostility in some other parts of the city The New York Police Department failed to enforce a midnight curfew on the park Friday night One resident whose family has lived in the same house around the park for almost half a century told the Times the park resembled 'a war' some nights. 'What pains me is that this park is for everyone, and now some people are too afraid to go inside,' said Erika Sumner, who is the head of the neighborhood association the Washington Square Association. Another resident Carmen Gonzalez said she was concerned about rising drug use after her young daughter picked up a used syringe from the park. 'Once the sun comes down, the park changes drastically. It's time to draw the line,' she said. However partygoers told the Times the park is a place to 'chill out' away from the violence and police hostility in some other parts of the city. People gather inside Washington Square Park Friday night for another night of late-night revelry and drinking A group of young people gather inside the park which has become a growing site of tension between local residents and partygoers in recent weeks Some revelers in the park were seen drawing and writing on a huge canvas in the park as night fell on the city The park has transformed in recent months as partygoers moved in, sparking complaints of noise and anti-social behavior from residents Revelers dance the night away in the historic park where the NYPD has failed to keep a handle on the midnight curfew This is the park you come to chill out,' said Edith Molina from the Bronx. 'In the Bronx, you have gang violence, and police run you out of parks. Here, police don't do anything.' David 'Shaman' Ortiz, who organizes parties at the park, has branded critics of the noisy raves 'Karens' and 'Kevins.' In an effort to tackle the simmering tensions and find solutions for both sides, a community meeting was held Wednesday. Hundreds of locals joined the meeting at Lady of Pompeii Church to complain that the park 'has become a drug den' and a 'free-for-all'. Several hundred turned up to air their grievances, with around 100 turned away from the meeting. Volunteers distribute free food at Washington Square Park in the heart of New York City during Friday daytime A visitor to the park is seen picking up some free clothes and shoes which volunteers set up in the park during the day People enjoy pizza in the park by day while by night the park has repeatedly descended into chaos drawing the ire of residents The park has attracted crowds of young people bringing local complaints about loud music, drugs, and violence of late Daytime scenes show a calm park with volunteers dishing out free food and offering free clothing to people passing through A man drinks a beer in Washington Square Park Friday daytime which has become a party destination for many in recent months A man smokes marijuana inside the park in the daytime. At night, police have failed to enforce a curfew on the park sparking anger from residents Meanwhile, protestors outside argued against an increased police presence at the park and claimed residents were just upset because 'it's bad optics for them [the white people] to see black and brown people' at the park. Parties broke out at the park again Thursday night, though the scenes were much quieter than recent times. People were seen dancing together, fire eaters performed to the crowd and some appeared to be selling alcohol from portable coolers. The NYPD had imposed a 10pm weekend curfew on the park two weeks ago following complaints from residents. This sparked clashes between police and the partygoers that night, with 23 people arrested and eight cops injured in a night of unrest on June 5. The midnight closing time was restored after police on Saturday lifted a 10pm curfew that was prompted by local residents who said the crowds were making noise late at night while also making the area unsafe. The curfew was then lifted, restoring its normal midnight cut-off time. Residents in New York City's elite neighborhood of Greenwich Village met with the NYPD on Wednesday over Washington Square Park. Protesters and police are seen outside the meeting The line to get into the community meeting to discuss the rise in crime at Washington Square Park extended beyond the block Protestors stand outside Our Lady of Pompeii Church, where a community meeting was being held about the situation Since then, cops have taken a hands-off approach to enforcing the curfew, with revelers partying on well into the night. Last Saturday, the park turned somewhat chaotic with two people stabbed, a man beaten and mugged of his phone and a 77-year-old cook at a nearby diner attacked. The violence in Washington Square Park comes as the NYPD struggled under a surge in violent crime in 2021. Felony assaults are up eight percent for the first six months of 2021, compared to the same period last year, while rapes are up by 3 percent. NYPD data shows shootings in the Big Apple have increased by 64 percent year-on-year, while murders are up 13 percent. The numbers are disturbing in themselves, but the violence has intensified and taken place in public places, like parks and subways, and in front of witnesses and surveillance cameras. Earlier this week, former NYPD commissioner Bill Bratton warned American cities, including New York City, are in for a 'very, long dangerous summer' as murder rates have skyrocketed Statistics show shooting crimes have been up this year city-wide compared to last year And there aren't any short- or long-term answers, Bratton told CNBC's Shepard Smith on Monday. 'Unlike the last crime epidemic that took decades to build up to the early '90s, this one has occurred, literally, overnight,' Bratton said. 'It's like the virus, it's literally, out of nowhere, and so solutions are not immediately apparent.' Bratton, who earned the nickname 'supercop' for helping clean up the streets of New York City and Los Angeles, issued his warning on Monday. In May, Governor Andrew Cuomo called the surge in violent crime a 'major problem' and said unless the NYPD gets a handle on it soon, the city would become undesirable. 'New Yorkers don't feel safe and they don't feel safe because the crime rate is up. It's not that they are being neurotic or overly sensitive - they are right.' he said. Daniel Morgan's son says he refuses to accept the Met Police's apology after a bombshell report into his father's murder found the force was 'institutionally corrupt'. The private investigator was killed with an axe outside the Golden Lion pub in Sydenham, south London in 1987 but the mystery was never solved. Earlier this week, an independent panel found the Met prioritised its reputation over finding the killer. Now the victim's son, also called Daniel, has spoken of his anger, and said Met Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick should consider her position. He told BBC Radio Four's Today programme: 'I don't accept their apologies. I think we've heard enough apologies. I think it's time for action now and I'm not sure whether they are, with what they've said, the right institution and the right organisation to get to the bottom of all these allegations. 'They've essentially admitted there were some failings, they've talked about why the process has taken so long. Nick Ephgrave, the Assistant Commissioner, talked about not getting hte balance right with how they approached the panel in terms of releasing documents. There was a rationale behind that. That rationale is owned in part by Cressida Dick. What they've said doesn't give us grounds for confidence they can approach the follow-up work that is clearly required from a document with such gravity with the correct attitude and a desire to get to the bottom of it. 'I just don't see the Metropolitan Police as a credible organisation and what they say makes it, to me, feel even less credible and frankly it makes me angry.' It comes as Met Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said she does not believe the force is institutionally corrupt and said she did not obstruct the work of an inquiry into the Daniel Morgan case. The police chief hit back at the findings from an independent panel as she defended Scotland Yard's work and her job. However, Mr Morgan said: 'I think the Commissioner should consider her position, I think potentially it should be taken out of her hands. Daniel Morgan was investigating claims of corruption within the Metropolitan Police when he was murdered in 1987 Mr Morgan was killed with an axe outside the Golden Lion pub in Sydenham, south London 'A lot of this happened way before she was ever the commissioner but she is a continuation of the same culture, I'm afraid. 'The culture of the Metropolitan Police is cancerous and I think the only way you get rid of cancer is you cut it out.' Mr Morgan added that he didn't believe the force represented value for money and urged London's Mayor to intervene. He said: 'I call on Sadiq Khan to do something to make sure the Met Police is, and represents, more value for money for the people of London because it's our service and it should be treated as such. It shouldn't be us and them. When I look at this, [the panel] have done a really good job and for that I'm grateful but society owed the Morgan family this document. 'We've been let down seriously, this is a scandal. This is the walk we've had to walk, this is the Morgan family's shoes and when you dive into this you appreciate this is a disgusting mess and never should have happened. 'My dad had an axe embedded in his skull and was left for dead in a murder that was meant to look like a robbery that was actually an execution. 'That's quite a hard thing to come to terms with.' Amid calls for her to resign Dame Cressida said this week: 'I don't believe we are institutionally corrupt. No, I don't accept that. 'I have the deepest feelings for Daniel Morgan's family. They have shown extraordinary grit and determination and courage. 'Yesterday, I apologised again to them for our failings and the fact that we have not brought anybody to justice despite six investigations and countless other reviews and pieces of work.' She added: 'And for the fact that, in so doing and along the way, we have clearly, we the Met, my force, of which I'm very proud to be the Commissioner, we have caused them extra anguish. 'But I don't accept that we are institutionally corrupt, no.' An independent panel led by Baroness Nuala O'Loan found that the Met had put protecting its own reputation above finding Mr Morgan's killer. The panel's report said: 'Concealing or denying failings, for the sake of the organisation's public image, is dishonesty on the part of the organisation for reputational benefit and constitutes a form of institutional corruption.' Dame Cressida said it is her job to focus on leading the Met through 'what has been in the last 15 months, for all sorts of reasons, some pretty challenging times'. She added: 'My people do very difficult work, they have to make very difficult decisions, often with far too little time, sometimes with far too little information. 'I'm very proud of them. I love my job and I will continue to do it. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said she does not believe the force is institutionally corrupt Lord Blair defended current Scotland Yard boss Dame Cressida Dick as 'the finest officer of her generation' and refused to accept there is systemic corruption in the force' 'I'm an honourable person. If I thought I should be considering my position I would be, but I don't.' Dame Cressida's comments come after one of her predecessors Lord Ian Blair today hit out at accusations that the force is institutionally corrupt as 'just not true'. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he defended the current Scotland Yard boss as 'the finest officer of her generation' and refused to accept there is systemic corruption in the force. He said: 'The allegation that the Met is institutionally corrupt is just not true. There is no evidence of systemic corruption in the Metropolitan Police. 'If you then use that to describe a reluctance to come forward, you then have to compare the BBC marking its own homework over Martin Bashir. 'Institutions do have a protective process and I'm sorry about that but I just don't believe the words institutionally corrupt in any way reflect what the public understanding of what that would mean.' The Met admitted in 2011 that the grossly inadequate first investigation into Mr Morgan's murder - which saw the murder scene left unsearched and unguarded - had been hampered by corruption. But the panel has now found that corruption had gone on after the initial inquiry, and questioned why no action had been taken to bring those who sabotaged the first investigation to justice. A string of police investigations and an inquest have failed to convict anyone of the killing or any associated corruption in protecting those responsible. The numerous inquiries into the case have largely been due to the campaigning efforts of Mr Morgan's brother Alastair, who has fought for justice for more than 30 years. He said on Twitter today: 'We achieved a historic result yesterday and I'm pleased and proud of this.' But he expressed his regret that his mother Isobel Hulsmann, who died in 2017, did not live to see the report's publication, something that he blames on the Met. Mr Morgan said: 'My greatest regret is that my mother never lived to see the publication of the Daniel Morgan panel's report. 'The Met's constant delays and obstructions made this impossible.' Yesterday in the wake of the publication of the report, Dame Cressida did not appear in person to answer journalists' questions, but instead issued a written statement in which she apologised again to Mr Morgan's family. Britain's most senior police officer faced calls for her head after the report concluded she personally placed 'hurdles' in the way of the search for the truth about Mr Morgan's death. The independent panel found Scotland Yard had been more interested in protecting its reputation than in cracking what has been dubbed the 'most investigated unsolved murder in the history of the Metropolitan Police'. Baroness O'Loan, who led the inquiry, described the institutional corruption finding as equivalent to the Macpherson report into the murder of Stephen Lawrence, which concluded the force was 'institutionally racist'. No one has been brought to justice for the brutal killing of Mr Morgan in a south London pub car park in 1987. The 37-year-old was found with an axe lodged in his skull and 1,000 in banknotes in a pocket. After five separate criminal inquiries and an inquest, at an estimated cost of 30million, it was hoped that the eight-year public inquiry would finally uncover the truth. Instead, it became clear yesterday that the stench of 'institutional corruption' pervading the Met means the family of Mr Morgan are unlikely ever to get justice. Baroness O'Loan said the failings of the original shambolic murder investigation had been compounded over the past three decades by the shameful attempts to hide the extent of the rot at the heart of the force. She said Scotland Yard owed Mr Morgan's family an apology for not confronting its systemic failings and those of individual officers, including Dame Cressida. The baroness accused the commissioner of 'obfuscation' thwarting attempts to access sensitive documents and police computers, leading to costly delays in the inquiry. 'The family of Daniel Morgan has suffered grievously as a consequence of the failure to bring his murderer or murderers to justice, the unwarranted assurances which they were given, the misinformation which was put into the public domain, and the denial of the failings in investigation, including failing to acknowledge professional incompetence, individuals' venal behaviour, and managerial and organisational failures,' she added. Alastair Morgan (right), the brother of murdered private investigator Daniel Morgan, with his family solicitor Raju Bhatt (centre) speaking to the media following the publication of the report 'Concealing or denying failings for the sake of an organisation's public image is dishonesty on the part of the organisation for reputational benefit, and constitutes a form of institutional corruption.' Concerns about vetting police officers persist to the present day, said Baroness O'Loan, adding that there were no adequate safeguards to ensure that officers were not engaging in criminality. Professor Rodney Morgan, a panel member, said: 'The term 'institutional corruption' is not used in a historic sense, it's used in the present tense.' Yesterday Mr Morgan's brother Alastair said the family would consider suing the force for putting them 'through hell'. Asked whether Dame Cressida should resign, he said: 'Yes, absolutely I think she should consider her position.' In a statement, the Morgan family said: 'At almost every step, we found ourselves lied to, fobbed off, bullied, degraded and let down time and time again. What we were required to endure was nothing less than torture.' Singling out Dame Cressida for blame, the report said she had not given a 'reasonable explanation' for blocking access to computer data and delaying the release of files, the last of which were provided only in March. The investigation into Mr Morgan's murder was described as 'shockingly incompetent', with officers failing to search the scene, which was left unguarded, 'pathetic' forensic work and no alibis sought for suspects. A Home Office source said there were 'serious concerns with the Met's leadership and how it responded to failings' although Home Secretary Priti Patel and Boris Johnson later expressed confidence in Dame Cressida. The commissioner apologised for past mistakes yesterday, saying: 'It is a matter of great regret that no one has been brought to justice and that our mistakes have compounded the pain suffered by Daniel's family. For that I apologise again now. 'I have been personally determined that the Met provided the panel with the fullest level of co-operation in an open and transparent manner, with complete integrity at all times.' Scotland Yard rejected the report's finding of institutional corruption, with assistant commissioner Nick Ephgrave saying: 'It doesn't reflect what I see every day.' He insisted the panel had been given 'unparalleled access' including to the police Holmes database, adding: 'The commissioner has no need to consider her position. She has overseen disclosure to an extent never seen before.' The force is conducting a review of the case and has repeated appeals for anyone with information to come forward. It has offered a 50,000 reward. Two Australian women have bonded in unique fashion after both developed thick Irish accents while recovering from surgery. Brisbane dentist Angie Yen, 28, initially didn't know what to think about her new twang following an operation on her tonsils. Ms Yen has never been to the European nation, and certainly has no Irish heritage. Same applies for Kate Baggs, who also began speaking in the foreign accent soon after suffering a rare form of migraine in 2019. Mrs Baggs recalled her accent just 'shifted' in the middle of a sentence and said it was the 'strangest feeling.' Brisbane dentist Angie Yen (pictured) has bizarrely developed a thick Irish accent following recent tonsil surgery Kate Baggs (pictured) also began talking in a foreign twang after surgery in 2019 - both women are suffering from a medical condition known as Foreign Accent Syndrome Born in Taiwan but raised in Australia, Ms Yen was the recent subject of ridicule online, with people on TikTok convinced the 28-year-old was 'putting on' the iconic Irish brogue for a few cheap laughs. Turns out Ms Yen is no budding comedian - like her newfound friend Mrs Baggs, she suffers from a rare brain disorder known as Foreign Accent Syndrome. 'The Australian accent that I've known for a very long time was just wiped out overnight,' Ms Yen told 60 Minutes reporter Sarah Abo. 'I'm sick of being taken as a joke. It's a very serious thing (condition).' Professor Kirrie Ballard, a speech pathologist, confirmed the condition is medically genuine. She labelled Foreign Accent Syndrome a 'legitimate disorder' which is triggered by psychological or neurological damage. Doctor Karl Kruszelnicki also confirmed Foreign Accent Syndrome has been recorded about 100 times in history. 'It is usually caused by a brain disorder. This can be from head injury, stroke or surgery. It can also be related to diabetes, immune disorders or other unknown causes,' he said. 'It's not a real foreign accent, but rather a damaged form of the person's native language and accent.' Dr Karl said the disorder can be fixed through speech training, potentially through an acting school or a speech pathologist. Ms Yen, who documented her transformation on TikTok over two weeks, showed the Irish accent progressively getting stronger as she recovered from surgery. The accent didn't 'kick in' until eight days after the operation in a phenomenon even her doctors couldn't explain. Australian Angie Yen (pictured) woke up from an operation on her tonsils to find she was speaking with an Irish accent eight days later Ms Yen is suffering from Foreign Accent Syndrome, a condition that has only been recorded just over 100 times in history and usually occurs after a brain injury She claims she went to the hospital and spoke to her specialist after the accent persisted but was told to 'sit tight' and 'let the body heal'. 'I woke up this morning and I was speaking with my Aussie accent, and I called one of my friends and confirmed that my Aussie accent was back but during the phone call, within five to 10 minutes, she could see the deterioration of my accent back to Irish,' she said in one of her TikTok clips. 'I don't know what to do, this is something that's very different. I'm not even trying, I'm completely freaked out. I thought it was going to go away eventually.' Soon after, Ms Yen said there were 'no traces of Aussie twangs anymore' and she had gone 'full Irish'. 'I still can't believe I woke up with an Irish accent. I've never been to Ireland. I grew up in Australia. My Aussie accent is gone.' An Australian mother has hit back at the rude driver who left a very aggressive message on her car wrongly accusing her of parking in a parents with prams spot without having children. The woman had parked in a designated parents space while visiting her local supermarket this week only to come back and find the handwritten note left on her windscreen. 'Please do not park in parents parking if you don't have kids!' the note read. 'Your registration and vehicle has been reported and given to centre management! 'In future keep these parking areas available to those who need them for everyone's safety! Not for your convenience!!!'. In a TikTok video which has been viewed more than 42,000 times, the woman revealed that she actually had a child's booster seat in the back of her car. An Australian mother has hit back at the rude driver who left a very blunt message on her car wrongly accusing her of parking in a parents with prams spot without having children She admitted while it was hard to see the seat through the reflection on her window, there were also three children's beanies sitting beside it. 'So do I need to put one of those stick figure family stickers on my car to prove I have children?' the mother quipped. The video was flooded with comments from drivers pointing out that parents with prams spots weren't enforced by the law but are instead offered as courtesy. 'Centre management would have laughed at them, they can't enforce that rule,' one wrote. 'A woman did this to me once. I showed her the car seat and she said it was a "prop because it was facing the wrong way". It was a rear facing car seat...' another revealed. 'Didn't you know you have to leave the kid in the car if you park in a parents spot?' one joked. There are no laws governing parking with pram spots. It comes amid warnings from Government adviser that a 'third wave' of infections 'is definitely under way' ealth Secretary Matt Hancock is said to be 'very keen' on approach which would help lift Covid restrictions Advertisement Fully-vaccinated people who come into contact with Covid carriers will be able to avoid 10 days in quarantine by taking daily tests under new plans. Britons who have received both jabs would be exempt from self-isolation for a 24-hour period after each negative test result. Tests would be required every morning for one week if a person is told by Test and Trace that they have been near someone with the infection. Health Secretary Matt Hancock is said to be 'very keen' on the new approach which would help to lift coronavirus restrictions. But the proposal can only go ahead after Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, is content with the outcome of a study of 40,000 people. Professor Adam Finn, who advises the Government on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), described the idea as an 'interesting' proposal, while Linda Bauld, professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh, pointed out that the system is already in place in the US. NHS England's most up-to-date regional figures show 84 per cent of over-25s across the country have had their first jab, while 62 per cent have had both doses. It comes amid warnings that a 'third wave' of coronavirus infections 'is definitely under way' and concerns over the nation's ability to outpace the Delta variant with the current rate of vaccination. In other coronavirus updates today as ministers race to dish out jabs to thwart the spread of the Delta variant: Prof Finn described the idea of scrapping 10-day self-isolation for doubly-jabbed people who come into contact with Covid carriers as an 'interesting' proposal and said a 'third wave' of coronavirus infections 'is definitely under way'; The academic said he 'doesn't feel confident' that we are going to outpace the Delta variant with the current rate of vaccination, but there are 'grounds for optimism'; Surge testing is being rolled out in targeted areas in Lambeth and Cumbria, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said; Dr Mike Tildesley, epidemiologist and a member of the SPI-M modelling group, said those going to hospital at the moment tend to be slightly younger and 'slightly less sick'; Dr Sakthi Karunanithi, Director of Public Health for Lancashire, said the link between cases and hospitalisations and hospitalisations and deaths 'certainly appears to be weakened'; Linda Bauld, professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh, urged countries to reach agreement on rules about vaccinated people being allowed entry. Britons who have received both jabs would be exempt from self-isolation for a 24-hour period after every negative test result under the proposal (pictured: Robyn Coatsworth, 18, receives her first jab on Friday in Truro, Cornwall) People are pictured queuing for a vaccination in Greenwich, London, earlier this week. It comes amid warnings that a 'third wave' of coronavirus infections 'is definitely under way' Initial results from the study are predicted to come in next month and the research is set to finish by the end of this summer. A Whitehall source told The Times: 'The vaccines are extremely effective and we want to keep people safe whilst minimising interruption to their lives. So of course it is an attractive option if shown to be safe.' It follows 62,000 people having to self-isolate last week after coming into contact with Covid carriers. Another source added: 'It's obviously very appealing if it's safe so we need to show that before we bring it in. Matt is very keen on it and there is a strong appetite in some corners.' Prof Bauld told Times Radio this morning: 'It's already in place in the US. The Centre for Disease Control changed their guidance a while ago to say that people who had had both doses of the vaccine and about 10-14 days after the second dose didn't have to self-isolate, so I think we are moving in that direction.' She added: 'As we've heard repeatedly from Chris Whitty and others, this virus isn't going to disappear. 'We're going to have to live alongside it, means we are going to have infections in future, so being a contact of someone infected will always be a possibility.' Prof Bauld also said there will be discussions on moving away from large numbers of children self-isolating and instead carrying out regular testing. Health Secretary Matt Hancock is said to be 'very keen' on the new approach which would help to lift coronavirus restrictions. Pictured: people shield from the rain outside a Covid vaccination centre in London on Friday NHS England's most up-to-date regional figures show 84 per cent of over-25s across the country have had their first jab, while 62 per cent have had both doses She had been asked if she thinks any move away from 10 days of self-isolation for people who are double vaccinated could be the Government's way of getting out of properly supporting those who are self-isolating. Prof Bauld told Times Radio: 'I hadn't actually thought of it that way to be perfectly frank, is this a sort of a reason not to support self-isolation, that may be part of it. 'I think it's more that as we move ahead and learn to live alongside this virus we have to recognise, not just for adults actually around self-isolation, but there will also be a debate, I think, about school pupils and whether we could offer regular testing as an alternative to large groups of children having to stay at home and not have face-to-face education, which of course has been happening quite a bit as infection rates rise and it's really unfortunate and should be avoidable.' Prof Finn described the idea of scrapping 10-day self-isolation for doubly-jabbed people who come into contact with those infected with the virus as an 'interesting' proposal. MailOnline analysis has revealed uptake around the country varies massively, with seven areas having vaccinated less than 30 per cent of eligible adults Second doses followed a similar pattern, with the lowest numbers seen in student areas across England. In Cathedral and Kelham in Sheffield, just eight per cent of people are fully vaccinated He told Times Radio: 'We know that the vaccine, particularly after two doses, is highly effective at stopping you from getting seriously ill, 20 times less likely to end up in hospital. 'We also know that it will reduce your chances of getting milder illness and infecting other people, but it's probably less good at doing that than it is preventing you getting seriously ill, so it's a kind of balance of risk thing.' Asked if it would be safer to properly support people as they self-isolate rather than reduce the quarantine time, he said: 'Yeah, difficult calculation, because I think in practice, for whatever reason that doesn't happen reliably, so that people are being penalised by self-isolating and that probably results in some people not self-isolating and others suffering financial hardship as a result. 'This is one way to avoid that, and presumably at somewhat lower risk than just letting everybody circulate when they potentially may have been exposed.' Some 26 areas of England have fully vaccinated more than 80 per cent of their eligible residents. Yarmouth and Freshwater in the Isle of White had the highest rate at 85 per cent, thanks to its large elderly population. The nation's vaccine roll-out was extended to over-18s yesterday and over-25s were able to start booking appointments last week. And speaking this morning on a potential third wave, Prof Finn also told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'It's going up, perhaps we can be a little bit optimistic it's not going up any faster, but nevertheless it's going up, so this third wave is definitely under way. 'We can conclude that the race is firmly on between the vaccine programme, particularly getting older people's second doses done, and the Delta variant third wave.' The University of Bristol academic said the JCVI is still working to decide whether children should be vaccinated but said that effort would not be the immediate priority if it was approved. He added: 'Even if some decision were made to immunise children it wouldn't be appropriate right now, either here or anywhere else in Europe, to give our doses predominantly to children because it's adults that get sick, so vaccinating adults is clearly the priority right now.' A 34-year old American woman who had been missing in Russia since Tuesday has been found dead, and a Russian man has been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with her death the state Investigative Committee said on Saturday. Russia's RIA news agency said the woman, which it named as Catherine Serou, had been a graduate student studying law at a university in the Nizhny Novgorod region 420 km (260 miles) east of Moscow since arriving from California three years ago. Serou, a former Marine, was last seen leaving her house in the town of Bor and entering an unknown vehicle, ABC News reports. Her body was recovered on Saturday after a large-scale search of the area, according to Russian officials. The suspect's name was not released as of Saturday. Serou's mother, Beccy, gave an interview with NPR this week from her native Mississippi, where she told the outlet that her daughter had sent her an ominous text message on the night she disappeared. 'It says: 'In a car with a stranger. I hope I'm not being abducted.' And that's the last thing she wrote,' Beccy Serou told NPR. 'I think that when she saw that the person wasn't driving to the clinic, but instead was driving into a forest, she panicked,' said Beccy Serou. 'Her telephone last pinged off a cell tower in that forest.' Her mother believes that Catherine, who had moved to Russia after selling her California condo three years ago, may have gotten into the wrong car thinking it was her Uber as she rushed to a nearby clinic where a payment had not properly gone through. Pictured: Catherine Serou, who had been missing in Russia since Tuesday, was found dead, and a Russian man has been arrested on suspicion of her murder Serou was a former US Marine and graduate student who was studying law at a university in the Nizhny Novgorod region, just over 250 miles east of Moscow Local volunteer groups handed out and posted missing person posters asking for Serou's safe return Russia's state Investigative Committee said it had opened a criminal inquiry case into the disappearance of 'a foreign citizen' and a man in born in 1977 with an extensive criminal record had been arrested in connection to her death. Authorities there say he is cooperating with the investigation, according to the news outlet. Her mother, Beccy Serou, told NPR that she received an ominous text message on the night Catherine went missing. 'In a car with a stranger. I hope I'm not being abducted' it read Serou was last seen on CCTV video shopping at a nearby market before disappearing after entering an unknown car on Tuesday night A Russian man, described as being born in 1977 and having an extensive criminal record, was arrested in connection to her death, officials said on Saturday Roughly 80 police officers and another 20 volunteers from 'Lynx', an area search-and-rescue group, had taken part in the search for Serou this past week, volunteer Marina Mokeyeva told the Russian newspaper RBC. The suspect arrested in connection to her death is currently facing charges of abduction and murder, which carry a maximum sentence of 15 years prison, according to police. The Investigative Committee added that a decision on the suspect's charges and pre-trial detention will be made in the near future, according to ABC News. The new man in Gladys Berejiklian's life is an esteemed barrister, a huge Parramatta Eels supporter, a fitness fanatic and a Midnight Oil fan. The relationship between the New South Wales Premier and Arthur Moses was revealed on Friday night by none other than Ms Berejiklian's younger sister, who shared a loved-up snap of the pair to her Instagram account. 'After work Friday feels with these two. Glad and her boo,' the premier's sister Mary captioned the shot that shows Ms Berejiklian and Mr Moses gazing into each other's eyes while sitting beside one another on a lounge. Mr Moses represented Ms Berejiklian when she faced the Independent Commission Against Corruption last year into her former boyfriend, disgraced MP Daryl Maguire. During the inquiry the premier revealed she'd been dating Mr Maguire, an MP for Wagga Wagga, for five years. The New South Wales Premier's relationship with high-profile barrister Arthur Moses was confirmed on Friday night through an Instagram post shared by her sister The bombshell confession not only shocked the public but also floored Ms Berejiklian's own parliamentary colleagues. She admitted during the peak of their romance she saw herself marrying Mr Maguire but has since moved on with Mr Moses - a highly regarded Sydney lawyer who has already got the tick of approval from several of the premier's colleagues. A well-placed source in Australia's legal fraternity told Daily Mail Australia Mr Moses was 'held in high esteem' by his colleagues and is very well respected. 'Lawyers who work with him regard him as meticulous and methodical,' the source said. Mr Moses is an esteemed Sydney lawyer who also has a passion for fitness and the Parramatta Eels Mr Moses has been practising law for more than 25 years and is currently representing Ben Roberts-Smith (pictured together) in his defamation trial against Nine newspapers 'He is very structured and disciplined and conducts his practice in a quasi-military style.' As well as his dedication to his legal work - which has seen him serve as the president of both the NSW Bar Association and Law Council of Australia - Mr Moses is a fitness junkie. 'He is very keen on personal fitness, he's extremely fit and runs up to 10km most days,' the source said. 'That makes you a little more sharper, able to focus and cope with long hours by having that sort of fitness balance. 'He really is one of the most methodical and meticulous in the law - very rigorous and focused in his work.' Mr Moses has been practising law for more than 25 years and is currently representing Ben Roberts-Smith in his defamation trial against Nine newspapers. In an article dating back to 2017, the barrister described himself as 'persistent, loyal and annoying'. He also revealed his deep love for the Parramatta Eels footy club, saying his happiest moments were when the team was winning grand finals in the 1980s. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian (pictured right) says she didn't fear for her job after her secret five-year relationship with former colleague Daryl Maguire (left) became public during the ICAC hearing last year When asked what his favourite song was he responded 'Midnight Oil's 'Beds are Burning'' and said that in the event his life was to be turned into a movie he'd want 'Mr Bean' star Rowan Atkinson to play himself. Mr Moses almost lived a completely different life and revealed his father wanted him to be a mechanic and leave school at the age of 15 But Mr Moses almost lived a completely different life and revealed his father wanted him to be a mechanic and leave school at the age of 15. 'My mother persuaded him that I should be allowed to finish school,' he said in the article with legal magazine Justinian. He credited his late mother as the most influential person in his life. 'She could not read or write but was the wisest and strongest person I have known,' he said. Mr Moses was also a Squadron Leader in the Royal Australian Air Force Specialist Reserve and has worked in various military law cases. His long list of accolades doesn't end there with the barrister recently taking part in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout this week. It was his fifth year spending a night sleeping on the streets on Thursday to raise money and awareness about homelessness. Mr Moses raised more than $25,000 for the cause. He also has an adult son, Nicholas, whom he shares with ex-wife and lawyer Sylvia Moses. Nicholas is a practising lawyer himself. When the news of his relationship with the NSW premier surfaced, Ms Berejiklian's colleagues were quick to give the couple their nod of approval. The biggest praise came from Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott who shared his reaction on LinkedIn. 'So let's recap. He's a Parra (Parramatta Eels) supporter, a westie, a Liberal and a Reservist,' he wrote. 'My boss has hooked up with the perfect bloke!'. The barrister recently took part in the Vinnies CEO Sleep Out on Thursday night to raise money for the homeless (pictured is MP Alister Henskens and Mr Moses) Customer Service Victor Dominello described them as the 'perfect pair', while Energy and Environment Minister Matt Kean said they were 'two of the best people' he knew. 'However, I think they are two of the most amazing people I know and I'm so happy they've found each other,' he told the Sydney Morning Herald. It's unclear when the pair began their romance but rumours had swirled in legal and political circles after the couple were spotted sharing a meal at a cafe. A spokesperson for the premier said: 'They have recently begun spending private time together. The Premier will not discuss her private life.' Throughout the ICAC inquiry and several media appearances afterwards, Ms Berejiklian appeared stoic, but confessed she had shed tears in the privacy of her own home. In the wake of the relationship admission, Ms Berejiklian said it had been 'one of the most difficult days of my life' - but she never considered standing down as premier as she did not believe she had done anything wrong. She and Mr Maguire had been friends for more than 20 years before becoming intimate around 2015. The UK's 'longest-suffering Covid-19 inpatient' has tragically died following a 14-and-a-half month battle in hospital. Jason Kelk, 49, opted to withdraw all treatment after deciding he could not 'live like this any more' in St James' Hospital in Leeds, West Yorkshire. He was first admitted on March 31 last year - just one day after TV presenter Kate Garraway's husband Derek Draper. The primary school IT teacher, from Leeds, remained there ever since, until yesterday morning when he was transported to a nearby hospice, where he spent his final hours surrounded by his family. He leaves behind heartbroken wife Sue, 63, as well as five step-children and eight grandchildren. Sue said her husband's battle had become too much and that he had come to the decision to stop treatment. Jason Kelk, 49, (pictured) opted to withdraw all treatment after deciding he could not 'live like this anymore' in St James' Hospital in Leeds, West Yorkshire His heartbroken wife Sue Kelk, 63, (pictured on her wedding day with Mr Kelk and her daughter) said her husband's battle had become too much and that he had come to the decision to withdraw all treatment Mr Kelk - who had type II diabetes and asthma - was admitted to hospital (pictured) on March 31. Just days later, on April 3, he was transferred to intensive care Paying tribute to her 'soulmate' of 20 years, Mrs Kelk added: 'It was so peaceful. It was definitely important for him to do it on his terms. 'But he is leaving an awful lot of people absolutely bereft. Jason Kelk on a Face Time call to his wife Sue during his battle against Covid in hospital 'People might not think he has been brave but my God, he has been brave. I really think he has. 'And I just think that this is the bravest thing that you could ever do - to actually say "I don't want to live like this anymore".' Mr Kelk - who had type II diabetes and asthma - was admitted to hospital on March 31. Just days later, on April 3, he was transferred to intensive care. He remained there ever since, fighting for his life on numerous occasions after the virus ravaged his lungs and destroyed his kidneys. Mr Kelk went on to develop such severe stomach issues that he was having to be fed intravenously when he died. He suffered regular vomiting bouts as a result of gastroparesis and was unable to walk unaided for most of his time in hospital. WHAT ARE THE LONG-TERM SYMPTOMS OF COVID? Most coronavirus patients will recover within a fortnight, suffering a fever, cough and losing their sense of smell or taste for several days. However, evidence is beginning to show that the tell-tale symptoms of the virus can persist for weeks on end in 'long haulers' the term for patients plagued by lasting complications. Data from the COVID Symptom Study app, by King's College London and health company Zoe, suggests one in ten people may still have symptoms after three weeks, and some may suffer for months. Long term symptoms include: Chronic tiredness Breathlessness Raised heart rate Delusions Strokes Insomnia Loss of taste/smell Kidney disease Mobility issues Headaches Muscle pains Fevers For those with more severe disease, Italian researchers who tracked 143 people who had been hospitalised with the disease found almost 90 per cent still had symptoms including fatigue two months after first falling unwell. The most common complaints were fatigue, a shortness of breath and joint pain - all of which were reported during their battle with the illness. Advertisement The ordeal was even more challenging for the couple as Covid restrictions meant they have only been able to see each other a few times while he's been on the ward, instead having to communicate via other means such as Face Time calls. There was hope in March this year when he marked 15 days in a row without the use of a ventilator. He was taken off a 24/7 kidney filter and was enjoying outdoor family visits in the hospital grounds once a week. And before that, Ms Kelk said she felt about '10 foot tall' when he managed to walk with assistance for the first time in February. At the time he revealed his hopes of returning to his home in Leeds, saying he wanted to 'sit on our sofa and eat take away fish and chips with Sue while we watch telly'. However, he did add: 'I've lost hope on a few occasions, mainly because even now the destination I'm working towards seems so far away.' As Mr Kelk's recovery continued, he was able to drink cups of tea and eat cake, as well return to one of his passions - computer coding. But at the beginning of May he took a turn for the worse and ended up having to spend a few days on and off the ventilator before going on to develop two infections. Mrs Kelk said her husband 'never really recovered' from them. He was left needing the ventilator full-time again three weeks ago and Mrs Kelk said it was at that point he decided he had had enough. She said: 'He just wanted it all to come to an end. The antibiotics had worked but his spirit had gone.' Mrs Kelk added: 'I think really Jason from February 2020 disappeared. That's the Jason we knew. But the Jason everybody loved was still very much there. 'I think I have been preparing for myself since the beginning. Not that I haven't believed he could do it. 'In the last few weeks before his relapse I was just beginning to go 'maybe I can hope now' and then I got kicked in the teeth.' Mrs Kelk (pictured) said she will miss his sense of humour and him 'just being there' the most Mr Kelk was surrounded by his wife as well as his mum, dad and sister when he died this morning. He leaves behind five stepchildren and eight grandchildren - two born this past year who he has never met - and another on the way. Mrs Kelk said she will miss his sense of humour and him 'just being there' the most, adding: '[My daughter] Katie wrote a beautiful poem about him and said we were soulmates and that's exactly what we were. 'We finished each other's sentences half the time. We just knew instinctively what the other one wanted. We just complemented each other.' 'It certainly has been a very fun life with him. We have done some fun things - but we had lots of things that we were going to do.' The Archbishop of Canterbury has apologised after a bishop told her congregation 'never, never, never trust a Tory', describing her remarks as 'intolerable'. Archbishop Justin Welby said sorry in a letter to the government, in which he said he felt 'deep embarrassment' for the behaviour of Rt Rev Dr Joanna Penberthy, the Bishop of St Davids. He described her remarks as 'absolutely unacceptable' and said it was 'intolerable' to 'be trolled in this way' in a letter seen by the Telegraph. His apology has added to mounting pressure on Dr Penberthy to quit, though the Church in Wales has refused to comment on calls for her resignation, referring instead to her apology. Dr Penberthy wrote 'never, never, never trust a Tory' in March this year in response to a post claiming the Conservative party were planning to do away with the Welsh parliament. She then took ten weeks to apologise and only issued a withering climb down after it is believed senior party members complained. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has apologised after a bishop told her congregation 'never, never, never trust a Tory', describing her remarks as 'intolerable' in a letter to the government The Archbishop's apology has added to mounting pressure on Dr Joanna Penberthy (pictured) to resign Dr Penberthy wrote 'never, never, never trust a Tory' in March this year in response to a post claiming the Conservative party were planning to do away with the Welsh parliament In a statement, Dr Penberthy said: 'On March 25th 2021 I put out a private tweet about Conservative Party supporters which has caused offence and for which I sincerely apologise. 'The tweet was in response to another tweet which claimed that the Conservative Party was planning to abolish the Senedd. 'I acknowledge that while there may be those within the Conservative Party who oppose Welsh devolution, it is not the policy of the Conservative Party to abolish the Senedd and I should have checked all the facts before tweeting. 'I, of course, trust and have trusted many Conservatives and know there are many honourable people in that party. 'I further apologise for other tweets I have posted which have caused upset and offence. While I hold strong political views, I have expressed them on Twitter in a way which was both irresponsible and disrespectful and I deeply regret this. 'I have now closed my account down.' Archbishop Welby was corralled into issuing an apology on Thursday after Simon Hart, the Welsh Secretary (pictured), wrote to him to raise concerns over the comments Archbishop Welby was corralled into issuing an apology on Thursday after Simon Hart, the Welsh Secretary, wrote to him to raise concerns over the comments. Giving evidence to the Welsh Affairs Select Committee this week, Hart said Dr Penberthy's remarks had 'caused significant offence' and were 'remarkable' considering the bishop resides over constituency with a Conservative MP. Her remarks were also condemned West Dorset MP Chris Loder (pictured) who branded her 'not fit to be a bishop' 'It wasn't just a casual aside, it was a full-scale, consistent, sustained, and bitter and unpleasant attack on people who chose to have a different political output to her', he told MPs. Hart added he had told Archbishop Welby that Dr Penberthy's apology had done 'little to restore faith in her judgement' and asked him to lay out plans 'to ensure that sure situations are avoided in the future'. Her remarks were also widely condemned by the Conservative party, with West Dorset MP Chris Loder branding her 'not fit to be a bishop'. Loder, a practicing Anglican in the Church of England, wrote to Dr Penberthy telling her to resign over the 'disgracefully divisive' comments. He also claimed his political affiliation had led members of the clergy to 'turn their backs when sharing the peace of Christ at the eucharist' and that 'there are some churches and some clergy who don't welcome me, even in my home constituency... because I am Conservative.' Apologising on Thursday, the Archbishop wrote: 'It is absolutely unacceptable, and I am truly sorry. I am especially sympathetic because I am very well aware of what it is to be trolled in this way [including by people of all shades of political opinion]. 'It is intolerable, and I am determined to work with my sisters and brothers to find better ways to express disagreement.' He noted a commitment to reconciliation and said the Church 'seeks to be welcoming to everyone in the nation of Wales'. The 61-year-old (centre), who has previously expressed her anti-Brexit and anti-Conservative views, is facing mounting calls to resign Dr Penberthy was the Church in Wales' first woman bishop when she was appointed to St Davids in 2017 The Archbishop joined the Bishop of Bangor and the Archbishop of York in issuing apologies, but have failed to say if Dr Penberthy will be removed from her post. The Bishop of Bangor, the Rt Rev Andy John, wrote to Welsh Secretary Simon Hart saying: 'The Bishop of St Davids has apologised for the hurt she has caused as a result of her posts on Twitter and the Church in Wales has welcomed her statement. 'I add my apology on behalf of the Church in Wales; I regret the intemperate language that she used and the hurt it caused.' Bishop John said he thought Dr Penberthy's apology was 'sincere' but said it was important senior clergy understood there is no difference between 'personal and public statements'. He added Dr Penberthy had said he wanted to improve 'the way in which her ministry operates in the public domain', indicated she will not be forced to resign. Dr Penberthy was the Church in Wales' first woman bishop when she was appointed to St Davids in 2017. The 61-year-old is known for her strong political views and the Church in Wales has said her 'strong political views are well known'. The bishop, who previously expressed her anti-Brexit and anti-Conservative views, was using a Twitter handle that included the term 'We Are Remain' as well as the acronyms GTTO and FBPE - which stand for 'Get The Tories Out' and 'Follow Back Pro European'. Advertisement Boris Johnson has been warned to urgently rethink planning reforms after they were blamed for the Conservatives' crushing by-election defeat in Chesham and Amersham. The Liberal Democrats this week won the Buckinghamshire seat that has been a Tory stronghold since its creation in 1974 after overturning a majority of more than 16,000 votes. The HS2 rail line being built through the constituency was a major issue in the campaign, as was the proposed planning reforms that have sparked fears about building in the countryside around the seat in the Chilterns. Cabinet colleagues claim the Prime Minister now risks alienating more southern Tory voters if action isn't taken, with some calling for the proposals, due to be introduced to the Commons shortly, to be watered down. Conservative Party co-chair Amanda Milling said the 'concerns about planning and HS2 were loud and clear'. 'I am in no doubt that this result is a warning shot,' she wrote in the Telegraph, adding 'the people have spoken and we have heard them'. Boris Johnson (pictured in Batley yesterday) has been warned to urgently rethink planning reforms after they were blamed for the Conservatives' crushing by-election defeat in Chesham and Amersham The Liberal Democrats this week won the Buckinghamshire seat that has been a Tory stronghold since its creation in 1974 after overturning a majority of more than 16,000 votes With a target of building 300,000 new homes a year in England, ministers want to overhaul the planning system, arguing reforms would boost the building of high-quality, sustainable homes, by streamlining the process and cutting red tape. Critics warn the plans will undermine local democracy by removing the public's right to be heard in person and would strip elected planning committees of development decisions. Indeed, a total of nearly 100 Tory MPs are part of a WhatsApp group called Planning Concern, in which grievances have been aired, according to the Telegraph. Former Cabinet minister Damian Green warned the Tories could become 'disconnected' from voters if the party fails to listen following the by-election defeat by improving the 'thin' level of oversight in the plans. He told BBC Radio Four's Today programme: 'What you have to do as a political party is listen and what I really don't want to happen to the Conservative Party, my party, is to repeat the mistakes of the Labour Party that disconnected itself from voters it thought it could take for granted. 'People want some form of local control ... people don't want to feel that they're going to have developments dumped on green fields near them when they and their local representatives have had no say over it. 'It's a fairly thin form (of oversight) frankly and people don't think it gives them enough protection.' Meanwhile, former environment secretary Theresa Villiers urged ministers 'to use this as an opportunity to rethink their approach to planning reform'. 'This by-election result should pave the way for a reduction in housing targets for the London suburbs and the South East,' the Tory MP for Chipping Barnet wrote in the Telegraph. 'We need a fairer distribution of new homes across the country, rather than seeking to cram so many thousands more into the crowded South. There needs to be a stronger focus on brownfield sites in urban inner city areas.' Former leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith also said many in the South were angry about Mr Johnson's planning reforms, which they fear will allow developers to build the wrong buildings in the wrong places. 'That is a theme that is running through a lot of constituencies right now particularly in the South and in London,' he said. 'I urge the Government to think carefully about the next stage of this. We need to hold these seats as much as we need to win seats elsewhere. 'If we don't pause to listen to what the concerns are before proceeding, then we will run the risk of having this repeated.' Conservative Party co-chair Amanda Milling said the 'concerns about planning and HS2 were loud and clear' Former Cabinet minister Damian Green warned the Tories could become 'disconnected' from voters if the party fails to listen Mr Johnson conceded 'it was certainly a disappointing result' when asked if he was neglecting voters in the South in favour of those in the North, but insisted: 'We believe in uniting and levelling up within regions and across the country.' Sir Ed Davey said his party's victory would 'send a shockwave through British politics' while claiming the result demonstrated the 'Blue Wall' of Tory southern seats could be vulnerable. Planning proposals include creating zones for growth, renewal or protection, with development in growth areas preapproved for developments as long as they meet local design standards. This forms a central part of critics' concerns. They argue the zoning system could radically reduce protections for nature and green spaces while failing to tackle the climate crisis. The by-election was triggered by the death of former Cabinet minister Dame Cheryl Gillan, who took the seat with a majority of 16,233 in the 2019 general election some 55% of the vote. However, Lib Dem Sarah Green took 56.7% of the vote to secure a majority of 8,028 over the second-placed Tories. Labour trailed the Greens in fourth place, winning just 622 votes and losing the party's deposit in the process. Polling expert Sir John Curtice told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that he made it the 'worst Labour performance in any by-election' after the party took just 1.6% of the vote. One of Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer's closest aides told staff he was standing down in the wake of the dire result. Ben Nunn said he remained convinced that Sir Keir 'will be a great prime minister' as he announced he was quitting as director of communications. With the price of UK staycations skyrocketing and 'Freedom Day' still weeks away , Britons are desperate for a sunny summer holiday abroad. Countries are separated into green, amber and red list destinations for UK arrivals - with the latter two forcing England-bound passengers to quarantine for ten days on landing. What may be catching some travellers out, however, is that other destinations have their own Covid rules for visitors. Just yesterday, Italy imposed mandatory testing and a five-day quarantine for arrivals from Britain as concerns grow over the spread of the highly contagious Indian variant. It follows the likes of France, the Republic of Ireland, Slovenia and Romania in imposing lockdown requirements on Britons landing there. With the price of UK staycations skyrocketing and 'Freedom Day' still weeks away , Britons are desperate for a sunny summer holiday abroad. What may be catching some travellers out, however, is that foreign destinations have their own Covid rules for visitors Italy is currently on the UK's so-called Amber list, meaning visitors must quarantine for 10 days on their return and take two tests - on day two and day eight - before the are released What are rules for British arrivals travelling to other European countries Bulgaria: UK arrivals need proof they had the second vaccine dose at least 14 days before arriving If not yet vaccinated, arrivals need a negative Covid test taken no more than 72 hours before flying. Croatia: Vaccine certificate or proof of negative test taken no more than 48 hours before flying. Cyprus: Vaccine certificate or proof of negative test taken no more than 72 hours before flying. Denmark: Vaccine certificate or proof of negative test taken no more than 48 hours before flying. If the latter, must have proof of a 'worthy purpose' for travel. Estonia: Proof of negative test taken no more than 72 hours before flying. Must also quarantine for 10 days unless fully vaccinated or can prove they tested positive in the last six months. Greece: Proof of negative test taken no more than 72 hours before flying or proof of full vaccinations to avoid 14-day quarantine. Gibraltar: Those fully vaccinated need to take a Covid test after 24 hours and again after five days. If not vaccinated, a test must be taken no more than 48 hours before flying and again 24 hours after landing. Another must be taken on day 5. Malta: Proof of negative test taken no more than 72 hours before flying. Portugal: Proof of negative test taken no more than 72 hours before flying. Turkey: Proof of negative test taken no more than 72 hours before flying. Spain: No restrictions on UK arrivals. Advertisement Britain on Friday said there had been a 79 per cent increase in weekly reported cases of the mutation - also known as the Delta variant. The Indian variant now makes up 91 per cent of sequenced cases, Public Health England said. In France, those arriving who have not received two doses of the Covid vaccine must quarantine for seven days on arrival. A PCR test must then be taken at the end of this self isolation period. In Ireland, all arrivals from Britain must quarantine for 14 days. Those returning to England from the Republic need not quarantine at all. In Romania - which is on the UK's amber list - arrivals must quarantine for 14 days. But those who have had both doses of the jab at least ten days before landing are exempt. Currently, Britons are advised not to travel to amber list countries unless it is essential although there is no legal sanction for doing so, provided travellers quarantine at home for ten days after returning and take two Covid tests. Slovenian authorities have instilled a mandatory ten day quarantine for British arrivals - as the UK is on the country's 'dark red list'. But the isolation can be ended early if a negative PCR test is produced on day five. It can be avoided completely if a passenger arrives with a negative test taken less than 48 hours before take-off. In Estonia, arrivals must quarantine for 10 days unless they are vaccinated. Greece, on the other hand, mandates 14 days of quarantine unless a negative test is taken no more than 72 hours before flying. Meanwhile in Germany and Austria, no flights are permitted from the UK at all - except for returning residents or citizens. However, Spain - also on England's amber list meaning arrivals must quarantine for ten days at home - has no restrictions on UK arrivals. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez earlier said: 'Spain will be delighted, very delighted to welcome all British tourists'. Yesterday, Italy's Health Minister Roberto Speranza announced the new quarantine rules for arrivals from the UK. The new measures will come into force on Saturday and follows similar bans by France, Austria, and Germany, which have already introduced varying curbs on those entering from Britain. Italy is currently on the UK's so-called Amber list, meaning visitors must quarantine for 10 days on their return and take two tests - on day two and day eight - before the are released. Italy is introducing mandatory testing and a five-day quarantine for visitors from Britain, in another blow to summer holiday plans Health Minister Roberto Speranza announced the new regulations on Friday, forcing Brits who travel to Italy to test and quarantine for five days It comes as it was announced double-jabbed British holidaymakers could be given the green light to fly to nearly 170 countries from next month under new government plans. Those who are fully vaccinated will provide evidence via the NHS app at border controls and then be able to enjoy trips to amber list nations without having to isolate for 10 days upon returning home. The idea would see travellers obliged to take several PCR tests on their return, but if they come back negative, they won't have to remain stuck in their homes like under current rules. Italy has been one of the European countries hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, but infection rates have fallen sharply in recent weeks Italy was one of the worst hit European countries but cases and deaths have declined rapidly in recent months and restrictions in much of the country have been lifted Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi warned his government would impose mandatory quarantine for British travellers if the Delta variant continued to spread at the G7 summit last week. Italy will simultaneously lift curbs on travellers from the United States, Canada, Japan, and other European Union states who meet the requirements of the so-called Green Certificate issued by the EU. That digital Covid certificate, which comes into force on July 1, will demonstrate whether a bearer has been vaccinated against Covid-19, has been recently tested or has acquired immunity from previously contracting the disease and recovering. Currently those arriving from the United States, Japan and Canada must show a negative coronavirus test and quarantine for 10 days on arrival unless they come on one of a limited number of 'Covid-free' flights. A ban on people arriving from India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will remain in place, Speranza added on Facebook. Italy has been one of the European countries hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, but infection rates have fallen sharply in recent weeks and restrictions in much of the country have been lifted. Yesterday it was revealed that hundreds of would-be holidaymakers have had their domestic cruises cancelled due to the delay in lifting capacity constraints, leaving ships overbooked. P&O Cruises, MSC Cruises and Royal Caribbean International are among the firms that accepted bookings in excess of the 1,000 person limit in the hope that the restrictions would be relaxed from Monday. But, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's decision to delay the ending of coronavirus restrictions until July 19 means that the rule is still in place, leaving some passengers without a space on their holiday. Hundreds of bookings have been cancelled as a result of the decision to delay lifting lockdown According to current rules, ships operating domestic cruises are only allowed to carry up to 1,000 passengers or 50 per cent of their capacity if that is lower. Kyle Hadden, a 29-year-old nurse at Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester, was due to sail with his partner and a friend recovering from chemotherapy treatment on July 4, but their trip was cancelled, despite the fact they had already been assigned a cabin. He said it was particularly upsetting as he and his travelling group had gone through challenging times with the pandemic. 'We had everything,' he said. 'All the paperwork printed. Then they cancel it. It doesn't make sense.' Sue Cole, 57, from Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire also expressed her disappointment at the cancellation of her holiday on July 18. She added it was 'bad practice' for P&O Cruises and others to accept bookings for more than 1,000 guests when 'it was clear' that the planned lifting of restriction on Monday 'was not set in stone.' It was also revealed this week that fully vaccinated tourists could be exempted from quarantine and testing when they return from amber list countries. It would mean amber list destinations, which include most of Europe, as well as the US, could effectively go green for the double-jabbed. However, the options to be considered by ministers are in their infancy and are unlikely to be in place before August. The NYPD released video Friday afternoon of what seems to be a coordinated attempted assassination in Brooklyn, but the target had the presence of mind to drive on the curb to get away. The drive-by shooting happened Thursday morning around 7:14am and is one of about 150 shootings in New York City in the last month as the Big Apple contends with surging crime rates. Felony assaults are up eight percent for the first six months of 2021, compared to the same period last year. The 21-second clip opens with the victim, which NYPD said was a 19-year-old man, driving a dark-colored sedan jumping the curb to get away from one car, but he crashed head-on into a fence on a Brooklyn sidewalk. At this point, the teenager's car was alongside a parked car and behind a small tree that separated him from a man in a gray vehicle who fired multiple times from the backseat, passenger-side window. The NYPD said the teen avoided the bullets and didn't suffer major injuries. The video backtracked to the start of the incident, when another car seemingly attempted to pin the victim between his car and a parked car to allow for an easier shot. That didn't worked when the 19-year-old drove on the sidewalk. There's a $3,500 reward for information about anyone of the suspects in the attack which has become almost routine in the Big Apple, where crime has skyrocketed since the pandemic gripped the country. The intended target, a 19-year-old man in the dark-colored sedan in the lower left corner, drove on the Brooklyn sidewalk to avoid being shot but crashed into a fence A suspect poked his upper body out of a moving car and fired at the sedan after it crashed NYPD is offering a $3,500 reward for information about the suspects The shooting marked a continuation of New York City's descent into a lawless free-for-all where attacks in the street happen every day. Along with the spike in shootings, rapes also are up by 10 percent and robberies - which includes muggings - have spiked by nearly 40 percent this month The numbers are disturbing in themselves, but the violence has intensified and taken place in public places, like parks and subways, and in front of witnesses and surveillance cameras. Crimes have been rising throughout New York City, according to the NYPD Statistics show shooting crimes have been up this year city-wide compared to last year Last night and into early Saturday morning, New York City's Washington Square Park in the affluent, residential Greenwich Village neighborhood became a bloody crime scene. A woman was left bloodied and bruised after being trampled by terrified crowds trying to run from a man armed with a large knife and a taser around 12:40am. Jason McDermott, 42, waved a taser in the direction of a group of people who were gathered inside the historic park for another night of late-night partying, the NYPD told DailyMail.com. Police said McDermott was also in possession of a large knife at the time. Partygoers, who have descended on the park for nightly raves in recent weeks, were sent into a panic and ran for safety from the suspect and knocked over a 43-year-old woman. DailyMail.com photos show the woman sat on the ground with blood pouring from her face following the incident. A man was seen handcuffed and being led away by police. Police said the woman was transported to Bellevue hospital in a stable condition with lacerations, contusions and abrasions. The late-night parties have seen stabbings and brawls, and sparked complaints from well-heeled neighbors A woman was left bloodied and bruised in Washington Square Park on Friday night after being trampled by terrified crowds A man was seen handcuffed and being led away by police following the incident in the historic park; police said they arrested the suspect The battle over Washington Square Park pitted area residents against partygoers Wednesday evening, when protestors confronted police outside of an emergency meeting called y New York Police Department's Sixth Precinct. The meeting was met with dozens of protestors, who flocked by to park by nightfall. Although Wednesday night and Thursday were calmer than previous days, the NYPD said on Friday that they'll be on high alert this weekend. Another major issue the residential and high-tourist area of Midtown Manhattan around around Times Square and Hell's Kitchen, where thousands of homeless people were moved to hotels during the pandemic. Eight Avenue between Penn Station and The Port Authority Bus Terminal has become a drug corridor and a crime hot spot. The police precinct that includes Times Square and many of the hotels where the homeless have been living saw a 183 percent spike in felony assaults and 173 percent spike in robberies so far this year compared to 2020, according to NYPD data. Earlier this week, former NYPD commissioner Bill Bratton warned American cities, including New York City, are in for a 'very, long dangerous summer' as murder rates have skyrocketed And there aren't any short- or long-term answers, Bratton told CNBC's Shepard Smith on Monday. 'Unlike the last crime epidemic that took decades to build up to the early '90s, this one has occurred, literally, overnight,' Bratton said. 'It's like the virus, it's literally, out of nowhere, and so solutions are not immediately apparent.' A mum has spoken out after carjackers held a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her son as they stole her vehicle. Courtney Slater, 21, was meeting someone she had and her boyfriend had agreed to sell a pair of sunglasses to over Snapchat when the ordeal happened in Gorton, Manchester. She said she met the buyer and they talked to her boyfriend and were shown the sunglasses. But, the car was then mobbed by a hooded knife wielding man who chased Slater's boyfriend away and pulled her out of the vehicle, giving her seconds to rescue her toddler from the back seat before driving off around 7pm on Thursday. Courtney Slater, 21, has spoken out after she was dragged out of a car with a knife to her throat as her vehicle was stolen in broad daylight Harrowing footage captures the moment Slater was dragged from her vehicle by a knife-wielding assailant * Edit, thank you to everybody for your help, comments and shares, my daughter and my grandson are OK, they're just... Posted by Mandy Slater on Thursday, June 17, 2021 She told Manchester Evening News: 'People came by the side of the car out of nowhere and tried to stab my boyfriend. They started chasing him with the knife and we didn't realise one had stayed behind.' The man then put the knife to her throat and ordered her out of the car. Slater told MEN her first thought was for her toddler, who was in the back of the car. She said: 'He had the knife to my throat in front of my two-year-old in the back of my car. 'I started screaming and crying. As long as my kid was safe, that's all I was bothered about. 'I thought, "Oh my God, Lekai is in the back. What if he gets in the car and takes Lekai? I'm going to have to get stabbed".' Slater said her first thought when the brazen thieves put a knife to her throat was for her toddler, who was in the back of the car Harrowing footage shows the moment Slater leaves the vehicle and rushes to rescue her baby while the thief gets into the driver's seat She tried to put the car into first gear and grabbed the steering wheel but the man managed to open the door and pulled her out of the vehicle, tearing her top. Salter said he told her: '"Get the kid from the back," and pushed me. I tried to run but my legs were jelly.' She quickly made her way round the rear passenger door and grabbed her child as the thief and two more men climbed into the vehicle. She barely had time to pull her baby out of the vehicle before the three men drove the car away from the scene at speed. She said: 'I tried to get my two-year-old out of the seat and he was caught in the seatbelt. They didn't care; they just started driving.' Slater and her young son were left stranded on the side of Cumber Road after the terrifying ordeal. She and her mother later posted harrowing footage of the incident online in a bid to catch the thieves. Slater and her two-year-old son were left stranded at the scene in Gorton, Manchester, on Thursday evening Terrifying footage showed two more men getting into the car while Slater rushed to get her two-year-old son from the back seat She wrote: 'I really thought I was going to get stabbed as there was no way I was willingly leaving the car with my baby in there.' She added she and her son were shaken by the incident - she no longer drives and fears the thieves may turn up at her house because there were letters in the vehicle which may show her address. Slater added her son was affected by the attack and later said: 'The man pulled mummy out of the car.' The vehicle was later found a short distance away on Manby Road in Gorton and was returned to Slater, but it is believed that the thieves still have her phone. Greater Manchester Police confirmed that they were called to the scene on 19:10 on Thursday. They added that both mother and baby are safe and well. One of the thieves was described as about 19 years old, black, and heavily built. Police said he was wearing a blue coat and a black balaclava at the time of the incident. Another attacker was identified as being roughly 19, white, wearing grey shorts, and carrying a Gucci bag. No arrests have been made. An investigation is ongoing. Texas residents say the temperature on their 'smart' web-connected thermostats was changed without their permission after the state's electricity operators had warned of another round of power shortages amid a heat wave. The thermostats were raised to 78 degrees without their knowledge - sometimes even as families slept in the middle of the night. Raising the temperature on the thermostat would cause an air conditioner to run less - therefore using less power. The Big Brother temperature manipulation comes after the Texas energy grid failed this past winter when rolling blackouts left millions without power and 700 dead during February's devastating winter storms. Houston resident Brandon English said he didn't realize his thermostat had been tampered with until after his wife and infant daughter 'woke up sweating' from an afternoon nap. 'Was my daughter at the point of overheating?' English said. 'She's 3 months old. They dehydrate very quickly,' he told KHOU. It's not clear how many thermostats were changed. It turns out, people had handed over control of their thermostats - at least some people not realizing it - when they signed up for a sweepstakes called 'Smart Savers Texas' operated by a company called Energy Hub. The sweepstakes entered them into a contest to win free electricity for a year. But in exchange for entering the contest, customers had to opt-into in to a program that allows power companies to remotely adjust web-connected 'smart' thermostats when energy demands are high, KHOU reported. DailyMail.com contacted Energy Hub for comment. On Monday the state's power grid manager, Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), had urged Texans to conserve electricity this week and recommended residents raise the temperature on their thermostat to 78 degrees. DailyMail.com also contacted ERCOT for comment. The 'Smart Savers Texas' program allows power companies to remotely adjust web-connected thermostats, like a Nest, when energy demands are high Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), urged Texans to conserve electricity this week and recommended residents raise the temperature on their thermostat to 78 degrees Texas residents told earlier this week to conserve power as grid operator faces another round of questions Residents were told to conserve energy Monday through Friday in a warning issued just four months after rolling blackouts left millions without power and 700 dead during February's devastating winter storms. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) put its grid condition alert level to yellow - a conservation alert - Monday urging customers to limit their electricity usage' as much as possible'. Governor Greg Abbott signed bills into law to reform the state's power grid It cited two issues leaving it struggling to keep up with the demand for power: record high temperatures and a large number of power plants being forced offline for unexplained reasons. ERCOT officials said Monday it was struck by a significant number of unexpected, unplanned outages at its power plants. Officials admitted the outages were not expected and did not confirm what had caused them. However, ERCOT Senior Director of Systems Planning Warren Lasher conceded that it was 'very concerning.' Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill into law to reform the state's energy grid including the creation of a statewide emergency alert system and requiring power companies to upgrade their power plants to withstand more extreme weather. It also requires changes to ERCOT's governing board. Advertisement Meanwhile, English, whose home has a smart thermostat, tells KHOU.com that he came home on Wednesday from work to a hot home. His wife turned down the temperature to cool down the residence during her afternoon nap with her infant daughter. But while his daughter and wife slept the temperature in the home went back up to 78 degrees without anyone touching the thermostat. Their home became uncomfortably warm, especially for his baby, he said. 'They'd been asleep long enough that the house had already gotten to 78 degrees,' English told KHOU.com 'So they woke up sweating.' After realizing what happened English's wife received a text alerting her that the home's thermostat had been remotely altered during a three-hour 'energy saving event,' KHOU reported. English, said he was unaware of the fact that enrolling gave energy companies so much power over his thermostat, immediately unenrolled. 'I wouldn't want anybody else controlling my things for me,' he told KHOU.com EnergyHub told WBRZ that the change was part of a 'three-hour energy event.' It's not clear how much power the 'energy event' saved - or how many people were affected. Galveston resident Karen Rogers is also enrolled in the same program and said she has had her thermostat turned up without her consent, leaving her home noticeably hot and uncomfortable during the heat wave. After looking into it she realized it was the energy company behind her home's raised temperature. 'I really started investigating and thinking who could have done this can like an energy company controls it? I found an activity log and it said that a saving event was initiated by the utility company and so I was just really intrigued in what that means,' Rogers told Click2Houston.com Rogers said now that she knows, she has chosen to opt out of the program and said she questions the programs efficiency. 'I'm not sure that it really helped with the energy issue because then I feel like we were using more to try and get back down to a comfortable level,' Rogers said. Texas is currently undergoing a heatwave which has put the state's energy grid under serious pressure. The scorching temperatures has led to an increase in electricity demands and on Monday, some power plants were knocked offline, leaving many residents without power. While the hot weather is playing a part in the state's current power issues, it was the cold weather that set off the power issues back in February. More than 700 people - more than four times the final death toll shared by Lone Star State officials - are thought to have died as a result of the winter storms and the subsequent power outages then. An analysis by Buzzfeed News last month said 702 people died from causes likely related to the storm. The state's final official tally was 151. The Texas heat wave has led to an increase in electricity demands some power plants have been nocked offline, leaving many residents without power The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) put its grid condition alert level to yellow - a conservation alert - Monday Victims included 11-year-old Cristian Pavon who died of carbon monoxide poisoning in his mobile home which lost power in the storm. Etenesh Mersha and her 7-year-old daughter Rakeb Shelemu also died from carbon monoxide poisoning after they huddled in their car in the garage for warmth amid a blackout in their Houston home. When the historic winter storms struck, ERCOT instructed energy providers to cut supply, causing rolling power blackouts across the state. At the peak of the crisis more than 4.5 million homes and businesses were left without power, many for multiple days on end. Many bundled into warming shelters and furniture stores for warmth, despite concerns about COVID-19. While struggling to survive with a lack of power and heat, the crisis worsened as the state faced the prospect of running out of food and water. Around 15 million residents were left without any clean drinking water and were placed under boil water notices as water treatment facilities were knocked offline and freezing temperatures burst water mains and pipes. Pike Electric service trucks line up after a snow storm on February 16 in Fort Worth, Texas People shovel snow in Austin, Texas, in February amid the storms that left 700 dead Many resorted to boiling snow to drink or lined up at spigots for hours to get some clean water. Senator Ted Cruz sparked fury when he jetted off on a holiday to a beach resort in Cancun, Mexico, at the height of the crisis, leaving his constituents struggling to survive back home. Following the backlash, Cruz turned around less than 24 hours after he jetted off. He then claimed he was trying to be a 'good dad' and admitted he made a 'mistake' but ignored calls to resign over the scandal. The crisis exposed cracks in the state's energy supply, despite Texas long regarding its energy independence as a source of great pride. ERCOT admitted at the time the state had been just 'seconds and minutes' away from 'months-long' blackouts. The CEO tried to defend the company's actions that sparked the greatest forced blackout in US history before he was fired in March. Advertisement Thousands of Queenslanders let their hair down while celebrating a day out at the races with punters placing bets, partying hard and showing off their flashiest outfits - with one guest bizarrely dressing up as the Pope. The Ipswich Cup was the place to be on Saturday as eager racegoers enjoyed a day that brought back memories of what life was like before the pandemic struck. While the day out at the Ipswich Turf Club, south of Brisbane, proved too exhausting for some punters who hitched piggyback rides on their mates, others were determined to keep the party going. Some revellers took time out on the grass beside the track while others were seen struggling to stay upright in their sky-high heels. The cup attracted around 15,000 guests but despite the excitement the day went smoothly with the cold and gusty weather failing to dampen punters' spirits. Ready to party! One woman is seen celebrating her day out at the races during the highly anticipated Ipswich Cup in Queensland on Saturday Giddy up! A long day in high heels proved too much for one young woman who kicked off her shoes as the action on the track came to an end Dressed to the nines! Ladies and gents strutted their stuff in their finest gear at the cup, which attracted around 15,000 guests - many of whom were in the mood to cut loose Got a good tip for race two? One punter was deep in conversation with her male friend while the Ipswich Cup kicked into gear The Ipswich Turf Club was even visited by a surprise guest on Saturday with one cheeky reveller dressing up as the Pope Need a ride? One man gave his friend a lift after a long day - and not even the cold and gusty weather could dampen spirits Need a hand? A group of friends help their mate up after she took a spill on their way home No social distancing here! Two friends share a hug in between races as a huge crowd kicks into party mode in the background Covid-19 meant the event was canned last year so punters were doubly keen to kick up their heels this time around. The Cup was won by Happy Go Plucky, ridden by jockey Stephanie Thornton with bets at $26. Coming in second place was So You Win, trailed by Flash Aah. Some punters seemed unfazed by the action on the track and instead took the chance to catch up with mates over a glass of champagne. While queues to the toilets piled up, one man was seen exiting the portaloo in a bizarre blow-up jockey outfit complete with an inflatable horse. An emergency races day kit was even set up for guests who may have needed some assistance throughout the event. The kit offered Panadol, tissues 'in case the loo ran out', hair ties, band-aids, Tic Tacs, wet wipes and safety spins to avoid any wardrobe malfunctions. While queues to the toilets piled up, one man was seen exiting the portaloo in a bizarre blow-up jockey outfit complete with an inflatable horse One reveller is seen jumping into the air after kicking her shoes off during a big day out trackside An emergency race day kit was even set up for guests who may have needed some assistance throughout the event Piggybacks were up for grabs at the races on Saturday with friends offering their mates a ride after a long day Shoes off! A couple of ladies kicked off their heels as they headed home from cheering on the horses Time to go! Thousands spilled out of the turf club on Saturday afternoon as the celebrations came to an end Yeehaw! One happy punter jumps for joy after The Ipswich Cup has been running for more than 150 years and one man has been to over a third of them. The man only identified as J attended his first ever cup in 1964 when he was just six years old. He's only missed the cup twice in his life including the year it was cancelled due to the pandemic. 'If it's in your blood, you love going to watch the horses,' he told the Courier Mail. 'From a little age I started being around all the horses and you don't lose the love of horses. 'Half the young people wouldn't even watch the races but they're here to have fun and enjoy the music later on but, by 4.30pm I'm out of here.' Peace out! There was a crowd of around 15,000 punters at the Cup on Saturday and the day went off without a hitch The Cup was won by Happy Go Plucky, ridden by jockey Stephanie Thornton with bets at $26. Coming in second place was So You Win, trailed by Flash Aah Ladies showed off their best outfits as they strolled around the Ipswich Turf Club Wild weather! Not even the windy, chilly conditions deterred the revellers on Saturday Punters at Ipswich were a world away from worrying about lockdowns and Covid-19 exposure sites Line up! Ladies queue up at the portaloo in between races at the Ipswich Cup Time out! Some revellers took a well deserved rest after a long day out at the racetrack Live music also played at the event on Saturday. The Ipswich Cup was cancelled last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic Police have launched an urgent appeal to find a 12-year-old girl who was last seen heading to her local park on Friday evening. Destiny Bradbury left her home in Lea Hall, Birmingham at 18:30 on Friday evening to go to Meriden Park, also known as Chelmsley Park in Chelmsley Wood. She has not been seen since and West Midlands Police are concerned for her welfare. The 12-year-old was last seen leaving her home in Lea Hall, Birmingham on Friday at 18:30 She is described as white, 5ft 3in tall with straight blonde hair and was last seen wearing a grey Jordan top, black leggings, black trainers and a black Adidas hoodie with two white stripes. Anyone who has seen Destiny or has any information as to where she may be should call 999. ist of Covid exposure sites to the threatening Delta strain has risen to six cases Two gyms in the Sydney CBD and two venues on the NSW south coast are among the latest exposure sites to be identified as the state battles an outbreak of the dangerous Delta strain of coronavirus. The concerning development comes as the state's health minister warns current testing numbers in Sydney's east are grossly inadequate. The addition of The Broken Drum Cafe in Fairy Meadow in the NSW Illawarra region as an exposure site comes after a man who tested positive to the virus attended the venue. The Sydney man, aged in his 30s, also visited Bondi, Surry Hills and Westfield Bondi Junction. Earlier on Saturday, a woman aged in her 40s who lives in the Bondi Junction area tested positive for the virus. New South Wales now has six active cases as Greater Sydney prepares for more restrictions to be announced in the wake of the growing cluster Anyone who visited the Fitness First gym in Sydney's CBD on Wednesday between 12.30pm and 1.15pm and Thursday from 3.30pm to 4.30pm is advised to get tested immediately She regularly walks through the Westfield shopping centre where an infected man visited on June 12 and 13, but it is not known where she might have crossed his path. The fresh infections prompted a number of new venue alerts on Saturday night. Anyone who was in the Tempe Salvos, in Sydney's inner-west, on Wednesday between 2pm and 3pm is considered a close contact of a positive case and must get tested immediately and isolate for 14 days no matter the result. Anyone who was at Fitness First Pitt Street on Wednesday in the CBD between 12.30pm and 1.15pm or Thursday from 3.30pm to 4.30pm, or at the Baby Bunting store at Shellharbour on the NSW south coast from 4.30pm to 5.15pm on Friday is also encouraged to get tested immediately and self-isolate. The other case announced on Friday is a man in his 50s who lives in the eastern suburbs and walked through the Westfield Bondi Junction Myer store. NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard also said Friday's testing figure of 26,631 at Bondi Beach was 'nowhere near what we would like to see.' 'On the northern beaches, we were getting up to 70,000 a day, so we know people are capable of,' he said. Earlier this week, a 60-year-old limousine driver was the first reported case in the eastern suburbs cluster. His wife was later diagnosed with coronavirus. Her case was soon followed by a woman in her 70s who was sitting outside the Belle Cafe at Vaucluse in Sydney's east at the same time as the limousine driver was inside the venue, according to the ABC. 'The issue that has become apparent in the course of the last few days is that this particular Indian Delta virus is a near and present danger,' Mr Hazzard said in a press conference on Saturday. 'It is a virus that is a very capable of transmitting even when we have very fleeting proximity between the individual who is infectious and any of us who might be passing by. 'My very strong message to the community is if you have been in or around the Westfield shopping centre, you have to understand that it is not just Myer or David Jones. 'The concern we have is that even if you happen to be passing the person who was infectious, for example, on an escalator, walking along a passageway, or going through the airspace with a person has breathed out, we could see you becoming positive.' NSW Health are asking anyone who attended Westfield Bondi Junction on Saturday June 12 or Sunday June 13, even the car park, to immediately get tested and isolate until they receive their result. NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard has warned testing numbers in Sydney's east (testing station pictured) are nowhere near good enough NSW Health are asking anyone who attended Westfield Bondi Junction on June 12 or 13, even if they were only in the carpark, to immediately get tested and isolate It is also unclear if the driver - who has the contagious Indian Delta virus variant - was wearing personal protective equipment as required for frontline workers (pictured, testing at Bondi on Thursday) Fragments of the virus have also been picked up in sewer readings in the Camellia North catchment - putting more than 100,000 residents on high-alert this weekend. The sewer is from suburbs including Parramatta, Granville and Sydney Olympic Park in Sydney's west. Professor Tony Blakely told Today there is a 'good chance' Sydney will face increased and tougher restrictions to contain the spread of the new highly infectious virus strain that is now confirmed in Australia's biggest city. 'I hope it goes well for New South Wales, I really do but there's a good chance - its not a small chance - that more restrictions will be needed if this gets out of control,' he said. Professor Blakely added NSW had 'done very well' and proven itself 'the poster child' of how to contain Covid, but the Indian Delta strain was a more worrying opponent, with aerosol spread during 'fleeting contact' a major factor. Face masks will be mandatory on public transport until at least Wednesday across Greater Sydney in a bid to limit any further outbreak of the virus. A rider who died in a suspected murder-suicide while tending to her horse had to take out a restraining order against a stalker who was hounding her, it emerged today. Part-time model Gracie Spinks was found seriously injured in the picturesque village of Duckmanton in Derbyshire on Friday morning and later died at the scene. Roads in and out of the area were cordoned off after her assailant reportedly fled towards a country park. A primary school went into lockdown and local businesses were issued with a description of a suspect in grey jogging bottoms and a black top. But by lunchtime police said the situation had been 'resolved' after the body of a man in his 30s was discovered around half a mile away. Now friends of the 23-year-old, who lived in Old Whittington, around five miles from where her body was found, have revealed how she had long been bothered by a man, said to have been 'obsessed' with her. One told the Sun: 'We are aware that she had a stalker but didn't know who he was. We heard she had taken out a restraining order against him because he was becoming quite a pest. 'She's a beautiful young woman, very popular, and he was obsessed with her and kept turning up at the stables. He was infatuated with her.' Today, police, who have declined declined to discuss the possibility Gracie had a stalker known to them, continued to investigate at the scene. Floral tributes have also been left in memory of the aspiring eventer and show jumper, whose family are said to be 'besides themselves with grief'. Part-time model Gracie Spinks, 23, was found seriously injured in Duckmanton, Derbyshire, yesterday morning but died at the scene A forensic tent is set up in the picturesque Derbyshire village, where the 23-year-old's body was found on Friday morning Today, police, who have declined declined to discuss the possibility Gracie had a stalker known to them, continued to investigate at the scene Floral tributes have also been left in memory of the aspiring eventer and show jumper, whose family are said to be 'besides themselves with grief' Friends said she lived for horses and riding and took part in showjumping and dressage competitions with her favourite, named Paddy A map graphic shows the close distance - around half a mile - between where the two bodies were discovered yesterday A villager, 28, who lives close to the spot where Miss Spinks was found, said: 'The word locally is that this was a very vicious attack and possibly a crime of passion. 'Gracie kept at least one horse on the land it is grazing land where a number of people have horses and there is a temporary stable. 'As I understand it, Gracie was looking after her horse when she was attacked. It is just awful.' Friends said she lived for horses and riding and took part in showjumping and dressage competitions with her favourite, named Paddy. After Derbyshire Police set up roadblocks around the community close to the M1 outside Chesterfield yesterday, a local resident wrote on Facebook: 'I've been informed that, sadly, less than an hour ago a young woman was murdered on a farm less than half a mile from Poolsbrook Park. 'The perpetrator is believed to have fled towards the area of Poolsbrook Park. Anyone around that area please be careful.' Friends of Miss Spinks, who worked for a local e-commerce company, posted tributes on Facebook last night. Charlotte Pemberton, 23, who grew up with her, wrote: 'RIP Gracie. Such a beautiful, kind young girl who's been taken far too soon. Fly high sweet girl.' Alicia Jordan wrote: 'Oh Gracie Spinks Heartbroken doesn't even cut it... This world is so cruel.' By Saturday afternoon, a GoFundMe page set up to help Ms Spinks' family by Abbey Griffin, one of her friends, had raised more than 1,600. Ms Griffin said: 'Gracie was a beautiful girl at just 23 years old she had already touched so many people's life and what gorgeous memories she leaves behind. 'She was a caring and loving individual and was always happy to help. She was also so so stubborn and she'd always stand up for what was right. 'If you knew Gracie you'd also know she was horsey mad and had the most gorgeous horse called Paddy whom she loved dearly. 'Although no amount of money could ever bring Gracie back, I ask that you please donate what ever you can to help her family at this moment. 'We all love you so dearly Gracie, behave up there.' Friends of Miss Spinks, who worked for a local e-commerce company, posted tributes on Facebook last night with many saying she lived for horses and riding Locals leave floral tributes in memory of Gracie Spinks at the scene where her body was discovered on Friday morning An aerial shot shows the extent of the police cordon as detectives continue to investigate the tragedy in Derbyshire today Derbyshire Police, pictured at the scene today, said it was not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths Roads in and out of the area were cordoned off after her assailant reportedly fled towards a country park and investigations continue today It is understood that Miss Spinks, who had studied art and design at Chesterfield College, did occasional modelling work for a London agency and took commissions online to do pet portraits Roads in and out of Duckmanton in Derbyshire were cordoned off after her assailant reportedly fled towards a country park (pictured) Ms Griffin also said she would be organising a balloon release from the Markham Vale business park, where Ms Spinks worked, on Monday June 28 to allow her friends to say their goodbyes. It is understood that Miss Spinks, who had studied art and design at Chesterfield College, did occasional modelling work for a London agency and took commissions online to do pet portraits. Derbyshire Police said it was not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths. The force said: 'A woman was found injured in a field near to Staveley Road at around 8.40am. Paramedics attended and the woman, who was in her early 20s, sadly died at the scene. 'At 11am, the body of a man in his mid-30s was found in a field off Tom Lane, Duckmanton. 'We have traced and informed both families and specialist officers are supporting them at this time.' California is adopting former Donald Trump's plan to thin out the state's 33 million acres of forests with controlled burns and raking the woodland floor - after state officials essentially laughed off the former president's idea a few years ago. Trump had suggested in 2018 that the Golden State start sweeping its forest floors of debris that often aids in the spread of wildfires. But by Aug. 2020, at the peak of the state's wildfire season, his suggestion became an ultimatum when he withheld wildfire financial aid on the basis of California's failure to clear its forests of dead trees, branches and leaves, Politico reported at the time. Now, California is putting Trump's plan into practice statewide as groups of 12-person crews set about a $500 million effort to thin the state's forests with controlled burns and sweeping the forest floors of pines, redwoods and firs, according to a recent Bloomberg report. 'I see again the forest fires are starting,' Trump said at the 2020 rally in Pennsylvania. 'Theyre starting again in California. I said, you gotta clean your floors, you gotta clean your forests there are many, many years of leaves and broken trees and theyre like, like, so flammable, you touch them and it goes up (in flames).' 'Maybe were just going to have to make them pay for it because they dont listen to us,' he added at the time. Former US President Donald Trump had blamed the Cali's ongoing and deadly wildfire problem on the state's failure to clear its forests of dead trees and debris During the 2020 California wildfires, 31 people died and another 37 suffered non-fatal injuries due to 9,639 fires spread across the Golden State Groups of 12-person crews are combing the 33 million acres of California forests and cutting down trees to lessen the chance of wildfires During the 2020 California wildfires, 31 people died and another 37 suffered non-fatal injuries due to 9,639 fires spread across the Golden State, according to the website Cal Fire, which tracks wildfires throughout the state. Then-President Trump continuously blamed the Democrat-dominated state for not doing enough to prevent the widespread wildfires in 2018 and 2019 during his presidency, while threatening to withhold relief funds as environmentally-conscious Californians balked at his ideas. 'Ive been telling them this now for three years, but they dont want to listen,' Trump said at the August rally. 'The environment, the environment,' but they have massive fires again.' Groups of 12-person crews will be thinning the state's forests with controlled burns and sweeping the forest floors of pines, redwoods and firs 'I said... you gotta clean your forests' Trump said last summer. 'There are many, many years of leaves and broken trees and theyre like, like, so flammable, you touch them and it goes up' While the state begins to implement Trump's wildfire plan, those in the climate and forestry sectors continue to remain divided when it comes to the former president's solution. Director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program at Stanford University Michael Wara admits that attempting simply being reactive and fighting fires as they start is 'a forever war,' he said. 'You dont win those. The solution is to change your strategy and really rethink what you are doing.' For now, that solution is for a handful of 12-man crews, equipped with chainsaws and axes, to thin out the state's forests as a new wildfire season nears, Bloomberg reports. On a good day, these crews can clear up to a quarter of an acre a day. But whether or not that plan is sustainable remains to be seen, with some skeptics questioning its longevity. 'As soon as you cut it down, it starts to regrow,' said Steve Hawks, manager of the wildfire planning and engineering division at Cal Fire, which maintains firefighting duties for 31 million acres. 'It is going to be a constant thing,' Hawks tells the news outlet. California will be using $500 million in government aid specifically to combat its deadly wildfire problem Los Padres ForestWatch conservation director Bryant Baker warns that controlled burns will threaten the native plant areas of Southern Californias national forests Climate and forestry experts are split on Trump's California wildfire policy, which is about to receive $500 million in government aid despite Trump no longer being in the White House And the plan to thin out the state's forests is most certainly a long-term one, state government officials claim. Governor Gavin Newsom hopes that state and federal crews will be thinning out forests at a rate of one million acres annually by 2025, according to Bloomberg. For a state already scarred by the effects of global warming, preventative measures are quickly coming to the forefront of the conversation when it comes to California's ongoing wildfire problem, where playing catch-up has become the status quo. 'You get caught in this spiral of increasing costs and increasing fires,' Hawks added. 'The governments have to break out of this spiral by doing more preventative measures.' As for agencies involved in thinning out the state's 33 million acres of forestry, the Natural Conservancy in California 'has been and is very much involved in increasing efforts to reduce the risk of megafires through ecological thinning and controlled burns, particularly in the fire-adapted forests of the Sierra Nevada' mountain range along the states eastern edge, agency spokesman Juvenio Guerra told Bloomberg. Controlled burns are a key part of California's plan to thin out its forests, which are vulnerable to widespread wildfires that have ravaged the state in recent years Ca. Governor Gavin Newsom hopes that state and federal crews will be thinning out forests at a rate of one million acres annually by 2025 However, conservation director for Los Padres ForestWatch Bryant Baker warns that these kinds of controlled burns threaten the native plant areas of Southern Californias national forests. 'There are issues with just assuming this is some sort silver bullet in changing overall fires in the state,' Baker said. 'Prescribed fire is not going to be the thing that stops very large wind-driven fires that are occurring.' Gov. Newsom is already asking the state's legislature to give him $2 billion more in an effort to accelerate the forest thinning process in the fiscal year starting July 1, according to Bloomberg. 'Wildfires dont stop at jurisdictional boundaries. As we respond to wildfires in real-time this summer, improving coordination between the major stewards of Californias forested land will help us protect communities and restore forest health across California,' Newsom said in a statement obtained by Politico. President Joe Biden attended Mass on Saturday afternoon near his Delaware home ignoring a growing controversy as U.S. Catholic bishops try to block him receiving Communion because of his liberal stance on abortion. He walked through the churchyard of St Joseph on the Brandywine before entering the church for its 4pm service. He is a regular at the church when spending the weekend in Wilmington, and it was a familiar moment on a day marked by heartbreak. President Biden and first lady Jill Biden attended Mass at St Joseph on the Brandywine Roman Catholic Church near their Delaware home. They chatted to clergy and other churchgoers before they walked through churchyard in the direction of Beau Biden's grave. A row is brewing within the American Church over his stance on abortion as bishops take an increasingly hardline stance Biden's granddaughter Nathalie (far left), daughter of the late Beau Biden, accompanied them to church. They made the visit ahead of Father's Day on Sunday President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden depart after Mass at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Catholic Church, Saturday, June 19, 2021, in Wilmington, Del President Biden arrived alone for Saturday Mass at St Joseph on the Brandywine near his Delaware home. Earlier the president and first lady Jill Biden announced that their 13-year-old German Shepherd Champ had died. 'In our most joyful moments and in our most grief-stricken days, he was there with us, sensitive to our every unspoken feeling and emotion,' they said. 'We love our sweet, good boy and will miss him always.' Biden left the church at the end of the service with first lady Jill, who was carrying what looked like a magnolia plant. Rather than making straight for the waiting motorcade, the walked to the side of the church to spend a quiet moment at Beau Biden's graveside. A day earlier, Catholic bishops ignored a pointed Vatican attempt to find unity by approving the drafting of a 'teaching document' for Catholic politicians who support abortion. It means the country's increasingly bitter debate on abortion and other questions of sexual health centers on its most high-profile Catholics, and one of the more observant Christians to occupy the White House. For his part, Biden dismissed the bishops' move on Friday. 'Thats a private matter, and I dont think thats going to happen,' he told reporters at the White House when asked the possibility that he and other politicians could be denied Communion. First lady Jill Biden carried what looked like a magnolia plant as she left church a moment or two before the president Biden hugged another churchgoer as he left after Mass. Two or three anti-abortion protesters sometimes wait beyond the gates but they were not present on Saturday 'Thats a private matter, and I dont think thats going to happen,' he told reporters Friday at the White House when asked about a document that could rebuke him and Democrat politicians Biden and his wife Jill attend Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle during Inauguration Day ceremonies in Washington in January The vote - 168 in favor, 55 against with six abstentions - followed three hours of debate. Supporters of the measure believe a clear rebuke of Biden is needed to curb a series of measures that protect and expand abortion access. Opponents, such as the Most Rev Robert McElroy, bishop of San Diego, fear it is a polarizing move that could lead to the 'weaponization' of the Eucharist - a more formal name name for Holy Communion. As a result of the vote, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops doctrine committee will draft a statement on the meaning of Communion in the life of the Church that will be submitted for consideration at a future meeting, likely to be in November. The document will act as a statement of policy but will not be binding. Each bishop has the right to decide who can or cannot take Communion in his diocese. The Vatican has already tried to intervene, fearing a breakdown in unity. Cardinal Luis Ladaria, the prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican's theological watchdog, asked the USBC to delay the debate. He wrote to the conference saying it would be 'misleading' to suggest abortion and euthanasia were 'the only grave matters of Catholic moral and social teaching' that require 'the fullest level of accountability on the part of Catholics.' In so doing, he signaled how the liberal Catholicism of Pope Francis - with a focus on poverty, racial inequality, climate change - is increasingly at odds with the U.S. Church. One section of the document is intended to include a specific admonition to Catholic politicians and other public figures who disobey church teaching on abortion and other doctrinal issues. Bishop Donald Hying of Madison, Wisconsin, said during Thursday's debate that he speaks with many people who are confused by a Catholic president who advances 'the most radical pro-abortion agenda in history,' and action from the bishops conference is needed. 'Theyre looking for direction,' Hying said. Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego countered that the USCCB would suffer 'destructive consequences' from a document targeting Catholic politicians. 'It would be impossible to prevent the weaponization of the Eucharist,' McElroy said. Biden, who attends Mass regularly, says he personally opposes abortion but doesnt think he should impose that position on Americans who feel otherwise. Hes taken several executive actions during his presidency that were hailed by abortion-rights advocates. The result of the vote - 168 in favor and 55 against - was announced Friday by the Most Reverend Allen H Vigneron (pictured, left) near the end of a three-day meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles (right) also addressed the Catholic conference on Wednesday The chairman of the USCCB doctrine committee, Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, said no decisions have been made on the final contents of the proposed document. He said bishops who are not on the committee will have chances to offer input, and the final draft will be subject to amendments before it is put up to a vote. Rhoades also said the document would not mention Biden or other individuals by name and would offer guidelines rather than imposing a mandatory national policy. That would leave decisions about Communion for specific churchgoers up to individual bishops and archbishops. Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of Washington, has made clear that Biden is welcome to receive Communion at churches in the archdiocese. In this photo taken from video, Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Ind., head of the doctrine committee for the U.S Conference of Catholic Bishops, addresses the body's virtual assembly One of the most liberal candidates in New York City's upcoming mayoral race, Maya Wiley, is surging into second place according to some polls, with progressive groups coalescing behind her. Wiley's 'defund the police' platform is worrying some New Yorkers as the city faces a summer crime wave with random attacks on fearful residents both in the streets and on the city's subway. In what could have been her chance to put those fears to rest, during a final debate between the candidates earlier this week, Wiley decided not to raise her hand when the candidates were asked if they would put more cops on subway cars, despite a violent rise in stabbings and attacks. Meanwhile, Eric Adams, a former NYPD captain, has maintained his No. 1 ranking in the most recent polls for the Democratic mayoral primary. He doesn't support defunding the police. New York Mayoral candidate Maya Wiley is gaining in the latest mayoral poll A new poll puts Adams out in front for next week's primary election but with Maya Wiley surging into second place from third. The mayoral election is set for November Earlier in her campaign, Wiley was forced to deny that she intends to disarm NYPD cops after refusing to commit to a position during an earlier debate. Wiley - a former de Blasio administration official and member of the Civilian Complaint Review Board - presents herself as a reformer, and advocates cutting one billion dollars from the NYPD's budget and reform how the department operates. Wiley, who has been endorsed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Elizabeth Warren, responded at the time: 'I am not prepared to make that decision in a debate. 'I am going to have a civilian commissioner and a civilian commission that is going to hold the police accountable and ensure we're safe from crime but also from police violence,' she said. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks at a rally last week where she endorsed progressive candidates, including Maya Wiley, in upcoming election for city wide offices in City Hall Park Wiley is also supported by the Working Families Party who announced she was their favored candidate having pulled its support for two other progressives on the ballot, Comptroller Scott Stringer and Dianne Morale. A recent poll by PIX-11 suggested 23% of voters would choose Adams, followed by 18% for Wiley. Former city Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia came third with 17%. Yang was just behind in fourth with 14%. During the last poll on May 25 Wiley drew in just 9% of respondents. She has spoken openly of her plans to overhaul the New York Police Department that she claims is filled with bureaucratic waste. Wiley has said she wants to move $1 billion from its budget to community resources. She also plans to appoint a civilian as the NYPD commissioner and reduce the department's 35,000 officers by roughly 2,500. 'Black and brown New Yorkers both experience higher crime rates, lower resolution in solving crime and more bad experiences with police officers,' Wiley said to the Wall Street Journal during an interview. NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea has said the department is including hiring more people of color as officers and has urged against spending cuts. Amid a deluge of criticism, Wiley has attempted to insist that she does not intend to strip cops of their service weapons. Elsewhere, Wiley has promised to create more affordable housing and improve education inequity in public schools. In her five-year, $10 billion spending plan called 'New Deal New York' she claims she would be able to help the city recover from the pandemic through development, infrastructure repairs and the creation of 100,000 jobs. Four of the other candidates, Eric Adams, Kathryn Garcia, Scott Stringer and Andrew Yang, have pledged to bolster the NYPD. Violent crimes across NYC are spiking at a worrying rate and all of the candidates are campaigning on the issue. The Manhattan South police district, seen in the above charts, covers the key tourist area in and around Times Square Democratic candidates clash in final debate before New York mayoral primary The Democratic candidates in New York's Mayoral race clashed on policing, race and what kind of foods should be allowed in the city in their final debate ahead of the primary next week, with one candidate telling her black opponent that he 'doesn't speak for minorities' in his criticism of defunding cops - even though he is black. Front-runner Eric Adams, a former NYPD cop who has been endorsed by George Floyd's brother, was slammed by his opponents for his promise to bring back stop-and-frisk and the controversial anti-crime unit that de Blasio disbanded last June in the heat of the BLM movement. Maya Wiley, one of the most liberal candidates who is ranking third in the polls, didn't raise her hand when all of the candidates were asked if they'd put more cops on subway cars amid a surge in violent public transit crime. Neither did Dianne Morales, who wants to cut the NYPD's budget by $3billion, or Scott Stringer. The other candidates did raise their hands. When asked what she'd ban in the city, Wiley said 'every sugary drink' because her kids 'love them'. Adams said he'd get rid of processed meat, whereas Yang said he'd crackdown on the 'those ATVs that are terrorizing our streets right now.' In one of the most memorable moments from the debate, long-shot contender Dianne Morales fumed at opponent Raymond McGuire - a black businessman - telling him he 'didn't speak for minorities' when he said 'black and brown communities do not want to defund the police.' Morales wants to cut another $3billion from the NYPD's budget. McGuire said he disagreed and so did others in the black and brown communities. He said defunding the police would 'end in disaster' for New Yorkers'. Irate, she fired back at him: 'How dare you assume to speak for black and brown communities as a monolith.' In one of the only moments of unanimity, none of the candidates said they'd hire outgoing Mayor Bill de Blasio in any capacity in their administrations. Adams said he wouldn't give de Blasio a formal role but that he would seek his advice before taking office. None of the others said they'd hire him in any capacity, including Wiley, who used to work for him. Yang and Adams, two of the candidates who have received the most attention, traded blows over the Captains' Endowment Association police union endorsing Yang over Adams, who used to be a cop. Yang said it showed Adams can't be trusted, that his own union doesn't even want to stand behind him. 'The people you should ask about this are his colleagues. They think Im a better choice than Eric for keeping us and our families safe,' Yang said. Adams shot back that he never wanted their endorsement in the first place because the association once referred to George Floyd's death as a 'game' in which they were being used as a pawn. Yang and other candidates also slammed Adams for saying he'd be taking his gun to church after the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting which claimed 11 lives in 2018. At the time, he hadn't yet announced he was going to run. The day after the shooting, he said: 'From now on, I will bring my handgun every time I enter a church or synagogue.' The shooter was brought down by police. Adams wants to give the police more man-power by taking away their clerical duties to put them back on the street. He also wants to bring back stop-and-frisk - the controversial practice that many dubbed racist and a means of racial profiling - but says he'll never let anyone be 'abused' by it. Kathryn Garcia doesn't want to defund the police but she does want to raise the recruitment age of the NYPD from 21 to 25. She said on Wednesday night: 'To be quite honest with you, these are complicated times, and several of my opponents are using #DefundThePolice. 'I just don't think that's the right approach.' She also wants to make the city entirely reliant on renewable energy. Yang, who wants to give out $1billion in COVID relief and establish a universal base income for New Yorkers, was accused of dreaming up generous schemes that he'd have to pay for with 'monopoly money'. The primary is on June 22 and will decide who is the Democratic candidate in November's election. New York City hasn't had a Republican mayor since 2001, when Rudy Giuliani was replaced by Michael Bloomberg. There are only two Republican candidates to consider; Fernando Mateo, who wants to add 20,000 to the NYPD, and Curtis Sliwa, the head of the Guardian Angels. Advertisement Adams, a former police captain who also co-founded a leadership group for black officers, has risen to the top of most polls as issues of crime and policing have dominated recent mayoral debates. The race remains tight, though, with 2020 presidential candidate Yang, former city sanitation commissioner Garcia, city Comptroller Stringer and civil rights attorney Wiley the top contenders in a field of 13 candidates on the Democratic ballot. Stringer said he would cut at least $1billion over four years through measures such as transferring mental health response to non-police crisis teams and reducing police overtime. Garcia has not called for cutting the police budget, but says officers' minimum age should be increased from 21 to 25 and new recruits should be required to live in the city. Yang backs a police residency requirement as well as beefed up oversight of the department, but rejects calls to defund the police. Yang is campaigning alongside Kathryn Garcia on Saturday in Queens. It marks the first time in the race that two candidates have gone out together. Many of the most common types of crime in the city, including robberies, burglaries and grand larcenies, remain near historic lows, but through the first five months of 2021, the total number of major crimes measured by the police department has been at its lowest level since comparable statistics became available in the 1990s. But since the spring of 2020 the number of shootings has soared. Through June 6, there were 181 homicides in New York City, up from 121 in the same period in 2019, an increase of 50 percent. That's the worst start to a year since 2011. At least 687 people were wounded or killed by gunfire through June 6. That's not historically bad. More than 2,400 people were shot during the same period in 1993. But it is the highest number for a winter and early spring since 2000. The mayoral primary is especially hard to predict because the city is debuting ranked choice voting, with voters ranking up to five candidates. Democrats dominate in New York City, and the winner of the party's primary is considered highly likely to win the general election in November and succeed Mayor Bill de Blasio. The Republican primary features Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa and Fernando Mateo, a restaurant owner and advocate for taxi drivers. Julian Assange's fiancee Stella Moris has called his incarceration in one of England's highest security prisons 'intolerable and grotesque'. The partner of the WikiLeaks founder, 38, and the couple's two young sons Gabriel, four, and Max, two, visited Assange in prison for the first time in eight months on Saturday morning. Despite winning his long-running extradition battle in January against the US, Assange remains in HMP Belmarsh in south London pending the outcome of an appeal. Julian Assange's fiancee Stella Moris has called his incarceration in one of England's highest security prisons 'intolerable and grotesque'. Pictured: Stella with their sons Gabriel, four, and Max, two, visiting him in prison this morning Assange is still wanted in the US on an 18-count indictment, facing allegations of plotting to hack computers and conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information. The prosecution followed WikiLeaks' publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents in 2010 and 2011 relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, as well as diplomatic cables. Ms Moris said the last time she had seen Assange in the flesh was his last court appearance in early January. Judge Vanessa Baraitser ruled Assange should not be extradited to the US on mental health grounds due to his suicide risk. But she refused to release the 49-year-old while US prosecutors appeal the decision over fears he would abscond. Ms Moris's visit to the prison coincides with the date Assange sought diplomatic protection from the Ecuadorian Embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden on sex offence charges which have since been dropped. Despite winning his long-running extradition battle in January against the US, Assange (pictured in 2017) remains in HMP Belmarsh in south London pending the outcome of an appeal Assange and Ms Moris first met when she joined his legal team while he was in the Ecuadorian Embassy to help him fight the extradition process to Sweden and later to the US. Ms Moris said: 'He was happy to see the kids, but he's suffering. You know it's a grim, horrible place.' When asked about Assange's mental health, Ms Moris said: 'The situation is utterly intolerable and grotesque and it can't go on. 'You know he's been in there for two years and going on to two-and-a-half years. Today is actually the nine-year anniversary of him going into the Ecuadorian Embassy.' She added: 'The situation is just getting more and more oppressive.' Ms Moris said the last time she had seen Assange in the flesh was his last court appearance in early January. Pictured: Arriving at Belmarsh Prison today Ms Moris said she 'hoped' that they would remain in the UK if the US prosecutors' appeal was blocked. 'At least he will be safe here. I just want to be where Julian is safe.' She said that she and Assange's lawyers were hopeful that there is less of an appetite to prosecute him in the US following Joe Biden's election victory. 'The Biden administration is showing signs of wanting to project a commitment to the first amendment,' Mr Moris said. 'The only logical step for (Mr Biden) to take would be to drop this entire prosecution, and I hope that cooler heads prevail than under the Trump/Pompeo/Barr administration.' Ms Moris said the UK's decision to keep Assange behind bars 'degrades' the country. Assange is still wanted in the US on an 18-count indictment, facing allegations of plotting to hack computers and conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information. Pictured: Assange leaving Westminster Magistrates in January 2020 'Having Julian locked up and facing extradition degrades the UK and it is a threat to press freedom in the UK,' she said. '(The UK authorities) need to look at this situation afresh and bring it to an end, because it's gone on for too long, and Julian's life is at risk.' Ms Moris added: 'They're driving him to deep depression and into despair.' When asked if she thought he was being kept safe in prison, she said: 'It's not the right place for Julian at all, he shouldn't be in prison at all, he shouldn't be prosecuted at all, because he did the right thing: he published the truth.' She continued: 'It's not safe for him at all, he should be at home with his family. 'And, you know the prison guards know it, the prisoners know it, everyone tells him: 'You shouldn't be here.' 'And the UK Government knows it. This is intolerable and it has to be brought to an end.' Ms Moris said she 'hoped' that they would remain in the UK if the US prosecutors' appeal was blocked. Pictured: Stella and her sons in August 2020 Ms Moris said Assange was 'struggling', but added: 'He has his family to come back to.' Announcing her decision to deny bail in January, Judge Baraitser said: 'As a matter of fairness, the US must be allowed to challenge my decision, and if Mr Assange absconds during this process they will lose the opportunity to do so. 'Mr Assange still has a huge support network available to him should he again choose to go to ground.' Lawyers for Assange have said he now only wishes for a 'sheltered life' with his family. The brave crew on board the Challenger space shuttle likely survived the first few seconds after its devastating explosion, a new book has claimed. The capsule carrying crew members Michael Smith, Francis (Dick) Scobee, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Gregory Jarvis and Christa McAuliffe was ejected intact into the fireball, according to author Kevin Cook. His new book 'The Burning Blue: The Untold Story of Christa McAuliffe and NASA's Challenger' claims that the crew 'were conscious, at least at first, and fully aware that something was wrong' in the immediate moments after the explosion over the Atlantic Ocean in Florida in 1986. It is believed that the crew on board the shuttle were conscious when the explosion happened (L-R front row) Astronauts Mike Smith, Dick Scobee, Ron McNair and (L-R, rear row) Ellison Onizuka, school teacher Christa McAuliffe, Greg Jarvis, and Judith Resnik As it later came to light, the cold weather had stiffened the rubber O-rings holding the booster sections together, which contained the explosive fuel. What happened on board the Challenger Space Flight? The shuttle exploded 73 seconds after liftoff from Kennedy Space Flight Centre in Florida There had been concerns on the morning that the Challenger Shuttle was due to fly in January 1986 because of cold temperatures and concerns around some of the equipment. It was known that the O-rings, which hold the booster sections containing rocket fuel together, sometimes failed to fully expand in cold weather. This meant that a gap would be left between the booster sections, allowing the superheated fuel to burn through. Video footage captured of the liftoff show smoke escaping from the booster sections, resulting in a small flame which grew and caused the explosion. It is believed the crew on board survived the initial explosion, but that the terminal velocity of the fall of the shuttle back into the ocean at more than 200 miles per hour was fatal. Advertisement The cold meant that the rings failed to fully expand, leaving a gap of less than a millimetre between booster sections, allowing a few grams of superheated fuel to burn through. Engineers tried to warn NASA against carrying out the launch due to the cold weather after an overnight frost, but they were overruled. Just 73 seconds after liftoff, the small flame grew, rupturing the tank and igniting the hydrogen fuel, causing the explosion. But, the interior of the crew cabin, which was protected by heat-resistant silicon tiles made to withstand re-entry, was not burned up. Instead, it was sent blasting into the sky, subjecting the passengers to 20 G's of force, which was far more than the three G's their training had accustomed them to. An investigation later found the jump in G-force had been survivable and the probability of injury was 'low'. The investigation also showed no sign of sudden depressurisation which would have knocked the passengers unconscious. Further examination of the wreckage also found that three of the astronauts' emergency air supplies had been switched on, indicating that some of the crew had survived the initial explosion. It is also believed that Mr Smith tried to restore power to their shuttle, as switches on his control panel had been moved. The object dropped back down to earth some 12 miles above the Atlantic Ocean, reaching a terminal velocity of more than 200 miles per hour. The final descent took more than two minutes. Mr Cook's book focuses in on Christa McAuliffe, 37, a social studies teacher who had won NASA's Teacher in Space contest and earned herself a spot on the mission on January 28 as a payload specialist. As the would be first civilian in space, there was huge media attention on the flight, with Mrs McAuliffe hoping to prove that 'teachers have the right stuff too', after she beat 11,000 candidates to be on the mission. In August 1984, after marrying her former high school boyfriend Steve McAuliffe, having two children and landing her dream job teaching social studies at Concord High School, she spotted a headline reading 'Reagan wants teacher in space.' Mr Cook writes: 'With the election three months away,' the author writes, 'the president and his advisors saw a chance to promote the space program and win teachers' votes in one stroke.' Christa McAuliffe (right, sat with her backup crew member Barbara Morgan) was a social studies teacher who had won NASA's Teacher in Space contest and earned herself a spot on the mission She applied along with some 11,000 other teachers and was ultimately selected to board the flight. In the months before the flight, Mrs McAuliffe went through rigorous training, but the flight was hit with several delays, including an attempt on January 26 1986 which was scrapped due to rain. Another attempt the following day was scrapped after NASA techs struggled to fix a hatch malfunction. The fatal flight flew the following day, despite concerns over the cold weather. Mrs McAuliffe was buried in Concord in an unmarked grave as her husband feared that tourists would come to the site. Just 73 seconds after liftoff, a small flame grew, rupturing the tank and igniting the hydrogen fuel, causing the explosion In the months before the flight, Mrs McAuliffe went through rigorous training, but the flight was hit with several delays Then-president Ronald Regan ordered a probe into the Challenger catastrophe, where it was found that poor management and a disregard of safety advice were said to have played a role in the accident. It's believed that there were several pressures that may have pushed the agency to go through with the launch when it would have been better to wait. The first was that NASA was scheduling several launches that year and may have wanted to show that they could meet their deadlines. The other factor was that Reagan was scheduled to give his State of the Union speech that night, and wanted to brag about the launch in his address. The failure resulted in a nearly three-year lapse in NASA's shuttle program, with the next shuttle, Discovery, taking off on September 29, 1988. NASA ended the shuttle program for good in 2011, retiring the remaining vessels and instead opting for multimillion-dollar rides on Russian Soyuz capsules to get U.S. astronauts to the International Space Station. Human rights charities have criticised Boris Johnson for cracking a joke about 'flogging buses' to the leader of Bahrain a country they accuse of flogging prisoners to extract confessions. The prime minister was speaking during a meeting at Downing Street with the Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa on Thursday. Recalling the first time they met when he was Mayor of London, Mr Johnson said: 'The first time we met was when I was trying to flog you some buses. We succeeded, did we? The Bahraini crown prince, who is also the country's prime minister replied: 'I think you succeeded in flogging us some taxis. So that worked, the buses are a work in progress'. The prime minister was speaking during a meeting at Downing Street with the Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa The jokey exchanges came as a human rights charity released a new report showing death sentences in the tiny Gulf state have risen by over 600 per cent in the last decade, with 51 people currently on Death Row. Reprieve said torture was 'endemic' in Bahrain with prisoners put to death for 'terrorism-related' offences claiming they had been beaten and tortured to extract confessions. Of the 51 people sentenced to death in Bahrain since 2011, at least 31 were convicted on terrorism-related charges. Of these, 20 allege torture. Some 12 of the 26 people (46 per cent) facing imminent execution in Bahrain were convicted of terrorism-related offences, eleven of whom say they were tortured, and three of whom say they were convicted on the basis of a false torture confession. On Friday the UN Working Group on Arbitrary detention called for the immediate release of Bahraini Death Row inmates Mohammed Ramadhan (left) and Husain Moosa (right) saying they were convicted using confessions obtained through torture. Campaigners say those convicted of 'terrorism-related offences' were mostly attending protest marches which swept through the country during the 2011 Arab Spring. Jeed Basyouni, of Reprieve's Middle East and North Africa team, said: 'The Prime Minister surely knows that the Bahraini authorities beat, torture and sentence political prisoners to death - his own MPs have told him so, many times. 'So to see him laughing and joking with the Crown Prince is truly sickening. How much longer will the UK Government provide apparently unconditional support to a regime that executes people for the "crime" of speaking out?' The Reprieve report, called 'From Uprising to Execution', said that in 2019 the rate of executions in Bahrain was two thirds the rate per capita of Iran, one of the world's top executioners. Compared to the 51 people sentenced to death since the Arab Spring, just seven people were sentenced in the previous decade from 2001-2011. The jokey exchanges came as a human rights charity released a new report showing death sentences in the tiny Gulf state have risen by over 600 per cent in the last decade, with 51 people currently on Death Row. Pictured, the leaders at Downing Street Reprieve said all 12 people currently facing imminent execution were convicted of terrorism offences connected to political opposition. On Friday the UN Working Group on Arbitrary detention called for the immediate release of Bahraini Death Row inmates Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa saying they were convicted using confessions obtained through torture. Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, of the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), said: 'As a former political prisoner, the image of political prisoners with huge bruises across their backs after being flogged by police with plastic hoses during interrogations haunts me to this day. 'To hear Mr Johnson joke about flogging buses to a regime that metes these punishments out on defenceless prisoners is truly sickening and lays bare the brazen disregard this government has for the suffering of the Bahraini people'. Campaigners say there is no evidence against Ramadhan, 37, and 33-year-old Moosa and they have been sentenced on the basis of confessions which were extracted under torture. Both men deny having anything to do with the death of a policeman who was killed by a flare gun let off at a pro-democracy demonstration in Bahrain as the country was engulfed by protests during the Arab Spring. Following their arrests in 2014, Ramadhan, an airport security guard, told how he was blindfolded, stripped, and beaten with iron rods while Moosa said he was hanged by his wrists for three days and beaten until he confessed. A Government of Bahrain spokesman said: 'The government of Bahrain has a zero-tolerance policy towards mistreatment of any kind and has put in place internationally recognised human rights safeguards. 'A range of institutional and legal reforms have been implemented in close collaboration with international governments and independent experts, including the establishment of a wholly independent Ombudsman the first of its kind in the region which will fully and independently investigate any allegation of mistreatment. 'Mohammad Ramadan and Husain Musa were convicted of serious criminal offences including the premeditated murder of a police officer and of attempting to kill other officers through a planned explosion. Other convictions included possession of an explosive device and Molotov cocktails for a terrorist purpose. 'They received fair trials with full access to an appeals process, which they have now exhausted.' A ghost armada of sanctions-busting tankers carrying black-market oil to China is bankrolling Irans secret nuclear programme, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. The rogue state has almost doubled its fleet sailing under other countries flags to 123 in the past year, letting China smuggle in up to a million barrels of oil per day or two-thirds of the UKs daily use. Intelligence experts warn that the expanded fleet shows Iran, which announced hardliner Ebrahim Raisi as its president yesterday, is boosting development of its nuclear capability despite international curbs. A ghost armada of sanctions-busting tankers carrying black-market oil to China is bankrolling Irans secret nuclear programme The fleet uses a string of techniques to evade sanctions as it sails the globe with its illegal cargo, including registering vessels in small nations without the ability to monitor tankers flying their flag. Iranian vessels are also spoofing manipulating the GPS that reports a vessels position so it appears to be elsewhere when it docks undetected in prohibited areas. Satellite imagery provided to the The Mail on Sunday shows ships in the illegal armada allegedly spoofing last month, and others travelling to load oil on to Chinese ships in the South China Sea. Ships also use flag hopping to switch their registration between nations and mask their identity. US sanctions designed to stop Iran financing international terrorism and developing its nuclear programme ban the Middle East state from selling oil abroad. But China has flouted the ban and increased its secret dealings at sea over the past six months to help bankroll Irans nuclear activity, according to United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), an international not-for-profit group led by former US ambassador to the UN Mark Wallace. Intelligence experts warn that the expanded fleet shows Iran, which announced hardliner Ebrahim Raisi (pictured) as its president yesterday, is boosting development of its nuclear capability despite international curbs It used satellite imagery and round-the-clock tracking to monitor the illicit trade. China was reportedly buying an average of 700,000 barrels of illegal Iranian oil a day up to April, peaking at a million barrels, making it Tehrans main customer. Ghost armada ships carrying 18 million barrels are currently thought to be in the South China Sea. Former US ambassador to the UN Mark Wallace (pictured) set up the United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), an international not-for-profit group Between February and May, UANI successfully applied for seven ships in the fleet, which includes 20 supertankers able to carry more than two million barrels of oil, to have their flags deregistered after alerting national authorities and insurers. The armada can transport almost 100 million barrels of crude or fuel oil and nearly 12 million barrels of liquefied petroleum gas worth a total of 5.5 billion. Other countries that buy from Iran include Syria and the United Arab Emirates. UANI senior adviser Sir Ivor Roberts, a former Foreign Office counter-terrorism chief, said that if only a sixth of the armadas tankers evaded detection and completed a shipment each week, Iran would be exporting 2.4 million barrels a day 300,000 more than before sanctions were reimposed in 2018. He added: The volume of black-market oil China is buying from Iran is staggering. That gives the regime in Tehran the foreign currency it needs to build up its reserves, ramp up its nuclear programme in the face of international sanctions and pursue its terror-sponsoring agenda abroad. 'This shadowy alliance is a challenge to the West and has potentially huge implications for our security. Iran and China did not respond to requests to comment last night. Juneteenth has been considered America's 'second independence day' since June 19, 1865, when Union Army General George Granger walked into Galveston and declared the last slaves in Texas free Juneteenth, the day marking the emancipation of slaves in the US, has been made a federal holiday - after 155 years. President Joe Biden put pen to paper at the White House on Thursday to sign the bill into law, with the first Juneteenth National Independence Day being observed tomorrow. In the past the day has been marked as 'Emancipation Day'. It is not clear how it came to be called Juneteenth National Independence Day, but Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee said that America only 'truly became the land of the free and the home of the brave' when Union Army General George Granger freed the last saves in Texas in 1865. When she introduced the bill in 2020, she said: '[Juneteenth] commemorates freedom while acknowledging the sacrifices and contributions made by courageous African Americans towards making our great nation the more conscious and accepting country that it has become. 'It was only after that day in 1865, on the heels of the most devastating conflict in our country's history, in the aftermath of a civil war that pitted brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor and threatened to tear the fabric of our union apart forever, that America truly became the land of the free and the home of the brave.' Vice President Kamala Harris noted in her speech that 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue was built by slaves. The bill passed through Congress, with only 14 Republicans rejecting the measure, citing 'confusion' with July 4, a left-wing 'push for identity politics' and there being too many federal holidays in the US already. But Juneteenth has been considered America's 'second independence day' since June 19, 1865, when Union Army General George Granger walked into Galveston and declared the last 250,000 slaves in Texas free. Abraham Lincoln outlawed slavery with the the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862, but enforcing the law was dependent on whether the Union army could reach the It has been celebrated annually and has gone through many iterations - including Jubilee Day, Freedom Day, Liberation Day, Emancipation Day. Now it is a national holiday that has been supported by both Democrats and Republicans. President Biden on Thursday said it was one of the 'greatest honors' of his presidency. He called slavery a 'moral stain' and the 'original sin' that still impacts the US today. VP Harris said it was important to 'teach our children' the part of American history. WHAT IS JUNETEENTH? THE DAY THE LAST SLAVES WERE FREED IN TEXAS Juneteenth, a portmanteau of June and 19th, also is known as Emancipation Day. It commemorates the day in 1865, after the Confederate states surrendered to end the Civil War, when a Union general arrived in Texas to inform the last group of enslaved African Americans of their freedom under President Abraham Lincoln's 1863 Emancipation Proclamation. An Emancipation Day celebration in Austin, Texas, in 1900. Juneteenth has been celebrated annually and has gone through many iterations - including Jubilee Day, Freedom Day, Liberation Day, Emancipation Day. Now it is a national holiday that has been supported by both Democrats and Republicans It came about two months after Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered in Appomattox, Virginia. Granger put the Emancipation Proclamation into effect and it became law. Since African-Americans have marked the day across the country and many states have followed by making it an official holiday. Juneteenth activist Opal Lee was recognized by President Joe Biden at the White House celebration where the president made Juneteenth a federal holiday In 1980, Texas became the first state to officially declare it a holiday. The passing of the bill is celebrated by a statue of State Rep. Al Edwards (D-Houston), who introduced the legislation in 1979. It is now recognized in 46 other states and the District of Columbia. Major companies such as Twitter and Square have also marked it as a company day off and it is recognized by brands including Nike and Target. Opal Lee, 94, the 'Grandmother of Juneteenth', was at the White House signing alongside President Biden and VP Kamala Harris. On June 19, 1939, when she was 12 years old, a white mob stormed her home in Marhsall, Texas, and burned it. When she retired as an elementary school teacher in 1977 and then dedicated her life to activism. In 2016, she embarked on 1,400 mile walk from Fort Worth to Washington D.C. to urge the Obama administration to make June 19th a national holiday. Although in part a celebration, the day is also observed solemnly to honor those who suffered during slavery in the United States with the arrival of the first enslaved Africans over 400 years ago. Many cities across the country hold huge parades and festivals. This year, Galveston will unveil a 5,000-square-foot memorial called 'Absolute Equality' on the spot where Granger told the slaves they were free. WHAT MADE IT MORE SIGNIFICANT LAST YEAR AND HOW HAVE CALLS GROWN TO MAKE IT A FEDERAL HOLIDAY? A statue of Texas State Rep. Al Edwards in Galveston, who introduced legislation in 1979 to make Juneteenth a holiday Last year, Juneteenth coincided with global protests against racial injustice sparked by the May 25, 2020 death of Floyd, a black man, in Minneapolis police custody. It also accompanied the coronavirus outbreak, which disproportionately affected communities of color. Donald Trump, who had already been under fire for his response to both crises, drew further criticism for scheduling a re-election rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He since moved it to the next day. Tulsa is an important and especially sensitive site where a white mob massacred African-American residents in 1921. This year marked the 100th anniversary of the massacre, and helped the push for calls for reparations for victims. Community organizations nationwide devoted the day to discussions on policing and civil rights ahead of the November election. HOW DO PEOPLE MARK THE DAY? WIDESPREAD MARCHES AND PARADES People marked the 155th anniversary across the country with festive meals and gatherings. While many cities canceled annual parades because of the pandemic, other groups opted for virtual conferences or smaller events. In Washington, groups planed marches, protests and rallies. Amid the wave of racial justice protests, some U.S. businesses committed to a change of policies, including recognition of the holiday. Among the companies that announced they will recognize Juneteenth as a paid company holiday are the National Football League, The New York Times, Twitter and Square. LORD ASHCROFT (pictured): 'The job of Leader of the Opposition is often considered to be the worst in British politics' In the first part of our serialisation last week of Lord Ashcroft's forensically researched new biography of Sir Keir Starmer, we told how the flute-playing, grammar school educated Labour leader has been accused of overplaying his working-class credentials. Here, in the final part, we explain how the die-hard Remainer may well have unwittingly secured Boris Johnson's 2019 General Election triumph and a much harder Brexit. The job of Leader of the Opposition is often considered to be the worst in British politics. Neil Kinnock, who led the Labour Party from 1983 until 1992, once described it as 'purgatory'. To be so close to power and, at the same time, to be so far from it must surely be a form of torture for those who aspire to the highest office of the land. Today, with the Labour party going through a difficult period of self-examination, the job is arguably harder still. When Sir Keir Starmer, a latecomer to elected politics, arrived in the Commons in 2015, aged 52, he had a profile that was significantly higher than that of most MPs as a result of his five-year term as Director of Public Prosecutions. He raised his profile further in the four years after the Brexit referendum as Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union. Being stubbornly against Brexit marked him out as a hero for many on the liberal Left. It's now a little over a year since he became leader of his party, and it is undeniable that some commentators have begun to wonder if Labour's outlook under him is too narrow. Others have questioned if he is the right person to lead Labour. Some have doubted if Labour itself even has a future. Following an appalling set of election results last month, Tony Blair, Labour's most electorally successful Prime Minister, attacked Sir Keir for lacking a 'compelling economic message'. Blair added: 'And the cultural message, because he is not clarifying it, is being defined by the "woke" Left.' None of this has made Sir Keir's job any easier. FLYING THE FLAG: Starmer with Georgia Gould, head of Camden Council, at a 2019 anti-Brexit rally in London What may have made the challenge greater still is that, beginning with Blair in 1994, four of Labour's last five leaders have been long-term residents of North London. The last three Ed Miliband, Jeremy Corbyn and Sir Keir live within a short drive of each other, feeding the narrative that the bond between Labour's leadership and the provincial working-class vote on which it was built is torn and frayed. It is not difficult to see why a view has taken hold that Labour has become a party run by and for people who embody the liberal and metropolitan elite. The question is whether Sir Keir's personality is big enough and well defined enough to achieve the undeniable popularity of both Blair and Corbyn, or whether he is closer to being more like Gordon Brown or Ed Miliband. In other words, can his temperament, along with his experiences as both a politician and a lawyer, ever equip him to make the tricky transition from his current predicament to Downing Street? IN April 2019, Prime Minister Theresa May invited Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to take part in cross-party talks in an attempt to agree a unified approach to Brexit. Starmer, who in his role as Shadow Brexit Secretary had engaged the Tory Government in a long series of skirmishes since the vote to leave Europe, led the Labour delegation. The meetings opened with some optimism. The Government team quickly discerned, however, that some of those in the Labour camp were more willing to compromise than others. While those in Corbyn's close team 'were sending out signals that they wanted a deal', Starmer was insistent that an agreement had to include a second referendum. One who was present remembers that Starmer conducted himself 'incredibly professionally, politely, and with this overriding narrative that he's seriously engaging in the talks with a view to finding an agreement'. Suspicions were raised, however, over reports that appeared in the media after each meeting. According to May's former director of communications Sir Robbie Gibb, he and his opposite number in the Labour delegation, Seumas Milne, would work together on how to communicate the progress of talks to journalists. 'What we put out I would run past Seumas first, and Seumas would run what they were going to say past me,' Gibb recalls. But, he says, 'there were briefings to the BBC's Today programme saying that the cross-party talks are going nowhere. 'I'd get a call from the BBC saying, "I believe the talks are on the verge of collapse." CAMPAIGNING: Sir Keir Starmer, right, and Emily Thornberry, second right, lead the Trust The People march in 2019 in Brighton '"Well, who have you spoken to?", I'd say. "Can't say. It's official sources." It was completely disorientating. So the question is, who spoke to the journalists?' Gibb is convinced the negative briefings came from Starmer or his team, and that the mixed messages highlighted conflicting attitudes within the Labour delegation. 'There was obviously a division at the very heart of Labour during this period,' Gibb says. Some who saw the process from the Labour side believe Starmer was the most deal-resistant of the party's negotiators, and that he prized the possibility of reversing Brexit through a second referendum above the chance to achieve a negotiated soft Brexit. In December 2019, Boris Johnson's Conservatives won the General Election with an 80-seat majority. Labour lost 60 seats, its worst performance since 1935, and Jeremy Corbyn announced his resignation. On January 23, 2020, Johnson's withdrawal agreement became law, and eight days later the UK left the EU. 'Starmer's North London constituency was about 80 per cent Remain,' observes former Labour MP John Mann. 'Similar with Corbyn and Diane Abbott. So they're surrounded in every part of their life by people who voted Remain. 'I suspect people like Starmer were shocked at just how big the Tory victory was. But there was no attempt to talk to voters in the North of England by anybody outside the North of England.' Some suspect Starmer's own personal ambition helped explain his pursuit of the referendum- and-remain policy. 'I'm not very impressed with him,' says one former Labour MP who lost his Northern seat in 2019. 'Starmer got into bed with the People's Vote people, so as to get votes for the leadership among members of the London Labour party. And he wouldn't do a deal with Theresa May, which was there to be done, and would have meant a soft Brexit. 'So what happens? May has to resign, and we get a hard Brexit. All because he wanted to get himself elected Labour leader.' Sir David Lidington, a Tory who supported Remain who was closely involved in trying to pass the May deal that would have kept Britain more closely aligned with the EU than the one ultimately concluded by Johnson, reflects that whatever the mix of motives, 'Starmer is one of the authors of a very hard Brexit. There is no doubt in my mind about that'. Perhaps Starmer's stance on Brexit during this tumultuous period should not be a surprise, given his attitudes towards the EU going back to the beginning of his career. In 1988, as a young barrister, he was invited by his boss and mentor, Geoffrey Robertson QC, to accompany him on a trip to the European Court of Human Rights at Strasbourg. This was to be Starmer's introduction to human rights law a field in which he would later specialise and which has without doubt helped forge his political attitudes. Things got off to an embarrassing start for the novice, however. A story circulated afterwards that when they landed at Strasbourg airport, Robertson made it through customs successfully, but Starmer did not, having lost his passport en route. Threatened by the local gendarmerie with being locked up and returned to Gatwick the next morning, Robertson had to phone the British consul, who was persuaded to go to the airport and vouch for the hapless Starmer so that he could remain in the city for 24 hours. Miraculously, this ploy worked and Starmer was able to see his boss in action in court. The following year he accompanied the human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell by bus to a green socialist summer camp in France. 'He was a fellow Left-wing activist,' says Tatchell. 'He struck me as very intelligent, passionate and committed to a radical vision of what Britain could be. He was well to the Left of Neil Kinnock, but he combined radicalism with pragmatism. He was quite in advance of Labour thinking at the time.' Tatchell remembers discussing ideas with Starmer which were not considered mainstream in Labour circles in the 1980s. 'Both he and I were already thinking about the potential of Europe-wide collaboration between socialist parties, trade unions and civil society groups to advance a progressive agenda. Starmer's stance on Brexit should not be a surprise, given his attitudes towards the EU going back to the beginning of his career This went against the grain of traditional Left-wing hostility towards what was then the EC. Keir was very strong on human rights. He also embraced new ideas on feminism, ecology and LGBT+ rights when some in the Labour Party even on the Left were still quite hesitant.' As well as his work as a barrister, Starmer found time between 1987 and 1990 to take up a post as a legal officer for the National Council for Civil Liberties (NCCL), a watchdog group now known as Liberty. In August 1989, Starmer gave press interviews in which he criticised proposals to introduce video identification parades for police hunting criminals. He also used his position as Liberty's legal officer to lambast the police for their attempt to crack down on an open-air acid house party in Berkshire. After officers from Thames Valley Police set up roadblocks and confiscated electronic equipment, Liberty backed the organisers in a court action. Starmer was quoted as saying that the police operation was 'an incredible abuse of police powers'. He is not thought to have been a regular attender of acid house parties himself, where taking proscribed drugs such as MDMA and LSD was not unusual, although one friend who prefers to remain anonymous says he was certainly not averse to 'smoking weed' at social occasions when he was a younger man. In April 1990, Starmer attended the Appeal Court hearing in London of the so-called Winchester Three, sitting in as a legal observer on behalf of Liberty. The case concerned three Irish citizens who, in 1988, had been found guilty at Winchester Crown Court of involvement in a plot to murder the then Northern Ireland Secretary, Tom King. The trio, who had exercised their right to remain silent, were sentenced to 25 years in prison. Their convictions were overturned after serving just two years, however, because during the course of their original trial, the British Government had announced its intention to abolish the right to silence in terrorist cases in Northern Ireland. The Appeal Court ruled that King's public support of this move and comments about terrorist suspects abusing the right to refuse to answer questions could have prejudiced the original trial. This was a highly controversial decision and the group's release from prison was heavily criticised by some, including by the former Master of the Rolls. Starmer, however, was delighted. Although he obviously felt it right that this principled position had won the day, it could be argued that he overplayed his hand. It is sobering to recall that three months later, another Conservative, Ian Gow, was murdered by an IRA bomb that was planted underneath his car outside his house in Sussex. Nobody has ever been convicted of his murder. Over the course of the next 18 months or so, Starmer assembled a delegation of lawyers and arranged for them to visit Belfast on a four-day fact-finding mission under the umbrella of the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers to investigate criminal justice in the province under the Emergency Powers, which were still in place. Starmer and his team met High Court and Appeal Court judges; they interviewed prisoners; they spoke to the Independent Police Complaints Commission and the Standing Advisory Committee on Human Rights; and they spent time gathering material from solicitors and researchers. In mid-1992, a report detailing their observations was published. It concluded that the Diplock courts in Northern Ireland set up specifically to deal with political and terrorism-related cases were 'failing to secure reliable convictions based on properly tested evidence' and should be abandoned. It also claimed that Catholic detainees were being subjected to interrogation techniques which amounted to physical and psychological torture. Given that Starmer later became adviser to the Board of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, it is noteworthy that the Haldane Society had a clear policy at that time of supporting a united Ireland. 'We call for British withdrawal,' the report declared. 'We did not hide the fact we had such [a] policy.' Even if Starmer did not write the entire report himself, it seems most unlikely that as the serious-minded convenor of the trip, he did not know about its contents. This fuels questions about how neutral Starmer was, then and subsequently, on Northern Ireland issues and gives pause for thought when it comes to assessing to what extent his own feelings about it have ever been scrutinised or understood. In October 1992, he was a junior member of a team that tried unsuccessfully to defend two murderers at the High Court who had been released on parole, then sent back to prison for leading an unsettled lifestyle. This was exactly the sort of project in which Starmer appears to have relished being involved. With that said, it throws up a rather more challenging question about certain beliefs he has held regarding imprisonment in general. One much respected lawyer recalls with incredulity an occasion around this time when Starmer shared his views on this subject. According to this person, he certainly seemed keen to convert the idea of civil liberties for all into a practical reality. 'I remember sitting in the pub with him listening to him seriously say he doesn't believe in imprisonment for anything, ever,' reports the lawyer. 'We all say stupid things when we're young, but he wasn't that young. He was a practising barrister. He wasn't a teenager.' HIS dearly held beliefs saw Starmer two decades later invited by his friend Ed Miliband to chair a Labour Party task force on victims' rights. It was, in effect, a public demonstration of his intention to move into politics. Yet before he could do so, there was another, more pressing, matter to tackle. Following the end of his five-year contract as Director of Public Prosecutions in 2013, he had returned to private practice that year. But as he well knew, it is customary for retiring male DPPs to be honoured with a knighthood. He now had to decide whether he would go against his progressive instincts by accepting a title he would keep for the rest of his life. Red Knight: The Unauthorised Biography Of Sir Keir Starmer, by Michael Ashcroft, published by Biteback on August 19 at 20 He had already joined the ranks of the Establishment by becoming DPP, but would there be any consequences for him politically if he cemented this status with a knighthood? What would his Labour-supporting parents or friends say? Indeed, a video from 2005, unearthed by the Guido Fawkes political website, saw Starmer once musing: 'I got made a Queen's Counsel, which is odd since I often used to propose the abolition of the monarchy.' One who knows him well says he certainly wrestled with the problem. 'Keir has always been cautious,' says the friend. 'Some advised him not to take a knighthood, for the sake of his Labour career. But of course he did. 'They all do even republicans and Left-wingers, who are told it's expected of them when, for example, they become judges. He prefers not to use it, but it probably provides a certain reassurance to Middle England.' The Cabinet Office has refused to confirm who nominated Starmer for his knighthood. But the statement announcing it was published in the 2014 New Year Honours list, and the investiture took place at Buckingham Palace the following February. In 2015, Starmer told his local newspaper: 'I've never liked titles. When I was DPP, everyone called me "director" and I said, "Please don't call me 'director', call me Keir Starmer'." It's a very similar battle now.' Of course, accepting a knighthood and then being reluctant to use it does leave him open to accusations of what Boris Johnson has called 'cakeism' that is to say, having your cake and eating it. But others admire him for his principles. 'I feel his integrity very strongly,' says Lord Goldsmith, who has known Starmer since his time as Attorney General in the Blair Government. 'His decency I feel very strongly. But it's interesting that after he'd been DPP he didn't go about as Mr Rentaquote, which some people have done. 'He wasn't looking for opportunities to have people talking about Keir Starmer. He is genuinely concerned about doing the job well and not promoting himself.' If Starmer, now 58, has not so far been a dazzling figure in public, this need not rule him out of contention to become Prime Minister. 'Will he ever be an orator like Neil Kinnock?' says Goldsmith. 'It's very hard to achieve that particular style of oratory.' A somewhat bland persona, meanwhile, can actually be a reassuring feature for leaders on the Left. An old party hand says: 'You can be a much more radically successful leader for the Labour Party if you feel like much more of an Establishment person whereas Labour leaders who delighted in their taking-to-the-barricades personas haven't made it to No 10. 'He has something in common with those Labour leaders who went on to become Prime Minister because his objective has not been "I have a lifelong ambition to be leader of the Labour Party". It's more "I have a lifelong ambition to be a Labour Prime Minister".' To come close to achieving this, Starmer will need to show he is setting the direction of the party without interference from the dissenters. If he is to succeed, he faces a choice: will he aim to keep both sides of his party happy, trying to negotiate with Labour's factions with lawyerly logic? Or is he prepared to do what it takes to reposition the party and face down the Corbynistas? Expelling his predecessor over antisemitism was a bold step, but we don't yet know if he has the nerve to have a serious falling-out with the hard Left when it comes to making big calls over economic policy or foreign affairs. Winning an Election will mean wielding his authority and proving his party has changed. Labour's rebrand has already begun, with the announcement this week of its 'Stronger Together' slogan as a radical policy over- haul begins. Will it work for Keir Starmer? Can he go all the way? Only time will tell. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky scolded a reporter who asked about his vaccination status after he said he does not think he needs it because he has built up natural immunity. The Kentucky Republican joined fellow House Republicans, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Green, on Friday to support the Fire Fauci Act, which seeks to remove Dr. Anthony Fauci as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The House Republicans claim Fauci misled the public during the pandemic and are asking to look into his correspondences and expenditures. During a press conference for the Fire Fauci Act, Massie said the CDC has an agenda to get everyone vaccinated even if they do not need to. When a reporter pointed out Massie had not answered a previous question about his vaccination status he snapped back. 'Well, first of all, it's none of your business, but I'm going to tell you,' he said. 'I'm not vaccinated.' He went on to explain that he is waiting for 'data' that convinced him that he needs to get vaccinated and proves he does not already have immunity because of his previous infection. 'Until there's some science by the way, I have a master's of science degree from MIT,' he said. 'I'm not a virologist, but I can read data. Everybody just needs to read, and don't put your head in the sand.' 'Look at the data,' he added 'I'm not going to get the vaccine until there's data that shows that it will improve upon the immunity that's been conferred to me as a result of a natural infection that I had.' Scroll down for video When a reporter asked about his vaccination status he snapped 'Well, first of all, it's none of your business, but I'm going to tell you,' he said. 'I'm not vaccinated' It's not clear who the reporter was, who hasn't been identified. Massie told reporters that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Fauci himself were purposely hiding data about the effectiveness of immunity to COVID after infection. 'One of the biggest scandals during this whole pandemic is the coverup that's been committed by Dr. Fauci and the CDC about the effectiveness of immunity that's conferred after a natural infection, after you've recovered from COVID, they've completely ignored that,' Massie said. He said trials from the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine showed there was no benefit to those who had been previously recovered from infection, citing a recent Cleveland Clinic study. Massie was supporting the Fire Fauci Act, which seeks to remove Dr. Anthony Fauci (pictured) as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases There have been a total of 33,516,802 cases of Coronavirus in the United States, and 601,573 deaths Massie tested positive for coronavirus in January 2020 and in August 2020. He announced on Glenn Beck's radio show he had tested positive for antibodies so he donated plasma, FOX News reported. He later clarified he was not advocating people purposely get infected to develop immunity. 'The vaccine can save lives, it's certain,' he said. 'But there's no need to get the vaccine if you've already recovered from COVID.' The CDC highly recommends people get vaccinated instead of relying on natural immunity. 'While getting COVID-19 may offer some natural protection, known as immunity the risk of severe illness and death far outweigh any benefits of natural immunity,' they said. 'Getting a COVID vaccine will protect you without having to be sick.' Overall, about 172.4 million people, or 51.9 percent of the total U.S. population have received at least one dose of vaccine On Friday, President Joe Biden announced that 65 per cent of Americans have now gotten at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine which may mean he will fall short of his goal to have 70 per cent of Americans at least partially vaccinated by July 4. The CDC says 305 million vaccine doses had been administered as of June 1O. Overall, about 172.4 million people, or 51.9 percent of the total U.S. population have received at least one dose of vaccine, according to the CDC. About 141.6 million people, or 42.6 per cent of the U.S. population, have been fully vaccinated. He encouraged people to get vaccinated to potentially protect themselves from the deadlier 'Delta' variant of the virus. 'It's a variant that is more easily transmissible, potentially deadlier and particularly dangerous for young people,' Biden said. He pleaded with Americans to 'act, act now,' and get the vaccine, which has proven effective against the new variants. The BBC has sparked a discrimination row after only allowing people from ethnic minorities to apply for a trainee position. The broadcaster is advertising a one-year, 17,810 trainee production management assistant role with its Science Unit in Glasgow, but the position is 'only open to black, Asian and ethnically diverse candidates'. Positive discrimination is unlawful under the Equality Act 2010, but 'positive action' is allowed for trainee and internship roles in areas where there is under-representation. DIVERSITY: The BBC trainee will work on Springwatch, above, with (left to right) Chris Packham, Michaela Strachan, Gillian Burke and Iolo Williams The advert was posted online by Creative Access, a company that aims to boost the number of ethnic minorities working in the creative, media and arts industries. Whoever gets the post will have the chance to work on popular BBC shows including Springwatch, The One Show and The Truth About series. The advert by Creative Access says: 'The successful candidate will be someone with a desire to build a career in the TV industry and a demonstrable interest in BBC Studios.' A trainee researcher position with the Corporation's Bristol-based Natural History Unit was also recently advertised as being open only to candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds. Last night, the BBC would not disclose how many training roles were similarly advertised, but a spokesman said: 'The BBC is a welcoming, inclusive organisation committed to representing and reflecting our audiences. We support a scheme organised by Creative Access, an independent organisation dedicated to increasing diversity in the creative industries, which provides development roles, fully in line with the Equality Act.' The BBC has previously talked of its 'pride' in helping people from under-represented groups get their first break into the media. Some 18 per cent of all highest earners now come from black and ethnic minority backgrounds a rise of six per cent in the past four years. BBC director general Tim Davie has said that the lack of diversity among its top-paid stars means the broadcaster 'has more work to do' on the issue. BBC director general Tim Davie has said that the lack of diversity among its top-paid stars means the broadcaster 'has more work to do' on the issue Earlier this year, the BBC published its Diversity And Inclusion Plan, with a commitment to ensure its workforce comprises 50 per cent women, 20 per cent black and ethnic minority and 12 per cent disabled, to better reflect UK society. It said that it also offers placements to other under-represented sectors of society and aimed to improve social mobility by investing in apprenticeships and offering placements to 'those at mid-career level'. Speaking when the Diversity And Inclusion Plan was launched, Mr Davie said: 'We must from top to bottom represent the audiences we serve. 'We have made some big improvements, but we want and need to go further. This plan will ensure we are a modern, progressive, welcoming organisation.' Joe Ventre, digital campaign manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'BBC bosses shouldn't be supporting race-based recruiting with taxpayers' money. Taking an approach like this further undermines confidence in the Corporation and their use of licence fee payers' cash.' The Taxpayers' Alliance believes the BBC licence fee is an unfair tax on people who are already taxpayers. Creative Access did not respond to requests for a comment. A truck driver who drove a tanker into a group of George Floyd protesters will have all charges dropped over the incident if he stays on the right side of the law for one year. Bogdan Vechirko, 36, was charged with one felony count of threats of violence and a gross misdemeanor count of criminal vehicular operation over the incident on the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, back on May 31 2020. Vechirko, from Otsego, sped into the crowd of up to 6,000 protesters as they marched from the US Bank Stadium demanding justice over the murder of Floyd six days earlier. Both charges will now be dropped if he meets the conditions of a restorative justice program. Scroll down for video A driver who drove a tanker into a group of George Floyd protesters will have all charges dropped if he stays on the right side of the law for one year. Bogdan Vechirko in mug Vechirko was charged with one felony count of threats of violence and a gross misdemeanor count of criminal vehicular operation over the incident on the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, back on May 31 2020 (incident above) Vechirko appeared in court Friday where he entered into a 'continuance without prosecution' agreement with Hennepin County prosecutors. Under the agreement - which is different to a plea deal - the 36-year-old's charges will be dismissed in one year if he meets the terms of his restorative justice program. These terms include him attending three sentencing circles, paying an unspecified amount of restitution and staying out of trouble with the law. Vechirko's defense said the suspect had already been to two sentencing circles and will complete the third within a month. If convicted on the two charges, he could have faced up to five years in prison for the felony and up to one year for the gross misdemeanor. Officials said around 5,000 to 6,000 people were on the bridge when Vechirko drove his rig through the crowd of protesters on the bridge last May. Vechirko previously claimed he had 'panicked' when he was 'confronted with an unforeseeable emergency with thousands of people obstructing an open interstate.' His lawyer claimed he had 'relied on his professional instinct and training to avoid a hard brake that could have jackknifed the truck and could have seriously injured or killed thousands of people, and instead slowed his vehicle while maneuvering through the parted crowd.' But prosecutors said he entered the bridge over the Mississippi River from the south at a 'high rate of speed' and wanted to scare people out of the way. They said he didn't stop driving until someone stumbled and fell in front of the vehicle, forcing him to stop. Prosecutors pointed out that he didn't stop driving until someone stumbled and fell in front of the vehicle Around 6,000 protesters were marching on the bridge at the time Vechirko drove through At least one woman was injured in the alleged attack, suffering scrapes and abrasions to their legs. Authorities looked at various videos that captured the incident and some show horrified demonstrators jumping off the bridge to escape injury. Investigators also found after a re-enactment that Vechirko's 'line of sight would have given him sufficient time to stop his truck after viewing the crowd.' They also tested the vehicle and found there had been time for it to stop in those conditions. Vechirko admitted to investigators that he was 'kind of in a hurry' and could have stopped sooner. The driver was returning from dropping off fuel. He told them that he thought if he drove slowly the protesters would let him pass. The Minnesota Department of Transportation had begun to shut down the highways at 5pm and the incident took place just before 6pm. Vechirko was pulled from the truck by protesters. He appeared in court Friday where prosecutors agreed to drop the charges if he meets the conditions of a restorative justice program People hold back fellow protesters from the driver of a tanker truck that drove into thousands of protesters marching on 35W north bound highway during a protest However they believe Vechirko was already on the highway and didn't breach any barriers before the incident. After the truck came barreling towards the demonstrators, one person allegedly pointed a gun at the driver and fired twice at his tires. Vechirko was pulled from the truck and beaten up. He said he obtained cuts to his face and some items were stolen from his truck cab. Some protesters and police intervened to stop the attack. No demonstrators were charged for the attack against Vechirko. Vechirko has had several other brushes with the law. In 2012, Vechirko was charged in Minnesota with misdemeanor domestic assault, disorderly conduct, and interfering with a 911 call. He served a 30-day sentence at a work house after being convicted of the disorderly conduct charge. The other two counts were dismissed. In early 2020, Vechirko was convicted of failing to display the registration number on a snowmobile. The Democratic frontrunner in the New York City mayoral race, Eric Adams, is to front $2,000 of his own money as part of a reward to catch the gunman who terrorized a Bronx neighborhood, along with two young children, on Friday afternoon. 'It tore me apart to watch those children scramble as gunshots were still going off,' Adams said at the scene of the shooting on Saturday. 'This is New York, not some third-world country. We can't be silent. Our silence is just as dangerous ... Our children must be safe.' Eric Adams is offering a $2,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of the gunman who opened fire near a pair of children on a Bronx sidewalk Shocking surveillance footage captured the moment two young children were trampled by a man as he tried to escape from a shooter who fired nearly a dozen bullets in the middle of a Bronx street and pointed his gun at the terrified kids Shocking video that was released by the NYPD on Friday, saw a boy and girl, believed to be around the ages of five and ten, walking together on the sidewalk before becoming embroiled in an attempted assassination of a person in a red sweater. Adams urged anyone with information about the shooter to reach out to police or religious leaders and bring the wanted man to justice. Police believe that Hassan Wright, 24, was the intended target. Wright suffered gunshot wounds to his back and both legs but as he attempted to escape with his life, he knocked down the two children all the while the gunman continued to shoot several times in their direction. At one point, the supposed target manages to get up but then trips over the youngsters before crawling over them to get away. 'I'm not going back to the day where our babies were waking up to gunshots and not an alarm clock,' said Adams, 'Where we normalize the violence in this city.' The suspect momentarily retreated with the victim, Hassan Wright, 24, on the ground Then the gunman comes back for a closer shot and fires at the man with the two kids inches away from the victim 'I am not going back to the days where our babies were waking up to gunshots and not alarm clocks, where we normalize the violence in this city.' Adams, the Brooklyn borough president, said during a press conference. 'So I am offering a personal reward to anyone who has information that would lead to apprehension and conviction of the individual who discharged those bullets at those babies. Because if he would do it to them, he would do it to your family members.' Adams spoke alongside Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz. The cash will be added to the NYPD's reward of $3500. The incident is the latest in nearly 150 shootings across the city this month and - where shootings have skyrocketed since the pandemic gripped the country. According to the NYPD, the city reported 202 homicides this year through Friday a 14% increase from 2020. The number of shootings jumped 57% so far in 2021, with 661 reported compared to 421 over the same period last year. The man in the sweater was shot multiple times but is still alive, according to the NYPD, and amazingly, the children weren't shot or seriously injured. The gunman ran from the scene and took off with another suspect on a scooter. NYPD said it doesn't have a motive for Thursday evening's brazen attack on Sheridan Avenue in the Bronx. The children aren't related to the victim and were just walking in the area when the shooting started. The sun was still up when the shooting happened in the middle of a sidewalk lined with storefronts and potential witnesses. Anyone with information regarding the suspects whereabouts can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS. NYPD say this man helped the gunman escape after he ran from the scene Statistics show shooting crimes have been up this year city-wide compared to last year Crimes have been rising throughout New York City, according to the NYPD The shooting marked a continuation of New York City's descent into a lawless free-for-all where random attacks in the street happen nearly every day. Felony assaults are up eight percent for the first six months of 2021, compared to the same period last year, rapes are up by 10 percent and robberies - which includes muggings - have spiked by nearly 40 percent this month. The numbers are disturbing in themselves, but the violence has intensified and taken place in public places, like parks and subways, and in front of witnesses and surveillance cameras. On Monday, an unidentified man attacked two people with a rock after an argument became physical on a Brooklyn-bound subway. One of the victims was rushed to the hospital with bruising to the head and knee, and the other victim was treated at the scene, according to police. On Thursday, a 15-year-old was stabbed to death by a 48-year-old man over a parking spot in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. The victim, Tory Lovick, was pronounced dead at the hospital, and the suspect's identity will be released after he's formally charged, the NYPD said. These are examples of individual acts of violence, but there are even larger crime-related issues plaguing the city. New York's Washington Square Park has been plagued by a string of after-dark raves, which have often descended into chaos and violence leaving nearby residents furious. On Friday night a woman was left bloodied and bruised after being trampled on by terrified crowds trying to flee a man armed with a large knife and a taser. The man with the knife and taser is alleged to be Jason McDermott, 42, sources told DailyMail.com. McDermott has been arrested at least 10 times between 2010 and 2014, the sources said. Now locals have told how the park changes after dark, from a calm, relaxing atmosphere during the day to chaos when the sun goes down. As the raves at the park have escalated, there have been claims of prostitution and public sexual acts, historic pot smoking escalated to hard drugs, and claims of people carrying weapons like baseball bats. The woman was seen with blood pouring from her face Friday night ad NYPD officers went to her aid in the park A man was seen handcuffed and being led away by police following the incident in the historic park; police said they arrested the suspect On Monday, mayor Bill De Blasio downplayed the chaos at Washington Square Park in recent weeks, telling reporters that he believes the situation will resolve itself naturally The New York City man behind out-of-control raves in Washington Square Park has said that fed-up wealthy residents should be the ones to leave. Partygoers are pictured on June 10 Two women are seen dancing during a massive rave in Washington Square Park last Friday. Local residents say anti-social behavior is making their lives unbearable The New York Police Department's Sixth Precinct called an emergency meeting Wednesday night amid growing complaints from merchants and residents about the non-stop partying. The meeting was met with dozens of protestors, who flocked by to park by nightfall. Although Wednesday night and Thursday were calmer than previous days, the NYPD said on Friday that they'll be on high alert this weekend. Another major issue the residential and high-tourist area of Midtown Manhattan around around Times Square and Hell's Kitchen, where thousands of homeless people were moved to hotels during the pandemic. Eight Avenue between Penn Station and The Port Authority Bus Terminal has become a drug corridor and a crime hot spot. The police precinct that includes Times Square and many of the hotels where the homeless have been living saw a 183 percent spike in felony assaults and 173 percent spike in robberies so far this year compared to 2020, according to NYPD data. Bill Bratton, former NYC police commissioner under mayors Rudy Giuliani and Bill de Blasio, on Monday warned American cities are in for a 'very, long dangerous summer' Earlier this week, former NYPD commissioner Bill Bratton warned American cities, including New York City, are in for a 'very, long dangerous summer' as murder rates have skyrocketed And there aren't any short- or long-term answers, Bratton told CNBC's Shepard Smith on Monday. 'Unlike the last crime epidemic that took decades to build up to the early '90s, this one has occurred, literally, overnight,' Bratton said. 'It's like the virus, it's literally, out of nowhere, and so solutions are not immediately apparent.' Bratton, who earned the nickname 'supercop' for helping clean up the streets of New York City and Los Angeles, issued his warning on Monday as NYPD data showed shootings and murders in the Big Apple have increased by almost 70 percent and 12 percent, respectively. In May, Governor Andrew Cuomo called the surge in violent crime a 'major problem' and said unless the NYPD gets a handle on it soon, the city would become undesirable. 'New Yorkers don't feel safe and they don't feel safe because the crime rate is up. It's not that they are being neurotic or overly sensitive - they are right.' he said. Moment a gunman points and SHOOTS at another man just ONE BLOCK from NYPD headquarters as crime spree comes right to cops' door Surveillance footage captured a brazen, daylight shooting just one block away from NYPD headquarters as crime in New York City continues to rise sharply. The NYPD is searching for a gunman caught on tape shooting at another man on Friday afternoon in the Manhattan neighborhood of Two Bridges. The bullet missed the intended target and instead hit a 46-year-old man who was sitting on nearby steps at the Alfred E. Smith Houses, police said. Scroll down for video Footage of the shooting shows the gunman (pictured) firing off a shot at a man at close range following a brief dispute The gunman, (pictured) dressed in a black sweatshirt, black pants and white sneakers, is seen running in the opposite direction Police say the victim heard the shot and felt pain to his left arm and took himself to a nearby hospital to be treated for his gunshot wound. Footage of the shooting shows the gunman firing off a shot at a man at close range following a brief dispute. The shooting not only took place in daylight but only a block away from NYPD police headquarters at One Police Plaza (pictured) The shooting took place on Friday afternoon in the Manhattan neighborhood of Two Bridges The gunman appears to have missed and the intended target runs away with a small dog following behind him. The gunman, dressed in a black sweatshirt, black pants and white sneakers, is seen running in the opposite direction. The shooting not only took place in broad daylight but also a block away from NYPD police headquarters at One Police Plaza. Schoolchildren should not get the Covid vaccine because there is not a 'perceptible risk to them', a Tory MP has said. James Sunderland, who represents Bracknell in Berkshire, said pupils 'need to be children again after a miserable 16 months'. The former British Army officer, who has two sons, said any other policy would be 'risk-aversion gone mad'. His comments are likely to reignite the war over whether the vaccine drive should continue to be rolled out to under-18s. They come after campaigners warned students must be allowed to stay in school if they say no to getting a jab. Activists said pupils should not be dragged out of classrooms if they decide not to have it until further tests are done. Meanwhile Gavin Williamson urged parents to keep testing themselves and their children amid a row about how well self-tests actually work. The Education Secretary wrote to parents of secondary school and college pupils saying: 'We need you and your children to carry on testing twice a week.' James Sunderland (pictured), who represents Bracknell in Berkshire, said pupils 'need to be children again after a miserable 16 months' The former British Army officer, who has two sons, said any other policy would be 'risk-aversion gone mad' (file photo) Meanwhile Gavin Williamson (pictured) urged parents to keep testing themselves and their children amid a row about how well self-tests actually work Mr Sunderland told MailOnline: 'Logic dictates that we should vaccinate children against Covid-19 if there was a perceptible risk to them. 'But given that this is not the case, we should continue to focus on vaccinating adults and getting back to normal at the earliest opportunity. 'Our children simply need to be children again after a miserable 16 months for them and any other policy would be risk-aversion gone mad.' The MP is joined by campaigners in saying pupils must be allowed to stay in school if they say no to getting a vaccinated. Activists say students should not be dragged out of classrooms if they decide not to have the jab until further tests are done. They are 'extremely concerned' about any mass roll out of doses to children Professor Chris Whitty hinted. He said officials were still considering whether to vaccinate children but the 'big priority' was reaching over-18s in the summer. Molly Kingsley, co-founder of children's campaign group UsforThem, said she was worried about forcing jabs on schoolchildren. Molly Kingsley, co-founder of children's campaign group UsforThem, said she was worried about forcing jabs on schoolchildren The mother from Cambridgeshire told MailOnline: 'Whilst we understand there may be a need for children with specific vulnerabilities to have the Covid-19 vaccine, UsforThem are extremely concerned about suggestions about a mass roll out of the Covid-19 vaccine to children. 'Education is a fundamental right for any child and it absolutely must not be tied to the willingness of individual children or the cohort at large to be vaccinated. Why children are less affected by Covid-19 Children are less at risk of developing severe Covid symptoms and dying from the disease due to a host of differences between the bodies and immune systems of youngsters and adults, a study shows. Australian researchers have identified several specific physiological differences which may explain why Covid-19 is rarely severe or fatal in children. These include strong, undamaged cells in their blood vessels which prevent inflammation and clotting; elevated levels of vitamin D; an immune system that is both fast acting and well-oiled; and fewer ACE2 receptors, which the coronavirus uses to infect cells. While Covid-19 causes well-documented respiratory problems in adults, particularly the vulnerable and elderly, other respiratory conditions also plague children. However, society's youngest are demonstrably less affected by coronavirus infection, making up only a tiny proportion of cases, hospital admissions and deaths. A recent study from the US looked at hospital admissions of children at seven different hospitals and found just just four per cent of children test positive for the virus. The research looked at tests of more than 135,000 children who went to hospital for various reasons before September 8. It revealed only 5,374 (4.0 per cent) of patients tested positive and, of this small percentage, only 359 (6.7 per cent) were hospitalised, with 99 in intensive care. Eight of the infected patients (0.15 per cent) later died. Six of the deaths were patients with 'complex preexisting comorbidities', the scientists say. But why this is the case has thus far remained a mystery, with scientists and doctors trying to get to the bottom of the mystery. Advertisement 'Chris Whitty's comments to the effect that a benefit of the vaccine for children would be to prevent 'multiple disruptions' in schools is - frankly - disingenuous. 'It artificially inflates the 'benefit' side of the equation - closing schools is a policy choice and once all adults have been double vaccinated it is unclear why we'd make that choice. 'Children have been put at the bottom of the heap for over a year now and it would be unconscionable to ask children to take a vaccine for which there is no long term safety data especially given the lack of direct benefit to children.' Regulators have begun approving vaccines for children Pfizer's jab has been deemed safe for aged 12 or over but ministers have not yet decided what to do. The issue is a thorny one because most children would not be getting a jab to protect their own health but to boost the chances of society getting back to normal. Therefore any side effects they might have could outweigh their personal benefit. For adults, the much-reduced risk of dying if they catch the virus is generally enough to make it an obvious choice, but children almost never die of Covid. Prof Whitty said last week officials were still considering whether to vaccinate children but that the 'big priority' is now reaching over-18s over summer. England's chief medical officer said a major consideration could become whether constant Covid outbreaks in schools could damage children's education and life chances, and whether avoiding this through vaccination would be the sensible choice. He told a Downing Street briefing: 'The key thing for children is safety. We know that the risks in terms of of physical disease to children, other than for some children with significant pre-existing problems of physical health, are much, much lower than for adults. 'So you wouldn't want to vaccinate unless the vaccine was very safe. Vaccines are now being licensed in some countries and we're accruing safety data on the safety of these vaccines in children.' The main vaccine-makers have already started, and in some cases published results, from clinical trials on the jabs on children. Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Janssen the four to have been approved in the UK are all being tested on under-18s. In its own clinical trial Pfizer found the vaccine appeared 100 per cent effective, with no cases of Covid in the vaccinated group, and there were no serious side effects. Blood tests on the 2,000 children aged 12 to 15 who took part in the trial showed that the jabs appeared to be triggering immunity just as well as they did in adults. Professor Whitty said helping schools to stay open could be a big benefit of giving jabs to children. School-age children and teenagers currently have some of the highest infection rates in the country, and every time a pupil tests positive their whole class is at risk of being sent home to self-isolate. Public Health England data showed that 10 to 19-year-olds, most of whom are not included in the current vaccine rollout, had the second highest infection rate in the country in the first week of this month, with 99 cases per 100,000 people. This was behind only 121 per 100,000 among people in their 20s. Prof Whitty added: 'There are two possible reasons you would want to vaccinate children, potentially, but with caution and this is the point I'm trying to stress. 'The first would be those groups who actually are at high risk of Covid, and I think JCVI will be putting forward advice on this about which of the groups they think are at particularly high risk. 'Those children, specifically, should be vaccinated to reduce the risk of them having serious disease and in a very, very small number of cases, but it does happen, mortality. 'But the wider question is around also the effect on children's education. 'Is the multiple disruptions it [Covid] might have going to have a very negative impact on their life chances, including the effect it will have on long-term risk of physical and mental ill health? 'This is going to be a decision that'll have to be based on the data we have available. Gavin Williamson's full letter to parents The Prime Minister announced on 14 June that step 4 of the roadmap would have to be paused for up to four weeks because of the spread of the new variant. With the increase in cases with variants of concern, it is important to continue regular testing in order to detect cases of coronavirus, stay ahead of the virus and keep covid out of the classroom. This means that regular asymptomatic testing for all will continue, and we need you and your children who are in secondary school or college to carry on testing at home, twice a week. As you know, testing has been playing a vital role in our response to the virus. It is helping to break chains of transmission by identifying asymptomatic positive cases quickly. This means those who test positive can self-isolate, keeping other pupils and students in face-to-face education. Reporting all test results, positive or negative, helps the health experts have a clearer picture of any potential outbreaks in different parts of the country. I want to thank you all for your efforts so far. I know that this has been an enormously challenging time for families, who have faced many pressures over the past 18 months. Your continued support in helping us fight the virus has been vital. Secondary pupils and college students, households and their bubbles, along with school and college staff have now completed more than 50 million tests since these were introduced back in January. That really is an incredible number and we need you to continue your efforts. It is wonderful to see so many children back in school and through your actions we can work together to keep everyone safe ensuring we can also keep your children in school with their friends. Letter posted online by the Department for Education. Advertisement 'But at the moment the big priority, as the Prime Minister said, is getting through all the adults down to 18, making sure they're vaccinated and then double-vaccinated.' Meanwhile Education Secretary Mr Williamson urged parents to keep testing themselves and their children amid a row about how well self-tests actually work. He wrote to parents of children in secondary schools and colleges across the country and said: 'We need you and your children to carry on testing twice a week.' His letter insists the testing has 'played a vital role' in controlling the Covid outbreak despite concerns that the tests don't work well. But Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, of Oxford University, said the constant testing of pupils was 'disruptive'. And there are concerns high rates of false positive results - when people are wrongly told they have the virus and have to self-isolate - mean pupils are spending time out of class unnecessarily. The Government gives rapid lateral flow tests to pupils and staff in secondary schools and, although branded the NHS 'self-tests', they are not actually designed to be used by people swabbing themselves but by trained medical professionals. Professor Sir Andrew, who led the Oxford vaccine programme, said the testing on such a huge scale was causing mass disruption. He said children are not major drivers of transmission and added: 'The testing itself is picking up lots of cases, causing classes to be sent home and so on. 'We've got to get to a point where we're not impacting on education. And I think that impact on education could be a reason for vaccination.' But Mr Williamson said in an open letter: 'With the increase in cases with variants of concern, it is important to continue regular testing in order to detect cases of coronavirus, stay ahead of the virus and keep Covid out of the classroom. 'This means that regular asymptomatic testing for all will continue, and we need you and your children who are in secondary school or college to carry on testing at home, twice a week. 'As you know, testing has been playing a vital role in our response to the virus. It is helping to break chains of transmission by identifying asymptomatic positive cases quickly. 'This means those who test positive can self-isolate, keeping other pupils and students in face-to-face education. 'Reporting all test results, positive or negative, helps the health experts have a clearer picture of any potential outbreaks in different parts of the country.' Experts have warned that Covid testing in schools is hugely disruptive and should be scrapped after it emerged up to 60 per cent of positive tests turn out to be negative when checked (Pictured: A girl tests herself at a school in Halifax) Some of the highest infection rates in the country are currently among teenagers in secondary schools and colleges, and the Government must now consider whether to offer them vaccines in a bid to stop the virus spreading. Experts on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation are understood to have raised 'serious ethical concerns' about inoculating children because of the tiny risk they face of becoming seriously ill. The group will release fresh guidance on the highly controversial topic of vaccinating children by the end of the week, according to the Telegraph. It will urge No10 to hold off jabbing under-18s in the immediate future and wait for more safety data to come out of the US and Israel, where the plans are already in motion. Cabinet minister Liz Truss said No10 would look 'very closely' at advice from the panel, which has helped steer Downing Street through the pandemic. Meanwhile, one of the Government's senior scientific advisers warned of the ethical dilemma posed by vaccinating children who face a one-in-a-million risk of dying from coronavirus. SAGE's Professor Calum Semple, an expert in outbreak medicine at the University of Liverpool, said he is against vaccinating the 14million children in the UK. Children's campaigners, who have raised opposition to any mandatory vaccination programme for school students, said they were 'very reassured' by the news. But experts are divided on the topic, with some insisting it would help deal with the Indian variant. Pfizer's jab has already been approved for 12- to 15-year-olds by the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Cabinet minister Liz Truss said No10 would look 'very closely' at advice from the panel, which has helped steer Downing Street through the pandemic But it has not yet been deployed in the UK because ministers haven't given the green light to expanding the roll-out. Pfizer's jab is already being used on children in the US but concerns are mounting that it may be linked to heart damage in young adults. Some 226 myocarditis and pericarditis cases have been reported in the US following Pfizer and Moderna shots, mostly in men with an average age of 24. Moderna's vaccine is poised for approval in the same age group in the US and both companies, as well as Johnson & Johnson, have begun trials for under-12s. UK parents have already hit out at plans to inoculate children, with 50,000 signing a petition against Covid vaccinations for youngsters. Teaching unions, meanwhile, have offered tentative support for an under-18 jab roll-out, if it helps tackle disruption to schooling. A Whitehall source told the Telegraph: 'Nobody is going to green light the mass vaccination of children at this stage. 'Scientists want to see more data from the US and elsewhere before taking a firm stand either way. 'The JCVI will want to weigh up the benefits against the risks before vaccinating children and it wants more data.' And International Trade Secretary Ms Truss concurred the JCVI would not be recommending jabs for children. She told BBC Breakfast last week: 'Of course the Government will look very closely at the JCVI's recommendations. 'It is my understanding that they are not recommending the vaccination of under-18s and we will be saying more in due course about that.' Meanwhile, Professor Semple said he is 'veering on not vaccinating children' because of their low risk of severe disease. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said he would prioritise vaccinating hard to reach vulnerable people in the UK and sending jabs abroad. Professor Semple said: 'The first thing to remember here is that risk and severe disease in children I'm talking about admission to hospital, admission to intensive care and death the risk of death is one in a million. 'And that's not a figure I'm plucking from the air as a sort of average or guess. That's a quantifiable risk. 'So we're talking about vaccinating children here mainly to protect public health and reduce transmission and it's accepted that teenagers who are biologically more like adults are more likely to transmit but the younger children really are not. 'The balance here is should the vaccine be pushed into the arms of hard to reach adults and should we spend efforts persuading hesitant adults to have a vaccine. 'And if we do have lots of vaccine left over, should we be sending it to countries in Europe and Africa and Asia where they haven't got enough vaccine.' He added the spread of the Indian 'Delta' variant in schools should not be a cause for concern because it does not cause more serious illness in youngsters. Professor Semple: 'Yes, the virus is spreading in schools because it's got nowhere else to hide at the moment and that's confounding the challenge too. 'The Delta variant is more transmissible but it's not causing greater disease in children per se. 'It's just that it's not able to cause greater disease in the older adults because their vaccinated and the vaccine's still pretty good. 'So I'm veering on the not vaccinating children, only because of the ethical issues and the need to get the vaccine into older people.' Ikea was last night accused of 'breathtaking hypocrisy' after joining a boycott of new TV channel GB News despite opening stores in Saudi Arabia where homosexuality can be punished by death. The Swedish retailer faced a fierce customer backlash after it bowed to an online mob of woke activists and suspended advertising with the channel, saying that it was not in line with its 'humanistic values'. Andrew Neil, the chairman of GB News, has said he launched the channel because 'the direction of news debate in Britain is increasingly woke and out of touch with the majority of its people'. Ikea, the world's largest furniture company, was one of ten organisations to pull its adverts from the broadcaster last week following an online campaign led by Left-wing pressure group Stop Funding Hate, which started vilifying the channel months before it went on air last Sunday. Ikea said it was investigating how its advertisement appeared on GB News, adding: 'We have safeguards in place to prevent our advertising from appearing on platforms that are not in line with our humanistic values.' But the move spectacularly backfired as consumers lambasted the company for operating in Saudi Arabia, where it has opened stores in the cities of Riyadh, Jeddah and Dhahran. Homosexuality is illegal under sharia law in Saudi Arabia and punishable by death, while women cannot apply for a passport or travel outside of the country without their male guardian's approval. Critics highlighted how Ikea was forced to apologise in 2012 after it was revealed that images of women had been airbrushed from its Saudi catalogue in an apparent bid not to upset Arab customers Andrew Neil, the chairman of GB News, has said he launched the channel because 'the direction of news debate in Britain is increasingly woke and out of touch with the majority of its people' Ikea's Riyadh store is just five miles from Deera Square known as Chop Chop Square where public executions take place. 'I'm gay and Ikea has outlets in Saudi Arabia where homosexuality is illegal and people are killed for being gay,' said Mark Wilkes, 60, a corporate headhunter from North London, in a message to Ikea on Twitter. 'Does this align with your "humanistic values"?' Dr David Jeffrey, a politics lecturer at Liverpool University, sent this message to the firm: 'How does having stores in Saudi Arabia, where being gay is punishable by death and women aren't allowed to live their lives freely, align with your "humanistic values"?' David Waddell, a senior BBC producer, wrote: 'Ikea has stores in Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, the Philippines, Russia and Egypt. But an Ofcom-regulated news channel in the UK is a step too far for its "humanistic values." ' Critics also highlighted how Ikea was forced to apologise in 2012 after it was revealed that images of women had been airbrushed from its Saudi catalogue in an apparent bid not to upset Arab customers. Ikea was last night accused of 'breathtaking hypocrisy' after joining a boycott of new TV channel GB News despite opening stores in Saudi Arabia where homosexuality can be punished by death A Swedish newspaper revealed how a Swedish version of the catalogue showed a mother standing next to her child in an Ikea bathroom, with a man in the background. In the Saudi catalogue, the man and child remained but the image of the woman had been deleted. Ikea last week rowed back on its decision to suspend advertising on GB News, saying it was 'simply too soon to make an informed decision' on whether to advertise with the broadcaster. Vodafone and MoneySuperMarket have also reconsidered and said they are not boycotting the channel. Last night, a spokesman for Ikea, whose Saudi stores are run by a franchisee, said it regrets the airbrushing of women from its Saudi catalogue and that it revised its guidelines following the incident. Energy supplier Ovo Energy also faced a backlash for boycotting GB News. Customer Jim Skinner, from King's Lynn, Norfolk, said: 'How dare you censor my choice of news channels. I am a customer of yours but I will NOT renew with you at the end of my contract.' The Charlotte mom who made her four year-old daughter stand for three days straight until she died from exhaustion is now being accused of forcing her 13-year-old daughter to bury her little sister in the back yard, according to a recently released arrest warrant. Malikah Diane Bennett was charged in North Carolina on May 22 with first-degree murder, felony child abuse, inflicting physical injury and felony concealing a death of her daughter Miegellic 'Jellie' Young, according to the Charlotte Observer. Now, Bennett is being accused of forcing her 13-year-old daughter to bury the body of her little sister, according to information revealed from a newly released warrant. The preteen girl, who was one of six children who lived in the home with Bennett and her boyfriend, told authorities that after Miegellic died, the mother placed the body into two black plastic trash bags before putting the bags in the trunk of her SUV, where they was left for five days. The tot's body was kept in Bennett's car 'until the smell became so bad,' that she was forced to purchase a shovel at a nearby store, which was then used to dig a hole in their back yard, the warrant states. Malikah Bennett, 31 (left), has been charged with first-degree murder, child abuse and concealing death. The body of her daughter, Miegellic Young (right), 4, was found buried in her yard in May Police acting on tips performed a welfare check on May 21 and found Miegellic buried in a shallow grave in Bennett's yard in Charlotte, North Carolina (pictured) The 13-year-old was then forced to pick up her dead sisters body and bury it herself. The little girl's body remained in the homemade grave until police, acting on a tip, came looking for Miegellic in late May. 'Jellie' was last seen alive around nine months ago in August or September 2020, but her remains were only discovered last month on her mother's property in Charlotte, leading to the 31-year-old's arrest. Court records state that Miegellic collapsed from exhaustion and hit her head after being forced to stand for three days as 'punishment' for soiling her pants. Just days later, police made a second arrest, charging Miegellic's grandmother, 53-year-old Tammy Moffett, with concealing a death and accessory after the fact. 'Ive worked homicide most of the last 10 years and I can tell you this case is deeply disturbing,' Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Lieutenant Bryan Crum said during a press conference last month. Miegellic's grandmother, Tammy Moffett, 53, faces charges of concealing a death and accessory after the fact According to arrest warrants cited by WSOC, police officers responded to Bennett's home on Braden Drive, where she lived with at least eight children, for a welfare check on May 21, after a child protective services case worker called 911, asking police to find Miegellic. The caller reportedly told the police that family members had not seen the four-year-old since August 2020. Detectives interviewed a man who reportedly told them that Bennett had informed him that Miegellic was dead, but that she did not report her death because the child had injuries on her body and she was afraid she would get in trouble. According to the documents, Bennett had a history of child abuse complaints involving her and her children, including three pending misdemeanor child abuse charges stemming from February 2020, NBC12 reported. When police interviewed Bennett, she allegedly told then that she dropped Miegellic off with another relative in August and had not seen her since. After three days of standing, the four-year-old grew so weak that she fell out the back door of the room and struck her head on the ground. After the collapse, her sister said that Miegellic had trouble breathing and died the same day, according to the warrant. Bennett allegedly attempted CPR on the child but could not do it. Arrests warrants allege that Bennett forced Miegellic to stand for three days, after which the child collapsed from exhaustion, hit her head and stopped breathing in August 2020 Miegellic's 13-year-old sister told police she helped her mother bury the girl in a hole in the backyard The older sister then told police that Bennett went out to buy a shovel, dug a hole in the yard, put her sibling's rotting corpse inside before forcing her to help with the burial. When police acting on tips searched Bennett's property on May 21, they uncovered Miegellic's body in the yard. The girl reportedly was covered in bruises, had black eyes and serious injuries. They searched Bennett's home and the SUV, and were said to have found evidence of human remains, seized a shovel and a cellphone. Arizona police have shot a 35-year-old male suspect after he plowed his pickup truck into a group of around 50 cyclists during a benefit race, leaving seven victims hospitalized. The incident unfolded about 7:25 am local time while people were taking part in the Bike the Bluff charity race in Show Low, about 180 miles east of Phoenix. The suspect plowed into the cyclists in his Ford F-150 black pickup truck before speeding away from the scene. Police chased the suspect before shooting him behind a nearby hardware store several blocks away. The pickup truck with two bullet holes in the driver's side window and part of a mangled bike stuck on the vehicle's grill Cycling shoes and a water bottle lie in the bloodied road following Saturday's incident Bicycles were shattered to pieces with the remains scattered on the road which was cordoned off with police tape Seven victims were taken to hospital after being struck by the truck, according to the Show Low Police Department. One person was airlifted out and their condition is not known. Four others are in critical condition while the other two are in critical but stable condition. Police said at least two other victims with less serious injuries took themselves to hospital for medical treatment. The driver, who has been described as a white 35-year-old male, was also hospitalized in critical but stable condition following the shooting. Show Low Police Sgt. Brandon Clark told local outlet WMICentral.com a group of around 40 to 50 cyclists were riding along Show Low's main street Deuce of Clubs participating in the race. Clark said the group was traveling westbound while the truck was traveling eastbound in the fast lane. The vehicle suddenly veered across the two lanes, plowing into the oncoming cyclists. 'For whatever reason, he crossed over the lines,' said Clark. 'He ended up striking several of the riders in that group.' The pickup truck was seen taped off with police tape on the scene. Arizona police have shot a 35-year-old male suspect after he plowed his pickup truck into a group of cyclists The incident unfolded about 7:25 am local time while people were taking part in the Bike the Bluff charity race in Show Low, near Phoenix The suspect plowed into the cyclists in his Ford F-150 black pickup truck before speeding away from the scene The driver sped from the scene, striking and breaking an APS power pole along the way. The suspect was then shot by police near Sylvester Street behind Ace Hardware where he crashed the truck, reported WMICentral.com. It is not clear at this time if the suspect was also armed. Graphic photos from the scene showed the black truck with bullet holes in the driver's side window and part of a mangled bike stuck on the vehicle's grill. Cycling gear including shoes, helmets and water bottles littered the blood-stained road. Bicycles were shattered to pieces with police tape cordoning off the area. Police have not released the identities of the victims or the suspect at this time. A bullet hole is seen in the driver's side window of the pickup truck that struck cyclists Police chased the suspect before shooting him behind a nearby hardware store several blocks away Seven victims were taken to hospital after being struck by the truck, according to the Show Low Police Department Police spokeswoman Kristine Sleighter said in a statement: 'Our community is shocked at this incident and our hearts and prayers are with the injured and their families at this time.' The area around the incident is closed to the public and multiple law enforcement teams including Show Low Police Department, Navajo County Sheriff's Office and the Arizona Department of Public Safety are on the scene investigating. The Arizona Department of Public Safety is leading the investigation into the officer-involved shooting. No further details have been released about the events leading up to the incident or what a possible motive may be. Bike the Bluff is a 58-mile race to raise money for the Mountain Christian School in Show Low, a town in the White Mountains located about a three-hour drive from Phoenix. A founder of the 'anti-hate' group attempting to sink GB News has a history of posting offensive tweets. Stop Funding Hate director Rosey Ellum, 35, branded Chancellor Rishi Sunak an 'absolute f*****'. In a tweet to Nigel Farage in 2017, she said 'you hang out with Nazis', while she responded earlier this year to a new Home Office immigration plan with the words 'F****** f***ery you f*****s.' She has also called Boris Johnson a 'racist' and branded the Brazilian government 'lying fascist b*****ds'. Stop Funding Hate did not reply to a request for comment. At lunchtime yesterday, the Co-op was contacted via Twitter by 'Paul', an avid supporter of Stop Funding Hate's campaign against GB News. Pictured: The GB news team Claiming the new TV station is 'designed to create division and demonise' people, he declared that, unless the supermarket immediately ceased advertising there, 'I will not spend any more of my hard-earned cash in your stores' The hatred of the Stop Funding Hate fanatics: They vilified GB News even before it launched and claim to fight for tolerance - but foul-mouthed trolling is par for the course, writes GUY ADAMS At lunchtime yesterday, the Co-op was contacted via Twitter by 'Paul', an avid supporter of Stop Funding Hate's campaign against GB News. Claiming the new TV station is 'designed to create division and demonise' people, he declared that, unless the supermarket immediately ceased advertising there, 'I will not spend any more of my hard-earned cash in your stores'. 'Paul' did not bother to cite any evidence of actual malpractice by GB News. But he's certainly an expert on creating division and demonising people. For his anonymous Twitter account, which boasts nearly 1,000 followers and uses the handle @pafo1972, turns out to be dedicated to campaigning against Brexit, which he dubs 'self-destruction in the name of small mindedness and empty nationalism'. Rosey Ellum, 35, the founder of the 'anti-hate' group attempting to sink GB News, has a history of posting offensive tweets In keeping with this world view, he recently used the social network to contact Nigel Farage, saying: 'What a poisonous lump of filth this w***** really is.' He has also called the Conservatives 'a filthy party of far-Right scum', dubbed the Tory MP Andrew Bridgen an 'oxygen thief' and declared Priti Patel to be a 'vile character'. That's quite a track record, for a man who claims to now be earnestly campaigning against bigotry and intolerance! Yet in the vexatious world of Stop Funding Hate, a lobby group created to censor news outlets it happens to disagree with, foul-mouthed Paul's trolling of public figures turns out to be par for the course. In keeping with this world view, he recently used the social network to contact Nigel Farage, saying: 'What a poisonous lump of filth this w***** really is' He has also called the Conservatives 'a filthy party of far-Right scum', dubbed the Tory MP Andrew Bridgen an 'oxygen thief' and declared Priti Patel to be a 'vile character' While the organisation claims to be 'making hate unprofitable', its business model instead revolves around using hashtag campaigns to empower a small army of Left-wing cranks to further their own highly partisan political agenda. What's more, many of its foot soldiers, who preach so earnestly about battling prejudice, turn out to be very prejudiced indeed. Take Sam Hill, a Corbynist who tweets as @witshituk. On Sunday afternoon, he pledged to compile a 'boycott list' of companies whose commercials appeared on the network, urging followers to 'boycott every advertiser willing to support this toxic propaganda'. There was but one problem: when he first posted that tweet, GB News had not broadcast a single programme. In other words, he was assuming that its output would be 'toxic' without having actually seen it! On Sunday afternoon, Sam Hill pledged to compile a 'boycott list' of companies whose commercials appeared on the network, urging followers to 'boycott every advertiser willing to support this toxic propaganda' But Mr Hill is nothing if not accustomed to nasty propaganda. Last year, he called MPs John Redwood and Oliver Letwin 'Tory Scum', and used Twitter to mount a vicious attack on Rachel Riley. The Jewish Countdown presenter's criticism of anti-Semitism in Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party sparked a deeply misogynistic social media pile-on from the hard-Left. Mr Hill called her a 'vile human being' who 'should have stuck to maths'. More recently, this supposedly principled supporter of Stop Funding Hate was using the bully pulpit of Twitter to declare the Labour Party to be 'morally bankrupt' under the leadership of Sir Keir Starmer, a 'deeply dishonest and corrupt person' who he dubbed 'Tory scum'. Mr Hill called Rachel Riley a 'vile human being' who 'should have stuck to maths' More recently, this supposedly principled supporter of Stop Funding Hate was using the bully pulpit of Twitter to declare the Labour Party to be 'morally bankrupt' under the leadership of Sir Keir Starmer, a 'deeply dishonest and corrupt person' who he dubbed 'Tory scum' Other leading lights in the lobby group's online brigade of culture warriors include Will Black, a Cambridge-based writer and social anthropologist who this week dubbed GB News 'gammon b******* news'. Last year he went on social media to dub Tory MP Michael Fabricant 'Fabric***' and called Nigel Farage a 'drunk'. More recently, in the immediate aftermath of Prince Philip's death, he charmingly described the late royal as 'a man who travelled the world on taxpayers money to be racist and vile to all and sundry'. Then there is Anthony Gladman, a beer writer who this week used Twitter to ask energy firm Ovo to boycott GB News on the grounds that it was propagating hate. Not long ago, he was the one propagating hate, using Twitter to call Boris Johnson a 'vile treacherous charlatan' and a 'f****** liar'. He's also proclaimed 'f*** Brexit' calling it 'bats*** bonkers,' while Conservative MPs were a 'shower of b*******'. Also filling up Ovo's 'mentions' column was one Tina Lindsay. Other leading lights in the lobby group's online brigade of culture warriors include Will Black, a Cambridge-based writer and social anthropologist who this week dubbed GB News 'gammon b******* news' Last year Mr Black went on social media to dub Tory MP Michael Fabricant 'Fabric***' and called Nigel Farage a 'drunk' She claimed to be a customer who had signed up because she believed the firm to be an 'ethical choice' but was now reconsidering her decision. The 'ethical' Miss Lindsay has in recent times used the Twitter account via which she was campaigning against nastiness to harass public figures with whom she disagrees. Among other things, she described Ann Widdecombe as 'vile and toxic', called the Leave campaigner Arron Banks a 'toxic t***tersprouter' and declared that all Conservatives are 'as a collective, most unpleasant and generally liars'. At this point, it should of course be pointed out that the organisers of Stop Funding Hate cannot be held personally responsible for the brazen hypocrisy of so many of their supporters. More recently, in the immediate aftermath of Prince Philip's death, Mr Black charmingly described the late royal as 'a man who travelled the world on taxpayers money to be racist and vile to all and sundry' Yet hard-Left political bias has always been baked into the business model of this censorious lobby group, which is largely funded by a grant from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, an organisation which according to the Charities Commission is supposed to spend its money addressing 'the root causes of conflict and injustice'. Stop Funding Hate was founded in 2016 by Richard Wilson, a Corbynist Remain campaigner, and Rosey Ellum, formerly a professional cat-sitter and charity worker who divides her political allegiances between Labour and the Green Party. Unsurprisingly, given their pedigree, the organisation initially devoted its energies entirely to censoring popular newspapers which happened to support the Conservative Party. Fast forward five years, and their current social media campaign is being run via the hashtag #Don'tFundGBNews. The lobby group first tweeted on this front on February 6. That was almost four months before the station had broadcast a single programme, and at a time when it had yet to even unveil its full roster of presenters. In other words, this self-righteous lobby group, supposedly created to root out prejudice, was instead committing that exact sin. Like so many of its supporters, who decry the bigotry while simultaneously propagating it, they appear to remain blind to their own rancid hypocrisy. Surveillance footage captured a brazen, daylight shooting just one block away from NYPD headquarters as crime in New York City continues to rise sharply. The NYPD is searching for a gunman caught on tape shooting at another man on Friday afternoon in the Manhattan neighborhood of Two Bridges. The bullet missed the intended target and instead hit a 46-year-old man who was sitting on nearby steps at the Alfred E. Smith Houses, police said. Scroll down for video Footage of the shooting shows the gunman (pictured) firing off a shot at a man at close range following a brief dispute The gunman, (pictured) dressed in a black sweatshirt, black pants and white sneakers, is seen running in the opposite direction Police say the victim heard the shot and felt pain to his left arm and took himself to a nearby hospital to be treated for his gunshot wound. Footage of the shooting shows the gunman firing off a shot at a man at close range following a brief dispute. The shooting not only took place in daylight but only a block away from NYPD police headquarters at One Police Plaza (pictured) The shooting took place on Friday afternoon in the Manhattan neighborhood of Two Bridges The gunman appears to have missed and the intended target runs away with a small dog following behind him. The gunman, dressed in a black sweatshirt, black pants and white sneakers, is seen running in the opposite direction. The shooting not only took place in broad daylight but also a block away from NYPD police headquarters at One Police Plaza. The shooting is the latest in a crime wave gripping New York City closely, particularly gun violence. Many of the most common types of crime in the city, including robberies, burglaries and grand larcenies, remain near historic lows. Statistics show shooting crimes have been up this year city-wide compared to last year Crimes have been rising throughout New York City, according to the NYPD Through the first five months of 2021, the total number of major crimes measured by the police department hit the lowest level since comparable statistics became available in the 1990s. But since the spring of 2020 the number of shootings has soared: Through June 6, there were 181 homicides in New York City, up from 121 in the same period in 2019, an increase of 50 percent. That's the worst start to a year since 2011. At least 687 people were wounded or killed by gunfire through June 6. More than 2,400 people were shot during the same period in 1993. And it is the highest number for a winter and early spring since 2000. Police are asking anyone with information regarding the shooter to call NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. Tory MPs last night criticised a wealthy Quaker trust for awarding a 50,000 grant to online activists attempting to censor news outlets. The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust gave the two-year grant to Stop Funding Hate a far-Left campaign group which has pressured advertisers into boycotting GB News. Tory MP and former Minister Robert Goodwill said: 'This is a blatant example of the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust funding organisations that quite clearly have a very political agenda, and actually quite a nasty political agenda.' The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust gave the two-year grant to Stop Funding Hate a far-Left campaign group which has pressured advertisers into boycotting GB News (news team pictured) Tory MP Craig Mackinlay called on the Charity Commission to investigate Craig Mackinlay, another Tory MP, last night called on the Charity Commission to investigate the funding. In a letter to Helen Stephenson, the regulator's chief executive, he said: 'The activities of Stop Funding Hate are demonstrably party political and hugely divisive.' In 2016, the trust was criticised by the Charity Commission after it gave 305,000 to Cage, a human rights group that described Mohammed Emwazi, the IS murderer nicknamed Jihadi John, as a 'beautiful young man'. It also funded a charity that accused a Labour MP of acting like a 'neo-fascist murderer' after she condemned British Pakistani men's sexual abuse of girls. The trust says it 'supports people who address the root causes of conflict and injustice'. Its grant to Stop Funding Hate was 'for a project to encourage responsible media through an ethical advertising code'. Prince Charles is to ensure that his two-year-old grandson Archie will never be a Prince, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. The heir to the throne has made it clear that Harry and Meghan's son will have no place among frontline Royals as he plans a slimmed-down Monarchy after he becomes King. The move has incensed the Sussexes and is thought to have prompted the series of bitter accusations the couple have levelled at Charles and the Royal Family from across the Atlantic. A grandchild of the sovereign has long had the right to be a Prince, but Charles is determined to limit the number of key Royals, believing the public does not wish to pay for an ever-expanding Monarchy. Charles has told the Sussexes that he will change key legal documents to ensure that Archie cannot get the title he would once have inherited by right, according to a source close to the couple. The decision, which follows months of fraught discussion behind the scenes, has plunged relations between Harry and his relatives to a dangerous new low. 'Harry and Meghan were told Archie would never be a Prince, even when Charles became King,' confirmed the source. Prince Charles is to change the monarchy to ensure that his two-year-old grandson Archie will never be a Prince Charles has told the Sussexes that he will change key legal documents to ensure that Archie cannot get the title he would once have inherited by right The revelation comes amid a series of explosive claims by respected Royal biographer Robert Lacey whose newly revised book Battle Of The Brothers states: Prince William in effect threw Harry out of their combined Royal household following complaints that Meghan had been bullying their aides a claim she has denied as a 'calculated smear'; William had been horrified by Meghan's alleged bullying and confronted his brother in person; One Kensington Palace staffer described Meghan as 'a narcissist and sociopath basically unhinged'; William believed Meghan was 'stealing his beloved brother away from him' and felt hurt and betrayed by Harry. Meanwhile, The Mail on Sunday has learned that Harry demanded the right to approve at least one writer or journalist to work alongside the usual 'press pack' of Royal reporters at the unveiling of the statue to Princess Diana next month, so deep is his distrust of the British media. The full details of Charles's plan for a slimmed-down Monarchy have never been revealed, but it has been speculated that only heirs to the throne and their immediate families will receive full titles, financial support from the public purse through the Sovereign Grant and police protection funded by the taxpayer. Charles and his younger brother, the Duke of York, have already been at loggerheads about what security Andrew's daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie should receive in future. Now Harry and Meghan have found themselves caught up, too. Insiders suggest they hadn't seen the move coming, and were shocked to find that Charles will take the active step of changing legal instruments known as the Letters Patent in order to exclude Archie and others. The loss will be all the more galling as the Sussexes havemade a point of refusing to use another, lesser title for their son, who is technically the Earl of Dumbarton. They took that decision safe in the knowledge that Archie would become a Prince in due course. Or so they thought. Earlier this year, a source close to the Sussexes confirmed they did indeed expect Archie to be named a Prince when Charles, Archie's grandfather, acceded to the throne. Their spokesman at the time was even instructed to remind journalists of that 'fact'. The Sussexes finally learned that would not be the case just before sitting down with Oprah Winfrey for their first bombshell interview in March. Insiders suggest the issue was still raw at the time of the recording which might help account for the devastating criticisms they unleashed on the show, including the damaging implication that an unnamed senior member of the Royal Family had referred to Archie in a racist way. The move has incensed the Sussexes and is thought to have prompted the series of bitter accusations the couple have levelled at Charles and the Royal Family Charles is determined to limit the number of key Royals, believing the public does not wish to pay for an ever-expanding Monarchy It also throws a spotlight on one section of the interview which had raised eyebrows at the time. Speaking to Oprah, Meghan recalled how, when she had been pregnant, 'They [the Royal Family] were saying they didn't want him to be a Prince or a Princess'. She continued: 'You know, the other piece of that convention is, there's a convention I forget if it was George V or George VI convention that when you're the grandchild of the monarch, so when Harry's dad becomes King, automatically Archie and our next baby would become Prince or Princess, or whatever they were going to be But also it's not their right to take it away.' This puzzled Royal watchers, who reminded the Sussexes they had very publicly declared that they didn't want a title for their son, who would be known as Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. Some pointed out that a son of Prince Harry's a great-grandchild of the Queen had no automatic right to be titled a Prince, or receive a security allowance. But that was to ignore the real drama taking place behind the scenes. Because Meghan was actually referring to the secret news that Archie would never become a Prince, not even when Charles was King. A source said: 'This is what nobody realised from the interview. The real thing was that Charles was going to take active steps to strip Archie of his ultimate birthright.' Charles and his younger brother, the Duke of York, have already been at loggerheads about what security Andrew's daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie should receive in future The existing rules for Royal titles were established in Letters Patent dated November 20, 1917. In these, King George V, the Queen's grandfather, allowed the title of Prince and Princess to be given to the children of the sovereign, the children of the sovereign's sons and the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales in this case, Prince George. Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, William's daughter and younger son, received their titles not by right but as gifts of the Queen, who issued new Letters Patent to that effect in 2013. Similarly, when King, Charles will have the power to change George V's Letters Patent how he sees fit and so streamline The Firm. An insider said: 'Charles has never made any secret of the fact that he wants a slimmed-down Monarchy when he becomes King. 'He realises that the public don't want to pay for a huge Monarchy and, as he said, the balcony at Buckingham Palace would probably collapse.' Even now, not all grandchildren of the Queen are titled Prince or Princess. As she is a daughter, not a son, of the sovereign, Princess Anne's children had no automatic right to the title but out of choice she also declined lesser titles for her children Peter and Zara. The Queen's youngest son, Prince Edward, thought it prudent not to name his daughter and son as Princess and Prince. Instead, they are titled Lady and Viscount respectively. A Royal source said last night: 'We are not going to speculate about the succession or comment on rumours coming out of America.' Harry wants to have his own journalist at Diana memorial: Prince is set to appoint approved writer to work alongside him when he returns to UK - after author revealed furious clash with William over Meghan 'bullying' claims Brothers will reunite for the unveiling of Diana's statue in less than two weeks Duke of Sussex wants his own journalist to cover the day at Kensington Palace Expected to 'appoint' at least one approved writer to work alongside them Sitting side by side, leafing through a photo album, William and Harry are sharing cherished memories of their mother. Their conversation is easy, unconstrained, charming. It is a rare window on a fraternal dynamic and evidence, if it were needed, of an unshakeable bond. That was four years ago, the occasion a TV documentary on the 20th anniversary of Diana's death. Today, with the publication of a book revealing extraordinary new details of their toxic rift, the gulf between the brothers seems unbridgeable. Quite how it has come to this seems bewildering. In less than two weeks, on what would have been Diana's 60th birthday, the brothers will reunite for the unveiling of her statue, but what should have been a simple, unfussy act of commemoration will doubtless turn into something altogether different. Take Harry's approach to the event. The Mail on Sunday has learned that the Duke of Sussex now wants his own journalist to cover the day. Harry and Meghan have long decried the coverage they receive from the British media, claiming it is UK-biased and lacks diversity. Not wishing to leave the statue unveiling at Kensington Palace to the official 'Royal Rota' of journalists, they are now expected to 'appoint' at least one approved writer to work alongside them. In less than two weeks, on what would have been Diana's 60th birthday, the brothers will reunite for the unveiling of her statue, but what should have been a simple, unfussy act of commemoration will doubtless turn into something altogether different. Pictured: Anzac Day service in 2018 It is just the kind of imperiousness that rankles with the Duke of Cambridge. The Times reported yesterday that a blistering row between the Duke and his brother over bullying claims led to them splitting their households, with a friend of the future King noting: 'William threw Harry out.' Previously, it was assumed that Harry precipitated the separation. The account of how William and Harry fell out appears in the paperback edition of Battle Of Brothers by historian and biographer Robert Lacey, which is being serialised in The Times. The newspaper revealed in March how Jason Knauf, communications secretary to the Cambridges and Sussexes, claimed in October 2018 that Meghan had been bullying members of staff. Lawyers for the Sussexes have denied the allegations. After William heard the bullying allegations, he rang Harry, according to Lacey. The conversation was heated and Harry 'shut off his phone angrily' so William went to speak to him personally. Lacey writes: 'The Prince was horrified by what he had just been told about Meghan's alleged behaviour, and he wanted to hear what Harry had to say. The showdown between the brothers was fierce and bitter.' Separately, The Mail on Sunday has been told there have been other, equally intense clashes. None more so, according to a source, than on the eve of Harry's wedding. Details are sketchy but this row was said to have been particularly ferocious. The Times revealed in March how Jason Knauf, communications secretary to the Cambridges and Sussexes, claimed in October 2018 that Meghan had been bullying members of staff. Lawyers for the Sussexes have denied the allegations The Princes had already fallen out before Harry and Meghan's engagement after William had expressed doubts about the speed at which their relationship was progressing. Lacey writes that William believed Meghan was following an 'agenda' and Kate, too, according to a friend, was wary of her from the outset. The author quotes one Kensington Palace staffer as saying: 'Meghan portrayed herself as the victim, but she was the bully. People felt run over by her. 'They thought she was a complete narcissist and sociopath basically unhinged.' According to the book, jealousy is at the heart of the brothers' rift. Or at least that is how Harry sees it. The Duke views his triumphant October 2018 return with Meghan from their Australian tour as a defining moment in their deteriorating relationship. William, of course, would reject any notion that he and his wife resented the Diana-like popularity Meghan enjoyed at the time. In any case, the book says, the brothers were no longer on speaking terms before the Sussexes set off for Australia, owing to William's anger over the bullying allegations. PR man Knauf, 34, was concerned by stories of mistreatment brought to him by colleagues and resolved to set down the facts, as he saw them, for the record. In an email to William's private secretary, Knauf wrote: 'I am very concerned that the Duchess was able to bully two PAs out of the household in the past year.' His office had received 'report after report', he wrote, from people who had witnessed 'unacceptable behaviour' by Meghan towards this member of staff. As early as 2017, around the time of the couple's engagement, according to a report in The Times, a senior aide had spoken to the couple about the difficulties caused by their treatment of staff. 'It's not my job to coddle people,' Meghan was said to have replied. Today, with the publication of a book revealing extraordinary new details of their toxic rift, the gulf between the brothers seems unbridgeable. Quite how it has come to this seems bewildering It is significant that it was Knauf whose PR expertise Meghan valued and who was one of her most senior advisers that raised the issue. Until this point, Lacey says Texas-born Knauf had taken 'considerable stick from some of his non-royal contacts' who criticised him for being overly protective of the Duchess. But numerous colleagues were bringing stories of what they said they had suffered at Meghan's hands, including emotional cruelty and manipulation, and he could not remain silent. The Times reported that several people maintained they had been 'humiliated' by the Duchess, and that criticism also extended to Harry. 'I overheard a conversation between Harry and one of his top aides,' one Kensington Palace courtier told Lacey. 'Harry was screaming and screaming down the phone. Team Sussex was a really toxic environment. People shouting and screaming in each other's faces.' It is unclear whether Knauf brought his dossier to William personally or whether it was submitted via an aide. Either way, the troubling stories astonished and horrified the Duke, who knew and liked all the individuals named in the dossier. After all, they were his staff too. Taking their cue from the Queen, William and Kate had always treated their staff like family. What William heard, or possibly read, crystallised a long-held suspicion that Meghan was fundamentally hostile towards the Royal system. This interpretation, said Meghan, was wholly wrong. In a statement issued to The Times early in March this year, her lawyers denied all allegations of bullying as inaccurate and defamatory and the product of what they called a 'smear campaign'. The Duchess wished to fit in and be accepted, they insisted. She had left her life in North America to commit herself to her new role. The Times reported yesterday that a blistering row between the Duke and his brother over bullying claims led to them splitting their households, with a friend of the future King noting: 'William threw Harry out.' Lacey stresses that his account of this period is based on Knauf's written accusations and 'William's personal account of these events to one of his friends, who then spoke to this author'. He writes that while the showdown between the brothers was fierce, William's pre-engagement questioning of Meghan's suitability had been quite reasonable. Some of William's reservations chimed with the allegations in Knauf's dossier. Lacey says William felt that Meghan was 'undermining some precious principles of the Monarchy if she really was treating her staff in this way'. Not only that, she seemed to be stealing his brother away from him. Courtiers would later coin a hashtag #freeHarry. William felt deeply wounded. 'Hurt' and 'betrayed' were the two feelings he described to his friend. The elder brother had always felt so protective. He had seen it as his job to look out for Harry. 'At the end of the day, the British Crown and all it stood for with its ancient traditions, styles and values the mission of the Monarchy had to matter more to William than his brother did,' writes Lacey. Fiercely combative in his wife's defence, Harry meanwhile was equally furious that William should believe the accusations against Meghan. Whether claims of racism surfaced during these heated discussions is not known. But Harry made clear to the world in his interview with Oprah Winfrey that he considered his family's response to Meghan to have been essentially 'racist'. Lacey writes: 'William, for his part, felt just as strongly about Meghan and the need for her subversive 'agenda' to be removed from the operations of the British Monarchy, which she did not appear to understand or respect. Harry made clear to the world in his interview with Oprah Winfrey that he considered his family's response to Meghan to have been essentially 'racist' 'He certainly wanted Meghan removed, for a start, from the hitherto harmonious joint household that he and his brother had operated together for the best part of a decade. William simply did not want her or Harry around any more.' It is little surprise, then, that Meghan will not accompany Harry to the statue unveiling. Indeed it is far from clear when she will return to these shores. There was some speculation that Archie would travel with his father but that it not now expected to happen. The statue, created by Ian Rank-Broadley, has been years in the making. William and Harry, who were just 15 and 12 when their mother was killed in a car crash in Paris, announced the idea in 2017. At the time, a Palace statement said that it was 'hoped' that the statue would be 'unveiled before the end of 2017'. Questions over the design and where it should be displayed led to delays. Later that year, when the Princes announced that Rank-Broadley had been chosen as the sculptor, the Duke of Cambridge tweeted that the statue was 'expected to be unveiled in 2019'. The brothers convened a committee to oversee the project and sought funds from private investors. Those with a key role on the committee included trusted adviser Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, the Princes' former private secretary and Prince George's godfather; Diana's sister Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Julia Samuel, a close friend of their mother. Gerry Farrell, co-owner of London's Sladmore Contemporary gallery, was brought in as an artistic adviser. Towards the beginning of the process, he described it as a 'challenging commission'. It would take another two years and many more transatlantic discussions between the brothers before the statue would finally be made public. Mr Farrell said: 'The Princes remember her as a mother, and publicly she meant so many different things to different people. It was important for the princes to convey the depth of her character and variety of her interests.' There were other concerns, too.For William, and particularly young Harry, the public reaction to their mother's death baffled them. William felt deeply wounded. 'Hurt' and 'betrayed' were the two feelings he described to his friend. The elder brother had always felt so protective. He had seen it as his job to look out for Harry In a recent documentary series on Apple+ with Oprah Winfrey, Harry spoke of being unable to 'process' his mother's death. Speaking about walking behind his mother's coffin at the funeral, he said: 'Sharing the grief of my mother's death with the world, for me the thing I remember the most is the sound of the horses' hooves going along the mall. The red brick road. 'By this time, both of us were in shock. It was like I was outside of my body and walking along just doing what was expected of me. Showing one tenth of the emotion everyone else was showing. 'I was like, 'This is my mum. You never even met her.' Worried that the statue might draw crowds and a sea of flowers, the Princes agreed to erect it in the Princess Diana Memorial Garden at Kensington Palace, where the Princess of Wales lived until her death and where Harry and Meghan announced their engagement. The Princes are understood to be 'impressed' with the finished design. Whether they will ever be able to find common ground on the issues that divide them is another matter entirely. A backpack filled with an axe, a hammer and knives was found close to where a model, 23, was killed, it has been revealed. Part-time model Gracie Spinks was murdered in an apparent murder suicide in the picturesque village of Duckmanton in Derbyshire on Friday morning. Six weeks ago a walker found a backpack filled with a cache of weapons on a farmer's track just 100 yards away from where Ms Spinks was killed. Anna White said she brought the bag to her local police station but was told nothing could be done. Yesterday, roads in and out of the area were cordoned off after Ms Spinks' assailant reportedly fled towards a country park. A primary school went into lockdown and local businesses were issued with a description of a suspect in grey jogging bottoms and a black top. But by lunchtime police said the situation had been 'resolved' after the body of a man in his 30s was discovered around half a mile away. Part-time model Gracie Spinks, 23, was found seriously injured in Duckmanton, Derbyshire, yesterday morning but died at the scene Six weeks ago a walker found a backpack filled with a cache of weapons on a farmer's track just 100 yards away from where Ms Spinks was killed. It also had a note reading 'don't lie' A waterbottle was among the cache of weapons found inside the orange backpack After realising the bag she found was close to the scene of Ms Spinks' death, Ms White wrote on social media: 'I found a backpack six weeks ago on the farmers track directly opposite Tom Lane. The contents of which were extremely disturbing. 'I contacted the police and handed the bag to them. They basically said they wouldn't be investigating further despite the obvious fact that DNA would have been recoverable (water bottle and clothing). 'If this is in anyway linked to this incident then the police have some major questions to answer. The whole purpose of me handing it in was in the hope that a future tragedy could be prevented. They may not be linked but it does seem very odd !!' Now friends of the 23-year-old, who lived in Old Whittington, around five miles from where her body was found, have revealed how she had long been bothered by a man, said to have been 'obsessed' with her. Ms White wrote on social media: 'I found a backpack six weeks ago on the farmers track directly opposite Tom Lane. The contents of which were extremely disturbing' Now friends of the 23-year-old, who lived in Old Whittington, around five miles from where her body was found, have revealed how she had long been bothered by a man, said to have been 'obsessed' with her. Pictured, the backpack found six weeks before her death One told the Sun: 'We are aware that she had a stalker but didn't know who he was. We heard she had taken out a restraining order against him because he was becoming quite a pest. 'She's a beautiful young woman, very popular, and he was obsessed with her and kept turning up at the stables. He was infatuated with her.' Today, police, who have declined to discuss the possibility Gracie had a stalker known to them, continued to investigate at the scene. Floral tributes have also been left in memory of the aspiring eventer and show jumper, whose family are said to be 'besides themselves with grief'. A forensic tent is set up in the picturesque Derbyshire village, where the 23-year-old's body was found on Friday morning Today, police, who have declined declined to discuss the possibility Gracie had a stalker known to them, continued to investigate at the scene Floral tributes have also been left in memory of the aspiring eventer and show jumper, whose family are said to be 'besides themselves with grief' Friends said she lived for horses and riding and took part in showjumping and dressage competitions with her favourite, named Paddy A map graphic shows the close distance - around half a mile - between where the two bodies were discovered yesterday A villager, 28, who lives close to the spot where Miss Spinks was found, said: 'The word locally is that this was a very vicious attack and possibly a crime of passion. 'Gracie kept at least one horse on the land it is grazing land where a number of people have horses and there is a temporary stable. 'As I understand it, Gracie was looking after her horse when she was attacked. It is just awful.' Friends said she lived for horses and riding and took part in showjumping and dressage competitions with her favourite, named Paddy. After Derbyshire Police set up roadblocks around the community close to the M1 outside Chesterfield yesterday, a local resident wrote on Facebook: 'I've been informed that, sadly, less than an hour ago a young woman was murdered on a farm less than half a mile from Poolsbrook Park. 'The perpetrator is believed to have fled towards the area of Poolsbrook Park. Anyone around that area please be careful.' Friends of Miss Spinks, who worked for a local e-commerce company, posted tributes on Facebook last night. Charlotte Pemberton, 23, who grew up with her, wrote: 'RIP Gracie. Such a beautiful, kind young girl who's been taken far too soon. Fly high sweet girl.' Alicia Jordan wrote: 'Oh Gracie Spinks Heartbroken doesn't even cut it... This world is so cruel.' By Saturday afternoon, a GoFundMe page set up to help Ms Spinks' family by Abbey Griffin, one of her friends, had raised more than 1,600. Ms Griffin said: 'Gracie was a beautiful girl at just 23 years old she had already touched so many people's life and what gorgeous memories she leaves behind. 'She was a caring and loving individual and was always happy to help. She was also so so stubborn and she'd always stand up for what was right. 'If you knew Gracie you'd also know she was horsey mad and had the most gorgeous horse called Paddy whom she loved dearly. 'Although no amount of money could ever bring Gracie back, I ask that you please donate what ever you can to help her family at this moment. 'We all love you so dearly Gracie, behave up there.' Friends of Miss Spinks, who worked for a local e-commerce company, posted tributes on Facebook last night with many saying she lived for horses and riding Locals leave floral tributes in memory of Gracie Spinks at the scene where her body was discovered on Friday morning An aerial shot shows the extent of the police cordon as detectives continue to investigate the tragedy in Derbyshire today Derbyshire Police, pictured at the scene today, said it was not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths Roads in and out of the area were cordoned off after her assailant reportedly fled towards a country park and investigations continue today It is understood that Miss Spinks, who had studied art and design at Chesterfield College, did occasional modelling work for a London agency and took commissions online to do pet portraits Roads in and out of Duckmanton in Derbyshire were cordoned off after her assailant reportedly fled towards a country park (pictured) Ms Griffin also said she would be organising a balloon release from the Markham Vale business park, where Ms Spinks worked, on Monday June 28 to allow her friends to say their goodbyes. It is understood that Miss Spinks, who had studied art and design at Chesterfield College, did occasional modelling work for a London agency and took commissions online to do pet portraits. Derbyshire Police said it was not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths. The force said: 'A woman was found injured in a field near to Staveley Road at around 8.40am. Paramedics attended and the woman, who was in her early 20s, sadly died at the scene. 'At 11am, the body of a man in his mid-30s was found in a field off Tom Lane, Duckmanton. 'We have traced and informed both families and specialist officers are supporting them at this time.' A victim was stabbed in the stomach in a tourist-heavy area near Penn Station on Saturday before the suspect then allegedly fled in an SUV which crashed. The victim, whose identity was not revealed, was slashed by the armed suspect around 3 p.m. near 35th Street and 8th Avenue in the Midtown neighborhood of Manhattan, a spokesperson for the NYPD told DailyMail.com. The suspect and victim had been in a dispute before the slashing, police said. Afterwards, the suspect fled in a car that crashed into a wall before slamming into a building just a few blocks over at West 39th Street and 8th Avenue. The driver then fled again on foot and cops are still searching for him. A victim was stabbed in the stomach in a tourist-heavy area near Penn Station on Saturday before the suspect then allegedly fled in an SUV which crashed The suspect and victim had been in a dispute before the slashing, police said A security worker who witnessed the crash said in a video uploaded to the Citizen App that he had to dive for safety between two cars The condition of the victim was not immediately known, according to police. Video footage from the scene shows the airbags in the black Nissan Pathfinder with Florida license plates deployed. The NYPD gave a description of the suspect to Citizen App, describing him as a black man around 5'7" tall wearing a black T-shirt with a white circle logo on the front and another logo on the back - as well as blue jeans and black-and-white sneakers. A security worker who witnessed the crash said in a video uploaded to the Citizen App that he had to dive for safety between two cars. 'When I look, I see a vehicle coming towards me. It was going so fast I jumped between those two cars,' the man said. The security worker said in the video that the man had been driving on the sidewalk before the crash. The Saturday slashing comes amid a recent spike in violent crimes in the Big Apple, including another man who was slashed in the head on a subway platform in Times Square on Friday night. The man, 35, was waiting for a 1/2/3 train just before 7 p.m. before the brazen attack in the Big Apple's busiest station, according to the New York Post. The victim, who has not been identified, was taken to Bellevue Hospital and is expected to recover, police told the outlet. The gunman, (pictured) dressed in a black sweatshirt, black pants and white sneakers, is seen running in the opposite direction Pictures taken outside the subway station show the victim with a heavily bandaged face being taken to an ambulance by EMTs. The man's face and clothing can be seen covered in blood, while pictured from inside the subway station show pools of blood on the floor. Further details about that stabbing were not immediately known. Earlier on Friday, surveillance footage captured a daylight shooting just one block away from NYPD headquarters in the Manhattan neighborhood of Two Bridges. Cops said that the bullet missed the intended target and instead hit a 46-year-old man who was sitting on nearby steps at the Alfred E. Smith Houses. The intended target then runs away with a small dog following behind him. The victim heard the shot and felt pain in his left arm before he then took himself to a local hospital for treatment. The gunman was dressed in a black sweatshirt, black pants and white sneakers and was seen on video running in the opposite direction. Since the spring of 2020 the number of shootings in NYC has soared: Through June 6, there were 181 homicides in New York City, up from 121 in the same period in 2019, an increase of 50 percent. That's the worst start to a year since 2011. At least 687 people were wounded or killed by gunfire through June 6. More than 2,400 people were shot during the same period in 1993. And it is the highest number for a winter and early spring since 2000. Earlier this week, former NYPD commissioner Bill Bratton warned American cities, including New York City, are in for a 'very, long dangerous summer' as murder rates have skyrocketed And there aren't any short- or long-term answers, Bratton told CNBC's Shepard Smith on Monday. New York City former Police Commissioner Bill Bratton warned New Yorkers to be ready for a long, dangerous summer' 'Unlike the last crime epidemic that took decades to build up to the early '90s, this one has occurred, literally, overnight,' Bratton said. 'It's like the virus, it's literally, out of nowhere, and so solutions are not immediately apparent.' Bratton, who earned the nickname 'supercop' for helping clean up the streets of New York City and Los Angeles, issued his warning on Monday as NYPD data showed shootings and murders in the Big Apple have increased by almost 70 percent and 12 percent, respectively. In May, Governor Andrew Cuomo called the surge in violent crime a 'major problem' and said unless the NYPD gets a handle on it soon, the city would become undesirable. 'New Yorkers don't feel safe and they don't feel safe because the crime rate is up. It's not that they are being neurotic or overly sensitive - they are right.' he said. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has been accused of putting pressure on No 10 to allow the vaccination of 12 to 18-year-olds to help keep schools open as debate rages over the ethics of jabbing children. A Whitehall source told The Mail on Sunday that the Department of Health was 'under huge pressure from the Department for Education' because 'the teaching unions and school leaders want an easy way out without the need for masks, bubble and distancing'. The issue has split opinion across Government, with Ministers and advisers caught in an ethical quandary over the unknown long-term health risks of jabbing children, as set against the benefits gained from stopping the fast spread of the virus among teenagers. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has been accused of putting pressure on No 10 to allow the vaccination of 12 to 18-year-olds to help keep schools open as debate rages over the ethics of jabbing children The Government's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is deciding whether to extend vaccinations to the under-18s, with one source suggesting a compromise could be found under which it is limited to the over-16s. Last night, a source at the Education Department said Mr Williamson was not personally pushing for teenagers to be jabbed, adding: 'He is waiting for the advice of the JCVI.' A No 10 source also said that it was 'entirely a matter for the JCVI, not Downing Street' to decide whether to extend the immunisation programme. A Whitehall source told The Mail on Sunday that the Department of Health (pictured, Matt Hancock) was 'under huge pressure from the Department for Education' because 'the teaching unions and school leaders want an easy way out without the need for masks, bubble and distancing' The JCVI has said that it will delay a decision until more data is available. Last week, Wales's First Minister Mark Drakeford said there were 'really serious issues' to consider over whether children should be vaccinated against Covid-19, 'on the one hand the safety of the vaccine for children, and ethical issues as well for whose benefit are children being vaccinated?' Mr Drakeford said that while under-16s were 'very unlikely' to become ill and 'very, very unlikely' to fall seriously ill with Covid, that had to be balanced against the fact that children could transmit the virus to people who might experience more serious consequences. The issue has split opinion across Government, with Ministers and advisers caught in an ethical quandary over the unknown long-term health risks of jabbing children, as set against the benefits gained from stopping the fast spread of the virus among teenagers (file photo) Professor Anthony Harnden, deputy chairman of the JCVI, has previously said there are 'ethical dilemmas' when it comes to vaccinating children, while Health Secretary Matt Hancock has claimed there are plenty of good reasons to give Covid jabs to children. Clinical trials of Covid-19 vaccines in children aged 12 to 15 in the UK and US have reported no safety concerns, with mainly mild side effects such as a sore arm, tiredness, muscle pains, chills or a high temperature. Most of the symptoms can be eased by taking paracetamol. A lot of by-elections don't matter. They pop and vanish like soap bubbles in no time at all. They are predictable rebellions by voters who will be equally predictable in returning to their old allegiances once the General Election comes round. But Friday's Tory defeat at Chesham and Amersham is not one of those. Nobody saw it coming. Silent, sudden revolts of this kind spell real danger. Driving HS2 through a beloved landscape, when its superfast trains will not even stop there, was always a theoretical risk. But now, with work so far advanced that halting the plan is almost impossible, this result has made it a persistent headache for Downing Street, for which there is no obvious cure. Deeper still is the growing grumbling of rural and suburban Tories against the relaxation of the planning laws. People who have worked and saved for years for a little share of peace and space suddenly feel threatened in the very place where they once felt safe. Local control over development has been significantly weakened. Tory voters rightly ask why a party whose deepest roots are in the countryside and the leafy avenues of Britain should have become a cheerleader for concrete development and high-rise towers. It is all very well to continue taking seats from Labour in the North. But there is no point in doing so if the Tories start losing in the South. Always remember your base, Boris. In the end, nothing matters more And who knows if the Amersham vote was not also affected by the decision to drag on Covid restrictions for another month? Heathrow Airport is nearby, and many of those put out of work or out of business by lockdown live there. It is all very well to continue taking seats from Labour in the North. But there is no point in doing so if the Tories start losing in the South. Always remember your base, Boris. In the end, nothing matters more. A one-year-old girl has been taken from a home in south Brisbane and driven into NSW, prompting police pleas for assistance. The girl was taken late on Saturday night from her Beenleigh home by a man and driven in a white Suzuki sedan across the NSW border. Queensland Police on Sunday morning issued an Amber alert and urgent plea for information. The girl (pictured) was taken late on Saturday night from her Brisbane home by a man and driven in a white Suzuki sedan across the NSW border The man is Indigenous, approximately 178cm tall, with brown eyes and short dark hair. He left with the girl in a white Suzuki sedan with NSW registration CS3-4ZR and crossed into NSW about 10.30pm on Saturday. The girl is Caucasian, 50cm tall with blonde hair, a fair complexion and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a pink jumper, pink pants and a blue shirt. Police urge the man, or anyone with information relating to their location, to contact police immediately. More than half a million teenagers have been allowed to leave school before the end of the academic year despite grave concerns over months of lost learning during lockdown. According to education campaigners, Year 11 pupils in most state secondary schools in England and Wales have not returned to class after half-term in May. Normally, these pupils, aged 15 and 16, would be sitting GCSEs this month and be on 'study leave' in between exams. But because formal exams have been replaced by teacher assessments, students could have remained in school to catch up on work missed during the pandemic. According to education campaigners, Year 11 pupils in most state secondary schools in England and Wales have not returned to class after half-term in May (file photo) Instead, head teachers called an early halt to the academic year, giving Year 11 more than six weeks off before the official end of the summer term. Dr Julie Maxwell, of campaign group the Family Education Trust, said: 'It's very concerning that young people that age have been chucked out of school early. 'Without the safeguarding of school they could end up, through boredom, falling into activities such as underage drinking and drug taking.' The move to send pupils home comes despite teachers, heads and unions complaining that the Government's 1.4 billion catch-up pot for pupils suffering from the disruption to their education was not enough, and critics said schools were squandering a golden opportunity to help teenagers recover. 'It smacks of double standards,' said Professor Alan Smithers, from Buckingham University. 'The schools are effectively ditching Year 11, who are arguably among the worst hit by the lockdowns, while at the same time demanding more money to help pupils catch up on what they have missed.' Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, said: 'The majority of schools seem to have already halted learning for Year 11. The move is breathtaking in its selfishness.' Amanda Spielman, the head of Ofsted, said the sending home of Year 11 pupils was 'concerning', and the watchdog 'will want to know' how schools were using the remainder of the term to help Year 11 students get up to speed on the lessons they missed out on. The action of many schools in England and Wales is in stark contrast to what is happening in Scotland, where the year group has been required to return to school after half-term. A minority of head teachers have decided to keep their Year 11 pupils in school, saying education is not just about 'a set of grades'. Other school bosses claim teachers' time has been diverted to assessing pupils, submitting GCSE grades to exam boards and creating banks of evidence to justify the grades. Amanda Spielman (pictured), the head of Ofsted, said the sending home of Year 11 pupils was 'concerning', and the watchdog 'will want to know' how schools were using the remainder of the term to help Year 11 students get up to speed on the lessons they missed out on But the deadline to pass grades to exam boards was on Friday leaving five weeks before the end of term. One mother accused her daughter's school of letting pupils down by allowing them to finish so early. She said: 'They finished completely on May 24, despite missing months and months of school over their GCSE course, so what's all this about?' Another mother said her daughter 'did not have a clue what to do with herself'. The Department for Education said: 'Many schools and colleges usually have a period of study leave for Year 11 and 13 students. 'In recognition of assessments being different this year, our guidance strongly encourages all schools and colleges to maximise opportunities during the summer term to support those students to progress to the next stage of their education, training or work.' A giant crowd of Hungary fans marched to the Puskas Arena before their team faced France, with those at the front sending a clear message over taking the knee. Flares and flags billowed across the wide road in Budapest as thousands descended on the national stadium for the group of death clash. A banner reading 'brotherhood' was held up at the front of a chanting crowd, alongside one that called for players to stop their anti-racism protests pre-match. Hungary fans made their feelings known before kick-off about taking the knee in a march A giant crowd marched together to the Puskas Arena in Budapest, chanting and lighting flares The supporters were out in force for the group of death clash between their nation and France A mixture of boos and cheers have met the England team as they performed the gesture at Wembley before both of their Euro 2020 games so far, which is seeing growing backlash from fans. World champions France have abandoned 'the knee' and remained standing at kick-off on Saturday. They fear it has begun to divide rather than fulfilling its original purpose of uniting, despite much of Les Bleus' squad flying-in to this tournament from Premier League clubs, where the gesture is more universally adopted. Ian Wright has been one high-profile pundit to hit-out at those booing the knee: 'They're taking a knee to highlight the injustices. It's a symbolic gesture to say they stand against that. Many fans are losing patience with the gesture, with some nations abandoning it entirely Hungary's supporters came out in force to show some support for their underdog team 'The excuses that they use as to why they're booing are disingenuous. 'The people that we're dealing with, if they can't understand now, with the amount of times the players have explained why they're doing it, you don't need to take notice of those people. They're taking the knee for the right reasons, and that's all that matters. 'They don't want to understand, but the fact is you still have to try and reach those people - you can't leave them.' Scotland have been indecisive over the gesture, standing for their opening clash with Czech Republic when the whistle blew, but then joining England in taking the knee before their 0-0 draw on Friday. The Scottish captain Andy Robertson said: 'Our stance is that everyone, players, fans, teams, clubs, federations, governing bodies and governments must do more. Meaningful action is needed if meaningful change is to occur.' The Holiday Guru is always on hand to answer your questions. This week issues tackled include the potential loosening of travel restrictions for fully vaccinated tourists - and the new quarantine for British visitors to Italy. Q. Are the reports earlier this week correct that rules will be changed so people who have been double-vaccinated will not have to quarantine when they return from amber-list countries? It would be fantastic, as we are thinking of going to Majorca. Barry Jones, via email. Sands of time: Holidaymakers are waiting to see if they can visit Calo des Moro, Majorca, without quarantining on return A. This is just speculation, based on government leaks. But, as European countries including Germany, France, Spain and Greece are introducing similar policies for fully vaccinated travellers, the pressure is growing not to fall behind in the race to reopen travel and tourism. Changes are unlikely before August. Q. Can I fly to Miami, Florida, next week? Joan Watson, via email. A. No. Only a few British visitors are currently allowed there, such as diplomats. See Americas entry requirements at gov.uk. Q. Why are the Cayman Islands not on the green list? There have been no Covid cases there for about nine months. Janet and Jim Jordan, via email. A reader asked the Guru why the Cayman Islands are not on the green list A. As Government criteria for green list countries are not known, it is impossible to say. Last October, the Cayman Islands began a phased reopening of its borders, allowing entry only to Caymanians, work permit holders and those with close family (like yourselves), with a 14-day quarantine. See visitcaymanislands.com. Q. We booked a holiday villa in Majorca for July 10. We plan to go and self-isolate on our return. How do we find out where to book a government-approved PCR test prior to returning? Can the Passenger Locator Form be completed by hand? Our villa will not have the internet. Garry Stevens, Pewsey, Wiltshire. A. For government-approved tests, see Private providers of Covid-19 testing: what you need to know at gov.uk. Passenger Locator Forms must be completed online, so you will need to find a wi-fi hotspot or internet cafe. Q. I heard that there is a new quarantine for British visitors to Italy. Is this correct? Janet Smith, York. The Guru confirms that Italy is now imposing a quarantine on British travellers A. Yes. Italy has introduced a mandatory five-day quarantine for visitors from Britain starting on Monday. It was announced yesterday. Q. Can you please suggest good areas in the UK for night-time star/planet-gazing? Graham Jenkins, via email. A. The International Dark-Sky Association (dark-sky.org) has a handy online map. The Dales and Brecon Beacons feature on it. WERE HERE TO HELP If you need advice, the Holiday Guru is here to answer your questions. Email us at holidayplanner@dailymail.co.uk. She isn't afraid to show off her incredible curves in skin-tight outfits. And Maya Jama didn't disappoint on Friday as she displayed her hourglass physique in a figure-hugging green dress ahead of Peter Crouch's Euros 2020 show. The TV presenter, 26, rocked the midi dress for a series of sizzling social media snaps before appearing on the BBC programme. Turn heads: Maya Jama didn't disappoint on Friday as she displayed her hourglass physique in a figure-hugging green dress ahead of Peter Crouch's Euros 2020 show The semi-sheer garment teased a look at her black bodice underneath and complemented her wrap-around black heels. Maya swept her raven tresses back in a sleek high ponytail, using her fringe and full coverage make-up to frame her visage. She looked sensational as she sat on the Crouchy's Year-Late Euros couch with host Peter, 40, and Harry Redknapp. Maya wore unusual dangling earrings and was seen with a microphone resting on her jaw. Pop of colour: The TV presenter, 26, rocked the midi dress for a series of sizzling social media snaps before appearing on the BBC programme Footwear: The semi-sheer garment teased a look at her black bodice underneath and complemented her wrap-around black heels Jordan North also made an appearance on the footie show following England vs Scotland's game. Maya appears to be a woman of many talents as she recently released her own skincare line, MIJ, after leaving her Radio 1 job in May 2020. In January, it was reported that Maya wants to go one step further by becoming the latest celebrity to launch a make-up range. It's understood the presenter wants to release the line this year but is 'taking her time with the cosmetics', according to The Sun. Take a sip: Maya swept her raven tresses back in a sleek high ponytail, using her fringe and full coverage make-up to frame her visage Dream team: She looked sensational as she sat on the Crouchy's Year-Late Euros couch with host Peter, 40, and Harry Redknapp Maya will launch the line, which will include lip-kits, eyeshadows, foundations and primers, when 'it's right', the source said. A friend told the publication: 'Maya is a shrewd businesswoman and is determined to make a name for herself in the cosmetics market. 'Her debut skincare range, MIJ, has been a runaway hit, with her face masks selling out in the first week, making her around 250,000 in seven days. 'Maya has now trademarked cosmetics under the brand name.' MailOnline contacted representatives for Maya for comment at the time. Her skincare line MIJ Masks includes face masks as well as eye patches. Unusual: Maya wore unusual dangling earrings and was seen with a microphone resting on her jaw Emily Ratajkowski left little to the imagination as she modeled the 'next swim print' for her fashion-forward swimwear line Inamorata on Friday. The 30-year-old supermodel, sharing the sultry shots to Instagram, went topless in a pair of retro floral bikini bottoms and some sexy arm-length gloves. Turning up the heat, Ratajkowski posed with her hands over her breasts to give her followers a better look at the newest Inamorata pattern - and her fit physique. Promo mode: Emily Ratajkowski, 30, teased her social media fans and followers by promoting one of the new swimsuits and matching arm length gloves from her Inamorata swimsuit line Another stunning portrait showed Emily lying on the ground with her tanned and toned legs crossed while rocking a one piece suit in the same eye-catching pattern. The floral design was a combination of various browns, beige, blush, and peach, that was intertwined with an animal print on both the gloves and swim pieces. In the first photo of her slideshow, Emily gave a hint of cleavage by covering her modesty with her right arm, which was still adorned with a stylish glove. 'Coming Tuesday @inamoratawoman,' she teased her potential customers in the caption. Attention please! The I Feel Pretty star also showcased the floral gloves by flaunting her ample assets in a photo posted on the Inamorata Instagram page on Friday Flower power: The model and actress shared one photo of herself dressed in a one-piece floral swimsuit that is combination of various browns, beige, and peach, intertwined with an animal print on both the gloves and swimsuit The entire shoot appeared to focus around showcasing the suits as well as Emily's amazing fit figure, which comes just three-and-a-half-months after she gave birth to her first child: a son named Sylvester. Playing the marketing game, Ratajkowski shared those same two photos, along with a third snap, on the Inamorata Instagram page, which boasts another 681,000 fans and followers. 'Can you guess our next swim print? Coming Tuesday, June 22nd - you won't want to miss it,' it read in the caption. Stunning body transformation: Ratajkowski, who just turned 30 earlier this month, gave birth to baby Sylvester on March 8 The swimsuit-gloves combination is among a new line from Inamorata, which she originally launched in November 2017. The word 'inamorata' is borrowed from Italian word 'innamorata' and means 'in love'. Ratajkowski, who just turned 30 earlier this month, shares her newborn son Sylvester with her husband of nearly three-years, Sebastian Bear-McClard. Backlash: Earlier this month, Emily was slammed on social media for a series of bikini-clad images in which she held the newborn with one hand; Emily and Sylvester pictured June 7 Yikes: The photos prompted a furry of comments about the lack of support along with accusations she was using him as a mere 'accessory' Earlier this month, Emily was slammed on social media for a series of bikini-clad images in which she held the newborn with one hand, prompting a furry of comments about the lack of support along with accusations she was using him as a mere 'accessory.' 'NO neck support lmfaooo wtf,' wrote one follower on Twitter, after the images of her with Sylvester went viral for all the wrong reasons. 'Cus its just a prop for her photo and she doesn't want anything hiding her body...kinda weird if u think too much into,' wrote another. None! One user commented 'NO neck support' as the images of her with the infant went viral for all the wrong reasons Prop: Another user asserted that she was using the newborn as a prop and wanted to main focus to be on her body Side by side: One follower on Twitter compared two shots of her mishandling both the newborn and a small pug who dangled aimlessly And another user posted a side by side shot of the model previously mishandling a small dog with the same one hand grasp as its legs and body dangled aimlessly, prompting even more comments. Many people asserted that both helpless beings were no more than 'accessories,' with one user saying that the dog had 'no butt support.' After the serious backlash she disabled all comments on her Instagram post. Accessory: Followers asserted that the beings were no more than 'accessories' for her Like minded: Twitter users found comfort in knowing that were not the only ones who thought her grasp or rather lack thereof was strange She famously flagged down a steam train with a red petticoat as a teenager. But there were no undergarments in sight as Jenny Agutter reprised her role as Bobbie Waterbury in The Railway Children sequel. The Call The Midwife actress, 68, was pictured herding a group of schoolchildren with her co-star Sheridan Smith in the first shots of the star from the set of the upcoming film. The pair were sporting victory rolls, with Miss Agutter in wide leg trousers and a beret as she smiled for the cameras between takes. The Call The Midwife actress, 68, was pictured herding a group of schoolchildren with her co-star Sheridan Smith in the first shots of the star from the set of the upcoming film The pair were sporting victory rolls, with Miss Agutter in wide leg trousers and a beret as she smiled for the cameras between takes Miss Smith, 39, was wearing a 1940s get-up complete with brown brogues and a smart grey skirt. The Railway Children told the story of a mother and her three children who move to the Yorkshire countryside after their father is falsely imprisoned. The book, written by E Nesbit, was published in 1906. The film, released in 1970, also starred Dinah Sheridan, Bernard Cribbins, Sally Thomsett and Gary Warren. It was nominated for three Baftas. Miss Agutter was still a teenager when she found fame as the oldest of the Waterbury children in a 1968 BBC adaptation and the 1970 film version, which saw Miss Thomsett and Gary Warren play her siblings Phyllis and Peter. The Railway Children told the story of a mother and her three children who move to the Yorkshire countryside after their father is falsely imprisoned The Railway Children Return, directed by Bafta-winner Morgan Matthews, follows a group of evacuated children who encounter a young soldier in a Yorkshire village during the Second World War. Tom Courtenay, 84, also stars. The film will feature key locations from the original, including Oakworth Station, the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, the Bronte Parsonage and Haworth. The Railway Children Return is due for UK cinema release on April 1, 2022. She's currently filming her latest comedy project Senior Year in Atlanta, Georgia. And Rebel Wilson showed off her recent 30kg weight loss journey in a bizarre TikTok video shared from the set of the film on Friday. In the video, a noticeably slimmed-down Rebel is seen running in place in front of a green screen that's depicting a city. Strange: Rebel Wilson,41, posted a bizarre TikTok video from the set of Senior Year that highlights her incredible weight loss and the journey she's been on. Pictured here with co-star Mary Holland. She is wearing a singlet with a bright pink jumper and pants while being comically chased by her co-star in the film, American actress Mary Holland. 'I'm too fast!' Rebel says in the video as both women continuing running in place with the city moving in the background. While running, Rebel shrugs off the jumper, providing a visual clue of just how much weight the actress has lost. 'I'm too fast!': In the video Rebel is wearing a singlet with a bright pink jumper and pants while being comically chased by Holland The caption for the post simply says '@maryhollandise (Mary) and I doing amazing acting today #senioryear' The strange, but humourous TikTok received a lot of love and laughter from Rebel's fans online. Many shared laughing emoji's, while one user wrote, 'Go Rebel, Go!' 'Go Rebel, Go!': The strange, but humourous TikTok received a lot of love and laughter from Rebel's fans online. Actor and Isn't It Romantic co-star, Brandon Scott Jones, commented with a series of heart eyes emoji's. While Rebel's co-star in the video, Mary Holland, wrote ,'you got away this time...but one day I WILL catch you.' Senior Year is currently in production and stars Wilson as a cheerleader who wakes up from a 20-year coma, and returns to high school in the hopes of regaining her popular status and the prom queen title. It will also star Clueless actress Alicia Silverstone and is set to land on Netflix in March 2022. She's 30 weeks pregnant and in the midst of a 14 day hotel quarantine. But that's not going to stop Teresa Palmer from getting in a workout, with the 35-year-old Australian actress posting pics to her Instagram Stories of her Pilates routine on Saturday. Sharing an image of herself on all fours on the hotel carpet, Teresa wrote, 'Keeping fit in Hotel Quarantine! Mornings with @fluidformpilates.' Breaking a sweat: Heavily pregnant Aussie actress Teresa Palmer, 35, is working up a sweat and exercises while stuck in hotel quarantine. Teresa thanked her friend, model and reality star Lara Worthington, for suggesting the workout. In the next snap, in which Teresa sat down and stretched, she wrote, 'afternoons with @emilyskyefit.' She added, '#30weekspregnant Hotel Quarantine Fitness.' 'Keeping fit in hotel quarantine!': The Aussie actress posted on her Instagram stories snaps of her doing push ups and stretching with a pronounced belly. Subsequent posts showed Teresa's meals and videos of her playing with her children along with the caption, 'quaro day 4.' Like many celebrities currently stuck in hotel quarantine, Teresa has been documenting her day-to-day life in a series of videos and posts. The actress arrived in Sydney with her family on Tuesday after a long-haul flight from the U.S. Making the most of her time: Like many other celebrities currently stuck in hotel quarantine, Teresa has been documenting her day-to-day life in a series of videos and posts. After landing, the actress, her director husband Mark Webber and their four children were whisked away to a nearby hotel to begin their 14-days of mandatory quarantine. The couple are parents to three children - sons Bodhi Rain, seven, Forest Sage, four, and daughter Poet Lake, one. Mark is also father to son, Isaac Love, 13, whom he shares with his ex-partner, actress Frankie Shaw. After completing quarantine, the family will then head to Teresa's home state of Adelaide, where she plans to give birth to her fourth child due in August. Teresa announced her pregnancy on her 35th birthday back in February on Instagram. Sharon Stone has been garnering the attention of fans and photographers since arriving in New York City to attend the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival. And Friday was not different, as the Oscar-nominated actress was more willing to stop to pose for photos while out shopping in Manhattan. The Casino star dazzled when she flashed a big beaming smile dressed in blue oversized pants that were matched with a colorful button-down over a blue t-shirt. Glowing: Sharon Stone, 63, flashed a peace sign and her infectious smile while out shopping in New York City on Friday, The pants had pleats and were designed to have an extreme baggy look. She also donned black leather shoes and had her dyed blonde tresses cut short and slicked back off her face. Being that she was in the midst of a day of retail therapy, the Pennsylvania native carried a large white and brown bag over her right shoulder. Youthful: The Oscar-nominated actress stepped out in blue oversized pants, a colorful button-down over a blue t-shirt and black leather shoes Stylish: The Casino star slicked back her dyed blonde short tresses for her day of retail therapy Stone was spotted shopping along Manhattan's famous stretch of fashion shops along Madison Avenue. Since arriving in the Big Apple, the former model has shared a number of photos on Instagram, including two snaps showing her on a three-wheel bike that's parked on a street in what appears to be Times Square. The Basic Instinct actress has two new films slated to drop in the near future: the drama-romance Beauty that also features Giancarlo Esposito, James Urbaniak, Niecy Nash, and rapper Joey Bada$$. It is expected to be released on Netflix sometime in 2021. She also plays the lead role in the drama-romance, What About Love, alongside Andy Garcia and Iain Glen, among others. The film is slated to premiere in February 2022. New roles: The Pennsylvania native has two new films slated to drop in 2021 and 2022 Peace and love! Stone flashed one last peach sign before she resumed her day of shopping Having first made a splash as a fashion model in the late 1970s, Stone made her film debut as an extra in Woody Allen's comedy-drama film Stardust Memories (1980). Her first speaking role was in Wes Craven's horror movie Deadly Blessing (1981). It was her role in the science fiction action film Total Recall (1990), starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, that put her name into the leading lady conversation at the time. She went on to star in a number of hit films, including Basic Instinct (1992), Sliver (1993), The Quick and the Dead (1995), Casino (1995), for which she was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar, Sphere (1998) and Broken Flowers (2005). In more recent years, Stone has seen success in television with roles in the acclaimed series Mosaic (2017) and Ratched (2020). She gets around: Stone shared a couple of photos of herself being driven around in a three-wheel bike, which includes on snap that appears to be shot in Times Square The Weakest Link has struggled in the ratings since returning to Aussie screens last month. But even so, Channel Nine have filmed four special episodes of the quiz show, in addition to the regular season, according to TV Tonight. Two of the Magda Szubanski-hosted specials will feature celebrity contestants, while another will be a crossover with the network's renovation show The Block. You are the Weakest Link! Channel Nine's rebooted quiz show is airing special episodes despite struggling in the ratings since returning to Aussie screens last month. Pictured: host Magda Szubanski The final episode will have all of the winners in the previous specials go head-to-head in a last man standing face off! The news comes just weeks after the Australian-version of the show returned with a ten episode revival series - 19 years later after the first two seasons aired on Channel Seven. The short-lived Channel Seven run was hosted by actress Cornelia Frances, who passed away in 2018. Break from tradition: Two of the four specials will feature celebrity contestants, while another will be a crossover with the network's renovation show The Block. Pictured: former host Cornelia Frances The revival series is currently four episodes in, with episode five airing next Tuesday at 9:20pm, following the new season of Australian Ninja Warrior. The reboot initially struggled with poor ratings in its second week on air - only acquiring 300,000 viewers across the country. 423,000 viewers were recorded for the first week - placing the program as the 18th most watched show for that night. Tough start: The reboot has initially struggled with poor ratings in its second week on air - only acquiring 300,000 viewers across the country. 423,000 viewers were recorded for the first week Watchers gave mixed feedback on the opening episodes - complaining about the show's attempt at humour and the sound design. It's hoped the specials will help attract higher audience numbers and ratings as the main season progresses. Channel Nine has not yet confirmed when the specials will air. Karl Stefanovic is currently filming the TODAY show in New Zealand. And while he's away, he's still very much a doting dad, with the TV star sharing a picture of his daughter Ava all dressed up to attend her first school formal. Alongside the image of his 16-year-old, Karl penned a sweet message to his eldest daughter, writing: 'Proud daddy chops moment. What a beauty. What a person. ' Doting dad: Karl Stefanovic shared a sweet tribute to his daughter Ava as she attended her first school formal this week. 'Proud daddy chops moment. What a beauty. What a person,' he wrote on Instagram on Saturday Earlier this week, her mother Cassandra Thornburn also shared pictures of her daughter, in which the teenager was beaming. The brunette stood out at the event in a gold dress with spaghetti straps. She swept her hair back into a messy bun, while the front was parted down the middle. Ava's added some glamour to her look by rocking a smokey eye, teamed with a creamy nude lipstick. She finished off her outfit with a gold glomesh pouch and minimal gold accessories. All grown up! Karl Stefanovic's 16-year-old daughter Ava stunned in a gold gown as she attended her first school formal Golden girl! The brunette stood out at the event in a gold dress with spaghetti straps All in the accessories! She finished off her outfit with a gold glomesh pouch and minimal gold accessories Meanwhile, her date looked dapper in a classic black suit, with a white shirt and black tie to accessorise. Along with Ava, Karl and Cassandra also share sons Jackson, 22, and River, 14. Following his split from their mother in 2016, Karl and Jasmine met in late 2016 and married two years later, in December 2018. The couple welcomed their first child together, daughter Harper, in May last year. Daddy's girl: Pictured, Karl Stefanovic and his daughter Ava Baby daughter: Jasmine Yarbrough and her husband Karl Stefanovic welcomed their first child together, daughter Harper, in May last year. Despite their age difference, sisters Willow and Harper have a close bond. Earlier this year, Jasmine shared a cute photo to Instagram of the two girls spending quality time together. And it appears the step-mother has a great relationship with Karl's eldest daughter as she shared a sweet tribute to her on her birthday in March, too. Big sister: Karl shares 16-year-old Willow with his first wife, Cassandra Thorburn. Despite their age difference, Ava and Harper (pictured) have a close bond She's the Australian journalist and TV presenter whose esteemed career spans more than two decades. And on Saturday, rarely seen photos from her childhood were shared on Weekend Today. The adventurous young girl was none other than Channel Nine journalist Leila McKinnon, who shared photos from her upbringing in Auckland. Guess who? On Saturday, rarely seen photos from one very popular journalist's childhood were shared on Weekend Today One of the photos showed the media personality as a young girl reading a book on a sofa and of her posing on a bare tree. Another image shown was of McKinnon as a beaming toddler leading a chestnut coloured horse, which was followed with a picture of her riding a white horse. The 48-year-old broadcast Weekend Today live from New Zealand's Lake Wanaka, in the Otago region with co-host, and fellow Kiwi, Richard Wilkins. Who's that girl? The adventurous young girl was none other than Channel Nine presenter Leila McKinnon, who shared photos from her upbringing in Auckland Animal lover: Another image shown was of McKinnon as a beaming toddler leading a chestnut coloured horse (left) which was followed with a picture of her riding a white horse (right) Homecoming: The 48-year-old broadcast Weekend Today live from New Zealand's Lake Wanaka, in the Otago region with co-host, and fellow Kiwi, Richard Wilkins. Leila seen here in 2019 'I grew up in Auckland. I was here till I was 15, that's when I moved to Brisbane,' she said of her childhood. As the photos played, she joked: 'I always knew how to strike a pose, that's for sure.' A picture from her teen years also appeared on screen, showing with a girl friend as the both sported voluminous perms. 'Gee there's no stopping you was there,' Richard said, as Leila joked 'no, especially with that perm.' Upbringing: 'I grew up in Auckland. I was here till I was 15, that's when I moved to Brisbane,' she said of her childhood Leila began as a reporter and news presenter for Channel Nine's Gold Coast desk in 1995. During her time with the network she's presented reports and news bulletins on A Current Affair, Today, and Weekend Today. She married businessman David Gyngell - son of Australian television pioneer Bruce Gyngell - in 2004. The couple then moved to Los Angeles in 2006. Career: Leila began as a reporter and news presenter for Channel Nine's Gold Coast desk in 1995. During her time with the network she's presented reports and news bulletins on A Current Affair, Today, and Weekend Today They returned to Australia a year later, when David was appointed CEO of the Nine Network. He resigned from the role in 2015. She then resumed her role at Nine, working across a variety of programs at the network. The couple share two children - son Ted, nine, and daughter Gwendolen, seven. She's a stunning high-profile TV star who is known for her role on Channel Nine's Bondi Vet. But while Dr. Kate Adams has worked hard to buy her own property and medical pet practice, the odds were not always in her favour when it came to the dating game. 'I have found that success generally isnt seen as appealing for guys,' she told Adelaide Now of her experience with men in Sydney. 'Men don't like successful women': Bondi Vet's Dr. Kate Adams has revealed that after a string of dates in Sydney, she's realised men aren't impressed by successful women 'Particularly when the opposite tends to be true when women view a potential partner,' she added. 'Im not sure that men find it intimidating maybe? But I dont feel like I am an intimidating person. But its interesting.' She went on to explain that on more than one occasion she has found herself picking up the bill for her dates. The esteemed vet also added that it's happened so often at a restaurant or cafe, she would be 'shocked' if a guy paid for her meal. Chivalry is dead: She went on to explain that on more than one occassion she has found herself picking up the bill for her dates Dr. Kate joined Bondi Vet: Coast to Coast in 2019, as one of the five new animal physicians to take Dr. Chris Brown's role on the show. The blonde has owned the Bondi Vet Hospital in Sydney for several years. She is also the director of Cannpal Animal Therapeutics and the founder of thankly.com, a website which allows you send thank you notes online. Change up! Dr. Kate joined Bondi Vet: Coast to Coast in 2019, as one of the five new animal physicians to take Dr. Chris Brown's role on the show. The Bondi Vet stars (left to right): Dr Danni Dusek, Dr Lewis Hunt, Dr Kate Adams, Dr Peter Ricci, and Dr Alex Hynes Dr. Kate relocated to Sydney from Melbourne in 2010 and resides in a leafy terrace home in the affluent suburb of Paddington. In the past, she has spoke candidly about gender inequality in the veterinary industry. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph in 2019, Dr Kate said: 'Dr Chris [Brown] was so loved and charismatic and I think there will be potentially a little bit of flak in terms of me not being a man.' 'There's a perception that men are better vets than females!' Bondi Vet's Dr. Kate Adams (pictured) slammed gender inequality in the veterinary industry 'There is still a perception men are better vets than females are and I still get people saying they only want a male to perform surgery on their animals, she explained. 'So I think 2019 is a perfect time for a new female Bondi Vet.' Bondi Vet season 10 can be revisited on 9Now. Gwyneth Paltrow said her ex-husband Chris Martin has become 'like a brother' to her. The Oscar-winning actress and Goop founder, 48, got candid about her close relationship with the Coldplay frontman during an appearance on the Today show on Thursday. Paltrow and Martin had been married for more than 10 years, and shared two children, when they made their now famous 'conscious uncoupling' announcement back in March 2014. Family matters: Gwyneth Paltrow said she considers ex-husband Chris Martin 'like a brother' during an appearance on the Today show The actress has been very open about her divorce from Martin and how it was an extremely 'terrible' and 'painful' experience. But in the years following the split, and the responsibilities of co-parenting daughter Apple, 17, and son Moses, 15, at the forefront of their priorities, the former couple have become close with one another in a familial way. 'He's like my brother. You know, he's my family,' Paltrow explained before adding, 'I love him.' The Goop founder also shared how she just spent some quality time with Martin earlier this week; the former couple are pictured in January 2014, two months before they made their now famous 'conscious uncoupling' announcement back in March 2014 She went on to share about how her ex-husband has given her the ultimate gift in her lifetime. 'And I'm so grateful to him for giving me these kids. It worked out well... You know, it really did, I have to say,' she gushed. Paltrow also revealed that she and Martin spend a lot of time together, due to their teenaged kids. In fact, the Grammy-winning musician has even spent quality time with his ex-wife's new husband, Brad Falchuk. 'I mean, it's funny. He was over here yesterday. And [Apple] came through and she's like, you know, she's taller than me now. We just looked at each other. We were like, "How did this go by so quickly?"' she said in reference Martin and the time that has past while raising their kids. New man in her life: Paltrow started dating Brad Falchuk in 2014, a number of months after she split from Martin; the couple ended up getting married in September 2018 Happy blended family: With two children to co-parent with Paltrow, Martin has spent some quality time with her husband of nearly three years Paltrow met Falchuk in 2010 when she appeared on the hit the television musical series Glee, which he co-created and produced. They would reconnect in the ladder part of 2014, after her split from Martin, and eventually go public with their relationship in April 2015. The couple would tie-the-knot in September 2018. Paltrow's affinity for Martin's girlfriend of the past few years, actress Dakota Johnson, has also helped with making their blended family life even happier. Natalie Portman has been in Australia since late last year to film Thor: Love and Thunder. And while production has officially wrapped, she is still very much enjoying Sydney like a local. On Saturday, the 40-year-old was spotted stepping out to a dry cleaner near one of the city's COVID-19 hotspots. Out and about: On Saturday, Natalie Portman stepped out to run some errands For her casual stroll, Natalie donned a pair of washed-out denim jeans, teamed with a white and red paisley-style shirt. To accessorise, she donned black sunglasses and a tan coloured broad-brimmed hat with a black ribbon, and wore a mask over her face for health and safety reasons. The Hollywood actress also added some designer flair to her outfit by carrying a black satchel by Christian Dior. Style: For her casual stroll, Natalie donned a pair of washed-out denim jeans, teamed with a white and red paisley-style shirt Street style: To accessorise, she donned black sunglasses and a tan coloured broad-brimmed hat with a black ribbon, and wore a mask over her face for health and safety reasons Natalie added a pop of colour to her outfit by wearing her white Adidas trainers with green detailing. Production on Thor: Love and Thunder began in January at Fox Studios in Sydney. The blockbuster will see Natalie's character, astrophysicist Jane Foster, take up the mantle of Thor after transforming into a female version of the Norse god. Fancy! The Hollywood actress also added some designer flair to her outfit by carrying a black satchel by Christian Dior Natalie previously revealed her excitement at returning to the franchise during an interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. 'It's going to be really silly and funny and great. We've got [director] Taika Waititi. He's wonderful, so I'm very excited,' she said. Natalie was absent for 2017's Thor: Ragnarok, but was a key player in the first two Thor films, released in 2011 and 2013. Thor: Love and Thunder is scheduled for cinematic release in February 2022. She stunned on the red carpet for the long-awaited premiere of her Fast & Furious sequel F9 on Friday night. But Jordana Brewster looked just as glamorous earlier in the evening when she unwinded with a drink before heading to the iconic Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. The 41-year-old actress and model showed off her toned and tanned legs in her Versace gown as she sipped on a glass of rum. Loosening up: Jordana Brewster, 41, relaxed with a glass of rum while wearing her stunning pink Versace dress ahead of Friday night's F9 premiere in Hollywood Jordana was set to have all eyes on her thanks to the lacy off-the-shoulder gown, which was covered in an intricate spiderweb-like pattern. She leaned forward and rested her elbows on her legs while warming up with her drink in one casual shot, though she appeared to have stepped on her train with her pink platform stilettos. The Lethal Weapon actress powdered her impeccably made-up face in another behind-the-scenes photo while she playfully sat on an old wooden desk in her home. She highlighted the dress' striking triangle-shaped cut-out just below her bust that showcased her flat midriff. Pretty in pink: Jordana's lacy hot pink dress had an intricate spiderweb-like design and a high slit that showcased her toned and tanned legs Stunner: She stood tall in magenta platform stilettos and had her lustrous raven locks swept back pin straight Jordana added some extra elegance to the stunning ensemble with her lustrous raven tresses, which were styled pin straight. She parted her hair down the middle and had it swept down her back. The actress kept her accessories minimal for her red-carpet arrival, though she added some extra sparkle to her look with diamond earrings from Tiffany & Co. On social media, Jordana revealed that her boyfriend Mason Morfit and her older son Julian Form-Brewster had accompanied her to the premiere, though she elected to walk the red carpet solo. She and the boys made multiple pit stops on the way to the Hollywood premiere, with visits to the Chateau Marmont and Pinches Tacos beforehand. Sparkler: The actress kept her accessories minimal for her red-carpet arrival, though she added some extra sparkle to her look with diamond earrings from Tiffany & Co. Stellar shape: The Lethal Weapon star's dress featured a playful triangular cutout below her bust to highlight her flat midriff Jordana made sure to pose with some of her costars and the creative team of F9 while looking her finest. Also joining her was Tyrese Gibson, who plays Roman Pearce, and Sung Kang, who made his return to the series after appearing to have been killed Furious 7. Standing next to Jordana on the red carpet was the film's director, Justin Lin, who helmed the four, fifth and sixth entries in the series, before sitting on the last two films. Charlize Theron, who plays one of the film's villains, was also present, as were series lead Vin Diesel, rapper and actor Ludacris, Shad 'Bow Wow' Moss and Anna Sawai. The boys: She was joined on the red carpet by her costars Tyrese Gibson (L) and Sung Kang (R), as well as director Justin Lin, who returned after two films away from the series The new film picks up with Dom (Diesel) in retirement when his team learns that Cipher (Theron) had been apprehended, only for the plane carrying her to be hijacked. The culprit is Dom's long-lost brother Jakob (John Cena), who has a deep grudge against his brother going back to the death of their father. F9 was originally scheduled for a May 22, 2020 release date, until the ongoing coronavirus pandemic forced it to be delayed. After several new release dates throughout 2020 and 2021, the film will hit theaters across the country on June 25. Bindi Irwin and her husband Chandler Powell welcomed their first child, daughter Grace, in March. And on Saturday, the new parents were on their first family holiday alongside Bindi's mother Terri Irwin, 56, and brother Robert Irwin, 17. The family headed off to the seaside town of Byron Bay, NSW, which has become a popular celebrity holiday destination. Family time: Bindi Irwin and her husband Chandler Powell headed off on their first family holiday alongside Bindi's mother Terri Irwin, 56, and brother Robert Irwin, 17, and their baby daughter Grace. All pictured The Wildlife Warrior, 22, looked relaxed as she pushed baby Grace in a pram while her husband Chandler, 24, strolled behind her alongside Robert. The new mother was casually dressed in a simple black T-shirt, over which she wore a dark blue and red flannel shirt. She added a pair of olive green jeans to the ensemble, as well as black sneakers. Fun: The family went to the seaside town of Byron Bay, NSW, which has become a popular celebrity holiday destination Chill: The Wildlife Warrior, 22, looked relaxed as she pushed baby Grace in a pram Casual: The new mother was casually dressed in a simple black T-shirt Details: Over her dark top, she wore a dark blue and red flannel shirt Bindi added a brown, felt hat, and shielded her eyes with a pair of trendy black sunglasses. Terri was comfortably casual in a maroon jumper paired with a pair of blue jeans and black sneakers. Mother and daughter smiled and giggled as they walked along, engaged in a discussion. Dressed down: She added a pair of olive green jeans to the ensemble Accessories: Staying sun safe, Bindi added a brown, felt hat Eyes have it: She shielded her eyes with a pair of trendy black sunglasses To the ground: She completed her ensemble with a pair of black sneakers Chandler opted for a loose black t-shirt and dark blue jeans along with dark running shoes. He carried a takeaway coffee and a small paper bag from a store, and laughed as he chatter to Robert, the pair enjoying a lively conversation. Robert had on a white shirt with a light brown jacket over the top along with black jeans and sneakers. Family time: It was the first family holiday for the new parents New addition: They welcomed their first child in March Baby love: Grace slept in her stroller as the family walked along Earlier this month, Bindi marked eight years since meeting her husband, Chandler. The Australia Zoo owner shared a heartfelt Instagram post along with a sweet photo from their wedding day, last year. 'Almost 8 years ago I fell in love with your smile, it's been over a year since we got married. Dad mode: Chandler opted for a loose black t-shirt and dark blue jeans Light load: He carried a takeaway coffee and a small paper bag from a store Fun: He smiled as he chatter to Robert, the pair enjoying a lively conversation Dressing down: Robert had on a white shirt with a light brown jacket over the top along with black jeans and sneakers 'We've shared countless adventures and we continue to build a future together,' she wrote in the caption. 'The greatest blessing was bringing Grace Warrior into this world,' the animal conservationist said of their three-month-old daughter. 'I love being on this whirlwind journey with you. My best friend,' she penned to her husband on National Best Friends day. Mama duty: Terri was comfortably casual in a maroon jumper Chats: Mother and daughter smiled and giggled as they walked along, engaged in a discussion Cool mum: Terri paired her top with a pair of blue jeans and black sneakers Final touches: She carried a paper bag and wore a simple silver necklace Bindi and Chandler first met in November 2013 when Chandler, who hails from Florida, was touring Australia for a wakeboarding competition. The young couple were married on March 25 in a makeshift ceremony at Australia Zoo, just before the Covid-19 lockdown took effect. The daughter of the late Steve Irwin revealed how they made the difficult decision to have no guests present at the nuptials held at Australia Zoo, to 'keep everyone safe', amid the coronavirus pandemic. Happy days: Earlier this month, Bindi marked eight years since meeting her husband, Chandler Love: The Australia Zoo owner shared a heartfelt Instagram post along with a sweet photo from their wedding day, last year Romantic: 'Almost 8 years ago I fell in love with your smile, it's been over a year since we got married' she wrote Love: The young couple were married on March 25 in a makeshift ceremony at Australia Zoo, just before the Covid-19 lockdown took effect Bindi and Chandler announced they were expecting their first child together in August, just five months after tying the knot, and the following month revealed they were having a daughter. The Wildlife Warrior and her husband recently welcomed Grace Warrior Irwin Powell, who was born on their first wedding anniversary. 'March 25, 2021. Celebrating the two loves of my life. Happy first wedding anniversary to my sweetheart husband and day of birth to our beautiful daughter,' Bindi wrote. Drink it up: Robert carried a juice drink in a glass bottle Growing: Bindi and Chandler announced they were expecting their first child together in August, just five months after tying the knot 'Our graceful warrior is the most beautiful light. Grace is named after my great-grandmother, and relatives in Chandlers family dating back to the 1700s,' she continued. 'Her middle names, Warrior Irwin, are a tribute to my dad and his legacy as the most incredible Wildlife Warrior. Her last name is Powell and she already has such a kind soul just like her dad.' Bindi's father Steve Irwin died tragically 14 years ago when Bindi was eight years old. The Crocodile Hunter was pierced in the chest by a stingray barb in 2006. Tracey Emin looked happy as she met a friend for lunch on Friday, three months after revealing she had been given the all-clear from bladder cancer. The artist, 57, was diagnosed early last year after discovering a tumour in her bladder while working on a painting of a malignant lump. Tracey had surgery last summer, where many of her reproductive organs were removed and she was fitted with a stoma bag. Recovery: Tracey Emin looked happy as she met a friend for lunch on Friday, three months after revealing she had been given the all-clear from bladder cancer The artist looked in high spirits as he headed to an Italian restaurant for lunch in London. Tracey looked smart in a navy blazer and grey skirt and didn't let the torrential rain get her down as she battled the elements to enter the restaurant. Tracey accessorised her look with a black bag covered in different coloured flowers over her right shoulder, and a blue top tied around her waist. Health: The artist, 57, was diagnosed early last year after discovering a tumour in her bladder while working on a painting of a malignant lump Heading to lunch: The artist looked smart in a navy blazer and grey skirt and didn't let the torrential rain get her down as she battled the elements to enter the restaurant WHAT IS BLADDER CANCER? Bladder cancer is caused by a tumour developing in the lining of the bladder or the organ's muscle. Around 10,200 new cases are diagnosed in the UK each year and 81,400 people in the US, according to figures. It is the 10th most common cancer in the UK - but a little more prevalent in the US - and accounts for about three per cent of all cases. The cancer is more common in men and has a 10-year survival rate of about 50 per cent. Around half of cases are considered preventable. Symptoms of the disease include blood in the urine, needing to urinate more often or more urgently than normal and pelvic pain. However, unexpected weight loss and swelling of the legs can also be signs of the killer disease. Smoking and exposure to chemicals in plastics and paints at work can increase the risk of getting bladder cancer. Treatment varies depending on how advanced the cancer is, and may include surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement It comes after Tracey revealed she's 'happy to be alive' after 'dramatic' surgery to treat aggressive bladder cancer last year. Tracey, known for her controversial works including Everyone I Have Ever Slept With and My Bed, told Emma Barnett on Woman's Hour last month that she'd 'never been so happy' following her recovery from the illness. Emin had discovered a tumour in her bladder while working on a painting of a malignant lump in early 2020. The artist was suffering with very aggressive squamous cell cancer, which surgeons feared would kill her in months if it spread to her lymph nodes. As a result, a decision was made to remove not only her bladder but also her uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, lymph nodes, urethra and part of her colon and vagina. Prior to the surgery, the artist said she stayed up for 24 hours with her solicitor rewriting her will before sending an email to 70 friends breaking the news of her cancer and instructing them: 'Do not contact me'. She told the BBC Radio 4 programme that after recent scans showed she's free of cancer, she's now focused on enjoying life, despite suffering from chronic pain and wearing a stoma bag. She said: 'Sounds weird but Ive never been so happy. So some people would feel very unhappy in my situation now. But I realise how amazing my life is. And I never realised before.' Emin compared her major surgery to having a child or gender reassignment, saying: 'I think anyone thats had this sort of dramatic surgery understands what Im talking about. But actually, theres not that many people. 'It is probably the same as maybe someone who has had a sex change, about what you would have to do to get it back. At the moment, Im just really happy to get my life back. And Im not being greedy.' The artist admitted she oscillates from being 'deliriously happy' to, 'Oh dear, now Ive got to get on with it'. Tracey told Barnett: 'I think its a bit like having a baby - you have a baby and youre pregnant and its really difficult, the pregnancy, and then you have the baby and you think, "Now its the rest of my life". She added: 'With this surgery and with everything, I am so happy to be alive. And now Ive got to get on with the consequences of it all.' The artist said she will now move to annual cancer scans. He is best known for his roles in George Of The Jungle and The Mummy trilogy. And Brendan Fraser looked dramatically different as he attended the No Sudden Move premiere during the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City on Friday. The actor, 52, who plays Jones in the movie, joined his fellow co-stars David Harbour, who plays Matt Wertz, and Jon Hamm, who plays Joe Finney, at the screening. Premiere: Brendan Fraser looked dramatically different as he attended the No Sudden Move premiere during the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City on Friday It comes after it was revealed earlier this year that Brendan is set to star as a 600lb recluse in the upcoming Darren Aronofsky-directed film The Whale. Brendan looked stylish for the event in a black suit, blue shirt and patterned tie as he walked the red carpet. The actor finished his look with a silk pocket square and shiny black patent leather dress shoes. Other attendees at the star-studded premiere included his co-stars as well as Lily Allen, who is married to David Harbour. Famous role: The actor, 52, who plays Jones in the movie, is best known for his role in 1997 film George Of The Jungle (pictured on Friday, L, and George Of The Jungle, R) Upcoming role: It comes after it was revealed earlier this year that Brendan is set to star as a 600lb recluse in the upcoming Darren Aronofsky-directed film The Whale No Sudden Move, set in 1954, is about a group of criminals that are brought together under mysterious circumstances - they have to work together to uncover what's really going on when their simple job goes completely sideways. In January, it was revealed that Brendan is set to star as a 600lb recluse in the upcoming Darren Aronofsky-directed father/daughter dramedy The Whale, for which A24 and Aronofsky's Protozoa Pictures are teaming up for the first time. The 52-year-old plays Charlie, a 600-pound middle-aged man living on the outskirts of Mormon Country in Idaho, who attempts to reconnect with his 17-year-old daughter. Their relationship became estranged after he came out as gay and left their family for his lover, who later died, triggering Charlie's compulsive eating to cope with his grief. Way back when: Brendan pictured in 1997's George Of The Jungle alongside co-star Leslie Mann, who played Ursula Stanhope Other roles: The actor also played Richard O'Connell in The Mummy trilogy (pictured in 2008 film still from The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor) MacArthur-winning playwright Samuel D Hunter is adapting the film, based on his 2012 Off-Broadway play of the same name. Hunter told Deadline: 'Adapting my play into a screenplay has been a real labour of love for me. This story is deeply personal and I'm very thankful it will have the chance to reach a wider audience. 'I've been a fan of Darren's ever since I saw Requiem for a Dream when I was a college freshman writing my first plays, and I'm so grateful that he's bringing his singular talent and vision to this film.' Pictured: Brendan pictured as his character Jones in a film still of No Sudden Move Star-studded: Other attendees at the star-studded premiere included Lily Allen and David Harbour, who is playing Matt Wertz in No Sudden Move Co-stars: Jon Hamm, who plays Joe Finney in the film, was also at the screening on Friday Aronofsky is known for helming films such as The Wrestler (2008), Mother! (2017) and Black Swan (2010), which earned him an Academy Award nomination. Fans are already building up some awards buzz for Brendan, hoping the high profile gig will serve as his Oscar-worthy comeback. The role might be a bit of a departure for the actor, whose career took off with heartthrob roles in films such as George of the Jungle (1997) and The Mummy (1999). Brendan has also made appearances in shows such as The Affair, Trust and Doom Patrol in recent years. First collaboration: The film marks the first time A24 and Aronofsky's Protozoa Pictures are teaming up (Darren Aronofsky pictured in May, 2018) In 2018 Fraser told how a sexual assault by an influential Hollywood figure and years of doing his own stunts virtually destroyed his movie career. He told GQ in a lengthy profile how there had been a steady decline of acting roles in recent years. Several factors seem to have contributed including a failing marriage, a growing list of health problems and a spiral into depression. Fraser detailed in the profile for the first time that he was sexually harassed in 2003 by the then-president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Philip Berk. Berk denied the allegation, and no charges were filed. The alleged incident occurred in 2003 at the Beverly Hills Hotel while they were having lunch. 'His left hand reaches around, grabs my a** cheek, and one of his fingers touches me in the taint,' he told GQ, 'And he starts moving it around. I felt ill. I felt like a little kid. I felt like there was a ball in my throat. I thought I was going to cry.' After immediately leaving the luncheon, Fraser told his wife of the interaction but otherwise remained silent for fear of embarrassment and career damage. Next role: In January, it was revealed that Brendan is set to star as a 600lb recluse in the upcoming Darren Aronofsky-directed father/daughter dramedy The Whale (pictured 2018) While he did not go public, about the incident he eventually did report it to the HFPA, but their response was clear: Fraser was rarely invited back to the Globes after 2003. In the article, Berk says he wrote a letter to Fraser about the incident but 'admitted no wrongdoing.' Fraser said that he became depressed and he started telling himself he deserved what had happened to him. 'I was blaming myself and I was miserable - because I was saying: "This is nothing; this guy reached around and he copped a feel". That summer wore on - and I can't remember what I went on to work on next.' Fraser also says that the roles he was in took a physical toll on him. His physical prime from 1997's 'George of the Jungle' was fast-fading. 'By the time I did the third Mummy picture in China [in 2008], I was put together with tape and ice...'cause they're small and light and they can fit under your clothes. I was building an exoskeleton for myself daily.' Eventually the injuries he received while performing his stunts required multiple surgeries. He needed a lumbar laminectomy, a surgery that removes the back portion of a vertebra in the lower back, to create more room within the spinal canal. However, it didn't take and it had to be done again a year later. He underwent a partial knee replacement, more back surgery involving bolting various compressed spinal pads together and even surgery to repair his vocal cords. Fraser said he was in and out of hospitals for almost seven years. It's one of the most glamorous occasions in the British social calendar. And Kimberley Garner turned heads as she slipped into a daring white thigh-split gown as she attended day five of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire, on Saturday. The former Made In Chelsea star, 30, looked incredible in the tight dress which showed off her enviable figure as she was joined by race commentator and former Love Island star Chris Hughes. Wow! Kimberley Garner turned heads as she slipped into a daring white thigh-split gown as she attended day five of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire, on Saturday The blonde beauty showed off a glimpse of her ample assets in the dress which had a criss-cross design and was cinched in at the waist with a black belt. She accessorised perfectly with a quilted black leather bag and wore strappy white heeled sandals. Kimberley added a touch of glamour with a huge black hat worn over her styled blonde tresses as she braved the rainy and cold conditions. Incredible: The former Made In Chelsea star, 30, looked incredible in the tight dress which showed off her enviable figure Style: The blonde beauty showed off a glimpse of her ample assets in the dress which had a criss-cross design and was cinched in at the waist with a black belt Smart: Meanwhile Chris looked dapper in a navy suit which he teamed with a pink waistcoat and black and white spotty tie Meanwhile Chris looked dapper in a navy suit which he teamed with a pink waistcoat and black and white spotty tie. Racegoers at the event were forced to brave the rain and avoid sizeable puddles as the heavens opened on Saturday, which is in stark contrast to the glorious weather that graced day one. Royal Ascot is part of a list of pilot events taking place, allowing 12,000 revellers to attend, before the possible lifting of all measures to curtail the Covid-19 pandemic in July. Radiant: She accessorised perfectly with a quilted black leather bag and wore strappy white heeled sandals Earlier this month, The Telegraph reported the Queen, 95, - an avid horse racing fan - would not attend this year's Ascot because of ongoing restrictions, but she did make a glamorous appearance today. Ascot had been planning for an attendance of 4,000 a day. The new figure will allow all those who rolled over 2020 bookings to be accommodated with a 'material but not significant' number of tickets left over, according to a track spokesperson. The number of spectators will be well below the usual attendance of over 300,000 over the five days but the increased number was welcomed by Frankie Dettori, whose 73 royal meeting victories have only been bettered by Lester Piggott (116). Work it! Kimberley added a touch of glamour with a huge black hat over her styled blonde tresses as she braved the rainy and cold conditions Dettori, who was leading rider at the royal meeting for the seventh time last year, said: 'There's nothing better than Royal Ascot with people. I know it's not 60,000 (a day) but it's better than what we thought. 'Last year I was leading rider at Royal Ascot and won three Group Ones, including the Gold Cup. To have nobody there to see any of that, it was like someone had cut my arm off. 'Those are the biggest races we've got here and I won them in front of empty grandstands. It goes without saying it wasn't the same.' Suave: Royal Ascot is part of a list of pilot events taking place, allowing 12,000 revellers to attend. Pictured: Chris Hughes at the event All smiles: Chris looked delighted to be at the races on Saturday and wore a smart navy suit Visitors to the Royal and Queen Anne enclosures have to abide by a strict dress code, which does not allow bare midriffs or strapless dresses, but for guests in the Windsor and other enclosures the rules are more relaxed. With the clue in the name, Royal Ascot is hugely popular with the monarchy and Her Majesty is usually a regular at the event. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, she had attended every year since ascending the throne. Last year, dedicated Royal Ascot showed off their finest frocks and fascinators while celebrating the fourth day of the racing meet at home. Even the most committed fans were left watching jockeys riding, wearing face masks, broadcast virtually. Different: The number of spectators will be well below the usual attendance of over 300,000 over the five days (pictured is Chris Hughes) Angelina Jolie stunned in a silky black jumpsuit as she spent some quality time with her sons Pax, 17, and 12-year-old Knox at a ramen hotspot in New York City on Friday. As the trio entered Momofuku Noodle Bar in Columbus Circle, where the 46-year-old actress dined one-on-one with daughter Zahara, 16, last week, they kept their noses and mouths covered under cloth face masks amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. For their outing, the Oscar winner accessorized her chic ensemble with a timeless Louis Vuitton handbag and black high heels. Dining out: Angelina Jolie stunned in a silky black jumpsuit as she spent some quality time with her sons Pax, 17, and 12-year-old Knox at a ramen hotspot in New York City on Friday Meanwhile, her third child, Pax, who Jolie adopted as a three-year-old back in March 2007 from a Ho Chi Minh City orphanage, wore a plaid dress shirt and jeans. Knox kept his look casual with a white 'Paris Fashion Week' hoodie, black pants and a pair of grey Converse sneakers. The outing comes just days after reports broke that the Maleficent star introduced both teenagers to her ex-husband Jonny Lee Miller amid rumors they're rekindled. Yum! As the trio entered Momofuku Noodle Bar in Columbus Circle, where the 46-year-old actress dined one-on-one with daughter Zahara, 16, last week, they kept their noses and mouths covered under cloth face masks amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic 'On her first evening with Jonny, Angelina only took Knox along, and they got on like a house on fire,' a source told The Sun. The insider continued: 'Knox is a sweet kid and I imagine she decided he was the easiest one to begin introductions with.' Pax was reportedly 'curious to meet' the man his mother has 'spoken so fondly about' as he considers a move to the Big Apple for college. Stunning: For their outing, the Oscar winner accessorized her chic ensemble with a timeless Louis Vuitton handbag and black high heels 'Angie is very happy because Pax keeps making noise about moving to New York someday soon, maybe even for school,' said the source. 'She's glad he'll have someone she trusts around for him to go to for advice or just to see a friendly face.' Angie shares her other four other children, Maddox, 19, Zahara, 16, Shiloh, 15 and and Vivienne, 12, with ex-husband Brad Pitt. On Jolie's 46th birthday trip, she has worked hard to 'give her kids an educational trip to the big city' as well as making time to reconnect with her ex. Getting serious? The outing comes just days after reports broke that the Maleficent introduced the two teenage boys to her ex-husband Jonny Lee Miller amid rumors they're rekindled 'They took educational trips to museums and galleries, and ate hot dogs - they got the authentic Big Apple experience,' the insider said. 'She spoiled them but made sure they had educational field trips to suit their interests, too. 'She took Pax who is her shadow and seems quite protective of Angelina and Knox to science museums, while Shiloh, Zahara and Vivi are more creative types so she took them to art galleries. 'Zahara is her mother's mini-me when it comes to fashion, and Angelina took her to several designer boutiques for girls' shopping trips. They worked together in the 90s: Miller and Jolie met on the set of the movie Hackers 'Maddox spent most of his time in his room in the dark, playing [video game] Dungeons and Dragons. He's shy and prefers hanging out with his online friends. 'Even though they were technically on vacation, Angelina has insisted the younger kids keep up their studies from 9am to 2pm with two private teachers,' it was added. The actress was first spotted leaving her ex Jonny's apartment following an intimate dinner and night cap last Friday. She was seen arriving to Miller's apartment alone and without security carrying an expensive bottle of Peter Michael for three hours. A good fit: Angelina has previously expressed her regret about not being able to make it work in a past candid interview. 'Jonny and I never fought and we never hurt each other. I really wanted to be his wife. I really wanted to commit,' she reportedly told the Calgary Sun The two were married in 1996 after meeting on the set of their movie Hackers a year prior, but separated shortly after and officially divorced in 1999. The pair separated in 1997 after their busy schedules caused them to be apart from each other. The divorce was official in 1999 but they still remained friends. Angelina has previously expressed her regret about not being able to make it work in a past candid interview. 'Jonny and I never fought and we never hurt each other. I really wanted to be his wife. I really wanted to commit,' she reportedly told the Calgary Sun. His kid: The actor wed Law & Order star Michele Hicks, but they split after a decade together in 2018. He has son Buster Timothy Miller, 12 The way they were: Hicks, Miller and son Buster attend Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation's Family Festival in 2014 in New York City Angelina also shared at the time of their divorce that she thought they could get 'married again' in the future. 'I wanted more for him than I could give. He deserves more than I am prepared to give at this time in my life, but there is a very good possibility that we could get married again some time in the future.' Though she said divorcing Jonny was 'the dumbest thing I've ever done,' he expressed no regrets over their years together. 'There are no regrets and no bitterness. Marriage was something that didn't work out, and I had to make the decision sooner or later. I decided to make it sooner,' he told Heavy.com. So over! Angelina filed for divorce in 2016 citing 'irreconcilable differences' and it was finalized in 2019. Seen in April 2021 The actor later went on to marry Law & Order star Michele Hicks, but they split after a decade together in 2018. He has son Buster Timothy Miller, 12. Angelina was reportedly left 'bitterly disappointed' after a court recently awarded joint custody to her ex Pitt with the star allegedly set to appeal the decision with a hearing due for July 9. The couple have recently been embroiled in a contentious custody battle over their six children. Angelina filed for divorce in 2016 citing 'irreconcilable differences' and it was finalized in 2019. The former pair have been in a lengthy custody battle with the actress wanting sole custody and Brad fighting for joint. In May, a court awarded joint custody to Brad which left her 'bitterly disappointed' according to Us Weekly . Angelina is set to appeal the decision 'to demonstrate clear, reversible, prejudicial legal error,' on behalf of the judge who she tried to remove from the case entirely and a hearing is set for July 9. Greg Louganis has filed for divorce from his estranged husband, John Chaillot. Paperwork to dissolve the union was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court last week, TMZ reports. The decision to end the eight-year marriage was mutual, the website reports, and the 61-year-old gold medalist expressed gratitude for the couple's friends and supporters. Splitting up: Greg Louganis' estranged husband John Chaillot filed for divorce from the former Olympic medalist last week; they are seen in 2018 Louganis and Chaillot were first romantically connected in 2012 after they initially met on the Match dating site. They went on to announce their engagement in June of 2013 and tied the knot later that year. Shortly after the two decided to tie the knot, the athlete spoke to People about his desire to be with the paralegal for the rest of his life. 'I finally met my soul mate the more I fall in love with Johnny, the more I fall in love with myself. This is what the universe had in store for both of us,' he said. Taking it in stride: The former diver spoke to TMZ and expressed gratitude for the couple's friends and fans who supported them through their marriage; he is seen in 2019 Starting off: Louganis and Chaillot initially met on the Match dating site in 2012; they are pictured at the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in 2019 Following the pair's nuptials, Louganis told People that their wedding had been a transformative experience. The former Olympian told the media outlet, 'I already feel different. The ceremony was so reflective and representative of who we are.' He then expressed that he had grown especially close to his husband in the relatively brief period of time that they had been together. The athlete remarked, 'It has been an incredible journey...I feel like weve been through a lifetime in a very short time.' Moving fast: The former Olympian and his former husband announced their engagement in June of 2013 and tied the knot that same year; they are seen in 2020 Being honest: Shortly after his marriage, Louganis spoke to People and told the media outlet that he and his husband have 'been through a lifetime in a very short time'; he is seen in 1982 Prior to becoming involved with his estranged husband, Louganis was in a relationship with R. James Babbitt that lasted throughout much of the 1980s. The former Olympian later alleged that he had been sexually assaulted at knifepoint by his former partner, from whom he eventually filed a restraining order. Babbitt later passed away from the effects of AIDS shortly after informing the diver about his status in 1988. The athlete found out that he had tested positive for HIV that same year, shortly before the start of the Olympics in South Korea. Changes: The athlete later found out that he had been diagnosed with HIV in 1988; he is seen competing in 1983 Their relationship was later expanded on in the 1997 television film Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story, which saw Mario Lopez portraying the diver. Louganis kept the news about his condition under wraps for several years, during which his health deteriorated to the point where he began to fear that his life was coming to an end. The diver waited for his health to significantly recover before he publicly spoke about his experience with the disease during a widely publicized 1995 interview with Barbara Walters. He has been a vocal advocate for HIV awareness and LGBT rights ever since then, and his life and career were covered in the 2014 documentary Back on Board: Greg Louganis. Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has revealed she was trolled online for receiving her Covid vaccine early. The professional dancer, 30, was eligible to get her vaccine before the majority of her age group because she has been diagnosed with Crohn's disease. Amy revealed to the Mirror on Saturday: 'I was disappointed. It is just people typing without thinking.' 'I was disappointed': Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has revealed she was trolled online for receiving her Covid vaccine early because she has Crohn's disease Although Amy has suffered with the bowel condition since she was 11, she didn't receive her diagnosis until she was 19. The pro dancer admitted: 'I had so many people tell me when I got diagnosed, Oh well its going to stop you dancing and I was a bit like: "How dare they?" 'It made me even more determined,' she added. Amy has praised the support given to her by her Strictly co-stars while she manages her condition, with Katya Jones and Oti Mabuse even accompanying her in ambulances and for hospital visits. Sweet: Amy has praised the support given to her by her Strictly co-stars while she manages her condition (pictured with her dance partner JJ Chalmers in 2020) The latest interview comes after Amy told OK! magazine last month: 'Dianne [Buswell] is always checking on me and, when I had to go to hospital, Oti [Mabuse] got into a car the moment she finished filming and turned up at 11pm to see me. 'Another time when I was ill, Katya [Jones] took me to hospital and sat with me until 5am.' Amy also revealed in the candid interview that a high dose of intravenous steroids made her gain weight and that people have made 'spiteful' comments. She said: 'I'm urging people to stop and think before they speak or write an unkind message. 'Some people are too quick to comment about the way someone looks. They have no idea what the target of their remark is going through.' Treat people with kindness: The latest interview comes after Amy urged trolls to 'stop and think before they speak' when speaking to OK! magazine last month (pictured in 2019) The dancer first admitted she was suffering from Crohn's disease in 2019, in a bid to help others. Crohn's is described by the NHS as a lifelong condition in which parts of the digestive system become inflamed. People with the disease commonly experience phases of intense abdominal pain, severe vomiting, exhaustion and bloody diarrhoea, among other symptoms. And Amy revealed she has recently experienced a flare-up and the high dose of intravenous steroids she was given in hospital made her gain weight. Cruel: She also explained she was trolled after a recent flare up and the high dose of intravenous steroids she was given in hospital made her gain weight She said: 'Although it made me feel better, it creates water retention, making my hips, thighs and bottom bloat and my face puffy. 'I want to look my best on the dance floor, but when you get photographed in an unflattering light and people make spiteful comments about your size, it can be very hurtful.' Amy added that she has been dealing with the effect of medication on her body throughout her career. She said: 'I was either too skinny and people assumed I was anorexic, or I'd bloat from my medication.' Tough: 'When you get photographed in an unflattering light and people make spiteful comments about your size, it can be very hurtful,' she revealed She recalled: 'I'd just come off the dance floor when a dressmaker in the changing room looked at me and said "She has a fat bottom and a thick middle" 'I felt so humiliated and embarrassed. I was only 21 and still trying to deal with my condition. As a dancer struggling to fit into tiny costumes, I became very self-conscious.' However, the pro dancer said the Strictly Come Dancing team are very supportive of her condition, adding: 'Everyone has been so kind. If I'm not feeling well, the boys are so thoughtful and say "Nobody's lifting Amy today".' Rock and a hard place: 'I was either too skinny and people assumed I was anorexic, or I'd bloat from my medication,' she added He regularly documents his fitness journey for his followers on Instagram. And Luke Evans took to Instagram to show off his very ripped physique as he worked out in the gym while on location in Atlanta, Georgia on Saturday. The Beauty And The Beast actor, 42, captioned the sizzling snap: 'Gains and Veins. And some good lighting....' Let's get physical: Luke Evans took to Instagram to show off his very ripped physique as he worked out in the gym while on location in Atlanta, Georgia on Saturday Luke fixed the camera with a pensive gaze as he went topless in the black and white snap and displayed his impressive abs. He clenched his fists to emphasise his bulging veins post-work out and flashed a peak of his leg tattoo in a pair of thigh-skimming shorts. The actor has been working hard in the gym for the last year ahead of returning to screens to play Gaston in the Beauty And The Beast prequel series Little Town. In the upcoming Disney+ series, the plot will follow Luke's antagonist character Gaston and his sidekick LeFou [Josh Gad]. Fitness journey: The actor has been working hard in the gym for the last year ahead of returning to screens to play Gaston in the Beauty And The Beast prequel series Little Town It comes after Luke revealed earlier this month that he'd had a terrifying experience with a huntsman spider while shooting a TV series in Australia. Speaking on Alan Carr's Life's A Beach podcast, he said of his time in Sydney and Byron Bay: 'I did see a huntsman the size of my face.' Luke explained he'd walked towards the spider and it looked ready to pounce at him. Fortunately, his housekeeper sorted it out. 'The woman that came to clean the house was like, "Oh my, it's just a spider!" She pulled it by the leg onto the floor.' Scary: It comes after Luke revealed earlier this month that he'd had a terrifying experience with a huntsman spider while shooting a TV series in Australia Luke confessed he was so afraid of the spider that he couldn't stay in his room after it scurried away and escaped. 'It landed on the floor and ran straight back into my bedroom and I couldn't find it. I had to move rooms,' the actor said. Luke was in Australia filming the Hulu mini series Nine Perfect Strangers in which he plays divorce lawyer Lars. He subsequently returned to the UK but is now filming a new series in Atlanta, Georgia. In the three years he has been editor of Tatler, he has delivered some of the magazines biggest scoops in decades. Now Richard Dennen has sparked a major drama at the society glossy by sensationally handing in his notice. But in a tale so madcap it can only be from Tatler Towers, he was lured back with the help of a schnitzel sandwich and a promise that hell answer only to Anna Wintour the formidable editor-in-chief of sister title Vogue and global chief content officer for the magazines publisher Conde Nast. Richard Dennen has sparked a major drama at the society glossy Tatler by sensationally handing in his notice over planned changes at the magazine Anna Wintour was tasked to do 'whatever it takes' to make Richard withdraw his notice Richard was the man behind the Royal scoop that Meghan and Kate had fallen out over the wearing of tights at the Sussexes wedding and the scandal of the dizzying cost of the Downing Street redecoration. But two weeks ago he fired off an email of formal resignation to Jonathan Newhouse, Conde Nasts billionaire chairman, and the publishers UK boss Albert Read in the face of planned changes that would have meant him answering to a faceless manager in New York. Richard, 39, then turned his phone off and retreated to his Belgravia mews house dubbed the chauffeurs cottage. Emily Hallie, the companys communications director, was dispatched at 7am the next day to lure him out with food but he still refused to come to the door. Says my source: She only gained entry when a giant box containing a Peloton bike arrived and she snuck in behind the delivery men to access the porch. Then she shouted through a window begging Richard to come out. Eventually he did and she took him for a schnitzel sandwich and juice. Initially she made things worse by telling him he had to stay because he didnt have another job lined up, but he said he didnt care. He is a man of integrity and is very stubborn. A source said Richard was lured out of his house on the promise of a Schnitzel sandwich and some juice Finally, Ms Wintour and British Vogue editor Edward Enninful were drafted in and asked to do whatever it takes to make Richard withdraw his notice. His demands were met and my source says Anna now speaks to him several times a week. Although his phone was off during the drama, she texted him to say: Richard, the thing about me is I never give up. They now have a great rapport, Im told. The source adds: Edward also makes a lot of time for Richard and took him for a walk after the incident. He and Anna were called in as the big guns to seal the deal. Tatlers tightsgate revelation was, it is believed by bosses at Conde Nast, a major turning point in Meghans relationship with Kensington Palace, whom she accused of briefing against her. Another Tatler scoop about the thousands spent by Carrie Symonds on gold wallpaper led to a political scandal. The source adds: Tatler has been setting the agenda and its online traffic has increased from 300,000 unique users a month to 1.6 million since Richard took over. Now Anna is mentoring him closely. Shes already secured a family pile in Oxfordshire and now ultra-organised Princess Beatrice and her husband Edo Mapelli-Mozzi have a nanny nailed on, too. Bea may still have five months to go before she gives birth to her first child but shes already hired a 1,000-a-week nanny from the famous Norland agency and a 200-a-night maternity nurse. Bea must already be realising that bringing up a Royal baby is an expensive business luckily the Princess, 32, is rolling in it thanks to her top job as a vice-president for management company Afiniti. Princess Beatrice and her husband Edo Mapelli-Mozzi have a nanny booked five months before the arrival of their first child The Princess, pictured, has also secured the services of a 200-a-night maternity nurse Kimberley's new hands-on man Former Made In Chelsea star Kimberley Garner set tongues wagging last week when she was spotted being massaged by a mystery pal. I can reveal the masseuse is Charles Moran, son of Christopher Moran, a Tory donor who hit the headlines in 2018 as the owner of a Chelsea block dubbed 10 Floors of Whores due to the number of prostitutes working there. Charles has previously been pictured with Kimberley on holiday, though his identity hasnt been disclosed until now. Last night she said she wanted to keep her friend out of the spotlight after their affectionate lunch date was caught on camera. Former Made In Chelsea star Kimberley Garner set tongues wagging last week when she was spotted being massaged by a mystery pal, Charles Moran, who is the son of Tory donor Christopher Moran Cressida Bonas wasnt just content to walk in on her husbands Zoom call with colleagues she even rehearsed a heated scene in the background. Actress Cressie, 32, married to property consultant Harry Wentworth-Stanley, was auditioning for a part when the mishap happened. Prince Harrys ex, says: I had a FaceTime audition and I rehearsed my lines in the background of Harrys Zoom. His colleagues must wonder why I was shouting at the wall! Fortunately he was on mute. Cressida Bonas, pictured, says: I had a FaceTime audition and I rehearsed my lines in the background of Harrys Zoom. His colleagues must wonder why I was shouting at the wall! Fortunately he was on mute. It used to play host to week-long wild parties frequented by celebs such as Kate Moss and the Gallagher brothers but the last hurrah at Sadie Frosts 8 million House of Sin in Primrose Hill last week was a rather more sedate family dinner. Sadie, who has sold the property after 20 years and is downsizing with a 6 million profit, sat back while son Finn, one of her three children with Jude Law, cooked the last supper. Finn then told guests: Gonna miss this place so much the best times in the best home. Later Sadie, 55, shared this picture of herself doing her best impression of a Gen-Z hipster. Sorry to say it, Sadie, but that wasnt a good look to choose! Late actor Paul Walker's daughter Meadow Walker dazzled at the premiere of F9 on Friday. Arriving to the red carpet at the world-famous TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, the 22-year-old - who is signed to DNA Models - looked elegant in a cut-out Yves Saint Laurent dress. During the evening Vin Diesel paid tribute to Paul, his former castmate who he starred with in the franchise up until Paul's death at aged 40 in November 2013. Showing up: Paul Walker's daughter Meadow is pictured at the premiere of F9 in Hollywood on Friday evening Vin, 53, shared a throwback snap of himself with the late actor at a premiere in 2011 for Fast & Furious 5. 'On my way to the premiere... you will be there in spirit.' he wrote in the caption. Vin also spoke to People at the event and noted that he missed having his past castmate around to spend time with at red carpet events. 'Some of my best moments in life were going to the premiere and the person, the face that I have at every one of these massive premieres, it was my brother Pablo,' he said. t Standing out: The daughter of the late franchise star was dressed in a cut-out Yves Saint Laurent dress teamed with Tiffany & Co. jewellery Not forgotten: Walker's costars paid tribute to the late actor during the event Pre-event fun: Prior to attending the film's premiere, Meadow shared a photo of herself standing in a hotel hallway In remembrance: Diesel's post showed him spending time with Walker at the Fast Five premiere and wrote that his former costar would be at F9's debut 'in spirit' The Chronicles Of Riddick actor went on to express that the two were jointly catapulted to fame with the release of the first Fast & Furious film, which he remembered with pleasure. 'He had come from so far. We surprised the world with this small little film about brotherhood and we would dream about the future,' he expressed. Diesel concluded by noting that he felt the presence of his late friend at the debut of F9, in which he took comfort. He remarked, 'when I was thinking who I'm going to see at this premiere, I kept going back to Pablo and I know that he's here too.' Fast friends: Diesel also spoke to People and told the media outlet that 'when I was thinking who I'm going to see at this premiere, I kept going back to Pablo' The actor's comments came just after franchise regular Jordana Brewster, who plays Walker's love interest, Mia Toretto, told E! Online about her previous attraction to the late actor. Specifically, the 41-year-old actress noted that the actor was aware that she 'a crush on him...I never got to tell him that but I think on many levels he knew.' The performer also spoke about how her son, Julian, made his debut as an actor in F9, and noted that her child was enthusiastic about spending time at the premiere. Looking back: Jordana Brewster recently revealed that she had an unreciprocated crush on Walker and that she surmised that 'on many levels he knew'; she is seen on Friday evening The actress remarked that her son 'has this really gorgeous suit and he's ready...He's really excited.' Along with Vin and Jordana, stars Ludacris, Charlize Theron and Tyrese were there to celebrate the high octane saga. Other notable attendees included TV host Maria Menounos, Bow Wow, the late Kobe Bryant's wife and Vanessa Bryant and model daughter Natalia, Vegas showman Jeff Beacher, Aussie model Francesca Hung, and Ludacris's pregnant wife Eudoxie Mbouguiengue, singer 24kGoldn and franchise director Justin Lin. The mothers of the late Love Island stars Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis have warned the new cast to 'walk away now before it's too late'. It comes after Sophie's mum Deborah, 62, called for disciplinary action against ITV and demanded that the seventh series of the show - scheduled to air on June 28 - to be cancelled. She said to The Sunday Mirror on Saturday: 'Its a disgrace that they should be allowed to bring it back after three adored, precious people with connections to the show have taken their own lives.' The mothers of the late Love Island stars Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis have warned the new cast to 'walk away now before it's too late' after they met for the first time this week Sophie, 32, died by suicide in 2018 and Mike, 26, in March a year later after both taking part in Love Island. MailOnline have contacted Love Island representatives for comment. Deborah and Mike's mum Shirley met for the first time this week at The Mayfair Hotel in London. In emotional scenes, both women broke down in tears as they consoled one another for the loss of their children. Deborah tearfully told Shirley: 'Ive wanted you to know Ive been thinking of you for so long.' Tragic: Shirley's son Mike, 26, died by suicide in March 2019 after taking part in Love Island in 2017 The mothers also revealed that neither of them can stand to watch the show, with Deborah admitting even the theme tune makes her feel sick. She also slammed the way she thinks ITV select contestants through social media and cause drama for ratings. Deborah claimed her much-loved daughter Sophie was never the same again after taking part in the reality series. She warned the upcoming contestants of this year's series: 'They dont understand just how much the overnight fame and the trolling can affect them. They should walk away before its too late,' she added. Heartbreaking: Deborah's daughter Sophie died by suicide in 2018 after being a contestant on the show in 2016 Together, Deborah and Shirley combed ITV's plan for a new Love Island safeguarding package that they're introducing this year. Contestants will now receive in-depth press training and professional advice on how to deal with comments from trolls. Additionally, they'll receive financial guidance so they don't spend all of their prize money or later earnings. The channel will also offer Islanders a 14-month-long 'proactive aftercare package', which will include at least eight sessions with a therapist. 'Its a disgrace that they should be allowed to bring it back after three adored, precious people with connections to the show have taken their own lives.' (pictured: Mike with Shirley) As a further precaution, ITV has hired the clinical psychologist Dr Matthew Gould and physician Dr Paul Litchfield. However, Deborah has dismissed the new measures and expressed her concern that execs can't predict how taking part in the show can affect contestants. She also added she wouldn't be happy until the show was taken off television completely. At the meeting, Deborah and Shirley combed ITV's plan for a new Love Island safeguarding package that they're introducing this year (pictured: Montana Brown hugging Shirley at the inquest into Mike's death in 2019) It comes after Deborah revealed earlier this year that she'd been diagnosed with a brain tumour that had been linked to her daughter's death. Deborah spoke about her health issues and admitted that every day since her daughter died has been 'agony' in a candid interview with The Mirror. Deborah explained that in the years following Sophie's death she started suffering from blurred vision and a loss of balance so went to see a specialist. She said: 'I was told I had an endocrine tumour in my pituitary gland in my brain. He said it could well have been due to the stress of everything.' Family: Sophie's mum Deborah previously revealed she's got a brain tumour, saying it could have been caused by the 'stress' of her daughter's tragic death (pictured together) Although not cancerous, Deborah said the tumour's position makes it dangerous and she often suffers from chronic fatigue. The grieving mother also candidly spoke about life without Sophie, saying that each day is a struggle but she keeps going as she wants to tackle trolls. Reflecting on the awful loss, Deborah told the publication: 'Every day is agony. The pain is visceral. You almost lose your mind and don't know who you are any more. 'I don't want Sophie's death to be in vain... the Government needs to do more. If a beautiful, clever girl can be destroyed by public humiliation, then anyone can.' She added that she thinks trolls should be named and shamed after sending cruel messages and put on a trolls register. Emotional: Reflecting on the loss of her daughter (pictured in 2016), Deborah said 'every day is agony' Deborah claimed that Sophie revealed to her she needed counselling when on Love Island but was told she could have just 10 minutes on a Skype call. She claimed that the guidelines on the show as just 'smoke and mirrors', adding that Sophie was on sertraline for bipolar depression and 'vulnerable'. A Love Island spokesperson told MailOnline: 'Welfare and duty of care towards our contributors is always our primary concern, and we have extensive measures in place to support the islanders before, during and after their participation on the show. Struggle: Deborah said that Sophie (pictured in 2009) revealed to her she needed counselling when on Love Island but was told she could have just 10 minutes on a Skype call 'We have continued to evolve our process with each series, as the level of social media and media attention around the islanders has increased, which includes enhanced psychological support, more detailed conversations with potential Islanders regarding the impact of participation on the show, bespoke training for all Islanders on social media and a proactive aftercare package.' Love Island has not aired since February 2020 after both the summer 2020 and winter 2021 editions were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The new series is rumoured to be the 'biggest in history', as ITV bosses gear up for the highly anticipated comeback. For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, or see samaritans.org for details I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! are reportedly swapping the luxury Versace hotel for a budget Byron Bay resort used in The Inbetweeners, as the crew prepare to head back to Australia. In years gone by, the five-star Palazzo Versace was used to house contestants after their stay in the jungle. But now, ITV bosses are said to be ditching the Gold Coast hotel as they hope to return to Australia this year, after the 2020 series was filmed at Gwrych Castle, Abergele in north Wales. Scrapped! I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! are reportedly swapping the Versace hotel for a Byron Bay resort used in The Inbetweeners, as the crew prepare to head back to Australia According to The Sun, they are considering the surfers' resort used by characters Jay, Neil, Simon and Will in the second Inbetweeners film, due to strict Covid rules as it is closer to the I'm A Celeb jungle. A crew member told the publication: 'It's fantastic the show is heading back to Oz this year but it doesn't mean it can be filmed as it has in previous years. 'They need to be prepared in case there is a new Covid outbreak in the area. 'There have been years when celebs have been booked at the very last-minute but that can't happen if the quarantine rules remain in place.' Guests: In years gone by, the five-star Palazzo Versace was used to house contestants after their stay in the jungle (pictured L-R Inbetweeners' Jay, Simon, Neil and Will) Change: But now, ITV bosses are said to be ditching the Gold Coast hotel as they hope to return to Australia this year, after the 2020 series was filmed at Gwrych Castle in north Wales The I'm A Celeb jungle is situated near the state border in New South Wales. The source revealed the celebs will likely land in Sydney before travelling to the location to avoid crossing state borders, and they will be required to isolate for two weeks. In previous years, contestants would land in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, and would reside in the designer five-star hotel. The crew member confirmed that production will have to 'scramble' to book different hotel rooms this year which will cause a 'headache'. Sandy shores: They are considering the surfers' resort used by Jay, Neil, Simon and Will in the second Inbetweeners film, due to strict Covid rules as it is closer to the I'm A Celeb jungle They stated the show's presenters, Ant and Dec, will likely stay at their apartment in New South Wales in Cabarita Beach. MailOnline have reached out to ITV reps for comment. Earlier this month, it was reported that I'm A Celebrity bosses have arranged for crew to stay in a caravan park in North Wales incase the 2021 series can't return to Australia. In 2020, the production team moved into the Golden Sands Holiday Park in Rhyl for the duration of the show, which was filmed 15 minutes away at Gwyrch Castle. Location: The source revealed the celebs will likely land in Sydney before travelling to the location to avoid crossing state borders, and they will be required to isolate for two weeks (pictured Katie Price on the show in 2009) Home from home: They stated the show's presenters, Ant and Dec, will likely stay at their apartment in New South Wales in Cabarita Beach A source has now claimed that execs have scouted out the venue's availability once more as a 'back-up plan' in the event that jetting abroad is scrapped. Speaking with The Mirror, a source claimed: 'Everyone is hoping to get back Down Under for the sunshine, including Ant and Dec. 'But just in case that is ruled out by the authorities, a back-up plan is essential and that's why the caravan site has been primed once more.' An I'm A Celebrity spokesperson said: 'We'll announce the location for the new series of I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! in due course'. Golden Sands Holiday Park is popular with holidaymakers during summer months and this year there is thought to be availability for holidaymakers until November. I'm A Celeb usually kicks off in the middle of November and runs into the first week of December, with Giovanna Fletcher being crowned the Queen Of The Castle in 2020. It was reported in April that show bosses won't know if I'm A Celebrity will be able to return to its usual home in Australia for the upcoming 2021 series until September. According to The Mirror, everyone is thought to be 'very keen' to return to the jungle and it is now just a 'waiting game' to know if it'll be possible. Braunwyn Windham-Burke cut an elegant figure in a yellow floral dress with a thigh-high slit at dinner with her girlfriend Fernanda Rocha in Newport Beach. While hanging out with the 34-year-old fitness instructor on Friday, the 43-year-old reality star looked in high spirits just days after opening up about getting axed from The Real Housewives of Orange County. As she strutted around a glamorous venue in a pair of sky-high gold stiletto sandals, Windham-Burke chatted away with Rocha, who wore a skintight purple minidress. Looking good: Braunwyn Windham-Burke cut an elegant figure in a yellow floral dress with a thigh-high slit as she grabbed dinner with a pal after a date at Javier's in Newport Beach Windham-Burke's hair was perfectly curled for the occasion and she could be seen holding hands with Rocha as they smiled throughout the evening. Eventually, the mother-of-seven was seen getting into the driver's seat of her car to drive home after a date at Javier's. Windham-Burke's outing comes after she opened up about why reaction Andy Cohen's to her firing 'hurt the most' and yearning to the 'other side' of her sobriety journey. Doing well: While hanging out with the 34-year-old fitness instructor on Friday, the 43-year-old reality star looked in high spirits just a few days after getting axed from The Real Housewives of Orange County 'I haven't spoken to him. I think that's what hurt me so much,' she told Us Weekly of Cohen. 'I was not in the healthiest place at the reunion. I was less than a year sober. I was still struggling a lot. There was a lot of tension with my cast. I knew what I was getting into and it wasn't hard.' Additionally, after being so 'raw this last year with sobriety,' she wanted to show the 'light at the end of the tunnel.' 'Sobriety is fun. Sobriety is beautiful,' she noted. 'Its very hard getting sober and thats all you saw last year was the getting, not the being.' Chic: As she strutted around a glamorous venue in a pair of sky-high gold stiletto sandals, Windham-Burke chatted away with Rocha, who wore a skintight purple minidress On Thursday, her former RHOC co-star publicly blamed her for getting them fired from their Bravo series. Dodd, who has faced intense backlash last year for her controversial opinions on COVID-19 as well as accusations of racism and homophobia, posted a text message exchange with Windham-Burke. A text message sent from Kelly to Braunwyn says: 'This was your fault. We'd still be on the show if you didn't make things so dark and ugly and brought all that political 'woke' BS.' It goes on, 'Your lies about me, calling me a racist and a homophobe were horribly destructive and your phony storylines didn't help either.' Attack: Kelly Dodd shared these screenshots of her sparring with Braunwyn on Thursday Known for their fights on the show, in November last year, Dodd accused Windham-Burke, who is gay, of calling her 'a racist and homophobic (sic) in a nationally televised interview.' Giving a classy clap back and ignoring the vitriol, Braunwyn replied in the text messages: 'Well I'm still sober and still gay, like I said if you ever want to talk I'm here' Variety confirmed the news that the ladies will not be returning for the 16th season earlier this week. Dodd will not be returning for the 16th season of Real Housewives of Orange County, according to Variety; seen in 2019 While Kelly and Braunwyn are not welcome on the cast any longer, Heather Dubrow is set to make a triumphant return to the show after taking four seasons off following her last stint in 2016 for season 11. Dodd faced intense backlash last year for her controversial COVID-19 opinions and later toasted to being a 'super-spreader' while at a bar with friends amid strict lockdown and social distancing measures in California. Bravo also cancelled the contracts for Elizabeth Lyn Vargas, who was on the most recent season. Shannon Storms Beador, Gina Kirschenheiter and Emily Simpson will be back for another season in front of cameras. Reports that Tamra Judge will also return have only been confirmed on the Housewives Wikipedia page. Naya Rivera's ex husband Ryan Dorsey celebrated a new milestone in their son Josey's life his Pre-K graduation. The Big Sky actor, 37, took to Instagram to share a photo with the nearly six-year-old who donned an adorable cap and gown as he gushed that he was a 'proud dad.' The late Glee actress is said to have saved Josey before she fatally drowned last July during a lake boating excursion gone tragically wrong. The graduate! Naya Rivera's son Josey graduates from Pre-K as her ex Ryan Dorsey celebrates the milestone with an adorable snap Tragic passing: Naya tragically drowned last July after she and Josey took a boat out at Lake Piru in California and she was said to have saved him before meeting her fatal end 'Fresh outta Pre-K boy! Next Up Kindergarten!,' Dorsey wrote as he tagged the location 'dream big.' In the snap he was seen planting a kiss on Josey's cheek, as the very swaggy graduate donned a pint-sized cap and gown over jeans and Nike high tops. In more photos posted to his story they pair flashed peace signs while smiling big as Ryan continued to say he was a 'proud Papa.' And at the ceremony Josey was also given an honorary diploma. The comment section was full of assurance from fans that despite not being physically present his mom was watching over him. Just last summer Naya drowned after she and Josey took a boat out at Lake Piru in California and went for a swim. The 33-year-old was said to have saved him before she went under, hoisting him onto the boat but not having the energy for herself. After a five day search her body was recovered and the death was ruled an accident as no foul play was suspected and suicide was not in consideration. Peace out! The father son duo were seen flashing peace signs in more snaps Joyous occasion: The Big Sky actor also shared photos to his Instastory as he remarked 'Kindergarten here we come!' Full ceremony: Josey was seen wearing a cap and gown and even getting handed an honorary diploma At a July 13 press conference, Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub provided details about what went down at the lake, citing testimony Josey had given them. 'We know from speaking with her son, that he and Naya swam in the lake together at some point during their journey. It was during that time that her son described being helped into the boat by Naya, who boosted him onto the deck from behind.' And he was the last to lay eyes on his mom as the sheriff continued: 'He [Josey] told investigators that he looked back and saw her disappear under the surface of the water.' This week Naya's dad George Rivera opened up about how Josey was faring less than a year after losing his mom. In her heart: In a July press conference after Naya's body was recovered after a five day search they cited testimony Josey gave who said that she had hoisted him on the boat before she drowned He credited both Dorsey and Naya's younger sister Nickayla Dorsey's now girlfriend for doing a 'really great job,' raising him after her death, but said Josey still had memories of the tragic day. Nickayla and Ryan are doing a really great job,' George told ET. 'Tough situation, especially because he [Josey] was there -- it's not like you're talking about a ghost that's floating around, right? He's got memories as well, but boy is he coming around, right? Really strong kid.' He also added that they don't shy away from talking about Naya with Josey. 'We handle him and we talk to him...It's no different but when he wants to talk about his mother, we talk about his mother, in conversation. He's growing up and handling it really well.' As Victor Meldrew in One Foot In The Grave, his relationship with long-suffering wife Margaret was sitcom gold. But actor Richard Wilson has now revealed his regret at not having a lifetime partner of his own. The screen and stage veteran, who is gay, tells BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs today: 'I have lived alone for a very long time, and I quite like being alone at times. 'Every now and again, I feel I should have made a bit more effort to have a partner, but that never really worked.' Actor Richard Wilson has now revealed his regret at not having a lifetime partner of his own. Pictured: Annette Crosbie and Richard Wilson as Margaret and Victor Meldrew Wilson avoided discussing his private life until in 2013, when he was 76, Time Out magazine included him in a list of influential gay people. 'I was delighted that it had come out,' he says. 'I was a bit worried that my sister might find it difficult, but it didn't seem to worry her at all.' The star agreed with host Lauren Laverne that growing up in the repressive atmosphere of the 1950s could have caused him problems, replying: 'Yes, yes, I suppose that's true. I did always have a lot of very close friends who were very important to me, gay and straight.' One of those friends is Sir Ian McKellen, and the pair once planned to set up home together. Wilson explains: 'We had this idea of buying a very, very large house in the country and he would live on one side, and I would live on the other side. A wing each. But he has got more houses in London now, so he got fed up with that idea.' The 84-year-old became a household name in the early 1990s when he was cast as the discontented Meldrew, famous for his catchphrase: 'I don't believe it!' Wilson avoided discussing his private life until in 2013, when he was 76, Time Out magazine included him in a list of influential gay people But the actor said he initially turned down the role because he thought it would only appeal to older TV viewers. 'Stupid to say, I don't think I was ready to play old men,' he recalls. 'I think I was 55 and Victor was 60. I thought, I've got another five years to go before I have to do that.' He was pleasantly surprised to learn the show had a younger fan base. 'In fact, old people didn't like it,' he says. 'First of all, Victor swore a lot. The BBC wanted to stop him swearing. Fortunately, David Renwick, the show's writer, decided to keep him swearing.' Wilson's character was killed off in 2000, which he had no qualms about. He played the magician Gaius in the hit BBC fantasy drama Merlin, but a heart attack and a related fall in 2016 has limited his roles. 'I fell off this tiny balcony and hit my head and that's what caused the problem,' he says. 'I can't remember quite so much now.' He adds: 'I choose more carefully now. Doing theatre work for example eight shows a week is too much for me.' Dancehall Queen Spice has made it clear that she will continue to use her platform to speak out about colorism. In an interview with Atlanta Black Star, Spice reaffirmed that she felt compelled to address the issue, and so penned her Black Hypocrisy song in 2016 and used an accompanying promotional photo as a conduit, to highlight the issue of colorism within the Black community. I felt like I had to stand up and do something for dark-skin Black women, because I feel like we get a lot of criticism and hate from our own race for no reason, she said. Having been the subject of colorist remarks herself as a darker-hued black woman, including being urged to lighten her skin, Spice also said that growing up, she was made to feel that not all shades of Black are beautiful. I didnt feel this way when I was going to school, because I was younger and I was led to believe that I had to be lighter because of the things that I used to hear as a young girl growing up. Brownin is what they call the lighter girls here in Jamaica, so it was always a brownin thing, she said. When you have a darker skin tone, you go through more, than when you have a lighter skin tone I have to speak on what I know and what Ive been experiencing, and thats what I know for a fact when you are a Black woman with a darker skin tone or a darker complexion, its much more harder for you, the 38 year old added. Spices comments came just over 10 weeks after British rapper/deejay Stefflon Don, who is of Jamaican descent, took to Twitter to address her past remarks, made in a November 2013 tweet in which she had written that darker-skinned women were desperate to be a browning like her. All you dark-skinned hating on light skinned b-tchs dont act like if God gave you a choice you wouldnt change your colour lool, she had written before being dragged mercilessly for the remark back then. On Monday, March 1, Stefflon claimed on Twitter that she was a totally different woman, and has grown as a person since then. Every time I am on a blog people want to bring up my past mistakes. So let me post it here MYSELF for everyone to see Because you will not trick or scare me with something I myself acknowledged, owned and sincerely apologized for, she wrote. Yes this was me almost 10 years ago. Ignorant and angry So I directed this tweet at a girl who shaded me for my colour. I have grown since then and owned up to my mistakes and this is not a reflection of the Woman I am today! I have apologised and moved on I hope you can too. pic.twitter.com/oOWlPOItfj 1DON (@stefflondon) March 1, 2021 The Hurting Me artiste later shared another post in which she reposted the old tweet in question and said that at the time she was ignorant and angry and so had directed the offensive tweet at a girl who shaded me for my colour. I have grown since then and owned up to my mistakes and this is not a reflection of the Woman I am today! I have apologised and moved on I hope you can too, she wrote. While some of her fans said they forgave her, many said what she did back in 2013 was inexcusable, and that they did not believe that her comment was a mistake or that she had changed. U were what? 22-23. Way past pickney stage. & At that big age thinking light is better than dark. & to bring God into it as if it would be of that dark girls favor if God would grant a wish to make her light skin lmao sad. Dem love fi beg lets move on. Waste gyal! Still! another follower c_note, said. One follower, coolmamamia declared that her post was directed at all darker skinned black women and not just one person as she stated. Chile, you said you were angry at one person which is why you tweeted this but your tweet clearly says all you dark skinned Colorism is real, and you should know that, she said. Others reminded her that her post was laced with vitriol and that it might have been better Stefflon had remained quiet and not rehash the aggravating issue. Aint nobody shade you about your color- lying ass. Exposure is what you merit- shouldve kept your mouth shut, CleopatraBad wrote, while another follower added: Racists dont change neither do colorists or misogynists. Nice try though. Youve just learned to be more careful. The venom in that tweet about darkskin women is disturbing but on brand for what weve experienced. A lot of people feel that superior complex because they are the lighter shade of brown like Stefflon Don expressed, LisaMarie responded. Then there were references to the Boasty artistes relationship with Afrobeat superstar Burna Boy, a dark-skinned African from Nigeria. Pls go to hell, this exactly why burna cheats on you, Maggz711 howled while lisamariespears wrote: Im actually shocked she would even publicly post such a racist adjacent comment to another black woman. Sounds like shes perpetuating tht black isnt beautiful. She was an adult when she said this. Wasnt/isnt she dating a whole African man? Also expressing displeasure was TheDosageBrand who said that Stefflons comments were incorrigible and unforgiveable. This is so sad. How come people like you have a rite of passage to be colorist, like its a growing pain? Theres no excuses for this. You were a grown woman making this statement, he said. Stefflon Don has had another racial tiff since her 2013 incident. In 2019, she earned the ire of some African Americans after she mocked Black Lives Matter in a promotional clip for a song. In the staged video, Stefflon pretended to be arrested by a white police officer who handcuffs her and guides her into the back of his vehicle. As she walks toward the police unit, her friends howl with laughter as she frivolously belts out in Patois: Bloodclaat mi a get locked up. Black Lives Matter, a line she also used for the caption. In response to the backlash that immediately ensued, Stefflon deleted the post, but not before arguing with commenters, telling some of them no stop being so sensitive. Daytona Beach, FL (32114) Today Partly cloudy with a slight chance of thunderstorms. High 86F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Considerable cloudiness. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 75F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Sandow spent a couple of years travelling Europe as a circus strongman. Eventually he ended up in Brussels, where he first met Ludwig Durlacher. By arrangement In December 2020, during the middle of a global pandemic, Mamdouh Big Ramy Elssbiay held aloft the Sandow trophy as he was crowned Mr Olympia for the first time in his life. Few watching would have spent much time wondering why the title is called a Sandow, but for those who did, this article will focus on who Eugene Sandow was, and why his name graces bodybuildings most prestigious competition. Who Was Eugene Sandow? Although largely unheard of outside of the bodybuilding world today, Eugene Sandow was a fully fledged celebrity during his lifetime. He is seen by many as the father of bodybuilding and is also known for his influence on modern yoga. He was one of the first truly global superstars. With fame following him from Prussia to Brussels, to London, to India and America. His influence on classical bodybuilding is undeniable, and it is his physique that adorns the trophies of Mr Olympia competitions to this day. His ability to turn his body into a career, fame and fortune, is something that many fitness influencers are attempting to emulate to this day. Few have succeeded, and the ones who have owe a debt of gratitude for Sandow carving out a roadmap for them to follow. Early Life Konigsberg was a Prussian city that is now named Kaliningrad and is now part of Russia. In the small part of Russia that is nestled between Poland and Lithuania. At the time that Eugene Sandow was born, the city had a flourishing Jewish population. Sandows family was of Jewish origin, with a German father and a Russian mother. However, both parents were Lutherans (a branch of Protestantism) when Sandow was growing up. He was born in 1867 and lived in Konigsberg until his 18th birthday, when he left Prussia to avoid military conscription in 1885. Considering the volatility of Europe at this time (the Franco-Prussian War was ongoing during Sandows birth) the decision to run away with the circus was actually a smart one. Its certainly interesting that while Europe was slowly embracing nationalism, Eugene Sandow was becoming a true citizen of the world by embracing the circus lifestyle. He also picked up the nickname of Sandow the lion tamer, which you can read more about at Inside bodybuilding. Ludwig Durlacher Sandow spent a couple of years travelling Europe as a circus strongman. Eventually he ended up in Brussels, where he first met Ludwig Durlacher. A German-American strongman, and one of the first personal trainers in history. Durlacher would train the rich and famous out of his Brussels gym, and became something of a mentor to Sandow, who was 23 years younger than him. In 1889, Durlacher opened his second gym in London, and convinced Sandow to accompany him. There, Sandow entered and subsequently won his first strongman competition. His win turned him into an instant star, and he spent the next year touring the British isles, competing in numerous strongman competitions. Cracking America In 1893, after four years in Britain, Durlacher decided to open a new gym in America. Sandow also travelled to America to find his fortune, though he appears to have done this separately to Durlacher. Once there, Sandow became a client of Maurice Grau, who worked in theatre management and production. Sandow was then introduced to Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. who also worked in theatres (specifically Broadway). Ziegfeld wanted to take Sandow to the Worlds Fair in Chicago that year, he eventually managed to persuade Grau to let Sandow go. After the success of the Chicago Worlds Fair, where Sandow had hugely impressed the audience with his physique, Sandow managed to break into the film industry. It was around this time that Sandow began to focus more on creating a beautiful physique rather than just aiming to be as strong as possible. This is a big deal, because it represents the earliest moments of bodybuilding as it is viewed today. The pursuit of the perfect physique, rather than something like Worlds Strongest Man, which is much more similar to traditional strongman performances. Return to England Around 1898, Sandow returned to England, married Blanche Brooks, and started to use his fame to create a fitness empire for himself. He opened his own gym in London, created his own magazine Physical Culture, and wrote several books on the subject. Sandow was the man to first come up with the term bodybuilding. He also invented numerous pieces of exercise equipment and launched the first ever bodybuilding competition in London in 1901. He settled in London, buying a house (thanks to the help of a British-Indian businessman) and lived the life of a fitness celebrity. He toured the world, became the Kings personal trainer, and also helped train British troops for World War One. Considering the fact that he was a Prussian/German, this seems like quite a big deal today, but doesnt seem to have been given any significance at the time. Yoga In 1905, Sandow travelled to India where he was much taken by yoga and the movements and breathing patterns it taught. Many Indian Yogis were equally impressed by Sandows approach to exercise and his love of gymnastics. It is theorised that Sandows training style heavily influenced the modern yoga training programs that are around today. Before 1905, yoga was not used to improve physical fitness in the way that many yoga classes are taught today. Death and Legacy Sandow died of a brain haemorrhage in 1925 at the age of 58. He and his wife were not on good terms at the time of his death after he had been caught having an affair. As such, his grave was left unmarked, and his funeral was very low-key. This could well have harmed his reputation, and in the UK, he is not a well-known celebrity to this day. This is a shame, because Sandow created modern bodybuilding, he also (alongside Durlacher) popularised personal training, and was one of the first men to write fitness magazines and fitness books. Today, he is best remembered thanks to the Sandow trophy that is given to winners of the Mr Olympia competition. But most people who know what a Sandow is, are unaware of who Eugene Sandow actually was, and just how crucial he was to the establishment of bodybuilding as a serious competition. Eugene Sandow created a blueprint for other bodybuilders and fitness professionals to follow. He earned a living from his hobby, stayed dedicated to its principles for his entire life, and supported and inspired many up and coming bodybuilders of the time. He probably shouldnt have cheated on his wife though! Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is planning to oppose the setting up of Tipu Sultan's statue in Proddutur town of Somu Veerraju district. In a statement, Andhra Pradesh state BJP chief Somu Veerraju said that BJP is opposing the plan to erect Tipu Sultan's statue because it 'hurts the sentiments of Hindus'. "Andhra Pradesh BJP is opposing the plan to erect the statue of Tipu Sultan in Proddutur town of Kadapa district. The local Muslims and MLA are trying to erect Tipu Sultan's statue. Hindus feel that their sentiments are hurt with the attempts to erect the statue of Tipu who had slaughtered a huge number of Indians," the BJP leader said. Veerraju further said that Proddutur town is synonymous with communal harmony, and erecting Tipu Sultan's statue may lead to tension in the area. "Local BJP leadership is apprehending that such action may lead to a law and order situation," he said. Further, the BJP leader claimed that Tipu Sultan is "not greater" than former President APJ Abdul Kalam "who had done great service to the nation." "Instead of Tipu Sultan's statue, Abdul Kalam's statue should be erected. The statue committee and prominent people of the town should rethink and erect the Abdul Kalam statue," he demanded. The ministry said that the media reports allude to the fact that the figures reported are official figures reported by banks to the Swiss National Bank (SNB) and do not indicate the quantum of much-debated alleged black money held by Indians in Switzerland. (PTI Photo) New Delhi: The Finance Ministry on Saturday refuted claims that funds of Indians in Swiss Banks have risen to over Rs 20,700 crore in 2020, the highest figure of deposits in the last 13 years. "Certain reports have appeared in the media on 18.06.2021 stating that funds of Indians in Swiss Banks have risen to over Rs 20,700 crore (CHF 2.55 billion) at the end of 2020 from Rs 6,625 crore (CHF 899 million) at the end of 2019, reversing a 2-year declining trend. It has also been stated that this is also the highest figure of deposits in the last 13 years," the ministry said. The ministry said that the media reports allude to the fact that the figures reported are official figures reported by banks to the Swiss National Bank (SNB) and do not indicate the quantum of much-debated alleged black money held by Indians in Switzerland. Further, these statistics do not include the money that Indians, NRIs or others might have in Swiss banks in the names of third-country entities. "However, the customer deposits have actually fallen from the end of 2019. The funds held through fiduciaries have also more than halved from the end of 2019. The biggest increase is in "Other amounts due from customers". These are in form of bonds, securities and various other financial instruments. It is pertinent to point out that India and Switzerland are signatories to the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters (MAAC) and both countries have also signed the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement (MCAA) pursuant to which, the Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) is activated between the two countries for sharing of financial account information annually for the calendar year 2018 onwards. Exchanges of Financial Account information in respect of residents of each country have taken place between both countries in 2019 as well as 2020. In view of the existing legal arrangement for the exchange of information of financial accounts (which has a significant deterrent effect on tax evasion through undisclosed assets abroad), there does not appear to be any significant possibility of the increase of deposits in the Swiss banks which is out of undeclared incomes of Indian residents. The Finance Ministry has also sought the relevant facts from Swiss Authorities along with their view on possible reasons for the increase/decrease in funds. Hyderabad: In the first such case, at least four lions at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park (zoo) at Vandalur, near Chennai, were found carrying the high infectious delta variant, that dominated the second wave of the pandemic in India and elsewhere, causing concern among zoo officials. Of the 11 lions in the zoo, nine had tested positive for Covid-19 earlier this month. Of these, two died of the disease and the rest are undergoing treatment. Zoo director Debasis Jana told Deccan Chronicle on Friday that the 11 infected lions were housed in two sectors of the zoo; some in the safari park and the others in the display enclosure. The two areas are at least a kilometre apart, Jana said. He said the samples from the lions were sent to the National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, in the last week of May in two batches. NIHSAD conducts research on exotic and emerging pathogens of animals in the country. We were not lucky, two of our lions have died from Covid-19. The other zoos in India, the Nehru Zoological Park, and the ones at Jaipur in Rajasthan and Etawah in Madhya Pradesh are lucky. They did not have any fatalities among their lions that caught Covid-19, Jana said. Jana added: This delta variant that Bhopal has found perhaps explains to some extent what the animals were fighting against. The other zoos may have had other Coronavirus variants, and their lions recovered from the brink. Here, two have died. Very sad. He said the zoos veterinarians have been working hard to treat and care for the lions. Some of them have lost members of their families in these past few weeks but they did not go home. Instead, they stayed put at the zoo to look after the lions. Based on the experiences of the other zoos, our vets have been giving their best, he said. It is clear that it was an asymptomatic person that was the cause of the infection. And there is a long chain. Captive animals have to be practically spoon-fed. From the time the meat leaves the supplier and it goes to the animals, it passes through various hands. It is not a foolproof system but the entire staff at the Vandalur zoo has been vaccinated against Covid19. Every day, basic temperature and symptom checks are conducted, Jana said. New Delhi: Dr Guruprasad Mohapatra, Secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), who monitored the supply of medical oxygen across the country under very challenging circumstances during the second wave of COVID-19, passed away on Saturday morning at AIIMS Delhi. The Gujarat cadre 1986-batch IAS officer was admitted to AIIMS on April 19 due to post-Covid complications. He was set to retire from service on April 30, 2022. He was the head of one of the Empowered Groups to combat the COVID-19 crisis. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences on the death of Dr Guruprasad Mohapatra and recalled his long association with him. Taking to Twitter, PM Modi said Mohapatra had had a great understanding of administrative issues and was known for his innovative zeal. "Saddened by the demise of Dr Guruprasad Mohapatra, DPIIT Secretary. I had worked with him extensively in Gujarat and at the Centre. He had a great understanding of administrative issues and was known for his innovative zeal. Condolences to his family and friends. Om Shanti," he tweeted. Pan-India civil servants and doctors have been working round-the-clock to rescue people from the clutches of second wave of COVID-19 infection. Besides Mohaptra, several other civil servants have been working to tackle COVID-19 crisis in country at the risk to their personal health and safety. Doctors and healthcare workers, who are leading India's fight from the front, are also relentlessly working 24x7 while risking their lives. As many as 730 doctors died during the second wave of the COVID pandemic, according to a data by the Indian Medical Association. Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba also expressed deep shock at the untimely death of Dr Mohapatra. As the head of one of the Empowered Groups, Dr Mohapatra worked with utmost dedication in the ongoing fight against COVID-19 pandemic, Gauba underlined. "Even after he had tested positive and was not well, he continued to work for long hours, monitoring the supply of oxygen across the country, under very challenging circumstances," he said further. Lauding Mohapatra, Gauba said the DPIIT secretary will be remembered for his proactive approach and his commitment to public service. "His untimely death is an irreparable loss to all of us. I extend my deepest condolences to the members of his family," he said. Mohapatra was a Gujarat cadre 1986 batch IAS officer. At the state level, he held the portfolio of Municipal Commissioner in Surat, Gujarat. Before taking over as the secretary of DPIIT, he had served as the chairman of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) where he brought about many changes in its strategic operations. He worked as the Municipal Commissioner in Surat from 1999 to 2002, during which he was actively involved in the process of converting Surat into one of the models of urban governance with its thrust on Solid Waste Management, quality infrastructure and sound financial management. The IAS officer also worked as a Municipal Commissioner in Ahmedabad for more than 3 years, during which he was instrumental in developing such iconic projects such as Sabarmati Riverfront, BRTS, Kankaria Lakefront and Heritage Promotion. Union Minister Piyush Goyal also expressed sadness over his death and conveyed sympathies to his family and friends. "Extremely saddened to hear about the loss of Dr Guruprasad Mohapatra, Secretary DPIIT. His long-standing service and dedication to the Nation have left a lasting impact. I convey my deepest sympathies to his family and friends," he tweeted. External Affairs Minister of India Dr S Jaishankar said, "Grieved to learn of the passing away of Dr. Guruprasad Mohapatra, DPIIT Secretary. He worked closely with MEA on foreign economic relationships. Also in shaping our Covid response. Deepest condolences to his family. Om Shanti." Mentioning Mohapatra's 'exemplary dedication', Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Sadananda Gowda tweeted, "Saddened to know about the demise of Dr Guruprasad Mohapatra, Secretary @DIPPGOI. He served the nation with exemplary dedication throughout his career. I extend my deepest condolences to his family and friends in this hour of grief. Om Shanti." Sumita Dawra, Additional Secretary, DPIIT also expressed grief over Mohapatra's death. Dawra said Mohapatra, as Chairman of Empowered Group 2, proactively planned oxygen supply for the country, through an institutionalized framework that smoothly facilitated each state and Union Territory to source oxygen for their needs. "It is heartbreaking to hear about the sad demise of our beloved Secretary of DPIIT, Dr Guruprasad Mohapatra. As Chairman of Empowered Group 2, he proactively planned oxygen supply for the country, through an institutionalised framework that smoothly facilitated each state and UT to source oxygen for their needs," she said. "He guided the team to deliver beyond what we thought was possible, as the country delivered 10 times the normal amount of medical oxygen on daily basis to all hospitals during the height of the second wave of COVID," the Additional Secretary added. Dawra highlighted that Mohapatra continued to continually guide over telephonic calls and video conferences even after testing COVID positive, and despite running a high temperature. "He chaired the crucial meeting of the Empowered Group to review supply of oxygen to the states on 19 April 2021, a few hours before he was hospitalised in AIIMS," she informed. "A deeply committed officer, with outstanding qualities of leadership, foresight and dedication to public service, he has imparted to us, through his personal example, some of the greatest lessons in governance and public service. My sincere condolences to his family. This is a deeply personal loss for the DPIIT family," she added. J&K was pushed into a great deal of political variability on August 5, 2019 when the Centre stripped the state of its special constitutional status and split it up into two Union territories. (Representative Image: AFP) Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir's mainstream political leaders are being invited for talks by the Centre next week. The move is seen by political watchers here as the first post-August 2019 major attempt by the Narendra Modi government to end the political stalemate in the erstwhile state. J&K was pushed into a great deal of political variability on August 5, 2019 when the Centre stripped the state of its special constitutional status and split it up into two Union territories. Barring BJP, its mainstream political leadership refused to accept what it termed as illegal and unconstitutional abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A and the bifurcation of the state. They also found it hard to reconcile to the ballgame set off by the contentious move, particularly the series of new laws introduced subsequently by New Delhi which only further diluted the state's powers. But it appears J&Ks mainstream leadership has in an apparent strategic flexibility or change of strategy decided to move away from the path of confrontation and fight on the issues including restoration of the erstwhile state's constitutional status in the existing system. This became evident last week when Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), an alliance of J&K's regional opposition parties and their allies from the national Left parties, after its leaders met here, announced that they would seize even the smallest opportunity in their just fight for the rights of the people of all the three regions of J&K -Jammu, the Valley and Ladakh. Reports emanating from Delhi suggest the Union government is willing to restore the statehood of J&K ahead of holding the Assembly elections sometime later early 2022. The BJP and its government are, however, keen to hold these elections after the restructuring of J&Ks Assembly constituencies. The Delimitation Commission for Jammu and Kashmir was constituted by the Centre on March 6, 2020 to redraw Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies of the Union Territory. The commission headed by Justice (retired) Ranjana Desai is likely to submit its report to the government before its extended one-year term comes to end on March 5, 2022. Former chief minister and leader of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mehbooba Mufti, confirmed that she has received an invitation for the talks slated to be held in New Delhi on June 24. Yes, I got a phone call from Delhi, and I have been invited for a meeting on June 24. The meeting will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she told a local news agency KNO. She, however, added, I havent decided yet whether to attend the meet or not. She feigned ignorance about other mainstream leaders too being invited to talks. PAGD president and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah said that his National Conference partys core group will first sit to discuss how to respond if a formal invitation from the Centre comes and evolve a strategy for such an engagement keeping the interests of the J&K people above everything else'. He said, So far, we havent received any formal invite from New Delhi for talks. If we do get it, we will first sit and discuss the strategy to be adopted for the meeting. Former minister in the PDP-BJP government and J&K Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari said that the solution to J&Ks problems lies with New Delhi. We openly state that we have a relationship with Delhi. Solutions to J&Ks problems lie at New Delhi, not Islamabad, New York or London. Delhis invitation to J&Ks political parties is a welcome development. It is now officially confirmed that Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla has formally invited 14 J&K mainstream leaders to the meeting at the Prime Minister's residence. The invitees include former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, former deputy chief ministers Tara Chand (Congress), Muzaffar Hussain Baig (Peoples Conference) and Nirmal Singh and Kavinder Gupta (BJP), CPI(M) leader Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami, J&K Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari, Peoples Conference chairman Sajjad Gani Lone, JKPCC chief Gulam Ahmad Mir, his counterpart from BJP Ravinder Raina and National Panthers Party supremo Prof Bhim Singh. HYDERABAD: The state Cabinet on Saturday approved the construction of three super speciality hospitals under the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits and to modernise the Telangana Institue of Medical Sciences (Tims) at Gachibowli as a super speciality hospital. Of the three new hospitals, one will come up on the premises of the Government Chest Hospital, the second on the fruit market premises at Gaddiannaram, from where the market has been shifted, and the third one will be in Medchal-Malkajgiri district between Alwal and the Outer Ring Road (ORR). The Cabinet has ratified the decision taken by the government to modernise the vegetable market at Kothapet and convert it into an integrated vegetable and meat market. The Cabinet instructed officials concerned to relaunch the sheep distribution scheme for the Yadav community. It directed officials to take measures to set up modern hairdressing salons in villages as decided earlier for the benefit of the Nayi Brahmin community. It was also decided that measures should be taken to ensure that the toddy tappers get insurance immediately, in the way farmers' insurance is being paid quickly. The Cabinet also instructed the officials to take measures to pay the handloom workers insurance. The Cabinet said release of ex gratia amount to toddy and fisheries workers and release of funds to the MBC Corporation for the benefit of other hereditary professions should be done in a speedy manner. Kiwi business is New Zealands backbone when it comes to horticultural export in the country. The tiny fruit, however, has become the epicentre of a battle between New Zealand and its trade partner, China. It all started when a Kiwi grower smuggled to China a Kiwi strain endemic to New Zealand back in 2010. That triggered thousands of hectares of illegal kiwi orchards in the country, reported The Guardian. Read more: The kiwi route to good health New Zealand has been enmeshed in conflict with China over protecting its Kiwi intellectual property rights since then. Zespri, which is a mega kiwi cooperative in New Zealand, had operating revenues of NZ$3.9billion in 2020, according to The Guardian. The Sungold variety (Gold3 strain) of kiwis are especially loved in the country as they pulled the business back from a downward spiral followed by PSA disease that ruined other kiwi varieties a downward spiral that had cost the business about NZ$900 million. However, trouble hit the ceiling in 2016 when Sungold was discovered by Zespri private investigators to be sprouting in China. The smuggling was found to be the doing of a business man, Haoyu Gao, who had a kiwi orchard in Opotiki in New Zealand. A court case ended up with the business man losing and being asked to pay NZ$14 million for damages. That was not enough to deter Chinas Gold3 cultivation. Illegal Sungold cultivation doubled to more than 5,200 hectares between 2019 and 2021, found a Zespri report. Curious revelations point out that the Kiwi was originally found in China and brought to New Zealand in 1904, and by the 50s the latter became major exporters of the fruit that thrived in the new local climate. The fruit even derived its name from the iconic bird found in its new habitat that shared similar brown, fuzzy features. In todays kiwi market, a frustrated Zespri has put forward a proposal for Kiwi growers - a yearlong trial of buying up and marketing counterfeit kiwifruit grown in China under the Zespri brand, reports The Guardian. The proposal is currently under consideration of buyers who will take a decision in the coming week. Zespris proposal would suggest that maybe the horse has bolted, commented Jason Young, associate professor, Victoria University and director of the New Zealand Contemporary China Research Centre. The Zespri question is really one of what happens if you lose control of your intellectual property in the Chinese market? What complicated things further is that the two countries are trade partners. This is really a test for the relationship, Dr Hongzhi Gao, associate professor, Victoria Universitys international business school with a background in provincial government in China, told The Guardian. Theres also an opportunity here, for the New Zealand government to make a very clear case to Chinese central government. At a crowded casualty department in a government medical college in April this year, a PG resident doctor is trying to stabilise a critical patient. With her is a junior doctor. It has been a busy night. At around 3 am, a walk-in patient's attender starts verbally abusing her and her junior. He takes videos, then grabs her hand. She is completely shaken. He was a politician's driver and wanted to be treated immediately and all this because of a five-minute delay, the doctor, who requested anonymity, said. It happened again, later that month. A patient, who had consumed a powerful poison, had been admitted to the ICU; he was critical. His condition subsequently worsened and he passed away. Despite repeatedly explaining the grave prognosis and daily counselling, a group of 10 men broke the ICU barricade, entered the ICU, hurled abuses on our educational qualifications and accused us of murder, the doctor recollected. Things were getting out of hand. The men could physically hurt them, she sensed. Fearing for their lives, she and another PG resident who was on night duty, hid in a duty room and called for help. Sometimes, I wonder whether its worth it, she said. Each day, healthcare professionals across the country face threats, intimidation and assaults. While some cases are reported, several go unheard. The Karnataka Association of Resident Doctors (KARD) said there are more than 12 documented incidents of assault on healthcare workers in the past eight to 10 months, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. A 2018 report by the Karnataka Law Commission showed that between 2010 and 2017, a total of 173 cases were registered under the Karnataka Prohibition of Violence against Medicare Service Personnel and damage to property in the Medicare Service Institutions Act, 2009. Of this, 20 cases were acquitted, while 101 cases were pending trial. There were just three convictions and not a single case in which compensation was awarded to the victim. A significant number of verbal abuses, intimidation and humiliation, happening almost on a daily basis, are underreported," Dr Ganesh Prasad Mudraje, Chairman, Harassment Committee, Indian Medical Association, Karnataka said, "because of the busy schedule of the doctors, apprehension of negative publicity, lack of support from colleagues, lack of cooperation from police officers and fear of further attacks from the culprits." When attacks on the medical fraternity happen, their morale takes a beating. They experience dejection as well as helplessness. A lot of them are dissatisfied and want to continue their medical career abroad. There is brain drain and further depletion of resources. The violence also leads to an increase in defensive medicine and ordering more investigations, as one healthcare professional pointed out. The attacks spare nobody, not even the senior doctors. Last Saturday, Dr Padmakumar A V, a critical care specialist at the Fortis Hospital on Bannerghatta Road in Bengaluru, and a nurse, were assaulted by the son of a Covid-19 patient who was admitted at the hospital. The patient, who was in his 50s, passed away due to complications arising from Covid-19. More than what happened with him, Dr Padmakumar said he is worried about the effect the incident will have on those around him. He said that he has been training young medical students sent by the National Board of Examinations for several years, and many of them now head the critical care departments in hospitals in Bengaluru. If something like this can happen to me in broad daylight, I am worried about the people working in ICUs all over India, especially at night, he added, referring to the increased security risk when hospital wards are sparsely staffed during nighttime. On June 18, more than three lakh doctors of The Indian Medical Association (IMA) participated in a nation-wide protest for a Central law to deal with violence against healthcare professionals. They also demanded enhancing security features in all medical facilities across the country and declare them as protected zones. The Karnataka Epidemic Disease Act, 2020 doesn't have much teeth to keep these people from carrying out violent acts. We are working to bring an amendment to the law that will increase the duration of the punishment to 10 years," Dr Venkatachalapathy, President, IMA Karnataka, said. "For any law with a punishment above 10 years, the bail will be difficult." The IMA has written to the Central government for a stringent law in the past as well, and a draft bill was even proposed by the Ministry of Health in 2019, which was not passed. Categorising the nature of violence as physical attacks and verbal abuse, Dr Mudraje, said, doctors are perceived as soft targets. Dr Mudraje said when unexpected deaths or complications happen, the patients end up assaulting the doctors either physically or verbally. The high cost of medical treatment in private hospitals is another reason for this kind of behaviour, he added. Doctors become scapegoats in such cases as high cost is not due to doctors fee but because of various domains of hospital treatment. Sometimes, even small incidents snowball into assaults. A few months ago, a young man came to the crowded Emergency Department of a hospital with an injury to his hand, where Dr Murtuza Ghiya was an assistant professor. The patient was advised to get a hand X-ray done. Since he had not billed it, the X-ray department did not go ahead with it. In a fit of anger, the patient threw the papers in his hand at the nurses and started mouthing abuses. When Dr Ghiya told the patient that such behaviour is not right, he started threatening the doctor, creating a scene while critical patients were waiting patiently for the process to take its course, Dr Ghiya recollected. When I pointed out that threatening a doctor is a non-bailable offence, he started shooting a video of me saying that this doctor has destroyed my hand and called me money-minded, He said when he tried to take away the phone, the patient twisted his arm and broke his watch. That evening Dr Ghiya went to the police station and filed an FIR. But I was told by many people that the FIR wont be followed up. I never got a call from the police. There was no closure." Ultimately, feeling that the more he got into the matter, the more it would eat into his work, he let the incident slide. You take it as work because there are 30, 40 patients waiting for you, he said. While laws exist in various states with regard to violence against healthcare fraternity, what has been found lacking at times is effective implementation of it by the local law enforcement agencies, said Dr Nitin Yashas, a medical oncology resident. It is important for doctors to document all the counselling that they have done regarding the condition of critical patients and also take signatures from those they have counselled. Dr Mudraje emphasised the need for internal grievances committees in hospitals which should offer services of counselling for a patients attenders, as a source of venting out their disappointment. This, he believes, may significantly avert the violence in hospitals. Clearly, the attacks on healthcare professionals mirrors a poor public healthcare system with all its frailties. There are around 1.26 lakh modern medicine doctors in Karnataka, informed Dr S M Prasad, Honorary State Secretary of IMA. Dr Prasad said that despite most doctors being present in urban areas like Bengaluru, the doctor to patient ratio in the city is nearly 1:1511, above the 1:1000 limit prescribed by the World Health Organisation. Poor healthcare system Coupled with this shortage is the fact that accessing quality healthcare remains a challenge in many parts of the country. Lack of awareness about preventive medicine and early detection has led to patients being presented to hospitals in an advanced or critical state, which increases fatalities. Inadequate doctor-to-patient ratio leads to burnout among doctors due to prolonged working hours and attending to a large number of patients, at times with limited resources, Dr Yashas said. He added that most of these factors can be addressed if the public healthcare system can be improved, with an increased allocation in the state budget. Dr Padmakumar looks at the assault on him as part of a bigger social problem. In the last 10 - 15 years, I can see that doctors are not respected. People dont trust doctors or the hospital, he said. The other problem is the difficulty people have in acknowledging death. Everybody talks about somebody else's death, not their own. If you tell the family of a critically ill or cancer patient that they are going to die, they get upset. Then their anger is not directed towards the disease or god, it is towards the treating doctor, Dr Padmakumar said. The constant fear of being attacked hangs overhead like a sword of Damocles affecting the confidence of healthcare workers. Meanwhile, the PG resident doctor who faced attacks twice said despite doing their best to save the patients and working in PPE for hours together that often leaves them dehydrated with scars on their skin, they have to encounter such attacks. As doctors, a stethoscope should be our tool, she said, not pepper spray or helmet. (With inputs from Prajwal Suvarna) Swarthmore, PA (19081) Today Occasional light rain. High near 80F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Some clouds. Slight chance of a shower throughout the evening. Low 61F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. CLASS OF 2021 Reset Search Search text Slug Type Article (14) Image (38) Collection (0) Audio (0) File (0) Flash (0) HTML (0) Link (0) PDF (0) Poll (0) Table (0) Video (0) YouTube (0) ZIP (0) Section Uncategorized (0) announcements (0) apps (0) arts_and_entertainment (0) business (0) calendar (0) contests (0) email_signup (0) gasbuddy (0) life (0) lifestyle (0) local-news (13) multimedia (0) news (4) nie (0) opinion (0) site (0) sponsored (0) sports (38) test (0) things-to-do (0) weekly-ads (0) wrapper (0) Start date From: Jun 10, 2021 To: Jun 20, 2021 Author Pete Bannan Photo sales Source application Editorial Published User contribution Not contributed Value-added content Exclude value-added content Flags Workflow Deleted Saved searches Search My saved searches Daily search local New search Shared by Rob Parent Shared by Vince Carey Search results New asset View Export Duplicate Edit Batch edit Unlock Delete Type Title Status Sections Authors Priority Start time Penn Wood seniors celebrate the year of quarantine local-news Pete Bannan Jun 18, 2021 04:18 PM Academy Park Class of 2021: 'I Am the One!' local-news Pete Bannan Jun 11, 2021 04:55 PM Ridley graduates get diplomas - both on the field and in the car local-news (2) Pete Bannan Jun 16, 2021 01:30 AM Brookhaven clean-up could take months local-news (2) Pete Bannan 98 Jun 17, 2021 01:30 AM As vaccinations continue, a sense of normalcy starts to prevail in Delaware County local-news (3) Pete Bannan Jun 10, 2021 01:30 AM Penncrest seniors cherish the moment news Pete Bannan Jun 11, 2021 10:23 PM Clean-up continues at Brookhaven spill site as residents worry about long-term effects news (3) Pete Bannan Jun 15, 2021 01:30 AM Stormy weather doesn't deter 264 Sun Valley seniors from graduating local-news (2) Pete Bannan Jun 10, 2021 01:30 AM Bonner-Prendie graduates on campus for first time news (3) Pete Bannan Jun 13, 2021 01:30 AM Strath Haven holds graduation on King Field news (3) Pete Bannan Jun 17, 2021 01:30 AM Chester Upland School District holds 147th graduation at Subaru Park local-news (2) Pete Bannan Jun 10, 2021 01:30 AM 471 seniors pick up their diplomas at Haverford High local-news Pete Bannan Jun 11, 2021 05:08 PM Congress members visit Upper Darby food pantry local-news Pete Bannan Jun 18, 2021 06:54 PM Interboro seniors overcame obstacles to arrive at graduation 2021 local-news (2) Pete Bannan Jun 10, 2021 01:30 AM Radnor girls sports Pete Bannan Jun 12, 2021 04:08 PM Haverford softball sports Pete Bannan Jun 14, 2021 07:51 PM Carroll sports Pete Bannan Jun 12, 2021 04:02 PM Haverford-North Penn sports Pete Bannan Jun 17, 2021 08:59 PM Haverford softball sports Pete Bannan Jun 14, 2021 07:51 PM Haverford-North Penn sports Pete Bannan Jun 17, 2021 08:59 PM Haverford softball sports Pete Bannan Jun 14, 2021 07:52 PM Haverford softball sports Pete Bannan Jun 14, 2021 07:44 PM Radnor girls sports Pete Bannan Jun 12, 2021 04:10 PM Haverford softball sports Pete Bannan Jun 14, 2021 07:52 PM Haverford-North Penn sports Pete Bannan Jun 17, 2021 09:00 PM Haverford softball sports Pete Bannan Jun 14, 2021 07:52 PM Carroll sports Pete Bannan Jun 12, 2021 04:03 PM Taylor homer sports Pete Bannan Jun 14, 2021 07:46 PM Radnor girls sports Pete Bannan Jun 12, 2021 03:35 PM Radnor girls sports Pete Bannan Jun 12, 2021 04:11 PM Taylor sports Pete Bannan Jun 14, 2021 07:46 PM Radnor girls sports Pete Bannan Jun 12, 2021 04:04 PM Haverford softball sports Pete Bannan Jun 14, 2021 07:47 PM Carroll vs. Stratrh Haven sports Pete Bannan Jun 12, 2021 03:57 PM Radnor girls sports Pete Bannan Jun 12, 2021 04:12 PM Haverford softball sports Pete Bannan Jun 14, 2021 07:47 PM Carroll vs Strath Haven sports Pete Bannan Jun 12, 2021 03:15 PM Carroll vs Strath Haven sports Pete Bannan Jun 12, 2021 03:08 PM Haverford tease sports Pete Bannan Jun 14, 2021 07:48 PM Carroll vs Strath Haven sports Pete Bannan Jun 12, 2021 02:54 PM Radnor girls sports Pete Bannan Jun 12, 2021 04:13 PM Carroll vs Strath Haven sports Pete Bannan Jun 12, 2021 03:59 PM Radnor girls sports Pete Bannan Jun 12, 2021 04:07 PM Radnor girls sports Pete Bannan Jun 12, 2021 04:14 PM Haverford-North Penn sports Pete Bannan Jun 17, 2021 08:57 PM Haverford softball sports Pete Bannan Jun 14, 2021 07:49 PM Radnor girls sports Pete Bannan Jun 12, 2021 04:07 PM Radnor girls sports Pete Bannan Jun 12, 2021 04:15 PM Haverford softball sports Pete Bannan Jun 14, 2021 07:50 PM Haverford-North Penn sports Pete Bannan Jun 17, 2021 08:58 PM Page 1 of 2 Displaying assets 1 - 50 of 52 Article: Penn Wood seniors celebrate the year of quarantine Title: Penn Wood seniors celebrate the year of quarantine You are the owner of this article. In this Jan. 19 photo, President-elect Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, listen as Cardinal Wilton Gregory, Archbishop of Washington, delivers the invocation during a COVID-19 memorial at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington. Gregory has made clear that President Biden, who sometimes worships in Washington, is welcome to receive communion at the archdiocese's churches. FILE - In this June 17, 2021, file photo, President Joe Biden hands a pen to Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., after signing the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. From left, Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif, Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill., Opal Lee, Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., obscured, Vice President Kamala Harris, House Majority Whip James Clyburn of S.C., Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, obscured, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas. A special memorial will take place in Derry on Monday to mark the first anniversary of the death of Belfast teenager Noah Donohoe. Noah, a pupil at St Malachy's College, was found dead in a storm drain in North Belfast last June, six days after he went missing. Next Monday, June 21, will be the first anniversary of the 14-year-old's death. Councillors on the Business and Culture Committee of Derry City and Strabane District Council this week voted unanimously to light up council buildings blue on Monday to mark Noah's anniversary. The teenager's mother Fiona was originally from Strabane and many of Noah's relatives still live in the town. The lighting up proposal was put forward today by independent councillor Raymond Barr. Cllr Barr said the gesture would be be a 'show of solidarity' with Noah's family at such a sad time. His proposal was backed unanimously by other members of the committee. Vicky Kaushal to play a conman in Mr Lele; Resumes shoot with Bhumi Pednekar and Kiara Advani Back in March this year, Vicky Kaushal and Bhumi Pednekar began the shoot of Shashank Khaitans next, which was initially titled Mr Lele. However, the filming came to an abrupt halt when Bhumi and Vicky contracted coronavirus amid the second wave of the pandemic. This was followed by a janta curfew in the city which further delayed shoot. Well, according to latest buzz, work on the film resumed on 15th June after the entire cast and crew got vaccinated. A report shared by Mid Day reveals that Vicky resumed shoot with Kiara Advani, who is also playing the female lead, on Tuesday. A source was quoted saying, While Vicky and Kiara reported to the set on Tuesday, Bhumi joined them on Friday. Shashank has lined up some indoor sequences for the next week, after which he will take the film across different locations in Mumbai. He has lined up a 40-day schedule. Mr Lele originally starred Varun Dhawan, but last year it was reported that he walked out of the film. Vicky stepped in to revive the project and Khaitan made tweaks in the script to fit the new cast. The film has now got a new title, which has not been revealed yet, and Vicky will be seen as a conman who juggles his two love interests. We cant wait to see his first look for this comedy! Khatron Ke Khiladi 11: Varun Soods GF Divya talks about his injury; Reveals he is better now We often hear that contestants get hurt while shooting for Rohit Shettys Khatron Ke Khiladi, as it is a stunt reality show. Well, reality show star Varun Sood, who is currently in Cape Town shooting for the 11th season of KKK, got injured a few days ago during a difficult stunt. He hurt his hand and reports suggested that he was rushed to the hospital while he screamed in pain. Well, his girlfriend Divya Agarwal has now opened up about his injury. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Varun Sood (@varunsood12) In a chat with ETimes, the beauty stated, Varun suffered from an injury almost 10 days ago. He has recovered now and is shooting. He had torn his thumb ligament and I was very worried about him. Although he is much better now, Im still concerned. I am constantly in touch with his manager there and keep telling him to keep Varun safe (smiles). She went on to add that while she was worried sick, Varun is treating his injuries as glories. Divya explained, He is very proud of it and likes to challenge himself even when he is injured. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Varun Sood (@varunsood12) Divya is quite excited about Varuns participating in the stunt reality show and hopes he does well. However, she cant wait for him to return so they finally get some time together. She was quoted saying, All my friends and family know that when Varun comes back, they are not to disturb us (laughs). Well, she wont have to wait for long because the contestants will be flying back on 21st June. Statement at Arria Meeting on Impact of Departure of Foreign Fighters from Libya Statement Thank you very much indeed Martin and I want to say thank you also to our A3+1 colleagues for bringing us together once again on what we regard as a really important issue. I want to thank our briefers for their perspectives and very useful contributions this afternoon. As I have said before, the political progress we have seen in Libya has been significant and of course welcome, and in line with the desire of the Libyan people themselves for a better future. To continue to move forward, my country reiterates the need for effective implementation of all the provisions of the 23 October Ceasefire Agreement, and this includes of course the immediate withdrawal of all foreign fighters and mercenaries. We share the concerns of the A3+1 who convened us today that, despite the clear provisions in the Ceasefire Agreement and repeated calls from this Council, armed foreign fighters and mercenaries continue to be present in Libya. Ireland believes that the Council should actively consider possible measures to support Libya in implementing the provisions of the Ceasefire Agreement. However, as we have heard this afternoon, the concerns of Libyas neighbours regarding relevant groups must also be addressed. Supporting peace in Libya must also be accompanied by dedicated efforts to ensure that instability in the Sahel region is not further exacerbated by the return of foreign fighters and mercenaries from Libya to countries of origin in the Sahel. As regards those groups who originated in the Sahel, there is a need to integrate our efforts right across the region, including support to effective development and peace interventions in countries of return. Key to this is effective disarmament, demobilisation and community reintegration activity, which enhancesrather than underminesongoing peace processes. Instability in the Sahel is not only a concern for the region, but is a concern for all of us. We commend the countries of the G5 Sahel and the broader region in leading efforts to promote peace and security in the Sahel, efforts contributed to by the European Union including through significant support to the G5 Sahel Joint Force. We recognise the need for predictable and sustainable funding for the Force and we are open to exploring ways forward to ensure this, listening particularly to the perspectives of the region. UN missions and offices can play of course a coordinating role here, including generating support for implementing measures, as requested, and as mandates allow. Regional Organisations, including the African Union and the European Union, can also play a valuable part in this effort, as demonstrated by the EUs Border Assistance Mission. In this context, the co-sponsorship of todays session is an encouraging testament I think to the commitment of regional states to this effort. Ireland believes that the Council can play a role in bolstering this commitment by more effectively leveraging our sanctions toolbox and mechanisms, both in the context of Libya and beyond. In advancing the process of DDR, we must also consider gender-responsive and human rights based approaches. Addressing root causes is essential to effective and lasting DDR. We need to consider how to create peace dividends for all of our societies, particularly ex-combatants, and to ensure DDR is integrated in peacebuilding processes. Security Sector Reform in Libya and in neighbouring countries also has a vital role to play. It is critical in our view that these processes have strong community and civil society involvement and oversight, both in Libya and in neighbouring countries of the Sahel, including through addressing community grievances over access to justice and human rights compliance. The inclusion of women should also be ensured, and facilitated. To conclude, Ireland agrees fully with the A3+1 on the need to consider effective measures to support Libyan implementation of this crucial provision of the ceasefire agreement, while also recognising the need for regional cooperation to address the concerns of neighbouring countries. We encourage future written and oral reporting by UNSMIL, drawing on the wider UN System, to address this important issue, so that Member States can be assured that this issue is receiving the highest priority. In the light of this reporting, my country Ireland is willing to consider adjustments to UNSMILs mandate when the Council reviews it in September, in particular whether more can be done on SSR and DDR to help address this important issue. Thank you. Previous Item | Next Item Take Five - This is your final free article during this 30 day period. Stay in touch with all of the news. Sign up today for complete digital access to The Daily News-Record. It appears City of Douglas Administrator Jonathan Teichert is searching for a new job, as he is listed as one of three finalists in the running to be Gillettes next city administrator. The Gillette News Record reported June 17 that Teichert, Hyun Kim, of Fife Washington, and Kevin Carunchio, of Onyo County, California are under consideration for the position, which pays between $135,000 and $175,000, plus benefits. Teichert's salary with the City of Douglas is roughly $125,000. Teichert, Carunchio and Onyx visited Gillette on Tuesday for a meet and greet with the public, followed by interviews Wednesday, the News Record reported. City of Gillette Communications Manager Geno Palazzari confirmed today that their city government has not decided who they will offer the job to. No, we have not yet made a decision. While the idea is to make the decision as quickly as possible, I have no idea of the time frame for that decision, Palazzari stated. Teichert said at this time, he does not have any comments to share regarding his application with the City of Gillette for their city administrator position. When asked if he had heard back from the City of Gillette yet, he said no, although if offered the job, he did say, I would consider it. City of Douglas Mayor Rene Kemper did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding whether or not she and Douglas city council members were aware Teichert is applying for other jobs. Douglas City Council Member Ron McNare said he learned about Teicherts application to the Gillette position by reading an article in the Gillette News Record and said he was not aware Teichert was looking for another job until today. This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available. ADA [ndash] Jesse G. Denslow, 93, of Ahloso, passed away Saturday, June 26, 2021, in Shawnee. He was born to Leslie Earl Denslow and Poca Vanderpool Denslow in 1927 in Scullin, Oklahoma, "a wide place in the road". He claimed that his secret to long life was that he never drank, never smoked The Irish Natura & Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) have contested the narrative that the current CAP proposals will undermine the income of Irish farmers. INHFA president, Colm ODonnell, stated how nationally under a full flattening of payments 72,710 farmers will gain, representing 60% of all farmers. With the EU Parliament holding their ground for the full flattening of payments it is he added unbelievable that a Parliament in Brussels is more in touch with the needs of Irish farmers than many of the public and farming representatives here. A full flattening of Pillar 1 payments would see all farmers paid a national average by 2026 of 265/ha which includes the proposed eco-scheme. This stated ODonnell will be delivered through the convergence of payments over the lifetime of the CAP Programme. Another proposal outlined at EU level is the option to front-load payments through the Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS). This allows Ireland to target additional payments on the first number of hectares to support small holders. To fund this a country can put a limit on the maximum payment and if required apply a cut to the overall Pillar 1 budget. Mr ODonnell outlined how the INHFA are supporting this as it will benefit small holders and potentially increase the payments for farmers on the first 10-20ha to over 300/ha. With increased focus in the new CAP on delivering improved outcomes for the environment Mr ODonnell stated how many of our farmers have been doing this without the proper recognition or reward. It is, he added, vital that the delivery of public goods in terms of improved water and air quality, improved biodiversity and mitigating against climate change is remunerated in the upcoming CAP. The EUs Nature Fitness Check has established how our designated lands are delivering between 2-3 billion each year to our economy which translates into almost 3,000/ha. In the new CAP we must ensure this output is recognised in the same way that farming output is. Concluding, the INHFA President stressed how despite suggestions made by some the current proposals will deliver for the vast majority of Irish farmers. Louth Fianna Fail Senator Erin McGreehan has urged that the site for the new National Maternity Hospital be handed over to the State. Senator McGreehan commented: This issue is something I have been raising my concern over with the Minister of Health going back months now. "I understand the complicated situation the Minister has inherited not just from the last Government but from 100 years of the Irish State relying on religious orders to provide healthcare. The failure of the state to deal with the land ownership of hospitals and indeed many educational institutions by religious orders has led to a situation where for the last century this State has been investing billions in hospitals with no proprietary rights over them. "The strong private property rights in Bunreacht Na Eireann protects the congregations ownership of the lands just like it protects the citizens. However, it is unacceptable that the State invests in a hospital for the Irish people and only have a lease to the land. While it is a long-term lease, religious orders still have a say in the running of the hospital under the guise of a charity. I feel very strongly about this and it would be the right and just thing to do if the Sisters of Mercy who own the site, with their subsidiary St Vincent's Healthcare Group, would simply hand over ownership of the lands to the State. Readers Survey As our valued readers, we want to hear from you. Please take a moment to fill out the survey below. - Thank you, Eastern Arizona Courier Click Here Where are the best places to shop? Who gives the best haircut? Who cooks the best burger? Join our readers in selecting the "Best of Windham." Make your picks! Information on making beautiful crystal floral jewelry, double dry embossing and making green decor will be the featured topics on Creative Living 9:30 p.m. Tuesday and noon Thursday (all times Mountain). Lisa Rojas is a crafter and designer, and shes going to show how to make a beautiful crystal floral jewelry set using a crystal sheet from Connie Crystal. The jewelry has a diamond-like sparkle and 100% clarity. Rojas business is Stampin Queen Creations, and shes from Victorville, California. Diane Tunnell is an independent demonstrator with Stampin Up! If youre a crafter, you have probably already learned about using embossing folders but have you ever tried a technique called Double Dry Embossing? Tunnell will demonstrate this technique and show several cards shes made. She lives in Clovis. Designer and crafter, Shannon Bielke will show how to reuse items around the house and incorporate them into new creations or what she calls green decor. Bielkes company is Sha & Co. in Payson, Arizona. Information on preparing light meals, making a coupon wallet and gel candles will be the featured topics on Creative Living noon Tuesday and 2 p.m. Saturday. Sue Vaughn, cookbook author from Lamesa, Texas, will share some quick tips for preparing a light and nutritious meal. Her company is Jan-Su Publications. Sewing expert and author Patsy Shields will demonstrate a technique for making a wallet sewn with four separate compartments, and it uses a basic utility stitch, beautiful fabrics and zippers. She is with Sulky of America in Sellersburg, Indiana. Diane Lieb will show how to make gel candles, which make great gift items. Gel candles are especially good choices for places that dont allow candles to be burned, and the aroma is wonderful. Shes from Portales. Layered Tex-Mex cornbread salad 1 pkg. (6 1/2 ozs.) cornbread mix 2 cans (15 ozs. ea.) Pinto beans, drained 2 cups tomatoes, chopped 1 cup green onions, chopped 1/4 cup jalapeno peppers, seeded, chopped 12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, grated 1 cup sour cream 1 cup salsa Prepare cornbread mix as directed on package. When cool, crumble the cornbread in a large dish. Top with half of the remaining ingredients, except sour cream and salsa. Repeat the layers. Mix together sour cream and salsa. Top mixture with sour cream and salsa mixture and additional jalapeno slices. Cover and chill 2 to 3 hours before serving. Creative Living is produced and hosted by Sheryl Borden. The show is carried by more than 118 PBS stations. Contact her at: [email protected] Editor's note: As we begin to see COVID-19 in our rear-view mirrors, travelers are cautiously returning to the roads. This series offers destination options for eastern New Mexico-area residents looking to get away for a few days. It's said nothing is set in stone. That's wrong. Check out the Three Rivers Petroglyph Site. The site is one of the few in the Southwest set aside simply for its rock art. It is a prominent example and preservation of prehistoric Jornada Mogollon rock art. It is also one of the few sites that allow guests to access the rock art in such close proximity. While many overlook Three Rivers Petroglyph Site on their way to Ruidoso or the White Sands, it still remains a treasure to history and culture. Its story began between about 900 and 1400 AD. When the Jornada Mogollon people flourished in archaeological culture during the archaic period, they depicted various images on the rock formations around them. Using stone tools to remove the dark patina on the exterior of the rocks, they were able to keep their art, and history, alive within our culture. Since then, the rocks are alive with the past, allowing guests to peek through the veil of time. There now remain over 21,000 glyphs throughout the site. The art contains images of birds, humans, animals, fish, insects, and plants. There are even geometric and abstract images that stretch over 50 acres of the New Mexico Chihuahuan Desert. Foundation of life: A slight excavation of the site occurred in 1976. This revealed the foundation of three prehistoric buildings: a small pueblo building, Sierra Blanca towers, and the Three Rivers campground. The Magollon lived in a pithouse and adobe structure that was similar to the Anasazi, their agriculture cousins. The residents are believed to have continued their ancestors' lifestyle of hunting and gathering, or had fled to pueblos in northern New Mexico. Activities: You can hike, camp, picnic and join in on prehistoric interpretation when you visit Three Rivers Petroglyph Site. A half mile trail begins at the visitor shelter and links many of the petroglyphs. There is another trail beginning on the east side of the picnic area that leads to the remains of a Mogollon village. This location was most likely inhabited by the artists of these artifacts. Where is it: The Three Rivers Petroglyph Site is about 3 hours and 50 minutes southwest of Clovis. It is 17 miles north of Tularosa. The address is Las Cruces Field Office 1800 Marquess Street Las Cruces, NM 88005. Hours and admission: It's open year round to visitors. From April to October it is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m .; it closes at 5 p.m. from late fall to early spring. Day use is $5 per vehicle, $15 per bus. Camping is $7, RV hookup per campsite is $18, and group sites are $50. Origin of the name: The site is called Three Rivers because Indian Creek, Golondrina Creek, and Three Rivers came together near the site. Much like present and past flows together at this site, these bodies of water merged their currents. More information: Call (575) 525-4300 or visit online: http://www.blm.gov/visit/ three-rivers-petroglyph-site Jocelyn Benson on Twitter: @JocelynBenson Purchase Jocelyn Bensons book State Secretaries of State: Guardians of the Democratic Process HERE. Samuel Robinson at Mlive.com: Michigan Senate passes controversial election bills that put emphasis on ID requirements Heritage Action for America: Heritage Action Launches Election Integrity Campaign, Commits Over $10 Million Must-watch video: Heritage admits it is writing voter suppression laws for GOP state legislators we actually draft them for them, or we give them the model legislation so it has that grassroots, from-the-bottom-up type of vibepic.twitter.com/o8wDPYwl9Q Ari Berman (@AriBerman) May 13, 2021 Jordan Zakarin on Twitter: @JordanZakarin Learn more about Julie Olivers group Ground Game Texas and support their work at GroundGameTexas.org. Our first exclusive on the conversations between Joe Manchin's office and the Texas lawmakers who broke quorum to stop a massive GOP voter suppression law As @TMFtx explains, they opened eyes in Manchin's office with facts about existing voter suppression in Texas. https://t.co/wTp7JoZNXr Jordan Zakarin (@jordanzakarin) June 18, 2021 Progressives Everywheres website: ProgressiveseEerywhere.substack.com Sign up for the Progressives Everywhere newsletter HERE. Support Progressives Everywhere by becoming a Patreon donor HERE. Give us a five-star review at iTunes! The GOTMFV Show Facebook page is HERE! Music clips Intro and transition music: You Dress Like an Asshole by Not The 1s Progressives Everywhere intro/outro: Theyre Everywhere by Jims Big Ego Outro music: Complain (from the movie Bob Roberts) by David Robbins & Tim Robbins COVID-19 vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna do not harm male fertility, suggests a study which found the levels of sperm in participants remained at healthy levels after they got two doses of the mRNA preventive. The study, published on Thursday in the journal JAMA, recruited 45 healthy male volunteers aged 18 to 50 years scheduled for mRNA COVID-19 vaccination by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. The participants were pre-screened to ensure they had no underlying fertility issues. Those with COVID-19 symptoms or a positive test result within 90 days were excluded. The men provided a semen sample after two to seven days of abstinence, prior to receiving the first vaccine dose and approximately 70 days after the second shot. Semen analyses were performed by trained andrologists as per World Health Organization guidelines and included semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm motility, and total motile sperm count (TMSC). "One of the reasons for vaccine hesitancy is the potential negative effect on fertility," the authors of the study from the University of Miami in the US noted. "Because reproductive toxicity was not evaluated in the clinical trials and SARS-CoV-2 has been associated with decreases in sperm parameters, we assessed sperm parameters before and after mRNA vaccine administration," they said. In the study of sperm parameters before and after two doses of a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, there were no significant decreases in any sperm parameter among this small cohort of healthy men, the researchers found. Sperm concentration and total motile sperm count at the beginning of the study were 26 million/milliliter (mL) and 36 million, respectively. After the second vaccine dose, the median sperm concentration significantly increased to 30 million/mL and the median TMSC to 44 million. Semen volume and sperm motility also significantly increased, the researchers said. Because the vaccines contain mRNA and not the live virus, it is unlikely that the vaccine would affect sperm parameters, they said. The limitations of the study include the small number of men enrolled, short follow-up, and the lack of a control group. The researchers also noted that while semen analysis is the foundation of male fertility evaluation, it is an imperfect predictor of fertility potential. Garff political surgery postponed The final scheduled political surgery in Garff before the General Election has been postponed to Thursday. It will be held at the Archibald Knox pub meeting room from 5pm to 6pm and is open to all constituents without an appointment. MHKs Daphne Caine and Martyn Perkins had previously advertised it would be held at the Onchan pub on this Saturday but a clash with the Parish Walk prompted the change of date to next week. Daphne explained: The reason for moving the surgery to next Thursday is because I have entered for the Parish Walk and Martyn always plays with the Shenanigans Banned to welcome walkers to Rushen. Josephine Smith Lively Davis passed away June 27, 2021, at the age of 83 at her home in Decatur, Alabama. A celebration of life will be at Ridout's-Brown Funeral Home on Friday, July 2, 2021. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to noon. Funeral services will follow in the chapel at noon with Cha The state of California has launched a tool designed to give residents easy access to a digital copy of their COVID-19 vaccine information. Unlike New York's Excelsior Pass, it's not an app people have to install on their phones. It's a simple website where residents will have to enter their name, date of birth and the phone number or email they used when they got their vaccine. They also have to create a 4-digital PIN, which they'll have to remember to be able to open the digital copy of their vaccine record. In addition to a link with their information, users will also get a QR code that makes their record readable with a QR scanner. They can use that to gain entry to establishments or events that require customers or attendees to have been vaccinated beforehand. While the digital records are handy to have, the California Department of Public Health "recommends that vaccinated Californians keep their paper CDC card in a safe and secure place." Their digital COVID-19 vaccine record is supposed to be a convenient backup they can take with them wherever they go. The state government said the tool was built following "national standards for security and privacy," since it will have access to people's sensitive information. That said, it may not work perfectly at the moment. One of Engadget's editors from California signed up and found that his information on the digital version of his record was incorrect. The initiative may be suffering from some rollout issues that's affecting the state's database. The struggle for survival is not always limited to animate objects. Ideas can be expressed just as biological genes are, compete for attention-based resources, replicate themselves through discussion, and be encoded with the written word. In The Ascent of Information, award winning New York Times author Caleb Scharf explores humanity's unique penchant for maintaining stores of information outside of ourselves and the steps we'll soon have to take if we want to hang on to the 20 quintillion bits of data we produce every day. In the excerpt below, Scharf examines the surprisingly lifelike ways that ideas evolve, compete and spread. Penguin Random House Excerpted from The Ascent of Information by Caleb Scharf. Copyright 2021 by Caleb Scharf. Excerpted by permission of Penguin Random House LLC, New York. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. In an effort to provide another example of the phenomenon of selfishness, Dawkins gave a name to the now familiar concept of memes, which I briefly mentioned at the start of this book. These mind viruses to use Dawkinss provocative description are ideas that are not just readily spread but can also induce new behaviors in their carriers. Indeed, the spreading of a meme is itself an induced behavior, whether its through a human conversation or a share on social media. Dawkinss term crystallized thinking on a phenomenon that had long piqued peoples interest. Back in 1880 Thomas Huxley (known as Darwins Bulldog for his support of evolutionary theory) wrote The struggle for existence holds as much in the intellectual as in the physical world. A theory is a species of thinking, and its right to exist is coextensive with its power of resisting extinction by its rivals. Memes can also act as if they are selfish, because sometimes theyre detrimental to their carriers. Humans are prone to becoming obsessed with ideas that can lead to disadvantage or even death. Starving artists, impassioned protestors, religious zealots, thrill-seekers, and political ideologues can all seem to be on a course to self-destruction because of ideas that they nurse and propagate throughout the world. To explain these seemingly irrational patterns, we can say that the memes, or ideas, are simply using their carriers in the way that biological viruses hijack their hosts, or that genes use organism-based vehicles. Human minds are a landscape in which ideas can propagate and compete with each other, following rules that strongly resemble those of natural selection. What happens to the humans, good or bad, is mostly of secondary importance to the continuation of the information, its further replication. This vision is intriguing, disturbing, and enormously contentious. To this day its borderline unacceptable in many scientific circles to treat memes as anything worthy of scientific analysis beyond their bearing a superficial similarity to what happens in biology (and to be clear, Dawkins never really suggested otherwise). This is especially true when it comes to ascribing mutualism to memes and genes speculating that the evolutionary fitness of genes might be impacted by memes, and vice versa. That hasnt stopped a lot of ink being spilled on memes (filling up a corner of the dataome, with some irony), with certain scholars proposing formalisms of so-called memetics, and a central role for them in cultural evolution. Im not going to jump very far down that particular rabbit hole here. The main reason for scientists conservatism toward memes is that it is enormously difficult to separate out cause and effect in a complex, inter- twined, messy set of systems like life and minds. Finding the phenomenon at the root of things, the fundamental actor, is supremely difficult. That doesnt mean that a simplifying approach, or a universal rule, cant be the answer. But proving that to be true is why most scientists still have jobs: its a long road. With that cautionary note in mind, there is such an appetizing resemblance between the notion of replicating, evolving information encoded in genes; the existence of memes; and the characteristics of the dataome, that we have to take a look. Previously Ive said that I dont think the dataome is just a collection or consequence of memes; instead, memes represent a subset of entities working across the border between the dataome and human minds. A popular catchphrase will bounce back and forth between minds and dataome. By contrast, a bus ticket or a database of winter cloud cover in Belgium, while definitely a part of the dataome, probably doesnt spend much, if any, time in human minds. The dataome also amplifies memes and aids in their survival. In a human culture, beliefs or values are more easily shared and resilient because they exist as commonly accessible information in physically manifested data (like the Quran, the Bible, the Vedas, the Tripitaka, the writings of Karl Marx, or Hobbess Leviathan). Memes have more access to hosts and hosting media in a species with a dataome. Therefore, the better that dataome is in ease of access, efficiency, larger size the better it is for those memes. There are intriguing similarities between this arrangement and the arrangement of genes and organisms. As well discuss shortly, a gene cant go it alone in the world. It both relies on and contributes to the entirety of a biological system, be it a cell or a population of a species. The better those biological systems work, in terms of reproduction, repair, and diversity, to withstand changing environments, the better things are for the genes. Today, in a way that has not really happened in the past, the information represented by genes also finds itself represented in the dataome. For instance, a very stable set of genes in terrestrial biology are those that code for some of the structures of ribosomes in single-celled organisms. Ribosomes are large molecular machines that are vital to the production of proteins. Consequently, these genes and sections of their codes havent evolved much at all over millions, even billions of years. A particularly well-studied set are called 16S rRNA, and thanks to genomic laboratory analyses we have decoded thousands of 16S rRNA gene sequences from different species. Those reams of data now exist within the dataome. In other words, the information represented by 16S rRNA genes has found its way into an entirely new storage and replication system that of books, electronic media, and countless computers and data servers across the planet. You might object that this has no significance the 16S rRNA information is no longer really doing anything, its not resulting in new ribosomal molecular machines that churn out proteins in the world. Its not exerting its original capabilities. But the point is that, in the framework of selfish genes, those outcomes were never anything more than a means to an end. If the sole reason for the existence of genes is that they can continue to be, to exist in the world, then whether the information they represent sits in an organism or in your hard drive doesnt matter. Of course, the dataome might struggle to continue to exist without its biological minders... In that sense, the original function of 16S rRNA in the organic world is still critically important. But now so too is its function as an object of intellectual curiosity for human minds, for scientific research, and perhaps for future genetic engineering. All of which select it for maintenance and replication within the dataome. Theres an argument to be made that none of this should be surprising because the processes of gene replication in biology, and the ways in which genes actually evolve, are already far from simple. A new report finds that Latinas have left the U.S. workforce at rates higher than any other demographic and also have had some of the highest unemployment rates throughout the pandemic Oprah Winfrey has finally spoken about whether she would indeed be Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor's godmother or not. Rumors had it that she is a strong contender for this role since she was the one who allowed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to have a bombshell interview in the United States. Meghan Markle's father so much as went to say Oprah did it to further her career. The host, however, shuts down these god-mothering rumors. Even if she were to be picked as godmother, she would not accept because she believes Lilibet's godmother had to be so much younger than her. What is nice about Oprah however, is that she also said she is already a godmother by default and does not need the official title. "I don't need to be a godmother, I'm a godmother by default," the host, 67 said. I'm a neighbour, I'm a friend and all that, you probably need someone younger to be the godmother," she added. She also said she "loved" the name given to the precious girl Lilibet Diana. She could have suddenly remembered that this meant Prince Harry's father's day got to be more meaningful this time around since he already got two children. "I've got to send them something special for Father's Day," Oprah said. ALSO READ: Rihanna, Meadow Walker in 'F10'? Singer and Paul Walker's Daughter Considered Perfect 'Fast and Furious' Cast It's not that impossible that Harry and Meghan Markle would truly extend an invite for her to their daughter's godmother. Oprah allowed them to have an interview wherein they dropped one big tidbit about their previous royal lives after another. Meghan Markle made a number of bombshell revelations about her struggles within the Royal Family, and Prince Harry even supported her in doing so. Oprah was also the one who guided Harry in the documentary "The Me You Can't See," where the royal got candid about the mental health issues he faced growing up in the palace, especially after he lost his famous mom, Princess Diana. While his time in the UK growing up showed him a happy-go-lucky kid compared to his brother, Prince William, "the him people cannot see" is the man who finds London quite anxiety-inducing. He even said the thought of going back to London gave him anxiety, particularly because his late mum Princess Diana was not treated right there. Both the bombshell interview and documentary received mixed reactions. Some were sad that the two had such a harsh time in the palace, while others cannot believe that Prince Harry is helping Meghan Markle lambast his own family. Some said it was Markle's coveted interview to be all-attention seeking. There were sympathetic reactions and naturally, there were also haters who hated how "manipulative" they perceived Markle to be. Thomas Markle, Meghan's estranged father, said Oprah used the two for her own career. ALSO READ: Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck Reconciliation Circus Makes Jennifer Garner Want To Stay Far Away See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles According to the police, the Princess of Wales had her friend Richard Kay as her last call before death in Paris in 1997. One of Princess Diana's close confidants, Kay, has revealed their last conversation in a new ITV documentary. This documentary is called "The Wedding of the Century," which will air Thursday night of July 15. According to this article, Richard Kay is a longtime royal journalist and friend of the Princess. He also happened to look back on the telephone conversation that would be the Princess of Wales. Princess Diana Was "Desperate To Try And Make A Fresh Start" And Meet Her Sons "I spoke to her that night," he recalls. Only later, once the 36-year-old had died in a car crash resulting from a high-speed paparazzi chase, would Kay realize how significant that call was. "[The] police said that the last call she made was to me." According to The Mirror, the mother of Prince William and Prince Harry, then 15 and 12, was "in quite a good place," shares Kay. "She was desperate to try and make a fresh start and do something different," says Kay, "to explore a different kind of royalty." But above all, "she wanted to come back and see her boys." Diana was also eager to turn a new page in her life. Diana would tragically never come to realize that even in death, she would reshape the history from what it was before. She would also set off ripples through her legacy, her love for her children, and her compassion. READ ALSO: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle' More Respectable' Than Prince William and Kate Middleton, Survey Reveals What Is Happening In The Royal Palace For July? Kay is just one of many friends and family members who are coming forward to remember "The People's Princess" in the weeks ahead of July 1. The Princess was supposed to turn 60 by then. Also reported in an article that her sons William and Harry will also reunite for the first time since the funeral of Prince Philip in May. They will commemorate their mother on her birthday by unveiling a statue dedicated to her at Kensington Palace. Indeed, tributes to Diana have been flowing recently. From a subtle nod William's wife, Kate Middleton, wore her jewelry on June 11, to the middle name of Harry and Meghan Markle's first daughter, who was born on June 4. The friend and personal astrologer of the Princess of Wales said that homage by her two sons would have moved her deeply. "Diana would have been so touched by both her granddaughters sharing her name," Debbie Frank recently told People. "She would have been absolutely thrilled, and it's a beautiful gesture of love from both her boys." READ MORE: Kate Middleton Confesses ONE Thing Her Children Dislike About Her So Much and Annoys Them When She Does This See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles The Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill, 2020 was tabled in the Lok Sabha in September 2020. It was referred to the department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare, which submitted its 129th report on the ART Bill, 2020 on 17 March 2021. This article critically engages with the recommendations of this report. Sneha Banerjee (snehabanerjee@uohyd.ac.in) teaches at the Department of Political Science, University of Hyderabad. Prabha Kotiswaran (prabha.kotiswaran@kcl.ac.uk) teaches law and social justice at the Dickson Poon School of Law, Kings College London, United Kingdom. Attempts at regulating assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs), including one of its more controversial applications, namely surrogacy, are nearing fruition. Guidelines issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research in 2005 and subsequent bills on ART (2008, 2010, 2014) all covered ARTs, including surrogacy. However, in 2016, amidst growing concerns over womens exploitation as surrogates and in light of a public interest litigation (PIL), namely Jayashree Wad v Union of India (WP [C] No 95/2015), filed before the Supreme Court to ban transnational commercial surrogacy, the government banned foreign commissioning parents from accessing surrogacy in India through administrative fiat. It announced a separate bill on surrogacy, extracting it out of the larger domain of ARTs. Dalit womens experiences as epistemic spaces form the basis for a new conceptual and theoretical framework of a Dalit womanisthumanist complex to analyse the materiality of caste, class, gender, sexuality, local economy, and power relationships, both within and outside of the Dalit community. How do Dalits navigate awkward contingencies, tenuous histories, socio-economic contexts, political pressures, and cultural realities to negotiate with the regimes of power, carve their agency, and contribute to feminist thought, praxis, pedagogies, and politics? The myriad ways through which Dalits have consistently expanded, challenged, and revolutionised feminism, by working on different potentials, hopes, and futures, are demonstrated here. Dalit history and womens history belong to the same field of Indian and South Asian history. Indeed, the origins of modern Indian feminism and the intersections of caste and gender are in the expressions of Dalit womanisthumanists. Dalit women created new knowledge, consciousness, and praxis from the ground up; yet, except a few notable examples (Rege 2006; Paik 2014a; Still 2014; Anandhi and Kapadia 2017), their contribution to India studies and specifically, South Asian feminism is rarely acknowledged by intellectuals and scholars. Who is a Dalit feminist? What does feminism, womanhood, and gender look like from the vantage point of Dalit women, those most tyrannised by casteist and sexist oppression and beaten down mentally, spiritually, and physically? What are the specific contours of feminist consciousness from the perspective of Dalit women, not even considered women or human for that matter? I engage with these questions, by centring Dalits lived experiences under excess discrimination, hurt, and humiliation. I use Dalit experiences, ideas, and politics to create conceptual and theoretical frameworks, engage in difficult but necessary dialogues across communities, and work on different potentials, hopes, and futures. The general idea that politics is for males and the private for females applies to Santal society as well. The political space in Santal traditional society is male-dominated with little room for womens issues and interests. This paper explores the different layers of male hegemony in the structure and functioning of traditional village institutions. It also assesses the changing role of these institutions in recent times when the Santal socio-economic space is getting more integrated with the mainstream. As Santal community life gradually disintegrates, there is an erosion of faith in, and the strength of, Santal traditional institutions. The already vulnerable Santal woman, living under the shadow of patriarchal customary laws, emerges as the most disadvantaged in these times. Studies conducted in the last few decades have amply demonstrated that, unlike our earlier assumptions, most Adivasi societies are essentially patriarchal. The stereotypical belief that women occupy a position of high prestige in tribal society and enjoy an unfettered life has been successfully debunked (Nongbri 2003; Nathan and Kelkar 1991; Rao 2008; Kishwar 1987; Sinha 2011). An aspect of traditional Adivasi life that best exhibits male hegemony is the political arenain many Adivasi societies, women largely remain non-participants in community institutions. While several studies have shown the deep linkages between womens presence in politics and decision-making processes on the one hand and womens empowerment and the evolution of a just, equitable society on the other (Kabeer 2005; Fadia 2014), there is a serious dearth of studies on the lack of Adivasi women in the political sphere. This paper seeks to help fill that gap in research by highlighting the maleness of traditional Santal1 village institutions and by examining how a Santal woman is positioned within this male-centric, male-dominated political space. The first part of the paper provides a brief outline of the traditional social set-up of the Santals. It discusses asymmetrical, female-only taboos and gender discriminatory rights prevalent in Santal society. After establishing the context, the second part of this paper draws a picture of a Santal village assembly and highlights the customary rules governing its composition and functioning. The practical working of such assemblies, and their responsiveness to womens issues and interests, are also examined. The third and final part of the paper assesses how village assemblies have fared against new forces that have gradually made inroads into Santal socio-economic spacesmarket and corporate elements and state institutions. Finally, it also evaluates the extent to which village assemblies have been able to protect the interests of women amidst the vulnerability of new times. Historically, shared resources such as forests, fishery stocks, and pasture lands have often been managed with an aim toward averting "tragedies of the commons," which are thought to result from selfish overuse. Writing in BioScience (https:/ / academic. oup. com/ bioscience/ article-lookup/ doi/ 10. 1093/ biosci/ biab052 ), Drs. Senay Yitbarek (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), Karen Bailey (University of Colorado Boulder), Nyeema Harris (University of Michigan), and colleagues critique this model, arguing that, all too often, such conservation has failed to acknowledge the complex socioecological interactions that undergird the health of resource pools. The authors, who describe themselves as Blackologists ("'not simply scholars that are Black but, rather, are scholars who deliberately leverage and intersect Blackness into advancing knowledge production"), elucidate a model in which researchers' life experiences provide "unique perspectives to critically examine socioecological processes and the challenges and solutions that arise from them." Because "BIPOC (for Black, Indigenous, and people of color) scholars endure systemic racism and a suite of professional barriers," say the authors, they "have an empathy and relatability to indigenous communities all over the world that are challenged by simply the desire to preserve their culture and sacred ties to the environment." Through this lens, the authors explain that some conservation frameworks, such as the use of "fortress conservation" that excludes local communities, "occur in regions of the world with high biodiversity (e.g., tropics) and where communities of Black and Brown people are struggling for subsistence and equality." Rather than meeting their goal of preserving resources for the public good, such tactics risk disadvantaging the very populations whose knowledge and values may be most valuable in ameliorating ecological degradation. In particular, say the authors, such "displacement with prohibition" hampers the delivery of conservation goals because it relies on often inadequate management by outsiders. The authors argue for a holistic, collaborative management practice that fully accounts for complex human-environment dynamics: "In particular, overlooked feedbacks between social and ecological processes, often highlighted by our experiences as BIPOC scholars, may shed light on effective remediation of the tragedy." Through this interdisciplinary model, say the authors, "resource users, the nature and manifestation of conflict itself, and the roles of humans as both resource users and conflict mediators provide insights into the tragedy and into the ways it can be overcome." The authors close with a call for greater inclusion and diversity within the sciences, stating that Blackologists' experiences provide a unique perspective crucial for addressing resource depletion across spatial and temporal scales: "As Blackologists, we argue that the marginalization of our identities across disciplines advances the very tragedy scientific communities hope to avert." The article was published on 19 June in honor of Juneteenth, the 155-year-old holiday celebrating the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans in the United States. ### BioScience, published monthly by Oxford Journals, is the journal of the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS). BioScience is a forum for integrating the life sciences that publishes commentary and peer-reviewed articles. The journal has been published since 1964. AIBS is an organization for professional scientific societies and organizations, and individuals, involved with biology. AIBS provides decision-makers with high-quality, vetted information for the advancement of biology and society. Follow BioScience on Twitter @AIBSbiology. Oxford Journals is a division of Oxford University Press. Oxford Journals publishes well over 300 academic and research journals covering a broad range of subject areas, two-thirds of which are published in collaboration with learned societies and other international organizations. The division has been publishing journals for more than a century, and as part of the world's oldest and largest university press, has more than 500 years of publishing expertise behind it. Follow Oxford Journals on Twitter @OxfordJournals. Cardiac surgeons may be able to better plan operations and improve their surgical field view with the help of a robot. Controlled through a virtual reality parallel system as a digital twin, the robot can accurately image a patient through ultrasound without the hand cramping or radiation exposure that hinder human operators. The international research team published their method in IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica. "Intra-operative ultrasound is especially useful, as it can guide the surgery by providing real-time images of otherwise hidden devices and anatomy," said paper author Fei-Yue Wang, Director of the State Key Laboratory of Management and Control of Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences. "However, the need for highly specialized skills is always a barrier for reliable and repeatable acquisition." Wang noted that the availability of onsite sonographers can be limited, and that many procedures requiring intra-operative ultrasound also often require X-ray imaging, which could expose the operator to harmful radiation. To mitigate these challenges, Wang and his team developed a platform for robotic intra-operative trans-esophageal echocardiography (TEE), an imaging technique widely used to diagnose heart disease and guide cardiac surgical procedures. "Our result has indicated the use of robot with a simulation platform could potentially improve the general usability of intra-operative ultrasound and assist operators with less experience," Wang said. The researchers employed parallel control and intelligence to pair an operator with the robot in a virtual environment that accurately represents the real environment. Equipped with a database of ultrasound images and a digital platform capable of reconstructing anatomy, the robot could navigate the target areas for the operator to better visualize and plan potential surgical corrections in computational experiments. "Such a system can be used for view definition and optimization to assist pre-planning, as well as algorithm evaluations to facilitate control and navigation in real-time," Wang said. Next, the researchers plan to further integrate the currently proposed parallel real/virtual system with specific clinical needs to assist the translational research of such imaging robots. "The ultimate goal is to integrate the virtual system and the physical robot for in-vivo clinical tests, so as to propose a new diagnosis and treatment protocol using parallel intelligence in medical operations," Wang said. ### S. Y. Wang, J. Housden, T. X. Bai, H. B. Liu, J. Back, D. Singh, K. Rhode, Z.-G. Hou, and F.-Y. Wang, "Robotic intra-operative ultrasound: Virtual environments and parallel systems," IEEE/CAA J. Autom. Sinica, vol. 8, no. 5, pp. 1095-1106, May 2021. http://www. ieee-jas. net/ en/ article/ doi/ 10. 1109/ JAS. 2021. 1003985 IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica aims to publish high-quality, high-interest, far-reaching research achievements globally, and provide an international forum for the presentation of original ideas and recent results related to all aspects of automation. The first Impact Factor of IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica is 5.129, ranking among Top 17% (11/63, SCI Q1) in the category of Automation & Control Systems, according to the latest Journal Citation Reports released by Clarivate Analytics in 2020. In addition, its latest CiteScore is 11.2, and has entered Q1 in all three categories it belongs to (Information System, Control and Systems Engineering, Artificial Intelligence) since 2018. Music by Mozart has been shown to have an anti-epileptic effect on the brain and may be a possible treatment to prevent epileptic seizures, according to new research presented today at the 7th Congress of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) (Vienna, Saturday, 19 June 2021) Music by Mozart has been shown to have an anti-epileptic effect on the brain and may be a possible treatment to prevent epileptic seizures, according to new research presented today at the 7th Congress of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN). Researchers believe that the acoustic (physical) properties within the music are responsible for this effect. Listening to the famous 18th century composer's Sonata for Two Pianos K448 led to a 32% reduction in epileptiform discharges (EDs). These are electrical brain waves associated with epilepsy and can cause seizures or bursts of electrical activity that temporarily affect how the brain works. A team led by Professor Ivan Rektor, from the Epilepsy Centre at the Hospital St Anne and CEITEC Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic, compared the effects of listening to Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos K448 with Haydn's Symphony No 94. The effects on brain activity were measured by intracerebral electrodes that had been implanted in the brains of epilepsy patients prior to surgery. "To our surprise, there were significant differences between the effects of listening to Mozart's K448 and Haydn's No 94", commented Professor Rektor. "Listening to Mozart led to a 32% decrease in EDs, but listening to Haydn's No 94 caused a 45% increase." "In the second part of our study, we set out to explain the 'Mozart effect' in epilepsy", furthered Professor Rektor. The study found that men and women responded differently to the two pieces of music. Listening to Haydn's music led to suppressed epileptiform discharges only in women; in the men, there was an increase of epileptiform discharges. The acoustic properties, such as the rhythm, dynamics and tone, showed that the acoustic features of music composition have a different effect on men and women. "We believe the physical 'acoustic' features of the Mozart music affect brain oscillations - or brain waves - which is responsible for reducing EDs". Researchers have previously hypothesised that the Mozart effect in epilepsy was connected to the emotional effects of music, as dopamine (the main neurotransmitters of the brain's reward system) is released when listening to music. Still, there is no direct proof of the mechanism. "We found that the reduction in EDs was larger in the lateral temporal lobe, which the part of the brain which participates in translating acoustic signals, rather than in the mesiotemporal limbic region, which plays an important role in the emotional response to music." "The effects of listening to music on epilepsy cannot be explained by the effect of dopamine released by the reward system", explained Professor Rektor. "Our patients were not music connoisseurs and said they were emotionally indifferent to the two pieces of music. There was, therefore, no reason to believe that K448 evoked more pleasure than No. 94." Experts believe the study's findings could pave the way for individualised music therapies to be developed to prevent and control epileptic seizures in the future and have called for more research into the effects of music on the brain. Epilepsy affects 6 million people in Europe, and 15 million Europeans have one seizure at some time in their lives. "Based on our research, we suggest studying the use of musical pieces with well-defined acoustic properties as a non-invasive method to reduce epileptic activity in patients with epilepsy", concluded Professor Rektor. ### Notes to Editors: Press Enquiries: A reference to the 7th EAN Congress must be included when communicating the information within this press release. For further information or to speak to an expert, please contact Luke Paskins or Sean Deans at press@ean.org or call +44 (0) 20 8154 6396. About the Expert: Professor Ivan Rektor is professor of Neurology at Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic, Centre and the Department of Neurology at the Faculty of Medicine, St Anne's University Hospital and Research Group Leader at Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC). He is a world-renowned neurologist, internationally recognised for his research on Holocaust survivors, epilepsy and movement disorders. References: 1. K Stillova et al. Mozart effect in epilepsy: Why is Mozart better than Haydn? Acoustic quality-based analysis of stereo electroencephalography. Colorado, USAJacquie Abram's book, Hush Money: How One Woman Proved Systemic Racism in her Workplace and Kept Her Job, is sparking worldwide attention since its official launch in March 2021 alongside a slew of solid reviews. FindThisBest.com, which looked at the satisfaction surveys of over 1,170 consumers, placed Hush Money in the top-ten of their Best African American Christian Fiction Books List. Hush Money is also ranked #1 on Goodreads Listopia for Eye-Opening African American Women's Fiction. Inspired by true events, Hush Money tells a compelling and cautionary tale that is all too familiar to Black people across the globe about the rigors of working in a large, highly bureaucratic organization and dealing with covert and overt racism. The book, a group effort by Abram and her two daughters, Deborah and Delilah Harris, unveils the horrors of modern-day systemic racism in corporate America. Levels and types of discrimination are chronicled in the five-year journey of Ebony Ardoin, an ambitious, young, Black woman in search of a fulfilling and rewarding career path that allows her to live the American Dream. The twisting arcs of Ebony's story reveal layers of emotional complexity and racial trauma as each new promotion invites praise, jealous rancor, and outright loathing. Organizational politics and protecting turf go hand in hand with discrimination, retaliation, intimidation, and racial hatred expressed in a variety of ways. "The novel is visceral, stunningly well-written, and places the heated scar of racism squarely before our eyes. This is a powerful novel that deserves a place in everyone's library. Brava!" Grady Harp, Amazon Top 100 Hall of Fame Reviewer, 5-stars "I left corporate America after my own experiences with systemic racism traumatized and nearly destroyed me," says Abram. "Now, I spend my time trying to heal from my experiences by writing books that shine a light on systemic racism in the workplace to help others." During her career in higher education spanning nearly two decades from 2001 to 2019, Abram was discriminated against because she was Black multiple times by multiple employers in the U.S. The same thing happened to Deborah Harris during her fifteen-year career in higher education and municipal government spanning from 2005 to 2021. The same thing happened to Delilah Harris during her ten-year career in higher education, customer service, medical billing and coding, and property management, spanning from 2011 to 2021. In all three cases, their careers were repeatedly derailed. "This book is incredible, gripping from start to finish, and a compelling contribution in themovement toward racial justice." Jessica Tofino, Educator and Writer, 5-stars Abram, Harris, and Harris wrote Hush Money because they want to provide those who are currently dealing with racism in the workplace with a sound strategy one Black woman used to successfully prove the existence of racism in the workplace. They also want to provide employers who are looking for a more effective way to prevent racism in their organizations with a better way to understand it. And finally, they wrote the book to provide people who have never experienced systemic racism in the workplace but are allies in the fight for equality and justice with a way to understand what modern-day racism looks and feels like by putting them into the shoes of a racial discrimination victim. "Systemic racism exists and is more common than many may think," says Abram. "We want to offer hope and justice to those who are still suffering and are afraid to stand up." About Jacquie Abram, Deborah Harris, and Delilah Harris. Jacquie Abram, Deborah Harris, and Delilah Harris are a mother-daughter powerhouse trio, who are intensely passionate about revealing the grueling truth about systemic racism in America. They co-authored the book Hush Money: How One Woman Proved Systemic Racism in her Workplace and Kept her Job. All three women left corporate America after experiencing racism in the workplace and suffering racial trauma. Jacquie spends her time writing books inspired by her experiences and the experiences of her daughters and others that shine a light on systemic racism in the workplace. She hopes her books will offer courage to those who are currently experiencing racism and don't know how to fight back, those who previously experienced racism and feel alone, and those who are allies and want a deeper understanding of how to help prevent racism. In March 2021, Jacquie also launched her career as an Antiracism Consultant, doing work that focuses on educating, training, and facilitating discussions with organizations and individuals on the impact of systemic racism in the workplace. Jacquie enjoys the camaraderie of working with her daughters and delights in her four wonderful grandchildren. You can learn more about Jacquie and Hush Money on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Hush Money: How One Woman Proved Systemic Racism in her Workplace and Kept her Job. ASIN: B08MCD34JP, 2020, ebook: $6.45, paperback: $6.45, audiobook: $6.95, 146 pages, available on Amazon.com. Media Contact: For a review copy of Hush Money: How One Woman Proved Systemic Racism in her Workplace and Kept her Job, or to arrange an interview with Jacquie Abram, contact Scott Lorenz of Westwind Communications Book Marketing at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or by phone at 734-667-2090. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @abookpublicist. Interscan's new Knowledge Base article should prove helpful in this regard Back in 1984, Interscan Corporation introduced its air monitoring systems for ethylene oxide, a widely used low-temperature sterilant gas. The hazards of this chemical were being publicized, in light of OSHA's 29 CFR 1910.1047 which had been published that same year. It was certainly not lost on hospital sterile processing departments that ethylene oxide (EO or EtO) had its own "CFR." And, as a result, air monitoring systems for EtO were deployed in most of these departmentsat least the larger ones. Then, in 1993, FDA 510(k) clearance was given to the first of the hydrogen peroxide based sterilizers, which boasted shorter cycle times and freedom from EtO, even if hydrogen peroxide has its own toxic properties. Still, the mood in the sterile processing departments was that by replacing EtO with hydrogen peroxide, they no longer had to worry about air monitoring for a sterilant gas. In fact, it took a number of years before some of these departments installed hydrogen peroxide monitoring systems. One reason for this was the promulgation of studies such as this one, that documented leaks from hydrogen peroxide sterilizers. Nonetheless, there are some holdouts with sterile processing departments that seem to be reluctant to do the monitoring, and argue that hydrogen peroxide does not have its own CFR. (Neither do hundreds of other regulated substances.) In this new Knowledge Base article, Interscan covers key legalities behind monitoring for regulated substances in the workplace, and hopes to clear up any confusion. Interscan invites all inquiries for hydrogen peroxide gas detection. Friday, June 18, 2021 SCOTUS Unanimously Decides: Some Protected Immigrants Ineligible for Green Cards By Margaret Orchowski "What part of illegal don't you understand? "What part of temporary do you not understand?" Those are the two questions that for decades, American citizens who want immigration laws to be enforced have demanded be answered by those who advocate that mere presence and working hard at a job in the U.S. are legitimate grounds for most all illegal immigrants to be given the coveted Legal Permanent Status aka a green card. On June 7, 2021, the Supreme Court of the United States answered those two questions, partially. In a unanimous ruling, all nine justices agreed that migrants who came into the country illegally and then were granted a temporary protected status, were ineligible to apply for a green card. The decision was written by (liberal) Justice Elena Kagen, The TPS designation is granted to migrant applicants who came from (currently) 12 designated countries "ravaged by war or natural disasters earthquakes or other extraordinary conditions that could make it dangerous for them to live there". It protects the qualified migrant from deportation and allows them to work legally in the United States until the extraordinary conditions in their homeland have been deemed ameliorated. As Justice Kagen wrote, "The conferral of TPS gives foreign nationals non-immigrant status, but it does not admit them." The distinction is important. The justices noted that federal law requires immigrants to have been "inspected and admitted or paroled" in the U.S. prior to seeking permanent residenc. By definition those who enter illegally do not go through that process. Applying for and being accepted for a protected status does not count as entry inspection, It is not known exactly how many of the some 600,000 TPS recipients identified by the PEW research center came in illegally. Some press reports refer to 400,000 TPS recipients could be affected by the ruling. It also is unclear as yet whether TPS recipients who came into the United States legally on other temporary visas and then knowingly overstayed them a misdemeanor can apply for permanent status. Are DACA recipients next? DACA/DREAMERs The TPS ruling could set a precedent for other court cases for illegal immigrants who applied for and received special waivers fro deportation especially the so-called DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program that President Obama created by an executive memo in June of 2012. It allowed those "who came into the United States legally or illegally -- before the age of 16 and before 2007 and are in unauthorized/illegal status at the time of application, to qualify for a two year deferral from deportation and a work visa. Those benefits were extended several times by the Department of Homeland Security, even as President Trump tried to rescind Obama's executive memo. DACA is not a law. It is estimated that a large percentage of the current 680,000 DACA recipients came into the country illegally. The majority come from Mexico. By definition they are now in their mid 20s-30s. Many have been here over ten years. All are currently "unauthorized" illegal immigrants "documented undocumented immigrants" so to speak. Under the precedent of the June 7 ruling, those who came in illegally would not be eligible to apply for green cards. The ruling may put pressure on Congress to pass a law that specifically allows DREAMERs to be eligible to apply for legal permanent status and eventually citizenship if they wish. That process has been included in every unpassed comprehensive immigration bill since 2007. Since 2010, even stand alone bills to give DREAMERs green cards have failed -- probably because the sympathetic though hyped image of innocent childhood arrivals is seen by Democrats as too good of a bait and switch for huge reform bills, to allow to be wasted on a single standalone bull. DREAMER advocates may have waited too long. Now DACA/DREAMERs who came in illegally may not qualify at all. It now appears that all the justices on the supreme court justices do understand the words "Temporary" and "illegal". # # # # # Saturday, June 19, 2021 June 19, 2021 These are strange moments for Bitcoin and Ethereum investors. For one thing, the price dips or ascensions by Bitcoin can define much of the Alt Coin market- and, for a while, after hitting a high level around the 60000 price range, BTCs price is now cascading between approximately 31000 and 43000. Those who are worrying are wondering about bullish or bearish nature of the Bitcoin Direction. BitBoy (video below) isnt always perfect in his predictions- but he often is- and, if he promotes volatility, I would believe it surely might happen. Between the advocates and distractors of BitCoin- and those who waver in between like Elon and a number of large investment firms, it makes me definitely,feel volatile, even though I continue to be bullish this year. You dont necessarily have to feel fear when your on a roller coaster, but that doesnt mean your not being jerked aroudn. [embedded content] Whats amazing about Chris at MMCrypto is that he continually makes predictions from technical analysis- and still he always is rather excited- and, ignorant as I am, I am pretty blase when it comes to technical analysis predictions. Still, Chris shoots a pretty straight arrow. Still rarely does he make a prediction without serving his audience with a possible caveat- a deviation from what he believes may happen- often the opposite. This is true of practically all serious and consistent crypto commentators. I wish I could give him a crystal ball but I cant even seem to keep a hold of mine. [embedded content] Lark is one confident, dependable commentator on Crypto. Like most of the commentators I respect, he has a seemingly high level of personal success- but he tends to be careful and conservative. Still, that doesnt diminish his enthusiasm for his chosen mission- to keep his viewers safe and on the right track- hence this video., [embedded content] George is another great Crypto commentator. And just like the others, he has many ways you can connect to him. But I find him to be, again, very sensitive to his followers, including newcomers. And in this video, he explores the value of passive income for those who can afford to invest in crypto in a manner that generates royalties or some type of profit-sharing in a variety of vehicles. Like all the other responsible commentators, he warns against leveraging, particularly for an inexperienced trader. [embedded content] DISCLAIMER: In our New Galaxy Blogs, we share various types of videos for you to scrutinize. Unless we specifically say so, we do not necessarily agree with their content, in whole or in part. Sometimes, we will present written or audio/video material concerned with health or financial issues. We always recommend that before you try anything, you check with your medical or certified health professional before engaging in a health protocol- and with your best qualified financial advisor before embarking on any financial adventure, A new tile mural installed at the Velvet Taco that formerly was Taco Land pays tribute to the storied punk club and its owner, the late Ramiro Ram Ayala. The mural can be seen at the corner of Grayson and Elmira near the Pearl. Ayala is a San Antonio legend remembered for helping to nurture the citys underground music scene. Among the bands that played in his club were the Minutemen, Los #3 Dinners, Yo La Tengo, Buttercup and Gwar. Taco Land closed after Ayala and doorman Gypsy Doug Morgan were fatally shot during a robbery there in 2005. CHICAGO (AP) A fire at a Chicago apartment building injured several people, including two children, on Saturday and led firefighters to rescue residents from higher floors, officials said. Two children and three other people were hospitalized after the morning fire on South Shore Drive, officials with the Chicago Fire Department said. DENVER (AP) Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Saturday signed three of six gun bills passed in the latest legislative session into law. The Denver Post reported the bills were all announced following a mass shooting at King Soopers in Boulder, Colorado, on March 22, when 10 people were killed. WASHINGTON (AP) As ransomware attacks surge, the FBI is doubling down on its guidance to affected businesses: Don't pay the cybercriminals. But the U.S. government also offers a little-noticed incentive for those who do pay: The ransoms may be tax deductible. The IRS offers no formal guidance on ransomware payments, but multiple tax experts interviewed by The Associated Press said deductions are usually allowed under law and established guidance. Its a silver lining to ransomware victims, as some tax lawyers and accountants put it. But those looking to discourage payments are less sanguine. They fear the deduction is a potentially problematic incentive that could entice businesses to pay ransoms against the advice of law enforcement. At a minimum, they say, the deductibility sends a discordant message to businesses under duress. It seems a little incongruous to me, said New York Rep. John Katko, the top Republican on the House Committee on Homeland Security. Deductibility is a piece of a bigger quandary stemming from the rise in ransomware attacks, in which cybercriminals scramble computer data and demand payment for unlocking the files. The government doesnt want payments that fund criminal gangs and could encourage more attacks. But failing to pay can have devastating consequences for businesses and potentially for the economy overall. A ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline last month led to gas shortages in parts of the United States. The company, which transports about 45% of fuel consumed on the East Coast, paid a ransom of 75 bitcoin then valued at roughly $4.4 million. An attack on JBS SA, the worlds largest meat processing company, threatened to disrupt food supplies. The company said it had paid the equivalent of $11 million to hackers who broke into its computer system. Ransomware has become a multibillion-dollar business, and the average payment was more than $310,000 last year, up 171% from 2019, according to Palo Alto Networks. The companies that pay ransomware demands directly are well within their rights to claim a deduction, tax experts said. To be tax deductible, businesses expenses should be considered ordinary and necessary. Companies have long been able to deduct losses from more traditional crimes, such as robbery or embezzlement, and experts say ransomware payments are usually valid, too. I would counsel a client to take a deduction for it, says Scott Harty, a corporate tax attorney with Alston & Bird. It fits the definition of an ordinary and necessary expense. Don Williamson, a tax professor at the Kogod School of Business at American University, wrote a paper about the tax consequences of ransomware payments in 2017. Since then, he said, the rise of ransomware attacks has only strengthened the case for the IRS to allow ransomware payments as tax deductions. Its becoming more common, so therefore it becomes more ordinary, he said. Thats all the more reason, critics say, to disallow ransomware payments as tax deductions. The cheaper we make it to pay that ransom, then the more incentives were creating for companies to pay, and the more incentives were creating for companies to pay, the more incentive were creating for criminals to continue, said Josephine Wolff, a cybersecurity policy professor at the Fletcher School of Tufts University. For years, ransomware was more of an economic nuisance than a major national threat. But attacks launched by foreign cybergangs out of reach of U.S. law enforcement have proliferated in scale over the past year and thrust the problem of ransomware onto the front pages. In response, top U.S. law enforcement officials have urged companies not to meet ransomware demands. It is our policy, it is our guidance, from the FBI, that companies should not pay the ransom for a number of reasons, FBI Director Christopher Wray testified this month before Congress. That message was echoed at another hearing this week by Eric Goldstein, a top official at the Department of Homeland Securitys Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency. Officials warn that payments lead to more ransomware attacks. Were in this boat were in now because over the last several years people have paid the ransom, Stephen Nix, assistant to the special agent in charge at the U.S. Secret Service, said at a recent summit on cybersecurity. It's unclear how many companies that pay ransomware payments avail themselves of the tax deductions. When asked at a congressional hearing whether the company would pursue a tax deduction for the payment, Colonial CEO Joseph Blount said he was unaware that was a possibility. Great question. I had no idea about that. Not aware of that at all, he said. There are limits to the deduction. If the loss to the company is covered by cyber insurance something that also is becoming more common the company cant take a deduction for the payment thats made by the insurer. The number of active cyber insurance policies jumped from 2.2 million to 3.6 million from 2016 to 2019, a 60% increase, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office, Congress auditing arm. Linked to that was a 50% increase in insurance premiums paid, from $2.1 billion to $3.1 billion. The Biden administration has pledged to make curbing ransomware a priority in the wake of a series of high-profile intrusions and said it is reviewing the U.S. governments policies related to ransomware. It has not provided any detail about what changes, if any, it may make related to the tax deductibility of ransomware. The IRS is aware of this and looking into it, said IRS spokesperson Robyn Walker. ___ Suderman reported from Richmond, Virginia. NEW ORLEANS (AP) Authorities in Alabama say a suspected tornado spurred by Tropical Storm Claudette demolished or badly damaged at least 50 homes in a small town just north of the Florida border. Sheriff Heath Jackson in Escambia County said a suspected tornado pretty much leveled a mobile home park, toppled trees onto houses and ripped the roof off of a high school gym. Most of the damage was done in or near the towns of Brewton and East Brewton, about 48 miles (77 kilometers) north of Pensacola, Florida. It kind of affected everybody, Jackson said. But with those mobile homes being built so close together it can take a toll on them a lot more than it can on houses that are spread apart. There were no immediate reports of serious injuries or deaths. Photos of the Brewton area shared on Facebook show toppled trees, including one that landed on a house, as well a long stretch of debris that a local news outlet said was from a badly damaged trailer park. Damage from the storm was also felt in north Florida, where winds in some cases reaching 85 mph (137 kph) caused an 18-wheeler to flip on its side. The National Hurricane Center declared Claudette organized enough to qualify as a named storm at 4 a.m. Saturday, well after the storm's center of circulation had come ashore southwest of New Orleans. By Saturday night, Claudette was a tropical depression located 45 miles (75 kilometers) west-northwest of Montgomery, Alabama, with sustained winds of 30 mph (45 kph). It was moving northeast at 14 mph (22 kph). Most of the heavy weather was happening far to the north and east of the center. Early Saturday, the storm dumped flooding rains north of Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana and along the Mississippi coast, inundating streets and, in some areas, pushing water into homes. Later, the storm was drenching the Florida Panhandle and, well inland, a broad expanse of Alabama. The National Weather Service warned of possible tornadoes in north Florida and south Alabama. Parts of inland Mississippi and Georgia were getting heavy rain from Claudette as well. And even though the storm was weakening, the National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm watch for parts of the North Carolina coast, which could feel the effects by Sunday night. The storm was forecast to cross into the Atlantic Ocean on Monday, and regain tropical storm strength over open water Tuesday. Residents of Pace, Florida, called 911 to report a possible twister that tore the roofs off two homes and damaged at least three others. Nobody's hurt, said Sarah Whitfield, spokesperson for Santa Rosa County, where the Florida homes were damaged. We're just thankful it happened after sunrise, not overnight as people slept. An 18-wheeler hit several utility poles and flipped on its side during the storm early Saturday. Debris from the accident, including a collapsed utility pole, turned into projectiles and struck a passing SUV, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Highway Patrol officials were to close both lanes of the Interstate 10 bridge between Escambia and Santa Rosa counties due to high winds. The county received two calls about trees falling onto homes, but no one was home at the time. The storm left tens of thousands without power and some flights were being canceled or delayed at Pensacola International Airport. We have a lot of visitors that are here vacationing, Escambia County spokesperson Laura Coale said. Red flags flying out at the beaches so theres absolutely no swimming. Forecasters said Claudette could dump 5 to 10 inches (12 to 25 centimeters) of rain in the region, with isolated accumulations of 15 inches (38 centimeters) possible. Residents of Slidell, Louisiana, north of Lake Pontchartrain, reported flooded streets and water in some neighborhoods as the storm pushed onshore overnight. Slidell police said the flooding had largely receded by daybreak, after swamping as many as 50 cars and trucks with water. Most people riding out the storm still had electricity when they woke up Saturday morning. The website poweroutage.us reported roughly 22,000 outages total across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. The storm struck on a weekend when many on the Gulf Coast planned to celebrate Juneteenth and Fathers Day. Business owners across the Gulf Coast, from restaurateurs to swamp boat operators, had anticipated an influx of tourist cash after a year of lost revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic. My biggest concern is that it drives away a busy weekend, and may just end up being a lot of rain, Austin Sumrall, the owner and chef at the White Pillars Restaurant and Lounge in Biloxi, Mississippi, said Friday. He had 170 reservations on his books for Sunday, but was concerned some patrons would cancel. We saw, especially last year, the rug can get jerked out from under you pretty quickly, he said. In Louisiana, the threat came a month after spring storms and flooding that were blamed for five deaths, and as parts of the state continued a slow recovery from a brutal 2020 hurricane season. Separately, Tropical Storm Dolores made landfall on Mexicos west coast with near-hurricane force. As of Saturday night, it was a depression located about 140 miles (225 kilometers) north-northwest of Guadalajara, Mexico. Its maximum sustained winds were clocked at 30 mph (45 kph), and it was moving north at 21 mph (33 kph). Heavy rainfall of 6 to 10 inches (about 15 to 25 centimeters) was expected across the southwest and western coastal areas of Mexico throughout the weekend. Forecasters were warning of the potential for flash flooding and mudslides. ___ Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia. Associated Press reporter Kelli Kennedy in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, contributed to this report. A woman was on a Zoom meeting in her bedroom when a man allegedly put a gun to her head and proceeded to rob her, police said. Three people have been arrested in the case, 2 men and a 15-year-old girl. The woman was on a Zoom meeting about 3 p.m. Friday when other participants in the meeting saw a man come up and put a gun to her head and demand property, spurring them to call her boss, police said. According to police, Adrian Guillen, 19, and the juvenile had forced their way into the womans North Side apartment in the 5500 block of Pecan Springs Road. After threatening her, police said the two ransacked her place. They took some of her belongings and left in a white Honda Accord driven by 39-year-old Jaime Trevino, police said. Officers said they tracked the trio to a West Side home in the 4300 block of Fortuna Street. There, officers reported seeing several men attempting to break into a safe, including Guillen and Trevino, as well as the 15-year-old girl. After breaking into the safe, according to a police report, the trio emptied the contents into the car. Police said they then left for the OYO Motel near Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, about 10 minutes away from the Fortuna Street home. Upon arrival, the three started to unload the stolen items, police said. Officers arrived on the scene and took them into custody. Both Guillen and Trevino were transported to the Robbery Task Force Unit offices to give statements. Officers also searched the Fortuna Street home and recovered additional stolen property for the woman who had been on the Zoom call. Police later identified Guillen as having an active capital murder warrant out from Bandera County. Guillen was charged with aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony, and theft of property valued between $2,500 and $30,000. He is currently being held in the Bexar County Jail on bail of $1.15 million. Trevino also was charged with aggravated robbery and theft of property valued between $2,500 to $30,000. He is being held in the Bexar County Jail on bail of $175,000. liz.hardaway@hearst.com | Twitter: @liz_hardaway Four people were indicted on murder charges in three separate cases, including one in which a man said he was high on acid during the slaying. The four charges were among 233 felony indictments handed down this week by grand juries, according to the Bexar County District Attorneys Office. Imond Martise Woods, 22, has been charged with murder in the death of DeShaun Adriel Moorer. On Dec. 27, a witness alerted Live Oak police to yelling followed by gunshots from an apartment at the Navona at Live Oak apartments, in the 13100 block of East Loop 1604. The witness found Moorer, 23, on the floor with a gunshot wound to his chest, investigators said. He died the next day at an area hospital. On ExpressNews.com: Charged with violating protective order, husband of San Antonio mom shot in front of children now faces 2 more Woods was arrested in Universal City. Police said he had crashed into other vehicles minutes after the shooting. While being interviewed by investigators, Woods admitted to shooting Moorer, according to his arrest warrant affidavit. He said he did not know how because he was high on acid, the affidavit stated. Woods has since been released from the Bexar County Jail on bond, according to court records. His bail had been set at a total of $208,000. Bexar County Sheriff's Office In another case, Raymond Casias Hernandez, 28, was indicted on a count of murder in the death of Leonel Chavez. Chavez, 41, was at a home in the 800 block of West Baetz Boulevard on April 2 when a man walked inside and shot him around 9:50 p.m., San Antonio police said. An officer spotted Hernandez, who had a gun, several blocks away from the incident. Police said there was evidence he had been involved in the shooting. On ExpressNews.com: Its war, dont go quietly: 45 Texans facing charges in connection with Capitol riot Hernandez is in custody at the Bexar County Jail. He also is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and indecent exposure. His bail totals $401,500. Bexar County Sheriff's Office In the third case, Maranda Merrie Garcia, 23, and Krystle McCord, 34, were charged with murder in the death of Tommy Ray Tinner, 50. On the night of April 4, Garcia and McCord began arguing with Tinner at an apartment complex just north of downtown off West Euclid Avenue, according to McCords arrest warrant affidavit. Tinner left, but later returned and confronted Garcia and McCord outside, witnesses told San Antonio police. Their argument escalated, police said, until one of the women shot Tinner around 11:30 p.m. at a nearby Circle K gas station, 333 San Pedro Ave. Tinner was taken to an area hospital where he died. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio man charged with sexually assaulting 14-year-old he met online, police say According to the affidavit, witnesses led officers to another apartment where the women were found moments later. A key to one of their vehicles was still in its ignition, investigators said. Bexar County Sheriff's Office Garcia remains in jail with bail set at $250,000. McCords bail had been set at $100,000; she was released from jail after posting bond on April 21. Murder is a first-degree felony punishable by five to 99 years or life in prison and a possible fine of up to $10,000, officials said. When Shilo Schluterman returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan nine years ago, medication and therapy did little to relieve the memories of enemy attacks. The Air National Guard veteran withdrew from society, fearing someone might touch her and set off flashbacks of war. Schlutermans refuge from post-traumatic stress disorder was staying home with her husband and four boys. One night, she prayed for an answer to her trauma. Soon after, a Veterans Affairs therapist offered an alternative a service dog. Schluterman, 45, contacted K9s for Warriors and was placed on a 14-month waiting list. She was matched with Javelin, a Rhodesian ridgeback and lab mix who was saved from going hungry on the side of a road in South Carolina. He might have been rescued, but he rescued me and my whole family, who got to live a normal life again, Schluterman said. Im not a me anymore Im an us. On ExpressNews.com: We still have to fight: Activists connection to Juneteenth runs deep The military veteran and her service dog arrived Thursday afternoon before donors and dignitaries toured the new Petco Love K9 Center on Texas 151. The 5,000-square-foot center will have 30 kennels. In 2019, the San Antonio City Council approved an initial 10-year lease on 3 acres of Animal Care Services land to build the center. The facility will serve as the Southwestern hub for the nonprofit that trains service dogs for veterans dealing with military-related trauma and PTSD. The focus will be on large rescue dogs. After the canines have been tested and received veterinary care, they will receive formal service dog training at the nonprofits Northeast Florida headquarters. In 2011, Shari Duval founded the nonprofit after seeing signs of PTSD in her son, who served in Iraq as a civilian K-9 police bomb handler. Jason Snodgrass, chief operating officer, said K9s for Warriors has rescued 1,300 dogs to date and placed close to 700 dogs with veterans. Those that arent accepted are placed into their adoption program. He said being close to Animal Care Services would allow them to receive dogs from the city shelter and begin initial service dog training. Were super excited to be in San Antonio, Military City USA, Snodgrass said. Theres a huge veteran footprint here, and we appreciate everyones service and the community opening their arms to us. In 2019, Petco Love awarded the nonprofit with a $2 million grant to start building the center, scheduled to open in the fall. Its exciting to see this come together, said Susanne Kogut, Petco Love president. It was a dream of K9s for Warriors to create a center to save shelter dogs and train them to save military veterans. Now, were one step closer to making that happen. On ExpressNews.com: East Side coach inspires San Antonio youths through workouts Shannon Sims, Animal Care Services interim director, was looking forward to collaborating with the nonprofit. At the end of the day, the winner will be the animals, Sims said. We couldnt be happier about what theyre doing to help the city of San Antonio with the animals but, even more important, what theyre doing to help veterans in the community. Schluterman held the leash of her chocolate brown-streaked dog as the two entered the empty building still under construction. Hammering echoed through spaces that will be used for training and veterinary care of rescue dogs like Javie. When its time to work, Schluterman said she holds his vest out, and Javie easily puts his head through it and wags his tail. The new facility, she said, would help whittle down the list of warriors in need of help and waiting to be matched with a canine. It gives access to more rescues, which in turn gives more access to more veterans, Schluterman said. It might be that last hope. vtdavis@express-news.net A woman was arrested and charged Friday morning in connection with a hit-and-run crash that killed a motorcyclist last month, records show. Racine Rene Delgado, 36, is facing a charge of failure to stop and render aid resulting in death. Jerry Alfaro, 54, was driving his motorcycle southbound on General McMullen on May 3. When he reached the 1700 block, an Acura MDX registered to Delgado, struck the back of his motorcycle, causing it to spin out of control, according to an arrest affidavit. Delgado then made a U-turn and quickly fled the scene, investigators said. Alfaro was pronounced dead at the scene. Express Briefing: Get the morning headlines in your inbox The affidavit states that Delgado was interviewed by officers several days later and told them her car had been stolen by a woman she knew by the name Victoria Savage. At first Delgado told officers she did not know her vehicle had been stolen until an employee at a tattoo shop called her and asked why her vehicle was parked in a shopping center on Military Drive, the affidavit stated. But then Delgado changed her story and told officers that she immediately called to report that the vehicle had been stolen, the affidavit stated. According to the affidavit, police spoke to employees at the tattoo shop and no one knew who Delgado was. Investigators said surveillance footage from the shopping center parking lot showed a woman fitting Delgados description pulling into the parking space where the vehicle was located. Phone records also placed Delgado at the location of the crash and at the shopping center, the affidavit stated. Delgados bail has been set at $150,000. gabriella.ybarra@express-news.net Beto ORourke will be spending Fathers Day on the south steps of the Texas Capitol. The most famous Democrat in the state of Texas will join several of his allies including former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro at the For the People Rally, a 5:30 p.m. gathering designed to build momentum for the voting rights cause. That cause couldnt be more timely, with 389 voter restriction bills introduced in 48 states this year and many Republicans trafficking in the Big Lie from their standard-bearer, former President Donald Trump, that voter fraud cost him the 2020 election. Texas produced a particularly egregious election bill, Senate Bill 7, which was blocked only by a final-night walkout from House Democrats. Its certain to resurface in a special session. ORourke simultaneously hopes to put enough pressure on Texas Republicans to soften SB 7 and to galvanize public support for a federal voting rights bill, the For the People Act, which would override restrictive state laws. He compares the GOPs logic on voter fraud to that of the arsonist wanting to gain credit for putting out the fire he started. You stir up the public with allegations of fraud, then justify your restrictive legislation by saying the public is worried about election integrity. ORourke, a former congressman from El Paso, did more to energize voters than any Texas Democrat in the past 30 years, when he came within 2.6 percentage points of knocking off U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018. He followed that up with a thoroughly disappointing presidential campaign that ended months before a single primary vote had been cast. Since December 2019, however, his driving passion has been Powered by People, the political group he formed to register voters and increase election participation. In a Friday interview, ORourke said his 2017-18 campaign odyssey, driving to each of the states 254 counties, instilled in him a missionary zeal when it came to the cause of voter participation. All the things I care about confronting climate change before its too late, getting a minimum wage thats a livable wage, expanding access to health care, addressing racial justice are only possible when people can vote, he said. So I just think this fight is fundamental to winning any other fight. We perpetually hear that elections have consequences; and in Texas, those consequences can be extreme. After Texas Democrats put a scare in the GOP in 2018, Republican lawmakers were on relatively good behavior during the 2019 legislative session, working in bipartisan fashion on a breakthrough public education funding bill. This year, after Democrats flamed out in 2020, the GOP was on a mission to hammer through a series of culture war manifestos. (The 2020 election) helped Republicans go to the extreme in 2021, ORourke said. I think there will be another reaction to this in 2022. I would not be surprised if Democrats do very well in 2022, including capturing a majority in the state House, after the Republican majority failed to address the electricity grid, or prepare for the next pandemic, or expand Medicaid, or do any of the very basic things that I think Texans of both parties want them to do. In the three weeks since the legislative session ended, Republican lawmakers already have backed away from two of SB 7s most divisive provisions: setting the Sunday early voting start time at 1 p.m. and lowering the bar for judges to overturn election results. They continue, however, to push for other items that cant be rationalized as election security measures, such as preventing counties from sending unsolicited applications for mail ballots to voters (something that Gov. Greg Abbotts campaign, among others, has done in Texas). ORourke recounts a recent visit to Rains County, a small, overwhelmingly Republican community in Northeast Texas, where he found common ground once the issues were clarified. The chairwoman of the Republican county party came to the event, and she kind of challenged me on some of this stuff, ORourke said. She said, What about voter ID? And I said, Hey, I think we might be on the same page. What if we expanded Voter ID to the following forms of identification? And she said, OK, I can get behind that. In January, ORourke revealed that he was considering a 2022 run for governor. Five months later, with no other prominent Democrat in the race, he has neither entered the contest nor removed himself from contention. I want to see this fight through. And were really, really close on it, he said of the voting rights battle. I want to focus on this, and then I do want to see how I can best serve this state. That could be as a candidate. It could also be continuing the work we started with Powered by People. But one way or the other, Im going to devote myself to public service in Texas, and feel very lucky to be able to do that. ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470 Heading into the 2021 Texas legislative session in January, kids in foster care and kids at risk of experiencing abuse and neglect and then entering foster care needed state policymakers to make them a priority. For years, federal court monitors documented the dangers that Texas kids face when Child Protective Services removes them from unsafe homes and places them in foster care. Then a newer problem the COVID-19 pandemic increased the risk of abuse or neglect and entering foster care. It also worsened the ongoing shortage of appropriate homes and services for children in foster care. The good news is the Legislature made headway in key areas, thanks to the leadership of Sens. Lois Kolkhorst, Beverly Powell and Jose Menendez, and Reps. James Frank, Jarvis Johnson, Ina Minjarez and others. Children staying in group facilities designated as qualified residential treatment programs, or QRTPs, and potentially children in other facilities, will be transferred more quickly to homes with families. State officials now have instructions to develop more foster homes prepared to serve pregnant and parenting youth and trafficking survivors. Lawmakers passed important legislation to support older youth in foster care, including bills helping them lock in their college tuition waiver, ensuring continuous legal representation for youth in foster care, and allowing 17-year-olds in foster care to administer and therefore better understand their own medication when it is safe. Additionally, leveraging the federal Family First Act, the Legislature funded pilot programs to work with families that are already involved with CPS, aiming to keep kids safe and out of foster care. We were also glad to see that some harmful bills did not pass, such as proposals to eliminate anonymous reporting to CPS, criminalize traumatized youth who are resistant to their foster care placements and separate transgender youth from loving parents, potentially driving them into foster care. Theres also some bad news from the session. The foster care system relies on nonprofits and other providers to operate homes for children with complex needs, recruit foster parents, offer mental health treatment and deliver other services. One of the big reasons there is a shortage of safe and effective homes and services is the inadequate payments offered to these providers. Yet the Legislature failed to increase the reimbursement rates for providers, potentially exacerbating the shortage and undermining good bills that passed. Legislators also failed to boost funding for services that keep kids out of the CPS system by preventing abuse and neglect. Additionally, lawmakers neglected to pass a key bill aimed at reducing racial disproportionality and disparities in the CPS system. Alongside the good and bad news is a big question mark: Are legislative leaders pinning too much hope on the unsupported belief that community-based care, or CBC, is the answer to all the systems problems? We fear the answer may be yes. Under the CBC model, a local organization, rather than state officials, takes the lead on foster care in a particular region. The evidence suggests CBC contractors struggle to outperform the legacy system. The San Antonio nonprofit Family Tapestry, which recently announced the termination of its contract with the state, is the latest CBC contractor to fall short. We expect CBC contractors to continue to struggle to meet childrens needs, especially in light of the Legislatures failure to increase reimbursement rates for foster care providers. Nonetheless, the Legislature charged ahead with CBC this session, investing significant money in further expanding the model when it may have been prudent to slow the rollout and ensure we are equipping community providers to succeed. As we step back to consider all the Legislatures work this session to address the CPS system, were cautiously optimistic that Texas is largely pointed in the right direction. Legislators are focusing on keeping children safe with their families and out of foster care when possible. For kids who do enter foster care, legislators are working to ensure they can heal and thrive. Yet there are significant challenges ahead for the Texas child protection system and a real possibility it will worsen for many kids before it gets better. The governor could give lawmakers another chance to get ahead of those challenges by including foster care rates in the Legislatures upcoming special session to ensure there are enough safe and effective homes and services for kids who are removed from their families. We urge the governor and legislators to seize that opportunity to build on the important steps from this session. Kate Murphy is senior child welfare policy associate for Texans Care for Children. The G-7 is over, and the feeling is unanimous: Joe Biden is not Donald Trump. That distinction may not seem praiseworthy, but after four years of bluster, our allies are happy for the return to civility. President Biden knows what his predecessor did not: Politics is about policy, but diplomacy is the motor that drives that policy. Following his meetings with world leaders, including discussions with NATO and the European Union, allies appeared relieved at the dramatic change in tone. Weary of the bombast of the past four years, global leaders greeted the president warmly, cautiously optimistic about the road ahead. The last four years have not been easy, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. Guided by his isolationist policies, Trump alienated world leaders, and Biden, conscious of the turmoil stirred by his predecessor, tried to assure his counterparts it was not just the man at the top that had changed. America is back to the table, the president told reporters after the meeting with U.S. allies. The lack of participation in the past and full engagement was noticed significantly, not only by the leaders of those countries but by the people in the G-7 countries. In briefings with reporters, a senior White House official said the acrimony of the past had been replaced by a sense of purpose. With this newfound harmony, the nations agreed on several worthwhile goals, including a suspension of longtime disputes over trade subsidies, an effort to mend the hostilities of the past. The nations also agreed on exporting millions of vaccine doses to poor countries an effort we wish had come much earlier. But the lesson and message remain clear: Help the world, and you help America. What you demonstrate is that leadership is partnership, French President Emmanuel Macron told Biden. Problems remain, however, and the thorniest may be China, which is flexing its muscles through the multitrillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, an infrastructure project viewed as a pathway to spreading global influence. With some European countries, including Italy, buying into the project, Biden suggested that democratic nations develop an alternative. Allies are also wary of the U.S. military pullout from Afghanistan, which started in May; violence against civilians jumped by 38 percent in the six months after peace talks between the Taliban and an Afghan delegation began in September, compared to the same period a year earlier, according to the United Nations. Look, the election of Joe Biden as U.S. president doesnt mean that the world no longer has problems, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in her closing remarks at the G-7. But it does signal the potential for stronger partnerships. While the goodwill spoke well for future relations with our allies, the biggest challenge for the president followed his discussions with European leaders his face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva, which underscored the difference between Biden and Trump, who absolved the Russian leader of any responsibility for interfering with the 2016 presidential election. The two men shook hands, and Putin thanked Biden for arranging the meeting, expressing the hope that it would be productive. The tension many observers expected never materialized; Biden called the summit positive, while Putin called it constructive. The tone of the entire meeting was good, positive, Biden said in a news conference afterward. The bottom line is, I told President Putin that we need to have some basic rules of the road that we can all abide by. Those rules include concerns about election meddling and human rights violations, as well as recent cyberattacks believed to have been launched by Russian-based criminal organizations. Putin denied the allegations, but Biden expressed the view, and his Russian counterpart listened. It may be months, perhaps years, before we know if the talks were fruitful, but Biden voiced concerns his predecessor avoided, and that is a welcome change. On the campaign trail, San Antonio Councilman Mario Bravo promised he would clean up the homeless encampment at the District 1 field office. After being sworn into office Tuesday, hes trying to balance the fine line between neighborhood needs and helping the vulnerable. For about two years, former Councilman Roberto Trevino let homeless people camp outside of his District 1 field office off Vance Jackson Road. His staff connected people to services, including housing, substance abuse treatment, getting identification and meals. But neighbors in the Dellview area claim crime has increased, threatening both families and the elderly residents. The encampment led to safety issues like trespassing and drug abuse, according to Dellview Area Neighborhood Association President Ernest Salinas. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio will lease downtown hotel as shelter for homeless Many Dellview residents supported now-Councilman Mario Bravo in the May election in the hopes that he would clean up the area. Bravo then beat third-term incumbent Trevino by 7 percentage points, about 500 votes, in the June runoff election. He promised to work with us, Salinas said, claiming Trevino would just not listen to us. Now in office, Bravo said there will be no swift changes to the encampment. There are two situations in the Dellview area. One is homelessness, and the other is crime and they both need to be addressed, Bravo said. Im going to address both of them and do everything I can to support the community. Bravo said hes committed to communicating with everybody, working with everybody and trying to find the best solutions for the community. That includes meeting with those who work professionally with the homeless, such as shelter operators and mental health and substance abuse specialists. He hopes to find the gaps in services, see where efforts are being duplicated and use tax dollars efficiently to support professional outreach services. On ExpressNews.com: You get trapped - San Antonio homeless need coordinated services, more support Jay Robertson, 42, and others sleeping outside of the field office were worried at first when Bravo was elected earlier this month. Robertson said hes been at the field office since April. He was one of the dozen people who slept there Thursday night. Originally from Chicago, Robertson had never experienced homelessness before moving to San Antonio. He came here to be with his brother and father, who are both veterans. He said officials came Sunday and told them police were going to kick them out soon. The next day, Bravo came and talked to Robertson and others, assuring them that he wants to help us and hes going to work with us, Robertson said. I want to give him a chance, Robertson said. Bravo said hes committed to working with the homeless in the area. You dont want those people living in fear, Bravo said. Some of them already have mental health issues. I told them when any changes come, Im going to come talk to them first, he added. Robertson mainly wants housing. In the meantime, he thinks the office needs a portable toilet. I dont want to get in trouble, he said. Trevino said homelessness was prevalent before he was a councilman, and its going to continue. Thats why his office engaged in outreach services. Through the field office, more than 50 people received services or were placed into a resource facility, such as housing or substance abuse treatment, Trevino said. Four of those people were able to get jobs and housing. As for the number of people who received identification, which is required for many homeless services such as shelter, he said, it was more than we could count. Me and my staff felt very connected and very motivated to help anyone who came to our office asking for help, he said. As a policymaker, I felt it was my job to show that if you cant go to a policymakers office to ask for help, where do you go? Trevino worries that the homeless will be criminalized despite already (being) the most vulnerable population in our city. A lot of these folks simply have nowhere to go, he added. Those that are vulnerable are almost always victims of those with power. Salinas said neighbors dont want to criminalize the homeless; he wants city ordinances enforced, including one that is now a state law that bans camping in public areas. The facility does not lend itself to helping these people, he said. We want to help the homeless. They just cant do it there. On ExpressNews.com: We cant arrest ourselves out of this - San Antonio homeless numbers down amid pandemic as Texas moves to ban encampments Bravo is trying to find a happy middle and said hes including everyone he can in the discussion. Everybodys going to have a seat at the table, Bravo said. Im just asking for peoples patience ... Im going to do the best I can. Im not going to make any rash decisions. As for the office itself, Bravo said hell move in for now. Bravo said hes prioritizing the homeless population, the city budget and police accountability. But Trevino isnt hopeful. The biggest disappointment is that this issue got politicized, he said. And somebody made promises that I know they cant keep. Salinas thinks those seeking help should be able to visit the office during specific hours, but people should not be allowed to camp at the office overnight. He also doesnt want the building vacant. Instead, he said it would serve well as an office for the San Antonio Police Department. I think it could be turned into something productive in the community other than just a campsite for people that dont want the help, Salinas said. liz.hardaway@hearst.com | Twitter: @liz_hardaway NEW MILFORD A brightly colored rainbow is a permanent resident in New Milford. The town repainted its rainbow crosswalk during their Bank Street Block Party in honor of Pride month on Thursday night. Local business owner Elora Herberick spearheaded the initial painting of the crosswalk last June when Bank Street was shut down during the summer. Herberick, who runs Evolve Yoga on Bank Street, was inspired to bring a rainbow crosswalk to the town after visiting Great Barrington, Mass., and seeing one there. She said she thought a crosswalk like that in New Milford would brighten up the downtown area and show support to the LGBTQ community. But 12 months later, the initial paint was faded and needed repainting. So, on Thursday night, a group of volunteers from the LGBTQ+ community set to work repainting the rainbow. This time, they used longer-lasting, more durable paint. We did it bigger, better. Its permanent, said Herberick. Even though it was a simple art project, the impact of its message can be a big one, Herberick said. After receiving initial positive responses to the painting of the crosswalk last year, Herberick said she wanted to make it more permanent. She talked to the mayor and the transportation department about making that a reality. I couldnt have done it without the mayors support, Herberick said. Jessica Reis, whose Bank Street business, Reis Learning Center, is located near the crosswalk, said the painting process was a communitywide effort, bringing in different businesses and volunteers to make the rainbow a reality. The materials for the repainting were provided by the Village Center for the Arts, located across the Green, and other volunteers helped paint the stripes. The towns support was also integral in the project actually taking place, according to Reis. We're especially excited that this is now a permanent installation at the top of Bank [Street], Reis wrote to Hearst Connecticut Media. Its not the first rainbow crosswalk to grace the region. In Litchfield, two local mothers started an initiative through their group, Litchfield Pride, to paint a crosswalk on North Lake Street at the community field. They got town approval for the project in April, but did the actual painting in early June. The repainting of the crosswalk on Bank Street also follows another New Milford Pride celebration. Last weekend, residents organized one of the towns first known Pride events a picnic on the town green sponsored by Southern Litchfield Pride, a new group started by three New Milford residents. At the time of the picnic, Bass also put a pride flag outside of Town Hall. Roughly 125 people were in attendance at the picnic, according to organizer Lauren Burke. Afterward, Burke said that they had lots of sign-ups for their new group, which was one of the goals of the event. This past week, Danbury Mayor Joe Cavo caught flack from local activists and leaders after raising a Pride flag at City Hall without input from the LGBTQ+ community. The mayor said usually groups reach out to City Hall to plan the events and raise a flag months in advance. Consuewella Dotson Africa, a longtime member of the Black organization MOVE and mother of two children killed in the 1985 bombing of the group's home in Philadelphia, has died at 67. She died Wednesday at a hospital. A member of the MOVE family, Janine Africa, said Consuewella Africa had tested positive for the coronavirus when she went to the hospital around the beginning of the month, but had largely recovered when doctors said last week she was not getting enough oxygen. Through the stress with everything that was happening, her body just could not fight to get the air in her lungs because she was too burnt out and tore down from the stress, Janine Africa told The Associated Press. So that is what caused her to die. Africa's death follows painful revelations in the last few months about the treatment of the remains of her two daughters who were killed in the police bombing of the organization's home, where 11 members including five children were killed and more than 60 homes were burnt to the ground. Her daughters, 14-year-old Katricia Tree and 12-year-old Zanetta Netta, died in the bombing while Consuewella Africa was in prison serving a 16-year-sentence for simple assault related to the city's 1978 attempt to evict the group during which a police officer was killed. In April, MOVE learned that an anthropology professor at the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University had been given remains by the city's medical examiner believed to be one of Consuewellas children, and he had used the remains in teaching lessons without the permission or knowledge of family members. In May, the city notified the group that partial human remains from the bombing had been cremated and disposed of without notifying family members. A day later, following the resignation of the city's top health official, the city reversed themselves, saying the remains had been located. Janine Africa said having to revisit the killing of her children and the targeting of the group took a toll on Consuewella. Once again, another death at the hands of the city of Philadelphia because they just took everything out of her with this last thing here," Janine Africa said. "Because she was reliving 1985 all over again, thinking about the children all over again and it just really broke her heart. In May, members of the organization marked the 36th anniversary of the bombing in West Philadelphia that destroyed a swath of the neighborhood and took their loved ones. She was there and full of life and fire and fight and there was no way that we could see this coming, Janine Africa said. Consuewella Africa held the title Minister of Confrontation for MOVE, which identifies as both a family and an organization. She was a no nonsense straight forward person, but on the same hand, she was always making people laugh, always lively, always getting things going, getting people, having a good time, Janine Africa said. Her biological brother, sister and husband were with her when she died and her surviving son joined by phone, Janine Africa said. MOVE wrote in a June 16 post on their website that the remains of Tree Africa were sent by the University of Pennsylvania to a funeral home where the organization can pick them up. We hope that we can put Tree and Consuewella together, they wrote. Barbara and Christine Colucci long to remove their masks and kiss their 102-year-old mother, who has dementia and is in a nursing home in Rochester, New York. They would love to have more than two people in her room at a time so that relatives can be there too. We dont know how much longer shes going to be alive," Christine Colucci said, "so its like, please, give us this last chance with her in her final months on this earth to have that interaction. Pandemic restrictions are falling away almost everywhere except inside many of Americas nursing homes. Rules designed to protect the nations most vulnerable from COVID-19 are still being enforced even though 75% of nursing home residents are now vaccinated and infections and deaths have plummeted. Frustration has set in as families around the country visit their moms and, this Fathers Day weekend, their dads. Hugs and kisses are still discouraged or banned in some nursing homes. Residents are dining in relative isolation and playing bingo and doing crafts at a distance. Visits are limited and must be kept short, and are cut off entirely if someone tests positive for the coronavirus. Family members and advocates question the need for such restrictions at this stage of the pandemic, when the risk is comparatively low. They say the measures are now just prolonging older people's isolation and accelerating their mental and physical decline. They have protected them to death, said Denise Gracely, whose 80-year-old mother, Marian Rauenzahn, lives in a nursing home in Topton, Pennsylvania. Rauenzahn had COVID-19 and then lost part of a leg to gangrene, but Gracely said what she struggled with the most was enforced solitude, going from six-day-a-week visits to none at all. Rauenzahns daughters eventually won the right to see her once a week, and the nursing home now says it plans to relax the rules on visits for all residents in late June. But it has not been not enough, as far as Gracely is concerned. I believe its progressed her dementia, Gracely said. Shes very lonely. She wants out of there so bad. Pennsylvanias long-term care ombudsman has received hundreds of complaints about visiting rules this year. Kim Shetler, a data specialist in the ombudmans office, said some nursing homes' COVID-19 restrictions go beyond what state and federal guidelines require. Administrators have been doing what they feel is necessary to keep people safe, she said, but families are understandably upset. Weve done our darndest to advocate for folks to get those visitation rights, she said. Its their home. They should have that right to come and go and have the visitors that they choose. A recent survey by National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, an advocacy group, found time limits on visits remain commonplace, ranging from 15 minutes to two hours. Some facilities limit visiting hours to weekdays, making it difficult for people who work during the day, or restrict visits to once or twice a week. Rauenzahns Pennsylvania nursing home has been limiting most residents to a single, 30-minute visit every two weeks. Federal authorities should restore full visitation rights to nursing home residents without delay, Consumer Voice and several other advocacy groups said in a June 11 letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Residents are continuing to suffer from isolation and decline because of the limited visitation permitted in the current guidance, the letter said. Advocates also take issue with federal guidance on how nursing homes deal with new COVID-19 cases. The guidance says most visits should be suspended for at least 14 days. Some family members, administrators and advocates complain that the recommendation has led to frequent lockdowns because of one or two cases. Weve never had a real long, lengthy period of time where were able to have visitors, said Jason Santiago, chief operating officer at The Manor at Seneca Hill in Oswego, New York. He said continued isolation is inflicting a heavy toll. Weve got to do things that make more sense for these residents, make more sense for these families. While the federal government recently eased restrictions for vaccinated nursing home residents, New York state has not gone along. Those who eat together in communal spaces must remain socially distanced, for example, and they have to be masked and 6 feet apart during activities, no matter their vaccination status. That makes crafts, bingo, music a lot of what nursing home life is about more difficult, said Elizabeth Weingast, vice president for clinical excellence at The New Jewish Home, which runs elder-care facilities in and around New York City. We prioritized vaccinating nursing home residents and thats wonderful, but theyre not getting the same liberties that you or I have now," said Weingast, who recently published an opinion piece calling for a loosening of restrictions. Her co-author, Karen Lipson of LeadingAge New York, which represents nonprofit nursing homes, said the rules force this kind of policing of love that is really, really challenging. With the virus infecting more than 650,000 long-term-care residents and killing more than 130,000 across the U.S., nursing homes had a duty to take precautions when COVID-19 was out of control, said Nancy Kass, a public health expert at Johns Hopkins University. But she said she is baffled by the continued heavy emphasis on safety at the expense of residents' quality of life, given were not in that state of affairs anymore." In Ohio, Bob Greve was desperate for a change of scenery after being cooped up in his Cincinnati-area nursing home for most of the last year. But the administrator wouldnt permit a visit to his sons house because of COVID-19 concerns even though both men are fully vaccinated. The policy led Greve to a breaking point, according to his son, Mike Greve, who said his 89-year-old father called six, eight, even 10 times a day out of boredom and frustration and talked constantly about getting out. Mike Greve said he pressed the nursing home administrator for outside forays, only to be told: If I let you take your father out, I have to let everybody else. Greve said the administrator was worried about residents bringing COVID-19 back with them. The administrator did not return phone and email messages from The Associated Press. A day after AP sought comment, Greve said, the administrator called him into the office, offered to allow his father out for a visit and said the policy would be changed for everyone else, too. Father and son spent a glorious afternoon soaking in the sunshine at Greve's house, where his dad spotted a deer. He said, Hallelujah' I don't know how many times," Greve said. He said, 'I don't know how you got me out, but I'm so happy I could cry.'" ___ Rubinkam reported from northeastern Pennsylvania. Associated Press reporter Marina Villeneuve in Albany, New York, contributed to this story. ___ This story corrects the spelling of the surname of Denise Gracely, whose 80-year-old mother, Marian Rauenzahn, lives in a nursing home in Topton, Pennsylvania Tariff cuts on New Zealand's agri-imports including dairy, lamb and beef could be included in the upcoming trade deal with the UK, according to reports. The UK government have set their sights on New Zealand as their next target for a major post-Brexit trade agreement. Earlier this week, it was announced that the government had reached a trade agreement with Australia, marking the first negotiated by the UK since it left the EU. The government said British farmers "will be protected by a cap on tariff-free imports for 15 years, using tariff rate quotas and other safeguards." But farming groups fear that producers will be unable to compete with Australia due to their lower production and animal welfare standards. Concerns are now likely to rise even further, after New Zealand's Export Growth Minister Damien OConnor told the Financial Times that any deal between the two countries would probably be similar to Australia's. He said tariff cuts on New Zealand farm exports including dairy, lamb and beef would be among Wellingtons demands. However, the minister said that British farmers should not fear New Zealand imports. The UK and New Zealand held discussions on Thursday (17 June) toward the conclusion of the free trade agreement. Negotiating teams will now accelerate talks and spend the coming weeks finalising details with the aim of reaching agreement in principle in August. A government spokesperson said both nations want a "high quality, comprehensive free trade agreement that supports jobs, broadens consumer choice and provides more opportunities in key industries." But the spokesperson added that it would "not sign trade deals that compromise our high environmental protections and food standards." Farming groups have consistently said that any imports must be produced under the same rigorous production and animal welfare standards that UK farmers have to adhere to. MPs who sit on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee (EFRA) recently called for 'proper parliamentary scrutiny' on future trade agreements. The committee highlighted the 'distress and concern' within the farming community following the announcement of the UK-Australia trade deal. Parliamentarians also urged the government to clarify details of the Trade and Agriculture Commission (TAC), which was set up to scrutinise new free trade agreements. The TAC's creation had provided the British farming sector with reassurance that the government would engage with farmers' concerns about the potential weakening of the UKs high standards when sealing deals. But in a new letter to International Trade Secretary Liz Truss, the MPs said the TAC's recommendations were being 'ignored' and 'left to gather dust'. EFRA urged the government to respond to the TAC's key recommendations 'without delay', and to appoint a Chair and members that would 'scrutinise' FTAs before the parliamentary summer recess at the latest. Despite these concerns, Ms Truss said the UK and New Zealand were committed to striking 'a modern, liberalising agreement'. She said it would forge closer ties between "two island democracies that believe in free and fair trade". "I am pushing UK interests hard in areas like services, mobility and investment, and want a deal that cuts tariffs on our exports, makes it easier for our service providers to sell into New Zealand, and delivers for consumers here at home. "We have intensified negotiations and moved closer to an agreement that works for both nations." Lip-smacking Indian flavours are shining in Season 13 of MasterChef Australia courtesy Depinder and Kishwar Whos been watching the latest season of MasterChef Australia on Disney+ Hotstar Premium? Season 13 features talented home cooks creating food magic in the MasterChef Australia kitchen in Melbourne, all while battling it out for a spot in the finals. With authentic flavours ruling as always, this season has seen the judges being presented with delicious and unforgettable Indian dishes that made them drool! A few of our favourite dishes, including those from the food streets, have made a big impact, and were thrilled that Depinder Chhibber and Kishwar Chowdhury have been showcasing authentic Indian flavours on this reputed international stage. Heres bringing you five desi dishes created by the talented contestants; watching them has us hooked! Depinders Chole & Kadhai Paneer Image: Instagram/@depinder_ Two classic desi curries chole and kadhai paneer that most Indian households love to have on Sundays are also a super hit on MasterChef Australia. Delhi-born Depinder Chhibber, who has almost consistently left the judges stunned with her skills and unique dishes throughout the competition, cooked these delicious curries rich in Indian spices and served them with cauliflower parantha, pickle, stir-fried rice, and fried okra chips. Judges Jock Zonfrillo, Melissa Leong, and Andy Allen were thoroughly impressed, and the dish was the showstopper of the episode. Jock mentioned the importance of precision cooking, and how the onions and capsicum in the kadhai paneer were cooked but still crunchy. He also said that the thickness and depth of the chickpea curry made it perfect. Edmonton, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - June 18, 2021) - TrustBIX Inc. (TSXV: TBIX) ("TrustBIX" or the "Company") announces that Chief Growth Officer James Freeman will be leaving the Company as of June 30, 2021. "We thank James for his tremendous contributions to TrustBIX during the period leading up to and after our public listing in April 2019. He remains a committed shareholder and will continue as an advisor to the Company," said Hubert Lau, CEO TrustBIX. "We are entering a new phase in our growth plan, and the current team will step into bigger roles to guide the Company forward." About TrustBIX (TSXV: TBIX) As an innovative leader, TrustBIX provides agri-food traceability. By addressing consumer and agri-food business demands, the Company has a goal to become the most trusted and largest source of third-party food traceability and sustainability information globally - Gate to Plate. TrustBIX Inc.'s focus is to create a world where we trust more, waste less and reward sustainable behaviour. The Company's proprietary platform, BIX (Business infoXchange System), is designed to create trust without compromising privacy through innovative use of data and technology. Extensive R&D has allowed TrustBIX to create a new blockchain-derived technology to complement its mature and proven traceability systems. By leveraging BIX and its unique use of incentive solutions, the Company can deliver independent validation of food provenance and sustainable production practices within the supply chain. ViewTrak Technologies Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary, provides a suite of hardware and software solutions to the livestock industry in Canada, United States, Mexico and China, such as Auction Master Pro, Market Master, Feedlot Solutions and pork grading probes. For more information, visit www.trustbix.com, or follow us on Twitter twitter.com/@TrustBIX_Inc, Facebook at www.facebook.com/BIXSco, or LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bixsco-inc-/. Forward-Looking Information This press release contains certain forward-looking information and reflects the Company's present assumptions regarding future events. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, levels of activity, performance, and/or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Certain statements contained in this document constitute forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. When used in this document, the words "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "intend", "plan", "propose", "anticipate", "believe", "forecast", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions used by any of the Company's management, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the Company's internal projections, expectations, future growth, performance and business prospects and opportunities and are based on information currently available to the Company. Since they relate to the Company's current views with respect to future events, they are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update any such factors or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments except as required by applicable securities legislation, regulations or policies. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Hubert Lau President and CEO Telephone: (780) 456-2207 Email: info@trustbix.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/87944 Founders: Dr. Cherif Massoud and Hrag Hayrabedian BASMA.com, a London, UK-based digital healthcare platform working for orthodontics focused on MENA, raised $3M in Series A funding. The round was led by MEVP with the participation from SOSF, IM capital and returning investors iSME, Cedar Mundi Ventures and IFA capital. The company intends to use the funds to hire new talent, expand its geographic reach across the Middle East, and grow its network of partner dental clinics across KSA, UAE, and the region, to reach more cities and countries in the GCC. Founded by Dr. Cherif Massoud and Hrag Hayrabedian, BASMA.com uses ISO and CE certified invisible teeth aligners, 3D-printed in-house, to assist its network of partner clinics to treat patients with mild to moderate cases of teeth crowding and spacing in an average of 6 months. FinSMEs 19/06/2021 Tampa, FL (33646) Today Mixed clouds and sun with scattered thunderstorms. High 86F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms developing overnight. Low 78F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. A two-vehicle crash on McCrary Road just outside Semmes Thursday afternoon has claimed the life of a Mobile woman. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency says the crash occurred at about 3:35 p.m. ALEA says Courtney Moorer, 20, was fatally injured when the 2007 Honda Civic she was driving collided with the side of a 2004 Chevrolet Silverado driven by William Carson, 78, of Semmes. The crash occurred approximately 15 feet from the Semmes city limit, in Mobile County. ALEA's Highway Patrol Division continues to investigate. Yaw Kesse gets a COVID-19 vaccine from Alexis Watts at Guaranteed Rate Field before the start of the Chicago White Sox game against the Toronto Blue Jays on June 8. Gainesville, TX (76240) Today Thunderstorms likely this morning. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High around 85F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy this evening with showers developing after midnight. Low 71F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. Gainesville, TX (76240) Today Scattered thunderstorms during the morning. Cloudy skies this afternoon. High 86F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Increasing clouds with showers arriving overnight. Low 71F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. Galveston, TX (77553) Today Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 90F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Cloudy this evening with thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low 81F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Galveston, TX (77553) Today Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 90F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms developing late. Low 81F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Going through all of that really gives a different perspective, she said. It makes you really appreciate success and the people who were there to help you along the way. She says that her experiences made her realize the value of taking responsibility for where you are in life and working hard to find success. Its because of her own hardship that Gomez says she understands the value of a safety net, but says that Oregons benefits system is more of a hindrance than an assistance. I think theres this misperception that government programs are the end-all-be-all and what I would say is a good paying job will always be more impactful for a family than any government hand-out we can possibly provide to them, Gomez said. So Im looking at ways that we can help people to build upward mobility. Weve got a safety net system that is actually holding people back. The hypothetical but plausible example she provided was a single mother of two, whose income level is low enough to qualify for state assistance but high enough to be a pay-raise away from losing those benefits. You start to build a career and start to make money, those benefits drop off faster than you can build up enough revenue to replace the cost of that, Gomez said. So, you end up upside down. Gettysburg, PA (17325) Today Sunshine and clouds mixed. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 79F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Mainly clear. Slight chance of a shower throughout the evening. Low around 60F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. English French OTTAWA , June 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nearly 4,000 delegates at the Canadian Labour Congress 29th Constitutional Convention today elected Officers to lead the organization until 2023. The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) is Canadas major umbrella organization of national unions, provincial federations of labour and local labour councils and represents over three million workers. Bea Bruske from United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) was elected as the CLCs President. She replaces retiring President Hassan Yussuff who has held the position for two terms spanning the past seven years. Bruske, who received overwhelming support from convention delegates, was previously Secretary Treasurer and a negotiator with UFCW 832 and a Vice-President of the UFCW Canada National Council. I am honored to be elected as CLCs new President and Im looking forward to working with a dedicated team committed to advancing the interests of the nations workers and their families, said Bruske. We are committed to building a Canada that works for everyone. Among our key priorities will be to ensure workers are centered in the post-pandemic recovery. Lily Chang was elected to replace outgoing Secretary-Treasurer Marie Clarke Walker. Chang was previously Treasurer of Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) local 79. Returning Executive Vice-President Larry Rousseau was re-elected for a second term. Rousseau was first elected to the position at the 2017 CLC Convention in Toronto. Newly elected Executive Vice-President Siobhan Vipond replaces outgoing Executive Vice-President Donald Lafleur. Vipond was the Secretary-Treasurer of the Alberta Federation of Labour. Nearly 4,000 delegates from across Canada participated in the CLCs first ever virtual convention and debated issues including pharmacare, the creation of good jobs and how to ensure a strong COVID-19 pandemic recovery plan that addresses racial and gender inequities. They also passed resolutions on combating Islamophobia and Anti-Asian racism, as well as a resolution calling for the federal government fulfill the 94 Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Delegates to the Convention also elected labour council and equity representatives who will lead for the coming mandate. These positions include representation for LGBTQ2SI, young workers, workers of colour, Indigenous workers and disability rights, as well as regional representatives across Canada. New Officers and council members were sworn in late Friday just prior to the Conventions close. To arrange an interview, please contact: CLC Media Relations media@clcctc.ca 613-526-7426 **Not for distribution to United States Newswire Services or release publication, distribution or dissemination, directly or indirectly, in the United States. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of U.S. Securities Laws** CALGARY, Alberta and TORONTO, June 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Magnetic North Acquisition Corp. (TSXV: MNC; MNC.PR.A) (Magnetic North or the Company) is announcing that Ha Tran has resigned as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) effective June 18, 2021. The Company wishes to thank Ms. Tran for all the hard work and dedication and provides best wishes for future opportunities. About Magnetic North Acquisition Corp. Magnetic North invests and manages businesses on behalf of its shareholders and believes that capital alone does not always lead to success. With offices in Calgary and Toronto, our experienced management team applies its considerable management, operations and capital markets expertise to ensure its investee companies are as successful as possible for shareholders. Magnetic North common shares and preferred shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the stock symbol MNC and MNC.PR.A, respectively. The TSX Venture announced that Magnetic North is a 2021 TSX Venture 50 recipient. For more information about Magnetic North, visit its website at www.magneticnac.com. Magnetic Norths securities filings can also be accessed at www.sedar.com. For Further Information, Please Contact: Graeme Dick Stephen McCormick Investor Relations VP, Capital Markets 403-451-0939 403-451-0939 graeme@colwellcapital.com stephen@magneticnac.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information generally refers to information about an issuers business, capital, or operations that is prospective in nature, and includes future-oriented financial information about the issuers prospective financial performance or financial position. The Company has made certain material assumptions, including but not limited to: prevailing market conditions; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; and the ability of the Company to execute and achieve its business objectives to develop the forward-looking information in this news release. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Actual results may vary from the forward-looking information in this news release due to certain material risk factors. These risk factors include but are not limited to: adverse market conditions; reliance on key and qualified personnel; and regulatory and other risks associated with the industries in which the Company's portfolio companies operate, in general. The Company cautions that the foregoing list of material risk factors and assumptions is not exhaustive. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking information in this news release unless it is required to do so under Canadian securities legislation. NEW ORLEANS, June 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors of pending deadlines in the following securities class action lawsuits: Peloton Interactive, Inc. (PTON) Class Period: 9/11/2020 - 5/5/2021 Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: June 28, 2021 SECURITIES FRAUD To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-peloton-interactive-inc-class-a-common-stock-pton-securities-litigation Ubiquiti Inc. (UI) Class Period: 1/11/2021 - 3/30/2021 Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: July 19, 2021 SECURITIES FRAUD To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-ubiquiti-inc-securities-litigation RLX Technology Inc. (RLX) Class Period: Shares issued in connection with the January 2021 initial public stock offering Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: August 9, 2021 MISLEADING PROSPECTUS To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-rlx-technology-inc-american-depositary-shares-securities-litigation If you purchased shares of the above companies and would like to discuss your legal rights and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact us toll-free (844) 367-9658 or visit the case links above. If you wish to serve as a Lead Plaintiff in the class action, you must petition the Court on or before the Lead Plaintiff Motion deadline. About ClaimsFiler ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations. To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com On June 18, 2021, an Emergency Resolution was passed at the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) calling on the 3-million household strong membership of the CLC to boycott Arterra Wines products for the duration of the Wine Rack workers strike. The workers are members of SEIU Local 2. The notice to commence the boycott will be distributed next Monday, June 21st. TORONTO, June 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Canadian Labour Congress passed an Emergency Resolution today calling on its national membership to boycott all Arterra Wines products, including products sold at Wine Rack stores. A communication to commence the boycott will be sent to the CLCs 3 million members households next Monday, June 21st. Wine Rack workers, members of SEIU Local 2, have been on strike since June 7th. Workers are continuing to picket stores throughout Toronto, while Arterra Wines recruits scab labour in an effort to break the strike. Arterra Wines approach in this dispute amounts to nothing less than crass union busting tactics. These actions are in line with Arterra Wines history of complete disregard for workers rights. In May 2021, Arterra Wines was reprimanded by Arbitrator Randi H. Abramsky for denying the Union the ability to communicate bargaining messages to members in the store. This is an addition to an Unfair Labour Practice claim against Arterra under review by the Labour Board. On June 16th, SEIU Local 2 submitted a Human Rights Complaint on behalf of a Wine Rack worker who has suffered wage discrimination based on his physical disability. We hope that the labour movement will stand in solidarity with Wine Rack workers and boycott all Arterra Wines products and brands until a fair resolution to the dispute is reached. More details can be found at TeachersForJustice.ca SEIU Local 2 represents workers in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Alberta, New Brunswick and British Columbia. New York, United States, June 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Midtown East, New York-based Modern Dental of Manhattan has updated its range of cosmetic dentistry services to offer Invisalign clear aligner therapy for patients who want to enhance the aesthetics of their smile. They are conveniently located near Diamond District, Lenox Hill, Murray Hill, NY postcodes 10017, 10174, 10167, 10022 and 10175. More details are available at https://manhattandentists.com/invisalign-clear-aligners-midtown-east/ The updated service includes the treatment of various orthodontic conditions such as irregularly shaped teeth, crossbite, overbite, under-bite, and others with clear, removable aligners. Invisalign treatment, as the dental care experts explained, involves using sets of removable braces to enhance a patients smile gradually. The aligners are made from SmartTrack, a patented thermoplastic material. Unlike traditional metal braces, Invisalign is clear, thin, and invisible. Patients can remove the clear aligners at will; however, for the best results, the experts at Modern Dental of Manhattan recommend wearing the clear braces for up to 22 hours a day. The team at Modern Dental of Manhattan works closely with each patient to create a custom treatment plan tailored to their unique needs. An Invisalign-trained dentist will assess the patients smile during the initial consultation and use a digital imaging technique to map a detailed plan to transform the patients smile. Each set of aligners applies gentle, constant pressure on the teeth, gradually shifting them into place until the desired smile is achieved. Patients may be required to change to a new set every one to two weeks. It can 6-12 months to complete the treatment, though this depends mainly on the complexity of the patients case. The Midtown East New York dental office is staffed by a team of multi-disciplinary, board-certified clinicians with decades of private practice experience and expertise to handle all patients cosmetic dentistry needs. Patients can expect the highest level of service when they visit their dental office. The team strives to deliver quality dental care in a technologically advanced, clean, modern, and caring environment. A company spokesperson said: Invisalign clear aligners are FDA-approved and contain no BPA, BPS, latex, or gluten. They are thin, clear, and fit snugly over the teeth, making them virtually invisible. Above all, these clear aligners can help shift your teeth into place, giving you a beautiful smile you can be proud of. Interested parties can call +1-212-758-1000 to schedule a cosmetic dentistry consultation or visit https://manhattandentists.com to learn more. Website: https://manhattandentists.com/ Gloucester, MA (01930) Today Overcast with rain showers at times. Cooler. High 61F. Winds NE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Cloudy skies with a few showers after midnight. Low 58F. Winds NE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 30%. ELKHART [mdash] Helen Free was born Feb. 20, 1923 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to James S. Murray and Daisy Piper Murray, who died when Helen was six years old. Graduating as valedictorian of Poland Seminary High School in 1941, she attended the College of Wooster, initially majoring in Engli Note: We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email circulation@skagitpublishing.com for help creating one. Local featured Grand Haven BLP asks city to OK bond proposal Jared Leatzow / Tribune photo / Jared Leatzow A group of protesters outside the Grand Haven Community Center on Thursday opposed a bond proposal that would be used to pay for a peaking plant on Harbor Island. Jared Leatzow / Tribune photo/ Jared Leatzow One of the protesters on Thursday was dressed as a light bulb. A group gathered outside the Grand Haven Community Center prior to a regularly scheduled Board of Light & Power meeting on Thursday to protest a bond proposal that, if approved later by the Grand Haven City Council, would raise as much as $50 million to pay for the Sims power plant demolition, remediation of the Harbor Island site and a controversial gas-powered peaking plant. Among the protesters was City Council candidate Kevin McLaughlin, who said that Grand Haven is facing some serious financial issues in its operations budget, and that a peaking plant would only add to those issues. Prior to the board voting on the bond proposal, several people let their voices be heard during the utility boards meeting both for and against the proposed peaking plant. Grand Haven resident Jeffrey Miller was upset that the public wasnt allowed to weigh-in on the issue. As we meet here today, we are still in a worldwide pandemic with Michiganders dying every day, he said. You still hold your meetings at 4 p.m. on the third Thursday of every month when working people cannot attend. And you havent had any in-person meeting and public participation in over a year and a half, and now you want to proceed with (asking the City Council) the issuance of $50 million in bonds. ... This is not good public policy. On the other side of the issue, Dr. Nicholas Pietrangelo said he got involved in environmental issues 35 years ago out of concern for what people breath in the air. If you stop all natural gas, whats your substitute? People will freeze to death, he said. Ive seen many people pass away for many different reasons. ... People are going to die from lack of heat. That is about as basic as it gets. Narrow support The board narrowly approved support of the bond proposal, voting 3-2 Thursday. Directors Larry Kieft and John Naser were both against the proposal, taking issue with information presented to them, as well as wishing to have a neutral third party take a look at the proposal. Weve failed to investigate other potential options for this situation local generation, Naser said. We were given three options by one of our consultants buy it all on the grid, generate all of it all ourselves, or a combination of the two. Board Chairman Jack Smant did not share the same opinion. In an email to the Tribune on Thursday evening, he said BLP officials have been listening to community members and their concerns for the redevelopment plan for the Sims site. We have also considered the recommendations of multiple studies from independent national engineering experts, and each study has returned the same answer: diversify the BLPs power supply portfolio in the regional wholesale market, incorporate more renewables when it makes economic sense, supplement and compliment that portfolio with a small peaking CHP facility that can offset costs for our community when market energy pricing escalates, and lower our snowmelt system operating and heating costs in the process, if possible, Smant said in his email. The CHP plant is a very small portion of a much larger power supply portfolio, and a component that has been fully vetted. The board has now determined the Sims site redevelopment plan is the most balanced approach considering all community interests, and it is the best possible solution for this environmentally challenging site. Environmental tests Prior to the vote, BLP General Manager David Walters and Operations and Power Supply Manager Erik Booth shared with the utility board the results of environmental testing that was done at the site of the Sims plant. The result included elevated levels of cyanide, PFAS and PFOA. Results of these recent tests received last week confirmed the presence of elevated contaminant levels on the Sims site were above regulatory criteria (in addition to those contaminants already present from the coal ash) for ammonia and total inorganic nitrogen, cyanide, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (PFOS), Booth said. Walters said he received the results on Monday, and anticipates that the BLP will be required by both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the states Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy to clean up the contaminated coal ash on the site. Walters said that the contamination was found not to be from the power plant. Kieft asked Walters if he believed that chemicals came from tannery waste that would have been disposed at a former dump that once occupied the Harbor Island site. Walters said he wouldnt engage in conjecture, but then later said it was likely to be the case. According to a press release sent to the Tribune from the BLP later Thursday, PFAS was identified through additional contamination sampling conducted in preparation for further closure work of the sites defined coal ash impoundments. This sampling was conducted by the BLPs sampling and testing firm to determine what type of handling will be required for groundwater that will be pumped at the site during required coal ash remediation efforts. Further testing will be done in the next 10 days to confirm the initial results, Walters said. These chemicals, according to Walters, were not required by the BLP to test for. The levels of the chemicals would be too high for the land to be used for unrestricted public use, but it can be used for industrial use, Walters added. We can proceed without addressing these contaminants with our development, the general manager explained. These will definitely impact the park portion of our development, so the idea that the park remains unaffected. The industrial use of this property is allowed; the public use is very likely to be restricted. The cleanup in this type of contamination is much more broad than what is included in our plans. It will obviously impact those, and quite frankly we arent sure where the contaminants are located. Are they on the Sims site or the adjacent site? According to Walters, Grand Haven drinking water has not been impacted by the contamination. City Manager Patrick McGinnis was quoted in the release as saying, While the city is disappointed to learn of the detection of PFAS compounds under Harbor Island, it is not entirely surprising, considering the historical uses of the site. Throughout the process of demolition on the Sims site, rigorous and regular testing for PFAS and other possible contaminants has confirmed the safety of the drinking water, sanitary discharge and surface waters. With the support of the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team, Grand Valley State University, Northwest Ottawa Water System and Grand Haven/Spring Lake Sewer Authority, we will continue to monitor and test for any changes, risks or mitigation measures which may be indicated by this new information. To view the results of the tests, visit: https://ghblp. org/about-us/reports/ccr -rule-compliance-data-and -information/. Whats next? The City Council is expected to take up the utility boards requested bond proposal at its July 19 meeting. Through the use of what is known as BANs (Bond Anticipation Note) the BLP has funded the following work: Sims plant demolition ($5 million), snowmelt equipment ($1 million), substation improvements ($4 million) and advance metering infrastructure ($2 million). The proposed bonds would pay for the cost of the work already done and work to be done in the future. If the bonds are not approved by the council in July, then electric rates would likely go up to pay for the already completed work. There is a lot of detail there, a lot to think about that is significant, as councilmen we have a lot to digest, Mayor Bob Monetza said following Thursdays meeting. Regarding a letter that was sent to the City Council from 11 area business people who opposed the bond proposal, Monetza said they asked to meet with council and hes asked that it be scheduled. Id like to know exactly where they are coming from and how that compares to the BLP, he said. We need to make an informed decision. We need to hear the details from both sides. It's hard to imagine too many PGA Tour stops where the location rather than the golf cours French GP 2021 Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team Valtteri Bottas (2nd, 1:32.880): "I have a lot better feeling than a couple of weeks ago, that's for sure. We started the weekend on the front foot, everything felt OK and the car has been pretty fast so far. The balance is good, the tyres are working well, I'm confident with the car and I can trust the car - I think that's the biggest difference from Baku. It's going to be close between us and Red Bull, I'm sure they have lots more to come, but so do we." Lewis Hamilton (3rd, 1:33.125): "It was quite a struggle out there, probably for everyone. I don't know if it's the track surface, the temperature or these inflated tyres - the pressures are higher than ever before - but we were all sliding around out there. We'll be doing a lot of analysis tonight with the hope that it's better for tomorrow but the times don't look terrible and we're in the battle, so that's positive. The Hard compound is the better-feeling tyre, it felt heavy-duty which is important with the temperatures here - the softer you go the worse it feels so I imagine the Hard tyre will be the one everyone wants to get onto in the race on Sunday." Andrew Shovlin: "It's been a busy day trying to fit in a programme with low fuel work and decent length long runs but that's always going to be the case with just one hour in each session. In terms of pace we look reasonable and getting a single lap out of the tyres has seemed easier than it was in Baku or Monaco. However, neither driver is totally satisfied with where we have the car, so we've got a bit of investigation to do overnight to try and understand how we can get the balance to be a bit more predictable." Red Bull Racing Max Verstappen (1st, 1:32.872): "I think overall it's been a good end to the day and we improved quite well. I wasn't entirely happy in FP1 and even at the start of FP2 but on the second set of tyres this afternoon the car felt a lot better and a lot more connected. It's still really difficult around here as the track is so open and it's quite windy which means it isn't always easy to nail the lap. The wind is also quite gusty so one lap it feels alright and the next lap it can increase, which means it's not always easy to judge your mid-corner speeds, but everyone has to deal with the same thing. It's difficult to say where we will be tomorrow and you never know what people will find overnight but the long runs also seemed decent so for sure I expect it to be very tight and it definitely won't be easy." Sergio Perez (12th, 1:33.921): "I got a pretty bad run of traffic today so it probably looks worse than it actually is on the time sheets. We look to be there or thereabouts and Max had a good day on pace. We tried some changes during the sessions and so tonight we'll look at them to see what worked and hopefully we can find some pace overnight so we are right in the mix tomorrow. Coming from Baku, obviously this is a very different track but we're continuing the good momentum, the understanding of the car is getting better and there are plenty of positives to take from today." McLaren F1 Team Lando Norris (10th, 1:33.822): "Tough first day, tricky conditions playing the biggest part. The temperature made it difficult to keep the tyres in a good window. So, driving the car became a bit of a challenge especially with the wind. I think we've got a few bits we can definitely improve upon, but we still have quite a bit of work to do. It's very close with the rest of the field so every little bit is going to help but it's also going to make qualifying tough going into tomorrow. Hopefully we can find a little bit extra to make our lives a little bit easier." Daniel Ricciardo (14th, 1:34.079): "First day done, it was quite a warm one! The morning was pretty promising. We had a good start to first practice, but then in second practice, competitively, we didn't seem as good. I'm not really sure why right now, but we'll look into it. It didn't feel too bad and it's all very close. We're probably only missing a few tenths right now. That said, I'm not too concerned, we'll work at it tonight. Generally, the feeling isn't too bad, so we'll just chip away and find a bit more pace for tomorrow." Andrea Stella, Racing Director: "After racing on two street circuits, we're back on a permanent track this week. That removes one set of challenges, but also adds some different ones. Today, we focused on tyre work, set-up and testing aerodynamic parts. The sessions went well, and we've plenty of data to study overnight. The field looks very tight at Paul Ricard this weekend and we'll work hard this evening to ensure we maximise our opportunities for qualifying and the race." Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team Sebastian Vettel (15th, 1:34.447): "The track conditions were hot and very windy, which caught me out this morning when I had a small off. It cost us some track time, but we recovered well in the afternoon. The long run was clean and we managed to get some consecutive laps together, which was important. My performance run was not the best and I made a mistake, but today is about getting a feel for the car to make sure we perform in qualifying. I think we know where we can find gains and there are some things we can do better, which is where we will focus our energy tonight." Lance Stroll (16th, 1:34.632): "It was really hot out there today, and very gusty at times, which made for some tricky conditions because it is a low-grip track surface. It was particularly windy early in the day, but we were able to get into a rhythm and work through our programme. We have learned some useful things about the car balance and done some important homework. However, I think we are leaving some pace out there, so we will go away tonight, look over everything and try to come back stronger tomorrow. The midfield is already looking very close this weekend, so small gains can certainly make a difference; that is what we will be aiming to find for qualifying." Alpine F1 Team Fernando Alonso (4th, 1:33.340): "We faced quite tricky conditions today with some strong winds and high track temperatures, but I think we can be quite pleased with what we managed to achieve from Friday practice. We tested a few items in FP1 and then we followed our programme for the afternoon in FP2 with some decent mileage clocked. We'll analyse all of our data now and this evening, but so far I think we look quite competitive here so let's see how we go tomorrow." Esteban Ocon (6th, 1:33.685): "Today's practice has been solid. We're back into the top ten for the moment, but we know it's still early days. Both cars have good pace that's promising and the aim is to keep working hard and consolidate this pace. The car feels good and the team has been working hard on that. There are, of course, areas to improve, and there's more performance to find. It's fantastic to be back racing in France, at home, and even better to see fans in the grandstands. Hopefully there will be even more fans tomorrow and Sunday and I look forward to seeing them." Davide Brivio, Racing Director: "It's been a busy but well executed practice programme by the team today. Both drivers did a great job in both sessions and, looking at the timesheets, we're in and amongst the good positions. This circuit is different to the last two tracks we've visited, as it's a more conventional layout for Formula 1, which perhaps suits our car a little more. It's a promising start and we will remain focused with the job we have to do this weekend. That begins with Free Practice 3 tomorrow, where we will try to prepare ourselves for qualifying and ensure we follow up on today's performance." Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow Charles Leclerc (5th, 1:33.550): "The main focus today was on car balance. The wind was very strong, which made it tricky to drive, but that was the same for everyone so we just had to try and find a good way to manage in these conditions. In general, here things are looking more in line with what we expected compared to the last two race weekends, where we had pleasant surprises. Our performance today was not bad and although we still have quite a bit of work to do, we made a nice recovery from FP1 and the car felt better this afternoon. It will be important to understand how to get the tyres in the right operating window tomorrow. With the wind, we also have to find the right set-up to make sure that the car is easy to drive in qualifying. If we manage to put these two things together, I'm pretty sure we can have a decent weekend." Carlos Sainz (8th, 1:33.698): "Today was quite tricky. We knew that this layout would be challenging for us compared to some of the previous races, so today went more or less as expected. However, we are not that far away and we are reasonably pleased with the car balance. The trickiest thing was the strong wind, which was blowing in the worst possible directions, with a head wind on the straights and a tail wind in the corners. It made the circuit challenging and slower. The Soft and Hard tyres seem to work well, so we'll keep working tonight to try and extract the maximum from the car tomorrow." Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda Pierre Gasly (7th, 1:33.696): "Today was an ok day, however it's been quite difficult with the wind which has made the car very tricky to drive. In terms of performance, I think it's good that we've ended both sessions within the top 10, but it's definitely been more difficult than the last two weekends. We've been working on the balance of the car today, so we'll analyse all the data tonight and make some improvements to the set-up of the car to be more confident out on track tomorrow. I'm racing in front of my home fans here and I'm aiming to reach Q3 again in Qualifying. It's so great seeing this many French flags in the grandstands here, I really want to do well for the people here supporting me this weekend, so they've got something to celebrate on Sunday." Yuki Tsunoda (13th, 1:33.955): "It's been a good day. I think the approach here in France compared to the last few races is a bit easier, as I've already got experience driving here at Paul Ricard. I had a spin in the morning, but I think we've made good progress through the two sessions today. I struggled a bit with the set-up in FP2, but we adapted really well and by the end of the day I was happy with the car behaviour. My confidence in the car is definitely returning and my result in Baku has helped with that. We still have lots of work to do ahead of Qualifying and the field is very tight, so it's going to be very competitive but the pace is definitely there." Jonathan Eddolls, Chief Race Engineer: "We headed to France following a great result for the team in Baku but have remained realistic with our targets for this weekend, knowing that we return to a more normal circuit. One of the main areas for us to work on during Friday was setting the car up around the higher rear tyre pressures, as well as managing the performance on the very hot track. In addition to this required learning, FP1 was focused on a matrix of set-up work based around some finding of the car performance we observed in Baku to further understand some of the characteristics of the AT02 and how we can apply these to more standard tracks. So, it was a very busy session for both cars and unfortunately, we sustained some damage to the floor of Pierre's car after running wide in T2. He lost some laps with this, but we still gathered plenty of data to analyse for FP2. We used this learning to further adapt the set-up of both cars for this afternoon's session and the changes appeared to be a step in the right direction. We didn't have the cleanest of laps, due to traffic again, but piecing together the laps the performance is looking encouraging and in line with our expectations, particularly given both drivers felt there was still room to work on the balance. We have a lot to look through tonight, but we will aim to put it all together and target Q3 tomorrow." Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN Kimi Raikkonen (9th, 1:33.786): "It wasn't too bad out there, I even feel I could have been a few places higher with a better lap. The hope, of course, is that we can be somewhere around this region, in the top ten, when we get into qualifying: as always, we can try to find something more tonight, with the engineers, and squeeze some more performance out of the car, but it's not a bad start." Antonio Giovinazzi (11th, 1:33.831): "It was a good start to our weekend and we're confident ahead of qualifying. The conditions out there were not easy, with a lot of wind and low grip, but this is what we can expect for tomorrow as well. To be just outside the top then when I am still not 100% happy with the car means we can be in the fight for Q3 if we find some improvement tonight. This is our task and if we do a better job at it than our rivals, we can have a good Saturday. Let's have a good debrief now and see what tomorrow brings." Haas F1 Team Mick Schumacher (19th, 1:35.512): "Obviously, we had some issues in FP1 unfortunately and it just meant that we didn't get to do all the running that we wanted to. We still got to do all the laps we wanted in FP2 which was a positive and we got to learn the track even better compared to FP1, so now it's just about finalizing all the things that we have and try to improve in the aspects we need to and hopefully we will be a bit closer to Williams. We feel the temperature in the tires and we also had some increase in pressures which makes it a bit more difficult to keep the tires alive, especially in the long runs, so now it's about trying to set the car up so its ok in qualifying and it's good in the race, so hopefully we'll manage." Nikita Mazepin (20th, 1:35.551): "Not an easy day for us the heat and the increased tire pressures are perhaps not the best things for the car that does not have the most downforce but from my side, it was a very smooth FP1. In FP2, we completed the run plan and I think we know where we stand for Sunday, but there is a lot more to be improved for qualifying. Coming straight from Baku and Monaco, I see it rather easier as there isn't a wall waiting for you on the exit of every corner, which for a rookie is a positive note. This circuit has its challenges to it the tarmac is very tricky here but I'm enjoying driving in France." Guenther Steiner, Team Principal: "Without the time loss from Mick in FP1, it was actually a very good session and I think we did good laps. Mick had a problem with a brake-by-wire system issue but otherwise everything has gone to plan. You never have enough running, but we always try to get the best out of two hours running and with the sets of tires we have available. Let's see tomorrow we're looking forward to going out again." Williams Racing George Russell (17th, 1:35.266): "It's always tricky only doing one session, but I don't feel like I missed out on too much as the conditions were difficult this morning and there were a few errors on track which showed how gusty it was. In FP2 my high fuel runs looked strong and I got into a good groove putting in those laps, but I think there's still more to come from me with low fuel. We'll go away tonight and look to understand how we can extract more out of the car." Nicholas Latifi (18th, 1:35.331): "The track was very green in FP1 and the wind caught a lot of drivers out. Initially the car wasn't feeling great, but we made some changes going into FP2 and it was much nicer to drive. The car on high fuel was better than expected, so that's definitely a positive. We'll go away and do our normal analysis tonight and hopefully find some more performance to take into Saturday." Roy Nissany: "It was a productive session, although I do think I could have extracted a little more out of the car. It takes time to build up your confidence after some time away, and Paul Ricard is definitely a track where you need a lot of confidence due to the high speeds and long corners. It was still a very informative session and we got lots of data gathered, so we've learnt some good lessons and being in the FW43B is always great." Dave Robson, Senior Race Engineer: "Today has been about continuing with the aero testing that we began in Baku and confirming that we understand any implications of the new tyre operating procedures technical directive, which was issued to the teams ahead of this weekend. Between Roy, Nicholas and George we have worked through everything: we have no concerns over the tyres, and we will work through the aerodynamic data tonight before confirming the race specification in time for FP3. Roy drove very well and completed the tests that we needed him to do and his feedback on how the FW43B has changed since he last drove it in Spain is very interesting. George was quickly up to speed in FP2 and able to complete his normal race preparation. Nicholas too had a good day, improving his car for the afternoon session. Both race drivers are reasonably comfortable with the car at high fuel, but there is a little more work to do ahead of qualifying." Greene County historian Tim Massey is an award-winning writer for Civil War News with more than 40 photos featured on various magazine covers. He has served on various boards and held positions in several historic organizations. He can be reached at horses319@comcast.net. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Several Indiana cities have opted out of the state's pending lawsuits against opioid manufacturers and distributors, reasoning that they will likely see more cash from their own litigation filed in response to the nations opioid epidemic. The suburban Indianapolis cities of Fishers and Noblesville recently joined Indianapolis, South Bend, Lafayette and other municipalities in deciding to forgo potential payments from the lawsuits filed by Indiana's attorney general's office. Fort Wayne, Indiana's second-largest city, gave preliminary approval Tuesday to doing the same, with its city council expected to vote on the matter Tuesday. Noblesville city attorney Lindsey Bennett said if the city north of Indianapolis had continued as part of the attorney generals lawsuits it would have to drop its own suits. That would likely result in it receiving less money than through its own suits against opioid makers and distributors, she said. We would not be able to recover that money from the several lawsuits weve filed on our own. And it is unlikely we would recover as much money in the states lawsuit, Bennett said. A state law signed by Gov. Eric Holcomb this year requires cities and counties that want to pursue their own legal action to opt out of the attorney generals lawsuits by June 30. About half of Indiana's cities and counties have filed lawsuits against opioid manufacturers, distributors and dispensers, seeking to recover funds they have spent on police, fire, treatment programs and prevention in response to opioid abuse, The Indianapolis Star reported. Those municipalities sued more opioid-related companies than the state did and they have said they believe they'll get better settlements on their own. Indianapolis, for example, sued 20 companies. Cory Voight, director of complex litigation for the attorney generals office, said Indiana has filed suits against four defendants and may participate in a fifth: Purdue Pharma, maker of OxyContin, and the Sackler family, the companys owners; Cardinal Health; McKesson; AmerisourceBergen; and Janssen, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. Under Indianas plan, the state will receive 15% of any settlement, localities will split 15% and the Family and Social Services Administration will get 70% to distribute around the state, with local governments deciding how to spend about half of it. The attorney general's office said in a statement that it was hopeful the dissenting cities would reconsider and rejoin the states lawsuits. Our goal from the beginning has been to partner with cities, towns and counties by splitting the proceeds evenly between the state and local communities, the office said in the statement. Videos released under court order provide a chilling new look at the chaos at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, including body camera footage that shows a man charging at a police officer with a flagpole and tackling him to the ground. Federal judges ordered the release of the videos after media organizations, including The Associated Press, went to court to request that the Department of Justice provide access. The videos are being presented as evidence in prosecutors cases against three men charged with assaulting police. The new videos show a Marine Corps veteran and former New York City police officer wielding a flagpole as he attacks police, as well as rioters crushing another officer into a door as he screams in pain. Still another video shows a New Jersey man punching an officer in the head. The release comes at a time when Republican lawmakers in Washington increasingly try to downplay the siege, portraying the breach of the Capitol as a mostly peaceful protest despite the shocking violence that unfolded. Supporters of former President Donald Trump fought past police lines to storm the building and interrupt the certification of President Joe Bidens election win over Trump. The Justice Department has brought hundreds of criminal cases against the rioters. This week, a man linked to the antigovernment Three Percenters extremist movement was indicted on a new charge that he brought a semi-automatic handgun with him to the Capitol. Body camera video released in the case against former New York City policeman Thomas Webster shows the man holding a flagpole and shouting profanities at officers standing behind a metal barricade. Webster pushes the barricade and swings toward an officer with the flagpole. There's a violent scuffle, the officer manages to take the flagpole away from the man, and Webster appears to tackle the officer to the ground. Other images in court documents show Webster pinning the officer to the ground and grabbing at his face. Webster's lawyer wrote in court documents seeking his release from jail while he awaits trial that his client got upset when he saw police using pepper spray on the crowd. The lawyer, James Monroe, wrote that as a former U.S. Marine and a member of law enforcement, defendant's moral instinct was to protect the innocent. Monroe said the officer provoked Webster by reaching across the barrier and punching him. The lawyer says Webster never actually struck the officer with the flagpole. Other footage released in the case against Patrick McCaughey III, a Connecticut man charged with assault, show police wearing helmets and face shields gathered in a Capitol doorway as the crowd pushes aggressively forward and shouts at them. At one point, Daniel Hodges of Washington's Metropolitan Police Department gets pinned against a door and a rioter rips off his mask. The mob shouts heave ho" as it pushes forward. Hodges, whose mouth appears bloody, cries out as he's crushed between a riot shield and the door. McCaughey at one point points to Hodges and says he's hurt," seemingly trying to alert the other officers. Hodges has recovered from his injuries. An email seeking comment was sent to an attorney for McCaughey. Democrats used the video of Hodges, which had been previously obtained by some media outlets, in their impeachment case against Trump accusing him of inciting the insurrection. The House impeached him the second of his presidency a week after the riot for telling his supporters that morning to fight like hell to overturn his defeat. The Senate acquitted him weeks later. Footage released in a third case shows a man identified as Scott Fairlamb and others yelling at police as the officers walk through the crowd outside the Capitol. Fairlamb then shoves an officer and punches at his head, hitting his face shield. An email seeking comment was sent to Fairlamb's attorney. Court documents filed this week also show another man, Guy Reffitt of Texas, has been indicted on new charges that he brought a rifle and handgun to Washington and carried the handgun onto Capitol grounds. He was arrested in January and previously pleaded not guilty to charges including obstruction of an official proceeding. Reffitt's wife told authorities he's a member of a Three Percenters group, according to court documents. Prosecutors say Reffitt led a group of rioters up the Capitol steps and was stopped only after officers used pepper balls, impact projectiles and pepper spray. An email seeking comment was sent to Reffitt's attorney on Friday. More than 480 people are facing federal charges in the riot. Four have pleaded guilty so far, including a member of the Oath Keepers extremist group who has agreed to cooperate with investigators. A 49-year-old Indiana grandmother is expected next week to become the first Jan. 6 person to be sentenced. Anna Morgan Lloyd is pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge for entering the Capitol. Prosecutors are asking for a sentence of probation with community service and $500 in restitution. After the riot, Morgan Lloyd described it on Facebook as the "most exciting day of my life, according to prosecutors. She wrote in a letter to the judge filed in court that she didn't see any violence at the Capitol and was shocked when she returned to her hotel and saw the news coverage. "At first it didnt dawn on me, but later I realized that if every person like me, who wasnt violent, was removed from that crowd, the ones who were violent may have lost the nerve to do what they did. For that I am sorry and take responsibility," she wrote. The powerful video footage was made public as Senate Republicans have blocked a bipartisan inquiry into the insurrection and as an increasing number of House Republicans have defended the rioters and played down the violence of the day. At a House Oversight and Reform hearing Tuesday, several Republicans questioned Democrats efforts to examine the attack and said they should instead be focused on issues like border security or COVID-19 restrictions. Wisconsin Rep. Glenn Grothman grilled FBI Director Christopher Wray on whether some of those who were arrested for illegally entering the Capitol were in fact innocent. Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar repeated his arguments that a Trump supporter who was shot and killed by police while breaking into the House chamber, Ashli Babbitt, was executed. At a hearing last month, GOP Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia said one video feed of the rioters looked like they were on a normal tourist visit. Also Tuesday, 21 House Republicans voted against giving congressional medals of honor to Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police to thank them for their service that day. Dozens of those officers suffered injuries, including chemical burns, brain injuries and broken bones as the rioters overran them and broke into the building. ____ Associated Press reporter Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report from Washington. While the grownups squabble over classroom curriculum regarding race, they might consider letting the kids take over the lesson plan. Its the issue everyone has an opinion on, many pretend they dont and few want to share. Since the surge of the Black Lives Matter movement and confusion over Critical Race Theory, I hear a lot of opinions from readers most of which they dont want to publish. Thankfully, there are some brave voices out there and they belong to teenagers. Ive been one of the judges for Greenwichs Defining Diversity Contest since 2014, so I already knew this about students. This year, though, I was more impressed than ever as they walked along that third rail with bravado. The contest, now named in honor of my fellow columnist Alma Rutgers, is framed by the words of Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, who advised that we ensure that this ache wasnt endured in vain. Do not ignore the pain. Give it purpose. Use it. How would you tackle this assignment? Reflect on (Gormans) words and the events of 2020. Consider your personal experiences, the current social, political, and/or environmental conditions that exist in your community, your town, your country, and your world. How are you giving purpose to the ache that you have experienced and/or have been experienced by so many? How do you know that it has not been endured in vain? Please demonstrate your broad understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion. In past years, entries were limited to the written word. This year, students were welcome to submit art or multimedia presentations. Unlike many adults, these students dont flinch from considering and presenting bold ideas. Greenwich High School sophomore Jenny Larevoy won first place in the writing competition by using poetry to summon the ghosts of Trayvon Martin, Daniel Prude, George Floyd and others, along with activities related to their senseless deaths (Fear to jog. Ahmuad Arbery, 25). Freedom doesnt mean equality/Just as/Progress does not equal justice. At the end of her list, she presents the reader with a simple, provocative challenge: Say their names. Judge for yourself. See all the entries in the 2021 Alma Rutgers Defining Diversity Contest at ywcagreenwich.org. The 2021 Alma Rutgers Defining Diversity Contest - YWCA - Greenwich (ywcagreenwich.org) See More Collapse Another GHS sophomore, Jamie Smith, took the top prize in the art competition with what could be a companion piece to Jennys poem. Jamie doesnt just dare the audience to ponder such names, but to gaze into their eyes in 20 portraits that further humanize each victim. Some are not much older than these students. One, Tamir Rice, was 12. The work that resonated with me was the multimedia winner, a podcast hosted by Sacred Heart Greenwich sophomores Advika Dushyanth and Jhonni Dixon and featuring several students of color. Its a relatively brief podcast, less than 24 minutes long, but offers listeners a fly-on-the-wall perspective from teens comparing notes about their experiences in the classroom. They share emotional bruises like the shark hunters in Jaws showing off scars, sometimes laughing off (sometimes not) microaggressions from peers and educators that left a mark. One speaks of her natural hair being a large part of my identity, yet she straightened it in the wake of comments. The words are sometimes difficult to hear, all the more reason they should not be ignored. Teachers dont know how to react to me. Which is difficult to feel like Im a difficult topic. Others compare notes about being mistaken for one another. Or being stared at by peers when discussions on issues such as slavery are raised. One shares an anecdote about a teacher warning her to brace for the next days discussion about To Kill a Mockingbird while she was the only girl of color in her eighth-grade class. In the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, one student raised the issue of racial discrepancies in how the rioters were treated. She was dismissed by her teacher. Its invalidating. A boy of Colombian descent reflects on routinely being referred to as Mexican, and being called a border hopper. Students from Sacred Heart talk about the dearth of diversity among the teacher ranks. I dont think Ive ever had a teacher of color ever, one student says. Parents, teachers, school board members and superintendents all seem to be in a scrum battling over how to address issues of race in the classroom. Meanwhile, these students marvel at their teachers reluctance to seize the BLM moment and engage them. In this safe space among peers, they dont hold back. Its a taboo topic. Even in a history class you think its a topic you would talk about ... no one talked about it. And then, one voices a sad reality: I think at this point its the students who have to do it. Readers I hear from seem to characterize students in one of two boxes one marked fragile and the other resilient. They can be both. And Im left to consider the grownups and wonder if that emotional resiliency erodes, like the human body losing flexibility with passing time. John Breunig is editorial page editor of the Stamford Advocate and Greenwich Time. jbreunig@scni.com; twitter.com/johnbreunig. WARSAW, Poland (AP) The largest gay pride parade in central Europe took place again in Warsaw on Saturday for the first time in two years after a pandemic-induced break and amid a backlash in Poland and Hungary against LGBT rights. The year's Equality Parade came 20 years since the event was first held in the Polish capital. It was banned twice in its early years by a conservative mayor who feared it would promote homosexuality and last year it was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski walked at the head of the parade in a sign of support for LGBT rights, joining thousands who were cheered on by others waving rainbow flags from apartment balconies and sidewalk cafes. But that level of acceptance is not universal in Poland, a heavily Catholic, largely conservative nation. The joyful and colorful celebration was tinged with fear of what the future holds for the rights of gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people after setbacks first in Russia and now in Hungary. The day of the parade is always a bittersweet moment for our community," said Rafal Wojtczak, a spokesman for the organizers. He described feelings of sadness and helplessness that LGBT people have not achieved rights liked same-sex partnership or marriage in Poland, while also facing new threats. The parade comes only days after Hungary's parliament passed a law that makes it illegal to show any materials about LGBT issues to people under 18. Hungary's conservative ruling party portrayed the law as an effort to fight pedophilia. But human rights groups say it will stigmatize LGBT people and prevent youth from accessing critical information. Poland's populist ruling party has taken a political direction very similar to that of Hungary under Prime Minister Viktor Orban, pushing conservative policies and tightening ruling party control over courts and media. The European Union has criticized both nations, accusing them of eroding democratic norms. One prominent Polish activist, Bart Staszewski, carried a Hungarian flag in Saturday's march, saying it was a message to the EU to defend LGBT people because he fears that Poland will be next. Among those who participated was Misza Czerniak, a 37-year-old musician who was born in Russia and emigrated to Poland 10 years ago in part to flee the homophobia there. Czerniak said the recent scapegoating of LGBT people by Polish officials feels reminiscent of Russia, in particular local anti-LGBT resolutions that create an atmosphere of hate, suspicion and fear. The right-wing turn has made Poland feel much closer to my country of origin than I would have liked. It made me question why I moved here, he said. Ambassadors and other diplomats from 14 embassies in Warsaw also took part, including the U.S. charge d'affaires Bix Aliu, who tweeted Let's choose love not hate. A year ago, the Polish LGBT community faced a backlash from ruling conservative politicians, local communities and the church. In his successful bid for reelection against a challenge from Trzaskowski, President Andrzej Duda declared that LGBT is not people; it's an ideology while also claiming that it was even more destructive than communism. A Polish archbishop warned of a rainbow plague. And dozens of local communities in Poland passed resolutions against "LGBT ideology, claiming to protect traditional families. The resolutions were strongly denounced by EU officials and a handful have been rescinded. Weve been through a very, very rough time. But at the same time, we are going out in the streets and we are saying we are stronger and we are not going to give up, said Miroslawa Makuchowska, vice director of Campaign Against Homophobia. A few days ago, OnePlus CEO Mr. Pete Lau announced the company's decision to "further integrate" with Oppo to "be more efficient" and bring "faster and more stable software updates" for its users. And even though Mr. Lau said that OnePlus "will continue to operate independently", there are still some unanswered questions, one of them revolving around the use of custom Android skin on the company's smartphones. Global versions of OnePlus smartphones run OxygenOS, while the Chinese models ran HydrogenOS before it was replaced by Oppo's ColorOS. Thus, OnePlus customers were concerned if OxygenOS will eventually be replaced with ColorOS due to the company's deeper integration with Oppo. While Mr. Lau confirmed that "OxygenOS will remain the operating system for global OnePlus devices outside of the China market", instead of clearing the air further by interacting with customers and media alike, an internal memo leaked by Evan Blass reveals OnePlus has asked its employees to not reply "to any OS or ColorOS questions that target the integration announcement" and instructed them to give the following response to the queries: We currently do not have any updates regarding the operating systems. Please stay tuned to our official channels. That raises eyebrows because if OxygenOS isn't going anywhere, OnePlus should've asked its employees to communicate the same instead of asking them to provide vague responses to OS-related questions. But since the company CEO has already confirmed that OxygenOS is here to stay, this could be a case of internal miscommunication. That said, the memo also includes responses to questions about OnePlus' relationship with Oppo, the fate of its current product lines, Mr. Lau's role in the organization, future product strategy, and more. You can check out the leaked memo's image below or click here if it is not clearly visible on your device. Leaked OnePlus memo Source Travels with Two Sisters is a series of adventures in Arizona with Green Valley residents Marie Midge Lemay and Suzanne Sue Poirier. For more discoveries, check out their first three books: One Mile at a Time, A Gypsy in Our Souls, and Connecting Dots. Haiti - FLASH : The Haiti Caucus in Congress, calls for vaccines for Haiti at the White House The Co-Chairs of the Congressional Haiti Caucus, Representatives Val Demings, Andy Levin, Yvette D. Clarke and Ayanna Pressley sent a letter to the White House addressed to Jeffrey Zients COVID-19 Recovery Team Coordinator, calling him for an immediate acceleration of the distribution of excess vaccines in Haiti, which so far "...has not been able to administer a single dose of any approved vaccines." Letter from the Representatives of the Congressional Haiti Caucus: : "Dear Mr. Zients, Thank you for your leadership in combatting the global COVID-19 pandemic. We are especially appreciative of your efforts to increase vaccine access through the Strategy for Global Vaccine Sharing. As the Co-Chairs of the Congressional Haiti Caucus, we respectfully request that the Administration exercise all authorities to facilitate the expedited donation of the COVID-19 vaccine to the Republic of Haiti. While Haiti did not experience widespread infections last year, COVID-19 has surged in the last several months. The New York Timesreported on June 13,2021that the average number of new cases has doubled in the past two weeks to 153a day, a figure that many health experts believe is just a fraction of actual cases. Hospitals and the public health infrastructure have been quickly overwhelmedand many,like St. Luke Hospital in Port-au-Prince, have been forced to turn away patients. Despite the sharp increase in cases, the Haitian government has not been able to administer asingle dose of any approved vaccines. We greatly appreciate the Administrations allocation of COVID-19 vaccines for Haiti butremain concerned that the donations will not arrive in time to prevent further illness among priority populations,including health workers. Indeed, the United Nations Vaccine Market Dashboard has no scheduled COVID-19 vaccine deliveries to Haiti from COVAX or any other source. The urgent need for vaccines in Haiti demands that our government use all authorities and flexibilities available under the law. We additionally call on the Administration to work with medical experts who have established relationships with the Haitian Ministry of Health and non-governmental organizations, including colleges and universities,to immediately allocate and distribute COVID-19 vaccines directly. Under your leadership, the United States has made progress towards endingthe pandemic that would have been inconceivable months ago. We respectfully request that we continue this mission and provide immediate assistance to our close neighbor, the Republic of Haiti. Sincerely, VAL DEMINGS Member of Congress ANDY LEVIN Member of Congress YVETTE D. CLARKE Member of Congress AYANNA PRESSLEY Member of Congress" HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Environment : 11 Million Euros from France, to support biodiversity in Haiti This week the Ambassador of France in Haiti, Jose Gomez accredited in Haiti signed several memoranda of partnership agreements for a total amount of 11 million Euros to support the biodiversity sector in Haiti (announced in February 2021 https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-33066-icihaiti-france-11-million-euros-for-the-haitian-fund-for-biodiversity.html ) This project supported by the French Development Agency (AFD) aims to endow the Haitian Fund for Biodiversity (FHB) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27834-haiti-environment-creation-of-a-haitian-fund-for-biodiversity.html a sustainable financing capacity for conservation, mainly in the country's protected areas, which will improve the living conditions of the communities that depend on them. The program is structured around 2 components: The establishment of an endowment fund (10 million euros). This endowment fund will be managed by the regional fund Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF), which already manages funds provided by the World Bank and KFW https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-28117-haiti-environment-$10-million-in-aid-from-germany.html, for the benefit of the FHB. The annual interest generated is paid to the FHB for the benefit of conservation projects. Technical and institutional support for the FHB (1 million euros), in order to provide it with tools, studies and resources in order to strengthen its operation and the National Air System Protected (SNAP). The FHB is the contracting authority for the project. Remember that the Caribbean is considered a global "hot spot" for biodiversity. In Haiti, 36% of 5,000 plants and 75% of 2,000 vertebrate species are endemic. This rich and unique biodiversity is found above all in protected areas. Haiti has 31, all of which are inhabited by communities that derive their livelihood from them. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33888-haiti-environment-deforestation-rate-on-the-rise-in-the-country.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-33066-icihaiti-france-11-million-euros-for-the-haitian-fund-for-biodiversity.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-28117-haiti-environment-$10-million-in-aid-from-germany.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27834-haiti-environment-creation-of-a-haitian-fund-for-biodiversity.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-33066-icihaiti-france-11-million-euros-for-the-haitian-fund-for-biodiversity.html HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - NOTICE : Residences Par Quatre Chemins call for applications Offered by the 4 Chemins Association (A4C), "Par Quatre Chemins" is a residency program dedicated to artistic research in Haiti. It is about offering innovative designers from all walks of life to spend precious time developing their creations in the country's interior cities. With this program, A4C aims on the one hand to support artists from the earliest stages of their creative ideas, but above all to the effective decentralization of cultural activities confined to Port-au-Prince. The disciplines concerned include the performing arts, visual arts, transdisciplinary arts, etc... The end of the stay leads to a public presentation of the artist's work with his trainees. The length of stay is one month. The winners will be awarded a flat-rate living allowance of the Gourdes equivalent of US $ 1,000. No age limit is required. Eligibility criteria : Apply as an individual; Be a creator in a discipline of performing and / or visual arts, or transdisciplinary, etc ...; Have an artistic project related to an interior city of Haiti Justify several years (at least 3 years) of professional practice; Be released from their professional activity during the entire residency; Application file : Artists should send their application files to the email address : festivalquatrechemins@gmail.com Applicants must submit a detailed application covering the following points : A precise description of the project indicating the specific objectives of the stay in relation to a given city. The period of the residency desired by the artist must be indicated between August and October; A short CV; An artistic file (photo, audio, video CD, or documents by email); The project and the CV must be written in French and / or Creole. Funding, support and terms : The winner will receive 80% of his living allowance upon departure from his residence. The balance will be paid to him upon return, upon receipt of the original supporting documents for the costs associated with the residence, as well as a report of the stay which must be submitted within two months of the return. Any reduction in the length of stay will result in a deduction in proportion to the number of days actually worked on site. Payments will only be made once the administrative procedures have been settled with the Association Quatre Chemins. The subsistence allowance awarded to the winner is fixed and final. All costs and expenses incurred outside of this allowance remain the responsibility of the winner. Under no circumstances can the stay be split. If, for personal or professional reasons, the winner could not maintain his stay during the current year, it could in no case be postponed to the following year. The winners are required to cover their transport as well as insurance. They will be held responsible for any damage that may result from the execution of their program of stay. It is recognized that the program may make changes if circumstances require. In this case, the winners will be formally informed without prejudice to the objectives pursued. Calendar : June 30, 2021 : closing of applications July 20, 2021 : results announcement August 2021 : start of residencies November 2021 : Window on the restitution of residency at the Festival Quatre Chemins. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... Digicel victim of sabotage We are facing a triple fiber optic cut (sabotage) in Cap Haitien which affects the internet service in Cap and also in Gonaives and St Marc. The repairs are already underway and we hope to restore service in the next few hours," said Maarten Boute CEO of Digicel on Friday afternoon. Elections : Almost general consensus in the Security Council "There is a consensus at the level of the UN Security Council that a general election is needed in Haiti https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34007-haiti-diplomacy-china-blocks-an-us-resolution-on-haiti.html that it takes a political agreement to get the country out of the impasse, so the Government is committed and awaits the opposition for this agreement. The elections will take place in 2021 argues Mathias Pierre Minister Delegate in charge of Electoral Matters back from New York. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34006-haiti-insecurity-situation-in-haiti-un-report.html Looting of the warehouses of the Ti Tony Market On Friday, June 18, twenty-four hours after the shooting death of a police officer from the Departmental Unit for Maintenance of Order (UDMO) in Delmas 6, the warehouses of Marche Ti Tony (Carrefour Hasco) were looted. The Fete de la musique Forbidden Due to the state of health emergency, throughout the national territory, leading to a decision on June 5 by the Ministry of Culture banning all cultural or leisure activities; this year, the Fete de la musique which takes place on June 21, is forbidden in the same logic of the fight against the spread of covid-19 and its variants (Alpha and Gamma) across the country. Pradel Henriquez, the Minister of Culture morally encourages our artists in all spontaneous and personal initiatives, preferably virtual. Referendum : All materials are in Haiti Friday, June 18, 2021, sensitive materials for the West Department arrived this Friday. This last shipment completes the sensitive and non-sensitive materials necessary for carrying out the Constitutional referendum. Grand'Anse : Change of Departmental Director A change in the Haitian National Police, the Divisional Commissioner Jean Louis Paul Menard replaces Ralph Dominique as the new Departmental Director of Police in Grand'Anse. HL/ HaitiLibre By William Schwartz | Published on 2021/06/18 Director Sun Hee Engelstoft is a Korean adoptee who was raised in Denmark. Sun Hee Engelstoft doesn't resent her Danish parents- to the contrary, the closing subtitles dedicate the whole of "Forget Me Not - A Letter to My Mother" to them. Nevertheless, Sun Hee Engelstoft lives with a constant sense of longing and curiousity regarding her birth mother. Who was she? Why did she give her daughter up? To find an answer, Sun Hee Engelstoft got permission to film at the Aesuhwon Sister's Heights home for unwed mothers on Jeju Island. Advertisement In contrast to much rhetoric regarding adoption as a social issue in South Korea, Sun Hee Engelstoft does not make any attempt to explain or understand South Korean culture in her documentary. It's a wise decision, that puts the entirity of the focus on the often brutal conversations she has with the anonymous young mothers. The main feeling that resonates through these discussions is one of hope. They want a better life for their children. But in a bewildering twist, most of them do not want to give up their children for adoption. Quite a few of them actually have supportive boyfriends, or at least boyfriends who try to be supportive. So why is it that nearly all of them opt for adoption? As seen by Sun Hee Engelstoft, it's not a matter of personal will. One attempts to write down the positives of adoption versus raising a child herself and fails to come up with anything. What happens is that the young women are simply bullied into the decision by their parents. They see early pregnancy as inherently destructive to the life of a young adult. There's something bitterly dark about how these parents are convinced that a good education and job bring happiness- and how their daughters are unimpressed by this amorphous dream of nothing. They want to love. They want to be loved. They want to have a purpose. That Sun Hee Engelstoft herself doesn't seem to grasp these implications of late capitalist despair just makes these moments that much more sharp and cutting. One negotiation involves a young woman's stepfather proposing he adopt her baby as his own illegitimate child. The social logic at play is preposterous in its sensibility. A pregnant stepdaughter is something to be ashamed of. But a secret mistress, well, that just proves that he's rich. It would be all too easy to turn these into polemics on South Korean culture and patriarchy and I greatly appreciated how Sun Hee Engelstoft didn't do that. She just helplessly asks why, sometimes quite literally, in terms of her own pain as an abandoned child contemplating that shared fate with her mother. It's raw, harsh, unharnessed feeling. I didn't blame Sun Hee Engelstoft for breaking into tears at her own press screening. I doubt very many adoptees or their birth mothers could even tolerate the emotional agony of the documentary's brief eighty-six minute runtime, let alone the years Sun Hee Engelstoft spent filming it. Review by William Schwartz ___________ "Forget Me Not - A Letter to My Mother" is directed by Sun Hee Engelstoft. Release date in Korea: 2021/06/03. Where to Watch Vimeo On Demand Korean Movie | 2014 Mystery Thriller Directed by Yoon Yeo-chang () Written by Jeong Tae-seong () 91min | Release date in South Korea: 2014/09/25 Formerly known as "Cutie" (, i-bbeun-i) Synopsis "Someone's always watching me but people don't believe me when I say there's someone there" Psychiatrist Joon-sang is a well-known doctor. He is level-headed with his patients, but he's got a painful past. He'd witnessed his wife kill herself because she was raped. He'd suffered insomnia along with guilt and sadness until a beautiful girl Ji-soo comes along. She tells him every man who's loved her died and that someone was watching her. She seduces Joon-sang. A detective suspects Ji-soo to be involved with a recent murder case and asks Joon-sang for her medical records... Falling in love with something dangerous and the end of which is unknown! Source We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Submit Editor: With the Fourth of July coming up, I reminisce about our countrys true an Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. Pennsylvanias largest pension fund is at the center of an equally large scandal, complete with an FBI investigation, a lawsuit, boardroom rebellions, and tons of money. The Public School Employees Retirement System, or PSERS, saga is sprawling and complicated. Heres a quick rundown of what you need to know and why you should care. What is it? PSERS is a public school employee retirement fund with some 500,000 members, about half of them public school teachers, and some $64 billion in assets. Why does it exist? Pensions and the promise of post-retirement income are intended to attract talented professionals to the states public schools and retain them. Making sure the fund keeps that promise falls to PSERS investment managers and the funds 15-member board. Whats the problem? In December, PSERS board learned that yearly investment returns had averaged 6.38% over the last nine years just high enough to avoid a state-mandated hike in contributions paid by newer employees.The bad news came three months later when the funds board admitted it endorsed an inflated number for those returns, a mistake it blamed on a data error. Higher contribution rates for 94,000 public school employees, each hired in 2011 or after, were approved by the board in April and are set to take effect in July. If the higher rates dont take effect as planned, a possibility outlined by state Sen. Pat Browne (R., Lehigh) in April, taxpayers will be on the hook or should I say more on the hook. Thats because a $40 billion gap between the money PSERS actually has on hand and what it actually needs to finance retirement promises is also being bankrolled by John Q. Public. If you want a deep dive on how the system went from well-funded in 2000 to extremely underfunded in 2021, read this. In short, state lawmakers approved higher pension benefits without more funding to prop up the system. That led the fund to pursue higher-paying, riskier investments via expensive consultants promising better odds. Why is the FBI involved? The FBI probe was revealed soon after the faulty math mentioned above, but its unclear if the two are directly related. What is clear, thanks to reporting by Spotlight PA and The Inquirer, is that federal investigators are very much following the money, specifically looking for evidence of kickbacks or bribery with fund investments. Theyre also probing PSERS real estate purchases near its Harrisburg headquarters and that December vote in which the board approved those inflated returns. The former focus comes after an official disclosure form to the IRS said PSERS top investment staff were also being paid by a firm hired to manage its real estate in Harrisburg. When Spotlight PA and The Inquirer began asking questions about the arrangement, PSERS said the disclosure was poorly worded and that replacements have been filed with the IRS. Is that everything? Not by a longshot. Earlier this month, board members led by State Treasurer Stacy Garrity pushed to oust the funds two top leaders, citing the ongoing legal scandal and an avalanche of management mistakes. Board member and state Sen. Katie Muth (D., Montgomery) signed on and filed a lawsuit in a separate bid to get financial documents she says agency officials have refused to release. The push to oust the leaders failed, but scrutiny of the fund one with a reputation for largesse, high-paid executives, and little transparency continues. WHILE YOURE HERE... If you learned something from this story, pay it forward and become a member of Spotlight PA so someone else can in the future at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. Gov. Andy Beshear announced on June 11 that he has rescinded many of Kentuckys COVID-19 mandates and restrictions, declaring that although COVID-19 is still a threat, the state of Kentucky is no longer in crisis. Beshear gave his last COVID-19 media briefing on June 11, and he announced an end to the majority of statewide COVID-19 restrictions. Beshear thanked Kentuckians for their hard work and sacrifices in order to save countless lives, but he also emphasized that COVID-19 has not gone away and it still remains a threat, despite many of the restrictions being rescinded. Today, we are lifting the final restrictions put in place to keep our people safe during this once-in-a-lifetime global pandemic, Beshear said. COVID-19 remains deadly. Our war against it is not yet won. But after more than 15 months of struggle and sacrifice, we can also say this: While COVID-19 remains a threat, we are no longer in crisis. On June 11, Beshear announced that he has rescinded Kentuckys statewide mask mandate in most settings, except for certain high-risk settings identified by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which include public transit, long-term care facilities and health care facilities. The mask mandate for vaccinated Kentuckians has been lifted since May 13, apart from those high-risk settings. Beshear also ended capacity limits for restaurants, bars and other public venues. Masks are also still recommended for people in correctional facilities or homeless shelters and people who are immunocompromised, are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 or have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 10 days. On June 11, the Kentucky Department of Education also rescinded its Healthy at School guidance and will no longer mandate the use of cloth face coverings and social distancing measures. School districts may, at their discretion, continue to implement appropriate mitigation strategies that align with guidance from the CDC as they work to respond to changing local conditions, according to KDE. Individuals who choose to wear a mask as a matter of personal preference or comfort should be allowed to continue to do so. The Kentucky Department for Public Health recommends, but does not require, that schools continue to follow CDC guidance. According to KDE, the CDC will update its guidance for the 2021-22 school year in the coming weeks. KDE will review other guidance documents the agency has issued related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and issue appropriate changes in the coming weeks. Updated guidance can be used to inform school planning for the 2021-22 academic year. In addition, the previous requirement from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services regarding school COVID-19 positivity reporting is no longer in effect. Beshear said on June 11 that he was able to make these changes safely because more Kentuckians continue to receive one of the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines. More than 2.1 million Kentuckians have received at least their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, as of June 11, and everyone 12 years old or older is eligible for the vaccine. Beshear said that he would not yet end Kentuckys state of emergency, though, because major programs, grants and executive orders that continue to help Kentuckians impacted by COVID-19 would be at risk if it were not still in place, including a $96 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for vaccine distribution and administration. Dr. Steven Stack, Kentucky Public Health Commissioner, said that the proof of the vaccines effectiveness is in the data. Since January 2021, the number of COVID-19 cases has declined by about 93 percent since January 2021, the states number of deaths occurring each week due to COVID-19 has declined by 95 percent since January 2021 and the states number of hospitalizations due to COVID-19 has declined by about 83 percent, according to statewide COVID-19 reporting data. We would not be here today were it not for the collective effort of so many Kentuckians, Dr. Stack said. While I wish it werent for this reason, its been the privilege of a lifetime to come into Kentuckians lives and to serve with the team at the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, as well as with local health departments across the state. Thank you, Team Kentucky, and heres to a better summer ahead. Kentuckians 18 years old or older who have been vaccinated for COVID-19 can sign up for three chances to win $1 million dollars. Those 12 to 17 years old can sign up for 15 chances to win a full scholarship to any Kentucky public college, university technical or trade school. Winners will be announced Friday, July 2; Friday, July 30; and Friday, Aug. 27. To enter the drawings and for more information, visit, ShotAtAMillion.ky.gov. During his last briefing on June 11, Beshear thanked American Sign Language interpreter Virginia Moore, Dr. Stack and CHFS Secretary Eric Friedlander for being close partners in the states fight against COVID-19. He also recognized the families of 7,147 Kentuckians who died from COVID-19 and said that for them, the pain and sadness of the COVID-19 pandemic will never go away. However, he said that those Kentuckians who died from COVID-19 will never be forgotten. Reading the ages and counties of the dead, almost daily, is the hardest thing I have ever done, Beshear said. We are in the process of developing a permanent monument that will replace that sea of flags on the Capitol lawn representing every Kentuckian lost to COVID-19, which I hope will inspire generations of future leaders to think about these Kentuckians, these families and the challenges of these times. He said that Team Kentucky has gotten through the hardships and grief of the past 15 months together, and now can begin the work of building a better Kentucky for all. We know that our actions saved thousands, likely tens of thousands of lives, Beshear said. Ive never felt more pride in our commonwealth and our people than knowing how we did this for one another. We're a family of seven living in Georgia where Andrew's working as a professor at GSU. You can read more about us here News featured 'Thomas Edisons Secret Lab' exhibit brings the STEM world to the Children's Museum of Atlanta Special Photo The new exhibit at the Childrens Museum of Atlanta is Thomas Edisons Secret Lab based on the hit childrens show. The exhibit is on display through Sept. 7. The new exhibit at the Childrens Museum of Atlanta is Thomas Edisons Secret Lab based on the hit childrens show. The exhibit is on display through Sept. 7. Immersing little ones in the wonders of science, (this exhibit) offers captivating, hands-on experiences that introduce kids to the world of STEM, engages them in the scientific process and highlights some of the most inspiring, renowned scientists and innovators alongside their groundbreaking discoveries, Childrens Museum of Atlanta officials said. Special Photo The new exhibit at the Childrens Museum of Atlanta teaches children about forces, the six simple machines, chemistry and material science. Special Photos The new exhibit at the Childrens Museum of Atlanta teaches children about forces, the six simple machines, chemistry and material science. Special Photo The new exhibit at the Children's Museum of Atlanta teaches children about forces, the six simple machines, chemistry and material science. Special Photo The new exhibit at the Childrens Museum of Atlanta teaches children about forces, the six simple machines, chemistry and material science. School may be out, but there are plenty of learning experiences for youngsters this summer at the Childrens Museum of Atlanta. The featured exhibit at the museum, which is operating on two-hour sessions and limited capacity, is Thomas Edisons Secret Lab based on the hit childrens show. Presented and produced by Genius Brands International and The Betty Brinn Childrens Museum, the exhibit teaches children about forces, the six simple machines, chemistry and material science. The exhibit is on display through Sept. 7. Immersing little ones in the wonders of science, (this exhibit) offers captivating, hands-on experiences that introduce kids to the world of STEM, engages them in the scientific process and highlights some of the most inspiring, renowned scientists and innovators alongside their groundbreaking discoveries, Childrens Museum of Atlanta officials said. In this science-centric exhibit, guests can: Discover invisible forces that seem more like magic than science. Experiment with electricity, magnetism, optics, sound waves, air pressure and fun physics laws. Manipulate the classic six simple machines designed by Renaissance scientists to make work easier the lever, inclined plane, pulley, screw, wedge, and wheel and axle with interactive activities that illustrate math and physics. Explore chemistry by studying a giant hands-on periodic table of elements, discovering the way raw elements are put to work. Investigate materials science, discover how natural and human-made substances are used and learn more about scientific properties. A touch-screen design challenge and document findings will be available at the blogging station. The museum is following enhanced health and safety measures, including requiring face coverings for all staff members and guests over the age of 2. There are deep cleanings between each session and cleaning of high touchpoints during sessions. There are also hand-sanitizing stations throughout the museum. A full list of health enhancements can be found on the museum website. Free access for current print subscribers As a home delivery subscriber, you get free unlimited digital access to premium content on HenryHerald.com, including local news, local sports, obituaries, legal notices, local features, and the e-edition. All you need is your print subscription account number and your last name. Don't know your subscription number? Email access@henryherald.com with your delivery address. Activate your account now. Note: We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email customercare@heraldandnews.com for help creating one. Mrs. Beverly Joan Thompson, age 83, of Estill Springs, TN passed from this life on Monday, June 28, 2021, at Life Care Center of Tullahoma. Beverly was born on January 02, 1938, to the late Harry and Olga Skinner in Dayton Ohio. She enjoyed sewing and was deeply passionate about animals wher Greenville, TX (75401) Today Thunderstorms likely this morning. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High 87F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight An isolated thunderstorm possible this evening, then occasional showers overnight. Low 71F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Support local journalism We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story. Provo, UT (84601) Today Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 91F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Demand of Hindu Rashtra should be made in a Constitutional manner for Hindus to live with self-respect ! Sunil Ghanavat, State Coordinator Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, HJS Mumbai : Pakistan and Bangladesh accepted Islamic Rule after partition, based on the religion followed by the majority of their population. In Bharat, however, Hindus were ignored and a secular rule was set up. After independence, interests of the minority population were well looked after in Bharat and Hindus were always suppressed. A virus called secularism was developed amongst Hindus and non-Hindus were given full freedom to follow their own religion. As a result, Hindus are going to be a minority population in 9 States of Bharat and if such things continue, Hindus will have no place in the whole world to take refuge. To avoid this from happening and to stop attacks on Hindus so that they can live with self-respect, we should demand Hindu Rashtra in a constitutional manner. The above appeal was made by Shri. Sunil Ghanavat, the State Coordinator of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) for Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh during a lecture organized online by Sanatan Sanstha and HJS on the topic of leading stress-free life and need for Hindu Rashtra. The online lecture was recently held for patriotic citizens and jidnyasus from Mumbai, Thane, Raigad districts of Maharashtra and Gujarat State. Dr. (Mrs.) Sayali Yadav, a seeker of Sanatan Sanstha spoke on the topic of the need for Dharmacharan for leading a happy life. Shri. Balwant Pathak of HJS introduced to the participants various activities undertaken by Sanatan Sanstha and HJS. Sanatan Sanstha and HJS conduct online Dharmashikshan classes for free. Dr. (Mrs.) Sayali Yadav made an appeal to the participating patriotic citizens to join these classes. Hindu Rashtra is the only alternative to improve the pathetic condition of education ! Sunil Ghanavat There has been systematic distortion of Hindus history, Dharma and education system under the guise of secularism after independence of Bharat so as to deprive Hindus of following their Dharma and of Gurukul education system. Under the secular governance, Quran is taught in madrasas and Bible is taught in convent schools but secularists make a noise about saffronization of education when Bhagavat Geeta is taught in schools and colleges. Hindu Rashtra is therefore the only alternative to bring about change in such a pathetic condition. Dharmacharan is necessary for leading a happy life ! Dr. (Mrs.) Sayali Yadav, Sanatan Sanstha Many Saints, visionaries and astrologers have warned that the forthcoming period is going to be terrible. We are already facing Corona pandemic, cyclones, floods, earthquakes, explosion of volcanoes and increasing tension between different countries. This is the period of crisis. The third world war will be the biggest disaster. If a king is not righteous, his subjects also dont abide by Dharma and it creates a crisis. This is written in a holy book named Kaushik-paddhati; whereas abiding by Dharma leads to happiness, peace and success; thus, welfare of everyone. The daily chores like puja chanting, knowing the science behind celebrating various religious festivals, following customs and traditions in families etc is known as Dharmacharan. Dharmacharan means undertaking spiritual practice on a daily basis as it reduces stress in life and gives happiness; besides, Dharma protects those who try to protect Dharma. Please be aware that Cache Valley Publishing does not endorse, and is not responsible for alleged employment offers in the comments. Recommended for you One freak accident in a wild animal park took the life of a zookeeper, who was caught and severely assaulted by a big cat. Electrified fences prevent big cats from escaping their cages, but the power went down in one cage that housed a ferocious tiger. Killed by a wild animal The victim was David Solomon, 52, whose body was found with several bite marks and his neck snapped like a twig at the Seaview Predator Park in Port Elizabeth last Thursday, reported the Sun. According to accounts on what happened to the slain victim, the aggressive Siberian tiger Jaspar was able to get over a 12-foot-high electrical fence that had no power at that time and attacked Solomon after escaping its cage. Alarmed at the sight of the rampaging big cat, the zookeeper tried to get over a fence but was caught by Jaspar. The predator dragged him down and attacked him with its sharp teeth and claws. The big cat was not satisfied savaging his caretaker to death. The beast then went over another and killed another big cat named Judah, his male rival. After killing Judah, the aggressor then tried to mate with Judah's sibling Amber. This is when the Kragga Kamma Veterinary Hospital and Nature Conservation were called in to stop Jasper's rampage. One zookeeper got fatally wounded as he tried to escape from the scene. Read also: British Woman Seriously Injured After her Twin Fights Off Savage Crocodile in Mexican Lagoon While the two tigers were mating, a vet shot them with tranquilizer darts to subdue and control Jasper. Later, the co-workers went into the pen to get Solomon's battered remains and Judah's mangled body. Solomon was well-liked in the Predator Park One of the former workers said that the deceased zookeeper has been working with the tigers for fifteen years and took care of Jasper since he was a cub. Another employee said in an interview, "David is part of a team who transferred Jasper and his sibling Jade inside their large habitat for the first time during March after they'd been heavily sedated for the relocation," as per Mirror UK. The beast responsible for the carnage was a huge cat, and everyone has always been warned to be extra careful when staying close to the animal. One rumor said that the tiger had allegedly attacked someone, but the victim just ignored it. This accident left employees "absolutely devastated" and "deeply affected," mentioned a Seaview Predator Park spokesman. Condolences were sent to the family and close friends of David, may he rest in peace. The park confirmed that the tiger had "leaped on the outer fence and escaped out" while the electric fence was being repaired. As quoted in the UK News Today," Regrettably, David was heading towards the water supply faucets in the hallway connecting two tiger enclosures when such an incident occurred, and Jasper escaped." The park verified that David had bite marks and that the big cat snapped the fleeing zoo keeper's neck. Due to this mishap, the park was immediately closed; and the people near the tiger cages were urged to leave. Related article: Massive Man Eating Crocodile Reported to Have Eaten 300 People Lurking in East Africa @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Catholic church has recently come to a unanimous vote in support of drafting a document criticizing politicians and officials who openly support abortion rights, including United States President Joe Biden, denying them from receiving communion. At the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB, religious leaders vote with a unanimous 168 to 55, a 74% majority on the creation of guidance that would manifest into a "teaching document." Catholic Bishops held the conference over three days in a remote location, discussing the issue. Religious leaders have been working on the idea of the document for several months. In November, its exact language will be drafted and voted on. The final document during that time would require a two-thirds majority to be passed. Banned From Communion The approval of the bill would result in the limiting or denying of the receipt of communion for Catholics, including Biden, who support abortion rights. During the Democratic leader's South Carolina campaign trail in 2019 for his view on abortion. On Friday, Biden refused to answer questions regarding the Catholic Bishops' decision to advance the resolution during his speech about the country's coronavirus pandemic status. He clarified the issue was a private matter and added it had a slim chance of happening, MSN reported. The one who announced the passing of the decision was the Most Reverend Allen H Vigneron, the vice president of the USCCB. However, the U.S. clergy has divided views on the issue, with the Most Rev Robert McElroy, the bishop of San Diego, warning against the potential "weaponization" of the Eucharist by the document. Read Also: McConnell Will Not Approve Manchin's Election Reform Proposal, It's a Dubious Bill He Says In opposition, the Most Rev Liam Cary, Bishop of Baker, Oregon, argued the Church was placed in an unprecedented position when the country's leader, a Catholic, expressed views opposing the teachings of the Church. Weaponization of the Eucharist The doctrine committee of U.S. bishops will be responsible for drafting the document now that the support has gone through. Despite the move being a national policy, it would not be binding. Each bishop can choose to enforce the communion ban on the people they are serving. Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, warned the document serves as a confusing order for religious leaders who are now being told to deny some people communion at a time when worshippers are only starting to get back to churches, BBC reported. Many religious leaders who opposed the document also warned against the potential effect it could have on the Church, which could become divided based on who supports the decision. Cardinal Luis Ladaria, a Vatican official, wrote a letter in May addressing the conference, warning to take caution of debating over politicians' views on abortion and Communion. About 56% of Catholics supported the legalization of abortion in all or most cases, based on a poll from 2019. And on Friday, 60 Catholic Democrats who are members of the U.S. House of Representatives released a statement urging the Catholic Church to revert the ban of communion for politicians based on this one issue, arguing it was a "weaponization" of the Eucharist, Reuters reported. Related Article: Rep. Turner Says President Biden Was Not Prepared and Had No Agenda for the US @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) continues distributing federal stimulus checks to every eligible American. Another 2.3 million stimulus payments were issued last week, including "plus-up" adjustments for those who received less than they were entitled with the earlier checks. A recent GOBankingRates survey showed that many Americans needed stimulus money to reach their objectives. The poll of just under 4,000 Americans who asked revealed that 45% planned to pay expenses by their third stimulus check. Further, 12% intend to spend on food or other supplies, and 9% will use them to pay rents or mortgage. More Americans intend to use stimulus check to pay bills Under the American Rescue Plan of President Joe Biden, single individuals who earned under $75,000 are eligible for the third wave of stimulus checks, household heads who earn under $112,500, and married couples who jointly earn less than $150,000 - direct payment of $1,400 per person. Moreover, those who make up to $80,000 received partial payments. The third stimulus checks were released after former President Donald Trump issued previous payments - the first incentive sent $1200 and $500 to adults and 16 and younger children, while the second stimulus payment gave $600 to adults and 16 or younger dependents. In the poll, the third stimulus check to pay the bills was intended to be used by 53% of women and 38% of men. This might be because, from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to January of this year, women leave the workforce more frequently than males. The most common poll responses were received to pay bills between 18 and 65 years of age. The age group with the highest need for a stimulus check to pay the bills was aged between 55 and 64 years, with 53% of respondents stating that they might use their check to meet these needs. Of the Americans who did not require a check to meet essential expenditures, 19% intended to make savings on their stimulus check, 9% planned to invest, and 6% planned to spend it on a non-essential purchase. Read Also: How to Maximize Student Loan Grace Period; More Money Tips for Fresh Graduates Lawmakers urge for a recurring stimulus check Even after the IRS released 167 million stimulus checks, lawmakers are pushing for recurring payments. A group has requested Biden of congress members to include even more funding in his next stimulus plan, including regular stimulus payments, The Sun reported. Last month, members of the House Ways and Means Committee made a similar request. Some Democrats in Congress, such as AOC and Ilhan Omar, believe the trillion-dollar relief measure is insufficient and have requested another round of payments. Lawmakers said most people spent stimulus checks on monthly costs or necessities like food, rent, utilities, and mortgage payments. Fifty Democratic members of the House of Representatives addressed Biden a letter recommending regular direct checks two months before his historic signing. He pledged to give Americans $1,400 in checks. Eleven Democratic senators, however, have proposed recurring direct payments rather than a one-time $1,400 payment. Will lawmakers hear the need for more stimulus checks? As House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other legislators return to work following their Memorial Day recess, a few unexpected events might deepen the debate over a fourth stimulus check, as per MoneyWise. New research on the effects of the past two direct payments and further comments from the White House are among them. Meanwhile, more individuals join the campaign for further assistance every week to help families afford food and shelter, pay other essential obligations, and pay off debt due to COVID-19's financial fallout. More than 80 members of Congress have expressed their support for a fourth stimulus package, maybe more. Seven Democrats on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee recently wrote to Biden, claiming that an additional two stimulus checks would keep 12 million Americans out of poverty. Democrats who want to increase aid have a new weapon in their arsenal: According to a University of Michigan study of census survey data, the previous two rounds of federal aid helped keep Americans fed, housed, and mentally healthy. The researchers discovered that homes with children reporting food shortages, financial instability, and depression decreased from 20% and 42%. According to other Federal Reserve Bank of New York research, around 13% of stimulus payments are now being used for necessary purchases, such as groceries and housing. However, more of it is being used to pay off debt, save money, or invest in the stock market. Related Article: Your State Might Be Holding Unclaimed Stimulus Payment. Here's How To Check @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Pentagon is pulling missile defense systems and other military personnel and hardware from Middle East countries, according to a defense official. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the commander of US Central Command to remove the forces this summer. A Pentagon spokesperson stated they maintain a sturdy force posture in the region appropriate to the threat. This is as it realigns its forces and mission to confront Russia and China. The current US government is withdrawing Patriot antimissile batteries from four Middle East countries. This is as the United States reduces its military footprint in the region in the midst of a reduction in tensions with Iran. The countries are Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Kuwait. The Pentagon is also pulling out a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system from Saudi Arabia that had been designated by the previous Trump government. Easing Tensions With Iran The Pentagon stated it was reducing the number of troops and air defense units designated to the Middle East. The action comes as President Joe Biden's government seeks to relieve tensions with Iran upon being heated up in 2019 and witnessed a strong escalation in the United States military presence throughout the region, reported Barron's. According to Pentagon spokeswoman Cmdr. Jessica McNulty in a statement, "This decision was made in close coordination with host nations and with a clear eye on preserving our ability to meet our security commitments. It's about maintaining some of our high demand, low density assets so they are ready for future requirements in the event of a contingency," reported CNN. The redeployment involves hundreds of US troops who operate the systems and started previously this month after a June 2 phone call in which US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin informed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of the change. The withdrawal of anti-missile batteries marks a comeback to a more normal level of defense in the area where the United States continues to maintain thousands of trrops even as it has cut down on forces designated to Iraq and Afghanistan. Read Also: Heat Wave Bakes Western United States, 'A Signal of What the Future Might Look Like' The Patriot anti-missile batteries were being removed from Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan. A separate anti-missile system named THAAD was being sent from Saudi Arabia as well. Each battery necessitates hundreds of civilians and troops to support and operate them. McNulty added that the Pentagon would not divulge where the military assets would be transferred or when. The United States bolstered its military footprint in Saudi Arabia after a September 2019 attack on the nation's oil facilities that disrupted the global oil supply. This is attributed to Iran. According to a senior defense official, they still have their bases in the nations of their Gulf partners. They are not shutting down as there remains a substantial posture and substantial presence in the region, reported Aljareeza. Why Will the US Confront China and Russia? There is a perspective regarding why Washington has decided to show camaraderie to Moscow. It contends that it is because the United States has shown signs of being exhausted and overwhelmed of fighting on two fronts in the face of a Moscow-Beijing axis. Washington could have that track of thought as it has now set on confronting China from all directions. The United States believes that Russia and China will be united more closely if it does not attempt to pull Russia to its side. Related Article: US Ends Trump-Era Policy Limiting Asylum for Survivors of Gang and Domestic Violence @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The newest occurrence of green fungus in Madhya Pradesh has sparked a new health issue in the country, as India faces a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic and black fungus infections. In Indore, Madhya Pradesh, a 34-year-old COVID-19 patient was recently diagnosed with a green fungus infection. The man was subsequently flown from Indore to the Hinduja hospital in Mumbai for treatment. He had recovered from COVID-19 and had a test on suspicion of contracting the deadly black fungus infection, according to Dr. Ravi Dosi, head of the Department of Chest Diseases at Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences (SAIMS). Instead, he was diagnosed to have a green fungus or Aspergillosis infection in his lungs, sinuses, and blood. What is Aspergillosis, and how does the green fungus affect you? Who is at risk? The following is what we know about the rare infection: What is green fungus? Per Livemint, the green fungus is the most recent addition to the previously recorded black, white, and yellow fungus cases. The first instance of the infection was discovered in Indore, Madhya Pradesh (MP). Doctors are investigating the specifics of this new fungal variant. Although this is MP's first case, the medical community is concerned about other parts of the country. Green fungus, commonly known as Aspergillosis, is caused by a prevalent mold, which may thrive both indoors and out. High temperature and nasal bleeding are possible symptoms of the infection. According to Dr. Dosi, the green fungus can also cause significant weight loss and weakness. He went on to say that additional research was needed to see if the nature of the green fungus infection in COVID-19 survivors differed from that of other patients. For example, many people inhale Aspergillus spores daily without becoming unwell. Green, black, white, and yellow fungal infections are not unusual, and they are not exclusive to the COVID-19 virus, Business Today via MSN reported. However, being linked to COVID -19 has forced them into the attention like never before. Read Also: Dozens of Common Blood Pressure Pills Recalled Over Fear of Containing World's Most Explosive Chemical That Causes Cancer Who are at risk and how to avoid it? According to the CDC, those with weaker immune systems, such as COVID-19 survivors or those with lung diseases, are more likely to have health problems as a result of the infection, including those who have asthma, cystic fibrosis, tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, these rare fungal infections may only be avoided by practicing proper hygiene, including oral and physical cleanliness. Avoid places with a lot of dust and polluted water that has been kept. If you can't avoid these places, protect yourself by using a N95 respirator. Avoid activities that require you to come into close contact with soil or dust. Wash your face and hands with soap and water as often as possible, especially if they have been exposed to filth or dust. Green fungus symptoms The CDC says different kinds of green fungus infection have different symptoms, as per The Quint: Allergic bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis (ABPA): Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis is an uncommon lung problem caused by severe allergic reaction when exposed to a type of fungus called Aspergillus. Here is the symptoms if infected with green fungus: Cough Shortness of breath Wheezing Fever (in rare cases) Aspergilloma ("fungus ball" ): Fungus ball is a noninvasive mycosis of the paranasal sinuses that affects immunocompetent people and usually only affects one sinus. Although fungi are common saprophytes in the nasal cavities and paranasal sinuses, they can cause sinonasal infections under certain circumstances. Cough Coughing up blood Shortness of breath Chronic pulmonary Aspergillosis: Is a long-term fungal infection caused by Aspergillus fumigatus and other members of the genus Aspergillus. The word covers a wide range of illness manifestations, from an aspergilloma-a clump of Aspergillus mold in the lungs-to a subacute, invasive type known as chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis, which affects patients with a compromised immune system. Many patients with chronic pulmonary aspergillosis have a lung disease underlying it, such as asthma, tuberculosis, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, or lung cancer. Cough (with blood in some cases) Shortness of breath Weight loss Fatigue Allergic Aspergillus sinusitis: Is a kind of allergic fungal sinusitis (AFS), a chronic rhinosinusitis with pathological features comparable to allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA). There are no evidence-based diagnostic or treatment criteria, and the cause is unknown. Headache Reduced ability to smell Stuffiness Runny nose Invasive Aspergillosis: Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is caused by the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus, a common and sometimes fatal side effect of chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation, with significant death and morbidity rates. Fever Cough Shortness of breath Chest pain If the infection spreads from the lungs to other areas of the body, additional symptoms may appear. Related Article: Third COVID-19 Wave to Hit India, Only 5% of Population Are Vaccinated @YouTube @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The QAnon conspiracy theory supporters are prohibited from mainstream social media platforms including Facebook and Twitter. However, their claims continue to gain momentum. An article in March claiming Navy SEALs loyal to former President Donald Trump arrested former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for treason was debunked. Netizens have been posting articles which claim that Clinton has been seized and flown to Guantanamo Bay detention camp. This is allegedly where she will face a military tribunal. Such claims are debunked to be untrue. The False Claims Real Raw News has published numerous narratives that have been earlier debunked, including regarding a foiled Trump assassination, former President Donald Trump arraigned by Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, and Navy SEALs arresting former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The most recent dispatch about Clinton claims she was hanged on April 26 at the United States detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Trump arresting Clinton was fictional. However, an update on Clinton's purported arrest is now making its rounds on TikTok and Instagram. The video has over 29,000 views on TikTok. It displays an article from Real Raw News. The website has earlier published false claims linked to QAnon. It indicated that Clinton was hanged for crimes like murder and child trafficking, reported USA Today. Clinton has not been taken into custody. She has appeared on camera at International Women's Day events following the day of her claimed arrest and transfer to Guantanamo Bay, reported Reuters. Read Also: National Republican Congressional Committee To Accept Cryptocurrency Donations in a Bid To Support Republican Candidates According to the story of Clinton's hanging, it was the culmination of an operation that began the evening the SEALs captured her. It indicated, "After a five-day tribunal at the world's most infamous detention center, a three-officer panel found Clinton guilty of murder, accessory to murder, treason, child trafficking, and other high crimes," reported Politifact. It also indicated that a strawberry milkshake and scrambled eggs with jalapeno peppers is the last meal of the condemned. Debunked: Clinton Remains Alive There is no proof to support the events narrated in the Real Raw News article. The series from Real Raw News on Clinton's indictment is dependent on the baseless QAnon conspiracy theory. The theory garnered an online following in 2017. Upon losing the election to President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump is no longer president. Therefore, he no longer holds the power over the military. The stories being shared on social media seem to be a follow-up to an earlier article, which was debunked. It alleged that Clinton was taken into custody by Navy SEALs on March 2. The Navy confirmed that this was untrue. News of Clinton's arrest or killing would be broadly covered by the media. No such reports have surfaced. The information in the blog post is entirely baseless. The QAnon conspiracy theory garnered an online following in 2017. The theory poses the existence of a worldwide faction of Satan-worshipping, cannibalistic child sex traffickers whose members are part of the media, US government, and Hollywood. Clinton's social media handles have been active with updates. Thanks to the 6,000+ people who joined us for last night's incredible @onwardtogether and @teampelosi event to elect more Democratic women to office. It did my heart good, and I hope it did yours good, too. For more ways to plug in to this work, go to https://t.co/8vbxiBzd0F. pic.twitter.com/7ETVNTkDCc Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) March 9, 2021 Related Article: US Ends Trump-Era Policy Limiting Asylum for Survivors of Gang and Domestic Violence @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle said more than one member of the royal family expressed concerns about their son's skin color before he was born. They claimed that the family was "unsympathetic" when they communicated their worries. These new claims against Prince Harry's family come from the couple's journalist friend, Omid Scobie, who spoke at the Foreign Press Association in London on Friday, citing allegations from other journalists in attendance. Scobie also stated that the Duchess of Sussex intends to return to the UK with her husband next summer to commemorate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, but that she has no plans to go this month due to the birth of their daughter Lilibet. The Sussexes' preferred royal reporter made additional explosive claims about the Queen and Prince William, including racism and unconscious bias towards Meghan Markle in the family. The news comes on the same day that Kate convened a panel of experts at the London School of Economics to discuss the Royal Foundation Center for Early Childhood's inaugural report. However, it is unclear when either of the two incidents was planned. More than one member of the royal family raised worries about their son's skin color before he was born, said Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Daily Mail reported. The journalist was unable to confirm the so-called royal racist Scobie, who wrote "Finding Freedom," said, "There was one conversation that took place that affected them massively, when it came to someone within the royal family sharing concerns over the color of Archie's skin." Per Mercury News, other journalists derided Meghan Markle's friend sometimes for acting like the couple's spokesperson. Meanwhile, Scobie said he was unable to confirm the identity of the royal racist or racists. Still, he noted that the identity could be a public interest if that is a future "head of state," giving a clue of either Prince William or Prince Charles. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been accused of worsening the rift between them and the royal family by airing their grievances on Oprah Winfrey. They further claimed during the two-hour interview that the royal establishment neglected to protect Meghan against harsh tabloid treatment and was cruelly insensitive to her suicidal despair when pregnant with Archie and residing in the UK. The racist allegations led Harry's older brother, Prince William, to depart from the family's policy of never directly responding to adverse reports. The second-in-line to the throne remarked at an event a few days after the Winfrey interview, "We are very much not a racist family." Read Also: Aussie Man Claiming Prince Charles' Secret Son Posts New Proof; Says He Was Made to Look Less Royal Scobie slams Queen's reaction over Sussexes' Oprah interview In a statement, the Queen also addressed the allegations of racism, stating that such matters were taken extremely seriously and would be resolved privately within the family. Scobie responded harshly to the Queen's comment, claiming that she was "cleverly" avoiding the allegation by neglecting to denounce racism in any way. Scobie's remarks are expected to generate more controversy around Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, as well as their feud with the royal family, just before Harry is set to visit the United Kingdom on July 1. According to the journalist, Meghan reportedly expressed a strong desire to support her husband when he goes to the UK to dedicate a statue to his late mother. Markle announced yesterday that she would stay in the United States with her newborn daughter Lilibet, while Harry will remain at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor. It's been speculated that he might bring Archie along on the trip, as per The Sun. Related Article: Meghan Markle's Father Reacts to Granddaughter Lilibet; Slams Oprah Winfrey For "Abusing" Prince Harry's Weakness @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A Greek pilot was recently arrested in relation to the murder of his British wife, leaving their 11-month-old daughter without a mother, after he confessed to killing her despite plotting an elaborate scheme to escape being convicted. The suspect, 33-year-old Charalambos Anagnostopoulos, kept up his innocent facade for 37 days after the death of his wife, Caroline Crouch. He devised a tale of how their daughter witnessed the gruesome murder of the victim while he was bound to a bed in their suburban Athens home. Heavily armed police escorted Anagnostopoulos to an Athens court on June 17 shortly after he was photographed holding and comforting his dead wife's mother during the victim's funeral. Inside the courtroom, attendees were surrounded by armed officers, a testament to the building tensions after the dramatic discovery. Killing His Own Wife The suspect confessed to the crime being motivated by his 20-year-old wife threatening to leave him and take their baby, Lydia, away from him. After telling the truth, he told authorities he wanted to avoid going to prison to take care of their daughter. Police interrogated Anagnostopoulos for eight hours at the Greek capital's central police station on Thursday. They believe the cause of death was by suffocation, Daily Mail reported. Police talked to the suspect during the victim's funeral, arriving by helicopter to the Greek island where the memorial was being held. Authorities discreetly approached Anagnostopoulos during the dramatic service near the cemetery of Alonissos, telling him they discovered new information regarding his wife's death that he should see immediately. Read Also: Catholic Church vs Biden: Democrat Won't Get Communion for Supporting Abortion Rights Law enforcement personnel talked with the suspect without disturbing the memorial service, Alonissos Mayor Petros Vafinis said. He added he was unsure whether Anagnostopoulos was taken in for identification or to give a new statement. Shortly after the murder, the suspect told police that a gang of robbers broke into his home while he was sleeping. He said the incident took place at about 5:00 a.m. where the criminals tied him and his wife and that they were gagged. The suspect claimed the robbers demanded money and jewelry while holding guns to their faces. Anagnostopoulos said that he later told the criminals where to find nearly $12,000 worth of cash inside a Monopoly box. He said the money was savings the couple put together to pay for builders after buying land, Mirror reported. Elaborate Plot Police discovered new evidence that contradicted the suspect's claims, which prompted officers to demand clarifications, police spokesperson Apostolos Skrekas said. Authorities said new evidence was based on three new key findings. First, the biometric watch the victim wore on her wrist showed she had vital signs during the time her husband said she was supposedly dead. Second, laboratory data showed that memory cards from the security cameras of the house were removed at a different time than what the suspect claimed. Lastly, activity from his mobile phone was discovered to have movement at a time when the suspect claimed he was bound to the bed and unable to move, Greek Reported reported. Related Article: Portland Police Riot Team Resigns After Cop Indicted for Alleged Assault @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. United States President Joe Biden urged American citizens to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus as soon as they are able to combat the spread of the disease as the Delta variant continues to infect more and more people. Residents who have not received their vaccination shots are more at risk of being infected by the illness and developing serious symptoms or dying from it, Biden said during a news conference from the White House. The Delta variant of the coronavirus was first identified in India and is much more transmissible than the original virus, threatening unvaccinated people even more. Biden noted the new strain was much deadlier than the previous variants, particularly for young people. Delta Variant Getting fully vaccinated is the best way for young residents to protect themselves from the dangers of the disease, Biden said. He urged people who have already gotten their first shot to apply for their second as soon as they can. The Democrat's statements come amid his administration's goal of vaccinating at least 70% of the country's adults by July 4 is expected to fall short amid a sudden drop in inoculation rates, CNBC reported. The Delta variant is expected to become the most dominant COVID-19 virus strain in the U.S. this summer, the director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Rochelle Walensky, said. Read Also: Third COVID-19 Wave to Hit India, Only 5% of Population Are Vaccinated The medical expert added the variant was much more transmissible than the alpha or UK strains. In the short span of one or two months, the country's health officials observed the immediate dominance of the UK variant, which they expect would also happen with the Delta strain as well, Walensky said during an interview on Friday. A new variant could be more resistant to currently available coronavirus vaccines, Walensky warned, noting, however, that full vaccination protects against the Delta strain. She reassured residents that despite the deadliness of the new variant, the vaccines are still effective in fighting against it, the Washington Post reported. Dominant Coronavirus Variant Earlier this Friday, the World Health Organization's chief scientist echoed concerns of the Delta variant becoming the dominant strain in the United States. Scientists conducted studies that discovered the new strain is 60% more transmissible than the alpha variant which was first identified in the UK and was considered much more infectious than the original strain that came from Wuhan, China in 2019. The CDC released data that showed the Delta variant now made up about 10% of the total number of cases in the United States, an increase of 4% from last week's statistics. Currently, scientists are unsure whether or not the Delta strain causes more severe symptoms in infected individuals but argued there was evidence that suggests it caused different symptoms. The Delta variant has essentially replaced the alpha strain as the most dominant COVID-19 variant in the United States, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Dr. Paul Offit said. The continuous mutation of the virus in the U.S. will require more citizens to be vaccinated in order to stop its expansive spread. Related Article: Green Fungus Explained: First Detected Rare Infection in India Causes, Symptoms, and Who Are At Risk [FAQ] @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Ask a Trooper: I junked two vehicles about 30 days ago and have only received one Junk Certificate in the mail. The pandemic brought a surging death toll, unexplainable grief and widespread unemployment. Hospitals found silver linings in a tough situation as COVID-19 provided opportunities to try new technology and learn from employees about what they expect of a good workplace. The top health systems ranked by hospital beds and locations Memorial Hermann, HCA Houston Healthcare and Houston Methodist continued to grow despite a challenging financial year. Telemedicine flourished for health systems as they finished 2020. Several of Houstons flagship hospitals are now trying to fit those services into their operating models and promote them to more patients. Digital health innovations like virtual care, especially virtual ICU care, skyrocketed in 2020 out of necessity, said Dr. Marc Boom, Houston Methodists chief executive officer. We went from softly launching our telemedicine visits to seeing hundreds and then thousands of patients virtually during the height of the pandemic. That trend is now here to stay for patients. WANT A SHOT?: After COVID vaccine 'Hunger Games,' providers say Houston demand has crashed Houston Methodist, the third largest hospital system, also relied on consumer technology such as iPads and iPhones to help families connect with hospitalized loved ones. At HCA Houston Healthcare, the company relied on its parent company headquartered in Tennessee to bring in new technologies for spotting sepsis and optimizing ventilator availability. Being part of the (second) largest health system has an incredible number of advantages, said Evan Ray, executive vice president of HCA Houston Healthcare, which boasts the second largest number of hospital beds in the region at 3,979 beds and 13 locations. The expansion of mental health initiatives and work benefits were among the other financial investments for health systems. Most hospital workers, contending with the relentless surge in COVID-19 patients, didnt have the choice of working remotely. Forced to get creative as physicians, nurses and other clinicians reported high levels of burnout and PTSD, hospitals looked to expand their mental health offerings. At Memorial Hermann, the largest hospital system with 4,494 beds and 17 locations, the hospital system expanded its chaplain services to help its staff process their grief. We learned early on we needed to support our employees differently than we had in the past, said Dr. David Callender, chief executive officer at Memorial Hermann. At Houston Methodist, executives approved $1,000 bonuses and an extra day of paid time off for its workers. HCA Houston Healthcare offered pandemic and quarantine pay for clinicians sidelined by sickness. PLANNING AHEAD Will you need a COVID-19 booster before the holidays? Maybe. Here's why. As Houston emerges from the pandemic, hospital systems are returning to expansion and acquisition projects. HCA Houston Healthcare unveiled its $11 million beautification project of the HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest campus in April and added a new freestanding emergency room in May in Pearland. The company is also expected to add two more freestanding emergency rooms and three more ambulatory surgery centers to the Houston region over the next two years. Houston Methodist is continuing with expansions in Baytown, Clear Lake and The Woodlands, and plans to add a new patient tower to the Texas Medical Center in the future. The pandemic may have slowed us down a bit, but the need to bring our level of quality care and services to our communities has not, Boom said. gwendolyn.wu@chron.com twitter.com/gwendolynawu When so many others shut down, IES Holdings employees kept trucking. The electrical contracting company, headquartered in Houstons Uptown neighborhood, saw more boom than bust in 2020 as people continued to work from home. Revenue jumped to $1.2 billion in 2020, a 10.9 percent jump from of $1.1 billion in 2019. Even with a strong showing, landing third on the Chronicles Top 100 list of best-performing public companies, CEO Jeffrey Gendell is still cautiously optimistic about where the company stands moving forward. Were very cognizant to things like price increases, Gendell said. Copper and steel have gone up; a lot of materials have gone up. And then with labor, were going to be very careful. IES Holdings, founded in 1997 as Integrated Electrical Services Inc., provides services including electrical contracting and data communications for residential and commercial construction in 40 states. With workers making the switch to remote jobs, residential real estate and telecommunications work for data centers drove up demand for the contractors services. A sharp spike in e-commerce also helped, as companies sought to build distribution centers to handle retail demand. MORE RELIEF: Federal government sends $15B to Texas for economic recovery. Heres where it will go. The company made inroads in Florida, acquiring Bayonet Plumbing, Heating and Air-Conditioning in December and Edmonson Electric in May. Texas and Florida are two of the companies fastest growing markets, said Tracy McLauchlin, IES Holdings chief financial officer. Were seeing a lot of population increases from people moving into those states, she said, and its creating a lot of opportunity for us. Investors clearly like those opportunities. The companys earnings per share jumped 31 percent from 2019 to 2020. Februarys winter storm, which caused massive blackouts across the state, affected IES operations. The storm forced most of its branches to lose a week of work, but the company has since caught up, McLauchlin said. Employment at IES Holdings fell slightly during the pandemic, to 5,229 from 5,389 in 2019, but the company expects staffing levels to incrementally increase this year. We do have quite the demand, especially on the construction side, growing for the business, Gendell said. gwendolyn.wu@chron.com twitter.com/gwendolynawu For Leslie Doggett Industries, 2020 may be summed up by four words: new cars, used equipment. With the pandemic forcing builders, shippers and other businesses to reduce capital expenditures or cut them altogether, the company, which sells Freightliner trucks, Toyota forklifts and Link Belt cranes across its Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and New Mexico dealerships, saw many of its clients opt to buy used equipment instead of new vehicles. Most of our customers worked through the pandemic, so they needed our support services, said CEO Leslie Doggett. Our used equipment was up 16 percent, but that wasnt enough to mitigate the dramatic drop-off in new equipment. As a result, its 2020 revenues of $1.34 billion were 25 percent lower than the record it set in 2019, landing the 28-year-old company in the 10th spot among the largest Houston-based private companies ranked by revenue. Texas Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox Still, the company did benefit from its 2018 acquisition of what was then Lone Star Ford (now Doggett Ford). The dealership opened its new $20 million, 62,000-square-foot facility in November, doubled the sales volume projected by Ford Motor Co. It was the states fastest growing Ford dealership. Theres a lot of innovative technology in that store, Doggett said. We can do a lot more volume out of it. Looking forward into this year, Doggett said customer demand has returned to pre-pandemic levels. Additionally, the companys heavy-duty truck division acquired a number of San Antonio-area dealerships from Grande Group to give it a greater presence in that part of the state. Still, last years closures have created supplier limitations. He estimated that new Freightliner trucks are sold out for the rest of the year, and that Doggetts 2022 allotment will be spoken for by the end of June. The good thing is that (the supplier shortage) is likely temporary, but its going to make 2021 pretty difficult because we just dont have the inventory, he said. Ongoing celebrations of Juneteenth in Fort Bend County and beyond will now take on new significance after the actions of the federal government. Juneteenth is now a national holiday, following votes in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and the signature of President Joe Biden last week. Juneteenth has been a state holiday in Texas since 1980. In Fort Bend County, a week of celebration in Missouri City along with other recognitions during the week punctuate the importance of the holiday. The annual celebration commemorates the day enslaved people learned of their freedom. Although President Abraham Lincoln made the Emancipation Proclamation on Sept. 22, 1862, and slaves were freed effective Jan. 1, 1863, it wasnt until June 19, 1865, that word of freedom came. Union soldiers, led by Major Gen. Gordon Granger, landed in Galveston with the news that the war had ended and those enslaved were free. Granger read General Order Number 3 which included: The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer. On Friday, Fort Bend County recognized its elected officials and county-level employees who are members of African American Greek Letter organizations. According to a news release, Greek-letter organizations have been part of the history of American colleges and universities since 1776, however for African American students attending the institutions where these organizations were present, invitations to join were not extended due to racial segregation. Notable Fort Bend County-level elected officials include the first African American Fort Bend County Commissioner and Sheriff since reconstruction and the first African American Tax Assessor, Carmen Turner. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, co-sponsored the legislation to make the national holiday in the Senate. U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee, D-Texas, was the lead sponsor of the legislation in the U.S. House. The freedom of all Americans that Texas celebrates every Juneteenth should be celebrated all across the nation, Cornyn said. The passage of this bill represents a big step in our nations journey toward equality. I thank my colleagues in the Senate for their support, and my fellow Texans who have been celebrating this important holiday for more than a century. Juneteenth is an important day, said U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. Its a somber reminder of the original sin of slavery that our nation inherited from colonial powers. Still, it is also a celebration of the fact that our country strives each and every day to make good on its promise to protect the inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all men and all women who are created equal. According to a report in the Texas Tribune, the legislation was endorsed by major civil rights organizations such as the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation, the Leadership Conference on Civil Human Rights and NAACP. Some House Republicans voiced concerns on Wednesday over the economic cost of a new federal holiday while also stating they supported the legislation. U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, an Austin Republican, one of the Texas Republicans who voted against the bill, chided Democrats for bypassing the normal process for moving a bill through the House. He suggested that had the bill gone through the regular order, the it would have passed unanimously. U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson of Amarillo also voted against the bill. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Houston, did not vote. rkent@hcnonline.com FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. (AP) Two people are dead after a small plane crashed Friday into a river along the state line between Florida and Georgia, authorities said. A single-engine Cessna 150 crashed into the St. Marys River north of Jacksonville just before noon, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) The Federal Aviation Administration is considering a plan to land commercial space vehicles in Alabama. The agency recently released information about a proposal by the Huntsville airport and Nevada-based Sierra Space to use the site roughly 15 miles (24 kilometers) west of downtown to land ships that resemble a small space shuttle with upswept wings, WHNT-TV reported. The spacecraft would be launched elsewhere and land on an existing runway in Huntsville, which has the largest commercial airport in north Alabama and is a hub for the aerospace industry. The Huntsville-Madison County Airport Authority said the FAA is conducting a preliminary review of the proposal. A study completed in 2015 found the airport compatible for the so-called Dream Chaser, which Sierra Space describes as a spaceplane designed to take crew and cargo into low-Earth orbit. It would be launched on an Atlas V rocket. Both the airport and the company would need licenses before any landings could occur. BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) LSU's governing board is urging the state Department of Health to add COVID-19 shots to a list of required vaccinations for college students once federal regulators give full approval to the shots. Friday's 9-2 vote came after the LSU Board of Supervisors adopted an amendment to notify students that they could opt out of a mandate for health, religious or other reasons., WAFB-TV reported. Students have long had the ability to opt out of other required vaccines, such as for measles or mumps, but few have realized that or done so. Faculty members fear that notifying students that they can ignore any COVID-19 requirement will undercut the schools efforts to increase vaccination rates as more dangerous variants of the virus spread. LSU System President Tom Galligan said 73% of the faculty and 57% of staff at the flagship campus in Baton Rouge have reported being vaccinated against COVID-19. However, only about 27% of the campus 35,000 students have reported being vaccinated. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, 522 college campuses nationwide have required the vaccine, with 221 of them being public institutions. Louisiana's private universities, including Tulane, Loyola, Dillard and Xavier, said they will require their students to receive vaccines before the fall semester starts. The Louisiana Legislature recently passed a bill banning state agencies, including public universities, from discriminating against people based on their vaccination status while the vaccines are still approved only for emergency use. Gov. John Bel Edwards has expressed concern about the bill but has not said if he would veto it. Pfizer and Moderna, two of the main COVID-19 vaccine makers, have applied for full approval from the Food and Drug Administration, but that is not likely to come before school resumes in August. The board considered the issue in response to resolutions by two faculty governing bodies and the LSU Student Senate urging the school to require the vaccines. The main opponent to the proposal was Mandeville attorney Jack Jay Blossman Jr. Im not telling my kids they have to get the shot, he said. I wouldnt want to tell anybodys kids that they got to get the shot. BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) The size of wood pellet stacks and low water pressure may have contributed to a spectacular blaze that burned for days in May at a warehouse on the Georgia coast. The Brunswick News reports that Georgia Ports Authority Chief Administrative Officer James McCurry Jr. discussed findings from a state fire marshal's report with Glynn County commissioners. A Colorado woman is suing a Vermont doctor, accusing him of using his own genetic material when he artificially inseminated her in 1978 at what was then the Central Vermont Hospital in Berlin. In a lawsuit filed June 14 in federal court in Burlington, Shirley Brown, now of Boulder County, Colorado, alleges that Dr. John Coates III had agreed to inseminate her using donated genetic material. Coates attorney Peter Joslin, of Montpelier, did not immediately return a voice-mail message left at his office Friday or an email from The Associated Press. A separate lawsuit filed against Coates by a Florida couple in 2018 that makes similar allegations remains pending in federal court in Vermont. The new lawsuit, which was first reported by the news website VtDigger.org, says Brown didn't learn that Coates, a now retired OB-GYN at what was then the Central Vermont Hospital in Berlin, was the genetic father of her now-adult daughter until last fall when the daughter did genetic testing to learn more about her biological father. Plaintiff would not have consented to the Procedure had Defendant Dr. Coates informed her that he was choosing to breach the terms of the Representation and instead was choosing to insert his own genetic material into Plaintiff Shirley Brown, to inseminate Plaintiff Shirley Brown with his own genetic material and was choosing to father a child through Plaintiff Shirley Brown, the suit says. The lawsuit says Brown and her husband, who was incapable of fathering children, met with Coates who agreed to artificially inseminate the woman with genetic material from an unnamed medical student who resembled the husband and had other characteristics that Brown sought. Brown learned she was pregnant in 1978 and she gave birth to a daughter at the Berlin hospital in February 1979 as a result of what the lawsuit calls Coates fraudulent insemination. The seven-count lawsuit alleges that Coates' actions constituted medical negligence, he failed to obtain informed consent, he committed fraud and battery, he intentionally inflicted emotional distress and he breached their original contract. The lawsuit is seeking damages in excess of $75,000. Say this about Texas embattled attorney general, Republican Ken Paxton: he doesnt seem to get embarrassed easily. Its a trait that no doubt served him well on Thursday, when the Supreme Court issued a 7-2 ruling rejecting his bid to overturn the Affordable Care Act the latest unsuccessful court challenge to the landmark health care law passed in 2010. The news is hardly a sign that the nations highest court has succumbed to leftism. Six of the Courts nine justices were appointed by Republican presidents, including three by former President Donald Trump. And the high court on Thursday ruled unanimously that Catholic Social Services shouldnt be barred from providing foster-care services to the city of Philadelphia due to its policy of refusing to work with same-sex couples a ruling that conservatives heralded as a clear victory for religious freedom. If those same conservatives didnt spend much time dissecting that days other big ruling in the case California v. Texas theres a reason. Many legal experts were skeptical of Paxtons 2018 lawsuit all along. Texass argument, on behalf of two individual plaintiffs, was that since Congress in 2017 zeroed out the penalty associated with the ACAs individual mandate, the mandate could no longer be considered a tax and was therefore unconstitutional and that the entire law would have to be scrapped. Although 17 GOP-led states joined Texas in signing onto the suit, many conservative scholars joined progressives in arguing that this was a dubious line of argument for several reasons. Among them was that its not clear whether individuals can be harmed by a mandate that has no force. Ultimately, this proved to be the sticking point for the Supreme Court. We do not reach these questions of the Acts validity, however, for Texas and the other plaintiffs in this suit lack the standing necessary to raise them, wrote Justice Stephen Breyer, a liberal, for the majority. This marks Paxtons second setback at the high court in the past six months. In December, the justices threw out his highly questionable lawsuit challenging the results of the 2020 presidential election in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida, and Michigan, explaining in a curt, unsigned order that how other states run their elections is none of Texass business. Its not clear how much that lawsuit cost state taxpayers, incidentally, but we sure didnt get a nickels worth of benefit. This time around, Paxton found a couple of sympathetic listeners on the court, at least. No one can fail to be impressed by the lengths to which this Court has been willing to go to defend the ACA against all threats, wrote Justice Samuel Alito in his dissent, which was joined by Justice Neil Gorsuch, a Trump appointee. And the state AG was undaunted by the courts ruling. It's kind of shocking to me that they ruled that we didn't have standing, Paxton told John Solomon of the website Just This News, adding: We'll be looking for other avenues to deal with this. Can his fellow Republicans agree, perhaps, that one such avenue would involve focusing on the policy questions at hand, rather than simply assailing the law Democrats came up with? Attacking the Affordable Care Act is not in itself a health care plan of any kind, much less one that represents a compelling alternative to Obamacare, as flawed as it may be. And its instructive that in the more than a decade since the law was passed, Republicans in Congress have at no point seriously applied themselves to the task of coming up with such an alternative. We were still waiting for Trumps brand new beautiful health care plan when he stepped down after four years. The same is true in the states the laboratories of democracy, as conservatives like to say a majority of which are currently under GOP control. In Texas, for example, lawmakers this year passed a few notable health-care related reforms. House Bill 4, authored by state Rep. Four Price, R - Amarillo, will expand access to telemedecine for Texans on Medicaid; House Bill 133 by state Rep. Toni Rose, D - Dallas, will let mothers on Medicaid keep their health care coverage for six months after giving birth, instead of for two months. These are all worthy ideas, but theyre also nibbling at the margins of a massive problem one that was vivified by the COVID-19 pandemic. In Texas, about 18 percent of the states population lacks insurance the highest rate in the country, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The states maternal mortality crisis, which has taken a particular toll on Black and Hispanic mothers, is ongoing. In parts of the state, having health care insurance is not necessarily sufficient to ensure access to care. Rural Texans, in particular, have been sounding the alarm for years about hospital closures a problem that could be ameliorated, advocates argue, if Texas accepted federal dollars for Medicaid expansion. (Under the terms of the ACA, the federal government would cover about 90 percent of the costs of the expansion, which would work out to roughly $9 billion a year in Texas.) In the face of that, lawmakers didnt even have a serious debate about Medicaid expansion this year, even though several Republicans joined their Democratic colleagues in calling for real consideration of the issue, which is popular among Texans: a March poll from the Episcopal Health Foundation found that 69 percent of Texans support Medicaid expansion. That being the case, its tempting to dismiss Thursdays ruling as simply another setback for Paxton, who remains under indictment for state securities law violations and also faces an FBI investigation into allegations by former staffers that he abused his office. Paxton has denied any wrongdoing. But this is a setback for the GOP overall, to be sure. Republicans who are hoping for other avenues to chip away at the Affordable Care Act, as Paxton is, should consider coming up with a viable alternative to the landmark legislation, or ways to improve it, rather than wasting taxpayer money and everyones time on tendentious and ideologically motivated lawsuits. erica.grieder@chron.com Google Maps Authorities arrested the manager of a club in southeast Houston during a Friday night raid in which they uncovered illegal alcohol, drugs and evidence of human trafficking, officials said. Members of the Houston Police Department narcotics division around 11:30 p.m. executed a warrant on the manager and raided V Live at 6603 Harwin Drive, said Sean Teare of the Harris County District Attorneys Office. A Houston Chronicle investigation found that $1 billion in federal Hurricane Harvey disaster recovery aid Texas distributed went disproportionately to inland counties with less damage than the storm. The state also steered money toward counties with a lower risk of natural disaster, according to its own measure, and gave some vulnerable coastal counties no aid at all. The experiences of Iola and Port Arthur offer some insight as to how this occurred. Iola, which is 100 miles from the coast, wanted a $11 million wastewater system that would benefit 379 people. Port Arthur, which sits on the Gulf of Mexico, asked for a $97 million project to improve street drainage for 42,000 residents. Texas funded Iolas proposal. Port Arthur got nothing. In fact, many projects far from the gulf got aid while ones in coastal counties did not. How did this happen? Port Arthurs project would have helped more people per dollar spent and the city has a long history of being pummeled by hurricanes. The Chronicle visited both cities and found each has a clear need for their proposed project. The more difficult questions concern the criteria Texas used for awarding the $1 billion and why some inland counties were made eligible. Iola is a blink-and-youll-miss-it city in Grimes County, about 90 minutes northwest of Houston. It has about 300 residents, six churches and an excellent barbecue joint (try the ribs). It also has a sewage problem. Unlike nearly all cities, Iola has no central wastewater system. Homes have septic systems or discharge waste directly into ditches. That already is an unhealthy practice, but becomes a major hazard when heavy rains overwhelm the ditches and force water into buildings. Port Arthur is no stranger to hurricanes and floods. Most of the city was under water during Hurricane Harvey, which dumped more rain on Jefferson County than anywhere else. Several storms since, such as Tropical Storm Imelda in 2019, also have flooded homes there. The citys drainage system is about 100 years old. Some of the pipes are made of clay. It is severely inadequate for modern storms, Public Works Director Alberto Elefano said. Port Arthur has seen better days. Fewer people live in this city of roughly 50,000 than did two decades ago. Some residents were displaced by Harvey and never returned; others simply grew tired of repeated floods and resettled somewhere else. Iolas application scored higher than Port Arthurs in the state competition for the aid. Iola tallied 69 points, out of 105 total, while Port Arthur received 65. The contest included nine scoring criteria, which included evaluating how many low- and moderate-income residents a project served and how expensive a project was per person served. Port Arthur scored 10 points for disaster disk, compared to 5 for Iola, because Jefferson County is ranked by the state to have the highest risk of disasters, compared to medium risk for Grimes County. Iola scored 5 points in the leverage category since it put up some local funds for its project; Port Arthur scored 0 because it did not. The cities scored nearly equally in categories measuring per capita market property value, share of low- and moderate-income residents served and portion of total residents helped. Both scored high in the latter category, since both projects would have helped nearly all the cities residents. Iola scored six points in the management capacity category; Port Arthur scored 0, meaning it did not submit its procurement practices and financial audit as required, nor has it received a state or federal construction grant in the past 10 years. Some leaders in coastal counties believe it was unfair to give inland counties an equal shot at the money. Initially, the federal government designated just Texas 20 counties, mostly along the coast, as eligible for this pot of aid. Texas added an additional 29 counties, mostly inland, to the list. Port Arthur Mayor Thurman Bartie said he was shocked at the Chronicles findings that the aid disproportionately flowed to inland counties that suffered less damage from Harvey. He said with an outcome like that, the scoring competition could not have been fair. Hes hopeful Texas changes the scoring criteria for future rounds of funding. To be nixed and not considered for any of the funds, it sets us back, Bartie said. Iola Mayor Christina Stover said she was grateful to finally have won a grant for a wastewater system. The city has been trying for 13 years to fund the project; it incorporated in 2007 in part to provide municipal services. She said she understands why residents along the coast would be upset communities like hers, more than 100 miles from the coast, would receive some of this disaster aid. The mayor said the project is crucial to Iolas future, however, and if it comes in under budget, she would be glad to return the balance to the state. zach.despart@chron.com Mexicos Minister of Foreign Affairs Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon opened the new state-of-the art headquarters of the Mexican Consulate in Houstons Westchase area Friday. This new headquarters will help us to significantly increase our presence in the region and to be able to provide better services for both Mexicans and people interested in Mexico, Ebrard said at a ceremony in an art gallery in the new complex. The consulate in Houston for 100 years as of September 2020 is one of the largest among the 50 diplomatic representations Mexico has in the United States. It serves more than 2 million people of Mexican origin in 37 Texas counties. It is also the largest governmental office from a Latin American country in Houston. The consulate provides a host of services to Mexicans living in Houston and the surrounding region, including legal assistance and aid related to vital records and travel documents. The new 50,000-square-foot facility at 10555 Richmond in what is essentially Houstons embassy corridor doubles the space of the former headquarters near downtown. Its also the first large construction undertaken in a Mexican diplomatic quarter under current Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Ebrard said the new consulate is a stepping stone to a revamped relationship between Houston and Mexico. We think that if we strengthen the ties between our cities and economies, we are going to provide our communities a stronger future, Ebrard said, citing as example collaborations during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the consulate helped with free coronavirus vaccination and test drives for about 5,000 people. The relocation of the consulate was announced in 2019 after the Texas Transportation Commission approved a plan to swap the land at the old location with the new one as part of a plan to rebuild the downtown freeway system. The move was seen by some as inconvenience given that the highly visible previous address near San Jacinto and Interstate 69 was more centrally located. We understand that the news is surprising for many people, Consul General Alicia Kerber Palma said when the move was announced. But the new facility has several advantages, such as its own parking lot. Many people visiting the previous building used to complain about predatory businesses around the area charging exorbitant fees for parking space around the consulate. This is truly a special moment for us as we moved from a building that we occupied for the last 20 years, Kerber Palma said Friday. This new building will allow us to serve Mexican nationals and guests in an efficient and safe manner. Roberto Velasco Alvarez, chief officer for North America at the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, cited diversity as an attribute of the new consulate. We believe that this consulate is a model space for diversity, for inclusion, to generate dialogue, to generate reflection, and to be able to detonate conversations even through art, as we are seeing here, he said. Mexico and the Houston region have ties in the tourism, trade and investment sectors, Ebrard said. But he added that his government plans to strengthen collaborations in areas such as clean energy (and) developing medical capacities because what we saw in this pandemic showed us that we have to work more together. According to the consulate, Houston is already a strong Mexican partner, with many direct flights, investments by large Mexican companies and a strong presence in Mexico of Houston companies. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said Mexico is currently the second largest trading partner of the city with an average of $19 billion in trade per year. The opening of the consulate highlights the strong and dynamic relationship between Houston and Mexico not just in terms of an economic point of view but in terms of culture, education and medicine, Turner said. Turner also announced that the first international post-pandemic trip of his government will be to Mexico at the end of August. As partners, its the people-to-people relationship that we value the most right here in Houston, Turner said. Mexican Americans are part of this community as doctors, nurses, engineers, teachers, in our government and in every industry in this city. Our city is stronger with their presence. Turner took the opportunity to contrast his administrations position to that of former U.S. President Donald Trump, who vilified Mexican immigrants to justify the need for a border wall. In Houston we do not build walls, we build relationships, the mayor said. And in the city of Houston it does not matter if youre documented or undocumented, where you are from, what religion you practice, or who you love. As long as you are in this city, I am your mayor. The new consulate has four floors and multiple areas to serve the public. The art gallery that served as backdrop for Fridays ceremony exhibits paintings by Edgar Medina, a Houston artist of Mexican origin. More than 100 people attended, including Houston City Council members, representatives from local agencies and Mexican consulates from other U.S. cities. It really takes all of us working together to pull off a project like this, said U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston. The (political) climate is not sometimes where we want it to be, but if every one of us here carries the message of goodwill, cooperation and collaboration and working together, I know we can overcome it. olivia.tallet@chron.com Twitter.com/oliviaptallet Gov. Greg Abbott has followed through on his threat to veto salaries for state legislators and their staffs, a spokeswoman confirmed Friday. The governor had vowed to cut off lawmakers paychecks after Democrats walked out of the Texas House hours before a deadline to pass major legislation last month, breaking quorum and killing a controversial voting restrictions bill that Republicans had pushed. Abbott then vowed to veto Article 10 of the state budget, which funds the Legislature. Texans dont run from a legislative fight, and they dont walk away from unfinished business, Abbott declared in a veto statement on Friday. Funding should not be provided for those who quit their job early, leaving their state with unfinished business and exposing taxpayers to higher costs for an additional legislative session. Lawmakers are expected to return to Austin once, and possibly twice, to gather in special session later this year. The state Legislature must reconvene to redraw Texas political maps, but Abbott has said he will also revive the elections measure and other conservative priorities that missed deadlines last month, including a bail reform bill hed championed. The next fiscal year begins on Sept. 1, and legislators could restore the Article 10 funding if they reconvene before then. In a statement, state Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie and the head of the House Democratic Caucus, called the veto tyrannical. Abbotts actions are an inexcusable and dangerous attack on the separation of powers, as his veto consolidates more power in his own office, he said. Lets be clear - vetoing the legislative branch will cause direct harm to Texans. By placing a termination date on the employment of all legislative staff, the governor is cutting off services to millions of Texans. Turner said the caucus is exploring every option, including immediate legal options, to fight the veto. Representatives for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who leads the Senate, and House Speaker Dade Phelan did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Cayla.Harris@express-news.net Appointed in 1850, Arthur Lynn, the second British consul-general ever appointed to serve in Texas, fell in love with this state and lived in Galveston until the day he died. Whilst I have not been able to confirm if he was present when Gen. Gordon Granger read out the original Juneteenth proclamation in 1865, I like to imagine that he was. And that, as a man driven by the righteous goal of emancipation, he would have been an emotional spectator on the Strand that day, maybe thinking of Grangers promise of absolute equality, and of the friends and neighbors who might eventually experience it perhaps none more than Charles Thomas. The story of Thomas and Lynns friendship is a unique slice of history not well-known on either side of the Atlantic. Because remembrance of the past is one of the great traditions of Juneteenth, as the 35th consul-general to represent the U.K. in Texas I am proud to share their story with you today. Lynn was a fixture on the Galveston social scene though he once complained to his superiors that his government stipend was a pittance compared to the prosperity of his Texan neighbors. Despite being stripped of his diplomatic credentials in 1863 by a Confederate government irritated by the steadfast British refusal to recognize their insurrection, Lynn stayed on for many years in an unofficial capacity. In 1857, the schooner Velasco was docked in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, a British territory at the time and its captain was up to no good. When Thomas, a young Black stevedore, expressed a desire to travel to New York, the captain told him that he was in luck: New York would be the Velascos next port of call. Thomas signed up on the spot for a temporary position on the ships crew, but to his horror, the ship was headed not to New York but Galveston, where slavery was still the law of the land. On landing at Galveston, the young sailor, as a British citizen, knew what to do: He approached the first well-dressed man he could find and asked for directions to the British consulate. Unfortunately, the man he had chosen to ask was Charles Kleiber, a local lumber merchant, who was as much of a scoundrel as the Velascos captain. Kleiber persuaded Thomas to sign a contract of indentured servitude, trapping him legally in a condition tantamount to slavery. History does not record how Lynn found out about Thomas plight. But when he did, he sprang into action. Lynn, a local political force and a champion for emancipation as evidenced by his correspondence and by legal records of multiple interventions on behalf of oppressed Black people published an article in the Galveston News accusing Kleiber and his associates of kidnapping Her Majesty (Queen Victoria)s subjects. Given the importance of British commerce to the Galveston economy were still the No. 1 foreign investor in Texas! Kleiber was sufficiently shamed into publishing a rebuttal explaining his actions, though he did not release Thomas. Lynn then orchestrated a brazen kidnapping of his own, sneaking Thomas onto a ship bound for Boston, with sealed letters instructing British diplomats in that city to assist this distressed British sailor with his passage home. By the time anyone realized he was missing, Thomas was again a free man. Over the past year, following the murder of George Floyd, British people have clamored to learn more about the history and experiences of Black Americans and about Juneteenth, a hitherto quintessentially American celebration. I wouldnt be surprised to see more and more Britons coming to Galveston to participate in, learn from and celebrate this important occasion; I am certainly looking forward to doing so this year. Last week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and President Joe Biden announced a new Atlantic Charter wherein our two nations have pledged to take our long history of cooperation to the next level. Among numerous commitments, this document sets out our shared agreement to confront injustice and inequality and defend the inherent dignity and human rights of all individuals. So whilst the New Atlantic Charter takes its name from events in 1941, more than a little of the text can trace its way back to the changes we celebrate on Juneteenth. The next chapter in the long and mutually beneficial friendship between the U.K. and Texas has yet to be written, but history has shown that our international partnerships can often bring out the best in us. The story of Juneteenth teaches us that progress can be made. The story of Arthur Lynn has taught me that everyone has a part to play. Hyde represents the British government in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Oklahoma. A swath of southern Missouri including Texas County is seeing a big rise in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations at just the wrong time OFALLON, Mo. The OFallon, Missouri, police chief resigned on Friday because of concerns about the poor wording and unintended consequences of a bill recently signed by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson that seeks to invalidate federal gun laws in Missouri, according to a news release. Philip Dupuis, who had been the police chief since October 2020, said the recently signed Second Amendment Preservation Act, which allows officers to be sued if they try to enforce federal gun laws, makes officers vulnerable during good faith, justified seizures of firearms. Parson signed the bill last week. It would subject officers who knowingly enforce federal gun laws to a fine of about $50,000 per violating officer. This vague language will create a flood of weaponized litigation that will chill the legitimate peacekeeping duties of police, Dupuis said in a statement. This will decrease public safety and increase frivolous lawsuits designed to harass and penalize good, hard-working law enforcement agencies. Highly effective partnerships between local and federal law enforcement agencies will have to be reevaluated. In a letter sent to state officials Wednesday night and obtained by The Associated Press, Justice Department officials said that federal law trumps state law and that Parson does not have the authority to enforce the new rule. Parson and Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt responded Thursday that they stand by the state law. Dupuis joined the OFallon Police Department after a 10-year stint as police chief in a suburb of Houston. He was the citys second new police chief in as many years. City Administrator Mike Snowden said Maj. John Neske will take over as acting police chief in OFallon. Gov. Mike Parson leaves the House chambers after addressing a joint session of the legislature, Monday, June 11, 2018, at the capitol building in Jefferson City. Missouri Republican Gov. Mike Parson on Monday said it's time for a fresh start and called for unity as he addressed the Legislature for the first time since he took office following Eric Greitens resignation amid allegations of personal and political misconduct. (J.B. Forbes/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP) As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. Dont let her looks deceive you, the soft-spoken young woman with the shy smile is We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email circulation@idahopress.com for help creating one. Note: We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email circulation2@journalnet.com for help creating one. A doctor who fought to save Princess Dianas life after her catastrophic car crash has spoken about how he tried everything possible to get her heart beating again. MonSef Dahman was a young duty general surgeon at the Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital in Paris when he was called to the accident and emergency department to treat a young woman in the early hours of 31 August 1997. I was resting in the duty room when I got a call from Bruno Riou, the senior duty anaesthetist, telling me to go to the emergency room, Dr Dahman, 56, told the Daily Mail. I wasnt told it was Lady Diana, but [only] that thered been a serious accident involving a young woman. The organisation of the Pitie-Salpetriere hospital was very hierarchical. So when you got a call from [such] a high-level colleague, that meant the case was particularly serious. Dr Dahman, who was 33 at the time, said he realised the true seriousness of things when he arrived at A&E moments later. Prof Riou was in the room and personally taking care of the woman on the stretcher, which was a sign of the special importance, Dr Dahman said. He was then informed that the woman was Diana, Princess of Wales. It only took that moment for all this unusual activity to become clear to me, he recalled. For any doctor, any surgeon, it is of very great importance to be faced with such a young woman who is in this condition. But of course even more so if she is a princess. He declined to describe the details of Dianas treatment, but he said an X-ray revealed she was suffering very serious internal bleeding, and underwent a procedure to help remove excess fluid from her chest cavity as well as blood transfusions. Diana, 36, suffered a cardiac arrest at about 2.15am and was given external heart massage and emergency surgery while lying on the stretcher in A&E. I did this [procedure] to enable her to breathe, Dr Dahman explained. Her heart couldnt function properly because it was lacking in blood. The surgery revealed that Diana had suffered a significant tear in her pericardium, which protects the heart. Professor Alain Pavie, one of Frances leading heart surgeons, arrived to help save Diana, and she was moved to an operating theatre. Further surgical exploration discovered that the princess had a tear in her upper left pulmonary vein at the point of contact with the heart. Prof Pavie sutured the lesion, but Dianas heart had stopped before the surgical exploration and would not restart. We tried electric shocks, several times and, as I had done in the emergency room, cardiac massage, said Dr Dahman. Professor Riou had administered adrenaline. But we could not get her heart beating again. The treating team continued to try to resuscitate Diana for a full hour. We fought hard, we tried a lot, really an awful lot. Frankly, when you are working in those conditions, you dont notice the passage of time, Dr Dahman said. The only thing that is important is that we do everything possible for this young woman. He said not being able to save Diana affected him very much. Dr Dahman said one of the reasons for speaking out now was to reiterate how the French emergency medical staff had made every possible effort to save Diana, in contrast to enduring conspiracy theories about the princesss death. Several years later, a review of the medical evidence for the inquiry into Dianas death found that those involved in the emergency treatment and surgery made every effort to save the princesss life. No other strategy would have affected the outcome, the report concluded. Hospital emergency departments across the UK are at breaking point with record numbers of patients swamping A&Es, raising fears that lives will be lost, The Independent can reveal. Some hospitals have been forced to declare major incidents in the last few days because of the swelling numbers of patients. Hospitals across the country have set new records for patient numbers in recent weeks, surpassing the worst days of the winter of 2019 the most recent winter crisis in the NHS before the coronavirus pandemic hit the UK. A&E doctors from across the country have shared details with The Independent, revealing that in some units patients are waiting as long as nine hours to be seen, with overall numbers up by 50 per cent compared with pre-pandemic levels. The increase is putting extra pressure on hospital beds, which have already been reduced to try and limit the spread of coronavirus within hospitals. Ambulance services have also reported a rise in emergency calls, along with a growing level of violence against staff from frustrated members of the public. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine warned that the situation was very serious, and that emergency departments were being overwhelmed. Vice president Dr Adrian Boyle said: What's been going on for the last six weeks, the levels of activity we are seeing, is creating a significant and sustained threat to patient safety. We know research evidence has consistently demonstrated that excessive occupancy in emergency departments is inevitably associated with an increase in short-term mortality. The essence of emergency medicine is identifying the needle in the haystack. If the haystack is getting bigger, it becomes progressively harder to find that needle. Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said that record A&E attendance was the canary in the coalmine that reveals the scale of the NHS crisis, and that there was no question our NHS is under intense pressure. Years of healthcare cuts under the Tories and uncertainty about future funding means patients waiting longer for treatment, he said. We want a fully-funded NHS rescue plan to deliver the quality care patients deserve. At least 30 hospitals across England have seen record levels of patients during June, stretching from Exeter and Plymouth in the south to hospitals in Middlesbrough, Manchester and elsewhere in the north of England. On Tuesday, the North Middlesex Hospital in north London declared an internal incident after 700 patients attended its A&E department the highest level since January 2020, when 684 were recorded in a single day. The University Hospitals of Leicester trust also recorded its busiest day ever on Tuesday, with 925 patients, as did the University Hospitals of North Midlands trust in Stoke, which saw 866 patients. At the University Hospitals Birmingham trust, which runs three A&E departments in the region, attendances have jumped from an average of around 900 per day in December 2019 to 1,350 this month. One clinician at the trust said patients were waiting at least nine hours to be seen on some occasions. At Leeds General Infirmary, the average daily attendance was 350 before the pandemic but has now exceeded 400 patients a day. The trust has publicly warned patients on its Facebook page that they face long waits. At the Royal Liverpool Hospital the A&E department was described as at full stretch with the situation labelled unsustainable by one consultant. Other hospitals declaring record demand include the Royal Free in London, Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge, and the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. The pressure is also being felt by paramedics. In a leaked briefing to West Midlands Ambulance Service staff, seen by The Independent, the trust said the problem of delays at hospital was now the biggest risk to patient safety. It added that June was set to be its busiest month on record, saying: Seven of the top 10 busiest days the trust has experienced from a call perspective have come in June 2021! The situation is quite unprecedented and is being repeated across the country. For the first two weeks of the month, calls rose 30 per cent compared to the same month in 2019, with 5,314 calls to 999 on Monday the second busiest day ever after 4 January, at the height of the Covid surge. The briefing said: The trust has not seen sustained pressure like it is currently experiencing in a very long time, if ever. Hospital delays are extensive and growing; members of the public are getting angry at delays in ambulances arriving, and are taking it out on staff over the phone and in person. Dr Adrian Boyle told The Independent that demand in A&Es had gone up across all patient groups but was disproportionately higher among patients who were less seriously ill or injured, whom he said had not been served by the rest of the system. He said A&Es were picking up the pieces from overworked GPs, who were themselves struggling to meet demand, and from the decline in health as a result of the pandemic lockdown. Delays in treatments meant some patients were now experiencing complications from their initial health problems, he explained. The activity we had in May was the second highest on record, compared to December 2019. So we're seeing winter levels of activity in summer. Were very worried about that. And he warned that it had implications for the backlog of surgeries. This inability to meet the demand is going to derail the elective backlog. We're very sympathetic to the fact that there are patients who have been waiting a long time for important, lifesaving surgery. It will be utterly tragic if we find ourselves in a situation where operations are cancelled because there is no bed because it is full, because we run our hospitals with too few beds. Dr Boyle added that A&E staff were seeing increased violence and aggression from patients who are frustrated with long waits, creating a toxic work environment for staff. There is no quick fix, he warned, adding: The strategy we had of trying to run our healthcare system on almost the lowest number of beds per 1,000 people in the OECD [Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development] is really harming us. We need to properly plan, invest, and develop services. An NHS spokesperson said: Staff in emergency departments are having to work differently from how they did pre-pandemic, with extra time needed for applying PPE and performing rapid Covid tests on patients. The NHS has invested 450m in upgrading A&Es as part of its response to coronavirus, while also providing convenient ways to access care that meet patients needs, including an enhanced NHS 111 service. Thanks to the efforts of staff, the NHS is ahead of ambitions set out in April for operations and routine care, and is now seeing more people coming forward for emergency care. Lithuania will set up a border tent village to shelter increasing numbers of asylum-seekers from third countries who are entering through neighboring Belarus, officials said Thursday. Authorities in the small Baltic country have suggested that the Belarusian government with which relations are tense following a crackdown on opposition supporters in Belarus could be involved in the increase seen in recent days. We are almost full. We need a tent camp to take the foreigners. The new camp will be able to house up to 350 people, said Aleksandras Kislovas, head of the Lithuanian immigration authority's local office near the southern border with Belarus. Some 300 refugees, mainly from Iraq, Syria Iran and Russia have entered from Belarus during the first half of year, according to statistics by the State Border Guard Service. That is several times higher than in previous years. The tents would be used to accommodate single persons while families would be housed in regular buildings, Kislovas said. ___ Follow APs global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration A Tory MP is facing trial accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy in 2008, it can now be revealed. Imran Ahmad Khan, 47, the Conservative MP for Wakefield, West Yorkshire, is alleged to have groped the teenager in Staffordshire. He denies the charge. Ahmad Khan, who was elected at the 2019 general election, appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court by video-link from his lawyers office. He can be named after reporting restrictions were lifted. He faces a single count of sexual assault against the teenager, who cannot be identified because he is an alleged victim of a sexual offence, in 2008. According to his website, the MP was born in Wakefield, where he attended the independent Silcoates School before going to university at the Pushkin Institute in Russia and graduating from Kings College London with a bachelors degree in war studies. Before entering Parliament, he worked for the United Nations as a special assistant for political affairs in Mogadishu. In a statement posted on Twitter, Ahmad Khan said: It is true that an accusation has been made against me. May I make it clear from the outset that the allegation, which is from over 13 years ago, is denied in the strongest terms. This matter is deeply distressing to me and I, of course, take it extremely seriously. To be accused of doing something I did not do is shocking, destabilising, and traumatic. I am innocent. Those, like me, who are falsely accused of such actions are in the difficult position of having to endure damaging and painful speculation until the case is concluded. I ask for privacy as I work to clear my name. Rosemary Ainslie, head of Special Crime at the CPS, said: The Crown Prosecution Service authorised police to charge Imran Ahmad Khan, MP for Wakefield, with one offence of sexual assault. The charge relates to an allegation of sexual assault in 2008. The CPS made the decision that Mr Khan should be charged after reviewing a file of evidence from Staffordshire Police. The CPS reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against Mr Khan are active and that he has a right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings. Andrew Lloyd Webber has rejected prime minister Boris Johnsons offer for his musical Cinderella to be included in a pilot scheme for live events. Earlier this week Mr Johnson said he was in talks with Lord Lloyd-Webber about including the West End show in the scheme, saying he will do whatever we can to be helpful. Lord Lloyd-Webber was criticised by a government source after he rejected the offer on Friday. They said they were bemused by his baffling decision, adding that he had previously provisionally registered to take part in the pilot scheme. Lord Lloyd-Webber, who quit as a Conservative peer in 2017, said in a statement theatre had been treated as an afterthought and undervalued. He added: I have made it crystal clear that I would only be able to participate if others were involved and the rest of the industry theatre and music were treated equally. This has not been confirmed to me. It has become clear that, while sporting events like Wimbledon had obviously been working with the government for some time on this pilot, and were even able to start selling tickets yesterday, the theatre industry and its audiences is, once again, an afterthought and undervalued. He said the production, which is being staged at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, would open on 25 June with an audience capacity of 50 per cent. The composer previously said he would be prepared to be arrested in order to fully reopen his theatres on 21 June in the event of a delay to the easing of lockdown restrictions. However, on Friday he said if he went ahead with the plan it would be very likely that every member of my cast, crew and orchestra, the front and backstage staff, plus our loyal audience members, could be individually fined hundreds of pounds, which I couldnt possibly risk. He added: If it were just me, I would happily risk arrest and fines to make a stand and lead the live music and theatre industry back to the full capacities we so desperately need. Lord Lloyd-Webber said he could not look my young cast and crew in the eyes to tell them we were delaying or closing down because of the delay to lockdown easing. He said he would personally bear the losses until he can fully reopen the theatre at maximum capacity. Cinderella is the product of hundreds of peoples tireless effort for years, he said, adding: Win, lose or draw, we have to continue. Lord Lloyd-Webber also thanked the thousands of people who had contacted him to express their support, including those who wanted to come and bring me cake in jail. The government source said: We are bemused that Andrew Lloyd Webber has decided not to take part in the ERP (Events Research Programme). This would have given him the opportunity to have audiences at 100 per cent for Cinderella and at the same time play a crucial part for his sector in the fuller reopening. Its baffling that hes pulled out and is instead opening his theatre at 50 per cent given all the noise hes been making about opening fully and threatening to sue. Its completely false that the arts and culture sector hasnt been part of the ERP programme. We tested an array of settings including festivals, club nights, the Brits and the Crucible Theatre and are now in discussions with other theatres as part of the next phase of the programme. Mr Johnson revealed earlier this week that 19 July is the new date that has been earmarked for the lifting of the remaining coronavirus restrictions. Lord Lloyd-Webbers statement was welcomed by music industry trade body LIVE. Greg Parmley, chief executive of the organisation, said in a statement: The live music industry has spent months participating and paying for pilot events so we could reopen at full capacity safety. These events were a huge success and show, alongside every other international pilot, that with the right mitigations full capacity live events are safe. Despite this the government has refused to publish this data, forced us to remain closed and then tried to hand-pick a number of high profile events to go ahead whilst the rest of our industries are devastated. Actors union Equity also welcomed the move by Lord Lloyd-Webber. In a statement to the PA news agency, general secretary Paul W Fleming said: What our industry needs right now is solidarity across the workforce and all producers, and its admirable that Andrew Lloyd Webber is continuing to stand with the whole sector on the issue of reopening. The government needs to provide insurances, grants, and above all else a proper income support scheme for the self-employed to accompany any ongoing public health measures, as well as looking to decouple live performance from international travel and other unlocking elements. The risk here is acute the loss of a workforce, and perhaps even the UKs place as the pre-eminent global hub for theatre. Andrew Lloyd Webber knows that, and so does Equity. A spokesman for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said: We are disappointed that Lord Lloyd-Webber has decided not to take part in the Events Research Programme, having engaged with his team on exactly the same basis as a wide range of other cultural and sporting events. We will be setting out details of the next stage of the programme very shortly, once all public health considerations have been finalised, and this will include a number of other theatres. This research will build on successful pilot events in the arts, music and sport sectors. Press Association Over the warnings of the Vatican, the conference of US Roman Catholic bishops approved a plan to draft a statement on the full meaning of the sacrament of the Eucharist, part of a conservative push to condemn president Joe Biden for regularly receiving Communion at Mass despite his support for abortion, even though the church opposes it. The decision, made public on Friday, was approved with 73 percent of the vote during Junes national meeting of US bishops. The statement itself isnt written, but America Magazine reported that an outline suggested it would include the theological foundation for the Churchs discipline concerning the reception of Holy Communion and a special call for those Catholics who are cultural, political, or parochial leaders to witness the faith. Thats a private matter and I dont think thats going to happen, Mr Biden said on Friday, after being asked about the vote. The effort exposes divisions both within US Catholic leadership, and between American bishops and the Vatican. Some supported the move. Our credibility is on the line. The eyes of the whole country are on us. If we dont act courageously, clearly and convincingly on this core Catholic value, how can we expect to be taken seriously on another matter? San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone sai during discussion of the measure, The Washington Postreported. Others argued such an explicit, political rebuke to Mr Biden, a devout Catholic and only the nations second president to hold that faith, would pull the church into partisan warfare. The Eucharist itself will be a tool in vicious partisan turmoil. It will be impossible to prevent its weaponization, even if everyone wants to do so, San Diego Archbishop Robert McElroy said during the meeting. Once we legitimize public-policy-based exclusion well invite all political animosity into the heart of the Eucharistic celebration. Last month, Cardinal Luis Ladaria, the Vaticans top doctrinal official, warned US bishops in a letter that making policies about politicians receiving communion would become a source of discord rather than unity. The president has said he both personally supports abortion access in society, while privately opposing it and accepting the churchs doctrine on the subject, but his election provoked a furious response in some corners of the US Catholic Church. After the victory, Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez created a working group to address potential clashes between the church and the administration. He warned on Inauguration Day that Mr Biden would advance moral evils through his stances in the areas of abortion, contraception, marriage, and gender. Mr Biden, meanwhile, hasnt made talking about abortion a central part of his public policy, even as a conservative-leaning Supreme Court threatens to throw out landmark abortion rights cases like Roe v. Wade. In fact, as of late May, he didnt even say the word abortion, according to one analysis. (He has, however, signed executive orders expanding abortion access and ending restrictions on using tax dollars for clinics that give information and counseling on abortion use.) During his time as a senator, Mr Biden voted opposed various measures related to abortion, including those that made special exemptions for victims of rape and incest, as well as limiting federal funding and health insurance access for abortion services. In his 2007 book Promises to Keep, he wrote that he doesnt believe he has a a right to impose my view on the rest of society. Ukraines president says he's concerned that this weeks US-Russia summit will not produce concrete results and will leave his country in an uncertain position. In an interview Monday with The Associated Press and other foreign news agencies, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was disappointed that he was not able to have a meeting with President Joe Biden before Biden's Wednesday summit in Geneva with Russian President Vladimir Putin I believe that this would only have been a plus in the negotiating position of the U.S. President, Zelenskyy said Monday. Ukraine is eager for strong support from the West as it faces Russia-backed separatist rebels who have taken control of a large section of the countrys east. The No. 1 concern is that there will be no specifics, Zelenskyy said of the Geneva summit. And the situation in Ukraine depends on this very, very much ... Everyone is afraid of solutions to the most difficult issues, final solutions. Russia denies that it has troops in eastern Ukraine, but it sparked high anxiety this spring with exercises that placed thousands of Russian troops near the border with Ukraine's rebel-held region. Zelenskyy said although some of those forces have been pulled back, about 95,000 remain. The likelihood of an escalation remains, he said, claiming without proof that Russia is planning offensives to take the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv the second-largest city of Kharkiv and the major Black Sea port of Odessa. Zelenskyy also said he wants to get a clear statement from Biden about whether he supports eventual NATO membership for Ukraine. I would really like to get specific yes or no, Zelenskyy said. I understand that this should be the agreed position of the alliance countries. Nevertheless, we must get clear dates and the likelihood of this for Ukraine." Russia strongly opposes NATO membership for Ukraine, which would bring the alliance close to western Russia. Biden has invited Zelenskyy to meet with him in Washington in July and the Ukrainian president said he intends to talk there about U.S. military and economic support, which Ukraine relies on. The United States has the opportunity to really support Ukraine economically. Its not only about money, but about investments, about the opening of various enterprises, Zelenskyy said. Woody Johnson, the Trump administrations ambassador to the UK from 2017 to January 2021, has been cleared of making inappropriate comments about race, gender, and religion. The State Departments Office of Civil Rights found that the allegations against Mr Johnson were unsubstantiated. The New York Jets owner was accused of making improper remarks to embassy staff in London last year. The State Departments inspector general issued a report in August of 2020 that staff at the American embassy claimed that Mr Johnson sometimes made inappropriate or insensitive comments on topics generally considered Equal Employment Opportunity-sensitive, such as religion, sex, or colour. From the official account of the US ambassador, Mr Johnson tweeted on 22 July 2020: "I have followed the ethical rules and requirements of my office at all times. These false claims of insensitive remarks about race and gender are totally inconsistent with my longstanding record and values. Fox News obtained correspondence from the State Departments Office of Civil Rights from 12 January 2021 with the subject: Inquiry re Robert Wood Johnson, Ambassador. Pursuant to the Departments Harassment Policies, an investigation was conducted into allegations of harassment regarding the above-named subject, the correspondence said. There were three categories of allegations: race, sex, and religion, the message added. After careful review of the evidence, S/OCR concluded that the allegations against Ambassador Robert Johnson were unsubstantiated workplace harassment and, therefore, not a violation of [harassment policies]. All of those allegations were looked at by the highest levels of the State Department, Mr Johnson told reporters this week. The Office of Civil Rights conducted an extensive survey and all of the allegations and concluded that none of it was substantiated. None of it. He added that his wife Suzanne was absolutely furious about the allegations made against her husband because this goes against my history and everything Ive done for my entire life. It had been very, very hard on me to listen to all this stuff, Mr Johnson said. After leaving the ambassadorship in London, Mr Johnson returned to overseeing the New York Jets. The State Department declined to comment. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been vaccinated using Russias Sputnik V Covid jab, it has been reported. Russian news agency interfax said Mr Assad had been inoculated on Thursday. Riad Haddad, Syria's ambassador to Moscow, told reporters the president had got the injection. Last month, a Covid-19 vaccine campaign was launched in Idlib, Syria's only remaining rebel-held enclave. Nizar Fattouh, a nurse in Ibn Sina Hospital in Idlib city, was one of the first to benefit from 53,800 UN-secured AstraZeneca jabs delivered to northwest Syria through Turkey on 21 April. Idlib health official Yasser Najib said at the time the jabs were provided through the COVAX program for the worlds poor and developing nations. The Syrian government said it has secured 200,000 vaccines through the Covax programme but also has obtained doses from China, Russia and the United Arab Emirates. A limited inoculation campaign had also begun in government-controlled areas that are experiencing increased pressure on hospitals. The World Health Organization has said the vaccination campaign in Syria aims to inoculate 20 per cent of the total population residing in the country by the end of the year. According to Johns Hopkins University data, Syria has recorded 24,559 Covid-19 cases. Officials have logged 1,778 deaths, although analysts say the true figures are likely to be higher due to a lack of reporting in the war-torn country. Additional reporting by Associated Press Since 1963, The Independent has helped create a great community! Since our founding in September of 1963, The Independent has been dedicated to giving Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, and Sunol readers the news they need to be in-the-know about what's going on in the Tri-Valley region. Index-Journal Careers PART-TIME POSITION available in our packaging area. Job responsibilities include putting inserts into the newspaper. Must have a positive attitude and be a team player. Applicants must be able to: lift up to 20-lbs; stand for long periods of time; be available to work Sunday thru Friday, late evening to early morning hours; pass drug screen. remaining of Thank you for Reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. It was in 1991 that Brad Pitt came under the spotlight with his role in Thelma & Louise. The following years saw him in several hits including Se7en and Fight Club. Movies like Oceans Eleven, Moneyball, Interview With The Vampire, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Buttons and A River Runs Through are deemed as some of his finest performances. twitter However, it was only until 2020 that he finally earned his first ever acting Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Despite his impeccable acting chops, it took Pitt way too long to take the coveted trophy home. studio binder Trade experts often say that one factor that prolonged this was his choice of films. While he passed some roles which went on to become bumper hits, he lost several others that could have been his smartest career moves. Many of Johnny Depp, Matt Damon and Keanu Reeves famous roles would have added more value to his filmography. Lets take a look at 12 roles which Brad Pitt lost that are either his biggest regrets or could-haves. Scroll! 1. About a Boy microsoft Pitt turned down the lead role of Will, which went to Hugh Grant and he managed to win the hearts of audiences everywhere. Apparently, Pitt thought it was too implausible that such an attractive man would need to pick up women by pretending to be a single father. 2. The Matrix screencrush In an interview, music composer Don Davis revealed that the makers originally wanted Brad Pitt or Val Kilmer to play the lead role of Neo. Speaking at the 2019 Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Pitt confirmed he was among the actors who turned down the part, saying "I really believe it was never mine... But I did pass on the Matrix. I took the red pill." Can you imagine anyone else other than Keanu Reeves in The Matrix, especially Brad Pitt? 3. Heathers book and film globe Despite auditioning for the role of J.D., Brad Pitt couldnt bag this role because the producer and director thought he looked too sweet to play the dark character. Christian Slater got the part eventually. 4. Almost Famous variety Back in 2000, Brad Pitt was all set to play Russell Hammond in this Cameron Crowe's movie. He had just finished filming the movie Fight Club and was still wrapped around his character, which is why he wanted as much information on Russell as possible. However, the character was underwritten, resulting in Brad dropping out of the project. Reportedly, he said "I just don't get it enough to do it." The role eventually went to Billy Crudup. 5. The Shawshank Redemption official still Frank Darabont's The Shawshank Redemption can easily be regarded as one of the best Stephen King movie adaptations of all time. Much to the surprise of fans, it garnered a cold response upon its initial release in 1994. Whats more it was shunned at the subsequent Oscars ceremony despite being nominated in seven different categories. Pitt was set to play Tommy Williams (a minor yet vital character in the movie's narrative). Considering his growing popularity, he chose to drop out and instead star alongside Tom Cruise in Interview with the Vampire instead. In an interview, Pitt said he didn't regret passing on the film, explaining "I just believe in the way things work out, and that was someone else's role." 6. Apollo 13 amazon Ron Howard's 1995 dramatization of the failed Apollo 13 mission still falls in the most celebrated movies list. Thanks to the film's technical accuracy and tight construction, it even won an Oscar for Best Editing. The film starred Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon and Bill Paxton as three astronauts who struggle to keep a cool head while fighting to stay alive in the middle of outer space. In an interview with The Morning Call the same year the movie opened, Pitt revealed he was offered the role of Apollo 13's backup Command Module Pilot Jack Swigert, but he turned it down. Instead, he took up Fincher's bleak crime mystery-thriller Se7en. Both these films became critical and commercial hits. 7. The Bourne Identity imdb Before Matt Damon became the celebrated action star courtesy this franchise, the role of the eponymous assassin-turned amnesiac fugitive was offered to Pitt. However, he was already committed to Tony Scott's Spy Game and had to turn Liman's film down after he and Universal were unable to work a schedule for both. The Bourne Identity went on to become a big hit (leading to three sequels and a spinoff). Damon's Jason Bourne is perhaps regarded as one of the quintessential post-9/11 heroes. 8. The Departed the today show A few years after The Bourne Identity, Pitt and Damon's paths crossed yet again. Warner Bros, producer Brad Grey and Pitt had purchased the rights to make an Americanized remake of the Hong Kong police drama-thriller in 2003. Pitt was supposed to star as Boston police officer and Irish Mob mole Colin Sullivan opposite Leonardo DiCaprio as fellow officer William Costigan. In 2007, in an interview, Pitt revealed that he changed his mind when Martin Scorsese came onboard as the director, "I thought it would be better if [the leads] were younger guys that were just starting their lives, guys coming out of the academy, guys who were hungry. I thought I was too old for it." Later, Damon was later cast as Sullivan in The Departed, which went on to become the film that finally fetched Scorsese his Best Director Oscar. 9. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory pinterest Before the role of Willy Wonka went to Johnny Depps kitty, Brad Pitt auditioned to play the sweet fanatic. At the time of Tim Burton's 2005 remake, Brad was married to Angelina Jolie and wanted to do the role to impress their children. Unfortunately, things didn't work out for Brad. He wasnt the only one who was eyeing the iconic role. Michael Keaton, Will Smith, and Jim Carrey were also turned down for the coveted role. 10. American Psycho indiewire Brad Pitt would have loved to star as Patrick Bateman in the nail-biting movie American Psycho. But sadly, he just didn't make the cut. Brad had already been cast in earlier versions of the film, but he failed to see eye to eye with director David Cronenberg, resulting in Brad being replaced by Christian Bale. Before Bale landed the legendary role, it was passed between Edward Norton, Leonardo DiCaprio and Ewan McGregor. 11. The Devil's Advocate official poster Before Keanu Reeves aced the role of Kevin Lomax in The Devil's Advocate, it was Brad Pitt who was originally set to play the crooked defense attorney. He was unexpectedly replaced by Keanu Reeves. Producers felt that Brad was "too nice." 12. Titanic hotstar Can you imagine anyone other than Leonardo DiCaprio playing Jack in Titanic? Interestingly, at one point in time, Brad Pitt was in the running to star alongside Kate Winslet in this cult love story. Brad would have done an amazing job but it wont be wrong to say that Leo and Kate were a match made in heaven. These films would have been a lot different than what they turned out to be! Genome sequencing of the samples of four COVID-19 infected lions at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park at Vandalur, near here has revealed that they belong to Pangolin lineage B.1.617.2 and are Delta variants as per WHO nomenclature, the park said. On May 11, this year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) classified B.1.617.2 lineage as a variant of concern, and said it showed evidence of higher transmissibility and reduced neutralisation, the zoo's deputy director said. India Today Samples of 11 lions sent The zoo had sent samples of 11 lions housed there to test for SARS CoV-2 four lions on May 24. The zoological park had also sent seven samples on May 29 to the ICAR-National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal. "The director ICAR-NIHSAD informed that the Genome sequencing of four of the samples was done at NIHSAD, Bhopal. Analysis of the sequences shows that all the 4 sequences belong to Pangolin lineage B.1.617.2 and are Delta variants as per WHO nomenclature," the release stated. Business Standard Subsequently, the Bihar institute said samples of 9 lions had tested positive for coronavirus. Second tragedy in days In the same zoo, a male lion named Pathbanathan, aged 12 years died due to coronavirus this week in Tamil Nadu. It was the second tragedy that struck the zoo as it lost a nine-year-old lioness due to coronavirus on June 3. Authorities there have also tested dozens of elephants for the virus at a forest reserve. docplayer Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's main zoo on Friday said it was seeking Indian help to treat a lion that tested positive for Covid-19 -- the first animal on the island known to be infected. Treatment of infected lion on The Department of National Zoological Gardens said it was consulting vets at the Central Zoo Authority of India to treat 11-year-old Thor, a lion gifted by Seoul's zoo in 2013. Thor had been experiencing breathing difficulties and refused food, prompting authorities at the Dehiwala Zoo, near the Sri Lankan capital, to test it for coronavirus. After an inquiry, the Uttar Pradesh government has given Paras Hospital in Agra a clean chit in the alleged 'mock drill' case. The inquiry report says that there is no proof of a mock drill during which oxygen supply was cut off and 16 people died in the hospital. The hospital's owner was purportedly caught on a video earlier this month saying that the facility cut off oxygen supply for patients for five minutes in a mock drill in April, NDTV reported on Friday. The Uttar Pradesh government had ordered an inquiry into the incident after the video triggered massive outrage. Reuters/Representational image Findings of expert committee The committee of experts found that 16 patients died at the Paras Hospital on April 26, the day of the mock drill, according to The Indian Express. However, they claimed that these patients were already in critical condition or had comorbidities and did not die because of the mock drill. PM: CM: " " : : " 22 " ? pic.twitter.com/DbiqtILE27 Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) June 8, 2021 The death audit committee found during its probe that all patients had been treated as per Covid protocol and the details of their oxygen status and supply have been listed, the report said, according to The Indian Express. It also found that the oxygen supply of any patient was not interrupted. Patients who died had comorbidities and (died) because of their critical condition. The hospital had been given adequate oxygen supply. The hospital was sealed and a case under the Epidemic Diseases Act was registered against the hospital owner. TOI Its owner was booked under the Epidemic Diseases Act and Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant, causing obstruction and injury) for spreading fake information. This was done after the hospital had discharged patients due to lack of oxygen though there was enough supply, the inquiry said, according to The Indian Express. According to the investigating committee, the hospital was using 149 oxygen cylinders with 20 in reserve on April 25 and 121 cylinders with 15 in reserve on April 26. This was found to be adequate for the patients admitted at the hospital. "It was also found during the inquiry that attendants of some patients had reached the hospital with oxygen arranged from alternative sources," the committee said. BCCL Hospital owner's statement On June 8, Agra District Magistrate Prabhu N Singh had said there were no deaths due to lack of oxygen on the day the alleged video was recorded. The hospital owner Arinjay Jain had also claimed that his statements were misinterpreted. "In my video I nowhere mentioned the death of patients. Yes, there was a mock drill conducted to find out how many patients are critical and cannot be saved if oxygen runs out. No patient died. I am a doctor and no doctor would do such a thing. The message got manipulated," Jain had said. Video that triggered outrage However, in the video which was circulated on social media earlier this month, Jain was heard saying that the mock drill was done on April 26 to check who would survive if the hospitals oxygen supply ran out. BCCL At one point in video, he said that 22 patients turned blue and gasped for breath when their oxygen supply was interrupted. In April, Uttar Pradesh and several other states were grappling with acute shortages of oxygen during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. While India is trying to 'adjust' with one dose, increasing the gap between doses or no vaccination at all for COVID-19 recovered, many countries around the world where a significant portion of the population have been vaccinated are taking a different approach. Amid fears that the delta variant of COVID-19 which was first identified in India will soon become the dominant strain globally, many countries are considering giving a third, booster dose to their citizens to improve their immunity. That is because studies so far suggest that the existing vaccines only offer limited protection against the delta strain as compared to the nearly 90 per cent efficacy most of them had shown against the alpha and beta strains. AP Clinical trial in UK In the UK, a clinical trial is already underway to determine if a third dose of COVID-19 is needed to improve immunity. NEWS: @BTHFT & the @UniofBradford today launched a world-first clinical trial to give scientists around the globe a better idea of the part booster doses of the #CovidVaccine could play in protecting individuals from the virus. #WeAreBradford FULL STORY: https://t.co/MSicKsIBJb pic.twitter.com/xDngfVFqzX Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS FT #HandsFaceSpace (@BTHFT) June 1, 2021 What Pfizer and Moderna say Pfizer and Moderna had recently announced that people who have received both doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna coronavirus vaccines will probably need a booster shot this year and might need an annual shot thereafter. A likely scenario is that there will be likely a need for a third dose, somewhere between six and 12 months and then from there, there will be an annual revaccination, but all of that needs to be confirmed. And again, the variants will play a key role, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla recently told CNBC. BCCL In India, earlier this month, an expert panel of the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) had permitted Bharat Biotech to give a third dose of its COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin to a few volunteers in its clinical trials. Bharat Biotech has proposed a booster dose after six months of the second dose. What experts say Samiran Panda, director of the ICMR National AIDS Research Institute, said if the companies are deciding on giving a third booster dose after two doses then it should be based upon data on immunological memory. This means that after two doses what is the status of antibody concentration and after how long it comes below a level after which one needs the third booster dose, he said. I wonder why the companies are suggesting this and what is the data because COVID-19 we came to know in December 2019 and the vaccines were made in April and August. So we dont have enough data and I think the proposal for third dose is based on a conjecture rather than the time that needs to lapse after which we will have data on how many shots are needed. So time has not come as yet, Panda told PTI. BCCL He said now when these companies are talking about boosters there comes the question what would these boosters do. These boosters are supposed to boost up the immunity to tackle the dwindling concentration of antibodies. It has been found that after six to nine months the concentration of the antibody comes down but that was mostly in natural infections, Panda said. For organ transplant recipients Earlier this week, a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine said that a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine can boost antibody levels in people who previously received an organ transplant. AFP To think that a third dose could confer protection for a significant number of people is of course extremely welcome news, said Christian Larsen, MD, professor of surgery in the transplantation division at Emory University in Atlanta, who was not involved in the study. Its the easiest conceivable next intervention. He added, We just want studies to confirm that larger studies. After remaining shut for nearly two months due to the strict lockdown measures, liquor outlets owned by the state-run Kerala State Beverages Corporation (BevCo) and bars reopened for the public from Thursday. And what followed was a mad rush - BevCo outlets across Kerala saw a large turn out of customers queuing up to buy liquor. ANI At several places, the queues were as long as a few hundred meters. And the best part was they were maintaining social distancing as they patiently waited for their turn. Happy customers Many were just happy that the shops are finally open. "It was tough as I did not have any stock of liquor. Today, I feel some sort of fresh energy and have been waiting for a while in the queue to collect my stock," said a smiling 65-year-old man in the state capital and added all the Covid protocols are being followed as he waved a small bottle of sanitizer and pointed out that the social distance is also being maintained and not to mention he showed that he has two masks. ANI "Just see, is there any hustle and bustle or jostling? We will never create any difficulty for us by creating a scene. Our only request is please inform the authorities, that we would like these shops to open on Saturday and Sunday also, which is not going to happen. That's a wrong decision," said a youngster who got one litre of his favourite drink and was rushing back. According to local media reports on Thursday, the first day of sales resuming BevCo outlets alone sold liquor worth Rs 64 crore in a day. ANI In addition to this, the outlet run by Consumer fed saw a business of around Rs 8 crore on the same day. The total sale of liquor in Kerala on Thursday is likely to go up by a few more crore rupees as the data from bars is not available yet. Record sales Even without the sales figures from bars, this is a record of sorts as such demand for liquor is usually seen in Kerala only during festivals. ANI The biggest sale was reported from an outlet in Tenkurisi in Palakkad where liquor worth Rs 68 lakhs was sold followed by one in Thiruvananthapuram which sold alcohol worth Rs 65 lakhs. Across the state, 301 retail liquor vends belonging to the Bevco and Consumer fed, besides 576 bars and 291 wine and beer shops, will be selling liquor. BCCL Why not places of worship? After the government allowed liquor outlets to resume, many religious groups have demanded that places of worship too should be open to the public. However, Kerala Devaswom Minister K Radhakrishnan on Friday said devotees would have to wait for some more time before places of worship including temples reopen. He said the government could not announce an exact date right now on the reopening of places of worship and it would depend on a dip in the spread of the virus infection. "Any rush in temples or other places of worship will result in the increasing spread of the disease. That is why the government is showing utmost seriousness in the issue," he said. Unilever renamed its skin-lightening brand in India last year from Fair & Lovely to Glow & Lovely after facing anger from customers who said the company was perpetuating negative stereotypes about darker skin tones. (Glow and Lovely India/Facebook page) Chemist Sumita Mitra has won the European Inventor Award for 2021 in the Non-EPO countries category. Sumita Mitra took an entirely new path in her field, and demonstrated how technological innovationcan bring benefits to millions of dental patients, EPO president Antonio Campinos said in a statement. (epo.org photo) The city of Riverside in Southern California has announced it sent several boxes of COVID-19 aid to India to help the county weather the storm of its second surge of the global pandemic. (City of Riverside-Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson/Facebook photo) Fairfax County has exceeded President Joe Bidens goal for COVID-19 vaccines, but county health officials are still working to reach those on the margins who are not yet vaccinated. According to Virginia Department of Health data updated Friday, 72.8% of people 18 and older in Fairfax have received at least one vaccine dose and 63.8% are fully vaccinated. Biden had set a goal of 70% of adults having at least one dose by July 4. Fairfax has one of the highest vaccination rates in the state and the second highest in Northern Virginia, behind Loudoun County. But local health officials say the numbers still need to be higher to reach community immunity. We want to make sure every eligible adult is vaccinated to stop the spread and resurgence of the disease, said Sharon Arndt, director of community health development for the Fairfax County Health Department. If we want to stop the spread of the disease and protect the most vulnerable, we need to vaccinate as many people as possible. Arndt, who is also leading the departments COVID response team, said that for the past few months her team has focused on increasing vaccination rates in areas such as Springfields 22150 Zip code, where the population is generally lower income and experiences higher rates of disease according to the countys vulnerability index. To help increase vaccination rates, the county has partnered with businesses, such as the Springfield Town Center and Safeway, to make it more convenient for people to be vaccinated. Springfield Town Center donated one of its retail spaces for the health department to use as a temporary pop-up clinic, and Safeway provides and administers the vaccines there. These vaccine equity clinics are really seeking to lower the barriers to accessing vaccine, Arndt said. Since moving to Phase 2 of the vaccine rollout, the health department has been focused on implementing its vaccine equity strategy to target vulnerable populations, usually low income and people of color, who are at higher risk of becoming severely ill and dying from COVID. Many Fairfax residents who fit into these two categories generally have more difficulty accessing the vaccine because they may lack transportation, dont have the flexibility to get time off work, dont have reliable internet or face language barriers, among other challenges. To help residents overcome some of these obstacles, the health department has been setting up temporary vaccination sites, called vaccine equity sites, around the county in places where there is a higher number of COVID cases and lower vaccination rates. Springfield Town Center is one of those sites. We felt that we'd make a good location because we are in such close proximity to a lot of public transportation options as well as the ample parking, said Eric Christensen, general manager of the mall. He noted that the bus stop at the mall is served by the Fairfax Connector bus lines, and the mall is a short walk from the Franconia/Springfield Metro station. Other temporary vaccination sites include local businesses, mobile vans, community centers and parking lots. The hope is that opening clinics closer to where people live will make it easier for them to be vaccinated, and residents will have access to health professionals who can address their concerns about being vaccinated. Arndt said the county has been working with community partners, such as nonprofits and churches, to spread awareness about how and where to get the vaccine, and some of those partners have let the health department use their facilities for vaccine clinics. John Mitchell, a senior pastor at First Baptist Church of Springfield, said the church provided information to its congregation about where to be vaccinated in Springfield and offered to let the county use its parking lot for a week as a temporary vaccination site in April. It was a good opportunity for us to come alongside the health department and support people in getting vaccines, making them available in the community, he added. And while many people in First Baptists congregation are mostly older and already vaccinated, Mitchell noted that the church also has a large Hispanic and Ethiopian population who had not been vaccinated. We were intentional to use our language liaison to get the word out, he said. People were receptive. While the health department and community organizations say the county's vaccine equity strategy is helping to bridge the gap between vaccines and those who want the shot, it is still not clear to what extent its reaching low income and minority residents. Fairfax begins providing demographic data on COVID-19 vaccinations The Fairfax County Health Department updated its COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard this week to Arndt said that demographic data, such as race and ethnicity, on who has been vaccinated at the Springfield Town Center site is difficult to capture. Walk-ins usually dont want demographic information recorded, and the data collected by the pre-registration system for appointments is not easily accessible to county officials, she explained. While it's reported to the state, it is harder to pull back for the specific clinic, Arndt added. Race and ethnicity data are accessible on Fairfaxs vaccination dashboard, but that data is not complete. The dashboard includes percentages of white, Asian or Pacific Islander, Black and Latino populations who have been vaccinated by the county, but those percentages make up only about 28% of all people vaccinated in the Fairfax Health District. The Springfield Town Center site opened April 15 and is expected to remain open through the end of June, Arndt said. However, the clinic may remain open longer if there is demand. Through June 7, Safeway had administered 3,271 vaccine shots at the Springfield Town Center clinic; 2,225 Pfizer, 692 Moderna, and 324 Johnson & Johnson. The neighborhoods that we are going to are intentional, Arndt said. They are neighborhoods where we've seen lower vaccination rates just like Springfield...we're connecting them to the vaccine. Woodbridge, VA (22192) Today Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High near 80F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Slight chance of a shower throughout the evening. Low around 60F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. The people of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) believe good health is the foundation of vibrant lives, thriving communities, and forward progress. Founded in 1886, they have aimed to keep people well at every age and every stage of life for more than 130 years. Today, Johnson & Johnson is one of the worlds largest and most broadly-based healthcare companies. Every day, more than 130,000 employees across the world are blending heart, science, and ingenuity to meet the companys purpose to profoundly change the trajectory of health for humanity. Operating in Ireland since 1935, Johnson & Johnson is one of Irelands leading employers, with a workforce of more than 5,000 highly skilled and motivated people across 10 locations, spanning five counties. J&Js operations in Ireland touch all aspects of human health, from consumer health products to pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and vision. Healthcare is changing rapidly. Innovations in science, digital technology, and new ways of thinking are improving how people are cared for around the globe, and J&J is at the forefront. The company has invested more than 2BN to expand these capabilities across its Irish sites since 2012. Johnson & Johnsons advanced manufacturing technologies in Cork have received global recognition, with the DePuy Ireland and Janssen Sciences sites named as members of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Lighthouse Network. Johnson & Johnson in Cork J&J is one of the largest life sciences investors and employers in the region, and right in the heart of Corks life sciences hub. The companys operations in Cork are at the cutting-edge of delivering healthcare solutions and play an important part in J&Js global manufacturing network. Three of J&Js four main manufacturing facilities in Ireland can be found in Cork: Janssen Sciences and DePuy Ireland in Ringaskiddy, and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, based in Little Island. Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, one of the worlds largest contact lens manufacturing facilities, is based in Limerick. The companys advanced manufacturing technologies in Cork have received global recognition, with the DePuy Ireland and Janssen Sciences sites named as members of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Lighthouse Network. The DePuy Ireland and Janssen Sciences sites in Cork are the only Irish sites to be recognised in this prestigious list of advanced manufacturers that are showing leadership in applying the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to drive operational and environmental impact. Colm Hynes, Site Lead at DePuy Ireland, said: Lighthouses apply 4IR technologies, such as artificial intelligence, 3D-printing, and Big Data analytics to maximise efficiency and competitiveness at scale, transform business models, and drive economic growth. They do this while augmenting the workforce, protecting the environment, and contributing to a learning journey for all-sized manufacturers across all geographies and industries. DePuy Ireland was awarded the Global Lighthouse designation in 2018 for our use of (IoT) technology, and our colleagues in Janssen Sciences joined the prestigious network in 2020. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is an agenda driven by the employees at Johnson & Johnson and its member companies Janssen and Depuy Synthes. Global R&D and innovation leaders J&J has a significant research, development and innovation (RDI) presence in Ireland. The company is a major investor in both internal and external RDI, building out its capabilities throughout medical device and pharmaceutical sites in Ireland. This focus on RDI in Ireland was recognised last year when Galway-based Johnson & Johnson company Cerenovus, was awarded the Johnson Medal, the longest-running and most prestigious research and development award at J&J, for their work in developing an innovative stent retriever that allows physicians to capture and remove life-threatening blood clots from the brain. The Janssen Sciences facility in Cork is a Global Centre of Excellence for Clinical Drug Substance and Drug Product Release and Stability Management. Most recently development of J&Js first lung cancer treatment, was completed in Cork. Gary Hartnett, Site Lead at Janssen Sciences Ireland, said: The strength of our people has been paramount to J&Js success in Cork and Ireland. Innovation through collaboration is part of our organisations DNA, and it is that commitment to exploration and discovery that drives us to solve some of the worlds most complex healthcare challenges. Innovation at DePuy Ireland advances design, discovery, and delivery of orthopaedic products for the global supply chain. Since launching a decade ago, the DePuy Ireland Innovation Centre has accelerated innovative technologies and over 20 new product introductions for the companys orthopaedic portfolio, driven by a diverse technical team. Colm Hynes, Site Lead at DePuy Ireland, said: We have embraced and embedded modern technologies within our operations, and that has enabled us to be agile in our processes so that we can adapt to the ever-changing needs of our patients. Mike Flannery, Director of New Products & Process Development (PPD) for DePuy Ireland and current Chair of the IBEC MedTech Advanced Manufacturing Working Group, said: At J&J, we understand that we have a key role to play in driving tangible changes in the manufacturing industry through the innovative use of technology and embedding fundamentals of operational excellence. At DePuy Ireland, we use digital systems and technology to connect our processes, enabling real-time interaction between machines within our manufacturing facility and allowing for enhanced customisation and flexibility. Partnering externally J&J also looks outside the company to support innovation and is dedicated to helping external entrepreneurs create healthcare solutions that improve peoples lives. The company has developed innovation centres around the world, enabling innovators to access a diverse range of experts and ideas to accelerate their innovations. Through JLABS, J&J helps to incubate companies, offering them mentorship and infrastructure. Companies seeking funding can also receive investment through JJDC, which is the strategic venture capital arm. RDI, according to Michael Gilvarry, MD of Cerenovus and sponsor of the Johnson & Johnson Campus Ireland RDI taskforce, is a core pillar of J&Js strategy in Ireland. We are focussed on maximising our R&D footprint and building our cross-sector R&D collaborations. Ireland has one of the most productive and established life sciences sectors, it is a crucial pillar in the Irish economy. However, if the industry is to maximise economic value and jobs, it needs strong R&D investment and a skilled workforce. We very much welcome the setting up of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and are actively engaging with the department to support our shared ambition that Ireland become an Innovation Island. Inside the J&J companies' Irish sites Janssen Sciences Ireland was the first pharma manufacturer in Ireland to gain the Business Working Responsibly Mark in 2016. Janssen Ringaskiddy Biologics manufacturing and R&D in Cork Name: Janssen Sciences Ireland UC Janssen Sciences Ireland UC Location: Ringaskiddy, Co Cork Ringaskiddy, Co Cork Established: Johnson & Johnson established the Janssen site in 2005, located on a 100-acre site with an initial investment of 400m. Johnson & Johnson established the Janssen site in 2005, located on a 100-acre site with an initial investment of 400m. Employees: 720 highly-skilled employees 720 highly-skilled employees Site Lead: Gary Hartnett Gary Hartnett Product Portfolio: Innovative biomedicines for the treatment of cancer and immune related diseases. Five commercial products are currently manufactured on site, with a range of other products currently in development and undergoing clinical trials. The portfolio also includes a range of virology products for the treatment of HIV / AIDS. Gary Hartnett, site lead at Janssen Sciences Ireland. Key Facts: Janssen Sciences Ireland is a Global Centre of Excellence for Clinical Drug Substance and Drug Product Release and Stability Management. Janssens manufacturing and operational excellence has been recognised through the receipt of Industry 4.0 Light-house designation by the World Economic Forum in 2020. With a significant focus on sustainability, Janssen Cork was the first pharmaceutical manufacturing company in Ireland to receive the Business Working Responsibly Mark in 2016. A large wind turbine demonstrates the sites commitment to renewable energy. Its also a protected habitat for the Irish Arctic Hare and has an apiary on site since 2019. Recently, Janssen Sciences Irelands newest manufacturing suite achieved LEED silver certification, the most widely-used green building rating system in the world. A recent site expansion to increase manufacturing capacity was recognized by the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering in 2021 with a Facility of the Year Award for Project Execution. The Janssen site in Little Island has its 40th anniversary in 2021. Janssen Little Island Pharmaceutical manufacturing in Cork Name: Janssen Janssen Location: Little Island Little Island Established: Located on a 14-acre site and manufacturing in Cork since 1981 with its 40th anniversary being celebrated later this year. The Cork manufacturing plant is one of four sites that make up the small molecule cluster organisation. Located on a 14-acre site and manufacturing in Cork since 1981 with its 40th anniversary being celebrated later this year. The Cork manufacturing plant is one of four sites that make up the small molecule cluster organisation. Employees: 260 highly- skilled employees. In addition, the site supports J&J supply chain global employees. 260 highly- skilled employees. In addition, the site supports J&J supply chain global employees. Site lead: Andrew Flynn Andrew Flynn Product portfolio: Janssen Pharmaceuticals Sciences UC is manufacturing bulk active pharmaceutical ingredients in Little Island that are sold throughout the world to other Janssen and third party companies where they are further processed into tablets, creams or injectable dosage forms. Janssen Pharmaceuticals Sciences UC is manufacturing bulk active pharmaceutical ingredients in Little Island that are sold throughout the world to other Janssen and third party companies where they are further processed into tablets, creams or injectable dosage forms. Central Nervous System (CNS) products for treatment of psychosis, virology products for treatment of HIV / AIDS and internal products for the treatment of fungal infections, diarrhoea and nausea. Andrew Flynn, site lead, Janssen. Key facts The site is a large-scale sterile active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing facility. Reflecting J&Js commitment to environmental health, and health and safety of its employees and the community, the site has achieved the following international standards and commitments: ISO 45001: 2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (2020) ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems ISO 14001: 2015 Environmental Management Systems ISO 50001:2018 Energy Management Systems Signed up for the Business in the Community Low-Carbon Pledge Sustainability: Wallingstown Castle Biodiversity project, partnering with the community in Little Island, is implementing a biodiversity project which forms the foundation of the vast array of ecosystem services that contribute to human wellbeing. The DePuy Ireland site was awarded the prestigious Global Lighthouse designation in 2018 for its use of IoT technology. DePuy Ireland Orthopaedic and joint replacement products manufacturing in Cork Name: DePuy Ireland DePuy Ireland Location: Ringaskiddy Ringaskiddy Established: Founded in 1997, DePuy Ireland is the primary manufacturing site for Johnson & Johnsons joint reconstruction products portfolio. Founded in 1997, DePuy Ireland is the primary manufacturing site for Johnson & Johnsons joint reconstruction products portfolio. Employees: 1,500 jobs in manufacturing, engineering, R&D, and supply chain roles. 1,500 jobs in manufacturing, engineering, R&D, and supply chain roles. Site Lead: Colm Hynes Colm Hynes Product Portfolio: The site produces brands such as Attune, Sigma, Pinnacle, Corail, and Global Unite for the North American, EMEA, Asia Pacific, and Latin American markets. Colm Hynes, site lead at DePuy Ireland. Key Facts DePuys manufacturing and operational excellence has been recognised with: Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence 2015; Industry 4.0 Lighthouse, World Economic Forum 2018; Manufacturer of the Year and Smart Factory of the Year, National Manufacturing and Supply Chain Awards 2019. The site delivers innovative end-to-end supply chain solutions, featuring excellence in quality and safety compliance, supply chain data intelligence, advanced material science and tech innovation. Features of the Cork plant include: Supply Chain Innovation: Big data analysis enabling high visibility and agility on customer service; Technology Leadership: 3D printing centre of excellence, automated integrated machining, and automated HA implant surface coating line; Engineering Programmes: Engineering Excellence, Stem Academy, Graduate Programme, and Apprenticeship Real Life Learning. Participants at the STEM South West 2019 showcase event in the Rochestown Park Hotel, Cork. Picture: Darragh Kane Sustainability strategy good for company and planet When a company has the formidable goal of helping make the places where we live and work healthier, every effort counts. Johnson & Johnson has no shortage of programs, initiatives and partnerships aimed at helping protect our planet. As the worlds largest most broadly-based health care company, J&J understands that human health and environmental health are fundamentally linked. Put simply, healthy people need a healthy planet. J&J began setting public climate goals 20 years ago and the companys new climate commitments are their boldest and most ambitious yet. Building on a strong history of climate action, by 2030 J&J aims to achieve carbon neutrality through its operations. To help meet this goal, they are aggressively accelerating their target for 100% renewable electricity throughout global operations by 2025. J&J is also committing to work with suppliers to cut upstream carbon footprint by 20% by 2030. This work will deliver almost 2.5 times the carbon footprint reduction compared to its own operations The people of Johnson & Johnson in Ireland are committed to supporting the companys climate action goals. In the last decade they have invested more than 60 million in over 80 carbon footprint reduction projects throughout Ireland. Recently, the Janssen Sciences Ireland site in Cork achieved LEED silver certification. LEED green building features at this site include: charging stations for up to 22 electric cars, covered bicycle parking, open space for protecting natural vegetation, adjustable sun-shades on each building level that reduce solar glare, heat gain within the building and an onsite wind turbine which provides renewable electricity for approximately 50% of the sites electricity usage each year. This is just one of the four wind turbines at Irish sites which support onsite renewable energy generation efforts. J&Js sustainability goals are reflected in the environmental strategy at DePuy Ireland. ISO50001 certified since 2012, the site sources electrical power from green energy sources and onsite wind turbines. Building renewable energy sources like solar arrays and wind turbines on its sites is a tremendous source of pride for J&J employees. But the Company also realise that buying renewable electricity can help accelerate progress. J&J in Ireland will soon be announcing a significant commitment through a renewable energy power purchase agreement which will take the company one step closer to sourcing 100% of electricity needs globally from renewable energy by 2025. Johnson & Johnson family of companies in Ireland As he walked around the old fog station which rose from the cliffs above the beach he played on as a child, Herman Baily thought he had found his and his partners perfect home. Once a paternal guard for sailors protecting them from shipwreck, Power Head fog and coastguard station near Inch beach in east Cork would be reimagined as a home for Mr Baily and his partner. They bought the property and began to dream about their future there. But a nightmare experience with architects and builders tore deep holes in their pockets and left their once-robust home a health hazard and structurally unsound. Herman Baily shows a piece of builders' plastic where a radon barrier had been specified. Picture: Denis Minihane Potentially dangerous, unfinished work was covered up and certified as duly complete. But when Mr Baily pointed out these problems to the builder and the architect, he was dismissed. Trapped in a contract with very few rights or avenues for redress, Mr Baily engaged in a protracted legal process that cost about 70,000 in legal and expert fees alone. He believes many homeowners are being similarly abused by the building professionals they should be able to trust in Ireland. He is now calling for an independent regulator for the building industry to better protect consumers from substandard and dangerous building practices which are going on wholesale in Ireland, often without the homeowner's knowledge. Demolition waste which was certified as removed. He is also calling for an efficient, accessible redress scheme for consumers which can hold architects, builders and engineers to account for defective work. Theyve been getting away with it for generations, for substandard work, and there are no repercussions really for them. Theres no consequence. Thats why its pervasive, because they get away with it all the time. I would never build a house in Ireland again. There are good builders out there but for the most part, its such a risk. Engineers and architects are supposed to help they are supposed to recognise problems and make sure that theyre fixed. But that did not happen in our case. The house was dangerous and structurally unsound, it could have fallen down. But they were defending the work. And many of the problems were covered up. If I wasnt inspecting the house every day I would not have found them. Many things were certified as having been done by the builders which were clearly never done." Structural failure, radon poisoning and mould growth were just some of the potential outcomes of the building defects identified in an independent architects report into the site. The report also warned that a future occupier of the premises would be put at serious risk of potential injury". The original coastguard dwellings were expertly constructed and extremely robust, with superior quality materials used throughout, the independent architects report noted. They were built at a time where a passion for excellence was seen as a mark of personal honour an attitude that appeared wholly at odds with Mr Bailys first experience of the building on the site. Infected timber was left in walls which were then covered up, compromising the structural integrity of the external walls on an extremely exposed site, situated metres from a cliff edge east of Cork Harbour. Herman Baily: 'I would never build a house in Ireland again.' Picture: Denis Minihane A radon barrier that was certified as installed was never installed in a high-risk area for radon. In so doing, the report said builders had not taken reasonable precautions to avoid danger to health and safety. Significant concern was expressed over the walls ability to bear weight due to incorrectly installed lintels. Loose brickwork was an active hazard". From the moment Mr Baily engaged professionals, there were difficulties with the project. When the architect put their plans out to tender, the project was effectively costing double the original budget of 400,000. Adjustments to the plans were made and a contract with a builder was signed. The architects were then to certify the builders work. Contaminated topsoil. Once that work was certified as being duly complete and in line with the contracts specifications, Mr Baily and his partner would then be obliged to pay for the work. We started building in October and I spotted the beginnings of real trouble at the start of February, Mr Baily said. Thats when everything fell apart. He questioned the builder and the architect on major problems he had noticed with the insulation but they dismissed him. That evening, 30,000 worth of work was certified by the architects as duly complete. The bulk of that work had not been done at all. There was a 14m steel beam that had been certified as having been installed that didnt even exist. It wasnt on the site," he said. So we started investigating and thats when we brought in the lawyers. Herman Baily in the living room of Keeper's House. Picture: Denis Minihane They advised us to hire experts to do reports on works. We hired another architect, quantity surveyor and engineer to inspect all the works and they produced reports around June which backed up everything I was saying from the beginning and uncovered a whole load of other stuff. They were clear that if the project had not fallen apart at that point it would have fallen apart at a later point after we had spent a lot more money because there was no effective plan for the building at all really. But because we had signed this RIAI [Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland] contract we were still under contract to the builder. We couldnt even get rid of the builder who wasnt doing any work. The architect kept dismissing everything I was saying, even though I had other architects and engineers visit the site and both of them told me that things were wrong. "The National Standards Authority of Ireland told me things were wrong, another specialist told me things were wrong. But our architect just dismissed me. The site was essentially abandoned during the standoff, with scant protection for health and safety, the independent architects report noted, with a large hole the size of a swimming pool left there. A report by an independent quantity surveyor found the couple had overpaid the contractor 26,766.55 at that early stage in the project. The builders had abandoned the site and the architect then resigned, Mr Baily said. They said that I was interfering and they couldnt do their work. But effectively it was just breach of contract. And they did it fearlessly. There were going to be no repercussions for them anyway. Rotted lintel certified as replaced. But there were major repercussions for us. As the homeowner, youre caught into building contracts and youre ultimately responsible for things like health and safety on the site. We were told by lawyers dont sue your builder, because you may win but the builder will turn out his pockets and say I have no money to pay any awards for you. But if youre involved with a contract like the RIAI one, you cant go to court because youre tied into arbitration and mediation through the contract instead. And that arbitration can be very expensive. Our solicitor told us it can cost the same as the High Court. So the arbitration is really of no benefit to the consumer. If we went to arbitration it would have cost another 50,000 and the builder wouldnt have paid the award so wed be left with the costs. Then the architects went into liquidation and their insurance company folded, so they had no insurance to cover us. We didnt find out they had no effective insurance until December of 2014 after many months persistently requesting their insurance details. With no insurance to claim on, Mr Baily was left with no clear avenue for redress. Our solicitors told us that wed be better off just licking our wounds, getting out of the RIAI contract and getting on with our lives. The builder was then sending us bills. So we engaged an expert mediator who also knows the RIAI contracts inside out and we appointed a new administrator for the contract. A new certificate for certified works was signed, citing 400 worth of completed work rather than 30,000. That bill was paid and the contract was terminated. That was June or July 2015. At that point, we were exhausted. We did nothing with our home for quite a while because we just didnt have the heart. Eventually, in 2018, because the buildings were deteriorating we got in contact with a new engineer, who was great, and he took the reins on the house and got a good building crew in and we engaged those, without a contract, just on our word, and thats where we are. The new builders did a really great job. Im glad we got back in the saddle again but weve lost a fortune. And were not alone. Everybody seems to go through some nightmare building their house that costs them extra money because professionals are not doing their jobs properly. The whole industry seems to operate around an attitude of you get your house in the end, suck it up' ". What I spotted, most people would never have spotted that, its all work that would be covered up, so you might not have an issue for 20 years, and Im sure that goes on wholesale, throughout the country. Problems with defective buildings are not new and Government is aware that more protections are desperately needed for homeowners and tenants. Safe as Houses report In 2018, the Safe as Houses report was published by the Oireachtas which called for higher standards in new builds and increased protections for homeowners and tenants who experience defects in their homes. An independent working group on defective housing was established in recent months, the only recommendation from the Safe as Houses report to have been acted on so far. The report recommends: Creating a new Building Standards and Consumer Protection Agency similar to the Food Safety Authority and Environmental Protection Agency; The Government should establish a redress scheme to assist homeowners with latent defects; Local authorities should not be allowed to self-certify their own social housing developments. This would be contracted out via the Building Standards and Consumer Protection Agency; A bar on the awarding of publicly funded construction project tenders should be introduced to prevent such contracts from being awarded to developers/builders or associated construction professionals found to be in serious breach of building standards or fire safety regulations. Concerns have also been expressed about self-regulation in the industry. The RIAI both represents and regulates the architecture profession in Ireland, something which some see as a clear conflict of interest. As Fianna Fail Senator Pat Casey said in a Dail debate on the Safe as Houses Report in 2018, Self-regulation on too many levels means no regulation". Mr Baily added: When the Building Control Act was going through its draft stages around 2006, the Consumer Protection Commission was saying that theres a conflict of interest between representing a profession and also regulating that same profession and there should be an independent authority that has the reins over regulating professional bodies. But it wasnt listened to by the government, they gave it to the RIAI in the end. That should be changed now." A further 393 confirmed cases of Covid-19 were recorded Saturday, according to the Department of Health. Hospital numbers continue to decrease, with 48 patients in hospital with the disease, of whom 14 are in intensive care units. Daily case numbers may change due to future data review, validation and update, subject to the HSE cyberattack. People in their 20s could be waiting until early November to be fully vaccinated and return to normal life, the HSE chief clinical officer has estimated. Dr Colm Henry said the rollout pace is dependent on supply but currently the HSE estimates starting vaccines for younger people in late September. Asked if this age group are potentially looking at receiving their first jab in late August or even early September, said: Its very roughly then ... it is a number of months ahead. The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) has said that people who are not vaccinated should avoid foreign holidays and other trips abroad. Dr Henry said that to be safe travelling people need to be fully vaccinated. Asked if he would hypothetically take unvaccinated children abroad on holidays, he said he would be hesitant. The vaccine portal for people aged 35 to 39 opens on Sunday. Altogether there are 710,000 people aged between 30 and 39. Dr Henry said: We expect to work right through June, to the end of July for first jab I would say into the first couple of weeks in August and then the second jab one month later. Ireland will receive extra supplies of the Pfizer vaccine over the coming weeks. However people in their 40s will also still be receiving their second jab of this vaccine over the summer. People aged 60 to 69 and vulnerable people on the priority list are now receiving their second dose of AstraZenca with over 90,000 doses scheduled for this week. Looming in the background, he said, is the risk from the rising number of Delta variant cases in the UK. The numbers in Ireland are low, he said. But I dont think any of us believe they are going to remain that low. There is no doubt in my mind that we will see those figure go up. Referring to strict travel restrictions and public health measure, he said: We have managed to contain the number to allow us to try and vaccinate a particular portion of the population, it is a race against time. Dr Holohan had asked people considering travelling to Northern Ireland to make a risk assessment before travelling. Non-essential travel to other parts of the UK is already not recommended. Dr Henry said: The great majority of the cases in the UK have been in England. There are smaller numbers in Northern Ireland, although they are going up. This is something we have to watch out for. "Any degrees of open movement between countries may well facilitate the introduction and spread of this variant. The Taoiseach has promised to fight for a better deal in Europe for fishermen, saying he is 'not happy' with the share of the burden carried by the Irish fishing industry post-Brexit. Micheal Martin met representatives of the industry in Castletownbere and Union Hall in West Cork following a warning by the Irish South & West Fish Producers Organisation (ISWFPO) that thousands of jobs will be lost unless action is taken by the Government. The fishing organisation has highlighted how the UK has 75% of fish in their waters while Ireland is reduced to 15% in Irish waters. It says Brexit is costing individuals in the industry between 5,000 and 20,000 in lost income. The fishermen say the 'final straw' for the industry was a European Commission ruling that Ireland cannot be trusted to police its fishing quotas under the Common Fisheries Policy. Mr Martin promised he would do right by the Irish fishing industry and vowed to work to convince Europe to let Irish fishermen catch more of their own fish. Cork South West TD Christopher OSullivan, who joined Mr Martin for the meeting, said the government needs to do whatever it takes to get the fishing industry a better deal. Fishermen, who last month mounted a flotilla into the Port of Cork to highlight their cause and delivered a letter outlining their concerns to Mr Martin's constituency office, say not enough is being done by the Government to stick up for them in Europe. They say the future of a 1bn-a-year industry that employs 16,000 people is not only in doubt but is dying. Even the government has accepted the national fishing fleet is going to have to be slashed in order to make sure there is a sustainable industry for those who remain. Speaking after the meeting, which ran for nearly two hours, Mr Martin said: It was very important we had this meeting today. Speaking after the meeting, which ran for nearly two hours, Mr Martin said: It was very important we had this meeting today. We want to make sure that we have a two-way dialogue and that we hear the needs and concerns of the fishing industry. We have already signalled to the European Commission that we are not happy with the unfair burden-sharing that occurred as a result of Brexit. He said that the whole issue around Irelands allocation of quotas, which governs the amount of fish its fleet can catch each month, is a challenging one and that he needs to see if he can redress the balance in the interests of the Irish fishing industry. We want to do right by the Irish fishing community," he said. Fianna Fail Cork South West TD Christopher OSullivan, who arranged Mr Martins visit, said: The big thing is for the Taoiseach to be able to hear first-hand from the sector about the huge challenges the industry is facing, and about the impact of Brexit. We need to step up to the mark and take action. We have to go back to Europe and fight for and lobby for a fairer share of the European fishing quota. If they don't, then the industry is in more trouble. We need to do whatever it takes. The fishing organisation has highlighted how the UK has 75% of fish in their waters while Ireland is reduced to 15% in Irish waters. CEO of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation Patrick Murphy, who was there with ISWFPO colleague Damien Turner, said the meeting was productive. He was scheduled to stay with us for a full hour and gave us an hour and 45 minutes, so that is not a bad thing. Did we get every point across that we would have liked to get across? No. Did we scratch the surface? Yes. Do we think he has a better understanding of the fishing industry? Hopefully. He added: The Taoiseach of our country is the only one to be able to make changes for us. We want to be able to catch more fish in our own waters and we need to get a system where our Taoiseach can go out and make those arguments for us in Europe. Commentary The Problem With Myanmars Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Portrait of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi by Min Mahaw What has she done wrong? I muttered to myself when passing the lakeside home of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on University Avenue in Yangon early this week. There was a particular reason for my excursion: I wanted to experience for myself the emptiness of the house on the eve of her 76th birthday, which falls today. These days, barbed-wire barricades and security forces deployed outside prevent anyone from approaching the house at No. 54 University Avenue. Before, when Myanmar was free, foreign tourists and local people, no doubt including many from the countrys various regions and states, could occasionally be spotted in front of the gate, drawn by their admiration for the owner of this house, taking photographs and even peeking inside the compound. The house has lost its master; she is a prisoner once again, this time in an unknown location in Naypyitaw. Putting aside emotion, a simple fact we can state about her is this: She is a leader that Myanmars dictators and ruling generals have always wanted to be rid of. Thats why she has been arrested yet again, and its why they overthrew her legitimate government on Feb. 1. Its a bitter truthone that the citizens of Myanmar are repeatedly forced to swallow. Another fact that cant be denied or manipulated is that she is the countrys most popular political leader. This is indisputable; she and her party, the National League for Democracy, won landslide victories in every election they contested over the past three decades. Thats a bitter truth that consecutive generals have found impossible to swallow. So, What has she done wrong? The only thing wrong with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is the irreconcilability of those two truths. She will always be the military leaderships bete noire, and to the people of Myanmar she will always be their cherished leader. In a normal country, her popularity would not be wrong politically or in principle. It would just be the peoples choicea democratic norm. Sadly, however, Myanmar is still a country in which those who wield the power of the gun can erase the will of the people and jail an elected leader. Thats wrong politically and democratically, but also morally. It renders Myanmar uncivilized in a way that few countries are in this 21st century. This latest coup led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing can be likened to a gang rape at gunpoint. The entire population was violated on Feb. 1. What have the country and its people done wrong? Well the majority of them cast their votes for Daw Aung San Suu Kyis party in Novembers election. Thats it. Three months later, they found themselves living under this terrible military dictatorship. Myanmar and its people are among the unluckiest countries in the world. But they have done nothing wrong. It doesnt mean for a moment that the people of Myanmar dont deserve a civilized or democratic society. Even in the fleeting period of fledgling democracy allowed them over the past decade they more than proved their political maturity and desire for a civilized society. The idea that the organic will of the people and their civilized spirit can be crushed through force of arms is one bitter truth that no one can accept. Nonetheless, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi finds herself in custody once again on her 76th birthday. This is the 15th birthday she has marked in custody since she was first detained in July 1989. Since then, she has spent 15 years under arrest at her lakeside house in Yangon and now in the capital. She and the other political activists and politicians held in jails or otherwise in custody are not the only prisoners, however. The countrys entire population of nearly 55 million people are now prisoners in their own land, deprived of their freedoms. Myanmar itself has become a gigantic prison. As for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, it appears she has begun another cycle as a prisoner after enjoying 10 years of freedom as an elected member of Parliament and later the countrys de facto leader as State Counselor. Under military rule, its hard to see her regaining her liberty in the near future, as the regime has brought multiple bogus legal cases against her. A major difference this time is her age, at 76. If she is to serve the kind of lengthy imprisonment imposed on her under previous military regimes led by senior generals Saw Maung and Than Shwe, her political life could be finished, let alone the implications for her on a personal level. Thats yet another bitter truth, one that almost everyone except for the generals and their apologists finds hard to contemplate. Coup maker Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing wont be taking any chances this time; he has learned from the experience of his mentors, who failed to finish her off. He obviously feels it has fallen to him to get the job done. If so, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is likely to spend more birthdays in detention, just as she did in her previous decade-and-a-half of confinement. Determined to ensure that her political life, if not her whole life, is over, the generals, equipped with their guns and their wicked intent, most likely intend to detain her until she dies. But what Min Aung Hlaing and his deputy generals, and perhaps their advisers, simply fail to grasp is that with or without Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the people of Myanmar will continue to pursue their long-held goal: a free and democratic society in which they can live with dignity as human beings. They will always reject their current dreadful life under the military boot. Politically speaking, they demandand will continue their struggle to builda genuine federal democracy. Like their predecessors, the generals behind the current regime lack the sense to see that the struggle of the Myanmar people will not end if the junta succeeds in making Daw Aung San Suu Kyi vanish from the political stage. The generals have never understood that the approach they have taken in the past and continue to takeseizing and holding power at the point of a gunbrings only stronger defiance of them and their system, the military dictatorship. Nor do they understand that by believing in the power of the gun so fully, and oppressing the country so brutally, they are only further entrenching their notorious reputations, both for themselves as individuals and for the Tatmadaw as an institution. Whats wrong with these generals? Well To put it simplyand setting aside emotionthese are not thoughtful men. Just a bunch of stupid military officers who can only conceive of politics as grabbing power by force, and whose only conception of governance is ruling with an iron fist, with no concern for the will of the people. They dont realize that such a state of affairs cannot last forever. One day they will face retribution for their actions. For now they are already, in the eyes of the people, utterly disgraced. As for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi? Shunning emotions again, she is not immortal, but many people will honor and remember her for her love of Myanmar and her struggle for the people. Naing Khit is a commentator on political affairs. You may also like these stories: Myanmars Detained Suu Kyi Gave Residences and Almost All Her Money to Charity Myanmar Junta Accuses NLD Lawmakers of Organizing Armed Resistance In Myanmar, Pro-Junta Vigilante Groups Wage Campaign of Violence, Disinformation Guest Column The Revolt Against Myanmars Junta Can Succeed Anti-regime protesters in Yangon in February / The Irrawaddy A year after the National League for Democracys 2015 election victory, as I was wandering about the massive Tatmadaw Museum in Naypyitaw, I could not help but be awed by the scale of the Myanmar militarys gratuitous ode to itself. It sprawls across numerous caverns covering the minutiae of its history. Hiding in its bulk is one room dedicated to the Tatmadaws victories. What it claims as historic triumphs are battles to control hilltops. While important in terms of individual counterinsurgency campaigns, this presentation masks a reality. The Tatmadaw does not win wars. It may win some battles but ultimately it draws and seeks ceasefires. It has been argued in some recent analyses that resistance to junta rule is difficult, nay nearly impossible, because the Tatmadaw has approximately 350,000 troops. Using this number is a gross oversimplification and gives a false impression that the Tatmadaw is in an inherently strong position. This could not be further from the truth, for one reason: The generals managed to provoke a nationwide uprising against the Tatmadaw. There are few comparable examples of such an event since World War II and the period of anti-colonial wars. There is nothing pre-determined about what will happen in Myanmar, certainly not the Tatmadaws survival. The coup was a historic shift in the country and a strategic blunder of existential proportions by the generals. A more apt number to focus on is that Myanmar has a population of over 52 million, nearly all of whom viscerally hate the Tatmadaw. It is this context that confronts the generals. They have reduced their military to essentially being a foreign occupying force desperately trying to suppress nearly the entire Myanmar population. Wherever their soldiers look, they see hostility. Other than its immediate proxies, notably the police and the Union Solidarity and Development Party, there are no significant chunks of the public that are supportive. The Tatmadaws response to this uprising has been predictable. Its tactics of violence, deprivation and cooption have been honed over decades of dictatorship. There is a calculus within the Tatmadaw that it can outlast the publics anger, the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) and a collapsing economy, while isolating whatever revolts emerge. The Tatmadaw believes it has a longer window of perseverance than that of the resistance. The generals will attempt to split the public from the National Unity Government (NUG), the CDM and the countrys most ardent democracy activists. They will endeavor to sow discord between ethnic groups, keep ceasefires with ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) and prevent the defection of proxy militias. They will sell the country cheaply to China. Whatever successes the Tatmadaw might claim are achieved at high cost in terms of soldiers and resources. That it has not been able to dislodge the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) from strategic gains made in March or decisively quell escalating revolts in Sagaing, Chin and Kayah are signs of weakness. Isolated in its purpose-built capital, hiding in schools in the cities, and having to move in large convoys through the Bamar heartland, the Tatmadaw would be foolish to feel it is presently in a good position. Its troops are harried to quell revolts before they spread, all the while fearing its lacky militias will desert and its ceasefires will collapse when the time is ripe. Essentially a light infantry force, the Tatmadaw is dispersed across the country in numerous small bases. In the context of a national uprising, this could arguably be a strength if the Tatmadaw was well resourced with good logistics chains and strong mobile units. Poor and under-equipped, it has neither of these. Individual units are increasingly feeling pressure as their resupply is stretched and local populations harass them. Logistics will be further pressed over the rainy season and Tatmadaw rank-and-file will be demoralized as millions openly cheer their battlefield losses on social media. Having long espoused a peoples war doctrine of relying on the population to help repel foreign invasion, it is the Tatmadaw that now faces numerous local self-defense militias. Many of these are the Peoples Defense Force (PDF) militias instigated by the NUG, but there are others, such as the Chinland Defense Force, that are local collectives formed to provide security for threatened communities. This trend will escalate. To accurately assess the prospects of the resistance, it is most pertinent to focus on the military balance in terms of its trajectory. The anti-junta movement should not be judged on its composition at any snapshot in time, but rather on the speed at which it is advancing. Revolutions never start with a resistance that is well armed, fully staffed and professionally competent. Successful ones have a steep learning curve in terms of effective leadership, developing tactics and making all due haste in acquiring weapons. From this perspective, events are not moving in the juntas favor. It is facing pressure across the country, including in areas that have not produced sustained revolt in living memory, such as southern Sagaing, but increasingly in other regions all the way down to Ayeyarwady as new PDFs emerge. The Tatmadaw must increasingly feel like it is a foreign occupying force amongst a hostile population. Its soldiers must fear envelopment across a range of threatslocal attack, constricted resupply and suffocating social ostracization. They must be forced to spread themselves even thinner. Increasingly fatigued, they can be harassed and fragmented through countless small attacks. The Tatmadaw can always win the tactical firefights it chooses to prioritize but will struggle to design a viable strategy against a national uprising. This would be hard for any military facing near universal revolt. Key to the resistances success is unity. Battlefield successes against the Tatmadaw will do more to catalyze national solidarity than anything else. Kani, Mindat and Demoso must be precedents for wider collective action, while the whole country owes gratitude to the KIA for its undaunted assaults on State Administration Council forces and to the Karen National Union for providing safe havens. If the nature of the conflict can be maintained as a national uprising, the military balance favors revolution by sheer force of numbers and willpower. Many analysts have noted the durability of military rule in Myanmar. Such defeatist attitudes serve the status quo of domestic vested interests seeking to wait for others to bear the costs of ousting the Tatmadaw or cynical foreign observers who fail to see how much the Tatmadaw is loathed. Many have also subtly upheld the Tatmadaws claim that it is holding the country together, despite years of the military having divided local-level armed groups into competing factions and a complete refusal to meaningfully include leaders from outside its circle in political decision-making, stoking resistance generation after generation. Lessons are also clearly being learned from the countrys experience during 1988 and afterwards. The NUG sees itself as a revolutionary movement rather than a government in exile and has made clear efforts to build a national coalition based on federal democracy. These efforts are still nascent and must be furthered. Moreover, it is vital that armed resistance is not borne only by ethnic minorities but fundamentally includes the Bamar majority. It is critical that resistance includes the regions and cities. Resistance here greatly threatens the Tatmadaws viability. The generals would love to return to the normalcy of only fighting EAOs. Nascent tag teams between EAOs and PDFs in Chin, Sagaing and Kayah show how potent they could be. The NUGs ominous warnings of a looming D-Day of national action should scare the military more than anything else. When walking out of the Tatmadaw Museum, one is left with the sense that such a massive complex is intended to hide what is actually an inferiority complex. This is a military desperately trying to show it is central to keeping the country together, ever the benevolent guardian. Any notions of this being accepted by the public are long gone, as the country has risen in revolt. The Tatmadaw is now widely recognized as the barbaric national disgrace it is. Fundamentally this is a crisis that only Myanmar can solve. International action will be distinctly secondary. The Myanmar people should take solace knowing that they have the means and moral right to overthrow a military that has for too long destroyed the country. Zaw Tuseng fled Myanmar at the age of 17 after participating in the student protest to restore democracy. He spent the following seven years as an exile in a refugee camp on the India-Myanmar border, where he continued to participate in Myanmars democracy movement. He holds an executive master of public administration from Columbia Universitys School of International and Public Affairs and a BA in political science from Delhi University. You may also like these stories: China Has Its Way With a Divided, Inert ASEAN Myanmar Court Testifies in Three Cases Against Suu Kyi Myanmars Detained Suu Kyi Gave Residences and Almost All Her Money to Charity On This Day Suu Kyi Forced to Mark Another Birthday as Myanmar Junta Prisoner Daw Aung San Suu Kyi celebrates her 73rd birthday in 2018. / The Irrawaddy On this day last year, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was celebrating her birthday, cutting cakes presented by her colleagues and supporters. But today the ousted civilian leader has to spend her 76th birthday under military detention. In 1990, the democratic icon marked her 45th birthday under military detention after the junta refused to recognize the results of the 1990 general election which brought a landslide victory for her National League for Democracy (NLD). She spent 14 more birthdays in isolation under the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) and State Peace and Development Council until her release from house arrest in 2010. The NLD leader remained hugely popular with the people through her years in detention and her birthday was celebrated across the country until 2020. It was expected that her 76th birthday would be celebrated on a grand scale after her partys electoral victory in 2020. But Myanmars military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing seized power from the civilian government in a coup on Feb. 1, claiming the results of the 2020 general election were marred by fraud and detaining Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. She was born in Yangon (then Rangoon) on June 19, 1945, to independence hero General Aung San, who founded the nations armed forces, and Daw Khin Kyi, who would become the countrys first female ambassador. Her father was assassinated when she was two. She studied in India and England and married Oxford academic Michael Aris. The couple raised two sons. During the pro-democracy uprising in 1988, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi returned to her homeland to tend for her ailing mother and was drawn into the pro-democracy movement. The SLORC put her under house arrest for the first time in 1989. She has been under military detention since February and faces seven charges filed by the regime. You may also like these stories: Striking Tanintharyi Teachers Threatened by Myanmar Junta Myanmar Junta Kills Two Detained Civilians Myanmar Military Truck With Soldiers on Board Blown Up in Yangon If you are willing to forgo the perks big city can offer in exchange for true small town country living, and are under 40 years of age, you might want to look into buying a home in Legrad, Croatia, population 2,500. And it will only cost you one kuna (16 American cents). An article in Architectural Digest says the town, which encompasses lush meadows and dense forests, was the second-biggest population center in Croatia, before it became a border town with few transport connections to other cities and lost population to larger metro areas like Zagreb, Dubrovnik, and Istria. The towns plan to recover population? Sell the abandoned houses, most in need of repair, for a price equivalent to $0.16. And you will not have to pay for the renovations. The town will give the new homeowners up to 25,000 kune ($3,970) towards any home improvements for the dilapidated structures. The catch? You must agree to live in Legrad for at least 15 years, and, for this reason, need to be under the age of 40 and financially solvent. Would this offer be enough to entice younger people to move to the country? Time will tell. For the entire Architectural Digest article, click here. IRS is ready to pay half the total payment for Child Tax Credit in advance to help families this summer. The first advance payment wave will begin on July 15, 2021. You can receive the second half of the payment after filing your 2021 income tax return. Fortunately, the Child Tax Credit portal has online tools you could use to file and submit for the advance payment option. Journal of Accountancy reported that IRS opened up a new online site where taxpayers who doesn't need to file their 2020 individual income tax returns can sign up and receive advance child tax credit payments. This tool is designed for individuals who don't usually file their income tax returns and missed out on receiving financial support like stimulus checks and plus-up payments. Using this tool, eligible applicants could also claim previous financial support, including Recovery Rebate Credits for any amount from the first two rounds of Economic Impact Payments (or stimulus checks) they have missed. Child Tax Credit Portal Note, however, that the Child Tax Credit payment is given to families with children born before 2021. Also, IRS reported that you can use the tool if: You are not required to file a 2020 tax return, did not file one, or don't have plans to. You must be a legal citizen with a main home in the United States for more than half a year. Unfortunately, you are not supposed to use this tool if you: Filed or have plans to file a tax return for 2020. Claimed all your dependents on a pre-existing 2019 tax return. Have previously updated your 2020 information using the "Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here" tool. Separated with a spouse at the end of 2020 and does not want to include spouse information. Do not have the main house in United State for over half a year. Do not have qualifying children born before 2021. Read Also: Student Loan Forgiveness 2021: How to Apply for Borrower Defense After Massive Loan Cancellation Child Tax Credit Advance Payment: How to Sign Up To use the new Child Tax Credit portal, IRS said that you need to provide your: Full name Date of birth Email address Mailing address Valid Social Security numbers or other taxpayer IDs to identify you and your dependents Bank account number, type, and routing number, if you have one Identity Protection Personal Identification Number or IP PIN that you have received from the IRS earlier this 2021 if you have one You can use the online tool by heading to this website and creating your own account. Keep your account and password private because this website will contain your highly confidential information. Schedule of Advance Payment of Child Tax Credit After applying and confirming eligibility, IRS will begin issuing your advance Child Tax Credit payments. The money will be delivered by direct deposit or paper check. You should receive the payment on July 15. If not, other scheduled dates are August 13, September 15, October 15, November 15, and December 15. Related Article: Stimulus Check Tracker for Your $1400 Payment: How to Sign Up in USPS Informed Delivery and Get Photo Updates Huntsville, TX (77320) Today Sunny early then increasing clouds with some scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High 94F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms this evening becoming more widespread overnight. Low 74F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%. Ithaca, NY (14850) Today Partly cloudy with a slight chance of thunderstorms. High around 70F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Thunderstorms this evening giving way to periods of light rain late. Low 58F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. This Week in Review A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. UpNest compiled census population data between 2010 and 2019, the most recent year available, to find the fastest-growing metropolitan areas. Combining this data with the Purchase-Only Housing Price Index, which measures the average change in prices of single-family homes, UpNest found how t Click for more. Jacksonville, TX (75766) Today Thunderstorms likely this morning. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High 88F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Variable clouds with showers and scattered thunderstorms. Storms more numerous this evening. Low 71F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. AP Noem says she will try again for Mount Rushmore fireworks Mike has reported on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem's wildlife, wildlands and the agencies that manage them since 2012. A native Minnesotan, he arrived in the West to study environmental journalism at the University of Colorado. Rick Nichols, former road captain for the Post 14 Riders, said the Riders host several community events and fundraisers and honor fallen veterans in funerals multiple times a week and, with the current suspension, is concerned the group will not be able to honor local veterans as it usually does. Living Reporter and Theatre Critic Tim covers leisure and arts, and he is also a theater critic. He interned for the JI in 2015, and was hired in 2016. Tim graduated from UConn, Central College of McPherson, Kansas, and American Musical & Dramatic Academy. His favorite movie is "Jaws." The majority of voters in Iran shunned presidential elections won by hardline judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi, exiled opposition groups said on Saturday, hailing the boycott as a blow to the countrys theocratic system. Raisi won 62 percent of the vote with about 90 percent of ballots counted from Fridays election, Iranian authorities said. Turnout figures have yet to be released. Iranian opposition groups based abroad had urged a boycott of the poll, which was held after the most prominent rivals to Raisi were either disqualified in pre-election vetting or withdrew. Maryam Rajavi, the leader of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), said the nationwide boycott was the greatest political and social blow to the system led by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The boycott proved and showed the world that the Iranian peoples only vote is to overthrow this mediaeval regime, she was quoted by the NCRI as saying. Unity and solidarity The NCRI, in accusations backed by leading human rights groups, says that Raisi was part of a death commission that sent thousands of jailed opponents to their deaths within a few months in the summer of 1988. Most of those killed were supporters of the Peoples Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK/PMOI) whose political wing is the NCRI. It backed Saddam Husseins Iraq in the 1980-1988 war with Iran. The MEK believed that the actual turnout was 10 percent and the authorities would inflate it by a factor of five in an astronomical fabrication, the NCRI said. This assessment was based on reports of 1,200 witnesses from 400 cities in Iran and more than 3,500 video clips from polling stations, it said, without indicating how the figure had been calculated or giving further numerical proof. Reza Pahlavi, the son of deposed shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and heir to the throne before the 1979 Islamic revolution, wrote on his official Twitter channel that Iranians had shown unity and solidarity by boycotting and saying no to the authoritarian regime in Iran. You have shown the will and power of the nation. Your freedom is near, he added. Figures inside Iran had also called for a boycott after the disqualification of prominent candidates in pre-vote vetting by the Guardians Council oversight body. Populist former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, one of those barred from running, said he would not vote, declaring in a video message: I do not want to have a part in this sin. Khamenei however hailed the election however as a victory in the face of the propaganda of the enemys mercenary media. Amnesty International said Saturday Raisi had presided over a spiralling crackdown on human rights while serving as judiciary chief for the past two years and should be investigated for the 1988 killings. That Ebrahim Raisi has risen to the presidency instead of being investigated for the crimes against humanity of murder, enforced disappearance and torture, is a grim reminder that impunity reigns supreme in Iran, said its Secretary General Agnes Callamard. Hardliner Iranian cleric Ebrahim Raisis victory on Saturday in a presidential election has drawn mixed reactions, with Russia hailing it as a sign of greater regional stability but others decrying it as a farce. Russia Relations between our countries have been traditionally friendly, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a message, saying Raisis election would help develop constructive bilateral cooperation in many fields and our partnership in international affairs. This responds entirely to the interests of the Russian and Iranian people and goes towards reinforcing regional stability and security, he said. Syria President Bashir al-Assad sent his warmest congratulations and wished Raisi success in his new responsibilities and steering the country in the face of external pressure. Hamas Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the Palestinian Islamist movement congratulates Raisi, adding: Iran has always been a main, strong and real supporter of the Palestinian resistance and our national cause. Iranian opposition Exiled opposition groups hailed what they termed a boycott of the presidential polls, where turnout was 48.8 percent. Maryam Rajavi, the leader of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), said the unprecedented nationwide boycott had signalled that Iranians had voted for overthrow of the ruling theocracy. The NCRI, in accusations backed by leading human rights groups, says Raisi was part of a commission that sent thousands of jailed opponents to their deaths within a few months in the summer of 1988. There is no longer any justification for the international community to deal with, engage, or appease a regime whose president is a notorious criminal against humanity, said Rajavi. UAE The UAE leaders all sent congratulatory messages to Raisi, the government said. Amnesty International That Ebrahim Raisi has risen to the presidency instead of being investigated for the crimes against humanity of murder, enforced disappearance and torture, is a grim reminder that impunity reigns supreme in Iran, Amnesty said. It called on the UN Human Rights Councils member states to take concrete steps to address the crisis of systematic impunity in Iran. Amnesty said they should establish an impartial mechanism to collect and analyse evidence of the most serious crimes under international law committed in Iran to facilitate fair and independent criminal proceedings. burs-ach/pvh Hardliner Iranian cleric Ebrahim Raisis victory on Saturday in a presidential election drew starkly opposed reactions, with Russia hailing a sign of greater regional stability but some condemning it as a farce. Israel Foreign ministry spokesman Lior Haiat said on Twitter that Iran has elected its most extremist president to date. Haiat called Raisi the butcher of Tehran who has been rightly denounced by the international community for his direct role in the extrajudicial executions of over 30,000 people. Raisi was committed to Irans rapidly advancing military nuclear programme, his election makes clear Irans true malign intentions, and should prompt grave concern among the international community. Russia Relations between our countries have been traditionally friendly, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a message, saying Raisis election would help develop constructive bilateral cooperation in many fields and our partnership in international affairs. This responds entirely to the interests of the Russian and Iranian people and goes towards reinforcing regional stability and security, he said. Syria President Bashir al-Assad sent his warmest congratulations and wished Raisi success in his new responsibilities and steering the country in the face of external pressure. Hamas Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the Palestinian Islamist movement congratulates Raisi, adding: Iran has always been a main, strong and real supporter of the Palestinian resistance and our national cause. Turkey Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated Raisi, expressing the hope it would be beneficial for the Iranian people. Erdogan said he believed cooperation between our two countries would be strengthened further and added that he was ready to work with Raisi. Iranian opposition Exiled opposition groups hailed what they termed a boycott of the presidential polls, where turnout was 48.8 percent. Maryam Rajavi, the leader of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), said the unprecedented nationwide boycott had signalled that Iranians had voted for overthrow of the ruling theocracy. The NCRI, in accusations backed by leading human rights groups, says Raisi was part of a commission that sent thousands of jailed opponents to their deaths within a few months in the summer of 1988. There is no longer any justification for the international community to deal with, engage, or appease a regime whose president is a notorious criminal against humanity, said Rajavi. Gulf and Yemen The rulers of the Gulf states of Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates all sent congratulatory messages to Raisi, their state news agencies announced. And the senior political leader for Yemens Tehran-backed Huthi rebels, Mahdi al-Mashat, also congratulated Raisi. The success of these elections in the Islamic republic of Iran is a victory for the Islamic revolution and solidifies the opposition to the American Zionist project, he said. Amnesty International That Ebrahim Raisi has risen to the presidency instead of being investigated for the crimes against humanity of murder, enforced disappearance and torture, is a grim reminder that impunity reigns supreme in Iran, Amnesty said. It called on the UN Human Rights Councils member states to take concrete steps to address the crisis of systematic impunity in Iran. Amnesty said they should establish an impartial mechanism to collect and analyse evidence of the most serious crimes under international law committed in Iran to facilitate fair and independent criminal proceedings. burs-ach/bp/har The war crimes trial of former Kosovo rebel leader Salih Mustafa will take place in September, the court trying him announced Saturday. Mustafa, a former commander with the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), will be the first person tried by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, which has also charged the former president of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci. Mustafa has been charged with the murder of a prisoner, the torture and cruel treatment of at least six imprisoned civilians, as well as arbitrary detention during the 1998-99 conflict. His trial is due to start on September 15 with the first witnesses heard on September 20. The Kosovo conflict, when the territory broke away from Serbian control, claimed 13,000 lives. The Kosovo Specialist Chambers, based in The Hague, was set up in 2015 to probe alleged atrocities by the KLA, whose guerrillas fought for the independence of Kosovo from Serbia. It operates under Kosovar law but is made up of international judges handling alleged crimes committed during the conflict, mainly against Serbs, Roma and opponents of the Kosovo separatist forces. Two newspaper officials were accused of colluding with foreign powers, raising concerns about media freedom in the financial center. Earlier on Saturday, a crowd gathered outside a court in Hong Kong. Two executives from the democratic newspaper Apple Daily faced charges under Hong Kongs fully implemented National Security Law. The case has aroused condemnation from the international community. The 47-year-old editor-in-chief Luo Andong and the 59-year-old chief executive Zhang Jinxiong, On Thursday, when 500 policemen raided the newsroom of Apple Daily, five Apple Daily executives were arrested, The authorities described it as a crime scene. The two arrived in a police car before the hearing. Both have been accused of colluding with foreign powers, and as the authorities stepped up their crackdowns under controversial legislation, they have raised concerns about media freedom in the financial center. According to Apple Daily, the other three, namely chief operating officer Zhou Daquan, deputy editor-in-chief Chen Peiman and editor-in-chief Zhang Zhiwei, were released on bail late on Friday. For personal and safety reasons, I have left Apple Daily, said the 37-year-old former Apple Daily reporter. I hope the two accused can think about themselves first. They also have their families. I have worked with them before. We are like friends. Dont be afraid, keep fighting The National Security Act implemented by Beijing on this former British colony in 2020 brought an authoritarian tone to most aspects of Hong Kong life, including education and the arts. It punishes what Beijing broadly refers to as secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces, with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The police said dozens of articles in the newspaper were suspected of violating national security laws-this is the first time a media article has been cited as a possible violation of national security laws. At dawn on Saturday, a crowd gathered outside the West Kowloon Magistrates Court. Some people were holding yellow umbrellas or wearing Apple Daily T-shirts and said, Dont be afraid, keep fighting. .@appledaily_hk Chief Executive Zheng Jinxiong and Editor-in-Chief Luo Ruian arrived at the court under police escort.Both are accused #NSL Conspiracy with foreign powers. Co-publisher Chen Peiwen was arrested for the same crime and became the first public to line up to hear the court. pic.twitter.com/TEpIXU074r Galileo Cheng (@galileocheng) June 19, 2021 Now, you may be accused of being an NSL for words or speeches they dont like. This is a huge step backwards, said 29-year-old Luo, a reader of the 26-year-old popular newspaper. Western countries, global human rights organizations, press associations, and the chief human rights spokesperson of the United Nations have all criticized the arrest and scale of the Apple Daily raid. Apple Daily and its listed publisher Next Digital have been under increasing pressure since their owners. Democracy activist and staunch Beijing critic Lai Zhixing, Was arrested under legislation last year. According to the National Security Law, Lais assets have been frozen, and he has been in jail for participating in an unauthorized assembly and awaiting trial in a national security case. With more and more investigations into the Apple Daily and its executives, some employees and observers have expressed growing concerns about the papers future. Since Beijing implemented the law in June last year, more than 100 people have been arrested and most of them have been refused bail. Medan, Indonesia Earlier this month, dozens of Rohingya refugees landed on a deserted island off the coast of Aceh Province, Indonesia. This The refugee has been at sea for more than 100 days, Leaving Coxs Bazar in Bangladesh in a rickety wooden fishing boat, local fishermen spotted it curled up on the uninhabited Idaman Island. They used the island as a rest stop between fishing trips. By June 5, the day after their arrival, all 81 refugees, including children, had been vaccinated against COVID-19. Nasruddin, the humanitarian coordinator of the Geutanyoe Foundation, a non-governmental organization that provides education and psychosocial support to refugees in Indonesia and Malaysia, told Al Jazeera: The refugees were vaccinated with the local government. When we found them, they were in a crisis state on the island without food, water and electricity, so the local residents brought them food, and we also brought them 50 cans of water, he added. The local feeling is that we need to share our vaccines with refugees to protect them. No one complains about vaccines being provided to refugees. Aceh province has been widely praised by humanitarian groups, NGOs and the public for vaccinating Rohingya refugees, but in other parts of Southeast Asia, asylum seekers, refugees and migrant workers are not so lucky. Hard wire When Nasruddin assessed the 81 refugees on Idaman Island, they told him they wanted to go to Malaysia. Some peoples families already live there, while others believe that the countrys policy for refugees is more liberal than that of neighboring countries. Some Rohingya refugees who arrived in Aceh earlier this month.They tell NGOs that they want to go to Malaysia because they have family members there, or think that Malaysia is more welcoming of refugees than other countries in Southeast Asia [Cek Mad/AFP] However, like most countries in Southeast Asia, Malaysia is not a signatory of the UN Refugee Convention. Although the government has stated that it will vaccinate everyone living in the country, it will also vaccinate undocumented immigrants and refugees, including Rohingya. Take a hard line. In February, the cabinet decided that for the recovery of the pandemic, all foreigners, including refugees and undocumented immigrants, will be vaccinated for free, Lilianne Fan, co-founder and international director of the Geutanyoe Foundation based in Kuala Lumpur, told Al Jazeera. The COVID-19 Immunization Working Group as the coordinator of the vaccination program and the Minister of Science Carey Jamaluddin have been vigorously advocating this approach. However, the recent statement by the Minister of the Interior that people without valid documents should not be vaccinated, together with the renewed crackdown on undocumented immigrants, contradict the previous position of the government and will only simply Drive more people to hide And slow the recovery of the Malaysian pandemic. Malaysia has entered its Second strict lockdown In early June, after the surge in coronavirus cases, hospitals and intensive care units have reached their limits. The Ministry of Health announced 6,440 new cases on Friday. The government has stated that it will relax the blockade as more people are vaccinated, and Carey has always emphasized that the plan will include everyone Live in the country. Why did the authorities spray disinfectant on undocumented immigrants during the operation last night? What is the purpose of this? Wouldnt it be harmful to their health? I hope @KKMPutrajaya Dr. @AdhamBaba @DGhisham Can give them appropriate advice. pic.twitter.com/JJqXwyIGU9 -Norman Goh (@imnormgoh) June 7, 2021 However, as during the first blockade last year, Malaysia once again stepped up its crackdown on undocumented immigrants. Malaysian Interior Minister Hamza Zainuddin announced that PATI-the acronym for undocumented persons in Malay-will be detained and sent to an immigration detention center. This month, he emphasized that undocumented immigrants must surrender before being vaccinated. In early June, a video from the state news agency Bernama showed that 156 undocumented immigrants from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar were sprayed with disinfectant in Cyberjaya near Malaysia International Airport after being detained. Last week, the Immigration Service shared a post on its Facebook page a poster with a style similar to an action movie titled Rohingya immigrants are not welcome. After a strong protest, but before being widely shared in the refugee community, it was deleted. The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia expressed concern on recent statements describing immigrants, undocumented or irregular immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers as threats to national security and security and threats to the health of Malaysians and urged the government to reconsider it. Methods. Given the continuous efforts to overcome the pandemic and achieve herd immunity, inculcating fear through the threat of arrest and detention of undocumented foreigners can be counterproductive, it said, emphasizing that there are clear differences in the situation of migrant workers, refugees and asylum seekers. During the first strict blockade last year, Malaysia closed its borders, when immigration officials conducted multiple raids on the strengthened blockade.Human rights groups worry that more raids will prevent people from coming forward to buy vaccines that are vital to Malaysias ending the COVID pandemic [File: Lim Huey Teng/Reuters] As of the end of May, Rohingya accounted for approximately 57% of the 179,570 refugees registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Malaysia. According to data from the International Organization for Migration, unofficial estimates indicate that there may be as many as 3 million undocumented immigrants in the country. Common problem The mixed information on refugee vaccination is not unique to Malaysia. In a statement issued in early June, the UN refugee agency warned that a shortage of vaccines in the Asia-Pacific region is putting the lives of refugees and asylum seekers at risk. Refugees are still particularly vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19. Overcrowded environments, coupled with limited water and sanitation facilities, can lead to increased infection rates and exponential spread of the virus, UNHCR spokesperson Andre Ma Xiqi said in the statement. There are nearly 900,000 Rohingya refugees in Coxs Bazar, making it the largest and most densely populated refugee camp in the world.According to Mahecic, the number of COVID-19 cases in the camp Dramatic increase In the past two months. As of May 31, there were more than 1,188 confirmed cases in the refugee population, and more than half of the cases were recorded in May alone. The refugees in Coxs Bazar have not been vaccinated against COVID-19. Mahecic added that in many countries in the Asia-Pacific region, there are not enough vaccines available, causing groups such as migrant workers and asylum seekers to be marginalized. He said the UNHCR has observed a worrisome increase in the number of coronavirus cases among refugees and asylum seekers in countries such as Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. At least, Indonesia seems to be taking more measures to solve this problem. The UN refugee agency stated that the spread of COVID-19 has accelerated in the crowded refugee camps in Coxs Bazar, but the Rohingya living there were not vaccinated [File: Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters] According to the International Organization for Migration, other parts of the country have begun to follow the example of Aceh. The organization worked with the local government in early June to vaccinate more than 900 refugees in Pekanbaru, Riau Province, Indonesia. The International Organization for Migration appreciates the response of the Pekanbaru city government to provide vaccines to the refugee community in the city, Ariani Hasana Suchoti, Indonesian national media and communications officer at the International Organization for Migration, told Al Jazeera, adding that the city All refugees are now vaccinated at the age of 18. She said: Vaccines are one of our most important and cost-effective tools to prevent outbreaks and ensure the safety and health of individuals and entire communities. The virus knows no borders or nationalities; nor should our unity be so. The wine tariff imposed by Beijing has doubled or tripled the price of Australian wine, preventing exporters from entering the Chinese market. The Australian government said on Saturday that it is filing a formal complaint with the World Trade Organization over Chinas anti-dumping duties on Australian wine exports. Further escalate the trade deadlock with Beijing. The government will continue to vigorously defend the interests of Australian wine makers and use the established WTO to resolve our differences, Minister of Trade, Tourism and Investment Danthanzai and Minister of Agriculture David Little Proud in a joint news Said in the draft. . After Australia banned Huawei from its nascent 5G broadband network in 2018, relations with China have deteriorated, and since Canberra called for an international investigation into the origin of the coronavirus, relations with China have deteriorated. As Australias largest trading partner, China imposes tariffs on Australian products, including wine and barley, and restricts the import of Australian beef, coal and grapes. The United States calls this economic coercion. Last year, Australia formally appealed to the WTO, requesting a review of Chinas decision to impose high tariffs on imported Australian barley. Wine tariffs are twice or three times the price The Australian government earlier stated that this prevented exporters from entering the Chinese market. Industry data shows that in the four months from December to March last year, Australian winemakers only exported 12 million Australian dollars (9 million US dollars) of wine to China, compared with 325 million Australian dollars (243 million US dollars) in the same period last year. It proved that the high new tariffs have almost wiped out their largest export market. Dispute Resolution System In early June, Prime Minister Scott Morrison called on the WTO to resolve the deadlock between the two countries. A few days later, he won the support of the Group of Seven and took a firmer stance on Chinas growing influence on global trade. On Saturday, the government stated that Canberra was still prepared to cooperate with Beijing despite complaints. Australia is still willing to approach China directly to resolve this issue, Tehan and Littleproud said in their press release. Saturdays move came a week after the G7 summit of advanced economies responded to Australias call for a tougher stance on Chinas trade practices and its more assertive stance on a global scale. The G7 summit ended on June 12, announcing the US-led plan to counter Chinas trillion-dollar Belt and Road initiative, which is a sign of its efforts to expand its global economic influence. The group promised to provide hundreds of billions of dollars in infrastructure investment for low- and middle-income countries. Rebuilding a Better World (B3W) project. B3W is seen as a direct competition with Chinas efforts, which has been widely criticized for putting small countries on unmanageable debt. Morrison participated in the summit as part of the G7+ program, which also convened the leaders of South Korea, South Africa and India, and made it clear that he would push other countries to take joint actions against Chinas aggressive trade policies. The most practical way to resolve economic coercion is to restore the binding dispute settlement system of the global trade agency, he said in a speech before the summit. He said: If the coercive behavior has no consequences, there is almost no motive for restraint. Morrison received clear support from the United States in his administrations confrontation with China, as well as from French President Emmanuel Macron during his visit to Paris after the G7 meeting. Williamson urges students and their families to continue to be tested regularly for the new coronavirus The Minister of Education has urged students and their families to continue regular coronavirus testing. Gavin Williamson encourages middle school students and parents to test at home twice a week to help break the chain of transmission. Previously, due to a series of concerns, scholars called for the suspension of daily Covid-19 testing in schools. In an open letter to parents in schools and universities in England, Mr. Williamson said: With the worrying increase in variant cases, continue to be tested regularly to detect coronavirus cases, stay ahead of the virus and keep Covid out of the classroom. This means that routine asymptomatic testing for everyone will continue. We need you and your children in middle school or university to be tested at home twice a week. As you know, testing plays an important role in our work. Important role. Dealing with the virus. It helps break the chain of transmission by quickly identifying asymptomatic positive cases. This means that those who have tested positive can self-isolate and allow other students and students to receive face-to-face education. Reporting all test results, whether positive or negative, helps health professionals get a clearer picture of any potential outbreaks in different regions country. The head of the conservative judiciary, Lai Xi, who is believed to have won by a big score, has yet to officially announce the winner. Three-quarters of the candidates in the Iranian presidential election had already admitted defeat hours before the official results were announced by the Ministry of the Interior. Early reports said that Ebrahim Raisi, the head of the conservative judiciary, won by a larger margin. Raisi, a disciple of Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei (Ali Hosseini Khamenei), was widely regarded as the front-runner in Fridays election, but the turnout was low and many candidates were disqualified. The moderate candidate Abdolnaser Hemmati congratulated Raisi on winning the election. According to official media reports on Saturday, the former central bank governor Hemati said in a letter: I hope that under the leadership of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, your government can bring to our country Comfortable and prosperous. Raisi did not immediately acknowledge Hemmatis concession, nor did he acknowledge the concession of former Revolutionary Guard commander Mohsen Rezaei, who also admitted the loss. Another conservative candidate, Amir Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, expressly congratulated Raisi. I congratulate Raisi, elected by the country, Iranian media quoted Hashmi as saying. The outgoing President Hassan Rouhani congratulated the Peoples Election in a televised speech. [president], no roll call. Because it has not been officially announced, I will postpone the formal congratulations. But it is clear who got the votes, Rouhani said. More attention Thousands of people protested against President Jair Bolsonaros pandemic response because Brazil has the second highest number of COVID deaths in the world, with more than 500,000. Thousands of people took to the streets of Brazil to protest against President Bolsonaros pandemic response, criticize the leader for not getting the vaccine fast enough, and question the need to wear masks. At the time of the protests, the Brazilian Minister of Health announced that the number of deaths from COVID-19 in the country has exceeded 500,000, which is the highest number of deaths in the world after the United States. Marcelo Queiroga said on Twitter: I am working tirelessly to vaccinate all Brazilians in the shortest possible time and to change the situation that has plagued us for more than a year. Happening. Brazil registers more than 70,000 confirmed coronavirus infections every day. According to data from the Ministry of Health, approximately 11% of Brazilians have been fully vaccinated and 29% have received the first dose of vaccine. A woman wearing a protective mask is holding a sign that says Portuguese; 500,000, the government of death is protesting against Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaros handling of the coronavirus pandemic [Bruna Prado/AP Photo] The government has faced fierce criticism for giving up the opportunity to buy vaccines early. Pharmaceutical maker Pfizer said it did not respond to early proposals to sell vaccines to the government between August and November last year. Aline Rabelo, 36, said in a protest at the National Mall in Brasilia: We are protesting against the genocidal Bolsonaro government, which did not purchase vaccines and did not take any measures to take care of the people last year. Bolsonaros press office did not immediately comment. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro attends the graduation ceremony of Rio de Janeiro Naval Academy [Silvia Izquierdo/AP Photo] Globo, Brazils largest broadcaster, reported that as of early afternoon, protests had been held in at least 44 cities in 20 states. While chanting and beating drums, the demonstrators held up signs calling for the removal of Bolsonaro from his post. Although the organizers promised to hold the largest demonstrations to date in more than 300 cities, the rallies in Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia on Saturday morning did not seem to be larger than the last major protest on May 29. The protests in Sao Paulo, Brazils largest city, were originally scheduled to begin in the afternoon. A special Senate committee is investigating the Bolsonaro governments pandemic response, stressing that the government has delayed efforts to obtain a vaccine while prioritizing unproven treatments for COVID-19. Due to a shortage of vaccines, Uganda is one of some African countries where the number of infections has risen sharply. Uganda is tightening its COVID lockdown measures to try to prevent a surge in a series of infections in this East African country. The measures announced by President Yoweri Museveni on Friday night included a ban on private and public transportation within and between regions, including in the capital Kampala. Only vehicles carrying goods and vehicles carrying sick or basic workers are allowed to operate. All passenger cars have been frozen, Museveni said in a televised speech, adding that the campaign was the cornerstone of the recent infection outbreak. Shops that are usually crowded in Kampalas city centre have also been ordered to close. The ongoing night curfew will remain unchanged. The new measures will last for 42 days. Due to a shortage of vaccines, Uganda is one of some African countries where the number of infections has risen sharply. It has confirmed a total of 68,779 infections, including 584 deaths. The actual total data letter is much higher. Only a few thousand samples are tested every day. Last year, Uganda took drastic measures to restrict the movement of people when there were only a few coronavirus cases. It implemented one of the earliest blockades and closures on the African continent. With the decline in the number of COVID-19 cases, this landlocked country gradually eased these restrictions. However, severe infections have surged in recent weeks, overwhelming the fragile health system. The doctor told AFP that as the number of daily cases in the past three weeks has increased from less than 100 to more than 1,700, oxygen and other basic medical supplies have been used up. Although stricter restrictions were announced last week, including closing schools, bars and most gatherings. Museveni warned that hospitals are overcrowded, and then added that the rapid surge in pandemic intensity seems unprecedented, but it can still be controlled, introducing restrictions similar to those used at the beginning of the pandemic. Africas 1.3 billion people account for 18% of the worlds population, but the African continent only receives 2% of all global vaccine doses. A bill aimed at abolishing mandatory minimum penalties for certain gun and drug crimes has fallen into the legislative process, only a few days before the end of the spring session of Parliament. The Liberal government proposed the C-22 bill in February, but only had its second reading in the House of Commons. The proposed law will abolish mandatory minimum penalties for all drug crimes and certain gun crimes; currently, anyone convicted of these crimes will automatically be sentenced to minimum imprisonment. Public Security Minister Bill Blair said that before the summer recess, Parliament had only a few days left to meet and potential elections were imminent. Public Security Minister Bill Blair said the bill was still a priority. I think its really important to be smart about crime. This means that our police, our court system, our sentencing regulations and records should be proportional to crime, Blair told host Chris Hall CBC interview house Aired on saturday. But if C-22 is not signed into law before the election- Widely guessed It will happen this fall-the bill will become invalid on the order document and will need to be reintroduced in the next parliament to effectively restart the process. Supporters say this will postpone much-needed changes in the Canadian judicial system. Listen | Public Security Minister Bill Blair discusses criminal justice reform: CBC News: House of Representatives14:00Border blues Public Security Secretary Bill Blair talked about the governments extension of Canada-US border closures, the ArriveCAN app for travelers, and criminal justice reforms. 14:00 Experts say the bill will restore judicial discretion Critics of mandatory minimum penalty rules argue that they have a disproportionate impact on blacks, Aboriginals and marginalized Canadians and lead to excessive imprisonment.When Attorney General David Lametti introduced the bill in February, he stated it as One of the governments measures Combat systemic racism in the justice system. I dont think it was intentional, Blair said. Unfortunately, we have seen the previous governments excessive use of mandatory judgments, which did have a very different and disproportionate impact on racialization and indigenous peoples. As part of the strike crime agenda, the former Conservative government led by Stephen Harper introduced a wide range of mandatory minimum penalties (MMPs) into the Criminal Code during its nine-year administration.Many of these penalties are knock down It was deemed unconstitutional by the national courts. Act C-22 14 of the 67 crimes in the Criminal Law that currently includes MMP and all six crimes of this type in the Controlled Substances and Substances Law will be eliminated. MMP will remain on crimes such as murder and sex crimes. However, the crimes covered by Bill C-22 only constitute part of the MMP considered unconstitutional by various courts. Lisa Kerr, assistant professor of law at Queens University, told house Producer Jennifer Chevalier (Jennifer Chevalier)s bill aims to restore some of the judges discretion in cases where there is a mitigating penalty, including those involving young people, first offenders, who have changed our lives after a crime Case. Kerr said the legislation is designed to ensure that when all other points of analysis in the case tell the judge: when the person is sent home, the judge does not have to detain the person. The senator said the bill is unlikely to pass As there are still a few steps left in the legislative process, only three days of meeting time are currently scheduled. Independent Senator Kim Peet said that all signs indicate that the C-22 bill will end when the House of Commons convenes in the summer. It may take a while before any changes to Canadian law are actually made; if elections are held, Parliament will dissolve and effectively return any unpassed bills back to Square 1. Given that the government has stated that its priority is to reduce the number of black and aboriginal prisoners in our prison system, you would think this will be a priority. But it doesnt seem to be right now, Pat said.Co-author A review article in February Criticize the bill. Independent Senator Kim Peet (center) made an appearance at the swearing-in ceremony in 2016. Pat said that Bil C-22 is unlikely to pass before the summer promotion in the House of Commons. (Adrian Wilder/Canada Press) The Minister of Public Security blamed the opposition parties as the reason for the stagnation of the bill in the legislative process. This is our priority, but I think it might help if it is a priority for the entire assembly, he said. Critics say that mandatory minimum standards are not a deterrent For those who are most affected by the rules-Canadians accused or convicted, this is of course a priority. Guy Felicella said he was convicted dozens of times for dealing and using drugs during his 30 years in Vancouver. After seeking help and participating in treatment, he now works as a peer clinical consultant at the BC Substance Use Center. He estimated that if there was no mandatory minimum, he would only spend three or four years in prison instead of nine. Listen | The struggle to end the mandatory minimum punishment: CBC News: House of Representatives6:55The fight to end mandatory minimum punishment A government bill designed to remove Canadas mandatory minimum penalties for violations seems unlikely to be passed before elected officials leave Ottawa in the summer. Jennifer Chevalier of the House of Representatives listened to advocates and those most affected by the rules on why these changes should be prioritized. 6:55 Felicella said that the existence of MMP has no deterrent effect on him, and it is time to make changes to the system itself. You know, honestly, we cant look at drug users. We have to look at the system and say,Look, this really doesnt work,' he said. Listen to The House on CBC Radio: Border restrictions and the new face of the Supreme Court After some consideration, Shimelis Yohannes* decided to postpone voting in Ethiopia general election It is scheduled to be held on Monday. I took a vote because it is better than not participating in the election, said a civil servant in the capital Addis Ababa. However, he quickly added that he had no illusions about voting overshadowed by the conflict in the northern part of Tigray, instability and general indifference elsewhere. I dont think my vote will change anything or determine the future direction of Ethiopia, but at least I can tell myself that I have tried my best, said Yohanes, who will support the opposition party. Of the 38 million people living in the city of Sashmene, about 250 kilometers (155 miles) southeast of Addis Ababa, 38 million registered to vote, but he said he would abstain. The private sector professional stated that after the two most popular Oromo political parties, the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and Oromo, he is in the largest Oromia region in Ethiopia. There is no credible opposition party that can compete with Prime Minister Abi Ahmeds Prosperity Party (PP). Federalist Congress (OFC)-Decided to boycott opinion polls. All parties claimed that the election lacked legitimacy on the grounds that it was unable to compete, while well-known leaders and party members were imprisoned and other members suffered physical violence. Gemeqiu said: The local Peoples Party cadres have been forcing socially disadvantaged groups to take out voter registration cards, and now threaten them that they will be punished if they vote for a few other opposition party candidates. The staff of the National Election Commission explained to people how to vote for the upcoming elections [Amanuel Sileshi/AFP] The young people of Ethiopias largest ethnic group, Oromos, account for 35% of the countrys estimated 110 million people. They are at the forefront of anti-government protests for two and a half years. Abiy came to power in April 2018. However, Abi later fell out with many leaders of the Oromo Youth Movement. Several major OFC members, including Jawar Mohammed and Bekele Gerba, are still being held on terror charges related to the riots that occurred after the murder of Oromo pop musician and activist Hachalu Hundessa last year. However, the BJP insists that the elections will be free and fair-this is the first historic time in Ethiopia. Mondays poll will be the sixth vote since the Communist government of Mengistu Haile Mariam was overthrown in 1991. The first five games-all won by the four-party alliance of the now-defunct Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front-have been compromised by allegations of fraud and irregularities. The ruling party is very willing to exercise democracy the public is very eager, said Bikila Wolde of PP. Despite these opportunities, the challenges are also very obvious, because Ethiopia has a long-standing political system that is extremely polarized and is known for its dictatorship. Modern civilized political activities are rare in this country. Although the ruling party promoted the vote (which was originally scheduled for 2020, but was first postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic and logistical challenges) as an opportunity to ease the temperature of the polarizing political environment, some people worry that this might have the opposite effect. An analyst in Addis Ababa, who asked not to be named, cited the tense political atmosphere as saying that the polls will be conducted in the context of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases and locust invasions, and Tigray The regions economy is in dire straits and conflicts make the region totally dependent on humanitarian aid. It is estimated that the seven-month war in Tigray has killed thousands or more and displaced approximately 2 million people. The United Nations warned this week that 350,000 people are suffering from famine. The analyst said: The Ethiopian army, which was supposed to transport election materials, was involved in the Tigray conflict and fighting a brewing rebellion in the Oromia and Benishangur-Gumuz regions. I. Think this is incredible, PP obtained the legitimacy of the election from the polls at this moment. The National Election Commission of Ethiopia (NEBE) recognized the security and logistical challenges faced by various parts of Ethiopia. Earlier this month, it revealed that nearly one-fifth of Ethiopias 547 voting districts will not vote. NEBE said that the voting for the electoral districts that did not participate next week will be held on September 6, but Tigray, which has 38 seats, is currently excluded indefinitely. I see only one electoral district represented in the polls; that is the urban elite and the Amhara region, the analyst said. Although the BJP is the frontrunner to win the majority of seats, it is expected to face severe electoral challenges in Addis Ababa and the Amhara region, Ethiopias second most populous region. Some opposition figures have publicly disclosed that their condition for accepting the results is whether the votes are fair. In 2005, the police suppressed unarmed protesters who took to the streets of Addis Ababa to condemn election irregularities, resulting in the deaths of nearly 200 demonstrators and 6 policemen. Yohannes and analysts both expressed concern about possible post-election violence in these two regions considered the most competitive in elections, but Abiy predicted at the last election rally on Wednesday that the vote will be peaceful. The whole world is saying that we will fight, but we will show them in different ways, Abi told supporters in the town of Jima. I say to all Ethiopians [engaged] In the struggle for a peaceful, democratic and prosperous Ethiopia, the prime minister added, he accused traitors and outsiders of working to destroy Ethiopia in early June. Addis Ababa police officers in riot gear take part in the parade, showing off their new uniforms [Baz Ratner/Reuters] On Saturday, less than 48 hours before the voting began, the police in central Addis Ababa participated in a parade attended by senior government officials, allegedly to display the new uniforms of the police force. For analysts, even if concerns about post-election violence do not become a reality, Ethiopias near-term future after the election will not be optimistic. I dont think the election will change the deteriorating security environment, nor will it change the increasing pressure from parts of the international community, the analyst said. I see the military deadlock in the Tigray area between the rebels and the Ethiopian army supported by the army of Eritrea and the neighboring Amhara region is still going on, while the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate, the frustrated young Oromo Continue to join the banned Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) rebel movement, the analyst added. The scattered sanctions from Western countries (related to the Tigray War) may increase, and their impact will inevitably affect the lower economic strata of society first, and then the senior government officials. *Change names to protect their identity For many Canadians, the ban on most travel to and from the United States now in place for 15 months is almost excessive. Public Security Minister Bill Blair said he understood, even if he defended the decision to continue the cross-border restrictions for at least one month. Blair said in an interview: Let me admit that we have heard very clear news from the mayors of border areas and communities across the country affected by these restrictions. Of course we have also heard some opinions from American interests. CBC broadcast house. But despite the border closures putting pressure on quarantined families and embarrassing people who are banned from visiting resort properties and cross-border shopping, Blair insists that protecting Canadians health remains the governments top priorityand Will not waver on the border until it is safe to proceed. I want to make it clear to you and the Canadians that we rely heavily on advice from public officials and medical scientists, he said. Members of Congress say to save the summer On Monday, Blair is expected to announce when, how and to whom non-essential travel will reopen the border. But patience is running out. Frustration is forming. At this weeks Liberal Party caucus meeting, some members of Congress representing constituencies that rely on tourism and other cross-border travel called for the border to be reopened before the end of the critical summer vacation. These calls were not answered. For small towns like Stansted, Quebec, close to the Vermont border, the ban on non-essential travel has economic and personal impacts. Jeanette Sisco (Jeanette Sisco) works in a local antique shop that used to have many American customers. Its very slow, she told CBC News. When they start to come back, I will be very happy because there are regular customers every week and we have not seen them for two years. Laura Wood is separated from her 63-year-old mother. She lives on the other side of the border, separated by a wrought iron fence-the only physical barrier separating the two countries in the part of Stansted. Life is shelved She said that she and her mother have been visiting the Haskell Free Library and Opera House, which straddles the border between Rock Island in Quebec and the Derby Line in Vermont. No touch is allowed, nor is it allowed to cross lines that look more illusory than reality. Its hard not to enjoy time with her, Wood said. She and her mother have made plans for a real visit, believing that the border will reopen next week-these plans will have to be shelved again. Yes She really wants this to happen. Its not just individual Canadians who become impatient. The Canadian Business Council stated that the decision to extend the border ban failed to recognize the increasing number of people fully vaccinated against COVID-19. BCC President Goldy Hyder said in a media statement issued on Friday: We hope that the government on Monday will follow the recommendations of its own COVID-19 testing and screening expert advisory group, which calls for a gradual Relax some border restrictions. Canadians need a clear plan to safely reopen the border so that friends and family can be reunited and businesses can welcome returning travelers. U.S. Democratic Rep. Brian Higgins of Buffalo, New York is the co-chair of the Northern Border Caucus. In his tweet, he called the month-long extension nonsense. There is no other saying: postponing another month is nonsense. #LetUsReunite pic.twitter.com/xL2vUQol8e @RepBrianHiggins He said in a media statement: Millions of Americans and Canadians count on our government to work together to reach an agreement that provides a clear road map for reopening the border between the two countries. The lack of transparency surrounding these negotiations is detrimental to our voters and the millions of residents on both sides of the border waiting to see their loved ones, visit their properties and restore business contacts. Blair said that the two countries are working together to develop a reopening plan. However, he acknowledged that there are still some uncertainties-such as the fact that there are still travel restrictions between certain provinces. Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair said that further relaxation of restrictions must wait until Canada reaches its vaccination benchmarks. (Adrian Wilder/Canada Press) Frankly speaking, we care about the protection of Canadians. Therefore, for people traveling from the United States or anywhere else in the world, we want to make sure that they can do so safely when they come to Canada and dont put Canadians at risk. ,He says. But when a large part of this country is fully vaccinated-we think the threshold, at least according to the recommendations of public health agencies so far, is about 75%-this will create conditions for us and we can further relax the restrictions. . The vaccination campaign is approaching that goal. Until the goal is reached, the Canada-US border remains a barrier-this line will take at least another month to cross. Listen to The House on CBC Radio: Border restrictions and the new face of the Supreme Court Two COVID-19 vaccines may mean avoiding 10 days of self-isolation People who have received two Covid-19 jabs and come into contact with someone infected with the virus may soon be exempt from self-isolation for 10 days. According to reports, officials are considering abolishing the 10-day quarantine period and switching to daily testing. The Times reported that Matt Hancock, the Minister of Health, is said to be keen to replace quarantine with daily testing, but only when the Chief Medical Officer of England, Professor Chris Whitty, conducted a study involving 40,000 people. After you are satisfied, the policy will be approved. Linda Bauld, a professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh, told Time Radio that this has happened in the United States. She said: The Centers for Disease Control changed their guidelines not long ago, saying that they have been vaccinated. People who receive the vaccine do not have to self-isolate about 10-14 days after the second vaccination, so I think we are moving in this direction. As we have repeatedly heard from Chris Whitty and others, this virus will not go away. Professor Bald added: We will have to coexist with it, which means that we will be infected in the future, so contact with an infected person is always possible. Kate says its time to take action on early childhood development The Duchess of Cambridge declared on the issue of early childhood development that the time for action is now, describing it as the social equivalent of climate change. Kate is speaking while convening a panel of experts at a leading university in London to discuss the inauguration report of her new Royal Early Childhood Fund Center. She insists that she is not looking for a quick win in her early work, but wants to adopt a holistic approach to better prepare for the next generation of parents. She hopes that her new agency will talk about emotions and feelings more generally, allowing adults to better understand how emotions affect their own behavior. In a roundtable discussion at the London School of Economics, Kate expressed very excited about launching the center and added: So today I hope that through the report and this new center, it will be shown that change really needs to happen and its time to take action. . Because I think this is the social equivalent of climate change, where we follow science for many, many years. If we want to build a happier and healthier world, this is what we have to do with early childhood development. More we understand In early childhood and the first five years of life, the more we need to take action. Public awareness will stop the spread of wasps After the bumblebee was found in Seattle, Sven Spichiger, the entomologist in charge of the Washington State Department of Agriculture thank Quick capture of social media. This new report continues to emphasize the importance of public reports for all suspected invasive species, especially the Asian Hornet, Spichger said. If unconscious residents took the time to take photos and submit reports, none of this would happen. Murder of bumblebees became a viral phenomenon in 2020 because they tend to decapitate bees after attacking beehives and feed bee larvae to their offspring. Many people put them on the list of bad things that happened during the year and the coronavirus pandemic. The Harriet Tubman Museum officially opened in Cape May on June 1st-this is the day to commemorate the emancipation of slaves in the United States-a grand opening will be held on Saturday at 11 am. Located in Howells House, the museum was a pastor of the Macedonian Baptist Church and celebrates Tubmans life and her role in the Underground Railway, as well as the history of the abolition of slavery in Cape May. Cape May is an important station of the Underground Railway and the first stronghold for enslaved people in the northern states to flee. New Jersey Monthly. In the early 1850s, Tubman fled slavery in Maryland and worked as a cook and domestic worker in Cape May. There, historians said she helped nine enslaved people escape. Governor Phil Murphy Sign the bill into law Last fall, the museum became the states official Harriet Tubman museum. He also signed a law to make June Festival a national holiday, which is celebrated on the third Friday of June every year. The museum was originally scheduled to open on June 1st last year, but due to the delay caused by the pandemic, the opening date was postponed to June 1, 2021. NJ.com report. Visitors will see the 9-foot-tall, 2,400-pound sculpture Harriet Tubman-Freedom Journey created by Emmy and Oscar-winning sculptor Wesley Wofford in the museum. The area has historical records of various artifacts such as handcuffs and underground railways. The museum is developing an educational program that includes a virtual tour in collaboration with Friday is Tie Day, a mentoring program for high school students of color. The grand opening event was held in Rotary Park on Lafayette Street and will be Museums YouTube channel And in Facebook Live. The event included music and dance from the Pan-African Rhythm Cooperative and reflections on the history of the June Festival. Performers from the 22nd U.S. Regiment of Colored People will hold ceremonial parades and performances. Irans tough Attorney General Ibrahim Raisi (Ebrahim Raisi) Overwhelming victory In the countrys presidential election, this vote pushed the disciples of the top leader to the highest civilian position in Tehran and witnessed the lowest turnout in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Raisi won 61.95% of the vote with 48.8% of the vote in the election on Friday. Raisi, 60, will take office in August, succeeding Hassan Rouhani, a moderate president who is not allowed by the constitution for a third consecutive term. He will be in power at a critical moment as Iran seeks to save its broken nuclear agreement with major powers and save itself from the US sanctions that have led to a sharp economic downturn. The election of Raisi, he himself was sanctioned by the United States for violating human rights, and it was more like a crown after his most powerful rival found out that he was disqualified from running for the election. Iran The outgoing President Rouhani visited Raisy in his office and congratulated him. The official media quoted Rouhani as saying: In the next 45 days, when the new government takes office (early August), we will stand by and cooperate fully with the elected president. Rouhani (left) meets with Iranian President-elect Ibrahim Raisi in Tehran [Official Presidential website/Handout/Reuters] Russia According to RIA Novosti, the press officer of the Russian Embassy in Tehran was quoted as saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Lacey and expressed his hope to further develop constructive bilateral cooperation. Pakistan Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said that he looks forward to working with Lai Si to further strengthen the fraternal relationship between Pakistan and Iran in order to achieve regional peace, progress and prosperity. Congratulations to His Excellency Brother Ibrahim Raisy @raisi_com He achieved a landmark victory in the 13th presidential election of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Looking forward to working with him to further strengthen our brotherhood and promote regional peace, progress and prosperity. -Imran Khan (mImranKhanPTI) June 19, 2021 Turkey Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated Raisi on his victory and expressed his belief that during Raisis tenure, the cooperation between the two neighboring countries will be closer. Erdogan said in a letter to Raisi: I believe that during your presidency, the cooperation between our two countries will be strengthened, and I am ready to cooperate with you. Syria The Syrian Presidential Palace issued a statement saying that Assad congratulated Raisi on his victory and expressed his keen interest in cooperating with the new president to strengthen the relationship between the two countries. Iraq On this occasion of your coming, I extend my sincere congratulations and blessings to you. [Raisis] Elected as the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraqi President Barham Saleh said. We Iraqis look forward to strengthening our strong relationship with neighboring Iran and its people. Amnesty International The head of the human rights organization Agnes Karamad said that Raisis election victory requires Raisy to be investigated for crimes against humanity.. She wrote on Twitter: Ibrahim Raisis promotion to the presidency is not being investigated for crimes against humanity such as murder, enforced disappearance and torture. This is a serious reminder that there is no guilt. Penalties are dominant in Iran. We continue to call for investigations of Ebrahim Raisis involvement in past and ongoing crimes under international law, including countries exercising universal jurisdiction. the result of #Iran The election is predictable.But despite this, that #Ibrahim Raisi Has been promoted to president and not being investigated for crimes against humanity such as murder, enforced disappearance, and torture. This is a stark reminder that impunity prevails in Iran Agnes Callamard (@AgnesCallamard) June 19, 2021 Hamas Hazem Qassem, Hamas spokesperson in Gaza, said in a statement: We congratulate the Islamic Republic of Iran on the success of the democratic process, the holding of the presidential election, and Ebrahim Raisi. ) Was elected President of Iran. We wish the Islamic Republic of Iran progress and prosperity. Iran has always been a fundamental and true supporter of the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian resistance movement. United Arab Emirates We want the Islamic Republic, and our bilateral relations, stability, continuity and prosperity, the vice president and de facto ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, said in a statement issued by the Dubai Media Office. According to the national news agency WAM, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed also sent a congratulatory message to Raisi. UAE leaders congratulate Ebrahim Raisi on winning the Iranian presidential election#WamNewshttps://t.co/d44qtkRkJQ -WAM English (@WAMNEWS_ENG) June 19, 2021 Human Rights Watch Michael Page, deputy director of the HRW Middle East, said in a statement that Raisis path to the presidency was through repression and unfair elections. As the head of Irans repressive judicial institution, Raisi has overseen some of the most heinous crimes in Irans modern history. These crimes are worth investigating and accountable for, rather than being elected as a senior official. With rising tensions between the United States and China, the number of deliveries is more than three times the number of shots that Washington previously allocated to the island. The United States announced that 2.5 million doses of COVID vaccine are being shipped to Taiwan, which is more than three times the number of vaccines previously allocated by Washington to the island, which is facing increasing political and military pressure from China. Washington competed with Beijing to deepen its geopolitical influence through so-called vaccine diplomacy. Initially, it promised to donate 750,000 doses of vaccine to Taiwan. However, as President Joe Bidens government promoted its global distribution of 80 million U.S.-made vaccines. As promised, this number has increased. Turn it up! The 2.5 million doses of vaccine we donated are being shipped to Taiwan, and Taiwans health partnership with the United States has helped save lives here and around the world. @StateDept Proudly support @POTUSCommitted to helping the world overcome COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/J0rgy753bs Ned Price (@StateDeptSpox) June 19, 2021 Earlier this month, when tensions between Washington and Beijing were heating up, the US senator visited Taiwan and announced the donation of vaccines. China expressed anger. Last round! The 2.5 million doses of vaccine we donated are being shipped to Taiwan, State Department spokesperson Ned Price wrote in a tweet on Saturday. China regards Taiwan as an inalienable part of its territory and has repeatedly offered to provide coronavirus vaccines to the island, which has been struggling with the peak of domestic infections. Taipei has expressed concerns about the safety of Chinese shooting. thank you #we For this touching gesture of friendship.These vaccines will greatly help maintain #Taiwan Safe and healthy. https://t.co/KnpN7xglyA Tsai Ing-wen Tsai Ing-wen (@iingwen) June 19, 2021 In recent years, Beijing has exerted economic, military and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan and excluded it from international institutions such as the World Health Organization. Washington remains Taiwans largest ally, but it does not maintain full diplomatic relations with Taipei because it officially recognizes Beijing. Until recently, Taiwan was praised for its handling of the pandemic, and only a few deaths were recorded. But after the outbreak of airline pilots, cases surged. Thanks to #US for making such a touching gesture of friendship. These vaccines will greatly help keep #Taiwan safe and healthy, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen wrote on Twitter. Last year, Juneteenth came to Berlin, Germany. On June 19th, about 100 people gathered in Bethanien, a former hospital in Berlins Kreuzberg district that has been a center for artists and a platform for contemporary art since the 1970s, a memorial to African American slaves. liberation. Given Bethaniens long history as the center of progressive politics, it is a suitable place for people to celebrate the liberation of black Americans. Organized by an African-American woman living in Berlin, the one-day celebration includes people singing hymns, reading poems, and even performing cross-dressing. Although our bodies tremble with the cold weather and the intermittent pouring rain throughout the day, our spirits are warmed by the pouring of love. I am ashamed to admit, but this is the first June festival celebration I have participated in. I had never participated in such an event before moving to Berlin from the United States. Although that kind of guilt is not only something I can bear. I grew up in Florida and didnt know Juneteenth in school. I also did not fully understand the history of slavery as I hoped. Most of my knowledge of black American history was learned outside the school system. I was naturally curious and had felt the pressure of being a black American woman, so with the help and guidance of the black librarians and elders in the nearby library, I conducted a radical anti-racism education on myself. I know as much as possible about slavery, racism, and the black resistance movement. I learned about the Haitian Revolution and how my ancestors fought against chattel slavery and French custody. I learned about Bayard Rustin, an African-American gay man who was committed to affirming the existence of homosexuality in the civil rights movement and shaping Martin Luther Kings radicalism. However, I dont know much about June Festival and its importance. Juneteenth is a mixed day of June and 19, commemorating the abolition of slavery by the United States under President Abraham Lincolns 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, which was set up by a general of the Federal Army in Gard, Texas on June 19, 1865. Weston announced it belatedly. June Festival is also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee and Liberation Day, and has been celebrated every year for more than a century. Many African-Americans, especially Texans, have long commemorated this day by organizing rallies, parades and picnics, reading, reciting poems, and simply rejoicing for their liberation. African-American professor Brittney Cooper recently wrote about her early vacation experience in an article called Is Juneteenth for Everyone. She wrote: For me, June has always been a fact in life, something I commemorated before I knew I was doing it. I remember knowing its name in a book when I was young, and then realizing my mother Every summer, I often take me to the random parade on our local HBCU campus. It always happens on weekends in June. Texas officially designated June as a holiday in 1980, and other 46 states and the District of Columbia followed suit. But in many states, such as my hometown of Florida, the June Festival has only recently attracted widespread attention. On May 25, 2020, the police brutally killed the unarmed African-American George Floyd (George Floyd), which triggered a widespread wave of protests and racial reconciliation in the United States. This has caused the June Festival to become the focus of national attention and has led to more and more people requesting it to be a federal holiday. Earlier this week, President Joe Biden listened to these calls and signed a law making June 19 a national holiday. Of course, the racial reconciliation of the past year has not only resulted in the June Festival gaining widespread attention and becoming a federal holiday. It also led many scholars and activists to discuss how the United States teaches and understands history. People began to clamor for an end to the whitewashing of American history and the casual celebration of the countrys racists. Statues of slaves, segregationists and colonialists have been removed. Recently, the U.S. Geographical Names Council voted to remove the term black from approximately 20 geographic sites in Texas. These names are not only very inappropriate and offensive to blacks, but they also prove that racism still exists in Texas and the wider American landscape. Since the death of Freud and the rise of the Black peoples fate movement, people have increasingly called for people to see, discuss and respect the entire history of black Americans. Activists not only demand that the entire country recognize the legacy of slavery and the psychological, material, and physical harm that systemic racism still causes to black Americans, but also hope that the country will be responsible for the systematic deprivation of black Americans since 1619. The enslaved Africans arrived in the Virginia colony. In fact, if we look at Texas, we will find that the states black history is by no means confined to slavery. For example, Aleshia Anderson, a human resources worker born in Lockhart, Texas, can trace her paternal line back to the Colony of St. Johns, a company founded by freed slaves in the early 1870s. community. It didnt get as rich as the black Wall Street, but many of us are still proud of that area, she told me. Black people have always been an integral part of Texas history. The enslaved blacks not only established their country by cutting forests, harvesting crops, and building houses, but they also remained an important part of social, political, economic, and artistic life after liberation.Although American blacks face countless obstacles, they should be happy to build, create, and persevere. Today, we are at a critical turning point in the United States. The demands for racial equality and justice are increasing every day. However, the road to true racial justice is still fraught with obstacles. Only by examining and truly understanding history can we create a better future for everyone. As Annette Gordon-Reed wrote in her book June 19th, History is about people and events in a particular environment and context, and how these things change Changes occur over time, making the past different from the time we are in, and understand that these changes are not inevitable. If we look at history soberly and leave behind the prejudices that systemic racism has branded in our hearts, we can clearly see what steps we need to take to achieve true equality and racial reconciliation in the United States-compensation, for The oppressed are restored to their original state. The June festival alone will not improve racial inequality in the United States. Nonetheless, this holiday provides Americans with an opportunity to examine history from the perspective of the oppressed (not the oppressed), celebrate the achievements of black Americans, and acknowledge the suffering of black Americans. Too little work has been done to correct slavery and the systemic racist damage that has been done to black Americans over the centuries. People have done even less about how blacks can thrive under such a cruel system. This is why June Festival, a holiday celebrating liberation, is not only important but also necessary. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. The commemorative statue outside Strong Hall includes a chalked message from protestors saying, "Resign Provost." The protest in March was held in response to changes in the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging office that resulted in the termination of two Black employees. What was Tropical Storm Claudette has now become a tropical depression but was still dumping heavy rain as it pushed into the Southeast Saturday evening, threatening to add to the flooding it already has left in parts of four states. It also appears to have spawned a tornado that littered a southern Alabama community with debris, and more twisters are possible, forecasters say. After moving ashore in southeastern Louisiana early Saturday, the center of the storm was heading into western Alabama in the evening, according to the National Hurricane Center. As of 8 p.m. ET, the storm was centered about 75 miles west of Montgomery, Alabama, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph, according to the NHC. The system is forecast to move inland across parts of the southeast US through Sunday night and over the western Atlantic Ocean on Monday, the center said. The storm could yield dangerous flash flooding across coastal Mississippi and Alabama, as well as the western Florida Panhandle, through Saturday, the NHC said. A total of 5-15 inches of rain could fall those areas by storm's end, the NHC said. By Saturday afternoon, some areas of Mississippi had received more than 11 inches of rain, and parts of southeastern Louisiana had received more than 8 inches, according to the National Weather Service. In the Louisiana city of Slidell, one of Ashley James' children woke her up early Saturday, screaming that their home was being flooded, she told CNN. Video that James shared shows most of the rooms covered with inches of water. She and her four children left safely. 'There's about 6 inches still in the garage, and maybe about 2 to 3 standing (in) parts of the house,' James said. 'It's destroyed wood everywhere, and it's frustrating.' Other images, including video from CNN affiliate WVUE, showed flooding in homes, streets and yards in Slidell, a city across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans. More than 9 inches of rain had accumulated there by Saturday afternoon, the weather service said. High winds also were battering parts of the region. Tropical-storm-force winds -- at least 39 mph -- extended up to 205 miles southeast of the center early Saturday afternoon, the NHC said. Whether this system was a tropical storm when it made landfall wasn't clear. The NHC simultaneously announced around 4 a.m. CT Saturday that a gulf storm previously called a 'potential tropical cyclone' had become Claudette, and also that it was centered inland near Houma, Louisiana. Flash flooding also was reported in parts of Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle as of early Saturday afternoon, the weather service said. Residents in the region have prepared for the storm over the last couple of days. In New Orleans, Cara McCarthy was moving her Toyota Prius to higher ground. 'We just never know what's gonna happen. So (we're) just hoping for the best. We've moved out cars, but we can't move our house,' McCarthy told CNN affiliate WDSU. 'We've got our sandbags ready. We've got our tarp ready and we're just ... hoping for the best.' Tornado reported in southern Alabama As Claudette raged as a tropical storm Saturday morning, a tornado hit the southern Alabama community of East Brewton, the Brewton Fire Department said, according to the National Weather Service. Pictures from resident Alicia Jossey showed debris from downed trees and other materials strewn across East Brewton, a community of about 2,900 residents near the Florida state line in Escambia County. Three people in Escambia County were injured by the tornado, according to the county's Emergency Management Agency. The tornado also damaged several homes, and law enforcement closed US Highway 29 in East Brewton because of power lines in the roadway. Jossey told CNN affiliate WPMI she had just enough time to get her 17-year-old son and their pets to hunker down in the middle of the house. When the storm passed and they emerged, she was 'in shock.' 'I have peoples' hats on my front porch and I have frames from people's houses and little things like caulk from somebody working on something,' she said. 'I have half of someone's car seat in my backyard.' Further tornadoes are possible Saturday across southeast Alabama, the western Florida Panhandle and southwest Georgia, the National Hurricane Center said. Storm has weakened but may restrengthen near East Coast Claudette weakened into a tropical depression later Saturday. 'However, Claudette is forecast to become a tropical storm again when it moves across the Carolinas Sunday night or early Monday,' after some of its outer bands reach over the Atlantic, the NHC said Saturday afternoon. Earlier forecasts predicted the storm could re-form as a tropical storm after its center exited the coastal Carolinas and churned over the Atlantic Ocean, perhaps by early Tuesday. Widespread 3 to 8 inches of rainfall is expected from central Alabama, central and northern Georgia, and parts of the Carolinas this weekend -- and flooding could result, the NHC said. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the location of the storm's center as of 4 a.m. CT Saturday. It was about 45 miles southwest of New Orleans. WASHINGTON, D.C. Ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in late 1865 capped off the end of the bloody Civil War with an official surcease to the practice of slavery in the nation. Or rather, it would have, but it made an exception for certain forms of slavery or involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime "whereof the party shall have been duly convicted." Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley said in a statement on Friday that he has teamed up with Congresswoman Nikema Williams of Georgia to introduce the Abolition Amendment, which would strike that exception from the 13th Amendment once and for all. This country was founded on the beautiful principles of equality and justice principles that have never been compatible with the horrific realities of slavery and white supremacy, said Merkley. The loophole in our constitutions ban on slavery not only allowed slavery to continue, but launched an era of discrimination and mass incarceration that continues to this day. To live up to our nations promise of justice for all, we must eliminate the Slavery Clause from our constitution. Merkley praised the addition of Juneteenth as a federal holiday this week, which will now commemorate the material end of chattel slavery in the U.S. after Union troops reached the last corner of the former Confederacy in 1865. However, the lawmaker insisted that the 13th Amendment, as it is now, continues to allow forms of slavery in the country. The two lawmakers referenced the clause's frequent use during and after Reconstruction as a vehicle for arresting Black Americans in droves for minor crimes, imprisoning them, then impressing them into service to work in the same kind of field labor that they endured during slavery's height. The Abolition Amendment is one step closer to achieving true justice and equality for all. States are amending their constitutions to finally abolish slavery in all forms, and Congress will lead the way and finally abolish involuntary servitude in America, said Williams. We are in a period of reckoning with our countrys history and a lot of that history is marked with racism and systems of oppression. Eliminating the loophole in the 13th Amendment that allows for slavery is another opportunity to do that. Merkley's office said that the U.S. is currently home to 2.3 million prisoners, or 20 percent of the world's incarcerated population. As a result of the 13th Amendment's wording, prisoners can be forced to work under threat of punishment, and can be made to work without compensation. Though some amount of pay is common in a number of states, inmates are often paid less than a dollar per hour. The last person who asked me that is still missing. If you need me, I'll be underwater. It's a dry heat. You call this hot? Bring it on. Vote View Results Gov. Evers presented a good budget with money allotted for schools: Clean water, rural broadband, alternative energy development, homelessness prevention, low-income housing, venture capital and small business support. The republicans immediately wanted to cut it to the bone. Such as, their recommended funding for education is so low that Wisconsin would lose out on $1.5 billion in federal funding for schools! On June 9, Kenosha News wrote that there is a projected $4.4 billion increase in the revenue estimated for the next two years. Did this sway the Republicans? No! There is immediately talk of rebates. Tommy Thompson gave out rebates. Does anyone remember what they did with those few hundred dollars? Pay down our state debt, yes! And stop delaying needed maintenance and building until it is more expensive. It is common sense to do projects when money is available. The juvenile detention building for Milwaukee, as an example. Another is affordable housing, low-income rental stock is aging and disappearing due to gentrification. Apartments arent available within the budget of the working poor, so they are homeless. Homelessness will balloon with the expiration of the eviction moratorium. Lakiea Bailey has tried to hide the pain and breathlessness she feels from her disease for most of her life. As a child, she missed weeks out of every school year because of sickle cell -- a painful, genetic disease that's believed to impact 100,000 Americans. Patients' red blood cells are "sickle" shaped and can clump together to impede blood flow to the rest of the body, causing serious problems, including strokes and organ failure. As a studious young woman yearning to be normal, she hid her condition from her professors when she went off to college. But she says it only made her life harder. When the condition flares up, an event known as a sickle cell crisis, "you cannot move, you can barely breathe without intense full-body pain in some cases, or it might simply be two arms, one leg, a foot," the 42-year-old told CNN. Bailey has endured hundreds of surgical procedures, blood transfusions and hospitalizations over her lifetime. She remembers, as a child, fearing the night because that's when her sickle cell crises most often hit. "I thought there was something about the hours between 2 and 5 a.m. that was just dangerous," she said. From patient to doctorate Bailey's mother told her that because she was sick she always had to work hard to get ahead. "I often studied during breaks, and I enjoyed it," she said. "I was a huge nerd that read medical dictionaries for fun." Curious about what causes diseases like hers, she excelled in school and got a bachelor's degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia. While working on her doctorate she became extremely ill. Her grit helped her push through. "I wrote papers from hospital beds, presented abstracts from hospital beds, won awards from a hospital bed," she said. She eventually earned a doctorate in molecular hematology and regenerative medicine at Augusta University's Medical College of Georgia. Bailey won multiple awards while in school, including the Fisher Scientific Award for Overall Excellence in Biomedical Research, and she coauthored several studies published in international scientific journals. "I think that knowledge, that sickle cell disease was always sort of waiting in the shadows, kept me running forward and pushing ahead." Founding the Sickle Cell Consortium In 2014, Bailey founded the Sickle Cell Consortium, a non-profit that advocates for patients and their families. For her it's personal -- her mother struggled for three years to get young Bailey a proper diagnosis. The organization helps families find the care they need, including mental health resources, and shares ways to avoid sickle cell crises. It also educates families on the latest treatments and clinical trials. "I had this rather ambitious goal of creating a mini-United Nations where all of the different sickle cell organizations and patient caregiver leaders could come together on a single level field and identify major needs and gaps." The group holds sickle cell "Warrior Conventions," national community gatherings organized by patients and caregivers. They hold workshops, hear from leaders and scientists and give out more than 100 scholarships, bonding over their shared challenges. In the US, the blood disease primarily affects people of African or Caribbean descent. Worldwide, it also shows up among people living in Greece, Italy and India. Today the only known cure is a bone marrow transplant. But the procedure has significant risks and patients need to find a matching donor, which is difficult. "The registry needs a greater number of Black and brown people willing to save the lives of other Black and brown people," said Bailey. Searching for a bone marrow donor Bailey is fighting her own personal battle to find a donor. She's had one match but it fell through. Sickle cell has impacted most of her organs. She's suffered multiple strokes and has required a complete hip replacement. There are good days and bad ones when she has a hard time catching her breath or talking. But the fatigue is the biggest problem. "You can learn to be in pain, but when you spend so much of your life absolutely exhausted and no amount of rest can capture or help you feel better -- it throws everything else off." Meantime, Bailey fights on, helping find a cure. She helps drug companies work on gene therapy. She's on the National Institutes of Health's Sickle Cell Disease Advisory Committee, and she is an executive member of the government's Cure Sickle Cell initiative created by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Sickle cell inflicts harm on many fronts. But this tough scientist is pushing back in so many ways-- and she's not alone. "In the next 5 to 10 years, we are working very hard to make sure that future generations do not have to live with this disease." EUGENE, Ore. -- The suspect in a 2019 Portland murder cause was caught in Eugene Friday. According to Portland Police, Thomas R. Osborn, 48, was shot and killed while seated in his vehicle in Portland. During the investigation, they were able to identify the suspect Tyreik D. Credit, 24. A warrant was obtained, and on Friday the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force located and arrested Credit in Eugene, police said. He was booked into the Lane County Jail on charges of murder in the second degree with a firearm, felon in possession of a firearm and tampering with a witness. Credit will be transported to Multnomah County and arraigned. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. To subscribe, click here. Already a subscriber? Click here. Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today Sun and clouds mixed. High 87F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Weather Alert ...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in Missouri... Missouri River at St. Charles. Missouri River at Washington. Missouri River at Hermann. Missouri River near Chamois. Missouri River at Jefferson City. River forecasts are based on observed precipitation and forecast precipitation for the next 24 hours. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Rainfall heavier than forecast could cause river levels to rise even higher than predicted. The National Weather Service will monitor this developing situation and issue follow up statements as conditions change. This product, along with additional weather and stream information, is available at https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=lsx. && ...The Flood Warning is now in effect until Sunday evening... The Flood Warning continues for the Missouri River at Jefferson City. * Until Sunday evening. * At 9:45 AM CDT Friday the stage was 25.9 feet. * Flood stage is 23.0 feet. * Moderate flooding is occurring and moderate flooding is forecast. * Recent Activity...The maximum river stage in the 24 hours ending at 9:45 AM CDT Friday was 26.1 feet. * Forecast...The river is expected to fall below flood stage early tomorrow afternoon and continue falling to 10.3 feet Wednesday morning. * Impact...At 26.0 feet, Pumping from a ditch in Hartsburg, MO begins. At this height...numerous county roads near McBaine... Easley...and Ashland are flooded. These include Coats Lane... Grocery Branch...Burr Oak...Old Plank...Cedar Tree...Jemerson Creek...Christian School...Claysville...and Soft Pit Hill Roads. && Fld Observed Forecasts (1 pm CDT) Location Stg Stg Day/Time Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Missouri River Jefferson Cit 23.0 25.9 Fri 9 am 23.2 19.6 15.9 12.1 MSG && A medical worker takes samples for COVID-19 testing at a makeshift center near Seoul Station, June 13. Yonhap New COVID-19 cases dipped below 500, Friday, as the country's vaccination campaign gained pace and the government prepared to announce a revised social distancing plan. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 482 new infections, including 456 local ones, raising the total caseload to 150,720. The past three days have seen case numbers in their 500s, although before that the country reported 452, 399 and 373 infections from Sunday to Tuesday. The country added one additional death Friday, raising the death toll to 1,997. The health authorities are set to announce a new four-tier social distancing plan Sunday, which will likely include eased restrictions on businesses. The current rules are set to expire July 4. Under the current five-tier scheme, the greater Seoul area, Daegu and Jeju Island are under the third-highest Level 2, while the rest of the nation is under the second-highest Level 1.5. A nationwide ban on private gatherings of five or more people remains in place. HELENA, Mont. - Montana Representatives and Senators voted against overriding Governor Greg Gianfortes vetos in all eight veto polls. Secretary of State Christi Jacobson sent a release Friday, showing the results of eight veto polls from the 67th Legislative Session. House Bills 158, 277, 397, 522, 688 and 691, along with Senate Bills 231 and 306, were vetoed by Gov. Gianforte. Because each bill was approved by two-thirds of the members voting on the final vote on the bill, Article VI, Section 10 of the Montana Constitution and 5-4-306, MCA, require the Secretary of State to poll the members of the Legislature. If two-thirds or more of the members of each house vote to override the veto, the bill becomes law, however, since each of the eight bills did not receive the number of votes required, the vetoes stand. You can view the results of the pools on the Secretary of States website here. BILLINGS - On June 19, 1865, Union Army Major General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas and shared the news, "all slaves are free." The day became known as Juneteenth and has since been celebrated annually. For some its just another day, but to others, like Robert Brown, its a day of true freedom. I did know a slave when I was a young kid that used to live here in Billings, Montana, and she told me she was 10 years old when she was finally free. So yeah, Juneteenth means a lot to me," Brown said. Billings was the first city in Montana to celebrate Juneteenth in 1993. Each year since, the Black Heritage Foundation has continued to honor the day with an event. The year 2017, our governor signed, stating that Montana would recognize Juneteenth day, and it just became officially a federal holiday. Yay," Brown said. With President Joe Biden signing a bill making Juneteenth officially a federal holiday on Thursday, it comes just in time for the Juneteenth celebration happening Saturday at South Park. Brown says theyre ready to celebrate with plenty of food and good people. Well be having cards and dominoes. Sit back and listen to music and just have a get together with everyone, get to meet new people thats in the community, he said. Brown says its also a chance to learn more about the holiday, as hell be speaking about the story behind Juneteenth. For those who dont know or understand why people celebrate Juneteenth, Brown asks one thing. Keep an open mind. As I stated, its not in your history books, but yet it is in your history books. You just have to find the right book and then youll understand why we think about Juneteenth day and how come it means so much to us, he said. The celebration will be taking place Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. at South Park. Brown says this isnt just a "Black" holiday. Its a day for everyone to celebrate and everyone is welcomed. Look in the mirror, what do you see? Two eyes, a nose and a mouth just like me. So come on down because were all the same. The color may be different, but I have two eyes, a nose and a mouth, so come on down and enjoy, Brown said. HELENA, Mont. - Governor Greg Gianforte announced on Friday the disbursement of over $4.9 million in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to 22 cities and towns across the state. These ARPA funds will provide 22 additional towns and cities with the authority to address their individual needs, from supporting those impacted by the pandemic to investing in their infrastructure needs, Gov. Gianforte said. As stated in a press release, cities and towns will receive the following funding amounts based on criteria outlined by the U.S. Department of Treasury: Anaconda-Deer Lodge County: $1,167,357.71 Bainville: $40,359.41 Broadus: $59,006.48 Flaxville: $8,557.22 Grass Range: $13,410.56 Hardin: $483,802.08 Hobson: $29,503.24 Judith Gap: $15,964.96 Lewistown: $740,901.76 Lodge Grass: $57,090.69 Medicine Lake: $28,481.48 Neihart: $6,258.26 Opheim: $10,600.73 Plevna: $18,774.79 Polson: $646,261.49 Ryegate: $29,886.40 Scobey: $127,336.50 Sheridan: $94,767.99 Sunburst: $42,402.93 Thompson Falls: $182,255.96 Valier: $62,071.76 Whitefish: $1,059,434.59 This funding announcement follows nearly $40 million announced since last week for 94 Montana cities and towns. More information about the program can be found here. MONTANA - Rep. Matt Rosendale released a statement via Twitter Wednesday on why he voted against the bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday. The following Rosendale's entire statement: "I voted against a bill that would make Juneteenth National Independence Day a federal holiday. One of 14 Republicans to do so. This legislation is the culmination of decades of efforts by the Left to prevent unashamed celebrations of our national story, heritage, and history. Their intent is to replace the Fourth of July with this new day, one that will inevitably focus on America's darkest moments. WORDEN, Mont. - The communities of Worden and Ballantine are asking the Yellowstone County Commissioners to help fund the rebuilding of their water and sewer infrastructure. Residents living in those areas have been forced to drink bottled water for two years due to an unsafe drinking supply. Montana's Department of Environmental Quality notified the Worden-Ballantine Yellowstone County Water and Sewer District (WBYC) in 2019 that they had high levels of nitrate and surface water contamination. The water district abandoned the water supply and have been building and funding a new water system. To complete their project, the WBYC has asked Yellowstone County for $9.4 million, which is 1/3 of the American Rescue Plan Act funds that the county was granted. "This is the only place in Yellowstone County, that I know of, where the people are and the school kids are off to drink bottled water. I don't know any other place that that is happening. We need that funding so we can get this system done the way it needs to be done," Gary Fredricks, the director for WBYC, said. Yellowstone County Commissions will be discussing funding the WBYC project. You can read the funding plea in full below: We will be following the county's decision, updating you on air and online. Walworth County has moved to Phase 4 of its phased reopening guidance for COVID-19. At Phase 4, businesses can operate at 100% capacity. Employees are recommended to continue to exercise universal precautions, including staying home when feeling ill and washing hands. According to CDC guidance, people who are not fully vaccinated are advised to continue wearing an appropriate face covering and practice physical distancing. With the move to Phase 4, Walworth County will retire the COVID-19 phased guidance. The CDC and Wisconsin Department of Health Services have several resources available for specific businesses, organizations and sectors that are regularly updated with the most recent scientific information and recommendations. These resources have been added to Walworth County Public Healths website. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Robby and Shannon Dygerts 13th-generation farm is a half-century older than the United States, but its latest marketing venture is very new. The couple began direct-marketing their milk earlier this year. That wasnt always their plan. In 2009, the young couple moved back to the farm which a hired hand of Robbys grandfather was renting while Robby was in college and started from scratch with 50 milk cows. The milking herd now numbers 245, mostly Holsteins, in addition to 220 young stock. The instability of the milk market prompted the Dygerts to start looking for new ways to sell their products. They wanted to diversify to give their children Dylan, 9, Olivia, 7, Tucker, 6, and Cassidy, 3 a chance to join the business in the future. So in 2015, the Dygerts began delivering fresh glass-bottled milk from a nearby dairy to local homes and businesses, with a goal of building their own processing plant some day. Work on that plant began in 2019, and it opened this spring. Dygert Farms Creamery milk can now be found in three dozen local stores, diners and coffee shops, with more customers coming online weekly. The home delivery service now offers milk, cheese, eggs and other products. Were trying to add as many local products as possible because people really want to know where their food is coming from, especially since COVID, Shannon said. Rich History, Richer Flavor The farm is nestled near the village of Palatine Bridge, Montgomery County, just a few miles north of the Mohawk River. The Dygert family received a royal grant of 50 acres in 1723 for providing pine tar for British ships. The original farmhouse is still standing, and Shannon hopes to open a small museum and shop for local goods in one of the barns. When the original Dygerts first settled there, the region was still part of colonial Americas frontier, inhabited by large numbers of Native Americans. The area provided the setting for James Fenimore Coopers novels such as The Deerslayer, and Cooperstown, named for the authors father, is now part of the Dygerts sales territory. At present, the creamery processes only 1,000 pounds of the 14,000 pounds of milk produced by the farms herd each week. The rest is marketed through National Farmers Organization. Our goal long term is to process a majority of our milk, Shannon said. Were learning and growing. It all takes time. We just have to get more accounts. Were hoping eventually to get into larger grocery stores. Most of the farms fluid milk is sold as whole milk with butterfat content of 4.1 to 4.2%, which is somewhat higher than the 3.25% whole milk found in grocery stores. Shannon Dygert said this rich, creamy flavor is extremely popular with customers, especially children who are used to drinking skim or low-fat milk in school. Robby Dygert grew up just down the road from the farm, which his grandfather owned at the time, and worked there before and after school and during summers. After graduating from Cornell University with a degree in animal science, he worked at several other dairies. But he wanted to run the family farm, so after he married Shannon, the couple moved to the farm and took over operations. The farm was here and we knew it was going to become available so we said, Why not try it? Shannon said. We both love animals, we love being outside, and we wanted to do it for ourselves. After the gang brawl between members of gangs inside Honduras' high-security prison, judicial authorities confirmed that at least 5 individuals were killed and 39 others, including guards, were injured on Thursday. Honduran Gang Brawl Based on authorities, the gang brawl happened inside the high-security prison facility which houses not less than 1,500 inmates. According to Reuters, the three-hour confrontation, started when members of the Barrio 18 gang entered a section that is only intended for members of the rival gang, Mara Salvatrucha 13, in the La Tolva prison east of Tegucigalpa. The brawl involved live ammunition and at least one grenade was thrown during the brutal incident. Moreover, prosecutor Sara Gomez shared during an interview that out of the 39 injured individuals recorded, 13 of them are currently under serious condition. Since the end of 2019, prisons in Honduras have been under the control of their military. The Honduran government tasked the country's military to secure the prisons as they were usually sites of frequent violence. The gang brawls were the results of disputes between members of the country's two largest street gangs and organized crime gangs. A hospital in the capital of Honduras mentioned it had admitted 15 wounded individuals from the prison. After the news, hundreds of distraught relatives of prisoners gathered at the hospital and outside the prison to gather information about the status of their loved ones, Times of India reported. Barrio 18 and MS-13 Based on the Honduran police, members of Barrio 18 and MS-13 control large areas on the outskirts of some cities in Honduras. Even rural areas were not safe because the gangs fight each other over territory for drug trafficking, weapons, auto theft, and other crimes. ALSO READ: Massive Sinkhole in Mexico Swallowed One House, Two Dogs Furthermore, in December 2019, 18 inmates also died during a gang dispute at a prison in Tela, a tourist city on the country's Atlantic coast. Three days after the dispute, authorities mentioned that another 19 people were killed during gang brawls at the El Porvenir prison, which is located 50 miles east of Tegucigalpa, The Sun reported. But before the 2019 bloodshed, weeks prior, there had been a wave of violence inside Honduras' overcrowded prisons. The Observatory of Violence of the National Autonomous University of Honduras had recorded a total of 27 killings on three separate occasions. Multiple deaths inside prisons were witnessed in 2019 by the Honduran government. After the brawl in 2019, the government immediately declared a state of emergency in the prison system, which prompted the government to transfer the facility control to the security forces. There at least 25 overcrowded prisons in Honduras which house more than 22,000 inmates. Aside from not having enough space, human rights organizations have criticized the lack of food, unsanitary conditions, and corruption inside the high-security prisons. The Communications Director for the prison system, Digna Aguilar, shared during the 2019 incidents that they were securing that everything will be recorded. Meanwhile, prisoners inside the detention center were reportedly having a meal when several inmates attacked fellow detainees. The move sparked the 2019 gang brawls. Also, Security spokesman Lieutenant Antonio Coello stated that the prisoners who were dead and wounded were attacked with bullets and sharp weapons. There have been shootouts inside Honduran prisons. RELATED ARTICLE: Pedro Castillo Claims Victory Before Official Announcement in Peru Presidential Election; Keiko Fujimori to Challenge Vote Results WATCH: How Gangs Control Honduras -from VICE News President Joe Biden has listed 16 key infrastructure entities that are off-limits to Russian cyberattacks, and he gave it to Russian President Vladimir Putin during their Geneva summit. However, this was criticized by national security experts and senior Republicans as a "green light" to target everything not on that list without facing serious repercussions, according to a Fox News report. Joe Biden earlier said the list of 16 critical infrastructure entities includes the U.S. energy sector and water systems. The list prompted some experts and members of Congress to question whether everything that is not on the list is, therefore, clear for attacks. Senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, Rebecca Heinrichs, told Fox News that the list was like telling Russia what is most valuable to the country and that they can attack other entities without serious consequence. Heinrichs noted that the U.S. should be complicating Russia's calculations and not making them simpler, especially green-lighting any kinds of cyberattacks. Some Republicans have also echoed the same criticisms on Biden's "off-limits" list. Sen. Ron Johnson also told Fox News that Biden's demand for Russia to cease cyberattacks on only 16 key sectors was bizarre. Johnson noted that Joe Biden's limited demand on cyberattacks could signal weakness to U.S. adversaries that they will notice and take advantage of. Rep. Elise Stefanik also said that Biden's summit with Vladimir Putin confirmed their worst fear, and that is he is too weak to stand up against foreign adversaries. Sen. Ted Cruz noted that Biden could not help signaling weakness, even by accident. The Texas senator added that all U.S. infrastructure should be off-limits from Russian-backed cyberattacks and not just certain critical infrastructure. A U.S. News report stated that Russia expert in the London-based Chatham House think tank, Keir Giles, said there is no indication at all that Vladimir Putin went along with the said agreement. READ NEXT: Donald Trump Asks Joe Biden to Pass a Message to Old Friend Vladimir Putin Whom He Says He Trusts More Than U.S. Intelligence Cyberattack Repercussions Forbes reported that Joe Biden warned Vladimir Putin that the U.S. would respond with all of its cyber capabilities if Russia carries out hacks. However, he did not elaborate on what exactly would be the possible response. Biden earlier told reporters that he was looking closely at retaliating against Russia for an attack on the food processor JBS and considered carrying out offensive cyber operations against Russia. However, the Russian government maintained its stance that it did not sponsor any cyberattacks. Vladimir Putin claimed that most hacks originate in the U.S. and Western allies like the United Kingdom and Canada, not Russia. Joe Biden said noted that he and Putin agreed to task experts from both countries to work on specific understandings about what is off-limits. The president said they need to determine whether they have a cybersecurity arrangement that would spark to bring some order. A senior administration official cleared that the proposal was focused on "destructive" hacks as opposed to the usual digital espionage operations carried out by intelligence agencies around the world, U.S. News reported. Vladimir Putin said that they need to throw out all kinds of accusations and sit down at the expert level while working on the interests of the U.S. and Russia. Cyberattacks Against U.S. Officials said the effect of ransomware attacks had grown ever since Joe Biden had taken office, NBC News reported. Experts cited the Colonial Pipeline attack last month, causing gasoline shortages, as well as a strike against JBS, which threatened a quarter of America's meat processing capacity. Anne Neuberger, the deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology, said the federal government is working with countries worldwide to hold ransomware attackers accountable. Neuberger added that the private sector has a key responsibility in this matter. READ MORE: Romney Warns Next Cyberattack Could Disrupt U.S. Food and Water Supply WATCH: Biden Warns Russia Over Cyberattacks, Says Putin Doesn't Want Cold War - From Guardian News After a road rage shooting that took the life of 6-year-old boy Aiden Leos in Southern California last month, the couple who was allegedly involved pleaded not guilty in court on Friday, June 18. The suspects, identified as Marcus Anthony Eriz and his girlfriend Wynne Lee, appeared in the Orange County Superior Court virtually. Eriz pleaded not guilty to the charges of murder and shooting at an occupied vehicle that resulted in the death of Aiden Leos. On the other hand, Lee claimed that she was not guilty of the accessory charge and illegally carrying a concealed firearm. Judge Revokes Bail for Marcus Anthony Eriz According to ABC News, Judge Larry Yellin said that 24-year-old Eriz's behavior after the road rage incident made him a "complete danger to the community." Thus, he ordered that Eriz remains in jail without bail. Eriz's 23-year-old girlfriend was being held on a $500,000 bond. Lee is set to face the court again for another bail hearing on June 25 following a background evaluation that would look over where she will live and work after posting bail. The California couple are scheduled for preliminary hearings on August 27. READ NEXT: 16 Migrants Arrested After Boat Crashes Into Florida Seawall During Police Chase What Happened in the Shooting That Killed Aiden Leos? Last May 21, the 6-year-old boy was killed by gunfire while at the back of his mother's car during a ride on his way to kindergarten, Fox News reported. Prosecutors noted that Leos' mother, Joanna Cloonan, was driving on the 55 Freeway in Orange County when the California couple cut her off. Prosecutors said that Cloonan allegedly put up her middle finger at the suspects after being cut off. Afterwhich, the mother heard a loud bang and her son's "Ow." At that point, she looked back at her son and saw that he was bleeding from his chest. Aiden Leos was then rushed to a local hospital, where he died. According to a court motion written by Whitney Bokosky, a prosecutor of Orange County, Eriz admitted that he was enraged after being flipped off by Cloonan. When he was arrested on June 6, Eriz told investigators that it was the reason why he grabbed his Glock 17 9mm and fired shots. Eriz further noted that he did not know that Leos died until a week after a co-worker told him that authorities were seeking a vehicle resembling his car due to the boy's death. Suspect Involved in Another Road Rage Incident Meanwhile, Marcus Anthony Eriz reportedly got into another incident of road rage just a week after the death of Leos. Prosecutors said he allegedly flashed a gun to a man who drove a Tesla vehicle, The New York Post reported. Authorities reportedly found several firearms in Eriz's possession, including the Glock 17 9mm allegedly used in shooting Leos. Aiden Leos' death gained national attention, and the reward for the suspect who shot him during the road rage incident reached $500,0000. READ MORE: Abandoned Baby Found in Trashcan in Los Angeles Public Park Restroom WATCH: Suspects Charged in Road Rage Shooting Death of Aiden Leos Plead Not Guilty; Man Held Without Bail - From KTLA 5 Stanislaus County District Attorney Birgit Fladager said that their position on Scott Peterson's murder case is that he is not eligible to be on death row and is only right to set the formal sentencing. According to a Modesto Bee report, Fladager made the statement during a hearing for Peterson in San Mateo Superior Court on Friday, June 18. Prosecutors also said that Scott Peterson should be sentenced so that the family of his wife, Laci Peterson, could make victim impact statements, and the defendant could be taken off death row. Last year, the California Supreme Court had overturned Peterson's death sentence in the 2002 murders of his wife Laci and their unborn son Conner. Chief Deputy District Attorney Dave Harris initially said that the office would retry the penalty phase. However, Fladager filed a notice in late May saying that she will no longer be pursuing the death penalty. Scott Peterson would be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole based on his 2004 murder conviction. RELATED ARTICLE: Scott Peterson Is off Death Row and Laci Peterson's Family Is Devastated Scott Peterson Is Off Death Row Early this month, California prosecutors said they would not be seeking a death penalty against Scott Peterson even if he is granted a new trial based on juror misconduct, according to ABC News. But Superior Court Judge Anne-Christine Massullo noted that even that declaration would not be enough to completely take a death sentence off the table. Massullo said that laws change, as well as district attorneys. She noted that she wanted to make sure that everything they do is right. Massullo is reviewing when to resentence Peterson to life without parole after Fladager said in a court filing that she would not seek to retry the case's death penalty portion after the state Supreme Court overturned it. The judge is also considering if Scott Peterson should get an entirely new trial due to juror misconduct. Pat Harris, one of Peterson's defense attorneys, said that prosecutors could seek the death penalty if they retry the entire case as a new trial would send it right back to square one. The judge's consideration is based on a juror's failure to disclose that she had sought a restraining order against her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend in 2000. The juror reportedly committed "prejudicial misconduct" by failing to disclose that she had been involved in prior legal proceedings. The juror earlier said that she sought a restraining order as she feared for her unborn child. Massullo has yet to decide if that amounted to juror misconduct and whether it was prejudicial that a new trial is warranted. Scott Peterson's Murder Case Laci Peterson was eight months pregnant with their unborn child when she was reported missing on Dec. 24, 2002. Scott Peterson caught the attention of investigators as he seemed to be lacking concern over his wife's disappearance. He had also refused to take a polygraph test, according to a Biography report. Amber Frey, a massage therapist, came forward and admitted that she started dating Peterson two months earlier. She said that she was not aware that Peterson was married. Frey contacted the police on Dec. 30, 2002 after connecting Peterson to the missing woman in the headlines. Four months after Laci Peterson went missing, locals found two decomposed bodies washed ashore in the San Francisco Bay. On Apr. 18, 2003, Scott Peterson was arrested, and the bodies that the authorities found were identified as Laci and Conner. When he was arrested in La Jolla, California, Peterson was sporting a dyed-blond hairdo and goatee. He was also driving a car with around $15,000 in cash, with his brother's ID card and several cellphones. READ MORE: California Supreme Court Overturns Scott Peterson's Death Sentence WATCH: Scott Peterson's Death Penalty Conviction Overturned in Laci Peterson Murder Case - From ABC7 The business of Sinaloa Cartel continues to thrive despite the arrest of its boss, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, according to a report citing official U.S. data, security analysts, and some of his own lawyers. According to Business Insider, official figures showed that the influx of drugs into the U.S. and the violence in Mexico continued to worsen even after El Chapo's arrest. El Chapo is serving a life sentence in prison after being found guilty of all 10 federal charges he faced. The Sinaloa Cartel boss is currently being held in a U.S. "supermax" prison since 2017. U.S. authorities, at the time of his arrest, said that El Chapo's apprehension was a significant victory and milestone when it comes to their efforts against drug trafficking and violence. READ NEXT: Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman Mansions, Aztec Stadium Luxury Box Among Raffle Prizes up for Sale: Mexico Government Influx of Drugs in the U.S. Despite El Chapo's Arrest When El Chapo was behind bars in Mexico in 2016, a total of more than 5,000 pounds of cocaine were busted at the border in that fiscal year. When the Sinaloa Cartel boss was extradited to the U.S. the following year, it further increased to over 9,000 pounds, data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) showed. Cocaine seizures in the U.S. totaled 58,006 pounds last year, and as of April this year, 62,324 pounds were confiscated. Meth seizures in the U.S. numbered 117,600 pounds in 2020, a big jump to 29,000 pounds of meth recovered in 2015, while El Chapo was still on the loose. According to a Drug Abuse website, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) focuses on trafficking from Mexican drug cartels since they do not only control a large share of the drug smuggling into the U.S., but they are also responsible for much of the drug distribution in the country. Some law enforcement officials believed that Mexican drug cartels are seizing the opportunity of the current situation at the U.S.-Mexico border. U.S. Border Patrol agent Joel Freeland said they are seeing Mexican drug cartels exploiting the current influx of unaccompanied children and single adults, who are bringing hard drugs, CBS News reported. Freeland said that human smuggling is enabling traffickers to move a huge number of drugs, including 59 pounds of fentanyl that were confiscated by Texas law enforcement in the past six months. Fentanyl seizures have peaked 800 percent in Texas in a year, and the drugs are causing an unparalleled epidemic in the U.S. The Arrest of Leaders of Sinaloa Cartel and Other Mexican Drug Cartels A senior analyst in Mexico for the International Crisis Group, Falko Ernst, said that seeing the arrest or killing of cartel leaders like El Chapo as a way to destroy the cartels is misleading and leads to bad policies. Ernst noted that El Chapo's arrest is an illusion if one believes that you can behead a criminal group and dismantle its operations with his apprehension, Business Insider reported. The senior analyst added that the Sinaloa Cartel boss' arrest did not solve anything. Meanwhile, one of El Chapo's lawyers in the U.S., Michael Schneider, told Insider that the Sinaloa Cartel boss' case was very much linked to politics. The lawyer noted that "it was basically all politics." The Sinaloa cartel is one of the most powerful drug trafficking groups in the world. According to Britannica, the Mexican drug cartel was involved in the 1985 torture and murder of a U.S. drug enforcement in 1985. Recently, El Chapo's wife, Emma Coronel Aispuro, pleaded guilty to a range of charges, including conspiracy to distribute illegal drugs. BBC News reported that she could face life in prison and be fined up to $10 million. Jeffrey Lichtman, the lawyer of Emma Coronel Aispuro who struck a plea deal with federal prosecutors, said that she's happy to put this behind her. READ MORE: El Chapo's Wife Emma Coronel Aispuro to Plead Guilty to Helping Him Run Notorious Sinaloa Cartel WATCH: Mexico's Cartels Are Deadlier Than Ever Despite the Pandemic - From Vice News The organisers of the Electric Picnic are running a pilot rock festival attended by thousands near Liverpool which is an official pilot event for British health authorities trying to find ways to get life back to normal. Festival Republic is the promotion company behind the Download festive and the EP in Stradbally. Bullet For My Valentine, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes and Enter Shikari are headling the event which is being attended by 10,000 people instead of the usual 100,000. All those attending have been tested with a PCR test and a lateral flow test for Covid-19. MORE BELOW TWEET. Absolute SCENES as @therattlesnakes closed The Main Stage last night at Download Pilot. It felt SO good to be back in the pit! #DownloadPilot pic.twitter.com/KaML5k0w02 June 19, 2021 Organisers say that moshing is allowed for the event, which runs until Sunday (June 20). Melvin Benn is MD of Festival Republic. This massive next step will help us understand and study the safe return of large-scale festivals with no social distancing or face masks over a full weekend, said event organiser Mr Benn. more below link He was helped run pilot events in Liverpool over the May Bank Holiday weekend. Mr Benn told the NME in April that it would be an incredibly historic gig and an essential for live music this summer. This will be the first gig in the Northern hemisphere where its a proper show, with 5,000 people not socially distanced, not having to wear masks, with bars and food stalls in the arena, and it will feel like a mini version of a festival. The punters will just be able to behave as though COVID had never happened. The whole world will be looking at it. You know how many gigs Ive been involved in, but this is the most historic. Im just so excited by it, he said. MORE BELOW LINK People entered with a QR code confirming their ticket after passing a Covid-19 test. Masks were not required after people were passed by security. "You can take your mask off and pretend that COVID never happened. Just sing, dance, mosh, have a laugh, enjoy the bands and have the most historic night that youll ever be involved in, said Mr Benn. Festival Republic has applied through EP Republic to Laois County Council for a licence to hold this year's event in Stradbally at the end of September. Permission for a 70,000 capacity has been sought. The council has been told that a draft Covid-19 plan exists for the Electric Picnic and will be submitted with the application once agreed with health authorities. NPHET has been advised to take a cautious approach to mass gatherings like the Picnic in Ireland. Oscar was one of the first dogs to be adopted from the KWWSPCA Animal Shelter in Athgarvan after it opened over seven years ago. His owner, Magda, was also one of the first volunteers who helped at the shelter and she fell in love with Oscar as soon as he came into the care of the KWWSPCA. Soon after she adopted him. He used to accompany her to the shelter and help with the cleaning and general duties during the day. He came to visit us last week with Magdas mother, who kindly brought a very nice donation for Noahs Ark. We think Oscar must be about 16 or 17 now and certainly likes his home comforts and cuddles. Dublin Port During a recent routine check, customs staff at Dublin Port stopped and checked a van. They found three frightened Lurcher puppies hidden away. They had no paperwork, were not microchipped and were in poor health. They are now in the excellent care of the Veterinary Unit at the DSPCA. New legislation introduced last week in the UK could have a major impact on puppy smuggling through Irish ports, which is welcome news. The new Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill will improve welfare standards through a wide range of measures for pets, farmed and kept wild animals, including through a ban on keeping primates as pets. RSPCA Chief Executive Chris Sherwood said this bill marks a crucial milestone in animal welfare. We are also thrilled to see measures to crack down on the import of puppies a cruel trade which has boomed during lockdown where criminals get rich selling sick and dying puppies to unsuspecting families, he said. ABOUT US The KWWSPCA is a Registered Charity which investigates and deals with reports of cruelty and neglect to animals, family pets, wild animals and birds, horses and ponies. Helpline: 087 1279835; Email: kwwspca@gmail.com; www.kwwspca.ie. The Chief Medical Officers in Ireland and Northern Ireland, Dr Tony Holohan and Sir Michael McBride have today discussed the evolving profile of COVID-19 across the island. Following the meeting, the Chief Medical Officers reminded people who are intending to travel across the Border over the coming days to be alert to the epidemiological situation in the relevant local areas and to ensure that they avoid activities which could place them or their families at risk of COVID-19 infection. In particular, the CMOs highlighted their growing concern with regard to the Delta variant and advised that everyone should remain careful and continue to follow the public health advice. Now is a time for continued caution in order to maintain the progress made to date in each jurisdiction, until more people are fully vaccinated. People who are not yet protected through vaccination should remain extra vigilant, avoid crowds or large events, meet up with others outdoors where possible and come forward for testing if they develop any symptoms of COVID-19. The Department of Health has been notified of 393 new cases of Covid-19. The number of patients with Covid-19 in intensive care units is down one to 14, while there are 48 patients with Covid-19 in hospital, up from 44 last night. The department said daily case numbers may change due to future data review, validation and update. Meanwhile the Taoiseach has said Ireland is on target to introduce the EU Digital Covid Certificate from 19 July. The new European-wide system, which will come into operation in a number of countries from 1 July, is designed to enable people to travel across the bloc. Speaking in Cork, Micheal Martin said while 19 July is a number of weeks away, Ireland is "certainly on target to be a part of the EU framework in terms of the Digital Covid Certificate, which I think is an important milestone". However, the HSE is not expecting the vaccination programme to move into the 20-29 cohort until late August, as it moves to a reliance on just two brands of vaccine. Speaking to RTEs Brendan OConnor this morning, Dr Colm Henry, HSE Chief Clinical Officer (COO), said it is expected that the majority of people over 40 who are registered for a vaccine will get their first doses over the next two weeks. He said there are around 700,000 people aged 30-39 in Ireland and the HSE is expecting a strong uptake in that age group. From tomorrow, those aged 35-39 will be able to register. Most people in this group will receive their first dose in July or at the latest early August, Dr Henry said. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider subscribing to our ePaper and/or free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. A primary school in the midlands is dealing with a suspected case of the Delta variant of Covid-19, the Irish Examiner has reported this morning. It is understood parents at a county Offaly school have been contacted and that children using a bus service to the school in the north of the county are deemed close contacts. Contact tracing will continue over the weekend. HSE Chief Executive Paul Reid said that cases of the Delta variant, which is more likely to cause serious illness and is more transmissable, are dealt with through an enhanced tracing system. Ireland has reported around 200 cases of the Delta variant which is becoming the dominant strain of Covid-19 in the UK, resulting in the delayed lifting of the last of public health restrictions there. According to the National Virus Reference Laboratory yesterday, there are 139 confirmed cases of the Delta variant in Ireland, up from 126 last week. The majority of these cases are located in Dublin. CROOM GAA has secured a new sponsorship deal with a locally-based company which will run for the next three years. The three-year deal we have just signed with Croom Precision Medical is absolutely fantastic news for Croom GAA the clubs assistant treasurer Mickey Cahill told the Limerick Leader. The club, he said, had made major investments in facilities over the past few years. Its a testament to the confidence we have in our underage, minor and senior teams here. With Croom Precision Medical now backing us, we hope to build on these advanced training facilities which will bring success to the club in the near future, Mr Cahill said. Under the terms of the new deal, Croom Precision Medical has pledged an initial investment in the new club gym facility and in jersey sets. In recognising the emerging talent within their local community, Croom Precision Medical aims to support Croom GAA in eventually reaching the pinnacle of the ultra-competitive Limerick hurling scene, the companys CEO, Patrick Byrnes said, pointing out the company had a long history of partnership with the local club. A little over a year ago, we experienced significant demand in the manufacture of medical devices, Mr Byrnes added. The company had to take on new staff members over a short period of time in order to meet this growth in demand, he explained, and many of the new staff play with Croom GAA. We are incredibly thankful for this, where its great to be able to return the favour by becoming the main sponsor of a very promising and hungry team, he said. The company designs and manufactures components for the medical device industry. GERMAN retailer Aldi has announced an extension of its new click-and-collect service to all of its stores in Limerick city. Following a successful trial at its stores in Castletroy, the company will now offer the service to customers attending its Childers Road store. Customers choose timeslots to arrive at dedicated click-and-collect points in store car parks having ordered their grocery shopping online. Upon arrival, the shopping is brought to customers cars contact-free, in support of current social distancing rules. Commenting on the expansion of the service, Colin Breslin, regional managing director with Aldi Ireland, said: Our new click-and-collect service has launched successfully in Castletroy and following very positive customer feedback, were now rolling it out to our Childers Road store. We are continuously looking at new ways we can improve customer experience with Aldi, and were really thrilled to offer even more ways for our customers to access high-quality, affordable food. For further details on the service, click here. In addition to the click-and-collect service, Aldi also offers a rapid delivery service across stores in Limerick city in partnership with Deliveroo. THE University of Limerick and the Department of Justice have launched a research report aimed at developing effective relationships between youth justice workers and young people. Minister of State at the Department of Justice James Browne officially launched the report, which was authored by independent consultants Deirdre Fullerton and Dr John Bamber as well as Dr Sean Redmond, the principal investigator for the Research Evidence into Policy, Programmes and Practice. REPPP is a collaboration between the School of Law at University of Limerick and the Department of Justice aimed at improving the evidence base for youth crime policymaking. Speaking at the launch of the report at UL, Minister Browne said: In simple terms, the purpose of youth justice policy is to discourage young people from antisocial behaviour and provide practical support and guidance to encourage pro-social behaviour. Achieving these two objectives would make a significant contribution to community safety and reduce reliance on the formal criminal justice system." Dr Sean Redmond, UL School of Law Adjunct Professor in Youth Justice, said the report fills a clear gap in research evidence about what constitutes an effective relationship. The central message from this evidence synthesis is that establishing appropriate levels of trust between worker and young person increases the chances of active engagement, involving cycles of learning, testing and growth, said Dr Redmond. The core skills involved in developing effective working relationships with young people include active listening, taking the time to get to know the young person, empathetic responding, advising, guiding, modelling pro-social behaviours and challenging ideas and behaviours in a non-threatening or judgemental manner," he added. The REPPP project was originally conceived to improve the evidence base for decision making in the youth crime policy area. It produced the ground-breaking Greentown Project, which provided the first scientific evidence of the effects of crime networks in Ireland. During his visit to Limerick, Minister Browne also visited Henry Street garda station where he was briefed by gardai on various community initiatives being undertaken in Limerick city. He also visited the Moyross Garda Youth Diversion Project to hear first-hand about the valuable interventions undertaken by the Project, such as the successful initiative on scramblers and the equine education and therapeutic programme. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to chair an all-party meet with leaders of Jammu and Kashmir next week, sources said, according to a news agency ANI. This will be the first such political engagement by the central government after the Centre abrogated Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and also bifurcated the erstwhile state into two union territories - Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in August 2019. This comes after Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha held a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in the national capital. The agenda of the meeting between Sinha and Shah was developmental issues and the current situation of the Union Territory, the official sources had said. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019 was notified by the government on August 9, 2019, paved the way for the creation of two Union Territories - Jammu and Kashmir, which will have a legislature and Ladakh, without it. The Act provides that the number of seats in the legislative assembly of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir shall be increased from 107 to 114, and delimitation of the constituencies will be determined by the Election Commission. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday reviewed the ongoing developmental projects in Jammu and Kashmir and directed the authorities to make sure that refugees from Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) and West Pakistan get the benefits of the refugee package as soon as possible. "Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed developmental works in Jammu and Kashmir. In the meet, Shah asked the authorities to ensure refugees from Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) and West Pakistan get benefits of refugee package as soon as possible," said an official release from the Ministry. "The Minister also stressed on the expeditious completion of flagship and iconic projects and industrial development projects," it added. During the meeting, the Minister also congratulated Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for completing 76 per cent of Covid-19 vaccination target in the region and 100 per cent in four districts of the UT. He said that all-round development and welfare of Jammu and Kashmir are the top priorities of the Central government. Furthermore, Amit Shah also directed the authorities to strengthen the Panchayati Raj and Urban Local Bodies Institutions by ensuring proper seating arrangement, equipment and other necessary resources for the training of their members and for their smooth functioning. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. This grave in France was reopened during the early Middle Ages. Items were removed, and archaeologists are trying to figure out why. People living across Europe around 1,400 years ago had a habit of reopening graves and taking out objects for reasons that archaeologists are trying to understand, according to a new study. "The practice of reopening and manipulating graves soon after burial, traditionally described and dismissed as 'robbing,' is documented at cemeteries from Transylvania to southern England," a team of researchers wrote in a paper published June 18 in the journal Antiquity . In their study, the researchers reanalyzed previously excavated cemeteries from five regions of Europe. They found that between roughly the sixth and eight centuries A.D., people frequently opened graves and took out objects for reasons that don't seem linked to grave robbery. Related: The 25 most mysterious archaeological finds on Earth "They made a careful selection of possessions to remove, especially taking brooches from women and swords from men, but they left behind lots of valuables, even precious metal objects, including necklace pendants of gold or silver ," lead study authorAlison Klevnas, a researcher at Stockholm University, said in a statement. A closeup of a grave in France that was reopened during the early Middle Ages. Reopened graves have been documented from England to Transylvania. (Image credit: Eveha-Etudes et valorisations archeologiques & Antiquity Publications Ltd.) The researchers also found that many of the items removed from the graves were in poor condition, particularly the swords, and would have had no practical use or economic value, the researchers said. "Results show burials most commonly being reopened within about a generation of interment, and sometimes less," the team wrote. "The most frequent time frame for reopening was after soft tissue decay, but before any wooden container had collapsed or become filled with sediment." Since it takes just a few years for bodies to rot in most conditions, "those graves were opened very soon after burial," Klevnas told Live Science in an email. Why people removed items from the graves is unknown, but the archaeologists believe the motivations probably varied from place to place. "Grave reopening became part of a repertoire of possible engagements with mortuary remains over a wide geographic area, but motivations were probably driven as much by local concerns as by broadly shared understandings of death and its rites," the team wrote. The fact that swords and brooches were often taken suggests some kind of symbolic motivation. "Swords and brooches are some of the most symbolically laden objects in the graves," Klevnas told Live Science in an email. "These were given as gifts and passed on as heirlooms; they're objects used to link people, including across generations. They bring stories and memories. So it's likely that they are retrieved for these reasons." The practice of reopening graves did not last long. "The reopening custom spread over western Europe from the later sixth century and reached a peak in the seventh century," study co-author Astrid Noterman, a postdoctoral researcher at Stockholm University, said in the statement. "In most areas, it peters out in the later seventh century." Scholars react Live Science contacted several scholars who were not affiliated with the research to get their reactions to the findings. "I think it's going to be very difficult to say exactly why people removed 'grave goods,'" Yves Gleize, an archaeologist with the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research in France, said in an email. One concern Gleize expressed was that the study researchers attempted to determine when objects were removed by estimating the corresponding stage of decomposition of the body inside that particular grave. This is problematic because bodies and coffins can last for longer or shorter periods of time depending on the environment. "The conservation of an empty space in the grave depends [on] many parameters," Gleize said, noting that if the conditions were right, a human body could be preserved for centuries. Heinrich Harke, an archaeology professor at Eberhard Karls University Tubingen in Germany, said that while some of the "discoveries" have been reported previously in journals or books, the authors of the new paper are the first to bring all of these finds together. "What is new in this article and that deserves to be emphasized and given due recognition is the coherent attempt to pull the western and central European evidence on 'grave opening' together, present it as a European-wide phenomenon of the 6th/7th centuries A.D., and offer some possible interpretations," Harke said in an email. "I think these are really exciting findings," said Emma Brownlee, a research fellow in the University of Cambridge Department of Archaeology. "One of the things that strikes me is the fact that reopening is happening in a very similar way in places as far apart as Kent [England] and Transylvania, suggesting that there was a shared understanding of how to interact with the dead that transcended other cultural boundaries. We're only just starting to appreciate how interconnected the early medieval world was, and research like this is enormously helpful." Originally published on Live Science. Click here to read the full article. On Saturday evening, after a week of onsite and virtual screenings, conferences, masterclasses and panels, the Annecy Animation Festival announced the winners of its major prizes, joining the already announced Special Prizes from the night before. Jonas Poher Rasmussens Flee continued its winning form from the previous evening it won best original music from a feature taking both the Cristal for a Feature Film, the festivals top prize, and the Gan Foundation Award for distribution. A World Cinema Grand Jury Award-winner at Sundance and best Nordic documentary winner at Goteborg, Flee was described by Varietys Peter Debruge as a sophisticated refugee story. Flee is the true story of Amin, about to get married, who decides to share his hidden past, a secret he has been hiding for over 20 years which threatens to ruin the life he has built since. In the film Amin tells the story of his dramatic journey as a child refugee from Afghanistan to Denmark. This years Jury Award went to the debut feature of Oscar-nominated and former Annecy Cristal winning director Michaela Pavlatovas My Sunny Maad. A Czech-France co-production, the film turns on a young Czech woman who assimilates to life in post-Taliban Afghanistan after falling in love and marrying an Afghan man. A late addition to this years main competition, Florence Miailhes The Crossing, the first animated feature oil painted entirely on glass, follows siblings Kyona and Adriel as they flee from a non-specific Eastern European country. Rarely does a theme so obviously stand out in a festivals selection as that of immigration did at this years Annecy, and in fact all of the main competition prize-winners turned on the extremely urgent subject. From the festivals Contrechamp competition, dedicated to emerging talent from around the world and films that lie outside the mainstream, Bob Spit We Do Not Like People lived up to its hyped billing after presenting as a project at Annecy, eventually representing the festival at Annecy Goes to Cannes in 2019. Based on the legendary comic series of the same name, the claymation feature follows its titular character through an apocalyptic desert within the mind of its creator, Brazilian cartoonist Angeli. Similarly delivering on previous Annecy participation buzz, the Contrechamp Jury Distinction went to Felix Dufour-Laperrieres Archipelago, another alumni of the Annecy Goes to Cannes class of 2019. A mindscape documentary giving a sense of place to Quebec and the St. Lawrence Islands, the film is structured via a voiceover dialog between a young woman and man. At last years MIFA, it won a Crilic Prize for best feature film pitch. Samuel Patthey and Silvain Monneys Peel took home a Cristal of its own as this years best short film in competition. Using B & W pencil-drawn vignettes, the filmmakers examine the daily grind at a nursing home in Fribourg, Switzerland. A meticulous real-life soundtrack endows the film with added authenticity. Finished just before COVID-19. I feel these people are isolated enough even without a pandemic, Patthey told Variety in an interview. Nicolas Keppens 2D-animated Easter Eggs won the Jury Award for a short. In the film, two young men at a Chinese restaurant notice a nearby exotic bird cage has been left open, and decide to turn the negligence into a business opportunity by selling the animal. The Jury also handed out a special distinction for direction to Annecy royalty and Affairs of the Art director Joanna Quinn. 24 years after sweeping the Special Jury, Ufoleis and Mellow Manor awards at Annecy 1987, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker was back with her iconic lead character Beryl in a new story of aging, body image, sisterly love and fond memories. Having impressed at SXSW, Melanie Robert-Tourneurs Hold Me Tight scored the 2021 Jean-Luc Xiberras Award for a first film. In the six-minute short, two elfin silhouettes meet in an enchanted-looking forest and engage in a colorful carnal romance. From the TV and commissioned films section, Guillaume Lorins French-Swiss co-production Vanille upset some major studio fare when it won the Cristal as this years top TV production. The 30-minute program follows its titular Parisian protagonist as she arrives on a holiday in Guadeloupe and is immersed in adventure with the local people and ecosystem. Japan Sinks: 2020 episode The Beginning of the End was the jurys favorite TV series, turning on a family pushed to the brink when a series of massive earthquakes hits Japan. The show is adapted from an eponymous award-winning 1973 novel. Hugo de Faucomprets Mum Is Pouring Rain, about a girl who spends the Christmas holiday with her grandma while her mother seeks help for her depression, was the jurys favorite TV special. Among the first international European festivals to return to an in-person format, at least partly, the way this years event unspooled was a miracle, Mickael Marin, CEO at Citia, the organization which runs the festival, explained to Variety as the fest wound down. And the numbers back that up. In 2019, Annecy hosted a record 12,000 people, and those in charge were debating how big they should let the festival get. In 2020, a global pandemic took that choice out of their hands, but this year, with COVID-19 restrictions loosened, 4,000 on-site attendees were present. Those lucky few were matched by online visitors, meaning 8,000 people officially participated in this years event. 61 countries had representatives on the ground, with 96 represented online. Staggering figures, all things considered. We were lucky that the French president opened things up at the beginning of June to 65% capacity for theaters and that restaurants could open their dining rooms, Marin explained with relief, pointing out that the atmosphere on site was more than they could have hoped for just with stricter restrictions. We had such a fantastic audience. You can imagine what it was like in the theaters this week. So many films received standing ovations, he gushed, noting attendees excitement not only for the films they were seeing, but to be part of a communal viewing process again. He also pointed out that only one Work in Progress screening all week didnt completely sell out, and that was an early-morning projection which still filled 95% of the allotted seats in the theater. On Thursday evening, Annecy announced its first batch of winners from its Special Prizes selection, featuring several sponsored awards, prizes selected by special juries and a group of long-standing honors such as the City of Annecy (Clara with a Mustache), the Andre-Martin Award for a French Feature (Maronas Fantastic Tale) and Fipresci (The Shamans Apprentice) prizes. 2021 ANNECY INTL. ANIMATION FILM FESTIVAL OFFICIAL SELECTION WINNERS FEATURE FILMS CRISTAL FOR A FEATURE FILM Flee (Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Denmark, France, Norway, Sweden) JURY AWARD My Sunny Maad (Michaela Pavlatova, Czech Republic, France, Slovakia) JURY DISTINCTION The Crossing (Florence Miailhe, Germany, France, Czech Republic) CONTRECHAMP AWARD Bob Spit We Do Not Like People (Cesar Cabral, Brazil) CONTRECHAMP JURY DISTINCTION Archipelago (Felix Dufour-Laperriere, Canada) SHORT FILMS CRISTAL FOR A SHORT FILM Peel (Samuel Patthey, Silvain Monney, Switzerland) JURY AWARD Easter Eggs (Nicolas Keppens, Belgium, France, Neterlands) JURY DISTINCTION (TIED) Affairs of the Art (Joanna Quinn, U.K., Canada) JEAN-LUC XIBERRAS AWARD FOR A FIRST FILM Hold Me Tight (Melanie Robert-Tourneur, Belgium, France) OFF-LIMITS AWARD Tunable Mimoid (Vladimir Todorovic, Australia) TV SERIES AND FILMS CRISTAL FOR A TV PRODUCTION Vanille (Guillaume Lorin, France, Switzerland) JURY AWARD FOR A TV SERIES Japan Sinks: 2020 The Beginning of the End (Masaaki Yuasa, Japan) JURY AWARD FOR A TV SPECIAL Mum Is Pouring Rain (Hugo de Faucompret, France) COMMISSIONED FILMS CRISTAL FOR A COMMISSIONED FILM Kai A Little Too Much (Martina Scarpelli, U.S.) JURY AWARD Help! We Have a Blind Patient (Robin Jensen, Norway) GRADUATION FILMS CRISTAL FOR A GRADUATION FILM Hippocampus (Zehao Li, China) JURY AWARD Avant (Marcell Mostoha, Hungary) JURY DISTINCTION Butterfly Jam (Shih-Yen Huang, France, Taiwan) VR WORKS CRISTAL FOR THE BEST VR WORK Replacements (Jonathan Hagard, Germany, Indonesia, Japan) SPECIAL PRIZES FESTIVALS CONNEXION Beast (Hugo Covarrubias, Chile) JUNIOR JURY SHORT People in Motion (Christoph Lauenstein, Wolfgang Lauenstein, Germany) JUNIOR JURY GRADUATION FILM My Friend Who Shines in the Night (Gregoire de Bernouis, Jawed Boudaoud, Simon Cadilhac, Helene Ledevin) YOUNG AUDIENCE AWARD Kiko and the Animals (Yawen Zheng, France, Switzerland) CANAL PLUS JUNIOR JURY A Stone in the Shoe (Eric Montchaud, France, Switzerland) FIPRESCI SHORT The Shamans Apprentice (Zacharias Kunuk, Canada) ORIGINAL MUSIC FEATURE Flee (Uno Helmersson, Denmark, France, Norway, Sweden) ORIGINAL MUSIC SHORT The Awakening of the Insects (Denis Vautrin, France) ANDRE-MARTIN AWARD FOR A FRENCH FEATURE Maronas Fantastic Tale (Anca Damiaa, Romania, France, Belgium) CITY OF ANNECY AWARD Clara with a Mustache (Ilir Blakcori, Kosovo) YOUTUBE AWARD Postpartum (Henriette Rietz, Germany) John Hopewell contributed to this article. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. She was the air I breathed. Emmy Award winning animator Joe Mateo takes that heartfelt concept and in Blush, his directorial debut, delivers what must rate as one of the most personal yet still resonant films at this years Annecy Animation Festival. The inaugural short from Apple Original Films and David Ellisons Skydance Animation, bowing a multi-year partnership between the studios, Blush world premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 13 as part of its showcase of Animated Shorts Curated by Whoopi G. It begins with a fresh-faced astronaut whose spaceship is knocked off course by an asteroid. It crash-lands on a benighted dwarf planet, made of lonely hard grey rock. A horticulturist, the hapless astronaut hopes to create just a weany bit of oxygen with a plant he has. It withers. Just as he is running out of oxygen, another ship careens onto the planet. Out of it steps a comely female alien, her face a deep pink, as if suffused by a permanent blush. She saves him and gives him a new life. Blush will be released on Apple TV Plus. At Disney Animation, where he worked for 25 years, rising to head of story on Big Hero 6, Mateo started out as a clean-up artist and 2D animator. It shows. Blush is 3D but has the quaint, natural pictorial tones of 2D, yoked with Hollywoods frequent focus on core human relations. Made by Skydance Animation out of the U.S. and Spain, Blush is produced by Heather Schmidt Feng Yanu (Toy Story, the Cars trilogy), and executive produced by the legendary John Lasseter (Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., Cars) David Ellison and Dana Goldberg. Blush is inspired by Mateos wife, Mary Ann, who lost an eight-year battle against breast cancer in 2017. Variety talked to Mateo before Blush screens at the closing ceremony of the Annecy Animation Festival this Saturday June 19. What were the two or three key decisions in making Blush? After I lost Mary Ann, I suddenly couldnt breathe, it was a scary moment. I had to call a friend who is a doctor and ask him: What is going on with me? He said: Joe, you are having a panic attack. I realized that Mary Ann was my air. I was struggling to breathe because I lost my air. So that became the films central conceit. You also chose to set the story on a minute planet. I just loved setting it on something really intimate and small, to capture the intimacy of the story, to contain it and focus on the characters. Also, Mary Ann and I both went to college in the Philippines and then moved here to the U.S. like a month apart. The setting represents that: Our moving to a new place and then building our lives together. Youve held senior creative positions on big Hollywood animated features. But they werent your own totally. Nobody could say that Blush isnt your film Yes, exactly. And thats the reason I had the confidence finally to direct something. Because its something that I know I can tell from the heart. Its all coming from experience, real emotion that Ive been through. The short is a clean, lean 10 or 11 minutes with no digressions. Everything advances the story, or illustrates character and theme Being a story board artist, clarity is really important. What I love about the story is the short story format. There is not a lot of space for unnecessary scenes, no shoe leather. Whats there is there to support the story, the message and moment and the sentiment. How was production affected by the pandemic? We started production a couple of months before lockdown. We knew we wanted to make a short with a message of healing and hope, but I didnt of course expect the pandemic to happen in the process of making it. Healing was more about sharing my story. 2020 was a rough year but I was very fortunate to have Blush. Waking up every morning looking forward to it. It provided me with a sense of normalcy. Now its about getting the message out there at a time when we need it the most. It will be great if it can be a source of hope and healing for a lot of people. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Steven Soderbergh is a fantastically eclectic filmmaker (you never know where hes going to go next), but if you look back over his roughly 30 dramatic features its telling to consider how many of them are some variety of tricky old-school thriller or film noir powered by suspenseful screw-tightening. Im talking about the Oceans trilogy, the ebullient Elmore Leonard adaptation Out of Sight, the redneck heist thriller Logan Lucky, the deconstructed gangster mystery The Limey, the brooding noir The Underneath, the small-town grunge noir Bubble, the sex-industry noir The Girlfriend Experience, and the true-life-bumbler noir The Informant! Soderbergh has a prankish side, but the truth is he would have been right at home in the 40s or 50 churning out moody black-and-white thrillers like Robert Siodmak or Joseph H. Lewis. His latest, No Sudden Move, makes that connection all the more explicit. Opening on a gorgeous vintage version of the Warner Bros. logo, its a down-and-dirty, multi-tentacled crime thriller set in the racially polarized Detroit of 1954, and Soderbergh revels in the period trappings: the rounded cars and stylish baggy clothes, the elegant brick-based architecture, the surface 50s innocence that now looks like it was designed to conceal corruption. He has also made a movie in which everyone is double-crossing everyone. In noir, the heroes tend to be sleazy compromised men, and on that score No Sudden Move doesnt disappoint. The two main characters are a natty porkpie-hatted underworld hustler, Curt Goynes (Don Cheadle), who has an oblique messy history with some of the gangsters whove employed him; and the disreputable baby-faced smoothie Ronald Russo (Benicio Del Toro), whos a racist, a backstabber, and the kind of lowlife who tempts fate in regard to the ruthless crime boss Frank Capelli (Ray Liotta) by sleeping with his wife (Julia Fox). These two freelance thugs get hired, along with the flaky scoundrel Charley (Kieran Culkin), to bring off what looks like an easy assignment. Theyre to enter the home of Matt Wertz (David Harbour), an accountant for GM, and spend a few hours holding his wife and children hostage while Matt gets taken down to his office, where he has to retrieve a mysterious document from his bosss safe. Wearing masks that look like Ace bandages with eye holes, the three break in, and the scenes in the Wertz home have a hair-trigger excitement that evokes the 1955 Humphrey Bogart noir The Desperate Hours. From the start, there are complicating circumstances, as when one of the crooks reveals that Matt is having an affair with his secretary. (Thats how hes supposed to get into the safe.) And when the nervous, bumbling Matt, whos reminiscent of William H. Macy in Fargo, gets to his office, he discovers that the document isnt there. The plot thickens all the more when it turns out that our antiheroes have been set up; they arent scheduled to walk out of that house alive. The old noirs were tightly structured, but everything in them played as a spontaneous eruption of passion and fate. No Sudden Move has a script, by Ed Solomon, that sprawls in several directions as it follows the improvised schemes of its characters. Goynes and Russo become partners as they realize that the document must be valuable enough to track down. They drive Wertz over to his bosss posh Ohio home, where Wertz beats him to a pulp and retrieves the document, which turns out to be the engineering specs for a catalytic converter: the anti-pollution device that will revolutionize the auto business, though not for another decade. Its worth a ton of money (for complex crooked reasons, since it will cut into the industrys profits), and Goynes and Russo decide to betray the gangsters who hired them by smoking out the highest bidder. Goynes also has in his possession the incriminating codebook of one of the gangsters in the power chain, played with ominous cool by Bill Duke. Soderbergh, who shot and edited the film, works with a knack for the drama of amorality: the off-kilter camera angles, the lean mean mood of hardboiled misanthropy, the relish that great actors can take in playing crumbum hoods. The movie is clever and blithely vicious, it keeps you guessing, and it invites you to share Soderberghs joy in filmmaking. Cheadle exudes a terse command as Goynes, the street survivor who has spent his life getting the short end and wants to make up for it, Del Toro plays a cutthroat player with style, and theres a juicy performance by Brendan Fraser, looking like a heavy sluggish parody of himself and inhabiting every bit of that corpulence as a seething gang henchman. Julia Fox, from Uncut Gems, knows how to make a femme as arresting as she is fatale, and Jon Hamm acts with impeccably dour 50s crispness as the cop on everyones trail. And yet: Just when the movies interlocking treacheries should be catching fire, you feel them wilt a bit. Soderbergh doesnt make any obvious wrong moves, but the plot isnt quite the tightly hot-wired tale of descent and payback weve been geared to expect. Its more like watching an enormous, slightly abstract jigsaw puzzle of corruption come together. There is, it turns out, a Larger Theme at work, one that hinges on a Mr. Big played with graying omnipotence by Matt Damon. And while this kind of late-in-the-game revelation is fair game, the film is a little too pleased with its corporate conspiracy-theory dimension. You watch it and think: Weve been here before, lots of times. No Sudden Move, for all its pleasures, doesnt quite make the old seem new again. Reviewed at Tribeca Screening Room, New York, June 14, 2021. MPAA Rating: R. Running time: 90 MIN. Production HBO Max release of a Warner Bros., HBO Max production. Producer: Casey Silver. Crew Director: Steven Soderbergh. Screenplay: Ed Solomon. Camera: Peter Andrews. Music: David Holmes. With Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, David Harbour, Amy Seimetz, Jon Hamm, Ray Liotta, Brendan Fraser, Julia Fox, Kieran Culkin, Bill Duke, Matt Damon. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. TAN-TAN, Morocco (AP) A senior U.S. general warned Friday that the wildfire of terrorism is sweeping across a band of Africa and needs the world's attention. He spoke at the close of large-scale U.S.-led war games with American, African and European troops. The African Lion war games, which lasted nearly two weeks, stretched across Morocco, a key U.S, ally, with smaller parts held in Tunisia and Senegal. The annual drills were skipped last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, head of the U.S. Africa Command, praised the work accomplished in joint operations, and painted a dark picture of threats besetting parts of Africa. I am concerned about the security situation across a band of Africa," from the Sahel region in the west to the Horn of Africa, Townsend told reporters. He noted deadly attacks by al-Qaida- and Islamic State-linked jihadis and al-Shabab. All of them are on the march, he said. African neighbors are helping governments deal with the threat, but, he added, all of that does not seem to be sufficient enough to stop what I call ... (the) wildfire of terrorism thats sweeping that region. African Lion saw more than 7,000 troops from seven countries and NATO carry out air, land and sea exercises together. It has helped our interoperability, our joint capabilities, and provided readiness and a good opportunity to build cohesion across the forces, said Maj. Gen. Andrew Rohling, commander of the U.S. Armys Southern European Task Force Africa. He spoke Friday in the desert town of Tan-Tan. There was a hitch at the start, with Spain withdrawing from the war games citing budgetary reasons. Press reports attributed the move to Spains poor relations with Morocco, a former key partner. The two countries have been at loggerheads since Spain took in the leader of the Polisario Front independence movement Moroccos No.1 enemy for COVID-19 treatment in a Spanish hospital earlier this year. The Polisario is fighting for independence for the Western Sahara, a vast region that Morocco claims as its own. During the exercise, Morocco held some airborne operations near the Western Sahara and not far from Polisario refugee camps in Tindouf, in neighboring Algeria. Those activities have been perfectly conducted and agreed upon between the two militaries, Moroccan Brigadier Gen. Mohammed Jamil told The Associated Press. Townsend, asked whether any action spilled into the disputed Western Sahara, was categoric: I can confirm it did not. The participating countries in African Lion were the U.S., Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, Italy, The Netherlands and Britain. Observers also attended from countries including Egypt, Qatar, Niger and Mali. ___ Elaine Ganley in Paris and Krista Larson in Dakar contributed. In a major sweeping decision made this week, Customs and Border Protection made the decision to not allow Mexican citizens to come into the country any more to sell their plasma. The CBP cited that the decision was made because Mexican citizens were crossing the border to get compensated for their donations, which they deemed as working. It said this constitutes as a type of labor being paid for by the U.S., thus the practice was ended. Effective immediately, U.S. Customs and Border Protection advises that donation of plasma for compensation in the U.S. by B1/B2 non-immigrant visa holders is a violation of the terms of their visa, and crossing the border for that express purpose will no longer be permitted under any circumstances, an official of the CBP said. Selling plasma constitutes labor for hire in violation of B-1 nonimmigrant status, as both the labor (the taking of the plasma) and accrual of profits would occur in the U.S. with no principal place of business in the foreign country. Although the decision does not affect people if they just want to donate without compensation, some local plasma centers are upset that the move may impact their operations. Plasma is vital for these local centers, who are concerned it could also impact the manufacturing of medication and vaccines. This will affect us majorly, its almost 80% of my donors, BPL Plasma Task Force Manager Daniella Dusci said. About 80% and sometimes up to 90% of our donors are from Mexico that are crossing, so right now this will take a huge hit within our center, our donors and with our production. Dusci also said that she did not agree with the decision due to it hurting the company in the long run. She said that they could see their current inventory of plasma donations be greatly impacted. We dont agree with this decision at all. This is definitely essential, as we save lives, Dusci said. I dont say that it will happen anytime soon that we will see a great shortage, because we do have a bunch of donations that we have collected throughout the year and that we continue to collect right at this moment. ... In the near future, who knows? It depends on how long this lasts. A spokesman for Biomat USA, another major plasma donation center, stated that they did not have any comment yet as they are currently assessing the situation. However, she did argue that more information will be provided later when they are notified with more details about the change in policy. According to the BPL task manager, the plasma they collect is not used by them for manufacturing as they then provide it to another company that does that to create vaccines and medications, helps find treatment for autoimmune diseases, helps burn victims and other essential medical treatments for those in need. Dusci also stated that nearly all of the plasma collected stays in the U.S. In fact, Dusci says that at the height of the pandemic, their company had a COVID-19 program in which people who donated their plasma after having COVID-19 would be compensated greater. This is due to their antibodies against the virus helping scientists and research teams find a better way to combat the virus. Dusci is also surprised at the fact that these donations were never halted during the height of the pandemic and finds this decision to be alarming and not good for the needs of many medical organizations that continue to need these type of donations to survive and manufacture medicine. As these plasma centers now may face a shortage of Mexican citizens coming into the country for those donations, several major incentives for potential new donors have already emerged. Right now we are offering a new incentive ... for our new donors, as right now we are offering them $100 for their first five donations, Dusci said. Dusci states that she is very upset by the decision to halt Mexican donors from coming into the country to donate plasma, and that she hopes that the decision is reconsidered soon as it helps save lives. We are just over here trying to save lives, Dusci said. This could save somebodys life. ... Anyone from anywhere is welcomed. Despite the decision, CBP stated that the decision will not affect people who seek medical treatment in the U.S. or who want to donate plasma without compensation in the country after entering for family visits, shopping or other tourism activities within the country once the pedestrian bridges reopen. This does not affect the ability of non-immigrant visa holders to receive medical treatment in the U.S. or to make a true donation of blood, tissue or an organ without receiving compensation, a CBP official said. jorge.vela@lmtonline.com The beginning of the school year when you got to show off your new duds, new cars, new looks! Sports! Playing, cheering, watching high school athletics. The arts: Dramatic arts, musical groups and shows, graphic arts groups, debate, etc. The prom! No dancing the night away or punch bowl antics. The daily interactions. Just being with the group, hanging with friends and classmates. Access to college recruiters and advisors its harder to line up higher education. Walking onstage to get a diploma while all the family is watching with everyone elses family. Vote View Results Ensure you get a print copy of the Loudoun Times-Mirror delivered weekly to your home or business! Complete online access is included with all print subscriptions purchased online. Plus, up to four other members of your household can share online access through this subscription with their own, individual linked accounts at no additional charge. (Are you a current advertiser? Ask your sales rep for our special advertiser rate code!) MANISTEE VFW Walsh Post No. 4499 commander Don Vadeboncoeur is passionate about his post. "Being commander for 10 years, this is the best damn job I've ever had," he said. "To represent these people, it's great. And they are great people." Post No. 4499 had its 75th anniversary last fall, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, a VFW Department of Michigan representative was unable to visit the post to present a certificate commemorating the accomplishment. On Thursday, department representative Rick Schafer came by to present the post with its long-awaited document. "It's a milestone right now to go 75 years with a post," Vadeboncoeur said. "It's so hard to get new people to join, but we're working on it. We're hoping they come." Post No. 4499 currently has around 250 members. Vadeboncoeur said the post had over 600 when it first started. The post also received a letter of congratulations from VFW National Commander Hal Roesch for its sustained years of service to the community. "Year after year, you have provided superb public service to others," Roesch said in the letter. "You provide an invaluable network of service to those who have borne the battle, as well as to their families, and you advance the health and well-being of those who bear the burden of defending our nation and way of life." Post No. 4499 member Stanley Preidis said the VFW does a lot for those who served. "We help the veterans in the community that's the big thing," he said. "We have the poppy drive coming up in July. That money's kept in the community to help veterans and their families, too." The VFW has been the nation's leading veterans service organization since 1899 and currently has more than 1.5 million members. Its mission is to foster camaraderie among United States veterans of overseas conflicts; to serve our veterans, the military and our communities; and to advocate on behalf of all veterans. Vadeboncoeur said he takes a lot of pride in Post No. 4499. "The VFW represents veterans of foreign wars. It's important to the community," he said. "It supports veterans in a number of ways. ... It's a family organization. (We have the) Snowshoe Stampede, the blood drive... I probably shouldn't say it, but as far as I'm concerned, our auxiliary is the best in the state. We're very proud of our members." Vadeboncoeur said the VFW brings together veterans and allows them to get to know others who have served. "It's not a club just to come in and drink you get to come in and there's friendship," he said. "It's a place of camaraderie." Michiganders are going back to one of their favorite past times ... shopping. And more of them are heading for brick-and-mortar stores. With vaccinations rolling out and looser masks restrictions, people are beginning to feel a sense of normalcy. Retailers said they are seeing an eager return to stores after more than a year of customers shopping largely online during the pandemic. Jennifer Rook is the vice president of communications and marketing at the Michigan Retailers Association. So, people are returning to the stores. Theres definitely an increased traffic to stores in Michigan, but online ordering is staying steady as well. So, what you could probably attribute that to people have their routine habits now established of what theyre ordering. Rook said the demand for online shopping is expected to stay the same with an increase in mobile orders, curbside, and home deliveries. With the rise of face-to-face shopping, Rook said people have even begun Christmas shopping. Overall, retailers in Michigan are very optimistic about holiday sales. Theres been pent-up spending or as Ive heard revenge spending that consumer are going to go probably spend just as much or more than last year. Looking ahead at the fall, she said back-to-school shopping is likely to top pre-pandemic levels as parents and kids seek a fresh start. Rook said this sales season is typically a major driver for retailers as families buy school supplies, clothes, and college dorm decor. She said although back-to-school sales are expected to return to normal, retailers are struggling to find employees. Retailers dont have the labor force, theyre really struggling in that regard. You probably see help wanted signs everywhere. This is another thing because as more consumers come into the store, you need more workers, so you have to balance it out. Rook said retailers are also struggling with supply chain issues ... like not having enough inventory. She said the problem should work itself out by the end of the year. Marshall, TX (75670) Today Mostly cloudy skies this morning followed by thunderstorms during the afternoon. High 86F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy after midnight. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. Goldie Wilkinson, 90 of Alderson died Tuesday, June 29, 2021. Family will greet friends and relatives 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Thursday at Bishop Funeral Service. Funeral service will be 2:00 p.m., Friday at Bishop Chapel of Memories Burial will follow in Memory Gardens Memorial Park Cemetery. From Josh Hawley to the Missouri Legislature to the city's debates over closing the workhouse, the losers try to turn the tables after voters have their say. Atlanta, GA (30303) Today Thunderstorms. High near 80F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Partly cloudy skies. Low 64F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Ben Weingarten is Deputy Editor of RealClearInvestigations. This interview was conducted as part of a book project on U.S.-China policy under the auspices of the Fund for American Studies Robert Novak Journalism Fellowships. If you burn leaves or other debris from your yard or property, one state agency is requiring you to stop doing so for the next four months. Offer a personal message of sympathy... You'll find individual Guest Books on the page with each obituary notice. By sharing a fond memory or writing a kind tribute, you will be providing a comforting keepsake to those in mourning. . From a Guest Book, you may log in with your user account to leave a message. If you have an existing account with this site, you may log in with that. Otherwise, it's simple to create a new one by clicking on the Create "Sign up" button and following the simple steps on the Sign Up page. What is Yoga? Timeline of International Yoga Day "Yoga for well-being" - 2021 Events Design Your Jingle Get the Most out of Yoga! Ushtra Asana or Camel Pose - Relieves stress and improves blood circulation & oxygenation for healing your mind and body. - Relieves stress and improves blood circulation & oxygenation for healing your mind and body. Bridge Pose/Setu bandhasana - Improves blood circulation in the body. Opens the spine and heart, which would further reduce stress levels by calming the mind. - Improves blood circulation in the body. Opens the spine and heart, which would further reduce stress levels by calming the mind. Butterfly pose - Simple yoga asana that stretches your inner thighs and groin. - Simple yoga asana that stretches your inner thighs and groin. Cow pose (Bitilasana) & Cat pose (Marjaryasana) - Gently stretches the body and warms up to relieve stress and massage the spine and stomach organs. Also improves your flexibility and calms your mind. - Gently stretches the body and warms up to relieve stress and massage the spine and stomach organs. Also improves your flexibility and calms your mind. Child's Pose (Balasana) - Most relaxing asana, helps you feel rejuvenated and can relieve back pain and neck pain. Facts & Figures on Yoga Yoga seeds its origin in India and there are 200,000 yoga instructors in India. Maharshi Patanjali is known as the father of yoga, who compiled 195 Yoga Sutras that became the foundation of Yoga philosophy. Inspired by the beauty of ancient tradition, 5% of people have given Sanskrit names to either their children or their pets. It is reported that 15% of people go to an annual yoga retreat and Americans spend almost $2.5 billion amount on yoga instruction annually. Around 300 copies of the first edition of "Yoga Journal" with ten pages were circulated with its launch in 1975. Almost 1.7 million American children practise yoga under 17 years of age. Bette Calman (85 years old) is the world's oldest yoga teacher as per the Guinness World Records. Benefits of Yoga Yoga is a way of living that aims towards a healthy mind in a healthy body. It helps to manage and establish a balance between oneself (body, soul, and mind) and the environment. It assists one to deal with several health problems like anxiety, depression, stress/worries, negative thoughts, chronic pain or illnesses. Yoga improves self-healing by removing toxins from the body and enhancing self-awareness and personal power. It rejuvenates the body to render it flexible and energized. It may aid in lowering the risk of heart diseases, reducing weight and improving brain function. INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA JUNE 21 - (https://yoga.ayush.gov.in/) International Day of Yoga 2021 - (https://mea.gov.in/idy-21.htm) International Day of Yoga 2021 Jingle Contest - (https://www.mygov.in/task/international-day-yoga-2021-jingle-contest/) International Yoga Day - (https://www.twinkl.co.in/event/international-yoga-day-2021) Register To Participate - (https://yogacertificationboard.nic.in/IDY2021/) says the United Nations in a statement.Thealso promotes yoga to enhance health conditions with its benefits like increased flexibility fitness , mindfulness, and relaxation.The wordis derived from Sanskrit which means. It is a way to interconnect the body, mind, and soul in its actual way, prospering over the years.Yoga is an ancient custom with its origination sinceThe earliest records for theare confirmed to be around 200 BCE. The old scholars and the sages of thehave documented their traditional yoga practices in the ancient Indian scriptures like the(the earliest amongst the Vedas), and(extremely valuable core teachings of Indian philosophy).and is recognized as the way one step closer to enlightenment. It was recognized as an exercise and relaxation method for the general well-being of the body with the spread and popularisation in the west.The United Nations General Assembly first announced to honor International Day of Yoga on 21st June every year by resolution 69/131 adopted under the Global Health and Foreign Policy on 11 December 2014.The call was first proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his speech at theon 27 September 2014, in which yoga was addressed as anand recognized as theFollowing the initiative, as many as 177 nations (the highest number of co-sponsors for any UNGA Resolution) backed up the idea. The declaration of the International Yoga Day within 90 days of the proposal brought aThe rationale behind selecting 21st June as the date to celebrate International Yoga Day was because- the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, which holds extraordinary significance in many parts of the world.On the occasion of the first-ever International Yoga Day on June 21, 2015, nearly 36,000 people, including Prime Minister Modi, and many other political figures from all around the world performed 21 asanas (yoga postures) for 35 minutes in New Delhi. Since then, the day designates a global ceremony every year.The most extensive yoga lesson that took place in India, with over 100,000 participants was on June 21, 2018, and the international observance anticipates many more to join in the upcoming years.Yoga is not a religion but something above everything - caste, class, status, color, gender, and region. It is an ancient practice that embraces multiple disciplines of life to gain a peaceful body and mind . People from various places gather to practice yoga under the guidance of trained yoga teachers on this day. Apart from this, several events are hosted all over the world to expand the awareness of yoga.Yoga sessions are usually organized in various schools and colleges along with many practice sessions. People are urged to adopt this healthy lifestyle by implementing Yoga Awards (as seen in 2019), conducting a special sale of yoga essentials like mats, tees, in public centers.On the occasion of the 7th International Yoga Day amidst the pandemic situation, theinvites the public to a large-scale online competition. People are deemed to write and compose an apt, appropriate, and appealing(a short catchy script/verse) of 25-30 seconds for the upcoming International Day of Yoga, 2021. The winner would receiveThe Jingle is expected to drive awareness and adoption of Yoga by people of all ages for the wellbeing of the community. It ought to match the official Indian language as mentioned in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian constitution along with English and other UN languages.The high-quality audio file of the participants is to be uploaded to any media platform such as SoundCloud, YouTube, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc. and the script is to be submitted in the form of a pdf document (last date of submission: 21st June 2021).Yoga can be practiced by people from all turns of life and is emerging as the most entrusted way to relax the mind & body,, and stay happy & healthy together! Some of the types of yoga and its benefits are the following:Through yoga, one can very well have a command of his/her life.says Bhagavad-Gita. Hence the ultimate goal of yoga is to attain enlightenment through a healthy self.Source: Medindia Chris Pratt also known as 'Star-Lord' from the Guardians Of The Galaxy and the Avengers franchise, has won hearts across the globe with his portrayal of the hilarious and goofy superhero. He's had stellar reviews not just for the Marvel series, but also for his work in Jurrasic World, Zero Dark Thirty and Her as well. Instagram/Chris Pratt Great speaking with you brotha! Big shout out to you all of my friends in India! @Varun_dvn https://t.co/9W2kNjB0yd chris pratt (@prattprattpratt) June 18, 2021 Chris's work in Hollywood has been praised so much that even our Bollywood stars have shown their admiration for the stellar actor. Recently Varun Dhawan was seen fanboying over Chris's latest movie, The Tomorrow War. After the trailer dropped on Tuesday on Amazon Prime Video, Varun shared his eagerness about the movie and tweeted, as he tagged Chris. He wrote, "Those aliens look scary af, but I trust @prattprattpratt to put at least one of them in an armbar. Looks legit! After Varun heaped praises on the actor, Pratt reacted to the message. Now, who would have expected that? The actor retweeted the tweet and wrote, "Great speaking with you brotha! Big shout out to you all of my friends in India! @Varun_dvn To this, Varun responded and said, "All love brothaa" with emojis. This fun banter on Twitter entertained the audience as well. People soon started commenting and one user even asked "Okay, but when are you & @prattprattpratt starring in a movie together?, whereas another one wrote "This interaction was surprising though The Tomorrow War is a sci-fi movie that has a group of time travellers who come from the year 2051 to give an urgent message and tell mankind about the deadly alien species. The only way to survive the battle is by forming a team of soldiers and civilians to go the future and join the fight. Chris plays the role of Dan Forester who teams up with a scientist and his estranged father to save the planet. Amazon Prime Video While the trailer looks like a generic movie, fans are still excited to watch it, mostly because of Chris. Here's how the people reacted on Twitter: Okay, but when are you & @prattprattpratt starring in a movie together? KEEF (@SharpKeef) June 18, 2021 When are you visiting India next & whats your favourite food in here? KEEF (@SharpKeef) June 18, 2021 Omg this makes me so happy love from India Ady (@super_powersmar) June 18, 2021 This is an awwww moment Katrina Meri Jaan (@KayMeriJaan) June 19, 2021 Chris had also sent a special message for Indian fans at the time when the country was hit by the second wave of Covid. He wrote, "All the people of India are in our thoughts and in our prayers. We know that youre very strong and resilient people, and this is a fight that we know that youre going to win. Finding creative ways to connect with your partner can at times seem daunting. Sure, you can try a few board games and some erotic kinks to bring back the lost spark in the bedroom. But, what about more serious things, like building intimacy and trust? This is where couples or partner yoga comes into play. The benefits of this ancient practice when done with a partner extend beyond just calming and toning. Whether done with a friend or a partner, couples yoga can help build trust, nurture intimacy, strengthen communication and create a sense of light heartedness. The postures in partner yoga are designed to bring people together through movement, breath, touch and flow sequences. This International Yoga Day, how about you roll out a mat, grab your loved one and give partner yoga a try? Benefits Of Couples Yoga 1. Builds Physical & Emotional Support One needs to support and rely on their partner for constructing each pose in couples yoga and to maintain balance, alignment and focus. This helps strengthen the connection you have with your partner as you sync your breath, movement, strength and trust with them. You also learn to let go, communicate better, and lay full faith in each other for support in each of the poses, building better physical and emotional support. 2. Enhances Intimacy Intimacy has got more to do with mutual vulnerability and openness with your partner than anything sexual. And couples yoga allows you to be all that. Partner yoga creates a sense of fun, physical touch, codependency that helps you come closer to your partner. Conscious and consensual human touch makes the other person feel more cared for, loved, accepted, valued, and enhances your intimacy. 3. Boosts Sexual Satisfaction A study has found that couples yoga can help couples struggling with sexual dissatisfaction. While couples yoga isnt sexual in nature, but increased communication through touch and movement and better blood flow definitely helps boost sex drive, boosting your overall sexual experience. It can also help you practice mindful sex, being more in the moment than ever before. 4. Increased Trust & Bonding Partner yoga demands for you to constantly communicate verbally and nonverbally with your partner. The flowing movements, the push and pull, and the relying on your significant other to create different poses engages you in the moment, making your bond with your partner solid. 5. Improves Self-Awareness In the process of trusting another person, and being totally vulnerable in their presence, we end up empowering ourselves and building better self-trust. Partner yoga is a great opportunity to connect with your core and conscience and empower the other person, all at the same time. 5 Couples Yoga Poses To Try 1. Partner Breathing iStock Sit cross-legged in a comfortable seated position, back resting against each other. Now, begin to breathe alternately with your partner, so as you inhale, your partner exhales and vice versa. Continue this for 5 minutes to build a deeper connection without words with your partner. Also, a great way to start any partner yoga practice. 2. Back-To-Back Chair Pose iStock Take your breathing pose to a level up and stand back-to-back with your partner with arms relaxed by your sides. Press your backs firmly together and slowly bend your knees and lower down as if you are sitting on a chair. Pause and take five to ten steady breaths. Maintain length in your spine and press into each other to strengthen the muscles in your thighs and legs. This exercise increases ankle mobility and helps build trust with your partner by using their support to hold the pose. 3. Partner Twist iStock Stick to the same seated position like in the above two poses. Take your arms overhead as you inhale and twist your arm to the right, bringing your right hand to the inside of your partner's left knee and left hand to the outside of your right knee as you exhale. Have your partner mirror the movement, hold for five breaths, then repeat on the opposite side. 4. Double Downward Dog iStock Take a downward dog position, one in front of the other. Now raise your lower body and walk your feet back slowly from your partners shoulders to the outside of your partner's lower back or hips. Come to a stable and comfortable position and hold for five to ten breaths. Ask your partner to bend knees, and lower to child's pose, as you release feet to the floor. 5. Buddy Boat Pose iStock Sit comfortably facing each other, with knees bent and toes touching. Reach for your partners wrists and slowly lift the soles of your feet together, drawing knees into the chest. Try to keep your spine straight and chest open as you straighten the legs. Hold for five to ten breaths. In a post-pandemic world where social media has radically transformed the way we connect and communicate with each other, influencers have found themselves more empowered than ever before. This writer believes that any individual or group that can affect or influence social media users behavioural patterns can be deemed worthy of being considered influencers. Additionally, since the notion of a traditional offline occupation is becoming increasingly redundant, a slew of entertainers, athletes, businessmen, even a collective of like-minded individuals can be considered as influencers (as well find out later in this piece). So, here are 3 moments from 2021 that truly illustrate the bizarre power held by influencers: via GIPHY 1. Cristiano Ronaldo Reuters The Portuguese superstar has been all over the news lately because of an incident where he set aside 2 bottles of Coca-Cola with a pinch of disdain. Replacing them with a bottle of water before proclaiming Agua' (Portuguese for Water); the preferred choice for an athlete who treats his body like a temple, and is known for his aversion to carbonated drinks (despite having been Cokes brand ambassador during his halcyon years). Reuters However, this non-incident catapulted into a PR debacle for Coca-Cola, as their shares went tumbling from $56.10 to $55.22 by the end of the press conference 2. Elon Musk Reuters Elons erratic affair with cryptocurrency has been well documented on social media. Earlier this year, the Tesla chief executives decision to add #bitcoin to his Twitter bio sent its prices soaring by 20%. His decision to buy $1.5 billion worth of cryptocurrency via bitcoin and dogecoin further hiked the currency by another 16%, in a day. However, his romance with crypto was brought to a grinding halt when he tweeted Tesla's decision to stop accepting bitcoin as a form of payment for its vehicles. Reuters Investors who had been waxing lyrical over him for the initial parts of 2021 found themselves launching accusations of manipulative practices at Elon. Bitcoin peaked in mid-April with $65,000. However, its value has plummeted by 40% since Elons cheeky tweet. Tesla & Bitcoin pic.twitter.com/YSswJmVZhP Elon Musk, the 2nd (@elonmusk) May 12, 2021 3. r/WallStreetBets Reuters A concerted effort by the folks at r/WallStreetBets, a subreddit for those interested in the stock market, led to Redditors purchasing GameStop stocks in an attempt to rescue the ailing company from several prominent hedge funds including Melvin Capital. These hedge funds had been looking to profit from GameStops failure, only for r/WallStreetBets to foil their plans. Reuters Fueled by nostalgia and perhaps an aggressive Robin Hood complex, these Redditors bought up the ailing companys stocks and sent it soaring by 1000%. This unprecedented activity caused the hedge funds losses to the tune of almost $5 Billion. Its been a strange 2021, so far, lets see what else this year has in store for us. Meridian, MS (39302) Today Thunderstorms - a few could contain very heavy rain, especially this afternoon. High 81F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall may reach one inch. Locally heavy rainfall possible.. Tonight A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Partly cloudy skies. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. Click here to log in and see all of our other subscription options for the Mesabi Tribune, including online only & auto-renewal subscriptions. Demand was moderate in Turkey because of low levels of construction activity, sources told Fastmarkets.The countrys scrap prices decreased recently, but the price falls were not sharp. Fastmarkets daily index for steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix), North Europe origin, cfr Turkey, was calculated at $500.26... ANTALYA - Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Mohammad Haneef Atmar attended the Antalya Diplomatic Forum, inaugurated by H.E. the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Minister Atmar also met with the Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, on the sidelines of the forum, to discuss the consolidation and expansion of bilateral relations, the Afghan Peace Process, strategic and economic-trade cooperation between the two countries, and convening the Afghanistan-Iran-Turkey trilateral meeting. Over the next two days, Minister Atmar will meet separately with the Foreign Ministers of Afghanistans regional and international partners to discuss issues related to Afghanistan and the region. KABUL Statement by the Office of the Spokesperson and Directorate General of Communications - MoFA regarding the statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan: Given the sensitivity of the situation and the opportunities arisen to achieve a permanent peace in Afghanistan and the region, comments and statements that spoil this trend are not favorable to the Afghan Peace Process. The Afghan government and the international community call on Pakistani government officials to utilize their influence and control over the Taliban to bring them back to the negotiating table for meaningful talks to end the war and bloodshed in Afghanistan, thus ensuring peace in Afghanistan would help eliminate global terrorism threat benefiting Pakistan and the international community. Unrealistic and untrue statements will obstruct strengthening relations between the two countries. Afghanistan is determined to discuss important and key issues with Pakistan through diplomatic channels. MANISTEE On Earth Day in 2017, the Manistee Peace Group gathered at Veterans Memorial Park to plant a Kwanzan cherry tree, the same variety that grows in Washington D.C., a famous gift to the U.S from Japan. The group plans to return to the park this weekend to place a plaque by the tree. Flowering cherry trees have a long tradition as symbols of peace, friendship and partnership. Planting one in the park on Earth Day as a reminder of the connection between peace and taking care of the planet seemed like a good idea, said Manistee Peace Group member Joy Smith. We are looking forward to adding a plaque to remind people of the need to work towards peace and understanding. KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) Afghanistan's is racing to ramp up supplies of oxygen as a deadly third surge of COVID-19 worsens, a senior health official told The Associated Press in an interview Saturday. The government is installing oxygen supply plants in 10 provinces where up to 65% of those tested in some areas are COVID positive, health ministry spokesman Ghulam Dastigir Nazari said. By WHO recommendations, anything higher than 5% shows officials arent testing widely enough, allowing the virus to spread unchecked. Afghanistan carries out barely 4,000 tests a day and often much less. Afghanistan's 24-hour infection count has also continued its upward climb from 1,500 at the end of May when the health ministry was already calling the surge a crisis, to more than 2,300 this week. Since the pandemic outbreak, Afghanistan is reporting 101,906 positive cases and 4,122 deaths. But those figures are likely a massive undercount, registering only deaths in hospitals not the far greater numbers who die at home. Meanwhile, Afghanistan received 900 oxygen cylinders from Iran on Saturday, part of 3,800 cylinders Tehran promised to deliver to Kabul last week. The shipment was delayed by Iran's presidential elections, said Nazari. Afghanistan has even run out of empty cylinders, receiving a delivery of 1,000 last week from Uzbekistan. Meanwhile hospitals are rationing their oxygen supplies. Afghans desperate for oxygen are banging on the doors of the few oxygen suppliers in the Afghan capital, begging for their empty cylinders to be filled for COVID infected loved ones at home. Abdul Wasi, whose wife has been sick for nearly 10 days, has been waiting four days for one 45-liter cylinder to be filled at the Najb Siddiqi oxygen plant in east Kabul. Scores of mostly men were banging on the 10-foot steel gate of the oxygen plant. Some rolled their empty oxygen cylinders up against the gate, while others waved small slips of paper carrying the number of their cylinder inside the plant, waiting to be filled. Wasi said there were no hospital beds for his wife, whose oxygen level hovers around 70-80%. They are rationing her, he said giving her small amounts of oxygen when it drops to around 45 -50%. How can I do anything else? I have been waiting four days for my cylinder to be filled, he said. The oxygen plant refills cylinders for 400 Afghanis (roughly $5), while in the market it costs 4,000 Afghanis (roughly $50). For the countrys poor over half of Afghanistan 36 million people according to World Bank figures the situation has become desperate. Wasi said on Friday as he waited outside the oxygen plant that a patient on a stretcher was carried to the door while the family begged for oxygen. The patient died. Right there, he said pointing to the gate. I saw them carrying the patient. They were crying and begging and then he died. Barat Ali had arrived at the plant at 6 a.m. Saturday. It was his third day waiting for his cylinder to be filled. The poor people in this country have nothing. I have been standing in the sun for eight hours, he said clutching his small piece of paper that contained his cylinder number. The government has eaten all the (international) donations. Necephor Mghendi, who is the Afghanistan delegation head for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, told the AP in an interview in Kabul that the groups are working to get an oxygen generation plant into the country. The Afghan Red Crescent runs a 50-bed hospital devoted to COVID patients and uses roughly 250 cylinders a day, but in recent days it has been receiving barely half that many. The needs are critical he said, offering as an example one patient currently at the Red Crescent hospital who needs one 45-litre cylinder every 15 minutes to stay alive, he said. The situation is very concerning, he said. Inside the Najib Siddiqi oxygen plant dozens of cylinders were being filled, but owner Najib Siddiqi said he cant keep up. He supplies hospitals but has cut output to them by half, with the other half going to the crowds banging on his gates. He even fills smaller cylinders for free, but he has only the capacity to fill 450-500 cylinders a day. Its not enough. They are outside like this all day, he said. Sakhi Ahmad Payman, chairman of the Afghanistan Chamber of Industries and Mines, who was inside the plant having made a tour of the oxygen plants in the city, said all nine facilities in Kabul were overwhelmed. Countrywide he said Afghanistan has 30 oxygen producing plants, and all are unable to keep up with demand. Payman blasted the government. They knew we were in the middle of a crisis and didnt do anything until it was too late, he said. _____ Associated Press writer Tameem Akhgar in Kabul, Afghanistan contributed to this report. Ally Kemp of Unionville was crowned the 2021 Michigan Sugar Queen during a ceremony held Friday, June 18, at Michigan Sugar Companys headquarters at Uptown Bay City. Kemp, 19, is a graduate of Unionville-Sebewaing Area High School and attends Oakland University where she is studying nursing. She is the daughter of Kristi and David Kemp. Once again, Michigan Sugar Company is fortunate to have found a young woman who we know will be an excellent representative and ambassador for our company, said Rob Clark, Director of Communications and Community Relations for Michigan Sugar. Her knowledge of our company and agriculture in general, along with the quality of her character, shined through during the selection process. We are looking forward to a great year with Ally as the Michigan Sugar Queen. Also crowned during the June 18 ceremony were two Queens Court Attendants Kenna Karst of Frankenmuth and Raven Wieland of Pinconning. They, too, are serving as ambassadors for Michigan Sugar Company for the next year. Karst, 21, is a graduate of Frankenmuth High School and attends Ferris State University where she is studying architecture and sustainability. She is the daughter of Sheri and Jeff Karst. Wieland, 19, is a graduate of Pinconning Area High School and attends Saginaw Valley State University where she is studying nursing. She is the daughter of Tera and Martin Szeliga. The new Queen and Court Attendants will jump right into their year of service appearing Saturday, June 19, in the Michigan Sugar Festival Parade in Sebewaing. The parade steps off at 10:30 a.m.. They will be joined by members of the 2020 Michigan Sugar Queens Court Queen Shaelynn Lavrack of Montrose and Attendants Haley Bell of Bay City and Alayna Celestini of Macomb. Following the parade, the newly crowned Michigan Sugar Queen and Attendants will be at Village Park in Sebewaing where theyll be greeting festival-goers, passing out 2-pound bags of Pioneer Sugar, posing for photos, and helping members of our Co-op Board and Central District Board serve up cotton candy. We are so excited to be back at the Michigan Sugar Festival this year and we invite everyone to not only attend the parade, but to come visit with us in the park on Saturday afternoon, said Clark. Make the drive up M-25 and come see why they say Everything is Sweeter in Sebewaing. This year, Michigan Sugar Company received nine applications through its Michigan Sugar Queen Scholarship Program with five selected as finalists. Through the Michigan Sugar Queen Scholarship Program, a Queen and two Attendants are chosen to serve for one year as ambassadors for Michigan Sugar Company. Their duties include public appearances, community service projects, interaction with lawmakers and agriculture leaders and helping to represent Michigan Sugar Company throughout the state. After completing the requirements of the program, the Queen receives a $2,000 scholarship and each attendant a $1,000 scholarship to be used to help pay for college. No new COVID cases or deaths were reported once again in the Upper Thumb Friday as numbers continue to fall statewide and across the country. In Huron County there have been 3,055 confirmed cases since the pandemic began and 75 deaths. Sanilac County has seen 3,735 confirmed cases and 117 deaths since the pandemic began. Tuscola County has tallied the highest numbers, with 4,885 confirmed cases and 161 deaths since the pandemic began. BEIRUT (AP) The European Unions foreign policy chief Saturday berated Lebanese politicians for delays in forming a new Cabinet, warning the union could impose sanctions on those behind the political stalemate in the crisis-hit country. Josep Borrell made his comments at the presidential palace near the capital Beirut after meeting with President Michel Aoun. It was the first meeting in a two-day visit to Lebanon. Borrell's comments came amid reports in Lebanese media that France and the EU are putting together proposals for possible travel bans and freezes on assets of some politicians. Borrell said Lebanese politicians should quickly form a new government, implement reforms and reach a deal with the International Monetary Fund to start getting the tiny country out of its paralyzing economic and financial crisis. Lebanons economic crisis triggered by decades of corruption and mismanagement began in late 2019 and has intensified in recent months. The World Bank said earlier this month the crisis is likely to rank as one of the worst the world has seen in more than 150 years, adding that the economy contracted 20.3% in 2020 and is expected to shrink 9.5% this year. Lebanon defaulted on paying back its debt for the first time in March, while talks with the International Monetary Fund on a bailout package stopped last year. The crisis has been the biggest threat to Lebanon's stability since the 1975-90 civil war ended. A power struggle has emerged between premier-designate Saad Hariri on one side, and Aoun and his son-in-law Gebran Bassil, who heads the largest bloc in parliament, on the other. It has worsened the crisis despite warnings from world leaders and economic experts of the dire economic conditions tiny Lebanon is facing. Hariri was named to form a new government in October and has not succeeded so far. The government of Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned days after a massive blast in Beirut on Aug. 4, that killed 211 people and injured more than 6,000. We cannot understand that nine months after the resignation of a prime minister, there is still no government in Lebanon, Borrell said. Only an urgent agreement with the International Monetary Fund will rescue the country from a financial collapse. There is no time to waste. You are at the edge of the financial collapse, he said in English. Borrell later met with Hariri, Diab and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. Diab's office said the outgoing prime minister told Borrell that they key solution to Lebanon's crisis is for a new government to be formed that should resume talks with the IMF that his Cabinet initiated last year. Borrell said the EU stands ready to assist Lebanon and its people but warned that if there is further obstruction to solutions to the multi-dimensional crisis we will have to consider other courses of actions as some member states have proposed. The council of the European Union has been including other options, including targeted sanctions, Borrell said. "Of course we prefer not to go down this road and we hope that we will not have to but it is in the hands of the Lebanese leadership." Borrel rejected claims by some Lebanese politicians that refugees are the cause of the crisis, saying it is homemade. It is not fair (to say) that the crisis in Lebanon comes from the presence of refugees, he said referring to nearly 1 million Syrian refugees who fled the war in their country to Lebanon. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Iran's hard-line judiciary chief won a landslide victory in the country's presidential election, a vote that both propelled the supreme leader's protege into Tehran's highest civilian position and saw the lowest turnout in the Islamic Republic's history. The election of Ebrahim Raisi, already sanctioned by the U.S. in part over his involvement in the mass execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988, became more of a coronation after his strongest competition found themselves disqualified from running in Saturday's vote. That sparked calls for a boycott and many apparently did stay home out of over 59 million eligible voters, only 28.9 million voted. Of those voting, some 3.7 million people either accidentally or intentionally voided their ballots, far beyond the amount seen in previous elections and suggesting some wanted none of the four candidates. Iranian state television immediately blamed challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and U.S. sanctions for the low participation. But the low turnout and voided ballots suggested a wider unhappiness with the tightly controlled election, as activists criticized Raisi's ascension. That Ebrahim Raisi has risen to the presidency instead of being investigated for the crimes against humanity of murder, enforced disappearance and torture is a grim reminder that impunity reigns supreme in Iran," Amnesty Internationals Secretary-General Agnes Callamard said. In official results, Raisi won 17.9 million votes overall, nearly 62% of the total 28.9 million cast. Had the voided ballots gone to a candidate, that person would have come in second. Following Raisi was former hard-line Revolutionary Guard commander Mohsen Rezaei with 3.4 million votes. Former Central Bank chief Abdolnasser Hemmati, a moderate viewed as a stand-in for outgoing President Hassan Rouhani in the election, came in third with 2.4 million votes. Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi was last with just under 1 million. Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, who gave the results, did not explain the high number of voided ballots. Elections in 2017 and 2012 saw some 1.2 million voided ballots apiece. Iran does not allow international election observers. While Iran does not have mandatory voting, those casting ballots do receive stamps showing they voted on their birth certificates. Some worry that could affect their ability to apply for jobs and scholarships, or to hold onto their positions in the government or security forces. Abroad, Syrian President Bashar Assad immediately congratulated Raisi's win. Iran has been instrumental in seeing Assad hold onto the presidency amid his country's decade-long grinding war. Separate congratulations came from Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who also serves as the vice president and prime minister of the hereditarily ruled United Arab Emirates. The UAE has been trying to de-escalate tensions with Iran since a series of attacks on shipping off its coast in 2019 that the U.S. Navy blamed on Iran. Also congratulating Raisi was Oman, which has served as an interlocutor between Tehran and the West. Iran's archrival Israel, however, slammed the new leader. Foreign Minister Yair Lapid called Raisi the butcher of Tehran and described him as responsible for the deaths of thousands of Iranians. Rouhani, who in 2017 dismissed Raisi as an opponent in his reelection as someone only knowing about executions and imprisoning people, met the cleric Saturday and congratulated him. "I hope I can respond well to the peoples confidence, vote and kindness during my term, Raisi said. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution overthrew the shah, Irans theocracy has cited voter turnout as a sign of its legitimacy, beginning with its first referendum that won 98.2% support that simply asked whether or not people wanted an Islamic Republic. Some, including former hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, called for a boycott of Saturday's election. A constitutional panel under Khamenei disqualified reformists and those backing Rouhani, whose administration reached the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. The accord disintegrated three years later with then-President Donald Trumps unilateral withdrawal of America from the agreement. Raisi's election puts hard-liners firmly in control across the government as negotiations in Vienna continue to try to save a tattered deal meant to limit Irans nuclear program, at a time when Tehran is enriching uranium at its highest levels ever, though still short of weapons-grade levels. Tensions remain high with both the U.S. and Israel, which is believed to have carried out a series of attacks targeting Iranian nuclear sites as well as assassinating the scientist who created its military atomic program decades earlier. Raisi also has become the first serving Iranian president sanctioned by the U.S. government even before entering office over his involvement in the 1988 mass executions, as well as his time as the head of Irans internationally criticized judiciary one of the worlds top executioners. The State Department said it hoped to build on the Vienna talks regardless of who is in power. However, it noted the election's lowest-ever turnout and described Iranians as being denied their right to choose their own leaders in a free and fair electoral process. Irans restrictions on free expression and association fundamentally compromise the electoral environment, the State Department said. Hundreds of political prisoners remain jailed, and we join the international community in calling for their release. But U.S. hopes for a longer and stronger nuclear deal from the Vienna talks may be in question. Raisis ambivalence about foreign interaction will only worsen the chances that Washington could persuade Tehran to accept further limits on its nuclear program, regional influence, or missile program, at least in Joe Bidens first term in office, wrote Henry Rome, an analyst at the Eurasia Group who studies Iran. Iranian presidents have almost all served two four-year terms. That means Raisi could be at the helm for what could be one of the most crucial moments for the country in decades the death of the 82-year-old Khamenei. Speculation already has begun that Raisi might be a contender for the position, along with Khameneis son, Mojtaba. ___ Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria, and Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report. SOLWAY, Minn. (AP) Clearwater County Sheriff Darin Halverson spent a lot of time in the sun. By the time folks occupying the Fire Light camp finished their ceremonies and broke camp, his clean-shaven head was a bright shade of red. Despite a nasty sunburn and some sleepless nights, it was all worthwhile for the sheriff of this small Minnesota county bordering the White Earth Reservation. On the evening of June 14, Halverson quietly escorted about 50 pipeline opponents from the camp out to Highway 40, where they were issued citations for trespassing on an Enbridge Line 3 work site. One of the demonstrators was arrested at his own request, according to Halverson. It was a far cry from the large police presence and more than 100 arrests at an Enbridge pumping station in nearby Hubbard County. Well, he said diplomatically, every county is different. Members of the Rise Coalition, an Indigenous-led environmental organization, and allies erected a prayer camp on June 7 at the Enbridge construction site along the Mississippi River near Solway. They and other Line 3 opponents had marched to the area with hundreds of others protesting the pipeline before pitching their camp at the end of a wooden boardwalk leading to the site. They lit a spirit fire and began to fast and pray. We are in peace, and we intend to stay in peace; we are upholding our end of the treaties, said Dawn Goodwin, co-founder of the Rise Coalition and a citizen of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe. Halverson was there from the beginning, standing in the crowd, quietly listening to the speakers. Two of his deputies stood nearby. Indian Country Today asked him if he would be arresting or citing anyone. No, we just want to be sure everyone is safe, he said. Indeed, as pipeline opponents quietly left the Enbridge construction site on June 14, one week after pitching camp there, one couldnt help but wonder at the difference between that scenario and the chaotic scene at the Enbridge pump station on June 7. After threatening the opponents with a helicopter, law enforcement surrounded the site and arrested nearly 200 people, leading them away in handcuffs to waiting buses. Halverson, however, had a different vision for his county. In his daily visits to the Fire Light camp, he and the demonstrators formed a plan. We decided we wanted to write our own narrative, he told Indian Country Today later in an interview. We would show the world that things can be done in a peaceful way. WHAT PEACE TALKS SHOULD BE ABOUT Born and raised in the nearby town of Bagley, Halverson has lived in the area all of his life. He grew up with some of the pipeline opponents. I went to school with him, Goodwin confirmed. His mother was my lunchroom supervisor. She also knew the sheriff from his attendance at the coalitions educational events teaching people about treaties. Halverson and the demonstrators talked and negotiated for seven days. Sheriff Halverson uplifted our treaties, Goodwin said. This is what peace talks should be about. Goodwin said Halverson helped avoid a mass arrest and convinced Enbridge to give the group more time to finish their ceremonies. He could see we were there in prayer and ceremony; he honored that, she said. Clearwater County is one of 16 northern Minnesota counties that are members of the Northern Lights Task Force, created to help fund law enforcement costs in policing protests against Enbridge Line 3. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission required Enbridge to fund the task force as part of the approval process for the pipeline project. In some counties, task force members have eagerly arrested people protesting Line 3 or cited them with elevated trespassing charges such as trespassing on a critical infrastructure site. Halverson was careful not to criticize other counties but said, I told them I didnt want anything like what happened at the pumping station down here; we can end it peacefully. Several officers from other counties were staged nearby, waiting to assist Halverson in clearing demonstrators from the site. THEY KEPT THEIR WORD On June 12, Enbridge sent Halverson a letter stating that the pipeline opponents were trespassing on the companys construction site, damaging property and endangering the health and welfare of Enbridge workers. Although the company had initially agreed to allow demonstrators to conduct a ceremony at the site, they now wanted them removed. Halverson, however, stood his ground. It was a little tense for a while there, he said. People wanted them off the property right away, but I think if wed gone in with a large police presence, I dont believe they would have left any faster. He continued, Everybody knows when they come into our county that Im the one who calls the shots, so they listened to me. In the end I think they were impressed at how well we communicated with the protestors. The pipeline opponents expressed anger at Enbridges accusatory letter. There was nothing here when we arrived other than a wood plank road that was already carved up by the coming and going of heavy equipment. There was no equipment here to damage, coalition members wrote in a letter posted on the groups Facebook site. We reject Enbridges empty trespass claims. In the end, however, demonstrators walked peacefully away from the camp. They promised that everything would be cleaned and picked up (from the campsite), Halverson said. They kept their word on everything. I didnt see so much as a gum wrapper on the ground after they left. Goodwin said it was very important to the coalition members to honor their agreement with the sheriff. He trusted us, and we trusted him, she said. We told him we would leave when our ceremonies and prayers were done, and we did. Both Halverson and Goodwin agreed that the negotiation process with its air of mutual respect could be a model for future actions between demonstrators and law enforcement officers. At the end of the day, we have to stay here and live with everyone, Halverson said. I dont want to ruin the good relationships weve worked so hard to build. NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) Ethiopias leaders in closed-door talks with a European Union special envoy earlier this year said they are going to wipe out the Tigrayans for 100 years, the envoy said this week, warning that such an aim looks for us like ethnic cleansing. The remarks by Pekka Haavisto, Finland's foreign minister, describing his talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and other ministers in February are some of the most critical yet of the Ethiopian government's conduct of the conflict in Ethiopias northern Tigray region. They came in a question-and-answer session Tuesday with a European Parliament committee. Ethiopias foreign ministry dismissed Haavistos comments as ludicrous and a hallucination of sorts or a lapse in memory of some kind. Haavistos special adviser, Otto Turtonen, told The Associated Press that the envoy has no further comment on this matter. For months, Haavisto has served as the EU's special envoy on Ethiopia. In February he said he had two intensive days in substantive meetings with Abiy the Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2019 and other key ministers about the growing humanitarian crisis in Tigray, where thousands of civilians have been killed and famine has begun in a region of some 6 million people. Ethiopian and allied forces from neighboring Eritrea have been accused of atrocities while pursuing fighters supporting Tigray's former leaders. It is not clear from Haavistos remarks this week which Ethiopian officials made the comments about wiping out ethnic Tigrayans. When I met the Ethiopian leadership in February they really used this kind of language, that they are going to destroy the Tigrayans, they are going to wipe out the Tigrayans for 100 years and so forth," the envoy said. If you wipe out your national minority, well, what is it?" Haavisto added. "You cannot destroy all the people, you cannot destroy all the population in Tigray. And I think thats very obvious, that we have to react, because it looks for us like ethnic cleansing. It is a very, very serious act if this is true." In comments shortly after those February meetings, Haavisto had warned that the crisis in Tigray appeared to be spiraling out of control. The United Nations human rights office has said all sides in the conflict have been accused of abuses, but witnesses have largely blamed Ethiopian and Eritrean forces for forced starvation, mass expulsions, gang rapes and more. Haavisto's remarks emerged as Ethiopia prepares to vote in a national election on Monday, the first major test at the polls for Abiy as he seeks to centralize power under his Prosperity Party. Abiy was awarded the Nobel a year after he took office and introduced dramatic political reforms while sidelining Tigray leaders who had dominated Ethiopias government for years in a coalition with other ethnic-based parties. Months of growing tensions between Abiys government and Tigrays ruling party followed, and the prime minister in November accused Tigray forces of attacking a military base. The EU and the United States have been outspoken about Tigray, with the U.S. last month announcing it has started restricting visas for government and military officials of Ethiopia and Eritrea who are seen as undermining efforts to resolve the fighting. The U.S. earlier this year asserted that ethnic cleansing is occurring in western Tigray. The term refers to forcing a population from a region through expulsions and other violence, often including killings and rapes. It is critical that leaders within the EU are raising the alarm bell, Human Rights Watch researcher Laetitia Bader told the AP. There is now ample evidence of widespread atrocities having been committed against civilians in Tigray. ... But so far the international response is nowhere near matching the magnitude of the crisis. She called on the EU to take further concrete steps, bilaterally and in international fora, to prevent further atrocities and human suffering. CHESTER Summers here and camp is back in session at least at Camp Hazen YMCA. Camp Hazen was awarded a $25,000 expansion grant last month from the state Department of Education. The grant, which is funded by money Connecticut received through the American Rescue Plan, expands existing enrichment opportunities and increases access for children who might otherwise not have access to summer camp or programming. The camp is using the funds to expand its day camp program, adding two weeks at the start of summer to accommodate earlier school closings in the area. The grant will also allow for more staff to be hired and for financial aid to be distributed to families. A camp program is vital to the wellbeing of Connecticut youth, particularly those in the most underserved regions, because it provides the face-to-face, tech-free, social-emotional learning that has been absent from childrens education during the ongoing pandemic, Executive Director and CEO Denise Learned said. These funds were ushered through by U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who toured the camp Friday with state Rep. Christine Palm and Chester First Selectwoman Lauren Gister. Murphy helped the state receive the funds that made the grant Camp Hazen received possible. In March, Murphy wrote an op-ed, emphasizing the toll the pandemic has had on children, calling for more opportunities for low-income children to participate in summer programming. Yes, some kids will benefit from summer school, but many just need an opportunity to reset and reconnect through summer enrichment programs, like camps and recreation programs, that offer opportunities for social and emotional learning, recreation and exercise, arts and culture, and teamwork and leadership, Murphy wrote in the op-ed. He echoed these words during the tour, where he got to see children already out paddling on the lake. Camp has been impacted by the pandemic, but Camp Hazen has adapted. This year, masks are not required outdoors, only indoors and hand-washing stations are available throughout the campgrounds. Cabins also hold a total of 10 people now two staff members and eight campers. Camp runs until the end of August. christine.derosa@hearstmediact.com State Sen. Norm Needleman joined his Democratic colleagues on Thursday in voting to make Connecticut the latest state to legalize marijuana. Back home in Essex, however, Needleman said its unlikely that the town were he also serves as first selectmen will get rid of its local prohibition on pot dispensaries. My opinion is its probably not something likely for Essex. Needleman said, explaining that his vote to legalize the drug was aimed at righting inequities that have occurred over generations. By voting to legalize recreational cannabis for adult use, lawmakers also passed provisions aimed at creating business opportunities in inner-city neighborhoods that bore the brunt of the decades-long war on drugs. Yet in many of the states 169 municipalities, it will soon be up to local officials to decide whether they will try to keep marijuana businesses out, and what ordinances to adopt to keep the use of the drug in check. As they can under the states existing laws allowing use of medical marijuana, municipalities will still be able to establish zoning rules limiting dispensaries from certain areas, or prohibit them from opening altogether through a public referendum. The legislation also allows municipalities to adopt their own rules about the consumption of marijuana on public property or in the outdoor seating areas of restaurants. Larger cities must designate at least one public area in town where smoking marijuana is allowed. Some of the things we need to contemplate are, our prohibition of alcohol on town property, beaches and parks, are we going to extend that to marijuana, Guilford First Selectman Matthew Hoey said. Our assumption is the same rules apply. In towns along Connecticuts shoreline, officials have already begun discussing whether to allow marijuana dispensaries to open up in bustling downtowns and beachfront communities that attract crowds of summertime tourists. At a meeting last month to discuss the issue, Old Saybrook First Selectman Carl Fortuna declared that he was opposed to allowing a dispensary to open on Main Street, though neither he nor the other selectmen called for a complete ban. Fortuna instead suggested that dispensaries could be limited to those attached to cultivation centers in industrial districts. States that were early adopters of legalization saw spikes in marijuana-related tourism, though officials along the shoreline noted that many of the regions visitors already hail from states like New York and Massachusetts where marijuana is legal. I dont think this is how we would envision ourselves, Madison First Selectwoman Peggy Lyons said. The reality is our neighboring states are moving in this direction and our state is moving in this direction. Stephen Tagliatela, owner of the Old Saybrook Resort and Marina and president of the Connecticut Tourism Coalition, was more blunt, saying Connecticut likely waited too long for legalization to have any impact on tourism. While smoking marijuana will still be prohibited at hotels, Tagliatela predicted that legalization will likely lead to wafting smoke in some areas and unhappy tourists. Its not going to be very pleasant to have discussions with people because youre going to have complaints from customers who don't really want to have that in their vacation environment, Tagliatela said. Under the legislation sent to Gov. Ned Lamont, the use of cannabis would still be prohibited in state parks and beaches and violators could face fines of up to $250. Cities and towns, meanwhile, will have to come up with their own rules. Lamont has said he will sign the bill, though he had not as of Friday. His administration said dispensaries may open by mid-2022. Needleman, the senator from Essex, said towns are likely to adopt non-smoking ordinances for marijuana similar to those in place for tobacco. Policing other forms of cannabis in public areas, he said, poses more of a challenge. I dont even know how you would stop somebody from taking edibles, Needleman said. I mean, we dont allow per-se public drinking, but if somebody put out a blanket in a park and was having a beer or a glass of wine were not going to go arrest them. In Guilford, Hoey said any local prohibitions will also be treated similarly to alcohol violations. At the town beach, he said staff are instructed to tell drinkers to put alcohol away or leave the beach and that citations are rare. We operate under the assumption that people dont know what the rules are, Hoey said. One aspect of the marijuana business that towns will be unable to prohibit is the delivery and transportation of cannabis to customers and patients. I think thats a really important feature of this bill, because it doesnt matter where you are, you can order pot and have it delivered, said Sam Gold, executive director of the Lower Connecticut River Valley Council of Governments. Middlesex County, home of the river valley and shoreline beaches, is the only county in the state without an operating medical marijuana dispensary, according to a list maintained by the Department of Consumer Protection. The majority of dispensaries are located in more populous Hartford, New Haven and Fairfield counties. Municipalities would also be allowed to collect a 3 percent local sales tax if they allow dispensaries to open, though Needleman said smaller towns with healthy finances are unlikely to be enticed by the possibility of new revenues. I think small towns like Essex, Deep River, Chester are going to avoid it, but you never know, its really up to the will of the people in those towns. Needleman said. They tend to be quiet. MYSTIC On Friday morning, five new Connecticut residents from Canada met their neighbors at a social hour, for the first time in a month. Only these recent expats can grow to more than a ton, and normally spend most of their lives in the frigid waters of the Arctic Ocean. Mystic Aquariums five new beluga whales were introduced to the aquariums three existing belugas, after spending a month apart to get used to their new environment. Now all eight of them will live together in the 750,000 gallon Arctic Coast habitat, the aquarium said in a news release. The newly arrived whales range in age from 5 to 6 years old, and arrived at the center in May, a 22-hour endeavor that involved two flights on a giant cargo plane, flatbed trucks, police escorts, custom-designed transport containers, cranes, and over 150 team members, the aquarium said. Since they arrived from Marineland in Canada, the five belugas have lived in a separate tank with viewing windows into the Arctic Habitat tank. Thats allowed the whales to communicate with the Aquariums other three whales Juno, Kela, and Natasha and for the marine mammals to get to know one another. On Friday morning, a gate was lifted allowing the five new arrivals the chance to meet their new living partners. In a statement, the aquariums senior vice president of zoological operations said the aquarium is extremely pleased with how the introductions between the two groups went. Introductions of this nature can be somewhat unpredictable, as you never know how a particular animal will react, but today could not have gone better, said Dr. Allison Tuttle. The aquarium said the belugas have been working with trainers so that the whales can participate in critical research aimed at saving endangered populations of the species. A Connecticut animal rights group had sued in federal court to try to block the aquarium from obtaining the belugas from Canada, but the aquarium was ultimately able to import them. The political infighting is all finished in the Connecticut marijuana legalization debate. And man, there was a lot of it, right to the last day. Now the state turns to creating and enforcing the rules for recreational cannabis. What does that mean for you? Some details arent yet clear, like how many stores well see. Some aspects of the 295-page bill that Gov. Ned Lamont will soon sign into law remain open to interpretation. And of course, no law is carved in stone. These things will change and evolve over time, said Rep. Steve Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport, co-chairman of the legislatures Judiciary Committee and a key sponsor of the bill. Heres what we know now. Every bit of this applies strictly to people age 21 or older. Generally when we talk about marijuana, we mean any cannabis product that contains THC, the psychoactive ingredient. There are some differences in the law between smokable and edible forms; you can consume gummie and chocolates most anyplace, as long as youre not driving. When does the law take effect and what happens then? Starting July 1, you can have more marijuana than you can possibly consume in a reasonable time. It will become perfectly legal to possess no infraction and certainly no arrest but you cant sell it. Thats still a crime. Stores are targeted to open in mid-2022, but a lot has to happen first. Can I smoke pot in public after the bill goes into effect? As with tobacco, smoking pot is prohibited in public buildings, most workplaces and stores, state parks and lots of other places. The bottom line is, anyplace that smoking tobacco is illegal, either smoking or vaping cannabis will also be illegal, Stafstrom said. The bill expands the no-smoking list to include areas within 25 feet of any doors, windows or intake vents of public buildings. That means you cant walk down a sidewalk smoking a joint if its within 25 feet of a store but that provision doesnt kick in until Oct. 1 of this year. As for walking down the street in a residential area, thats open to interpretation by police so its not yet clear. An example of the complexity: The bill gives cities and towns a lot of leeway to determine whether smoking marijuana is allowed on property they own or control, such as local parks. How about in a car, if Im not driving? Nope. You cant smoke marijuana even as a passenger in a motor vehicle that is being operated on any public road, highway or parking lot with more than 10 spaces. How will police be able to tell if Im driving under the influence? Each police officer will be certified to tell whether someone is high, Stafstrom said, based on new training they will all receive. And the state will train many more drug recognition experts, whose testimony will be admissable in court. Can I smoke pot on my private property in clear view of the public, such as sitting in a chair on my front lawn even if children are just a few feet away? Yes. How much am I allowed to possess starting July 1? You can carry up to 1.5 ounces of plant material or equivalent in other forms. In addition, you can have up to 5 ounces in a locked container at home or in a locked glove compartment or the trunk of your car. How much will I be allowed to grow at home, and when? Medical patients may cultivate up to three mature and three immature cannabis plants starting Oct. 1, 2021. Anyone else will have to wait until July 1, 2023, with the same plant limits, the state Department of Consumer Protection said. Where exactly can I grow the plants? They must be inside, not outdoors, at your primary residence. Can I sell any pot that I grow? Can I give it away as a gift? No, you cant sell any marijuana even if you grow it yourself, unless you hold a license from the state. You are allowed to give away cannabis as a gift. Can I go to the store and buy it for a friend who then pays me back for the cost? No, receiving compensation is the same as selling, even if youre just picking it up for a friend and not profiting. Can my employer prohibit me from using THC products? How about while not at work? This is a complex area but generally, employers will have leeway under Connecticut law to bar employees from using marijuana certainly at work, and also outside of work. We have the most employer friendly protections of any legalization bill Ive seen in the country, Stafstrom said. Some types of workers fall udner even stricter guidelines, including firefighters, police, commercial drivers and certain federal employees and contractors. We were very sensitive to the fact that we are a state that has a heavy concentration of defense manufacturers, Stafstrom said. What is the best estimate of when the first stores will open? The governors office at first said May 2022, and now is wavering on that goal. Before anyone opens retail doors, the state must license growers and retailers and license an entire supply chain, which then must be up and ready. Most states have taken longer than a year to open. How many stores we will see in, say, five years? The number could be very large, rivaling the number of package stores but market conditions will play a strong part in determining who opens. Cities and towns will also be able to prohibit marijuana dispensaries through their zoning powers. What is the maximum amount I will be able to buy? One ounce of cannabis, or an equal amount of THC products per day at a single retailer. Medical patients have higher limits. Will the ingredients for blended THC products such as edibles and vape be listed? Yes, unlike in many states. Will we see colorful trade names for products, such as Purple Haze and Grand Master Trashed, which are not allowed in the medical dispensaries? Yes, as long as they arent designed to appeal to teens and young kids. But the rules may limit flashy packaging or colors. dhaar@hearstmediact.com WESTPORT The deaths of a woman and her 7-year-old daughter that shook the community and local elementary school have been ruled a murder-suicide, the states chief medical examiner said Friday. According to Dr. James Gill, the states chief medical examiner, Tracy Do, 46, died by suicide from sharp injuries of torso and extremities. Gill said Layla Malon was drowned and her death was ruled a homicide. A state police source previously said Friday the deaths were being investigated as a possible double-homicide, but the medical examiner determined it was a murder-suicide after conducting autopsies on the bodies. Westport police said they responded to a Lyndale Park home around 4 p.m. Thursday for a report of an unresponsive woman. Police said they found the womans body and the 7-year-old child, who was also dead. This is a horrible tragedy, and the police department is keeping the family as well as the community that was so deeply affected by this in our thoughts and prayers, Police Chief Foti Koskinas said in a statement. According to court records, the owner of the house attempted to have Do removed earlier this year after their romantic relationship ended. He alleged in the court filing that she destroyed some of his belongings and was escalating tensions in the home, the court records show. A judge ultimately denied the request, in part due to an executive order from Gov. Ned Lamont that limited evictions during the pandemic. In a separate lawsuit against the homeowner, Do alleged that she had worked for him and his construction company for years without receiving compensation. In a brief statement released Friday morning, Westport First Selectman Jim Marpe called the deaths an awful tragedy. Police, first responders, public school personnel and students have been directly impacted by this devastating event, he said. The entire community shares in their grief and sadness. Westport is a caring community and I know we will come together to support those who need to begin the healing process. Mark Kratter, a criminal defense attorney who lives across the street from the Lyndale Park home, said the family was known for their unbelievable Christmas decorations. They looked to be a very happy family, he said Friday morning. They had a very well-manicured home with extensive Christmas decorations that populated the entire lawn on a 2-acre lot. The three-story home, which sits on the corner of Weston Road, is surrounded by fencing and is only accessible by a gate. The 4,457-square-foot home was last sold in July 2010 for $515,000, according to property records. On Friday morning, a police vehicle was parked in the driveway while an unmarked police car sat up the street. By the afternoon, a small bouquet of flowers and a purple stuffed animal had been placed on the bench near the homes front gate in a makeshift memorial. Westport Schools Superintendent Thomas Scarice said Coleytown Elementary School and Stepping Stones Preschool was closed Friday for normal activities, but was open for parents and students for mental health services. Scarise said students can come to school Monday to collect their belongings before going on summer vacation. Scarise said there will be no discussion of the recent tragedy while students visit their teachers and collect their belongings. As our community mourns the tragic loss of one of our beloved student and her mother, I want to provide assurance that the school district is actively working to support those closest to this unspeakable loss, he wrote in a message to Westport families. A plan for mental health and grief counselors is being developed for those most impacted. Editor's note: This is the second of a two-part series about the fatal accident of 1st Lt. David Schmitz, an F-16 pilot at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. Read the first story: F-16 Pilot's Runway Death Forces Reckoning Over Tight Flight Hours, Training Gaps There was no shortage of missteps, accidents and bad calls that led to the crash that killed F-16 pilot 1st Lt. David Schmitz last June: A botched risk assessment that didn't consider his level of experience for the mission that night, his damaged landing gear, and an improper suggestion from the control tower to attempt a cable arrest while landing with his busted gear. Despite all that, Schmitz might have had a chance at walking away from that crash but for one devastating problem: A catastrophic malfunction of his ejection seat when he tried to bail out as his landing was going all wrong. A full year later, Schmitz's widow, Valerie Rudolph, is left with nothing but questions. Why was Schmitz given the all-clear to land with his damaged landing gear? Would he have survived if not for the ejection seat, which malfunctioned as Schmitz attempted to bail out instead as his final act? Valerie isn't alone. Fellow pilots' spouses close to the Schmitzes and the rest of the Schmitz family have voiced similar questions. And Military.com readers, some of them retired maintainers, also wanted to know why such an egregious failure was allowed to happen with the ejection seat, a mechanism that literally means the difference between life and death to the pilots who use it. "I just can't believe that one seat had that many separate and unique failures," said one former maintainer who worked on fighters and bombers in the Air Force for 20 years. "Seems like they would have grounded the fleet." According to data and corresponding information provided to Military.com, the Air Force did not see a need to hasten inspections or accelerate maintenance on the seat's sequencer, because work was already underway. But changes came too late for Schmitz. And even after the tragedy, no comprehensive fast-track has been ordered. While parts from the same production line as Schmitz's seat have been sidelined, it's not certain whether another ejection seat mishap could happen before maintenance work is complete. Its something Schmitz's widow fears -- that another pilot may suffer the same fate. On the night of the fatal accident, members of the 77th Fighter Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, involved in the training mission incorrectly filled out Schmitz's risk management worksheet, which estimates the amount of hazard before an event, evaluating factors such as experience, weather and other conditions. The scenario was a nighttime air-to-air refueling from a KC-135 Stratotanker and a suppression of enemy air defense simulation, the first time Schmitz had done either of those training exercises. The risk factors should have been rated higher based on his experience, and would have been elevated to the operations group commander or designated counterpart for additional approval. Because of the miscalculation, that didn't happen, according to the Accident Investigation Board report's findings, released in November. Coming in for a landing, Schmitz, 32, severely damaged the aircraft's landing gear upon touching down, striking an antenna array short of the runway. He attempted a cable arrest with the busted gear, as instructed -- improperly -- by personnel in the control tower. Schmitz slammed into the ground while still in his ejection seat due to a sequence malfunction. He died instantly. Shaw officials say those involved in the June 30, 2020, event have been disciplined. "Over the past year, we have examined and revised our policies and processes in the [wing] in order to help prevent an accident like this from happening again," Col. Lawrence Sullivan, commander of the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw, told Military.com. "Leadership also reviewed the accident investigation board report and has taken multiple administrative actions to hold responsible individuals accountable," he said, adding that the administrative actions are covered by the privacy act and cannot be released. Valerie believes the Air Force should have done more. "I just feel like the response was, 'Whoops, sorry about that,'" she said. "Why did he get put in this situation in the first place? That's not minimizing risk, that's allowing the possibility of risk to take place. "I hope changes are being made. At the end of the day, that ejection seat should have worked," Valerie added. "I feel really let down. I'm just so sad for him." The Ejection Misfire Calling for a comprehensive stand-down would have been a colossal undertaking since the ACES II ejection seat is used by multiple fleets: the F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-15 Eagle and Strike Eagle, F-22 Raptor, A-10 Thunderbolt II, B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit. By the service's calculations, that's 2,532 ACES II seats, made by Collins Aerospace of Raytheon Technologies, according to data provided to Military.com. Collins referred all questions to the service. The essence of the mechanism is a small computer that makes sure that the sequence of events in a seat launch happens in the correct order, said the former maintainer. Because the ejection process needs more than a dozen minuscule but critical items to launch in succession, "the upgrade to the sequencer is so important," the maintainer added. Normally, when the seat exits the aircraft, "the Digital Recovery Sequencer (DRS) is activated, which is responsible for providing seat stabilization, pilot/seat separation, and parachute deployment," the investigation report into Schmitz's mishap states. The system normally fires signals to multiple pyrotechnic devices, which execute the ejection sequence. In Schmitz's case, six pyrotechnic devices should have fired, "yielding a parachute in less than two seconds." But the devices did not fire, and the parachute did not deploy. Schmitz had only 3.4 seconds after initiating ejection to pull the emergency manual parachute deployment handle once he realized the first hadn't worked. The Accident Investigation Board president, Maj. Gen. Randal Efferson, found that it was "possible, but highly unlikely" Schmitz could have done so in that timeframe, especially if incapacitated by disorienting events. Air Force Research Lab inspectors who aided in the investigation found that there were errors in two of the DRS's three control channels: Channel two failed due "to a critical error at power-on, and channel three failed due to a signal noise issue," the report states. The service said that the issue has "been observed in approximately 9% of all live ejections and sled tests," for the seat, the report adds. The DRS was introduced in 2005, with the final systems procured in 2014 from California-based Teledyne Electronic Safety Products. The errors in Schmitz's case -- at the power-on and a signal noise issue -- can happen to a variety of electronic equipment, said a longtime military aviation specialist, who asked not to be identified because he is not authorized to speak to the press in his current job. A modification could have averted one or both of those issues, said the specialist, echoing what Efferson determined in his report findings. The flaw would have been found within a Time Compliance Technical Order, known as a TCTO maintenance inspection. That type of inspection often mandates expedited modifications, comprehensive equipment inspections or installation of new equipment in order to fix an urgent issue or reduce a potential hazard. The first opportunity for the TCTO would have been in 2017, Efferson said. But it was not executed because of "lack of available parts." "The TCTO requirement was automatically deferred to the next 36-month seat inspection, which was 28 August 2020," approximately eight weeks after the accident, according to the report. The DRS in Schmitz's seat was considered "expired" in February 2019. Knowing this, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center approved an extension, independent of the TCTO requirement, until parts were available. The center issued three extensions, the last approved on May 27, 2020, that would have expired on July 31. "When it comes to things that are life support, i.e. an ejection seat or an oxygen [breathing] system, those are things that you've got to think really long and hard before you defer those [maintenance orders]," said retired Gen. Herbert "Hawk" Carlisle, an F-15 Eagle pilot who led Air Combat Command between 2014 and 2017. "I mean, it's your last resort." To correct the noise-related deficiency, the service chose to fine-tune the DRS with a shorting plug or replace the DRS entirely with an upgraded sequencer, known as the Modernized ACES II Seat Sequencer, or MASS, depending on the age of the respective unit, according to the Air Force Safety Center. Schmitz's F-16 was scheduled to receive an upgrade to MASS, also made by Teledyne. The aircraft would have received maintenance between July 8 and Aug. 21 for the MASS installation, canceling out the TCTO requirement. A crew chief with the 115th Fighter Wing, Truax Field, Wisconsin, marshals an F-16 Fighting Falcon August 15, 2018 at Truax Field. (Cameron Lewis/U.S. Air National Guard) When asked whether the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center -- which had issued multiple extensions on the fix -- decided to ramp up spare parts deliveries to bases after the accident, officials said no. The shorting plugs and or MASS devices "were provided to Air Force bases as they became available," for those aircraft still requiring the tech order completion, said Derek Kaufman, spokesman for Air Force Materiel Command, which oversees the center. If MASS assets were available instead of the shorting plugs, they "were delivered to bases for installation to minimize future maintenance actions," he said. No other spare parts were required to complete these TCTO actions, he added. "There should be no excuse ever for lack of available parts, especially critical parts," Valerie Rudolph said. The DRS has a shelf life of 10 years; it is no longer manufactured, the service said. Rep. Ken Calvert, a California Republican who has been in touch with the Schmitz family, told Military.com that the service needs to review its protocols for maintenance extensions. The Air Force must "determine the root cause of parts shortages that prevent critical life-saving maintenance and work with Congress to fix it," Calvert said. Aircraft Still Need of Repair Aside from the accident at Shaw, there have been no other aircraft accidents within the last five years in which the DRS issue caused a seat separation to fail, the Air Force Safety Center said. But there was another incident that occurred earlier, which became the catalyst for the all-inclusive TCTO inspection. In 2014, an F-16C instructor pilot in the Tulsa Air National Guard experienced a similar DRS failure during an uncontrolled ejection near Moline, Kansas, after he and his student pilot collided during a training mission. In that case, the instructor pilot was more experienced than Schmitz, with more than 2,600 flight hours. Within 4 seconds, the pilot, unnamed in the report, knew he had to pull the emergency manual parachute deployment handle, and did so at 7,500 feet above ground. Like Schmitz, circumstances called for a Mode 1 ejection, or an egress for speeds less than 250 knots and altitudes less than 15,000 feet, for which the drogue parachute -- the subsequent chute -- doesn't deploy. Both pilots survived in that incident. The service did not see a reason to ground fleets following Schmitz's incident since the TCTOs -- ordered in 2016 following the 2014 incident -- were already underway, the safety center said. "Comprehensive testing of components up to now has generated nominal data on performance to specification and supported the decision to keep flying," the center said. It was still enough to give some leaders pause. Word came from higher headquarters and Air Combat Command, or ACC, to stand down those aircraft that had seats from the same production lot, according to Sullivan, commander of the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw. ACC found that 19 seats shared the same sequencer from the same production line as Schmitz's, 14 of which had received an upgrade to the MASS. That meant five seats were removed from service: two F-16 seats, two F-22, and one F-15 Strike Eagle. The five were immediately replaced with MASS units, the Air Force said, without disclosing which units were involved. In March, the service said it had 1,321 seats that have the DRS sequencers with shorting plugs, while 1,096 have MASS. Twenty seats were not accounted for in the data "due to long-term repairs, condemned status" or other factors; those seats "will not fly until completed," officials said in an email. As of April 8, seats from 32 aircraft were still waiting to receive the plug upgrade or full transfer to MASS by the end of September. The service did not disclose which aircraft are affected, or how often these aircraft are flying while awaiting scheduled repair. During the operational stand-down that occurred following Schmitz's death, Sullivan said he learned there were some "knowledge gaps" in the pilot community at the base about when to pull the ejection seat handle for a controlled and straightforward ejection. "None of our F-16s flew again until each of the pilots had been retrained in that specific area," he said. Lack of Confirmation Schmitz knew he was in trouble after he clipped his landing gear on his final approach to the runway. He made contact with the antenna because he incorrectly "interpreted the approach lighting system [to] identify the runway threshold," according to the report. The hit damaged the landing gear, caused its wheel to rotate perpendicular to the direction of travel and split its hydraulic lines, creating a failure in its secondary "system B" hydraulics, which control the power to the landing gear, nose wheel steering and wheel brakes, among other actions. Schmitz spoke with the supervisor of flying, or SOF, in the control tower, as well as the mission instructor lead, about follow-on procedures. The SOF told him that an ejection might be required "if conditions are not favorable." Capt. Christopher Stricklin, a member of the USAF Thunderbird aerial demonstration team, safely ejects from his F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft during an Air Show at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. (U.S. Air Force/Staff Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III) Personnel in the control tower and the mission lead eventually determined that Schmitz should follow the guidelines laid out in the "Landing with a Landing Gear Unsafe/Up" checklist and that he should attempt an approach-end cable arrestment, meaning that the F-16's tailhook would be caught by a steel cable on the runway. But Schmitz was hesitant, calling to the control tower not once, but three separate times asking whether it was the best idea. The report noted the supervisor, unnamed in the report, should have consulted with Lockheed Martin safety engineers for technical assistance to determine if the move was executable. That call did not happen. The supervisor also did not directly address Schmitz's questions, according to the report. Carlisle, the former ACC commander, said this should have been an immediate red flag. "You know that you're going to reach out and call and do everything you can to prepare for whatever contingency you're dealing with," Carlisle said, adding that when this failed for Schmitz, the young pilot likely went into an immediate reaction mode. "You're making instantaneous decisions," he said. "A lot of experience makes those instantaneous decisions. You aren't necessarily thinking, you're reacting." When Lockheed, the F-16's manufacturer, was consulted following the accident, engineers said that that particular checklist "only applies if a landing gear fails to extend normally, not when it is damaged or hanging." The engineers determined that the outcome of an attempted cable arrestment was unknown in Schmitz's case; however, they were aware of two previous instances of a damaged landing gear similar to his. In both cases, an ejection was suggested and performed instead. Calvert, the congressman, said the Air Force should ensure the supervisors of flying review procedures to listen to pilots under duress. Their input is crucial, as well as recommendations from the aircraft manufacturer, he said. The Final Moments Valerie Rudolph knows her husband never backed down from a challenge. He was a distinguished graduate, won multiple awards, and kept cool even when everything went wrong. "I've heard the tape," Valerie said, referring to Schmitz's exchange with the control tower. "Even after landing short, he's flying in the air and he's still incredibly professional. He was focused. I don't think he knew he was about to die." For any Air Force pilot in the middle of a situation that calls for an uncontrolled ejection, "you'd love to be 5,000 feet above the ground level," Carlisle said. Schmitz's F-16 touched down after traveling approximately 1,108 feet and at 138 knots ground speed and immediately veered left, indicating that the left main gear had failed to support the weight of the aircraft. The left wing hit the runway. Schmitz then activated the ejection seat, but to no avail. "I've been along on this journey for Dave, and I knew what his dream was, and I've been along this crazy road," Valerie said. "He achieved his dream, he reached his goal, in a sense, but he didn't really get to fully live his dream. "He was professional the entire time. Until the very end," she said. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. Related: After Fatal Jet Crash, the Pilots Got Blamed. Then the Air Force Banned the Flight Maneuver SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) A New Mexico Hispanic fraternal order is suing the mayor of Santa Fe over damage to a historical monument by activists last year and the citys proposal to permanently remove it. In a lawsuit filed Wednesday in state district court, the Union Protectiva de Santa Fe argues that the 152-year-old stone obelisk is a legally protected historical site under state law and that its removal dishonors Hispanic veterans. A group of around 40 mostly white activists tore down the stone obelisk last year after other statues and monuments across the U.S. were toppled over concerns about racism. In Santa Fe, inscriptions at the base of the monument honored Union soldiers who died fighting Indigenous tribes and Confederate soldiers. One inscription that described Indigenous people as savage was chiseled out in 1974 and never repaired. The lawsuit asks a judge to prevent the city from spending any time or money on modifications to the historic downtown park until the stone obelisk is restored. That would hobble Mayor Alan Webbers plans to have an independent commission determine the statue's fate. Despite calling for the removal of the obelisk, he emphasized that he would respect the final decision of the commission. A proposal for a commission to take on that task is being considered by the city council next month, with an estimated budget of $265,000. In addition to being a 19th century war memorial, the obelisk is a marker of the land grant issued from Spanish colonial royalty to Hispanic families that conquered the area in the 1600s. Its a reference point that anchors heritage and religious processions for traditional Hispanics and serves as a reminder of genocide for Native Americans. Were protecting our history, culture and our traditions, and our religion also, said Virgil Vigil, President of Union Protectiva de Santa Fe. For Vigil, a Vietnam War veteran and helicopter pilot, honoring the veterans is a major focus. This is respecting our soldiers that gave their lives to maintain the freedom that we have and to end slavery, he said in an interview Monday, near the grey wooden box that covers the remnants of the obelisk. Vigil has been an outspoken critic of Webbers handling of protests over the obelisk and the removal of a statue of Spanish conquistador Don Diego de Vargas from a downtown park. He said his organization has been shut out of conversations over the monuments future. This lawsuit is not the way forward, Webber said, adding that the commission would start its work very soon. A heated argument between the two during a chance encounter at a restaurant near the Plaza was reported by the Santa Fe New Mexican. Webber called for removal of the obelisk last year, months before activists tore it down on Oct. 13 during a protest marking Indigenous Peoples Day. The daytime destruction happened after police left the area in a move the mayor said was meant to prevent physical violence. I am angry the vandals tore down the obelisk before it could be removed to safety. I dont approve of it. I think we needed to have a conversation, Webber said. ___ Attanasio is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. Follow Attanasio on Twitter. Odisha government has constituted an eight-member technical committee to study the cause of COVID infection among people even after complete vaccination. The state government has set up the panel after noticing that several coronavirus infections are being reported among people who have completed the full vaccination schedule. "This needs further epidemiological, microbiological, immunological, genome and clinical studies for planning or preparedness of the state for possible future waves of COVID-19," a notification issued by the health department says. The move comes as a part of its planning to tackle the possible third COVID wave. The technical committee headed by Institute of Life Science, Bhubaneswar director Dr Ajay Parida will have seven other experts as its members. "The technical committee will report its observation to the state for guidance and further action," the notification signed by PK Mohapatra, additional chief secretary, health and family welfare, mentioned. Meanwhile Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh too has directed an expert group headed by Dr Gagandeep Kang to start studying the effectiveness of vaccines in the context of the new variants of the coronavirus. He underlined the need to get more samples analysed to have a clear picture and formulate a proper strategy. The states advisor Dr KK Talwar says an expert group was being constituted to analyse the audit of patients who had been on ventilator during the second wave to provide learnings for the future. Earlier this week, for the first time, a central government panel studying adverse side-effects of COVID-19 vaccine confirmed the death of a person in the country after getting the jab. The panel, which released data for vaccinations only till the first week of April, examined five deaths reported following vaccination on 5th February, eight cases from 9th March and 18 cases from 31st March. A 68-year-old man died on 31st March due to anaphylaxis (a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction) after he was administered a coronavirus vaccine, according to a report by the Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) committee under the union health ministry. AEFI committee advisor NK Arora says the panel has assessed 31 severe cases reported since the government launched the vaccine drive in January. This is the first death where causality has been established, with vaccine resulting in an anaphylaxis reaction. But compared to the overall numbers, only a small number had a severe reaction, Arora said. As per the panel, while the reporting rate was 2.7 deaths and 4.8 hospitalisations per million vaccine doses administered, it did not automatically imply that the deaths or hospitalisations were caused due to vaccines. Only proper investigation and causality assessments can help establish any causal relationship, the report says. According to Mr Arora, of the 31 cases of adverse events, three were reported as anaphylaxis half an hour after the shot. Two of them were hospitalised and discharged, but one died. Eighteen cases were found to be unrelated to vaccines and classified as coincidental. There were two cases of hospitalisation linked to vaccines. In seven cases, there is no definite evidence to link the deaths to vaccines. In two cases, there is not enough information. Experts at United Nations Office of the Human Rights Commissioner have said in a report that it is concerned that Indias Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, in their current form, do not conform with international human rights norms. The observations were made in Mandates of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and the Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy. The report is authored by Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Clement Nyaletsossi Voule, Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and Joseph Cannataci, Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy. "As noted in previous communications sent to your Excellency's Government, we are concerned that these new rules come at a time of a global pandemic and of large-scale farmer protests in the country, where the enjoyment of the freedom of opinion and expression, including the right to receive information, and the right to privacy, is particularly important for the realisation of several other civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights," the report said. "We would like to recall that restrictions to freedom of expression must never be invoked as a justification for the muzzling of any advocacy of multiparty democracy, democratic tenets and human rights," the report said. The report said as a global leader in technology innovation, India has the potential to develop a legislation that can place it at the forefront of efforts to protect digital rights. However, the substantially broadened scope of the Rules is likely to do just the opposite. "We would therefore encourage the Government to take all necessary steps to carry out a detailed review of the Rules and to consult with all relevant stakeholders, including civil society dealing with human rights, freedom of expression, privacy rights and digital rights", the report said. "We understand the new Rules were issued under the Information Technology Act of 2000 and therefore, were not subject to parliamentary review or opened for consultation with stakeholders. We believe such consultations with relevant stakeholders are essential in order to ensure the final text is compatible with India's international legal obligations, in particular with Articles 17 and 19 of the ICCPR," it added. This observation along with India's comment will also subsequently be made available in the usual report to be presented to the Human Rights Council, it added. Disclaimer: Information, facts or opinions expressed in this news article are presented as sourced from IANS and do not reflect views of Moneylife and hence Moneylife is not responsible or liable for the same. As a source and news provider, IANS is responsible for accuracy, completeness, suitability and validity of any information in this article. Ravi Parthasarathy, former chief of crisis-hit Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) has been sent to three-day police custody by the court of the special judge under Tamil Nadu Protection of Interest of Depositors (in Financial Establishment) Act, 1997. According to a report from Times of India , the economic offences wing (EOW) contended that the IL&FS group has defaulted in payments to various creditors through a calculated fraud and the total default caused to the entire creditors is approximately a mind-boggling figure of Rs1 lakh crore. "Considering the nature, gravity, seriousness and magnitude of the case, this court is of view that police custody has to be ordered in the interest of justice in order to facilitate the Investigating Agency to effectively investigate the case further," the special judge was quoted as saying by the newspaper while granting a three-day police remand of the accused from 16th June. After avoiding several summons by the EOW-Chennai, Mr Parthasarathy had moved the Madras High seeking an anticipatory bail and quashing of FIR filed against him under various sections. The Madras High Court quashed his defence of ill-health and ceasing to be the chairman of IL&FS with effect from 2017, paving the way for EOW-Chennai to take him into custody. Making a very hard-hitting statement, the remand note from EOW pointed out that the Union government had to intervene since the activities of the IL&FS group affected the interests of the economy of India. The companies were set up as a vehicle of fraud and innocent depositors were cheated and their livelihood taken away by virtue of the fraud committed by Mr Parthasarathy, who it termed 'kingpin and mastermind'. Ravi Parthasarathy became the chairman of the board of directors of IL&FS group in 2004. He served as the president and chief executive (CEO) of IL&FS group since 1989, thus clearly establishing that he was at the helm of affairs of the IL&FS group for over 30 years since its inception. Since then, Mr Parthasarathy had been controlling the arm and mind of the IL&FS group and he was responsible for managing its day-to-day affairs and played a major role in the scam. The Serious Fraud Investigating Officer (SFIO) has also named Ravi Parthasarathy as the prime accused and mentioned him as the key decision-maker in the IL&FS group, who used the group as his fiefdom. Being chairman of IL&FS group and director of its various subsidiaries, it noted, the coterie led by Mr Parthasarathy abused its position and diverted funds of its group companies. As reported by Moneylife, in one of its most damaging findings, the Union government mentioned, "IL&FS had created a trust known as the Employee Welfare Trust (EWT), which was used as an instrument to enrich its directors at the cost of the company. The trust was used to perpetrate fraud on IL&FS ad its group companies. The trust owned 12% of IL&FS Ltd. Ravi Parthasarathy and certain other senior IL&FS personnel were major beneficiaries of the Trust." (Read: A2Z of How IL&FS Employee Welfare Trust Ripped off Shareholders of IL&FS https://www.moneylife.in/article/a2z-of-how-ilfs-employee-welfare-trust-ripped-off-shareholders-of-ilfs/55561.html) The RBI report underlined that the major role in perpetrating the fraud and financial irregularity was played by Parthasarathy during his tenure as Group Chairman. The report noted indiscriminate sanctioning of loans, diverting of funds, flouting of RBI norms, fraudulent transactions to certain accounts, showing inflated numbers of subsidiaries, conflict of interest and concentration of power in the hands of few, which included Ravi Parthasarathy and his coterie. In 2019, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) bench at Mumbai had taken note of key findings of the SFIO interim report about the way the IL&FS group conducted its affairs contrary to public interest. It observed that the committee of directors (COD) from among the now suspended board of directors of IL&FS group abused their powers. Through various acts, including circuitous transactions increased the debt burden across the IL&FS Group. The Union government had filed company petition no3638 of 2018 under Sections 241 and 242 of the Companies Act seeking suspension of the board of directors of IL&FS under section 242(2)(k) of the Companies Act. In the Petition, the government inter alia stated as, Ravi Parthasarathy and his team were responsible for the negligence, incompetency and misleading the public by presenting rosy financial statements. "IL&FS was camouflaging its financial statements by hiding severe mismatch between its cash flows and payment obligations. It was also hiding total lack of liquidity and glaring adverse financial ratios," the petition added. Last week, EOW of Chennai Police had arrested Mr Parthasarathy in the Rs200 crore cheating and criminal breach of trust case filed by 63 moon technologies ltd. ( Read: Chennai EOW Arrests Ravi Parthasarathy of IL&FS in Rs200 crore Cheating Case Filed by 63 moons In its complaint, 63 moons had alleged offences of cheating and criminal breach of trust in the repayment of Rs200 crore invested by the company in debentures of IL&FS Transportation Networks India Ltd (ITNL). During 2014 and 2015, ITNL had notified issuance of 1,000 and 2,000 non-convertible debentures with a face value of Rs10 lakh each, aggregating to Rs100 crore and Rs250 crore respectively, on private placement basis. "To lure investors, ITNL falsely promised guaranteed annual return of up to 11.8% payable half yearly until redemption to its investors against their deposits with ITNL. We relied on the representations and assurances made by the ITNL and key managerial personnel and invested Rs200 crore in debentures," 63 moons had stated in its complaint. In 2018, IL&FS defaulted on its obligations and ITNL too defaulted in repaying interest on debentures to investors. Earlier in January this year, the EOW had arrested Ramchand Karunakaran, former managing director, and Hari Sankaran, former vice-chairman, and director of ITNL from Mumbai. Based on complaint filed by 63 moons, the Chennai EOW had registered a first information report (FIR). The EOW says, it has been receiving complaints from other depositors of ITNL. It has also asked aggrieved depositors and investors of ITNL to forward their claims to the Chennai EOW. Weather Alert ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...High temperatures in the mid to upper 90s. Some areas may exceed 100 degrees at times. * WHERE...Portions of central, north central, and west central Montana. * WHEN...Until 9 PM MDT this evening. * IMPACTS...Hot daytime temperatures may cause heat illnesses. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles. Take extra precautions when outside. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing. Try to limit strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Take action when you see symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. && SUPPORT THIS INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM The article youre about to read is from our reporters doing their important work investigating, researching, and writing their stories. We want to provide informative and inspirational stories that connect you to the people, issues and opportunities within our community. Journalism takes a lot of resources. Today, our business model has been interrupted by the pandemic; the vast majority of our advertisers businesses have been impacted. Thats why the Weekly is now turning to you for financial support. Learn more about our new Insiders program here. Thank you. JOIN NOW Dog ticks, like the one pictured, dont carry Lyme; for deer ticks to pass along infection, they have to be on a person for at least 36 hours, says Ken Klemme of the Mosquito Abatement District. June 19, 2021 Debunking A 'Chinese Defector' Story It is sad to see how much Col. Pat Lang's intelligence judgment has deteriorated. Here he goes crazy over a story of an alleged Chinese high level defector who allegedly brought all kinds of materials with him: This man, as Chinese counter-intelligence boss looked around the IC and decided that he was most likely to survive an internal leak if he defected to DIA. That means that in spite of the fact that DIA had an internal Chinese mole (recently arrested at DIA request by the FBI), the rest of the agencies are worse in the level in Chinese intelligence penetration not only of their analytic people but also of their operations staff. How do I know that? Material from the defector (Dong) would not normally be shared with analysts if it had his name in it. His identity would be held in operational channels. Clearly, this man believes that; CIA. army intelligence, naval intelligence, USAF intelligence and all the rest are heavily penetrated. pl. Lang took the defector story from Zerohedge.com which took it from Redstate.com where managing editor Jennifer Van Laar made it up by mixing her fantasies, a Freebacon report about Chinese students returning to the U.S. and a rumor about a defection reported by Spytalk: Chinese-language anti-communist media and Twitter are abuzz this week with rumors that a vice minister of State Security, Dong Jingwei () defected in mid-February, flying from Hong Kong to the United States with his daughter, Dong Yang. Dong is, or was, a longtime official in Chinas Ministry of State Security (MSS), also known as the Guoanbu. His publicly available background indicates that he was responsible for the Ministrys counterintelligence efforts in China, i.e., spy-catching, since being promoted to vice minister in April 2018. If the stories are true, Dong would be the highest-level defector in the history of the Peoples Republic of China. The rumor is false. How do I know? I copied "vice minister of State Security, Dong Jingwei" into Google Translate with the output language set to Chinese (simplified). That results in this string: "". The big Chinese search engine is Baidu.com. After pasting the string into Baidu it delivered these results: bigger The first search result is from September 2020 but the second on is from yesterday. As is the third. The second result goes to a Baidu news report. I copied the story from there and back into Google Translate - this time from Chinese to English. Here is the outcome: Ministry of National Security: It is necessary to catch spies as well as "traitors" and "behind the scenes." China Changan Net Release time: 06-1815:29 China Changan Net On the morning of June 18, 2021, Vice Minister Dong Jingwei of the Ministry of National Security presided over a symposium to study and implement the "Regulations on Anti-espionage Security Work" that came into effect on April 26 this year, and make arrangements for anti-rape and anti-espionage work. The symposium pointed out that the Party Central Committee attaches great importance to national security work and has made a series of important decisions and arrangements for counter-espionage work. As the competent authority for counter-espionage work, the Ministry of National Security has formulated and promulgated regulations that are a realistic need to prevent, stop, and crack down on illegal and criminal activities that endanger national security in accordance with the law, which are conducive to further consolidating the responsibility of counter-espionage security prevention and better organizing and mobilizing all social forces. Fight the "People's War" against espionage. ... The expression "anti-rape" seems to be a machine translation artifact and probably means "anti-infiltration". The third Baidu result has the same report from a different news outlet though the video attached to it is not of Dong Jingwei. A Chinese government site also carries the same story. So the guy who allegedly defected to the Defense Intelligence Agency apparently just talked about counterespionage at a symposium in presumably Beijing. Another search produces a picture of Dong Jingwei. The line below it translates to: On December 14, 2020, the China-Belarus Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee met in Beijing. Dong Jingwei (middle), the Vice Minister of the Ministry of National Security and the Chinese Chairman of the Security Cooperation Sub-Committee, also participated in the meeting. The Minister and the Chinese Chairman of the Cultural Cooperation Sub-Committee Zhang Xu sat together. (Image source: Internet) bigger The Dong Jingwei and his public activities are regular news. Still some will claim that the Chinese report about the symposium is false and was only launched to divert from the defection which therefore must be real. Well, consider all the stuff the defector, according to Redstate 'sources', allegedly brought with him: In addition, Dong has provided DIA with the following information: Early pathogenic studies of the virus we now know as SARS-CoV-2 Models of predicted COVID-19 spread and damage to the US and the world Financial records detailing which exact organizations and governments funded the research on SARS-CoV-2 and other biological warfare research Names of US citizens who provide intel to China Names of Chinese spies working in the US or attending US universities Financial records showing US businessmen and public officials whove received money from the Chinese government Details of meetings US government officials had (perhaps unwittingly) with Chinese spies and members of Russias SVR How the Chinese government gained access to a CIA communications system, leading to the death of dozens of Chinese people who were working with the CIA Dong also has provided DIA with copies of the contents of the hard drive on Hunter Bidens laptop, showing the information the Chinese government has about Hunters pornography problem and about his (and Joes) business dealings with Chinese entities. That sounds as much like a wet dream for Republicans as the pee-tape Steele Dossier was a wet dream for Democrats. How would a Chinese counter-espionage guy, who's job it is to catch U.S. spies in China, have access to all those claimed materials, especially to the names of Chinese spies in the U.S.? What would be his need to know those? Spying and counter spying are always compartmentalized from each other. They don't know each others secrets. How could Pat Lang fall for this nonsense? Posted by b on June 19, 2021 at 11:38 UTC | Permalink Comments next page next page People don't have healthy outlets to release their issues, problems or pains. These workshops create a safe place to wind down and talk about your hurts or stress. The community needs more outlets to talk about things they are afraid of, concerned with, worried about, traumatized by, or even just simply dealing with. Mone't Roberts Pull Quote This is the very first year. In the past, the salon has done hair and makeup for the Renee Jones Empowerment Centers annual gala, which is their largest fundraising event that they havent been able to hold. "So, we have decided to partner with them to do this fundraiser. Katie Klein, one of the salons owners Pull Quote Spec. Austin Hawk's family knew he was counting the days until his military contract was up. So when an Army chaplain in a crisp dress uniform arrived at his grandmother's door in Southern California last June, she thought he was bringing some kind of farewell commendation. The chaplain carried a different message. Hawk, 21, a soldier stationed in Georgia, had been killed, she was told - not in combat or in an accident, but stabbed to death in his own barracks room on Fort Stewart. The alleged assailant, the family would later learn, was a former soldier from Hawk's platoon who had walked uncontested through an unmanned installation gate to carry out what prosecutors have said was a conspiracy to "silence" Hawk for reporting misconduct. "I was devastated," Sandra Hodge, Hawk's grandmother, said in an interview. "It left a huge, huge hole in our lives. And I'll never get that filled." That episode, a year ago this week, has heaped confusion on top of the family's grief: How could a soldier who was a witness to alleged crimes be killed on a military base by a man who walked in off the street? The killing at Fort Stewart prompted a review of base security and the installation of an eight-foot fence and razor wire at the gate that the suspect allegedly entered, the Army said. The review uncovered two other perimeter security concerns that have been addressed, an official said. But the Army has not yet initiated an investigation of command decisions that may have disclosed Hawk's role as a witness to drug use in his unit or the security issues at the facility. "I believe the Army is culpable in his murder," said his mother, Julie Hawk. In a statement, the Army said it relies on numerous measures to protect its sprawling installations, including security personnel, electronic surveillance and natural terrain. Maj. Gen. Antonio Aguto, the commander of the Third Infantry Division, based at Fort Stewart, oversees "continuous" security evaluations. "At the time the suspect allegedly trespassed onto Fort Stewart, the installation was in compliance with regulations and policies concerning the installation's physical security measures," Lt. Col. Lindsey Elder, a division spokeswoman, said in the statement. Hawk, who grew up in California and Arizona, joined the Army in July 2017, and a welcome change came over him, his family said. "The Army made him a man. It made him more focused, more determined," Julie Hawk said. Austin Hawk was a model soldier and well-liked in the 92nd Chemical Company, where his unit was trained to handle hazardous-material threats on the battlefield, Army officials have said. In a Facebook post two days after Hawk's death, a soldier who served with him recounted a field exercise punctuated by the early-morning news of his own son's birth. Hawk calmed his comrade, carried his heavy rucksack and searched for a way to get him home quickly. "That's the type of guy Hawk was," the soldier wrote. "He would put the needs of others before his own." Hawk was taking online college courses in his off-duty time and planned to move back to Arizona after his Army contract finished at the end of 2020. He and two friends, who bonded in high school over complicated family issues, planned to finish electrical engineering degrees and dreamed of co-founding a tech company, said Bryce Armstrong, part of the trio they called "the bois." He eagerly awaited Hawk's arrival out West. "We decided to make our own family," Armstrong said. "Three brothers against the world." The alleged conspiracy to "silence" Hawk, prosecutors wrote, began after he reported alleged misconduct by two other soldiers in his platoon. Byron Booker, 28, a noncommissioned officer, was accused of unprofessional behavior and mistreating subordinates. Hawk also accused Jordan Brown, a 21-year-old private, of drug use. Hawk saw things in black and white, said his father, Andrew Hawk. "Unfortunately, that is what got him killed." This description of events leading to Hawk's death on June 17, 2020, is drawn from court and autopsy documents; interviews with Hawk's friends; and details from two people with knowledge of an April phone call among Army officials, a federal prosecutor and Julie Hawk. Attorneys for Booker and Brown and a federal prosecutor declined to comment, citing ongoing legal proceedings. Booker was kicked out of the Army weeks before the killing. Brown remained in the Army, and prosecutors allege that he had discussed plans to get a key card to Hawk's barracks room. On the evening before his death, Hawk played the online video game "Call of Duty" with Brent Grijalva, the third member of "the bois," Grijalva said. Nothing was out of the ordinary. They exchanged goodbyes after some digital matches. A few hours later, around midnight, Booker parked his car on the western edge of Fort Stewart near Gate 7, one of numerous access points at the installation that was unmanned during the night, according to the indictment and Army officials. The gate, which allows authorized soldiers and civilians to drive onto the base, was designed to restrict the flow of vehicles with a movable barrier that a pedestrian could easily sidestep - a possibility apparently overlooked by those responsible for security at the base but allegedly exploited by Booker. "We did not assess that folks would walk through there," Col. Alric Francis, who previously commanded Hawk's brigade, said on the April call. "I think if you walk around it, you're in." Booker continued on for about a mile to the barracks, climbed a stairwell and entered Room 208, according to the indictment. It is unclear if Hawk answered the door or if his assailant used a key card to enter, according to court records. Hawk was stabbed 40 times, including strikes through his lungs and brain, an autopsy later concluded. Booker left Fort Stewart on foot, presumably through the same gate, and discarded the clothes he had worn, according to the indictment. He was arrested the next day. Brown, who was kicked out of the Army in October, was arrested after a grand jury indictment in April. Both men face numerous capital felony charges in federal court, including premeditated murder, murder of a service member and retaliation against a witness, prosecutors said. The Army has not launched formal investigations to assess whether commanders should be held accountable for Hawk's death. Civilian law enforcement officials asked the Army to hold off investigating how Hawk's identity as a witness was disclosed until prosecutors get further along in their case, an Army official at Fort Stewart said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing case. The Army is "committed to . . . taking action against what we learn from law enforcement," the official said. The military may also look at potential command failures that made Gate 7 exploitable, but there were no issues at the gate identified in a 2018 installation vulnerability assessment, according to the official. "It's puzzling they would point to a review done prior to the incident that shows it was fine," said Rachel VanLandingham, president of the National Institute of Military Justice. "Obviously, it's not fine." Hawk's family has commended the Army for providing assistance through a military liaison and praised some leaders for their outreach. But answers to basic questions have been elusive. "As far as information, it's been zero," Andrew Hawk said. Julie Hawk has taken a more critical approach. Her other son requires extensive medical care, and she envisioned Austin helping with family duties when he returned. Now she has turned to online donations to help defray costs. Her home has been beset by form letters from lawmakers and Army officials describing Hawk as a hero, she said, a word that angers her. "My son wasn't a hero," she said. "My son went to bed with every intention of waking up." HONG KONG (AP) A Hong Kong court ordered the top editor of pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily and the head of its parent company held without bail Saturday in the first hearing since their arrest two days ago under the city's national security law. Ryan Law, the chief editor, and Cheung Kim-hung, the CEO of Next Digital, have been charged with collusion with a foreign country to endanger national security in a case widely seen as an attack on press freedom in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. Chief Magistrate Victor So said there was not sufficient grounds to believe they would not violate the security law again, and ordered them held at the Lai Chi Kok detention center. He set the next hearing for Aug. 13. Law and Cheung arrived at the court in an unmarked white van with covered windows. A handful of activists held up a banner and copies of the Apple Daily outside before the hearing began. Three others also arrested Thursday two Apple Daily senior editors and another executive have not been charged yet and were released on bail late Friday pending further investigation. One of them, Associate Publisher Chan Pui-man, said after attending the bail hearing, "I think that all media workers in Hong Kong are worried. But for now, for us, tomorrow, we will still come out with our newspaper, and well do our best to continue our work. The Apple Daily has long been one of the most outspoken defenders of civil liberties in Hong Kong. It supported massive protests demanding more democracy in 2019 and has criticized the subsequent crackdown, including the enactment of a national security law last year. The central government in Beijing has defended the legislation and the crackdown on opposition voices as necessary to restore order and stability. The 2019 protests that challenged Beijing's rule often started as peaceful marches during the day but turned into violent clashes between hard-core demonstrators and police at night. Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai is currently serving a 20-month prison sentence after being convicted of playing a role in unauthorized assemblies rallies and marches that had not received police approval during the 2019 protests. He has also been charged under the national security law. The latest arrests mark the first time journalists have been targeted under the new law, except for a freelancer who was arrested for pro-democracy activities. Hundreds of police and security agents who raided Apple Daily's office on Thursday also seized 44 hard drives, and authorities froze $2.3 million of its assets. Police said the arrests were based on more than 30 articles that had appeared in the Apple Daily since 2019 and that had called for international sanctions against China and Hong Kong. The security law specifically criminalizes colluding with a foreign country, institution, organization or individual to impose sanctions or a blockade against Hong Kong or China. Critics say Beijing is walking back on its promise at the 1997 handover of Hong Kong from Britain that the city could retain its freedoms not seen elsewhere in China for 50 years. The U.S. has imposed sanctions against Chinese and Hong Kong officials over the crackdown and called for the immediate release of the Apple Daily editors and executives. Asked how journalists should avoid getting in trouble, Hong Kong Security Secretary John Lee told a news conference this week that the answer is simple: Do your journalistic work as freely as you like in accordance with the law provided you do not conspire or have any intention to break the Hong Kong law and certainly not the Hong Kong National Security Law. ___ Associated Press news assistant Nicole Ko contributed to this report. ___ This story has been corrected to say the arrests were based on articles published since 2019, not since the security law took effect in 2020. When Midland ISD leaders approved the salary schedule earlier this month, they increased a starting teachers salary that was the highest in the region. The starting teacher at Midland ISD during the 2020-21 school year made $56,500. That was the highest of all districts in a report that the district offered the Reporter-Telegram. Other districts included Ector County ($54,250), Andrews ($53,500), the entire El Paso region, Amarillo ($50,258) and Lubbock ($45,000). The report also showed Midland ISD led for teachers with five and 10 years of experience ($59,500 and $61,250 respectively). Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD, another school district that pays a sizable amount in recapture as part of the states school finance system, is the lone district in the region with higher salaries for teachers with 15 years and 20 years of experience ($64,700 and $68,400, respectively, compared to the $63,750 and $66,250 in Midland ISD). During an April budget workshop, MISD trustees saw comparison data that showed starting teachers at Midland ISD making more than those at Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD (north of Dallas), Northwest ISD (between Dallas and Fort Worth) and Pflugerville ISD (north of Austin). It also shows Midland trailing McKinney ISD for starting salary but with higher salaries for teachers with five to 20 years of experience. A similar pattern was true comparing Midland ISD with Alvin ISD (located outside Houston). The increase in teacher salaries has been a focus of Midland ISD leaders going back to Superintendent Ryder Warren in 2010 when the average starting salary was $40,900. Six years later, starting pay rose to $49,050. Over the past four years, salaries have jumped to $53,500 in 2019 and $56,500 for the 2020-21 school year. Midlands commitment provided a framework for at least one other district in the Permian Basin. Ector County ISD was paying its starting teachers $44,500 as recently as 2017-18. Last year, that salary had increased to $54,250. This past week, ECISD leaders bumped up that pay to $57,000. Midland ISD Superintendent Angelica Ramsey wrote this week that the plan is for MISD to lead when it comes to salaries in the region, but that the board approves the districts compensation manual and staff recommendations. Midland ISD leaders also have said that salaries are not only ahead of others across the region but that few districts offer the health benefits that the Midland ISD offers. An MISD budget workshop document shows the following salaries for teachers across the district: 0 years of experience $57,500, 4 years of experience $59,250, 5 years of experience $60,550, 10 years of experience $62,250, 15 years of experience $64,750, 20 years of experience $67,250, 30 years of experience $72,300, 40 years of experience $76,850. The document also shows that salaries have increased by $8,450 for starting teachers since 2017 to $9,800 for teachers with five years of experience to $9,200 for teachers with 40 years of experience during the same period. Starting teacher salaries 2020-21 Midland ISD $56,500 ECISD $54,250 Andrews $53,500 Clint ISD $53,300 Ysleta ISD $53,205 Canutillo $53,150 El Paso ISD $52,750 Socorro ISD $52,262 Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD $52,000 San Elizario $52,000 Fabens ISD $51,267 Amarillo ISD $50,258 Also Greenwood ISD $49,000 Abilene ISD $48,000 Big Spring ISD $45,000 Lubbock ISD $45,000 Glasscock County ISD $43,080 San Angelo ISD $41,500 Juneteenth is officially a federal holiday in the United States of America. Dont you feel excited? Dont you feel great? Dont you feel ... free? Dont you FEEL free? This isnt a column thats going to be a feel-good column about how weve come a long way since our dark past. It will not imply our present is so much brighter. You need to understand some things before you message/meet up with your black friends and co-workers. I do not speak for all members of the black diaspora (no one does). That is probably worth remembering in your future dealings with African Americans. When it comes to the events of June 19, 1865, in Galveston, please understand that when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger delivered the good news about the enslaved, hes was talking to the last to know. The Emancipation Proclamation was signed on Jan. 1, 1863. Historians can debate and shed light as to why the enforcement of the executive order was delayed. It could have been that Gen. Robert E. Lees surrender wasnt until 1865, and Texas did not have enough Union troops to enforce it. Heres what is undeniable. Free men and women didnt know they were free for two years, five months and 18 days. Free men and women, worked for free, suffered more physically and mental trauma, for two years, five months, and 18 days. If you told me that there was a decree that everyones student loans were officially forgiven, and that didnt reach our Texas airwaves until two years, five months, 18 days later, I would call Sallie Mae herself and demand restitution. You owe me for what I have suffered in my years and for not telling me that I didnt have to do this any longer. Wait did I use the right word? Restitution? Or should I say reparation? Arent you tired of hearing that word reparations? I think the only thing is having generations of a people asking the federal government for it for decades. If it is not reparations, then it might be the cries for anti-hate legislation similar to our Asian-American brothers and sisters or a bill that puts an end to police violence. How about making lynching a hate crime or protecting voting rights? Can I at least send my child to a school where they can learn about their history? If you believe in a black agenda, understand that the aforementioned topics and issues are ahead of making Juneteenth a federal holiday. And as much as we can criticize the government for all it hasnt done, big businesses are held accountable as well. Remember about a year ago, when people were in the streets protesting and riots were happening, your favorite brands and mine started posting black squares on Instagram. The created tees that said Be the change or Im the change and vowed to fight racism? Did they actually do that? Or was that a market campaign to assure African Americans that they were welcomed to spend their money at that establishment. Did they actually take a look at their leadership and say that there needed to be better representation in our company that reflects the melting pot that is America and hire qualified African Americans? And when they had that seat at that table, were they heard like a man/woman or were they told to be seen and not heard like a child at the Thanksgiving dinner table? Corporations are still held accountable for their actions and non-actions if they truly mean when they said and promised to advocate for the black community. That means you too, Mr. President. While there has been a great criticism of former President Donald Trump and his damaging rhetoric towards the black community, hes no longer the president. The man in office is a man that enlisted many African Americans to join his cabinet and campaign team to get him elected. President Biden went on The Breakfast Club -- a syndicated radio show geared toward black culture -- and had the audacity to utter the phrase, If you have a problem figuring out whether youre for me of Trump then you aint black. The president would not be in his position today had it not been for the endorsement, vote and support of the black community. Yet, the president is receiving criticism because this law has been his most impactful nod to the community. However, my greatest criticism of the president especially on this day -- was that statement. Remember, no one speaks for all members of the black diaspora. Not all of us are in the same political party. We dont all attend Baptist churches. We dont all listen to Hip-Hop, know how to dance or whatever black stereotypes youve been fed all your life. A persons blackness isnt relegated to your understanding. We are all different -- different shades, different cities, even different countries because remember that transatlantic slave trade didnt just stop in America -- but we are all one people. And while this is now an American holiday, I celebrate with all brothers and sisters all over the world. Because were in this struggle and triumph together. Togetherness is basically the point this day. Were not celebrating the first reading or signing of the proclamation, were celebrating the last reading. Because we are not free until we are all free. Now, about this new American holiday. Hopefully, we can agree that one of the more disappointing things about our nation is the commercialization of our holidays. Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for our fallen, yet many woke up and rushed to the mall for buy-one-get-one-free sales. The true meaning of our December holidays of Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa get lost in the sauce of capitalism. Please dont commercialize this holiday. If youre itching to spend money on Juneteenth, patronize a black business. Whether online or at the festivities this weekend at Washington Park, there are many high-quality vendors that deserve your money. Now I must warn you that there are some products that are strictly for black folks. Please, for the love of everything, no black cosplay. If you want to show support, Im sure there are tees and hoodies that are right for you. Dont appropriate this holiday like some do for other cultural holidays like Cinco De Mayo. Dont show up with a do-rag at some bar crawl, like non-Mexican Americans do with Sombreros for tacos and margaritas. No thats not what we need. Thats not what this great nation needs. There are many in Midland and beyond that want to be on the right side of history and want to be an ally or have dialogue about issues or ideas I touched on. Lets take a break from that. You dont even have to go out of your way to say Happy Juneteenth. Instead, think about how Juneteenth really isnt progress, as theres more that needs to be rectified and addressed as far as the progress of the black community. Now, take a deep breath, head over to Washington Park and enjoy this day. If youre working this day, heres hoping its not another two years, five months, and 18 days before youre free on it. Muskogee, OK (74401) Today Isolated thunderstorms this morning. Skies will become partly cloudy this afternoon. High 88F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Mainly clear skies. Low 63F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Discuss this article with your neighbors or join the community conversation. Click here to get access Discuss this article with your neighbors or join the community conversation. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Lanny A. Kope , EdD has been a hospital trustee for over forty years, serving on urban and rural hospital boards. He is the immediate past Board Chair of Sierra Vista Regional Health Center and has had a national responsibility as Chair of the American Hospital Associations Committee on Governance. Dr. Kope is also an University of Phoenix faculty member in Health Care. Some Horry County Council members have been hesitant to support impact fees because state law severely limits how they can be used. For example, impact fees can help pay to construct a fire or police station, but they cannot be spent on the salaries of firefighters or officers. Thats because the levies are collected just once, while those salaries must be paid every year. With this in mind, do you think Horry County Council should raise impact fee? Choices are: You voted: North Myrtle Beach is having a record beach season despite being short-staffed. It could be just the first splash of a rising tourism tide. This summer, the city is charging a few dollars more for a weekly beach chair and umbrella combo rentals, but revenue for May 2021 is up more than 60% over May 2019, which was previously the citys strongest May on record. The city was planning to raise its rate for a beach chair and umbrella combo from $150 a week to $155 a week last year, but decided not to due to the pandemic. That change, the first price hike since 2007, is in place this season. The $5 increase doesnt fully account for the change in revenue. The city made a record $351,199 on rentals in May 2019, according to city spokesman Pat Dowling. That record no longer stands. Rentals brought in $562,920 last month, the citys strongest May for rentals. That money is used to pay for lifeguard salaries and equipment. The motivation to get to the beach and enjoy it is no doubt spurred by the end of COVID-19 restrictions, Dowling said in an email. It is non-stop. While the citys beach services division usually employs 80 people, it's in the same predicament as other employers on the Grand Strand who are having a hard time finding staff. This year we have a crew of about 24, including supervisors, who many days work on the beach alongside the employees they manage renting umbrellas and chairs, Dowling wrote. A beach services employee renting umbrellas and chairs starts out at $10.02/hour, earns a 2% commission on each sale they make, and keeps their tips, which can be impressive. The workers are part-time seasonal employees who generate revenue, and Dowling said the city would hire the full 80 if it could. There are other signs the North Myrtle Beach tourism economy is riding a big wave. Average occupancy for rental properties in the Myrtle Beach area was more than 68% for the week of May 30 through June 5 according to KeyData, which uses listing from Airbnb, VRBO, and rental companies who own houses, condos apartments and townhomes; the same types of accommodations that dominate North Myrtle Beachs short-term rental market. For the same week in 2019, previously the strongest year on record, KeyData metrics showed average occupancy at 37.5%. And even though most tourists drive in, Myrtle Beach International Airport is on track to have a record year. In May 2021, the airport welcomed 167,143 people who got off the plane in Myrtle Beach. In May 2019, previously the airports best May on record, 153,174 folks touched down and airport officials think its an indicator of how the rest of the summer will go. Last year we had people calling to cancel and this year we have people calling because they cant find a place to stay, said North Myrtle Beach Chamber CEO Cheryl Kilday. The accommodations have shared with use what their pace looks like, and it looks really solid through the summer and were hoping it stays solid through the fall. Kilday said research throughout the pandemic showed that once restrictions were lifted, people would be eager to get outside, especially to the beach and to national parks. Being South Carolina, because we were more open as a state and open earlier, that brought people down before July, Kilday added. The chamber has also seen a spike in people requesting visitors guides. While a busy week in past years may have been 600 requests, the chamber has had a lot of weeks this summer where the number of requests has topped 700. Normally, the top states where folks request visitor guides are North and South Carolina, Kilday said, but this year, Ohio and Pennsylvania are the largest requesters. The area is also seeing a lot more visitors from Tennessee, Georgia and Kentucky than it normally does. During the winter, the chamber changed some of its marketing areas to reach people further north and west. Were hearing from a lot of people that this is their first time here, Kilday said. I think that charm and hospitality that were known for as a community is what people are seeking right now. Rick Elliot, who owns Elliot Realty, also said his company was getting more calls for accommodations than they have inventory. What were seeing right now is close to being pretty full by the third week of August, Elliot said. There are a lot of people calling for last-minute beach weeks, more than we have seen. What were seeing this year is a tremendous amount of demand for 30 days or less arrival time. And like the citys beach services division, his company is still figuring out how much more they need to pay housekeepers to bring them on and retain them. Were in the same boat as everybody else is, he said, adding, I think its a positive thing for the community because it allows workers out there who want jobs to make more money. Its a positive for the community, its a positive for employees. While this summer is mostly booked out, Elliot said it would be a game of wait-and-see after the third week of August, but he remained optimistic about the strong demand. Its good to see people coming back to our area for family vacations, and I think the economy will definitely see a boost this year and provide revenue to our city with hospitality taxes and accommodation taxes that will help our residents who live here keep our taxes low, Elliot added. Having our second homeowners in the community that allow their homes to be rented by other people is a tremendous asset to North Myrtle Beach. When a relative told Tyleshia Lynn she could no longer look after Lynns son Jayceon while she worked, she scrambled to find safe and affordable day care so she could keep her job stocking shelves at a local retailer. Every day care center I found was either not close by, or too expensive, and I was so stressed out, said Lynn, 25. She was relieved when, eventually, she learned of an opening at the Carole Robertson Center for Learning. Not only was it minutes away from her home, but the staff was able to secure assistance to help pay a babysitter to care for Jayceon at home when she works the overnight shift. Jayceon, 5, a rising kindergartner, is already reading independently, and his teachers describe him as a bit advanced, Lynn said. From the moment I was there, I felt so hopeful. I know that Jayceon is with people who genuinely care for him, and this is more than just their job, Lynn said. But such a positive outcome is elusive for scores other parents. The steep shortage of affordable, high-quality child care for working families across the U.S. a dire situation that was deemed a crisis decades before the pandemic has only worsened during the past 15 months, with soaring unemployment, illness and other hardships proving devastating to families and service providers, including preschools and day care centers. Now, with the long-awaited reopening of Illinois, some say a critical shortage of workers, in businesses ranging from restaurants and retailers to health care and manufacturing, underscores Gov. J.B. Pritzkers goal of transforming the states child care programs by improving equity, accessibility and affordability. The federal Office of Child Care has released guidance on how states can use the nearly $15 billion provided by the American Rescue Plan to support children, families and child care providers. This guidance arrives as many communities are facing child care shortages as families look to return to the work place and the cost of child care places a heavy burden on family wellbeing, federal officials said in a statement. While the federal pandemic relief package includes $39 billion in child care relief funding $15 billion in emergency funds for the block grant program and $24 billion for a child care stabilization fund some say the enormous infusion of federal dollars alone is unlikely to solve a systemic and troubling lack of support for working families in need of safe and affordable care for their children. Due to chronic underfunding, just 14% of income-eligible children receive child care assistance, federal officials said. We know that the pandemic did not invent these challenges, but it certainly accelerated these challenges, Vice President Kamala Harris said while visiting a bilingual child care center in Washington. Child care centers were closed. Parents have been out of work. Families budgets have been stretched, said Harris, who praised the Biden administrations new child tax credit, which will provide eligible families with $250 to $300 a month per child. ReadyNation Illinois, a nonprofit that promotes public policies and programs to build a stronger workforce, estimates that the states child care crisis results in a $2.4 billion annual hit to Illinois economy, state director Sean Noble said. Across the U.S., Noble said, the child care crisis is estimated to cost the national economy $57 billion, with a recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce study finding a lack of options for child care and related family concerns is preventing 1 in 4 unemployed workers from returning to full-time jobs. The problem is parents need affordable and high-quality child care so they can work, and when they cant find child care, the impact on the economy is writ large, Noble said. COVID took these decades-old problems and made them worse, Noble said, adding, Ive never seen more hurdles related to child care. As a society, weve got to do better. At the Carole Robertson Center for Learning, a nonprofit serving more than 650 children and their families, CEO Bela Mote said the pandemic has eroded many child care programs, and some are now facing a serious shortage of qualified employees. Essential workers who had no choice but to work outside the home during the pandemic struggled to find day care for their children when centers first shut down, and the lack of sufficient day care options also forced many women to leave the workforce so they could supervise their childrens remote learning, Mote said. Even with Illinois reopening, the already dwindling contingent of qualified child care workers nationwide has been further decimated, making it nearly impossible for some early childhood centers to fully staff their programs. The invisible part of the child care crisis story is centers were already having trouble hiring qualified teachers before the pandemic, and now, theyre on life support, said Mote, adding that more state and federal funding is needed to better compensate child care workers, many of whom leave a profession they love after finding it impossible to pay their bills. In addition, Mote says, state and federal policy changes are needed to dismantle rules that often penalize child care providers, and make it difficult for the working poor to qualify for financial assistance. As a nation, we declare that children are our priorities, but how do you leave early learning out of that conversation? Mote said. At Two Rivers Head Start, which offers kindergarten readiness programs for children ages 3 to 5 years old for income-eligible families, center director Tigen Sanavongxay said officials are constantly looking for whatever funding we can get. While Two Rivers once had 10 sites, including preschool programs, infant and toddler child care and support for pregnant women, operators were not able even before the pandemic to obtain the needed grants to sustain their slate of offerings. The nonprofit has scaled back its programs to three locations. The states child care assistance program helps families pay tuition for Head Start, which is offered strictly to low-income families, said Sanavongxay, who said student enrollment has dropped to 65% of what it was pre-pandemic. Some of our parents lost their jobs, and are no longer working, and others are afraid to have their children return to school, Sanavongxay said. But we also have many families here who have been working the whole time at grocery stores, factories, and fast food restaurants, and they have been back at school since (last summer). Tamekia Triplett, 24, said after caring for her son Torrian at home until his first birthday, she was both excited and nervous to return to the workforce. After finding affordable, high-quality child care for Torrian at the Carole Robertson Center, Triplett said she was able to find a full-time job as a security guard, and I was able to support me and my son. At first I was scared to work anywhere, and I was really nervous about Torrian being in day care, because he had always only been with me and my mom, Triplett recalled. But the rate they provided was in my price range, and once I started working, I had no worries at all, and the people at his school have showed me nothing but respect. He was not even walking when he started school, and within a week, he was walking and running, Triplett said. Pretty soon, hell be moving to the big kids classroom, when he turns 2, but hell still be with the teachers who have been with him since the day he started, which I love. The sweltering heat and exhaustive heat index values west-central Illinois experienced Friday will continue through the weekend, until a cool front moves in and temperatures drop about 20 degrees. High temperatures of 93 degrees Fahrenheit today and 96 degrees on Sunday, combined with humidity, will push heat indices to 102 or 103 degrees both days. Overnight lows will be in the low 70s, according to the National Weather Service. Heat is to be expected during the summer, but people sometimes forget the dangers that can accompany extreme heat. The Illinois Department of Public Health is reminding people to take precautions when temperatures and heat index values are so high. The state health department suggests that people stay in an air-conditioned area during the hottest hours of the day and that those without air conditioning seek cooling in a public place. Cale Hoesman, chief deputy for Greene County Sheriffs Department and director of Greene Countys Emergency Services Disaster Agency, said emergency cooling shelters are available if needed. We recommend that people stay inside, especially (those) with a medical condition, Hoesman said. Drink lots of fluid if you have to be outside. When drinking fluids, though, one should avoid coffee, tea, soda and alcohol, which can dehydrate instead of hydrate, Hoesman said. Heat stroke can come easily, he said. You can have an onset of that before you even know it, he said. Heat stroke symptoms, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health, include a body temperature of 103 degrees Fahrenheit or higher; hot, red, dry or damp skin; a strong, fast pulse; and headache, dizziness, nausea or confusion. Heat stroke is a medical emergency and requires immediate medical intervention. We advise people to stay out of the sun and do everything they can to stay cool, Hoesman said, adding that people also can help prevent heat-related emergencies in others by paying close attention to any symptoms they might have. Temperatures will be cooler for the start of the week, with daily highs Monday and Tuesday in the mid-70s and overnight lows in the low 50s, according to the National Weather Service. Things will gradually warm through the week but will remain in the low- to mid-80s, according to the weather service. CARLINVILLE Carlinville Public Librarys summer reading program, a popular annual tradition, is off to a good start for all ages. The librarys youth program, with the theme Reading Colors Your World, will meet each Thursday morning at the Loveless Park pavilion through July 22, except for July 1. Children up to age 10 are eligible, with plenty of books to read and activities under the direction of childrens co-librarian Nadia Kahl. During the first week of the program, participants learned about North America while reading Traci Sorells We Are Grateful, which celebrates the life of modern-day Cherokee tribes. Children learned words in Cherokee and created ceremonial rattles that may be used in Cherokee rituals. During the second week, children learned words in Spanish and read about the South American Amazon rainforest with Susan Mitchells The Rainforest Grew All Around. Participants then created turtles and butterflies by weaving yarn on Popsicle sticks. While younger readers are having fun at the park, older readers are not forgotten. Teenagers and adults are taking part in their own summer reading programs at the library. For each book they read, participants will receive one entry into a grand prize drawing scheduled for later this summer. WINCHESTER Few events scream summer fun like ice cream on a warm Sunday afternoon. Thats the point of a June 27 ice cream social at the Winchester Depot, the proceeds of which will benefit the Alzheimers Associations efforts to raise awareness and provide education and support for caregivers. I am very involved in the Alzheimers Association as a volunteer, a caregiver support group facilitator as well as an advocate, said Pam Hembrough, who is organizing the ice cream social. Both of my parents had Alzheimers. Im always trying to find new ways to bring awareness in a way that is a fun event. When the idea of an ice cream social came up, it fit the bill, Hembrough said. The event, which will run from 2 to 4 p.m. June 27, will be outdoors on the Depot grounds on West Cherry Street. It will feature Prairie Farms ice cream with a variety of toppings, pie, cookies, and a musical performance by violinist Meredith Spradlin. Its something different that weve never done before, Hembrough said. I know Meredith Spradlin personally, and her family also has been touched by Alzheimers. Its designed to be a relaxing afternoon where people can come and enjoy some relaxing fellowship outside. Spradlin, the daughter of Henry and Stacie Spradlin of Quincy, is a student at Northern Illinois University, where she is studying violin performance and music education. She has performed with the Quincy Symphony and the Quincy Area Youth Orchestra and has participated in summer music camps including Interlochen Summer Arts Camp, Chicago Suzuki Institute, Ottawa Suzuki Strings Institute and PhoenixPhest. Spradlins music will be more background music than concert performance, with occasional breaks to promote the Alzheimers Associations efforts, Hembrough said. While it will be a week late by the time the ice cream social arrives, the event was timed to coincide with the Longest Day the summer solstice on Sunday and the Alzheimers Associations efforts to fight the darkness of Alzheimers on the day of the year with the most light. When youre an Alzheimers caregiver and Alzheimers patient, every day is the longest day, Hembrough said. The event is free, though donations will be accepted. Money raised will help promote education and awareness, Hembrough said. Having gone through this as a caregiver, theres no training, she said. Youre just there and it just progresses and theres kind of a stigma attached, still. Hembrough would like to change that. We want people to know theyre not alone in this and its nothing to be embarrassed about, she said, noting that Alzheimers comes with many challenges for all involved. Its the lack of education and not knowing what to expect, what other aspects you havent considered health care, safety, financial. It gets to be a struggle; when you phase down into the final couple of levels, it gets to be a real struggle. The ice cream social will be a struggle-free afternoon, Hembrough said. I want this to be an enjoyable afternoon, she said. If I can promote Alzheimers awareness, thats my goal. In case of rain, the event will move inside the Depot. Mother Lode Fair Livestock Auction View Photo Sonora, CA With under two weeks to go before the Mother Lode Fair, organizers are working on making a major change. The plan is to switch back to a live Junior Livestock Auction after earlier this year announcing it would be done virtually due to coronavirus pandemic restrictions, as reported here. The about-face comes as this week Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal OSHA) ended most social distancing and mask rules for people who are vaccinated against the virus. Ron Hamilton, V.P. of the fair board of directors, noted that the community has expressed concern and passion for a live animal auction, but says the main reason for the push to go live is for the kids. He added, In the past year and a half they have had to do so many things online, like school. To give them something that is live and in-person would be awfully nice! Possible plans are already being formulated to cover all concerns including the safety and welfare of patrons and exhibitors. The fair board will have to approve any plans to make the switch. Hamilton says at their next meeting on Wednesday (June 23) Kim Helmbold, the Fair Livestock Superintendent will make recommendations on how to make the switch to a live auction and meet any criteria required by CAL OSHA. He did not have any specifics as that plan is still being worked out. Besides the kids, another group excited about the possible change according to Hamilton, The buyers wanting this for the kids. They support it and theyre going to do their best to make it happen. It may seem like a tall order with under two weeks to go until the fair opens, which Hamilton acknowledges, Its going to detail a lot of changes, but it is doable. We have a great group of volunteers with 4H and FFA. Were pretty confident that it can happen in a week. The Mother Lode Fair is July 1-4 with the live auction on the 3rd. Hazardous conditions at the bust site View Photos Mountain Ranch, CA A literal stinker of a bust in Calaveras County as a raid on an illegal grow uncovered a pit of human waste. The sheriffs Office Marijuana Enforcement Unit on Thursday (June 17) conducted a search on two adjoining addresses in the 9000 block of Avenue A in Mountain Ranch. When the unit arrived, ten people were found living in primitive conditions at the site. It was clear by the stench that there were environmental issues, with deputies discovering a pit of human waste draining directly into the ground and an improvised shower, as pictured in the image box. Sheriffs officials detailed that these structures were within 20-30 feet of a natural water drainage leading into a large pond, as shown in this map. There was also plenty of marijuana and other drugs uncovered including 1,055 growing marijuana plants, 341 pounds of processed marijuana, various amounts of cocaine, codeine, ecstasy, psilocybin mushrooms, concentrated marijuana or hash, and methamphetamine. Much of the pot had been processed and packaged to sell. Investigators estimated the marijuana alone exceeds an estimated $2,000,000 in worth. Six suspects were arrested, none from the local area. Some had IDs while others revealed they had traveled from several different countries, including Spain, Argentina, and Chile. They ranged in ages from 26 to 37 years old. Anyone suspecting an illegal grow should contact the Sheriffs Office Anonymous Marijuana Tip Line at (209) 754-6870. Another raid reported earlier this week also involved a disgusting find by the marijuana enforcement unit, as detailed here. EU threatens Lebanese politicians with sanctions over crisis View Photo BEIRUT (AP) The European Unions foreign policy chief Saturday berated Lebanese politicians for delays in forming a new Cabinet, warning the union could impose sanctions on those behind the political stalemate in the crisis-hit country. Josep Borrell made his comments at the presidential palace near the capital Beirut after meeting with President Michel Aoun. It was the first meeting in a two-day visit to Lebanon. Borrells comments came amid reports in Lebanese media that France and the EU are putting together proposals for possible travel bans and freezes on assets of some politicians. Borrell said Lebanese politicians should quickly form a new government, implement reforms and reach a deal with the International Monetary Fund to start getting the tiny country out of its paralyzing economic and financial crisis. Lebanons economic crisis triggered by decades of corruption and mismanagement began in late 2019 and has intensified in recent months. The World Bank said earlier this month the crisis is likely to rank as one of the worst the world has seen in more than 150 years, adding that the economy contracted 20.3% in 2020 and is expected to shrink 9.5% this year. Lebanon defaulted on paying back its debt for the first time in March, while talks with the International Monetary Fund on a bailout package stopped last year. The crisis has been the biggest threat to Lebanons stability since the 1975-90 civil war ended. A power struggle has emerged between premier-designate Saad Hariri on one side, and Aoun and his son-in-law Gebran Bassil, who heads the largest bloc in parliament, on the other. It has worsened the crisis despite warnings from world leaders and economic experts of the dire economic conditions tiny Lebanon is facing. Hariri was named to form a new government in October and has not succeeded so far. The government of Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned days after a massive blast in Beirut on Aug. 4, that killed 211 people and injured more than 6,000. We cannot understand that nine months after the resignation of a prime minister, there is still no government in Lebanon, Borrell said. Only an urgent agreement with the International Monetary Fund will rescue the country from a financial collapse. There is no time to waste. You are at the edge of the financial collapse, he said in English. Borrell later met with Hariri, Diab and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. Diabs office said the outgoing prime minister told Borrell that they key solution to Lebanons crisis is for a new government to be formed that should resume talks with the IMF that his Cabinet initiated last year. Borrell said the EU stands ready to assist Lebanon and its people but warned that if there is further obstruction to solutions to the multi-dimensional crisis we will have to consider other courses of actions as some member states have proposed. The council of the European Union has been including other options, including targeted sanctions, Borrell said. Of course we prefer not to go down this road and we hope that we will not have to but it is in the hands of the Lebanese leadership. Borrel rejected claims by some Lebanese politicians that refugees are the cause of the crisis, saying it is homemade. It is not fair (to say) that the crisis in Lebanon comes from the presence of refugees, he said referring to nearly 1 million Syrian refugees who fled the war in their country to Lebanon. By BASSEM MROUE Associated Press (Editors note: This project is a collaboration between the Plainview Herald and Saint Francis Ministries to showcase kids who are cleared for adoption.) Jenna is described as energetic, curious, loving and determined. She enjoys being the life of the party and makes friends easily. Shes interested in cheerleading. The 11-year-old also likes being outside. When Jenna is outside, you will find her either playing at the park or riding her bike. She is inquisitive about her surroundings and likes to explore. During her down time, Jenna enjoys drawing and coloring. She adores babies and wants nothing more than to have a little sister, but shell settle for playing with her dolls. Jennas favorite color is pink, and she will never turn down spaghetti or ice cream. --- Jenna is one of the children listed on the Texas Adoption Resource Exchange (TARE) website. Visit https://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Application/TARE/Home.aspx/Default for more details. Saint Francis Ministries is a nonprofit organization and a community-based care provider for the Texas Department of Family Protective Services Region 1. This region includes 41 counties across the Panhandle and South Plains. To learn more about fostering or adopting, those interested are encouraged to attend one of the monthly virtual meetings hosted by Saint Francis Ministries and other child placing agencies. The meetings provide information about how to get started, the basic qualifications and more, in addition to providing opportunity for attendees to ask questions. Those interested can visit Saint Francis Texas on Facebook @SFMtexas to register for the online meetings, which can also be found below: The meetings are scheduled for the second Thursday of the month (Lubbock area https://lubbock-area-foster-care-adoption.eventbrite.com) and the third Thursday of the month (Amarillo area https://amarillo-area-foster-care-adoption.eventbrite.com). For more information, please contact Erin Baxter at (806) 317-5631 or email texasinfo@st-francis.org. Visit Saint Francis Ministries online at https://saintfrancisministries.org. Unemployed individuals are now able to enroll in the Texas Workforce Commissions childcare subsidiary program. The TWC announced earlier this week that it passed a waiver to allow the change to the guidelines. Previously, only employed individuals, or those that are participating in education/training, were allowed to enroll. The change allows workers that are actively looking for employment to register. Fiesta de los Ninos at the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology June 19, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The museum will host outdoor activities, such as putt-putt golf and rock-climbing, as wll as indoor fun. "We will also host tours inside the museum (small groups on a first come basis; masks required) to learn more about the great tech innovations being launched in San Antonio--from cybersecurity to robotics--and how kids are preparing to be the next generation of talent," event details say. 102 Mabry Drive less Fiesta de los Ninos at the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology June 19, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The museum will host outdoor activities, such as putt-putt golf and rock-climbing, as wll as indoor fun. ... more Photo: Tom Reel, Staff / Staff Photographer Fiesta de los Ninos at the San Antonio Museum of Science and...Photo-16709019.223078 - Fiesta at Backyard on Broadway As the name implies, the hangout does have outdoor space, including a playground for kids, but there is space to cool down inside. The business is promoting specials on tequilas and cold margaritas throughout Fiesta. 2411 Broadway less Fiesta at Backyard on Broadway As the name implies, the hangout does have outdoor space, including a playground for kids, but there is space to cool down inside. The business is promoting specials on tequilas ... more Photo: Chuck Blount /Staff Fiesta at Backyard on Broadway As the name implies, the...Photo-20062784.223078 - window._galleryInterstitial = window._galleryInterstitial || []; window._galleryInterstitial['taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails---redesign'] = function () { window._taboola = window._taboola || []; window._taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c-light', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails---redesign-3', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails - Redesign 3', target_type: 'mix' }); window._taboola.push({flush: true}); }; Item-95844.223078 - Fiesta at Rosario's The Southtown staple is ready to get Fiesta fans cooled off before they head out to the parties. "Join us at Rosario's before heading to your favorite Fiesta events. Enjoy $5 margaritas & $4 draft beer during Happy Hour every Tuesday through Friday from 3pm to 6pm," online details say. less Fiesta at Rosario's The Southtown staple is ready to get Fiesta fans cooled off before they head out to the parties. "Join us at Rosario's before heading to your favorite Fiesta events. Enjoy $5 margaritas ... more Photo: Robin Jerstad / Contributor File Photo Fiesta at Rosario's The Southtown staple is ready to get...Photo-16465362.223078 - "Te Amo Fiesta" at the Witte Museum The special exhibit at the museum, which is included in admission, allows guests to learn "personal stories from the official and 'unofficial' Fiesta royalty that showcase what Fiesta truly means to them." The exhibit is open until August. less "Te Amo Fiesta" at the Witte Museum The special exhibit at the museum, which is included in admission, allows guests to learn "personal stories from the official and 'unofficial' Fiesta royalty that showcase ... more Photo: Witte Museum "Te Amo Fiesta" at the Witte Museum The special...Photo-20847761.223078 - UNITED NATIONS (AP) In a rare move, the U.N. General Assembly on Friday condemned Myanmars military coup and called for an arm embargo against the country in a resolution that demonstrated widespread global opposition to the junta and demanded the restoration of the countrys democratic transition. Supporters had hoped the 193-member U.N. General Assembly would approve the resolution unanimously by consensus, but Belarus called for a vote. The measure was approved with 119 countries voting yes, Belarus voting no and 36 countries abstaining including Myanmars neighbors China and India, along with Russia. U.N. special envoy Christine Schraner Burgener warned the General Assembly after the vote that the risk of a large-scale civil war (is) real. Time is of the essence, she said. The opportunity to reverse the military takeover is narrowing and regional threat increasing. The resolution was the result of lengthy negotiations by a so-called Core Group including the European Union and many Western nations and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations known as ASEAN, which includes Myanmar. A U.N. diplomat said there was an agreement with ASEAN to seek consensus. But in the vote, its members were divided. Myanmar, whose U.N. ambassador supports the ousted democratic government, voted yes along with Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines while Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Brunei abstained. Even though the resolution didnt get the overwhelming support its backers hoped for, the action by the General Assembly, while not legally binding, reflects international condemnation of the Feb. 1 coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyis party from power and put her under arrest along with many government leaders and politicians, as well as strong opposition to the military crackdown on protesters demanding an end to the armys takeover. The resolutions approval follows calls for more aggressive U.N. action by many countries and Myanmars U.N. Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, who has been charged with treason by the military junta. He urged the international community to take the strongest possible action to immediately end the military coup." The more powerful U.N. Security Council, whose resolutions are legally binding, has adopted several statements on Myanmar, including condemning the use of violence against peaceful protesters, calling on the military to restore the democratic transition and exercise utmost restraint and on all sides to refrain from violence. But it has never been able to condemn the coup or authorize an arms embargo or other sanctions because of an almost-certain veto by China, and possibly Russia. The coup reversed years of slow progress toward democracy in Myanmar, which for five decades languished under strict military rule that led to international isolation and sanctions. As the generals loosened their grip, culminating in Aung San Suu Kyis rise to leadership in 2015 elections, the international community responded by lifting most sanctions and pouring investment into the country. The coup took place following November elections, which Suu Kyis party won overwhelmingly and the military contends were marred by fraud. The resolution calls on Myanmars military junta to restore the countrys democratic transition, condemns its excessive and lethal violence since the coup, and calls on all countries to prevent the flow of arms into Myanmar. The resolution also calls on the armed forces to immediately and unconditionally release President Win Myint, State Counsellor Suu Kyi and other government officials and politicians detained after the coup, and all those who have been arbitrarily detained, charged or arrested. We must continue to call for maximum restraint and condemn all forms of violence, Schraner Burgener stressed. Inclusive political dialogue is urgently needed. EU Ambassador Olof Skoog said the resolution sends a strong and powerful message, calling it the broadest and most universal condemnation of the situation in Myanmar to date. It delegitimizes the military junta, condemns its abuse and violence against its own people and demonstrates its isolation in the eyes of the world, he said. The U.N. community of nations has expressed resounding support to the people of Myanmar -- that their human rights and freedoms must be protected, and that their democratically elected leaders must be released from detention. Richard Gowan, U.N. director of the International Crisis Group, said he is only aware of three previous General Assembly resolutions condemning coups in this way since the end of the Cold War -- Haiti in 1991, Burundi in 1993 and Honduras in 2009. The assembly has called for arms embargoes and sanctions, including on Israel and South Africa during the Cold War, Gowan said, but this is a rare call to stop arms flows, and Western diplomats deserve credit for getting a fairly clear and firm call to halt arms supplies to Myanmar, especially as ASEAN members had doubts about such language. Assessing the impact of the resolution, Gowan told The Associated Press, The junta will shrug this resolution off, but it will make it harder for them to try to normalize their relations with the wider world, and present the coup as a fait accompli. The General Assembly has effectively warned the generals that if they keep hold of power, they are resigning themselves to pariah status indefinitely ... (and) has sent a clear message that U.N. members are not willing to sweep the coup under the rug, Gowan said. Schraner Burgener, the U.N. envoy, told the assembly: Inclusive political dialogue is urgently needed. We must continue to call for maximum restraint and condemn all forms of violence, she said. The resolution calls on Myanmar to swiftly implement a five-point action plan adopted at an ASEAN summit on April 24. It plan calls for stopping violence, establishing a constructive dialogue of the parties, appointment of an ASEAN special envoy as mediator, ensuring delivery of humanitarian aid and the mediators visit to Myanmar. The resolution also addresses another major issue facing Myanmars military its relations with ethnic minorities, especially Rohingya Muslims in northern Rakhine state. Over 700,000 Rohingya fled a military crackdown in in 2017 and are now in camps in Bangladesh. The General Assembly expressed concern over the human rights of the Rohingya and other minorities, singling out the denial of citizenship to almost all Rohingyas and reiterating the responsibility of the Myanmar armed forces to respect the human rights of all persons in Myanmar. It recalled the mandate of the U.N.s Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, which is collecting evidence of the most serious international crimes. In a report in 2019, it said Myanmars government should be held responsible in international legal forums for alleged genocide against the Rohingya. The resolution called on Myanmars armed forces to immediately facilitate a visit by Schraner Burgener. David Dee Delgado/Getty Images On Friday, June 18, the San Antonio Spurs announced it's bringing two new Strategic Partners into its investor group: Sixth Street, a top global investment firm, and Texas billionaire Michael Dell. While the NBA Board of Governors hasnt finalized these moves, they are slated to be approved next week. Michael Dell sits as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Dell Technologies, the company that may or may not be powering your computer. Dell began the company in 1984 at the age of 19, after dropping out of the University of Texas at Austin. He was born and raised in Houston. READ MORE: Here's what the San Antonio Spurs are up to this off-season I am excited to join Peter Holt and Sixth Street, and the entire San Antonio Spurs community, as a partner in this extraordinary franchise, says Michael Dell in a press statement. As a Texan and as someone who appreciates how unique a culture of excellence is in sports or in any organization I have tremendous respect for the record the Spurs have established in San Antonio over many years. It is our goal to serve as true stewards of the franchise going forward. In addition, Peter J. Holt, who sits with his sister Corinna Holt Richte on the Spurs board of managers, has been promoted to Managing Partner. The Holt family is currently the largest shareholder of the San Antonio Spurs. By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Things are more like they are now than theyve ever been before. Dwight D. Eisenhower Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero. Horace While I support WHOs standardization of a Covid variant naming convention the logic is the same as using human-readable URLs, and not incomprehensible numeric dotted quads I could wish they had not selected the Greek alphabet for their pool of names; every time I hear the name of a variant, Im reminded of fraternities and sororities. Unlike the hurricane naming convention established by the World Meteorological Organization, WHOs greek letters have, as it were, no nutritional value. If Delta was named Dennis, we could be making headline jokes about Dennis the Menace, for example. Life would be a lot easier. Having gotten that off my not cough-ridden chest, I want to take a look at the Delta variant (nee B.1.617.2), first detected in India. The British Medical Journal explains how Delta differs from previous variants in structure and fitness: What is different about the delta variant? In some ways the delta variant is an improved version of the alpha variant, making it more easily transmissible and more of a concern. Speaking at the Science Media Centre briefing, Wendy Barclay, professor of virology and head of infectious disease at Imperial College London, explained, The delta variant has got two important mutations in its spike protein, or sets of mutations. One is at the furin cleavage site, which we think is quite important for the fitness of the virus in the airway. The virus that emerged in Wuhan was suboptimal in that respect, so it transmitted, but perhaps not as well as it might. The alpha variant took one step towards improving that with a certain mutation, and the delta variant has built on that and taken a second step now, a bigger step, towards improving that feature. Why is delta able to transmit more easily? Barclay said that the current data indicated that the virus was fitter in human airway cells, meaning an increased amount of the virus in the infected person, and so they may expel more virus out into the air to pass on to the next person. This is supported by the testing data, which show that the CT value (cycle threshold)the number of amplification cycles needed for the virus to be detectedseems to be lower in samples from delta infected people, meaning they contain more virus. Another suggestion is that if this variant is better at infecting human airway cells, people may become infected after a lower exposure. In this post, Ill wrap up what I was able to collect of what we know about Delta so far. (We dont know about things that take time to develop, like Delta and long covid, or Delta and fatalities). First, because Ive tended to bring Covid content down to actions I personally can take, Ill list Deltas new symptoms, present some worrying anecdotes, and discuss my personal practices. Then Ill discuss how Delta spreads, including transmissibility, severity, and vaccines. Finally Ill ask: Whats the plan? Personal Practice Importantly, Delta symptoms are different from those we are used to. From Medical News Today: (Do at home and do get a test. Easy in the UK! In this country, testing is free, except when it isnt, and treatment is not.) There are worse symptoms in India, not mentioned elsewhere: Hearing impairment, severe gastric upsets and blood clots leading to gangrene, symptoms not typically seen in Covid patients, have been linked by doctors in India to the so-called delta variant. Regardless, the really distinctive symptom loss of smell or taste is now gone, and symptoms that are more like a bad cold are uncomfortably close to an actual bad cold or the flu (which doctors predict will increase now that were abandoning masks). People are going to be reluctant to get tested for a case of the sniffles. Its all the more unfortunate that Delta can comes on faster, at least in China, so theres less margin for error: China has uniquely detailed data, however, because it has essentially universal testing in the vicinity of outbreaks, allowing officials to gather detailed information on the extent of cases. Up to 12 percent of patients become severely or critically ill within three to four days of the onset of symptoms, said Guan Xiangdong, director of critical care medicine at Sun Yat-sen University in the city of Guangzhou, where the outbreak has been centered. In the past, the proportion had been 2 percent or 3 percent, although occasionally up to 10 percent, he said. And now to the unsettling incidents. Sadly, we have no Delta-specific epidemiological studies, so anecdotes will have to do. First, a hospital in Calgary, Canada: At the [Calgarys Foothills Medical Centre] hospital, 16 patients on two units as well as six health-care workers have tested positive for the delta variant. Six of the patients and five of the health-care workers received two doses of the vaccine, while seven patients and one health-care worker had a single dose. All of those infected were vaccinated with an mRNA vaccine. [I]n the case of these two outbreaks, only one of the 22 people have required ICU care, Williamson said in an email. The majority of both patients and healthcare workers have experienced mild symptoms. Lynora Saxinger, an infectious disease expert at the University of Alberta, said it will be important to see what the investigation into these cases turns up. The things that Im considering right now are that, a hospitalized population isnt necessarily representative of the general population, she said. Some of that number might be people who would be at really significant risk of having a suboptimal vaccine response because of their medical condition. I understand Saxingers point that hospital populations are not representative (although if I were actually hospitalized that would be cold comfort). Nevertheless, a hospital cluster is disturbing. How did the virus slip past disinfection and ventilation defenses? The second incident, from Australia, is even more disturbing. From 7News: A fleeting contact has prompted NSW authorities to reintroduce masks across Greater Sydney as one new case of COVID was detected overnight. The new case was detected in a man who attended Myer [department store] in Bondi Junction on June 12 at the same time another case visited the store. The first man who tested positive was revealed to be a driver who transported an international flight crew. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said preliminary advice suggested the new infection may have been transmitted through fleeting contact between the man and the driver. The drivers infection is deemed to have been highly infectious, as he also passed on the virus to a woman who had been sitting outside at a cafe in Vaucluse. This indicates that the initial case was highly infectious, as transmission must have occurred through fleeting exposure , noting that the person who caught the infection at the cafe was seated outside and there was no known on-site contact with the initial case, Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said. Obviously, we cannot rule out that there were some crossover when they were ordering or other things, but again we are highlighting that we have observed these transmissions in settings where we would normally see outdoor dining as a lower risk setting and we would normally see shopping centres as a lower risk setting where you are unlikely to have close contact. The driver has the Delta strain of COVID, Chant confirmed on Thursday. This is an anecdote, not an epidemiological study. Nevertheless, Australia does not have the noise of community spread, so signals are a lot easier to detect, as in another fleeting contact in a quarantine hotel, determined to be airborne transmission. So, although video evidence (as in this restaurant case) will probably give us a definitive answer, what we have here looks like a case of outdoor transmission of Delta, which may change a lot of peoples calculations about risk. As far as my own personal practice, I dont intend to become the breakthrough poster boy, so I dont see a reason to change anything for Delta (masking outdoors, Vitamin C, Vitamin D3, povidone following human contact, and Ivermectin as a prophylactic; plus social distancing (and dont @ me on any of this, unless its Delta-relevant)). I use N95 masks (and for those of you who dont, Id recommend you up your game and lay in a supply.) The only thing I might do is buy a CO2 meter, for my living quarters and for the rare times I need to be in other enclosed spaces. I will also be more conscious about looking for working fans and outside air or at least high ceilings in any other space I enter. We dont know anything new about Delta surface transmission, so I will continue my non-obsessive cleaning. How Delta Spreads Here is a handy chart from Public Health England; Ive helpfully highlighted the salient sections: Lets take each of these sections in turn (sklpping Immunity after natural infection and severity for insufficient evidence). First, transmissibility. Delta has a higher R0. From BBC: The cleanest way of comparing the pure biological spreading power of viruses is to look at their R0 (pronounced R-naught). Its the average number of people each infected person passes a virus on to if nobody were immune and nobody took extra precautions to avoid getting infected. That number was around 2.5 when the pandemic started in Wuhan and could be as high as 8.0 for the Delta variant, according to disease modellers at Imperial. (I cannot run down where the 8.0 figure comes from; the Imperial College Delta study I can find has R0 at 1.44. Public Health Englands Dr Susan Hopkins suggests 7.0). Eurosurveillance, if I read this chart, proposes a lower R0, but still higher than any variant so far enountered: All agree that Delta is more transmissible. As a result, Delta dominates where it is introduced. Eurosurveillance once more: Delta has been spotted in 74 countries, including the United States, where its doubling every two weeks. In some Western states, Delta may be responsible for 29% of cases. As a result of Deltas increasing dominance, the horizon of herd immunity may recede still further. From Deutsche Welle: Adam Kleczkowski, a professor of mathematics at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland, likens herd immunity to a forest fire running out of dry wood. When there is not enough left to burn, the fire runs out of fuel and disappears. When enough people are resistant to the coronavirus, either through infection or vaccination, the virus cannot spread, and the pandemic stops growing and starts to decline. The faster the virus spreads, the greater immunity it will take to slow the infection rate. That shifts this number up. We might need as much as 85% immunity to slow the Delta variant, Kleczkowski said. But, he points out, percentages such as this are only estimations. They are based on limited data. It is not completely clear what percentage we need to reach, he said. More disturbingly, Delta is behind a surge among youth in the UK: Young people are behind the surge, with a 5-fold higher rate of COVID-19 test positivity among children 5 to 12 years (0.35% prevalence) and adults 18 to 24 (0.36% prevalence) than in those 65 or older. People younger than 50 were 2.5 times more likely to be infected than older people (prevalence, 0.20% vs 0.08%), although the researchers noted that infections seem to be growing at a comparable rate in both age-groups. Second, vaccines. From the Lancet: Considering the whole population cohort (rather than just hospital cases), the test-negative analysis to estimate vaccine effectiveness in preventing RT-PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection showed that, compared to those unvaccinated, at least 14 days after the second dose, BNT162b2 (PfizerBioNTech vaccine) offered very good protection: 92% (95% CI 9093) S gene-negative, 79% (7582) S gene-positive. Protection associated with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (OxfordAstraZeneca vaccine) was, however, substantial but reduced: 73% (95% CI 6678) for S gene-negative cases versus 60% (5366) for those S gene-positive (appendix p 6). These estimates were obtained from a generalised additive logistic model adjusting for age, temporal trend when the swab was taken, and number of previous tests using splines plus sex and deprivation. As there was a trend in vaccine uptake and a trend to increasing Delta variant, the temporal adjustment with a general trend might not fully account for these changes. Also, no formal significance test to compare the vaccines was done. So, at least not a vaccination debacle. Now, what are we doing about all this? Whats the Plan? Molasses-brained CDC, naturally, only declared Delta a variant of concern 30 days after WHO. Meanwhile, just when Delta starting to surge, the Federal Government and the States are systematically dismantling Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions and public health measures generally, when (as of June 16, only 44% of the population is fully vaccinated). Some might view these decisions as sub-optimal. From the British Medical Journal: Does delaying the easing of covid-19 restrictions make a difference? Yes, because it allows more people to receive two doses of the vaccine. Barclay said, Any delays, just from a purely scientific basis, will help, because they will allow more time for people to get the second dose. And also just having the second dose is not quite enough. You need to get around seven days after the second dose for the vaccine to really boost the immune response up to the levels that youd like it to be. The final stage of lockdown easing in England, which had been expected to be on 21 June, has now been delayed to 19 July. One member of the NC Covid Brain Trust comments: Once again, I have no idea what the plan is here. Fauci and Co. are not idiots, they have overseen the study of these viruses for decades, they know what is coming. Which means that it has been communicated to the politicians too. So what happens when the booster campaign has to start due to the ICUs starting to fill with fully vaccinated patients, and when the even more lethal future strains appear, I have no idea. Current messaging is one of complete and final victory. Pass the Victory Gin, I suppose. Around the non-functional but theatrical plexiglass. (Natural News) The Michigan State Senate has approved three bills that will change election laws there to emphasize ID requirements for people who are voting in person as well as via absentee ballots. The bills, which passed in the states Republican-led Senate on June 16, add Michigan to an increasing group of states that are tightening election measures. The vote went strictly along party lines, with every state Republican voting in favor of the trio of bills and every Democrat voting against them. Under current Michigan law, residents who failed to produce photo identification while voting in person are still permitted to cast a ballot if they sign an affidavit at their designated voting location. In the November 3 election, more than 11,000 people cast their ballots this way. One of the bills that recently passed in the Senate would put an end to this, with voters who lack identification being required to cast provisional ballots and confirm their identity within six days of the vote. Another bill is focused on absentee ballots, a method of voting that is highly vulnerable to fraud. That bill would require anyone applying for an absentee ballot to provide either their drivers license number, an official state identification number in the absence of a drivers license, or the final four digits of their Social Security number. Currently, they are only required to return their ballot with a signature, which is then matched to signatures in a database kept by the Secretary of State. The third bill, meanwhile, simply stipulates that any voter who is given a provisional ballot must be notified that there is a six-day requirement for verifying their identity. The bills are widely expected to be vetoed by the states Democrat governor Gretchen Whitmer, who has expressed opposition in the past to the bills and pledged to veto them. Nevertheless, if Republicans can get 340,000 voters to sign a petition for a ballot initiative for the three bills, they may be able to circumvent her executive authority on this matter. The current system is too vulnerable to fraud Not surprisingly, Democrats are painting the bills as an attempt to dampen voter turnout rates. Democratic State Senator Erika Geiss said that the laws were a de facto poll tax like those used in the past to deter black people from voting. She said that voters would incur an additional cost to cast their ballot by having to submit a photocopy of their ID with their ballot, although that cost is negligible. Democrats say it should be easy to vote, but Republicans maintain that the current procedures make it easy to commit voter fraud. Republicans say that both parties could benefit from more stringent regulations, with polls showing that most Americans do support laws requiring voters to verify their identity. Republican State Senator Ruth Johnson pointed out that most people already have a state ID or drivers license as citizens must also show ID for things like buying alcohol, applying for a fishing license and opening a bank account. Moreover, the state offers free IDs to many residents who need help. She said: Requiring voters to verify their identity is the best way to protect the one person, one vote standard. States around the country have been taking a closer look at their election laws, particularly those that facilitate fraud. Pennsylvania Republicans proposed a measure last week to overhaul the election system there, and more stringent voter identification and mail-in ballot signature verification were key components of the bill. Their proposal would also set up a new Bureau of Election Audits agency to better monitor elections. Legislatures in Texas, Florida and Georgia have also approved similar bills despite being criticized by members of the Biden administration and the Democratic Party at large. Sources for this article include: TheEpochTimes.com MLive.com TheHill.com (Natural News) Researchers from Yale University found that exposure to rhinovirus, the most common virus that causes the cold, can jump-start the immune system and protect people against the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). The presence of the virus that causes the common cold can begin the activity of interferon-stimulated genes. These are some of the early-response molecules in the immune system. If a person with the cold inhales SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, there is a chance that it cannot replicate if it lands in the same airway tissues that are infected with the cold. (Related: If youve ever had a cold, your immune system may already know how to fight COVID-19.) The new study, published on Tuesday, June 15 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, examined rhinoviruses. These researchers had previously found that the immune systems response to the common cold can protect people against the flu. They wanted to see if this kind of response could be replicated and offer similar protection against COVID-19. They used human airway tissue grown in a lab for this experiment. The researchers infected the artificial tissue with the rhinovirus and then with the coronavirus. After the tissue was exposed to the rhinovirus, its immune system was automatically activated. The tissue with the rhinovirus was then infected with SARS-CoV-2. The virus was completely stopped from replicating. The team compared the results by infecting a clean piece of lab-grown tissue with the coronavirus. They found that the viral load in this sample of tissue doubled every six hours. They also found out that the body can slow down the spread of SARS-CoV-2 even without an initial rhinovirus infection if the infectious dose was very low. This suggests that the viral load at the time of exposure makes a difference in whether the body can fight off the coronavirus. Triggering immune system responses early can prevent coronavirus infection Ellen Foxman, senior author of the study, said there is a chance people can prevent a COVID-19 infection or treat it early by triggering these immune system responses. Foxman is also an assistant professor of laboratory medicine and immunobiology at Yales School of Medicine. But it all depends upon the timing, said Foxman. There appears to be a viral sweet spot at the beginning of COVID-19, during which the virus replicates exponentially before it triggers a strong defense response. One way Foxman said people can trigger their immune systems is by treating early-stage COVID-19 patients with interferon, an immune system protein. Foxman explained that interferon treatment holds promise, but it is very tricky. Interferon might only be effective in the days immediately after a person gets infected with COVID-19. During this time, the infection is still spreading and most people still do not have any symptoms. She adds that, at least in theory, people at high risk of getting COVID-19 or who have been in close contact with people diagnosed with the virus could use interferon as a prophylactic. In fact, trials studying interferons effectiveness in dealing with COVID-19 are already underway. Preliminary data from these studies shows there is a possible benefit to using interferon early in infection, but not when it is given during its later stages. Foxman and the other researchers believe their study can help explain why at times of the year when colds are more common, rates of infections with other viruses like influenza tend to decrease. This interference between different respiratory viruses could mitigate the spread of other, deadlier viruses by creating an upper limit on the degree to which they could co-circulate. There are hidden interactions between viruses that we dont quite understand, and these findings are a piece of the puzzle we are just now looking at, said Foxman. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk News.Yale.edu (Natural News) Despite getting injected for the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) in obedience to the government, at least eight people from Maine have died from what the media is calling covid. Calling it a rare occurrence, WGME reported that the eight individuals had done exactly what Donald Trump and Joe Biden told them to do, which is to get vaccinated for the Chinese Virus in order to protect themselves against infection. It turns out this advice from the government was not exactly good, as these eight people who trusted their leaders are now dead. Arthur Mitchell, one of the eight, was reportedly eager and ready to return back to normalcy, which he thought would only happen if he got injected with a Wuhan Flu shot. Mitchell received his second dose of the Moderna mRNA injection on March 8, only to die not long after that. Counted out his two weeks to be fully vaccinated, was very excited about that, daughter Margaret Staggs told the media. The Staggs believed throughout most of 2020 that it was simply not safe to gather together or do much of anything until an injection was readily available. Once the shots became available at warp speed, they all apparently rushed out to get the jab so they could relax after a year of restrictions. We probably all took a deep breath and let our guard down a little bit, Margaret added. Four weeks after the entire family was injected, Margaret, her husband, and her father Arthur all tested positive for Chinese Germs. Staggs says they just so happened to be in the small majority that become positive afterwards. With a nurse in the family, the Staggs decided it was best to get injected While the others are still alive following their positive test result, Arthur did not fare so well. His oxygen levels plummeted and he had to be rushed to the hospital for treatment. It was very important to my family that he wasnt by himself, Margaret says. For the next four days, Arthur was placed on a ventilator, which caused his condition to worsen. Then, on May 6, he died with his family by his side. My dad was a fighter, Margaret added. It was really hard to realize that he was going to lose that battle. He was a hard worker and a happy person and he loved his family. He always wanted a challenge. As a nurse, Margaret is convinced that the vaccine does a lot of good for people, even if her father was not one of those people. It is never 100 percent, is how WGME put it, which makes it difficult when a loved one becomes an outlier. When your loved one is that person, its hard, Margaret says. Now that Maine has returned to being mostly open, Margaret is disappointed that she will no longer get to see her father, whom she described as a former high school teacher, and avid fly fisherman, and a talented woodworker with a laugh shell never forget. Just remember that not everybody is going to go back to the normal that they knew before, because its affected too many people, she says. According to the official numbers, thousands of people are now dead all across the country, despite getting their Wuhan Flu shots to stay safe. There are likely many more cases of death that are not even officially logged in government databases. By the end of the year, there could be a million or more deaths worldwide, one Natural News commenter wrote. Since a very small percentage of severe reactions and deaths are reported, I suspect that those real numbers are already in the hundreds of thousands worldwide! More related news stories about Chinese Virus injections can be found at ChemicalViolence.com. Sources for this article include: WGME.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Farmer Gary Machens discovered an ancient tunnel beneath his house in West Alton, Illinois. He found it after the sidewalk beside his house collapsed, revealing an archway that led to a cavernous space. Had a problem here at the sidewalk and as we were doing some excavating and repacking of the rock here, we discovered this tunnel here, he told Fox 2 Now. Whatever they built this for, it took a lot of men and a lot of hours. You know, one guy didnt do this. The brick-lined tunnel is about nine feet high and 60 feet deep, though one end of the tunnel suggests that it probably extends further back. The farmer believes that when the street aboveground was made in 1895, it caused a change in elevation that buried the opening. Why is it stair-stepped like this? Why is that in there? Machens mused about the quirks in the tunnels structure. Do you see the offset in the brick? And if you look along this wall it turns that way a little bit. Uncovering the tunnels history Machens asked around the city about the mysterious shaft and found that it was probably built around 1840. This would predate his house by 50 years. The house was built in 1890, the tunnel is believed from 1840, so it was here for 50 years, the Illinois farmer said, noting that city maps dating back to the 1860s did not feature his or any other house on the property. Three former mayors of Alton have lived in this house through the years. I dont know if any of them knew about this [tunnel], he added. The Alton Telegraph reported that Lucas Pfeiffenberger, an architect and the 25th mayor of Alton, built the house for Cap. Henry Brueggeman, who eventually became the citys 27th mayor. In the 1920s, the home was sold to a carpet store owner before Paul Lenz, Altons 49th mayor, bought it years later. Machens visited the citys historians and learned that there were a few similar tunnels around the city. Some of these were used as an icehouse, while others were used as a root cellar. The West Alton resident also surmised that the tunnel beneath his home might have been used by the Underground Railroad, a Civil War-era movement that used secret routes throughout the U.S. to escape captivity. Theres no proof of that but there was a ferry here in the Alton area to the Missouri side and its possible it could have been used for that, he said. (Related: Researchers discover ruins of lost colonial tavern in North Carolina: Cache of artifacts is a time capsule of history.) Machens, a professed history lover, shared that he wants to preserve the tunnel. He is open to the idea of opening it for tours if he gets help with logistics and cost. But for now, he plans to fix the sidewalk and seal the archway. 19th-Century tunnels found beneath Alcatraz Former maximum-security prison Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in San Francisco is known for detaining some of the most notorious criminals in America. In 2019, researchers discovered a 19th-century network of tunnels and fortifications beneath the famed prison. (Natural News) A school district in Massachusetts is actually turning students and staff on each other by asking them to report on their fellow classmates and colleagues when someone says something they deem offensive, such as incidents of bias or microaggressions. And there will be punishments for these incidents: (Article republished from TheRightScoop.com) NEW YORK POST A Massachusetts school district is reportedly encouraging its students and staff to report on one another for incidents of bias and microaggressions including telling rude jokes, referring to the China virus and scheduling exams on cultural holidays. Documents from Wellesley public schools obtained by Parents Defending Education, a grassroots group that seeks to reclaim schools from activists promoting harmful agendas, include slides from a staff equity protocols training course, the National Review reports. The districts Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion defines a bias incident as any conduct, speech or expression that has an impact but may not involve criminal action, but demonstrates conscious or unconscious bias against any federally protected identity group. Examples listed are race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, or disability. Students are encouraged to report incidents of discrimination or any concerning pattern of biased behavior to any staffer or a trusted adult. Reports of any concerning behavior may be made anonymously, the policy states, though it adds that anonymous reports are more difficult to investigate and respond to. The training slides teach that telling rude jokes that mock a protected group in person or through any electronic device is an example of a bias-based incident as are using slurs, imitating someone with a disability, or imitating a persons cultural norm or language. Heres a few examples the school district provides of these incidents of bias and microaggressions that should be reported: The slides cite multiple examples of possible equity violations, including: Henry is a Math department head. At the schools holiday party, he had fun telling jokes about Protestants, Catholics, Jews, and Muslims to other staff. Another example is: Adam is in the high school cafeteria and jokingly turns to a friend and says, I can say n-word because my friend Bernice gave me a pass. Examples of microaggressions include saying, My principal is so crazy!, asking, Where are you actually from? or saying, Ohhh, you got the China Virus?!?! Telling a colleague, Youre so articulate and saying, The way youve overcome your disability is so inspiring also are listed as examples of microaggressions. Students who violate the policy face potential discipline, including detention, suspension, or other restorative responses that require them to acknowledge their responsibility and minimize its impact. My principal is so crazy is not a microaggression or even something offensive. Nor is asking someone where they are from or saying China virus. Good grief. This is a level of insanity that cannot sustain itself, especially in a school environment where children are generally pretty damn immature and always judging their peers. Who thinks up these idiotic, destructive policies??? This is not a good idea and is not going to end well for students. What its going to do is train them to be nothing but big wussie babies when they grow up, always worried about being offended and having to be in their safe spaces. The real world is going to chew these kids up and spit them out. Or worse, theyll get into positions of power and start changing the real world to mirror their safe spaces. We already see that happening all over the country and its only going to get worse. Read more at: TheRightScoop.com and CampusInsanity.com. (Natural News) The elusive Otus brookii brookii, a Bornean subspecies of the Rajah scops owl, hasnt been observed since 1892, when it was first discovered. Its song is also unknown to scientists, making it that much harder to find. Now, scientists have shot the first-ever photograph of the Bornean Rajah scops owl. It was included in a study published on April 28 in the Wilson Journal of Ornithology. Rare owl species spotted for the second time since 1892 In May 2016, Andy Boyce, then a doctoral candidate at the University of Montana, worked at Sabah, Malaysia, to understand how different bird species behave across various elevations. Boyce was capturing and measuring songbirds when he received a text message from fellow researcher Keegan Tranquillo, who had spotted the bird in the forests of Mount Kinabalu. Tranquillo, now a field biologist at Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico, said the Rajah scops owl had flown out of a dark corner with lots of vegetation. The owl flew away as he was observing it. However, it returned to perch in a shaded area shortly after, a moment Tranquillo said was a stroke of luck. Tranquillo said he could tell it was a Rajah scops owl. However, the bird looked different from the more common Sumatran subspecies because it was larger and had orange eyes. Boyce, now an ecologist at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, said he was overwhelmed when he heard of the sighting. He said he felt absolute shock and excitement that they found the mythical bird. But those feelings were quickly replaced by pure anxiety as he rushed to document the elusive bird of prey. Boyce feared that the bird could disappear again for who knows how long if he failed to document it in time. It was a really rapid progression of emotion, added Boyce. There was nervousness and anticipation as he was trying to get to the forest. But there was also some disbelief and a lot of anxiety when he spotted the bird. Being able to document this vanished bird was really an incredibly exciting moment, and not something I ever really dreamed of, Boyce told Mongabay. He said his work wasnt really focused on exploring remote and little-known places or purposely searching rare and forgotten species. Richard Bowdler Sharpe, an ornithologist with the British Museum in London, first described the rare owl species in 1892. Sharpe, who had named more than 230 bird species and another 200 subspecies in his lifetime, named the bird after James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak, who ruled parts of Borneo in the 1800s. The Bornean Rajah scops owl is rather small at just four ounces and nine inches tall. But adults can still appear fierce thanks to their furrowed brows, black streaks on their chests and piercing orange eyes. Currently, there are only two known subspecies of the Rajah scops owl: the one documented by Boyce and Otus brookii solokensis. This species has yellow eyes and can be found on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. Boyce and his colleagues believe that the Bornean Rajah scops owl might represent a distinct species, not just a subspecies. But with only two sightings to work with, scientists still know next to nothing about the Bornean Rajah scops owl, including its population size, reproductive habits, songs or vocalizations. Scientists are also uncertain about its core habitat. But even if they knew where to look, the owls nocturnal tendencies will make it hard to spot. Because the owl has never been captured, scientists havent been able to conduct long-term observational studies about the animal or collect blood samples for genetic analysis. Boyce thinks the Bornean Rajah scops owl hasnt been seen in more than a century because its population density is low. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has rated the Bornean Rajah scops owl a species of least concern. However, Boyce said the rating is premature. To protect the bird, scientists need a firm understanding of its habitat and ecology. [We] cant conserve what we dont know exists. (Related: Endangered reptile species being sold as pets could be in danger of extinction, warn scientists.) Read more articles about sightings of other rare species at Discoveries.news. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk News.Mongabay.com (Natural News) For a moment, I would like you to take an imaginary tour of a major U.S. city with me, and I would like for you to try to guess which city I am talking about. As you stroll along the sidewalks in the heart of this city, it seems like tents have been erected everywhere. Homelessness is completely and utterly out of control in this particular city, and even though city officials keep making more promises the crisis just continues to get worse. As you continue your tour, you notice multiple addicts doing drugs right in front of you. Drug needles, human waste and other trash are strewn all over the place, and you wonder why nobody from the city has cleaned up the mess. All of this filth has created a stench that is overpowering at times, and you try not to gag. As you travel deeper into the urban core of this city, you are shocked to see two men with guns carjack a woman a couple of blocks away. Not wanting to get involved, you abruptly change direction. You are startled when a couple of addicts that look like they were pulled straight out of a zombie movie start asking you for money, and you begin instinctively walking faster without even thinking about it. Unfortunately, you have stumbled into an alley that you should never have gone down, and you now find yourself completely surrounded by curious street people. You try to make a break for it, but it is too late. (Article by Michael Snyder republished from TheEconomicCollapseBlog.com) Ill stop our imaginary tour right there. Can you guess which major U.S. city I am talking about? Sadly, the reality of the matter is that there are many U.S. cities that closely fit the description that I just gave you. For example, Los Angeles was once one of the most beautiful cities on the entire planet, but today it is being described as a squalid cesspool The Democrat-controlled city of Los Angeles has devolved into a squalid cesspool of rampant crime, uncontrolled homelessness and filthy streets littered with trash, drug paraphernalia and human waste. Thats the observation of numerous Californians, including award-winning actor James Woods, who lamented on Monday that the picturesque city he once loved is gone. If you walk through the streets of Los Angeles today, you will find that homeless people have erected tents literally all over the city. Jeremiah Babe has demonstrated this over and over again in his excellent videos, and the footage that he captures during his visits to the core of Los Angeles just seems to keep getting worse over time. As conditions in Los Angeles deteriorate, it is fueling a dramatic rise in violent crime. The murder rate in Los Angeles is up 95 percent so far this year, and it is now the number one political issue in the entire city. Further north, San Francisco officials are dealing with their worst drug epidemic ever. San Francisco has always had a big problem with drugs, but Dr. Christopher Colwell says that the widespread use of fentanyl has taken things to an entirely different level Our most immediate threat right now is the opioid epidemic and the trauma we are seeing. We are seeing increases I havent seen in my career around dependency and overdoses, mostly involving fentanyl. We always had problems with opioids, specifically heroin, but fentanyl has changed the whole landscape of drugs. When we think of addicts, we tend to envision street people in our minds, but in San Francisco a lot of people that are overdosing these days are respected professionals A physician, two nurses, a professional athlete, a drug dealer and a lawyer who had nodded off in court. Teenagers, specifically a 14- and a 15-year-old. And a 7-year-old who got into a stash in her mothers purse. These are some of the types of people Dr. Christopher Colwell, the chief of emergency medicine at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, has recently seen in the emergency room for medical issues related to fentanyl use and overdoses. Whenever you have large numbers of drug addicts in a particular city, you are going to have a problem with property crime. Addicts are always looking for more money to pay for their next hits, and shoplifting has gotten wildly out of control in the city. What makes things even worse is that shoplifters in San Francisco face very light consequences if they are actually caught, and so at this point they have become extremely brazen Alarming video captured the moment a brazen robber filled a garbage bag with products at a San Francisco Walgreens and bicycled out of the store after no one tried to stop him. The footage posted on Twitter by ABC7 Reporter Lyanne Melendez was filmed on Monday afternoon in a Walgreens at the corner of Gough and Fell streets in the Bay Area where 17 of the pharmacys stores have been forced to close in recent years due to theft. I watched the video, and the thief actually brushes right up against the security guard without any concern whatsoever. On the other side of the country, police in the Atlanta area are operating under new rules that restrict them from chasing criminals. This is infuriating many residents, because now violent criminals can literally get away with just about anything if they just drive away fast enough This is the moment cops appear to do nothing amid a drive-by shooting in Atlanta as residents of the wealthy Buckhead area say its a warzone and demand to secede. The video, which was played on Tucker Carlson Tonight, shows people lining up near a dark-colored van that is parked on the side of the road when a white car passes by and shots ring out, with one going straight through the dark van, striking one of the passersby and sending people scrambling. A few seconds later, blue lights could be seen reflecting off the windshield of the black van, symbolizing police cars passing by and not stopping at the scene in the wealthy Buckhead neighborhood. By the way, the murder rate in Atlanta is up 60 percent so far this year, and officials in Atlanta say that they are desperate for solutions. Here is a solution. Perhaps they should actually allow the police to chase down criminals that are shooting at people. Just a thought. Up north, New York City hasnt seen this much degradation since the dirty days of the 1970s. Crime is wildly out of control, and filth is seemingly everywhere. Earlier today, I came across a report from the local Fox affiliate that discussed the fact that the number of subway cars that are soiled by feces, vomit, and blood is increasing As people return to the subway system in New York City, they are finding more trash and filth, according to a new report. There has been a rise in soiled train cars this year according to Daily News including cases of feces, vomit, and blood. Do you ever wonder who gets to clean up those messes? I hope that whoever has to do that job is well paid. As our major cities degenerate into cesspools of crime, drugs and filth, vast numbers of ordinary citizens are fleeing for greener pastures. In fact, North American Van Lines has just released a report that confirms that there was a huge wave of migration from blue states to red states in 2020 The pandemic saw people leave Democratic blue states in droves and head towards sunnier climes in the red states of the south to escape the strict lockdowns and spiraling crime. A migration report from moving company North American Moving Services found those living in the states of New York, California, Illinois, New Jersey and Maryland headed for Arizona, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Idaho. Unfortunately, this is just the beginning. As our cities continue to deteriorate, millions more Americans will be seeking to relocate. Of course this ongoing mass exodus has already pushed home prices in many desirable rural and suburban areas to absolutely absurd levels. If you are thinking about relocating, I would recommend doing it as soon as possible, because the collapse of our major cities is only going to get worse. Read more at: TheEconomicCollapseBlog.com and Collapse.news. (Natural News) Another day, another de-banking. Imagine a ruthless country where peaceful citizens who fearlessly defend their heritage, their families and their faith can wake up in the morning and find themselves cut off from their entire life savings with no explanation and no recourse. That country is not Russia, China, North Korea, Venezuela or Iran. (Article by Michelle Malkin republished from WND.com) That country is America in 2021. On Tuesday, 33-year-old Lauren Witzke received a terse notice from her bank, Wells Fargo. The available balance on her account read $0.00. Her entire life savings of roughly $15,500 had been transferred to loss prevention. Was this a case of theft or fraud? Had her account been compromised? Nope. When I called, Wells Fargo told me that it was a business decision,' Witzke recounted, and that they have the right to close my account at any time. A Wells Fargo representative told Witzke, who is working out of state and has no other bank account, that she would be barred from retrieving her funds at any branch office and that they would mail a check. You know how that goes. Wells Fargo did not respond to my phone messages and email inquiries regarding Witzkes case. Here is what you need to know about Witzke. The 2020 Delaware Senate GOP candidate is an outspoken Christian conservative activist and supporter of former President Donald Trump who peacefully exercised her First Amendment rights at the Jan. 6 Capitol rally. She has not been charged with any crime. She was, however, suspended on Twitter for peacefully opposing mass migration and violent refugee criminals in Europe. She was banned completely from the platform in March for peacefully expressing her opinion that a transgender activist, who tweeted that little girls were kinky, was demonic. She has organized peaceful election integrity efforts in Georgia through her work with the Hold the Line PAC. She has been a fierce and peaceful advocate for America First principles protecting the traditional nuclear family, supporting an immigration moratorium and combating Big Tech censorship. In other words: Lauren Witzke has a big fat target on her back for threatening the powers that be in Big Government and Big Business. After the Jan. 6 protest, she has encountered obstacles to flying unimpeded across the country to participate in political rallies and events. She cannot check into flights online, is swabbed for explosives and has SSSS (secondary security screening selection) marked on her tickets. Thats a designation made by the federal Transportation Security Administration, which keeps a secret list of untold thousands of American citizens targeted for undisclosed reasons as security threats. This is not just about one private bank making a business decision to drop a customer for any old reason. This is an obvious case of coordinated financial censorship and targeting of citizens by Big Government and Big Business based on their political views. Pattern recognition is key. As Ive previously reported in my columns and latest book, Open Borders Inc., Wall Street is in bed with social justice radicals and deep-state bureaucrats whove erected Americas very own version of the Chinese social credit system in which political dissent is flagged, shunned, punished and eradicated. Before Witzke came a long line of dissidents and nationalist groups ranging from Laura Loomer to Faith Goldy to the Proud Boys to Lana Lokteff and Henrik Palmgren to VDARE and Nick Fuentes to Gab founder Andrew Torba all blocked or barred from financial entities ranging from Chase and Barclays to Mastercard, Visa, PayPal, Venmo, Patreon, Stripe and Coinbase. The current weaponization of corporations and banks against conservatives and Christians is terrifying, Witzke told me. I have banked with Wells Fargo for years, using it as savings when I was working in ministry. Only when I was given a platform to share my Christian views on the national stage did Wells Fargo decide to shut down my account. The Evil Oligarchs at Wells Fargo left me, a young woman, with a balance of zero dollars, stranded, and a thousand miles away from my home with no explanation. Christians and conservatives, get your money out of Wells Fargo, NOW! Gabs Torba, who has battled de-banking by four different financial institutions and one credit card company, has likened the latest financial terror and blacklisting campaign under President Joe Biden to an Obama-era program pressuring the companies not to do business with lawful firearms dealers, coal companies and other politically incorrect businesses. What were seeing is Operation Choke Point, Torba said after news of Witzkes de-banking broke, where the federal government (is coming) after political dissidents. Weve gone far beyond cancel culture. This is not merely about being silenced. Its about being robbed, bankrupted and destroyed by woke capital and swamp oppressors. No one is safe. As Torba warns: Today its Lauren; yesterday it was Gab; and tomorrow it can and will be you. Read more at: WND.com (Natural News) An Indian journalist claims that the careers of the proponents of the lab leak origin theory of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) have been threatened by White House Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci. This claim comes from Indian scholar, journalist and veteran political commentator Madhav Das Nalapat. He is a professor of geopolitics at the Manipal Academy of Higher Education. On a June 3 appearance with local media outlet NewsX, Nalapat talked about how Faucis trustworthiness needed to be scrutinized in light of his recently released emails. These emails were released to the public after mainstream media outlets in the United States accessed them through Freedom of Information Act requests. (Related: Fauci emails reveal: The natural origin theory was coordinated propaganda, crafted by the very scientists who engineered the virus.) Some of the information highlighted in the released emails include the fact that Fauci was informed by scientists that the coronavirus could have been engineered in a lab. Despite being presented with this information, Fauci continued to discredit the lab leak theory as a conspiracy. The emails also reveal that Fauci helped funnel grant money paid for with taxpayer funds for gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). Gain-of-function research involves engineering pathogens to make them more transmissible or otherwise more dangerous to humans. Anybody who disagreed with Fauci was silenced through intimidation and death threats Nalapat said Faucis funding of the WIV and his denial of the lab leak theory points to a massive cover-up. He added that anybody who attempted to disagree with Faucis support for the natural origin theory was quickly silenced. Any scientist who spoke up was strictly warned that, Look here, you are going to have your career destroyed.' said Nalapat. Nalapat did not name which scientists and health experts were threatened into silence. But he said during his appearance at NewsX that he knows of several persons based in the U.S. and Japan who could not speak out against Fauci. Friends in the United States and Japan extensively briefed me that [the natural origin theory] is complete bunkum, he said. Then I asked them, Whats wrong with you guys? Why are you silent? But they said, If we speak out, Dr. Fauci and his gang will destroy us, will destroy our reputations, will destroy our careers. We do not dare to speak out.' In a later tweet from his personal account, Nalapat once again criticized Fauci. He said: As yet those who participated in such suicidal gain-of-function experiments have escaped even censure much less punishment. Nalapat is far from alone in claiming that Fauci has silenced his critics. Journalist and political analyst Josh Rogin revealed that scientists informed him that they were prohibited from contradicting any of Faucis statements. I often talk to scientists who say the same thing, who say, Listen, we really want to speak out about this, but we cant do it. Why cant we do it? Well, we get all of our funding from NIH, or NIAID, said Rogin. Fauci is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which is under the National Institutes of Health (NIH). So we cant say anything like, Oh, gain-of-function research might be dangerous, or it might have come from a lab, because were going to lose our careers, were going to lose our funding, were not going to be able to do the work.' Rogin made these comments during an appearance on the podcast of journalist and television news anchor Megyn Kelly. Robert Redfield, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2018 until 2021, publicly claimed that he received multiple death threats after he said he believed COVID-19 escaped from the WIV. In comments made to the magazine Vanity Fair, Redfield said the death threats came from other prominent members of the American scientific community. I was threatened and ostracized because I proposed another hypothesis, Redfield explained. I expected it from politicians. I didnt expect it from science. Fauci has denied downplaying the lab leak theory. During an event with the Wall Street Journal, Fauci said that what he believed to be far-fetched was the idea that Chinese scientists deliberately engineered the coronavirus. He also said he still supports the natural origin theory, while at the same time Im keeping an open mind that it might be a lab leak. Learn more about how Fauci and other people in America attempted to discredit the lab leak theory before it became a mainstream theory by reading the latest articles at Pandemic.news. Sources include: LifeSiteNews.com DailyMail.co.uk ChristianDaily.com (Natural News) A new report has found that liberal states like New York and California are experiencing a mass exodus. The people formerly living there are departing for more conservative states like Texas and Florida. This data comes from the 2020 U.S. Moving Migration Patterns Report by North American Van Lines (NAVL), one of the United States largest trucking companies. NAVL specializes in home and office relocation services. Despite the 2020 pandemic, this year Americans are following similar moving trends as prior years, read the report. Millions of Americans are moving either to start a new job or to move home. The NAVLs report noted that people are fleeing California for Texas and Idaho. The top seven inbound states in 2020 are Idaho, Arizona, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina, Florida and Texas. A vast majority of these states are conservative-leaning, with the exception of the swing state of Arizona. The top seven outbound states are Illinois, New York, California, New Jersey, Maryland, Michigan and Pennsylvania. These states heavily lean liberal, except for the swing states of Pennsylvania and Michigan. NAVL speculated that the high cost of living in California and the lack of affordable housing options in places like San Francisco are the main reasons why people are leaving the Golden State. For northeastern states like New York, NAVL believes the harsh winters, the lack of available jobs, the high cost of living and the lack of affordable housing options are the main reasons why people leave. (Related: New York Exodus: New Yorkers leaving in droves due to crime, overreaching coronavirus restrictions and high taxes.) The NAVLs report did not mention the widespread engineered riots and demonstrations last year that took place mostly in liberal-leaning cities. The report also did not mention the effects of strict lockdown measures, nor how crime rates in cities spiked due to the anti-police defund the police movement. The five most popular cities to move to are Phoenix, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta and Denver. The report noted that Phoenix has been the number one destination for people moving for four out of the last five years. It was briefly removed from its top spot by Houston in 2018. With Texas warm climate and low taxes its not surprising that two of the top five [Metropolitan Statistical Area] destinations are in Texas, read the report. Exodus to Texas and Florida translated into new seats in Congress The massive shift in population has resulted in New York and California losing one seat each in the House of Representatives. Meanwhile, Florida gained one House seat and Texas gained two. New York and California now only have 26 and 52 congressional districts, respectively. Floridas total number of districts has risen to 28, while Texas went up to 38. Other states that lost congressional seats are West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Illinois. All of them lost one seat each. Other states that gained one seat each are Montana, North Carolina, Oregon and Colorado. One census official noted that if New York had 89 more people answer the census, the state would not have lost a seat in the next House. Between 2010 to 2019, New York lost approximately 1.4 million people to other states. Preliminary data from the Census Bureau in December also revealed that New York lost roughly 126,000 residents between July 2019 to July 2020. The situation in California is not much different. The states population is no longer growing and in 2020 the state lost more residents to outmigration than it gained. The top destination for former Californians is Texas, followed by neighboring states like Oregon, Nevada and Arizona. Learn more about why states like New York and California are collapsing by reading the latest articles at Collapse.news. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com NorthAmerican.com NationalReview.com (Natural News) A flyer telling 11-year-olds that they can have sex, as long as the person isnt older than 13, was distributed earlier this week to students at Stewart Middle School in Tacoma, WA. (Article by Ari Hoffman republished from ThePostMillennial.com) Angry parents contacted the schools administrators after 8th grade children brought home the graphic flyer from science class. The flyer also informed students that they could get an abortion at any age without parent consent. The handout listed other items that children did not need parental consent for such as birth control, as well as HIV and STD testing. The flyer encouraged sexting and advertised that condoms and emergency contraception could be obtained at any age. Livid parents contact the school as well as Tacoma Public Schools. In a response obtained by The Post Millennial, Eric Hogan, assistant director of secondary education at Tacoma Public Schools said that the flyer was not part of the curriculum and should not have been sent home with students. After an investigation Hogan said, Previously, Planned Parenthood taught within our schools and supplied the slyer which was distributed to students. We discovered a binder of curriculum materials was left behind for an incoming teacher to use for this year, and the flyer was in the binder. Hogan added that the teacher did not realize that the flyer was not approved and that corrective action had been taken against the employee. Hogan added that Planned Parenthood was no longer giving presentations within their schools. The director apologized and noted that unapproved curriculum had been removed and faculty had been instructed on what was included in approved material. In the last election cycle, Washington voters approved Referredum 90, a graphic state-wide, sex ed curriculum created and endorsed by Planned Parenthood and radical activist organizations. Informed Parents of Washington, objected to the early sexualization of children in the curriculum, as well as the graphic material and warned of the possibility of grooming young children for early sexual experiences. This incident followed the Free The Pill campaign, which attempted to allow children to get over-the-counter birth control pills. Reportedly, the campaign wanted children as young as 11 for studies. Read more at: ThePostMillennial.com (Natural News) Reason Magazine is a well-known libertarian outlet that covers various issues around the country from their partys perspective. Staying true to their promise of ideological purity, Reason has routinely defended big tech monopolies censoring various groups of people on the basis that they are private companies. (Article republished from BigLeaguePolitics.com) The magazine recently took their defense of big monopolies another step further, attacking Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis for having supposedly conducted an assault on online free speech with his recent legislation. In summation, Reasons argument is that Facebook and Twitter are private companies and therefore are allowed to control whatever speech they please on the worlds largest public square. The law in question that Desantis signed is S.B. 7072, which fines corporate monopolies like Twitter and Facebook up to $250,000 a day should they refuse a platform to candidates running for office. From Reason Magazines article criticizing Desantis: But among the many concerns about the bill is that it requires these platforms to carry speech they might find objectionable or offensive. The First Amendment, bolstered by many, many court precedents, usually prohibits the government from mandating that a private company do this. Whether were talking about newspapers, cake-makers, or T-shirt shops, America has a lengthy history of court cases forbidding DeSantis from doing what hes attempting to do. In an ironic twist, Reason just over a month later wrote an article complaining of you guessed it. Internet censorship! The article, titled Why Did YouTube Remove This Reason Video?, detailed YouTubes deletion of a Reason Magazine COVID-19 related video. YouTube justified the censorship and denied Reasons appeal on the basis that it violated their medical misinformation policy. One cannot help but note the irony in a magazine that routinely bashes others for fighting censorship suffering from that exact fate. In Reasons defense, they were philosophically consistent with their message, writing in the article that While YouTube, as a private company, is within its rights to decide what to carry, the decision to remove this video illustrates a disturbing, censorial trend that has accelerated in the age of COVID. Whether or not the writers at Reason will develop more self-awareness remains to be seen. In the meantime, libertarian activists at Reason seem to have their hearts set on defending those who hate them most. Robert Winterton, director of public affairs for NetChoice, an organization that routinely represents the interests of tech companies like Google, Facebook, and Twitter recently gave an interview to Reason in which he defended their censorship. Our hope is to disincentivize states from spending money pushing laws that are blatantly unconstitutional, said Winterton. Disallowing discriminatory censorship of free speech on the worlds largest square is unconstitutional? It doesnt take a genius to see the ridiculousness in such a statement. Read more at: BigLeaguePolitics.com (Natural News) GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida announced Wednesday his state would be the first to respond to requests by the governors of Texas and Arizona for help in addressing the migrant crisis at the U.S. southern border with Mexico. (Article by Randy DeSoto republished from WesternJournal.com) Thank God that Florida, the nations third most populous state, is willing to help in this catastrophe that is largely of President Joe Bidens making. These states have sent Florida support when weve responded to emergencies here in our state, DeSantis said. And they wanted support so that they could do what the federal government is either unwilling or unable to do: secure the border and protect the people not just of their states, but of the entire country because of the nationwide impact that has. We believe that securing the southern border is important for our country, but specifically we believe it will benefit the people of Florida to be able to get this under control, he added. And so where the federal government has failed the states are stepping up and doing our best to fill the void. Gov. Ron DeSantis on sending law enforcement to Texas and Arizona: "We believe that securing the southern border is important for our country, but specifically, we believe it will benefit the people of Florida to be able to get this under control." pic.twitter.com/I2wJnRQrbP The Hill (@thehill) June 16, 2021 DeSantis said that law enforcement officers from various sheriffs offices around the Sunshine State, as well as members of the Florida Highway Patrol and other state agencies, would begin deploying immediately. The move couldnt come soon enough. Customs and Border Protection reported that over 180,000 people were apprehended attempting to enter the country illegally through the southwest border in May. That is a 21-year high. In May, CBP encountered more than 180,000 persons attempting entry along the SW border. This total represents a 1% increase over April. Press release: https://t.co/IoniQDIuHT Enforcement stats: https://t.co/AcdShCXjDS SW Land Border Encounters: https://t.co/i3vbVkLjpB pic.twitter.com/ATyXFDOe5T CBP (@CBP) June 9, 2021 CNN reported in March that the U.S. is on track to encounter more than 2 million migrants entering the U.S. illegally in the current fiscal year. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration earlier this month in the face of the flood of humanity entering his state. The governor also announced this week Texas would be building barriers to cover areas not protected by former President Donald Trumps unfinished border wall. Biden halted construction on his first day in office and re-instituted catch and release and ended the Remain in Mexico policy for those applying for asylum in the U.S. Due to Biden's open border policies, I just announced Texas' plan to continue securing the border & build the wall. Heres how: Down payment of $250M Hire project manager & contractors Begin construction Demand Biden return TX land to TX https://t.co/PaQbSzMMcn Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) June 16, 2021 Fellow Republican Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey issued an emergency declaration in April and deployed the states National Guard. Former President Donald Trump announced Tuesday he has accepted Abbotts invitation to visit our Nations decimated Southern Border, as the former commander in chief described it. The trip is slated for June 30. The Biden Administration inherited from me the strongest, safest, and most secure border in U.S history and in mere weeks they turned it into the single worst border crisis in U.S history. Its an unmitigated disaster zone, Trump said. BREAKING: Trump to visit decimated Southern Border with TX Gov. @GregAbbott_TX on Wednesday, June 30, 2021 pic.twitter.com/02gKpx4sQc Benny (@bennyjohnson) June 15, 2021 He argued that Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are engaging in a grave and willful dereliction of duty. Trump concluded: My visit will hopefully shine a spotlight on these crimes against our Nation and show the incredible people of ICE and Border Patrol that they have our unshakeable support. Biden created this crisis, and he is too cowardly to go to the border to face the people who are bearing the consequences of his decisions. DeSantis, Abbott and Ducey are to be commended for doing the best they can to work together to mitigate the damage Bidens policies have wrought. Read more at: WesternJournal.com ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) A jury has found New Mexico's former state tax chief guilty of embezzling more than $25,000 from a trucking business while she served in former Gov. Susana Martinezs cabinet. Demesia Padilla, 61, could face up to 18 years in prison when she is sentenced for her conviction Friday on embezzlement and intent to defraud charges. A sentencing date was not immediately set. MANCHESTER Police have identified the missing 13-year-old girl whose body was found Friday morning in the basement of an apartment building. Police said they found Zaniya Wright, of Manchester, Friday morning in the basement of the South Adams Apartments on Olcott Street. Lt. Ryan Shea said the teens mother called police around 8:30 p.m. Thursday to report her daughter missing. Its unclear when the girl was last seen. Shea described the basement where the girl was found as a common area for the building and not tied to any specific unit. He did not say what led investigators to the apartment building. It was unclear how long her body had been in the basement. This is a tragic situation for our community, Shea said during a press conference Friday morning. Were doing everything we can. Shea said there are multiple scenes that need to be processed. He said he could not expand on where those additional locations were beyond the apartment buildings basement, other than to say the investigators were expected to be concentrated in that area. No arrests have been made, and its not clear yet if investigators are considering foul play. I cant say whether or not the circumstances are suspicious, Shea said, adding that investigators are relying on the states chief medical examiner to rule on the girls cause and manner of death. We have not classified this as a homicide. The state police Major Crimes Squad is helping process the scene, and investigators are speaking with anyone who may have had contact with Wright. Shea said investigators are looking to speak to anyone who might have seen the girl or spent time with her between when she was reported missing and when her body was found. Shea said police are also interested in anyone who might know how the girl ended up at the apartment building. Manchester detectives are also working with the local states attorneys office, Shea said. This is obviously going to impact our community greatly when a 13-year-old girl is found in this condition, he said. Were doing everything we can to uncover the circumstances as to what happened. Shea said investigators are working Friday to obtain any possible surveillance footage from the surrounding area that might help piece the case together. He said police have spoken with family members and are now looking for any members of the public who might have seen something especially in the area of the apartment building any time between Thursday night and Friday morning. Were speaking with everybody to try to determine what happened here, Shea said. Staff Writer Peter Yankowski contributed reporting. Anyone with information is urged to call police at 860-645-5500. New Castle, PA (16103) Today Mixed clouds and sun with scattered thunderstorms. High 68F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight A few clouds. Slight chance of a shower throughout the evening. Low 54F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Norwich FGB announces first dinner event of year Norwich FGB announces first dinner event of year Norwich FGB has announced its first dinner event of 2021, at the Mercure Hotel in Norwich, on Friday September 10 with special guest Kit Brinkley. No job. Divorced. No family home. Creditors. No help and no hope - but wait, that is never the case. It was 1998, and a phone call to a colleague, an offer of exhibition work, and an invitation to an Alpha course resulted in a total turn-around in Kits life. "Come and hear stories of healings, amazing coincidences, and a passion for sharing the Good News, which has changed his own life forever, says branch president Barrie Lawrence. Married since 1996 to a wonderful Danish wife, Pernille, Kit lives near Eye in Suffolk. Kit has worked in franchising since 1996, staging the UKs National Franchise Exhibitions. As Special Projects Director of World Franchise Associates of World Franchise Associates (WFA). He has worked with investors and brands in the US, Europe and the Gulf States. Come and be inspired, whilst enjoying fellowship and laughter over a Mercure dinner. Bring your friends, especially any who need a touch from the living God. Kits family motto is Mutabimur we shall be changed. Come to our dinner on September 10, and you will never be the same again, says Barrie. There will be prayer for the sick and those with other needs. We believe in miracles because we have seen so many. The dinner will take place on Friday September 10 at the Mercure Hotel, Boundary Road, Norwich, 7pm for 7.30pm. The cost is 15 per person , to include a two-course dinner. Further information from fgbnorwich@gmail.com or phone Barrie on 07786 381344. Pictured above is special dinner guest speaker Kit Brinkley. Keith Morris, 19/06/2021 By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Shares of Adani Group flagship Adani Enterprises' (AEL) and Adani Ports (APSEZ) made decent gains on Friday even as three Group companies - Adani Power, Adani Total Gas and Adani Transmission - hit their 5 per cent lower trading limit for a fifth straight session on Friday. AEL ended the Friday session at Rs 1,488 on the BSE, up 9 per cent from Thursdays closing while APSEZ closed at a high of 7 per cent to Rs 695. Adani Green Energy, however, fell 4.5 per cent. Friday's marginal gain is a relief for the port-to-energy conglomerate whose six listed stocks had fallen 9-22 per cent in the first four days of this week, wiping out the Group's market capitalisation value by over Rs 1.5 lakh crore and promoter Gautam Adanis wealth by USD 12 billion. Despite Friday's gain, most Adani stocks this week will register their biggest weekly loss ever. To note, Adani stocks have gained 200-1,000 per cent the past one year, backed by the groups rapid expansion and record number of contract winnings. Adani company stocks have been going southward since a report on Monday said NSDL had frozen accounts of three Mauritius-based FPIs which owns shares worth over Rs 43,500 crore in four Adani firms. The Adani group has termed the report blatantly erroneous and aimed at deliberately misleading the investor community. It also claimed the three accounts in question are very much active. However, investors are not yet satisfied with the clarification. According to the NSDL website, the accounts of Albula Investment Fund, Cresta Fund, and APMS Investment Fund were frozen on or before May 31. All these fund houses share a common location (Port Louis, Mauritius) and do not have websites. By IANS NEW DELHI: Fintech major BharatPe, that hit a new high with 106 million monthly transactions in UPI in March this year, is reportedly raising nearly USD 250 million in its next funding round led by Tiger Global. TechCrunch on Friday reported, citing sources, that the fresh funding will take the company's valuation to about USD 2.5 billion. When reached, the company declined to comment at the moment. The financial services company last month raised Rs 50 crore in debt from Northern Arc Capital, one of the leading digital debt finance platforms. This was the sixth round of debt financing in 2021. In January, the company had raised Rs 200 crore from three top debt companies in the country -- Alteria Capital, InnoVen Capital and Trifecta Capital, having later raised additional capital from ICICI Bank and Axis Bank. "We have considerably ramped up our lending business in the last year and have set an ambitious target of facilitating disbursals to the tune of $1 billion to more than 10 lakh merchants by the end of current fiscal (FY22)," BharatPe Group President Suhail Sameer had said. The fintech company has already facilitated disbursals of over Rs 1,600 crore to more than 2 lakh merchants since the launch of the lending vertical. As per a recent report by ACI Worldwide and Global Data, India has outpaced the US and China to become the world's biggest real-time digital payments market, driven by P2P as well as merchant payments. BharatPe said it is committed to help small merchants and kirana store owners grow their business with a range of fintech products for them. By Express News Service CHENNAI : Reliance Jio beat rival Bharti Airtel in March for the second month in a row after lagging behind the latter in terms of net mobile user additions for six straight months. However, Jio continues to record the largest inactive user base at 91 million, compared to Airtels 8 million and Vodafone Ideas 21 million. According to data released by sector regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), March saw all four major telecom service providers recording an improvement in net additions to their wireless user base. Reliance Jio saw a sharp increase in this metric during the month, adding a net 7.92 million wireless users compared to the 4.26 million addition in the previous month of February. Airtel added 4.05 million compared to Februarys 3.73 million and Vodafone Idea added 1.09 million against 652,625. State-run BSNL also turned around its fortunes during March,adding a net 194,310 wireless users compared to a net loss of 359,157 in February. Jios ramp up in wireless net additions is a reversal of last years trend, when Airtel had pipped the Mukesh Ambani firm for six straight months between August 2020 and January 2021. It was only in February 2021 that Jio began regaining the lead it had held nearly continuously from its launch until last year. Higher user additions have helped Jio increase its total wireless market share from 35.5% in February to 35.8 in March, even as Airtels market share remained stagnant at 29.8 per cent and Vodafone Ideas fell from 20.2 per cent to 20 per cent. Jio also retains the lead in terms of total telecom subscribers at 422.92 million, followed by Airtel with 352.40 million users and Vodafone Idea at 283.71 users. However, the Reliance telco continues to struggle with a large overhang of inactive subscribers, which remains far larger than any of its competitors. As of the end of March, Jio had the weakest proportion of active users among its total subscribers at just 78.43 per cent, compared to Vodafone Ideas 90.13 per cent and Airtels 97.72 per cent. LARGE NUMBER OF INACTIVE SUBSCRIBERS WITH JIO With 91 million inactive users as of the end of March 2021, Jio had the weakest proportion of active users among total subscribers at just 78.43 per cent, compared to Vodafone Ideas 90.13 per cent and Airtels 97.72 per cent By PTI NEW DELHI: Boeing India along with Doctors For You (DFY) and SELCO Foundation has set up a 100 oxygenated bed facility for mild to moderate COVID-19 patients in Bengaluru, a statement said on Saturday. The facility, which has been set up in the campus of the Karnataka State Power Corporation Ltd (KSPCL) in Yelahanka, Bengaluru, has been handed over to the Karnataka government, Boeing India's statement noted. "Boeing India has funded the facility. Doctors for You is providing the necessary staff and care, while SELCO Foundation has set up the pre-fabricated facility. KSPCL provided the land necessary to set up the hospital," the statement mentioned. The hospital was built from the ground up in less than 20 days, it stated. "Of the 100 oxygen beds, 10 beds are dedicated for ICU services and 20 beds for High Dependency Units (HDU) ward," it noted. The KSPCL campus in Yelahanka was chosen because of its proximity to an already existing oxygen generation plant, it stated. India has been badly hit by the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic during the last few months. As the second wave is gradually receding, the state administrations as well as the Central government have started preparing for the possible third wave. With 60,753 new Covid cases being reported in a day, India's total tally rose to 2,98,23,546, while the number of active cases stand at 7,60,019, the lowest in 74 days, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Saturday. The death toll climbed to 3,85,137 with 1,647 fresh fatalities and active cases comprise 2.55 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has improved to 96.16 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed. ALSO WATCH: SV Krishna Chaitanya By Express News Service CHENNAI: Leaving nothing to chance, the Arignar Anna Zoological Park is planning to test all its Asiatic lions for Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) and has also procured 50 imported vaccine doses to cover all the big cats in the park. So far, two lions have tested positive for CDV -- 9-year-old lioness Neela and 19-year-old Raghav. Based on the available evidence, Neela died more due to Covid-19, while Raghav, who tested negative for Covid-19, is normal and exhibiting no typical severe symptoms of CDV like muscle twitching, seizures etc. Naga Sathish Gidijala, Deputy Director of Vandalur Zoo, told The New Indian Express, "We had a very detailed discussion with Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) on CDV. It cannot be called an outbreak. It's only been incidental. The 12-year-old lion Pathbanathan, who died recently, has also tested negative for CDV. So, it's not a huge concern as of now. However, to completely rule out the threat, we will try to test all the lions for CDV. TANUVAS can test the samples." The CDV was detected in Vandalur Zoo lions by chance, when ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute (ICAR-IVRI) was testing their samples for SARS-CoV-2 and any other comorbidities, which would help the veterinarians in finetuning their treatment regimen. In its report, IVRI had termed the infection "very mild". Vaccination soon In February, well before the outbreak of Covid-19, Vandalur Zoo was in talks with Etawah Lion Safari Park in Uttar Pradesh, which happens to be the only official licence holder to import CDV vaccines from a pharmaceutical firm in the United States. "After the CDV outbreak in Gir National Park in Gujarat that killed several lions, our veterinarians had expressed the need for CDV vaccination, but there is only one company in the United States that manufactures the vaccine in limited numbers based on pre-order and we need to have a license to import. Later, we learnt that Etawah is the coordinating centre in India for CDV vaccination. Except for an advisory, the vaccination guidelines and protocol prescribed by Central Zoo Authority (CZA) does not include CDV vaccine for big cats," a zoo official said. Etawah Park received the vaccination consignment from the United States only last month. "We are planning to send a member of our vet team next week to Etawah to bring 50 CDV vaccine doses, which will cover all our big cats," the official said. Scientific study on death of lions Vandalur Zoo officials said: "We are personally grieved by the death of two young lions and want a detailed scientific study to be conducted. We have requested the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) to conduct a more in depth analysis of the lioness Neela samples available with them. We secured multiple samples (blood, nasal, rectal, liver etc) of Pathbanathan which we will send to multiple laboratories for molecular, cellular, forensic and genome sequencing to understand how Covid is behaving in big cats, especially lions. So far, we have limited or zero knowledge as no studies are conducted in this direction." Sources said the Central Zoo Authority of India was also reviewing different protocols being followed and incorporating a few changes as several zoos have reported Covid-19 cases. A virtual meeting with all zoo directors was conducted on June 18. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Friday to discuss the full action plan and roadmap for a possible third wave of Covid-19 in Delhi. At the meeting, the chief minister told L-G that the Delhi government was making preparations on a war footing to combat a possible third wave keeping in mind the worst-case scenario of 45,000 cases emerging daily. According to the government, the full blueprint of the Delhi governments extensive preparations was presented to the L-G, highlighting the enhanced healthcare infrastructure that the government has been persistently building since the pandemic. Kejriwal, who has earlier mentioned that the third wave might affect children more, discussed with the L-G about a State Level Task Force and a Pediatric Task Force for effective treatment of children. Experts estimate that if the third wave of the pandemic arrives, then during the normal situation in Delhi, about 37,000 corona cases can emerge per day, whereas if the outbreak is very high, then about 45,000 cases can emerge daily, said Kejriwal in the meeting. Delhi government has set up two high-level committees to look over the planning and the implementation of a roadmap so that the citys healthcare infrastructure is better prepared than the last wave. During the peak of the second wave of the pandemic, social media was flooded with SOS calls, crematoriums saw long waiting lines and patients died gasping for oxygen in hospitals of the national capital. Hospital beds and medical oxygen, which were a major issue during the last wave due to the high number of daily fresh cases, are the key focus areas of the AAP government this time around. The Delhi government is setting up new oxygen plants. It is also procuring medical oxygen transportation tanks and a committee has been constituted to assess the oxygen supply infrastructure in Delhi government hospitals having 100 or more beds and also examine the adequacy of provisions made in the expansion plan and suggest the way forward. By PTI NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police on Saturday conducted mock anti-terror drills at three strategic locations in the city in coordination with other agencies, officials said. A coordinated multi-location mock drill exercise was held at ITO, Vasant Kunj and Dwarka on Saturday at 4 pm by the Delhi Police in which specialised agencies like NSG took part, according to a statement. Mock drills are the standard mechanism whereby the efficiency and efficacy of institutional arrangements and inter-agency coordination are put to the litmus test in various scenarios, it said. The mock drill was coordinated by the Special Cell, the nodal anti-terror agency of Delhi Police. At the old police headquarters building at ITO, the mock drill began with a decoy vehicle reaching the exit gate of old PHQ. After a brief skirmish with security, a group of decoy terrorists entered the building and held some persons hostage at gunpoint, while another group fled from the scene in a getaway car, the statement said. Simultaneously, a second terror strike scenario was initiated at Ambience Mall, Nelson Mandela Road, Vasant Kunj, where an improvised explosive device (IED) was lobbed by decoy terrorists near its main entrance and thereafter, the decoy terrorists fled the scene while opening indiscriminate fire, it stated. According to the statement, the third scenario was simulated at Dwarka Sector-21 metro station where an explosion was reported near the main gate and decoy terrorists were reported to have forcibly hijacked a metro train found stationary at the platform. At all three locations, all stakeholders -- local police, traffic police, PCR, SWAT and civic agencies like fire service and health department -- were rushed by the Central Police Control Room. Incident Command Posts were established and defensive evacuation drill was executed, it said. The special forces of SWAT, Special Cell and Metro Rail security provider CISF formed the inner cordon and anti-terror operations, as prescribed in the drills, were carried out. Hostage rescue, secondary device check, screening and securing of suspects, etc. complex operations were simulated with coordination and cooperation of all responding actors, it said. As special observers, teams of NSG attended all the three scenarios and made critical evaluation of the efforts, response and proficiency of the responding agencies which is required for constant upgradation of professional skills of a premier police force, it said. No untoward incident or avoidable panic was noticed till the conclusion of the mock drill. Response of officers and personnel of all districts, units and civic agencies were found appropriate, the statement said. By Express News Service KOCHI: After a break, traffic blocks are back in Kochi with people coming out in numbers in their vehicles after the lockdown on Friday. Traffic signals were fully functional and more police and guards will be deployed to man traffic from Monday.During the peak hours from 9am to 11am and 4pm to 7pm traffic congestion was high. With the absence of public transport modes and many people travelling to their native places, traffic congestion turned severe in the evening. With transport buses being limited and Kochi Metro not operational, people used private vehicles to go to offices and shops. Also, as it will be a lockdown on Saturday and Sunday, people came out in numbers for shopping. Several people were also going to their native places for the weekend leave, adding to the rush. With banks also open, many came out for financial transactions as well, said Vinod C, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Traffic West. All traffic signals are fully functioning. More personnel will be deployed to manage traffic blocks from Monday. Some police officials have contracted Covid-19. But we will deploy officials from the reserve camp to manage the situation, another police official in Kochi East traffic limit said. With a limited number of transport buses plying, crowds had gathered at bus stops. We were monitoring the main bus stops and informing KSRTC authorities about the rush to operate short route buses. As per our information, KSRTC operated short route buses which helped avoid crowds at bus stations, Vinod said. By Express News Service Even as fans of Yash are waiting for the release of much-anticipated film KGF Chapter 2, the Rocking Star has been in the news for his next project. While we had last reported that Mufti director, Narthan will be helming Yashs 19th film that is said to be at the script discussion stage, the latest buzz is that he will be playing a role of a Navy officer. While fans were thrilled about this piece of information which went viral, our source denies this. Previous to this news, there was also a speculation that Tamannaah Bhatia would play the role of a heroine, which again seems to be false. Yash and Narthan are teaming up for a project and the script is getting locked. All other speculations are false, says our source, adding that Yashs current focus is KGF Chapter 2, and any update on his next film will officially be announced at the right time. Meanwhile, Hombale Films, the production house of pan-India KGF Chapter 2 directed by Prashanth Neel, had initially announced that the film would release on July 16. However, this may get pushed due to the lockdown. Though the government has been easing restrict ions, there i s uncertainty about the reopening of theatres. However, a word from the production house is awaited on their release plans. This is one of the much-anticipated films, and fans from across the world have been waiting to watch Yash in Rocky Bhais avatar. Yash was also in the news for the help he rendered to the Kannada film industry workers, with his contribution of Rs 1.5 crore which was divided among 3000 technicians. RAM VENKAT SRIKAR By Express News Service A week after the disastrous Ardha Shathabdham, Aha is back with its latest offering, In The Name of God (ING). Although In the Name of God doesnt quite reach the nadir in the chasm of Telugu webspace, the lethargic writing ensures it comes close. The seven-episode series begins on a promising note. The first episode, in fact, sets up a deliciously gritty premise. A young Meena (Nandini Rai), who is in a loveless marriage with a much older Ayyappa (Posani Krishna Murali), invites her lover Thomas (Vikas) over to have sex. The show opens with Meena smoking pot and walking out of a smoke-filled kitchen while Ilayarajas Regutunnadhoka Raagam from Dance Master plays in the background. These are traces of swag filmmaking, I felt; the smoke was an intimation of the flaws it concealed, I realised later. As Meena and Thomas start making out, to their dismay, they are curtly interrupted by the arrival of Ayyappa. This ignites the proceedings and later becomes the central point for multiple half-baked threads, which doesnt really add up at the end of what becomes a tedious watch. The introduction of these shallow characters, although uninspiring, is functional in the first episode. Set in Rajamundry, the primary character Aadhi (Priyadarshi Pulikonda) is a lower-caste youth who aspires to own a resort. The foul-mouthed Ayyappa is a B-grade filmmaker who reduces his wife just as a means to satisfy his sexual needs. The wall posters in the weedsmoking Thomas room scream COOL DUDE. Throw in Thomas criminal acquaintance, a shady Rossi (Mohammad Ali Baig), whose annoying dubbing and nonsync dialogue delivery only add to the temper-testing exercise this series subjects us to. WATCH TRAILER: Theres also Fakir (Uma Maheshwar Rao), the kind of focused gangster who will give money-related directions to his aids even while carrying his collapsed daughter whod just attempted suicide. We are never really invested or concerned about these one-note characters, and that, naturally, extrapolates in apathy seeing these characters in life-threatening situations. With the series going haywire from the third episode, we become cold observers to the series moving from one banal plot point to another. A crime drama is a genre best served with blurred moral barriers. However, the characters of In the Name of God can be easily segregated into binaries-the senescent good and bad duality. By the time a false imputation compels an innocent Aadhi to turn to the dark side after being quiescent for three episodes, its of no effect. That being said, In the Name of God is not frivolous in its entirety. Far from being called mediocre, there are glimpses of the stylish, violent crime drama this could have been. The ending of the first episode instigates real tension when Ayyappa finds about his wifes affair. Likewise, there is a great mass moment involving a jeep towards the end of the third episode, that coincides with the genesis of Aadhis transformation. Theres also a recurring conversation on Aadhis sexual impotency. Once again, it could have made for an interesting point had the writers explored Aadhis insecurity a little more instead of restricting it to dirty, offensive blague. This angle, coupled with Aadhis transformation remains the storys most interesting facet, and the introduction of Indira (Sai Priyanka Ruth), adds to the complexity. However, like other aspects, this too gets lost under aimless writing. Moreover, its a show that mistakes excessive usage of swearing for boldness. What it lacks in emotion, In the Name of God tries to recompense in expletives, and the resultant is an overwhelming volume of curse words. Had the series ended with the third episode on an unfinished note, it would have still made for a more gratifying conclusion, but writing panders in a rigmarole for four more episodes. It takes a substantial time to build up towards a meaningful ending. The twists dont land due to this very facet. We get the sense of dichotomy; a pure person choosing the path of violence while the bad one seeks redemption. Akin to other characters, Meenas character also has a terrific starting point. While its good to see every major character get an arc, the endings are consistently blatant. As we navigate questions with uninspiring answers, the series ends on a poor excuse of a twist. For a series that is titled In the Name of God, you may expect a veiled commentary on religion. This too exists as a trickle. We have a Muslim, Christian, and Hindu chasing money. Strip them of their religion, and it wouldnt have influenced the story in the tiniest degree. In the Name of Lust or In the Name of Money would have been befitting titles. But, in the name of god, a change of name is the least of this series problems. But a rose by any other name would smell just the same. IN THE NAME OF GOD CAST: Priyadarshi, Nandini Rai, Posani Krishna Murali and others DIRECTOR: Vidyasaagar Muthukumar STREAMING ON Aha Sudhir Srinivasan By Express News Service Its like Karthik Subbaraj desired to make two different Tamil films set in the West. One, a solemn film like Iraivi that would bleed for immigrants and refugees and Eelam Tamils. Its the sort of film that would declare that those that take to violence to protect the vulnerable mustnt be labelled terrorists a plea, I imagine, in favour of the Eelam Tigers. This first film would also take on weighty topics like racism, conservative politics, government bills and what it takes to pass them, unemployment If this seems burdensome enough, Karthik, it seems, also wanted to make another film: A globe-trotting gangster film that would have our Madurai gangster clash with his equivalent from London, and explore this strange relationship and with it, the linguistic, culinary, cultural differences of their respective regions (Note how Suruli is taken aback when he sees an Indian kiss his girlfriend). Both stories seem like exciting possibilities in the hands of an accomplished filmmaker like Karthik Subbaraj. With films like Iraivi and Mercury, he has established his credentials in executing a film with social themes. As for the second story, its pretty much his default zone. In his six-feature-film-old career so far, he has already shown his love for shooting violence in aesthetically pleasant ways. So, why does Jagame Thandhiram never really take off ? Its because hes tried to fuse these films together into one, and in doing so, has created a film in which one story doesnt really allow the other to thrive. An attempt at wordplay concerning thaamboolam and thaampathyam failing to take off, is an early warning, and a harbinger of things to come. Jagame Thandhiram doesnt ever thrive in its violence and humour as, say, a Jigarthanda did. Dhanush triesespecially with those malicious grins. WATCH TRAILER: But the problem is, I couldnt ever get a hang of his character, Suruli. You get fleeting details, like when his mother speaks of not being a good parent. However, the film leaves you with more questions than answers about him. Who is he really? Whats with his love for cooking? Whats with the murderous streak? Whats with all the ruthlessness and desire for money? And if he were really so ruthless, how is it that hes so profoundly moved by a brief narration from Atilla (Aishwarya Lekshmi)a throwback device from the 90s films in which filmmakers would have characters narrate their stories like in a play This love story itself feels manipulative and flimsy. The film asks you to relate to the profound emotion felt by Atilla, but then, this relationship is never built on any profundity. Suruli catches a glimpse of this woman and declares that hes in love and would like marriage. Atilla, whose singing, it seems, is just for a single scene, randomly agrees to sit in a conversation with him. And before you know it, shes supposedly developed feelings for him. I didnt buy this important relationship for even a minute in this filmlet alone be moved by the developments caused by it. Similar superficial exploration is offered to the Eelam conflict, mainly discussed through passing dialogues and brief introductions to mainly minor characters. A major character is Sivadoss (Joju George), but then again, there isnt really time in which to get introduced to him. We hear of him through an easy flashback narration, in which a political tragedy is archived into a single blast, in which the trauma and struggle of a homeless woman is relegated to some quick shots of her being moved about from country to country, before she settles in London. The flashback, in fact, has the effect of making you feel that her journey was not as uncomfortable as one might perhaps have imagined. This rather cold film needed to tell us more about its characters. Who is Peter (James Cosmo), for instance? Apart from his generic, racist comments, what are his deep views about people of colour? Whats the extent of his influence in the government? While the English of the London characters in this film is thankfully quite all right, they still dont seem to comfortably belong in the universe of this Tamil film. Something about their movement, their gestures, their dialogue delivery, their non-verbal responses Jagame Thandhiram is an improvement in how integrated they are, but clearly, we still have a long way to go. And yet, let me register that Karthik Subbarajs latest film means well. It demands that the world treat refugees better. It stands with Eelam Tamils; it empathises with those who take up arms on their behalf. It stands against racism, and I doubt there has been another Tamil film in which a character has used the word xenophobia. It even notes the irony of these Indians, so ill-treated in foreign countries, oppressing each other through caste divisions. It may be a mans film but it still makes an attempt to elevate Aishwarya Lekshmis character above the purpose of just being the romantic interest of Surulieven if it isnt exactly successful in achieving this. The problem with Jagame Thandhiram isnt the motive; its the execution. Among the pleasures of a Karthik Subbaraj film is the reuse of old Tamil songs to enterprising effect. Perhaps for the first time in his filmography, I didnt particularly care for these homages in Jagame Thandhiram. You hear songs like Kalyana maalai, Kadhalin deepam ondru, Veetukku veetukku vaasapadi venum, Oruvan Oruvan, Sambo, siva sambo and there are dialogues that speak of films like Nayagan and Citizen. But it all feels rather cursorylike he was checking off items in his auteur checklist. Homages. Check. Murder and mayhem. Check. Stylised gunfire. Check. And yet, for all the gunfire, this film feels like a misfire, despite Dhanushs best attempts to light up this film. His eyes drip menace and a certain insanity. And in many, many scenes, its impossible not to spot the Rajinikanth influences. He communicates this through lopsided grins and eyebrow raises and in dialogue-delivery too like when a corner of his mouth moves and he utters, Verum panam vachikunga. And yet, the film, confused as it seems between being a sensitive film about refugees and an entertainingly violent film about gangsters, does him no great service. In trying to be both, it ends up being neither. In a Jigarthanda, it didnt matter that we didnt feel emotionally connected to Assault Sethu. But in a Jagame Thandhiram like in an Iraivi its important to care for the characters. This film wants you to feel for the plight of the refugees and the Eelam Tamils. And in such a film, its a problem that I couldnt get myself to truly care about any character. The body count increases, but it doesnt matter. Suruli could have died, and it still would not have mattered. It doesnt help that the characters in this film themselves dont seem to be taking certain events too seriously. Close friends and aides get murdered, and yet, bizarrely, they seem quick to forgive. Be it Sivadoss (Joju George) or Deepan (Kalaiyarasan) or Dharani (Deepak Paramesh) or strangely, even Suruli himself, these characters move past betrayals quite quickly. When these men dont care about their tragedies as deeply, why must we? Im convinced that Jagame Thandhiram is Karthik Subbarajs weakest film yet, but its still a Karthik Subbaraj film. And so, you do get treated to some lovely flourishes of filmmaking, aided by Santhosh Narayanans eclectic music. Watch a kidnapping scene get brilliantly executed in a series of quick shots of various characters speaking in one-liners. I also loved that big murder scene near the halfway mark and enjoyed how the camera circles the characters over and over again, as their reactions change. The event itself wasnt a big surprise for me, but how its shot makes it all quite enjoyable, nevertheless. I may not remember Jagame Thandhiram for many things, but I wont be forgetting in a hurry that the film still showed us the unlikely visual of a Tamil gangster going ballistic in an alien land being pounded by snow. And of James Cosmo being told how to eat parotta with salna. Director: Karthik Subbaraj Cast: Dhanush, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Joju George, James Cosmo Streaming on: Netflix By Express News Service BHAWANIPATNA: Amid the Covid battle, the contribution of Good Samaritans who have come to the aid of those in need has been nothing short of inspiring. For Radhika Juad of Makla village under Golamunda block, help came at a time when she was battling life and death after undergoing a Caesarean Section to deliver a child in Bhawanipatna Government Hospital. Durlava and Manas donating blood at Bhawanipatna hospital on Friday Though Radhika lost the child, she was in dire need of O+ of Bombay Phenotype blood, a rare type, to survive. Since the group of blood was not available in Kalahandi, her relatives approached different donors in the district but to no avail. Social activists in the area then took to social media and sought the help of Kalinga Rakhyaka Foundation, Bhubaneswar which had two donors with the same blood group. The youths, Durlava Kumar Sahu of Unit IV and Manas Ranjan Pradhan of Baramunda immediately agreed to help and went to Bhawanipatna on Friday to donate blood for Radhika. Both were highly appreciated for their timely help that saved a life. We are happy to have been able to help someone in distress, said both. While Durlava has donated blood nine times now, Manas has done this noble deed 14 times. Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRINAGAR: After the Centre invited PDP chief and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for talks, senior PDP leader Sartaj Madni was on Saturday released after nearly six months in detention. Madni, a former PDP vice president and maternal uncle of Mehbooba, was detained by police on December 21 last year, a day before counting of votes for DDC polls in J&K. Madni was among the mainstream leaders arrested after abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of J&K state into two Union Territories (UTs) by centre on August 5, 2019. He was also among the dozen mainstream leaders including three former CMs Mehbooba Mufti, Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah to be booked under the stringent Public Safety Act. However, his PSA detention was revoked in June last year and he was set free. ALSO READ: PDP to discuss Centres invitation for talks, other J&K parties yet to receive call Madnis release has taken place after PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti got an invite from the Centre for talks in New Delhi on June 24 on Jammu and Kashmir. The Prime Minister is likely to chair the All Party Meeting (APM) of J&K political leaders in New Delhi on June 24 to discuss the restoration of statehood, delimitation process and elections, sources said. The Centres invite to Mehbooba Mufti for talks came exactly three years after the collapse of the PDP-BJP coalition government headed by her following withdrawal of support by the saffron party. On June 19, 2018, BJP had withdrawn support to the Mehbooba led PDP-BJP coalition government citing security failure. Mehbooba and her party have been very vocal on the abrogation of Article 370 and demanding restoration of August 4, 2019 position. The PDP chief has said she wont compromise on her stand come what may. By PTI KOLKATA: The Trinamool Congress on Saturday claimed that West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, who visited New Delhi for five days, has been trying to malign the people of the state on the post-poll violence issue for electing the Mamata Banerjee-led party, and demanded that he should be removed from his post. TMC chief whip in the Rajya Sabha, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, also alleged that it is a deep-rooted political conspiracy that Dhankhar is exaggerating "stray incidents" as post-poll violence and meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other central leaders in Delhi. The governor went to Delhi on Tuesday, a day after a delegation of BJP MLAs petitioned him on alleged deterioration of the law and order situation in the state. Dhankhar met Shah twice, on Thursday and on Saturday. During the first meeting, he is believed to have briefed the home minister about the law and order situation in the state. "The governor has been making rounds in Delhi durbar of Shah. This is his effort to malign the state and its people who have elected Mamata Banerjee," Roy told reporters. After its claim of winning over 200 seats fell flat, the BJP is busy hatching a conspiracy and the governor is acting as the microphone of the saffron camp, he alleged. The BJP had claimed that it will win over 200 seats in the West Bengal assembly election but managed to get 77. Two of these elected leaders, who were also MPs, resigned later, while another, Mukul Roy, returned to the TMC, his old party. "We demand the removal of the governor from the post. We think his five-day stay in the national capital is part of a larger conspiracy to disrupt the situation in West Bengal when the state government is fighting Covid-19 and rehabilitating people affected by natural calamities," the Rajya Sabha MP said. The governor had earlier stated that he will embark on a four-day visit to Delhi. However, he postponed the departure from Delhi till Saturday and met Shah for a second time. BJP state president Dilip Ghosh, on the other hand, claimed that the TMC is humiliating the governor for rushing to the aid of the people who had to flee their homes due to attacks by the ruling party after the poll results are out on May 2. "The state administration has taken no action. Now, if the governor goes to Delhi to highlight the issue, why should the TMC object?" he said. Roy alleged that statutory bodies such as the National Human Rights Commission, the National Commission for Women and the national commission for SC, ST and backward castes are being used to harass the elected government of West Bengal and build a false narrative that people are not safe in the state. On the demand of a BJP MP for carving out a union territory comprising districts of north Bengal, the TMC leader wondered whether the saffron party would support it if there is a similar demand for Gujarat. "This is nothing but a divisive ploy of the BJP after being summarily rejected by people of West Bengal," he said. By PTI KOLKATA: With single screens and local multiplex chains reeling under the blow of COVID-19 for past one year, the Eastern India Motion Picture Association on Saturday urged West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to come out with a relief package for the "gasping" cinema halls. EIMPA while sending a letter to the CM also sought an audience with her to apprise of the situation faced by the exhibitors while pledging its support to the fight against the pandemic by the state government. It is becoming increasingly difficult for cinema hall owners to pay salary to its employees with the suspension of shows for several months since March 17 in 2020 and again since May 1 in 2021, EIMPA office-bearer Ratan Saha said, adding that "we have urged the government three year soft loan for working capital." In the letter the EIMPA sought three year "soft loans amounting from Rs 2 lakh to 5 lakh per cinema per screen multiplied by the number of months of inactivity." "Yearly operation cost per screen being Rs 15 lakh with one year moratorium for the same," the letter claimed. The monetary compensation was required for electricity charges, rent, dues accrued during period of closure and repair and maintenance to get cinemas back in running condition after shutdown, the apex body of distributors said. "We also urge exemption of tax and duties for the theatres and providing financial help to the employees of the closed single screens as the owners are hard pressed in the present situation," one of the owners of a cinema hall in Behala and head of a film distribution company Satadeep Saha said. "Last year it was really bad as after seven months we could open the halls in Durga puja-Diwali period. However the old scenes never came back as audience turnout was very poor and there were no big banner releases. Finally it is back to square one as we closed shop from May 1 again. We are only staying afloat hoping for better days," Saha said. EIMPA sources said around 120 of the 250 single screen theatres were operational before May 1 restrictions were imposed. The rest have closed shop, and some permanently. By PTI GHAZIABAD: A Samajwadi Party worker was arrested on Saturday for allegedly instigating an elderly Muslim man to claim in a video that he was beaten up by four youths who also chopped his beard and asked him to chant "Jai Shri Ram" in Loni area of Ghaziabad. Ummaid Pehelwan Idrisi, who was absconding since Wednesday when an FIR was lodged against him at the Loni Border police station, was nabbed from Delhi on Saturday, a Ghaziabad police official said. The FIR, filed on the complaint of a policeman, alleged that Idrisi had "unnecessarily" made the video -- in which Abdul Shamad Saifi narrated his purported ordeal -- with an intention to "create social disharmony" and shared it through his Facebook account. He was booked under IPC sections 153A (promoting enmity between groups on ground of religion, class etc), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious belief), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 505 (public mischief). ALSO READ: UP Police send legal notice to Twitter India MD over Ghaziabad assault video A separate FIR was lodged against him on Thursday evening in Bulandshahr district that charged him and around 100 others with violation of the COVID-19 norms by holding a public gathering on June 16, the officials said. Bulandshahr resident Saifi, who had made communal allegations in his video on June 14, had earlier on June 7 alleged in a complaint to the Ghaziabad police that he was assaulted by four youths on June 5 after being abducted by them and confined in a room in a secluded field in Ghaziabad's Loni area. On being asked about Saifi's communal allegations, Ghaziabad's Senior Superintendent of Police Amit Pathak had said earlier that the elderly Muslim man had made no communal allegations in his original complaint. The SSP had also suspected someone behind instigating Saifi to make communal allegations. Ghaziabad's SP (Rural) had also said the police had already arrested the main accused Parvez Gurjar for being behind the assault on Saifi. Raja had said Gurjar had a dispute with Saifi over the purchase of a magical amulet from the Bulanddshahr man, who also practised occultism. Saifi had sold Gurjar an amulet claiming that it would rid him of all family problems but Gurjar had begun facing a spate of troubles after the purchase of the amulet and suspected that all his "misfortunes" were due to the amulet. By PTI ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday accused India of "misrepresenting" the verdict of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case and asserted that it is ready to fulfil all obligations under the international law. India on Thursday asked Pakistan to address the "shortcomings" in a bill brought out to facilitate reviewing the case of Jadhav, saying the proposed law does not create a mechanism to reconsider it as mandated by the ICJ. Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs Arindam Bagchi in New Delhi said the Review and Reconsideration Bill 2020 does not create a mechanism to facilitate effective review and reconsideration of Jadhav's case as mandated by the ICJ judgement. He added that municipal courts cannot be the arbiter of whether a state has fulfilled its obligations in international law. Jadhav, a 51-year-old retired Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April 2017. The Hague-based ICJ ruled in July 2019 that Pakistan must undertake an "effective review and reconsideration" of the conviction and sentence of Jadhav and also to grant consular access to India without further delay. Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) on Saturday said Islamabad abides by all its international obligations, and this applies to the ICJ judgment in the case of Jadhav. "It is regrettable that the Government of India has chosen to misrepresent the ICJ judgment which clearly states in Paragraph 147 that Pakistan is under an obligation to provide, by means of its own choosing, effective review and reconsideration of the conviction and sentence of Jadhav, the FO said. In line with paragraph 146 of the ICJ judgment, Pakistan chose to provide Jadhav the right of review and reconsideration by superior courts of Pakistan through the ICJ (Review and Re-consideration) Ordinance, 2020, it said. Pakistan's commitment to uphold the ICJ judgment was again reflected by the passage of the ICJ (Review and Reconsideration) Bill for Review from the National Assembly of Pakistan, it said. The FO said that ICJ judgment in para 118 also requires India to act in good faith, and arrange legal representation for Jadhav. Regrettably, India has been engaging in a deliberate campaign to obfuscate the issue of appointment of a lawyer, it alleged, adding that Pakistan had to initiate proceedings before the Islamabad High Court to request the Court to appoint a lawyer for Jadhav. It said the court repeatedly invited India to clarify its position and appoint a lawyer but "it continues to deliberately politicise the issue." After India approached ICJ, it ruled in July 2019 that Pakistan must undertake an "effective review and reconsideration" of the conviction and sentence of Jadhav and also to grant consular access to India without further delay. On Tuesday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) adjourned the hearing of the government's plea to appoint counsel for Jadhav till October 5 at the request of the Attorney General for Pakistan Khalid Javed Khan. By PTI SRINAGAR/JAMMU: The National Conference, PDP, Congress and the CPI(M) on Saturday said they will take a call on attending a meeting with the prime minister in Delhi after deliberations within their respective parties. Fourteen leaders from Jammu and Kashmir have been invited to the meeting that will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on June 24 to discuss the future course of action for the union territory. The meeting -- the first such exercise since the Centre announced the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status and its bifurcation into union territories in August 2019 -- is likely to be attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other central leaders. The PDP will hold a meeting on Sunday to discuss the invitation of the Centre to political parties of Jammu and Kashmir for talks, party president Mehbooba Mufti said on Saturday. Mehbooba told PTI, "There is no clear-cut agenda about the talks with New Delhi. However, I have asked my party's Political Affairs Committee (PAC) for a meeting to discuss the same." The last chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, who had an alliance government with the BJP from 2016 to 2018, she said that the decision of whether to participate in the talks would be taken by the party. "There is no agenda for the meeting but I was conveyed that the meeting is being called to review the general situation and how to take the political process forward. There is no clear-cut agenda," Mehbooba said. A National Conference (NC) leader told PTI, "The party president (Farooq Abdullah) received a phone call from Delhi today, inviting him for the meeting with the prime minister on June 24." He said the party will sit and discuss the invitation to the meeting over the course of the next couple of days. "To participate or not in the meeting is a matter of discussion. The party leadership will sit soon and discuss the issue. But, at least, there is a realisation in Delhi now and this meeting is a good thing. Dialogue and democracy go hand to hand in Jammu and Kashmir," he said. The NC leader also said after the meeting of the party, the meeting of the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) is likely to take place to discuss the issue. The PAGD is an alliance of some parties in Jammu and Kashmir, including the NC and the PDP, that was formed in the aftermath of the Centre's August 2019 decisions. Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said its chief G A Mir has also received an invitation for the meeting. "The party shall take a view on the issue of participation in consultation with senior leadership in a couple of days," Sharma said. Earlier during the day, Mir said his party had yet not received any invitation from the Centre. He, however, added such a step, if taken, was welcome as dialogue with stakeholders was the only way forward. Another invitee, senior CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami, said he would discuss the issue of the participation in the meeting with his party before taking a final call on it. The CPI(M) leader, who is also the spokesman of the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), said the meeting is scheduled at 3 pm on June 24. According to officials, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla reached out to these leaders to invite them to the meeting. Among those invited are four former chief ministers -- Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah of the National Conference, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti. Four former deputy chief ministers of the erstwhile state -- Congress leader Tara Chand, People's Conference leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig, and BJP leaders Nirmal Singh and Kavinder Gupta -- too have been invited to the meet. In addition, CPI(M) leader Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami, Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) chief Altaf Bukhari, Sajjad Lone of the People's Conference, J-K Congress head G A Mir, BJP's Ravidner Raina, and Panthers Party leader Bhim Singh have been invited to the meeting. BJP Jammu and Kashmir unit president Raina said he is confident that all the leaders invited to the meeting will attend the "important" deliberation. The meeting convened by the prime minister is in accordance with the wishes of heads of various political parties who have been seeking time from him and demanding such a meeting for a long time, he added. Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRINAGAR: The Peoples Democratic Party (PDPs) Political Affairs Committee (PAC) would be meeting on Sunday to discuss the Centres invitation for talks on June 24. Party chief Mehbooba Mufti, who headed the PDP-BJP coalition government from 2016 to 2018, said she received a call from the Centre for the meeting in New Delhi on Jammu and Kashmir. The Prime Minister is likely to chair the All Party Meeting (APM) of J&K political leaders in New Delhi to discuss the restoration of statehood, delimitation process and elections, sources said. PDP spokesman Suhail Bukhari said the party has not yet received any written formal invitation for talks. However, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti has been informed about the meeting through phone. He said the PDPs Political Affairs Committee (PAC) would be meeting on Sunday. The meeting to be chaired by Mehbooba will discuss the proposed meeting in Delhi. It will be decided what should be the strategy of the party and how we should go ahead. The decision on participating in the talks will be taken in the PAC meeting, Bukhari said. Senior CPI (M) leader and former MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami told The New Indian Express that he has not received any phone call or formal invitation for the proposed all-party meeting. He, however, urged the Centre to inform the parties about the agenda of the meeting. The mainstream parties, he said, have never closed their doors on dialogue with the Centre. Apart from Mehbooba, the invitation for the talks may be extended to Farooq Abdullah of the National Conference, Sajjad Gani Lone of the Peoples Conference and Altaf Bukhari of Apni Party, sources said. "BJP and Congress leaders will also be invited for the APM," said a source. Abdullah and Mehbooba were among a dozen mainstream leaders booked under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) following the scrapping of Article 370 and bifurcation of J&K state into two Union Territories (UTs) by the Centre on August 5, 2019. Sajjad Lone was also among the mainstream leaders detained after the Article 370 revocation. The NC, Apni Party, Peoples Conference and Congress have not received any invite for the talks so far. The BJP and Apni Party have called on the Centre to hold a dialogue with political leaders of J&K on restoration of statehood as there is unanimity among parties over its restoration. Even the six-party Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), which met recently, had said it was ready for talks and kept its doors open for dialogue. Political commentator Noor Mohammad Baba said the Centres change in Kashmir policy may be prompted by both internal and external factors. He said something positive is being considered after some persuasion and some work has been done. There has been improvement in relations between India and Pakistan. Both countries are strictly adhering to the border ceasefire now and there have also been some other developments, he said, adding, There is also the China factor now. According to Baba, India wants to build closer ties with the US, which might have some concern on the internal front in India, especially in Kashmir. On the internal front, he said after August 5, 2019, the Modi government planned to sideline and discredit J&K politicians. It tried to make them redundant and create new leadership. But they have not succeeded in creating an alternative brand of leadership in J&K, he said. Asked whether the change in the Centres K-policy is linked to the BJPs defeat in the West Bengal polls, Baba said, I dont think so. If that had been the case, they had all the reason to play tough in Kashmir. There are more strategic factors. Kashmir is not like any other place in India. It is being watched. There are external agencies. The UN agencies are also keeping an eye on the situation, he added. By PTI JAMMU: A police officer was allegedly assaulted by some Army personnel at a checkpoint in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, following which an FIR was registered against them, officials said. The incident took place at Poshana when the Station House Officer of Rajouri Police station, Inspector Sameer Jilani, was travelling to Kashmir to visit his ailing mother, the officials said. They said Jilani was stopped by the Army personnel guarding the checkpoint on Mughal road, an alternative link connecting the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu region with south Kashmir's Shopian district. The soldiers allegedly pounced on the SHO who was in civvies when his private car passed by some waiting vehicles. The SHO was allegedly roughed up despite having introduced himself as a police officer, the officials said. "In connection with today's incident of manhandling of a police officer at Poshana check post on Mughal road, FIR No. 234/2021 under relevant sections of law has been registered in police station Surankote against the said personnel," the police said in a statement. It said further investigation and legal proceedings are underway. By PTI MUMBAI: Supporters of the Shiv Sena and BJP MP Narayan Rane clashed at Kudal in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district on Saturday during an event organized by the Sena on its foundation day which highlighted rising petrol prices, police said. The incident came two days after Shiv Sena and BJP workers came to blows outside the Sena headquarters in Mumbai. Local Sena MLA Vaibhav Naik and his supporters had organized an event on the party's foundation day where they were distributing money to vehicle owners who came to buy fuel at a petrol pump at Kudal on Saturday morning, a police official said. The pump is run by a person close to BJP Rajya Sabha member and former Shiv Sena leader Narayan Rane, he said. Soon BJP supporters gathered there and started raising slogans against Naik which led to heated arguments and a clash. Police soon arrived on the spot and dispersed the workers of both the parties, the official said. Naik and his supporters then organized the same program at another petrol pump nearby, he added. An FIR was registered against the Sena MLA and 12 of his supporters and the BJP's Aanand Shirvaikar and 20 others at Kudal Police Station under IPC sections related to unlawful assembly as well as disobedience of public servant's order, and also for the violation of COVID -19 related norms. No arrest has been made yet, the official said. On June 17, fights broke out between the supporters of the former allies when the youth wing of the BJP took out a protest march here against the Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana's critical comments about the Ayodhya land purchase deal controversy. Mukesh Ranjan By Express News Service RANCHI: Even in this age of 4G network, people living in some of the villages under Jaldega Block of Simdega have to climb a hillock or travel a distance up to 5- 8 kilometers on foot to get their quota of ration under the Public Distribution System (PDS) after putting their thumb impression on e-PoS Machine due to lack of internet connectivity in the region. According to villagers, they have to go to a particular point on the hillock along with the ration dealer, wait there for several hours for internet connectivity, and put their thumb impression to collect ration after returning back to the PDS shop in the village. The problem, according to villagers, started when the online distribution of ration was made mandatory by the district administration even in the areas where there is no internet connection. Earlier, they were getting ration easily through off-line mode, but the arrangement was changed recently in the month of December-January following directions from the State Government. For getting the ration, a beneficiary has to put a thumb impression on the e-PoS machine, but due to lack of connectivity, they have to travel for several kilometers in search of internet connectivity. As there is no internet connectivity in the village, we have to climb nearby hillocks by walking on foot for about 8 kilometers in order to get our quota of ration every month. All the cardholders assemble near the PDS shop and then walk to the hillock along with the dealer in search of internet connectivity, said a local Amit Kandulna of Tetamda village in Jaldega. There also had instances that they returned back without putting their thumb impression as no internet connectivity was found even after walking for several hours, he added. PDS shop dealers informed that since the e-PoS machine they distribute ration is compatible with 2G network of Airtel only, has poor internet connectivity in the region besides having server problem all the time. Since there is a network issue all the time, we have to take the cardholders to Jaldega, which is around 4-5 kilometers away from here only to get their thumb impression. There are a lot of other problems, both for PDS dealers and beneficiaries, as the network keeps on coming and going very frequently, said a PDS shop dealer, requesting anonymity. Sometimes they have to wait for the entire day for network without any results, he added. The dealer further added that every PDS dealer, barring those located near block headquarters, either have to go to Jaldega or find out a place at a faraway place by climbing on the hillocks in search of internet connectivity as there is no network outside there. They have already submitted applications to the district administration but nothing has been done so far, he said. Officials also admitted that there is a problem and they are trying to solve it as soon as possible. There are several shadow areas in most of the places in Jaldega block where PDS dealers have to face a lot of problems in the distribution of ration and updating the e-PoS machines due to poor or no internet connectivity. We have already written to the district administration, along with a list of PDS dealers facing the problem, recommending free these areas from online ration distribution, said Circle Officer cum Block Supply Officer Khagen Mahto. Meanwhile, the district administration claimed to have taken needful action to solve the problem. This problem has also been reported from several other blocks of Simdega outside Jaldega, for which, we are trying our best to arrange offline ration distribution in such areas. We have already written to the state government seeking permission for the same as it could be done from the State Government level. As soon as approval is granted, we will start offline distribution of ration in all shadow areas, said Deputy Commissioner Sushant Gaurav. A day after the AIADMK legislature party meeting chose O Panneerselvam as deputy leader of the Opposition, V K Sasikala, the confidante of late CM J Jayalalithaa, sent audio clips to more than 10 party functionaries with a message that she will work for Ammas party for life. In her latest attempt to drive a wedge between Paneerselvam and former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, Sasikala said she would have picked Panneerselvam as CM had he not staged a revolt against her by sitting on a fast at Jayalalithaas samadhi in 2017, which he later described as dharma yudham (fight for dharma). But the fact remains that she and her family treated the then CM Paneerselvam like a doormat and humiliated him at every turn in the tumultuous weeks that followed the demise of Jayalalithaa. That he went on the fast only after he was forced to step down to make way for her as chief minister just before the Supreme Court verdict in a disproportionate assets case is well documented. Her pious statements now are only meant to stir the party cauldron to create space for herself. The fact that the audio files in circulation are of calls she selectively made to a few cadre and some disgruntled elementsand not the other way roundclearly shows her desperation. Watching quietly from the flanks is her garrulous and ambitious nephew T T V Dhinakaran, who floated a rebel party and damaged the AIADMK without winning a single seat in the state elections. On the flip side, Palaniswami has been strengthening his position within the AIADMK, which was visible during the recent legislature party meeting. Despite being the AIADMKs coordinator, Panneerselvam failed in his efforts to make one of his supporters the party whip in the Assembly, as EPS loyalist S P Velumani made it to the post. That apart, the meeting had MLAs rallying against Sasikala. Also, 17 of her loyalists were expelled from the party. That Palaniswami managed to reach out and mollify the sulking Panneerselvam showed his tact. EPS appears to be playing his cards well at the moment. He, however, needs to be careful not to let vacuum build up over time, creating room for a hostile takeover. Amrutha Kosuru By Express News Service VISAKHAPATNAM: With no certainty as to when the pandemic will end, dealing with the current situation has not been easy for many people at a time when the country is dreading a third wave. A 50-year-old asthmatic and diabetic COVID-19 survivor, recalling the '14 unforgettable days of her life', says constant encouragement and moral support from fellow patients at the hospital where she was undergoing treatment kept her going. "After I tested positive, for a brief moment I felt like its all over," the 50-year-old, who recovered in early May, says. Extremely worried about her son, a high school student, as her husband too was COVID-infected, the survivors family was isolated in their home for days before her sugar levels started plummeting. Not long after, her blood oxygen level also fell down to 87. "My doctor suggested that I get myself hospitalised immediately." She was admitted to Anil Neerukonda Hospital, where she received treatment in a separate room for 14 days. "It was difficult because I had never stayed alone and was worried about my family, especially my son," she says. The Vizag woman was given insulin and Remdesivir for her recovery. However, she adds, the rising COVID-19 deaths everywhere took a toll on her mental health.In the initial days at the hospital, her sugar levels constantly fluctuated. "Due to weakness, I could not even walk for long in the first 10 days. I knew my mental health wasnt good. I tried to be strong, kept telling myself that I have to go back healthy to my son, that he needs me," he added. The doctors and nurses, she recalls, were all overworked and tired, but never did they not smile when they attended her. "Those tired smiles helped too." But what truly helped her feel positive and regain her mental fortitude was talking to other COVID-19 patients. "There was a lady who was younger than me. Despite sitting far from each other, we would talk for hours in the evening. She would tell me that she was there for me, that I am not alone... moral support from other patients helped me feel better, that I wasnt alone," he said. After she started recovering, she found out that she could do yoga and breathing exercises. "The exercise made me feel energised and my condition began improving even further," she explains. When she returned home, she came back with stable oxygen and sugar levels. As a COVID-19 survivor, she reiterates what experts had been saying all along: mental health is as important as physical health, and both should be looked after. Ranjani Madhavan By Express News Service BENGALURU: With Karnataka seeing a steady decline in fresh Covid-19 cases in the last two weeks owing to the lockdown, the demand for oxygen beds has also fallen giving a much-needed breather to hospitals.According to the data from the state Covid-19 war room, 63.64 per cent of 48,167 oxygen beds (30,655) were occupied on June 3. However, on June 17, only 32.53 per cent of 48,105 oxygen beds were occupied (15,653). At Victoria Hospital, which is the largest tertiary care centre for Covid in Bengaluru, 361 of 416 HDU beds are vacant. Dr Prasanna HM, president, Private Hospital and Nursing Homes Association and Managing Director of Pristine Hospital said, Overall admissions, including the demand for oxygen beds, have gone down. More than 50 per cent of the beds are vacant as opposed to the chaos we had earlier when there was a surge in cases. We are observing this fast decline since May 22. At present, there are more asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients who do not require hospitalisation. At Pristine Hospital alone, there were 8-10 new admissions each day, which has now come down to 1-2. As per the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) bed portal, of the 7,172 allocated government quota general beds, 6,750 are available. Of the 4,913 government quota High Dependency Unit (HDU) beds, 4,243 are vacant and of the 570 government quota ICU beds, 357 are unoccupied. Similarly, of the 643 government quota ICU ventilator beds, 288 are available. At Ace Multi-Speciality Hospital, there is no demand for oxygen beds. The number of cases have come down to the tune of 1,500 per day in Bengaluru from the peak of 25,000 earlier, said Dr Jagadish Hiremath Medical, Director, Ace Multi-Speciality Hospital. It is important to understand that not all Covid-19 patients need oxygen. It is only the 3-5% of the infected lot who might need it. As cases have gone down due to lockdown and vaccination, the percentage of people needing oxygen beds has fallen to a level wherein just government hospitals would suffice in terms of providing oxygenated beds to patients, Dr Hiremath said. At Regal Multi-Speciality Hospital, doctors have observed a 50-60 per cent dip in the demand for oxygen beds. We have divided the hospital into Covid division with ICU beds and non-Covid division with ICU beds. We are getting non-Covid cases too, with problems relating to urology mostly, Dr Suri Raju V, MD of the hospital, said. By Express News Service BENGALURU: Karnataka and Maharashtra on Saturday decided to share real-time data on rainfall and water release from reservoirs in the Krishna and Bhima basins to manage floods effectively. Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa and Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Jayant Patil on Saturday discussed various issues, including effective flood management, speeding up the Doodhganga project, getting four tmc water from Maharashtra in summer and reciprocating it by releasing four tmc to drought-hit areas of Maharashtra during the rainy season. Speaking to mediapersons after the meeting, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said both the states have agreed to share real-time data on rainfall and water release from reservoirs in the Krishna and Bhima basins to manage the floods effectively. The CM also said they have decided to speed up the Doodhganga project and complete it in the next two years so that the long wait for an irrigation facility in the region is fulfilled. Water Resources Minister of Maharashtra Jayant Patil said the talks will lead to a better understanding between both the states and if the situation is managed by sharing real-time data, they will be able to effectively manage the flood situation in both the states. Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, senior officers from Maharashtra, Karnataka Chief Secretary P Ravikumar, Additional Chief Secretary to Chief Minister Dr. E.V. Ramana Reddy, Additional Chief Secretary of Water Resources Department Rakesh Singh and other senior officers also attended the meeting. By Express News Service BENGALURU: Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday emerged from the Core Committee meeting looking visibly relaxed, one of the biggest challenges to his leadership behind him. Right through the crisis, he had displayed the confidence that he would survive the storm, and when asked about his response to serious allegations against him by BJP MLC H Vishwanath, said, I will not speak against H Vishwanath, the party will respond. It may be recalled that Yediyurappa had made a statement about 10 days ago, that he would continue as Chief Minister as long as the high command wished him to. Much was read into that statement, but Yediyurappa collected himself the very next day and said he would remain in the post for two years. On Friday too, about three hours before the Core Committee meeting, Yediyurappa had confidently said that there was no confusion in the party. He said that one or two persons had been speaking against him, and party general secretary in-charge Arun Singh did not give them any time. He said about 60 legislators had met Singh. There was much celebration after the challenge ended, with ministers and MLAs backing the CM. Education Minister S Suresh Kumar and MLA Nehru Olekar had separately declared that Yediyurappa would continue as CM, while former MLC Go Madhusudhan said, Yediyurappa led the party campaign to get 104 seats in 2018, and it was because of his leadership that 17 MLAs from other parties joined us. He is our supreme leader. They also rallied behind Yediyurappa in response to Vishwanaths allegations about serious allegations in the Upper Bhadra Project. BJP MLA Raju Gowda said, Vishwanath got his facts wrong. Do not damage the BJP. Yediyurappas political secretary M P Renukacharya said, My mouth will become dirty if I say anything against Vishwanath. Vishwanaths statement that there were about 80 dissident MLAs came to nought, said insiders. Haratal Halappa threatened to take legal action against Vishwanath for the remarks he had made against him.Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa, who is also head of the powerful Veerashaiva Mahasabha, said the community organisation is with Chief Minister Yediyurappa. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former Health Minister KK Shailaja has been chosen for the prestigious Central European University (CEU) Open Society Prize. She has been selected for the award in recognition of her commitment to public health services. Open Society Prize, the highest civilian recognition by the university, is annually awarded to persons of exceptional distinction who serve the ideals of an open society. Past recipients of the award include eminent scientific philosopher Karl Popper, former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Czech President and playwright Vaklav Howell and well-known economist Joseph Stiglitz. In 2020, Nobel Laureate Svetlana Alexeyevich received the Open Society Prize. The award was announced during the virtual convocation of the University in Vienna on Friday. "The Open Society Prize is awarded this year to an extraordinary public servant from the developing world. As minister of public health in the Indian state of Kerala during the Covid-19 pandemic, KK Shailaja Teacher and the dedicated staff of the public health service demonstrated to the world that determined leadership, community-based public health and effective communication can save lives. ALSO READ | KK Shailaja: Rock star performer now a party liability Her example will inspire young women to enter public service, and Kerala's record in containing the epidemic gives hope to nations in the developing world. By awarding CEU's highest award to Shailaja Teacher, the university honours a public servant and female leader for her commitment to public health services, the bedrock of every open society," said CEU president Michael Ignatieff. ALSO WATCH | KK Shailaja: Not Just A Teacher, But A Rockstar Responding to the award, KK Shailaja said she's honoured to be placed alongside distinguished people who have made an important contribution to an open society. Shailaja said the world is grappling with a crisis of unprecedented scale, and recalled how Kerala set up a system to fight the pandemic. "When we decided a strategy for battling the pandemic in Kerala, we know that it had to be centred on securing the government's commitment and accountability to the people, as well as by working in synergy with the civil society. The state adopted an approach to systematically increase the capacity and resilience of the state's public health system to prepare for effectively responding to other crises in future too," she said. She narrated how the state put in place a system to address the crisis, right when reports started coming about a potential virus spreading in Wuhan. Shailaja said world leaders should rise to global challenges and work out new constructive solutions to build an equitable society. "As you step out into the world, this is an opportunity for each one of you to change the world and write history. Find that leader in you," she said addressing the graduates who passed out from the University. ALSO WATCH | Kerala's Covid-19 fight: A tale of two waves | TNIE Documentary By Express News Service SIDDIPET: Thutukuri Malla Reddy, the 70-year-old farmer who died by suicide in Vemulaghat on Friday, had lost his wife to cancer around nine months ago. The residents of the village alleged that following her demise, officials from the Revenue Department told Malla Reddy he would not receive the promised 2BHK house in the R&R Colony as he was alone and could live with his grandson Thirupathi Reddy, who had received a plot in the R&R Colony. In fact, fate had been cruel to the 70-year-old farmer throughout his life. While his eldest daughter and her husband died a couple of years ago, his second daughter and her husband died recently due to Covid-19. Malla Reddy wanted to gift the new house to the youngest of his three daughters and was upset after the Revenue Department officials told him he would not receive it. ALSO READ | Denied 2BHK house under Mallannasagar project by Telangana govt, displaced farmer jumps to death in 'self made pyre' He stayed at his youngest daughters house. On Thursday, he reached Vemulaghat and told her he would stay the night. The neighbours saw him collect wood from the demolished house and thought he wanted to sell it. They were in for a brutal shock when they realised that he was building a pyre for himself. Officials deny claims The state government officials, meanwhile, denied all the claims made by the villagers. Thoguta Tahsildar G Balreddy said that Malla Reddy was given Rs 7.5 lakh and a house, numbered 858, in the R&R Colony at Mutrajpally, as per rules, whereas his grandson was offered `5.4 lakh and a plot of land. Thoguta police registered a case and moved the remains of Malla Reddys charred body to the Siddipet government hospital for autopsy. The incident triggered a political backlash in the village. Congress leader Ch Srinivas Reddy was taken into preventive custody by the police while he was on his way to Vemulaghat. Dubbaka BJP MLA M Raghunandan Rao met Malla Reddys relatives at the government hospital, but he was not allowed to proceed to Vemulaghat. (If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.) By Associated Press JERUSALEM: The Palestinian Authority is calling off an agreement whereby Israel would transfer 1 million doses of coronavirus vaccines to it in exchange for a similar number later this year. The PA says the doses, which Israel began shipping to the occupied West Bank on Friday, are too close to expiring. Palestinian officials had come under heavy criticism on social media after the agreement was announced earlier Friday, with Palestinians accusing them of accepting subpar vaccines and suggesting they might not be effective. In announcing the agreement, Israel said the vaccines "will expire soon" without specifying the date. Israel has completely reopened after carrying out a highly successful vaccination campaign but has faced criticism for not sharing its supplies with the 4.5 million Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. ALSO WATCH: By Express News Service NEW DELHI: India has abstained on a UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution calling for an arms embargo in Myanmar, saying its views have not been reflected in the draft and New Delhi does not believe the resolution, tabled hastily, is conducive to aiding our joint efforts towards strengthening democratic process in the country. The resolution was floated by Liechtenstein and was backed by most European countries, including Germany, the UK, France and the US. India was among 36 countries that abstained from voting. The resolution garnered the support of 119 countries, while Belarus was the only country that voted against it. "The fact that there is lack of support from all neighbouring countries, as well as several countries in the region itself, should, hopefully, serve as an eye-opener to those who choose to pursue a hasty course of action," India's permanent representative to the UN TS Tirumurti said while speaking at the UNGA. The Indian envoy said New Delhi supports the ASEAN initiative on Myanmar. "We call for the upholding the rule of law and release of detained leaders," he said. The ASEAN proposal calls for cessation of violence, special envoy of ASEAN chair for mediation of dialogue process and humanitarian assistance. "We are firm that the path to democracy in Myanmar should continue to move forward through the process of democratic transition, which India has steadfastly supported and there can be no turning back on this," Tirumurti said. The resolution expressed grave concern at the February 1 coup in Myanmar. By PTI BANGKOK: Myanmar's Foreign Ministry on Saturday rejected a UN General Assembly resolution calling for an arms embargo against the Southeast Asian nation and condemning the military's February seizure of power. Myanmar described the resolution, which passed Friday and is not legally binding, as being based on one-sided sweeping allegations and false assumptions. The statement issued in the capital Naypyitaw said the Foreign Ministry had sent letters of objection to the UN secretary-general and the General Assembly's president. The resolution reflected a broad international consensus condemning the takeover that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government. It called on the military junta to restore the country's democratic transition, condemned its excessive and lethal violence since the takeover and called on all countries to prevent the flow of arms into Myanmar. The resolution also called on Myanmar's armed forces to immediately and unconditionally release Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other officials and politicians detained after the coup, as well as all those who have been arbitrarily detained, charged or arrested. The measure was approved with 119 countries voting yes, Belarus a major arms supplier to Myanmar voting no and 36 countries abstaining, including Myanmar's neighbors China and India, along with Russia. Myanmar's U.N.Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, who in February denounced the military takeover, voted yes and urged the international community to take the strongest possible action to immediately end the military coup." The Foreign Ministry statement said it considers Kyaw Moe Tun as having been dismissed from his position and noted that he has been charged with treason in Myanmar. Accordingly, his statement, participation and action in the meeting are illegitimate and unacceptable and Myanmar strongly rejects his participation and statements, it said. While Myanmar embraces constructive advice by the international community in addressing the challenges that Myanmar is facing, any attempt infringing on the state sovereignty and interference in the internal affairs of Myanmar will not be accepted, said the statement. The more powerful U.N. Security Council, whose resolutions are legally binding, has adopted several statements on Myanmar, including condemning the use of violence against peaceful protesters, calling on the military to restore the democratic transition and exercise utmost restraint and on all sides to refrain from violence. But it has never been able to condemn the coup or authorize an arms embargo or other sanctions because of an almost-certain veto by China, and possibly Russia. By PTI ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Saturday that it would oppose any move by India to divide Kashmir and change its demography. Pakistan's Foreign Office said in a statement that Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has stated that India must refrain from taking any further illegal steps in Kashmir after its actions of August 5, 2019. The Pakistani statement came on a day when the Indian government invited 14 political leaders from Jammu and Kashmir to participate in a high-level meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on June 24, which is expected to set the road map for holding assembly elections in the Union Territory. Qureshi said Pakistan had resolutely opposed India's actions of August 5, 2019 and taken up the issue at all international fora, including the UN Security Council. He reiterated Pakistan's resolve to oppose any Indian moves that sought to divide and bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir to change the demographic structure of the territory. He noted that he had apprised the President of the Security Council and the UN Secretary General about India's possible moves. Qureshi underlined that durable peace in South Asia can only be achieved by peacefully resolving the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people. Tensions between India and Pakistan have spiked since New Delhi abrogated the Article 370 of the Constitution to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019. India's decision evoked strong reactions from Pakistan, which downgraded diplomatic ties and expelled the Indian envoy. India has categorically told the international community that the scrapping of the Article 370 was its internal matter. It also advised Pakistan to accept the reality and stop all anti-India propaganda. India has also told Pakistan that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Islamabad in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence. The planned meeting on June 24 will be Prime Minister Modi's first interaction with all the political parties of Jammu and Kashmir since the Centre abrogated the special status of the state and bifurcated it into union territories. The meeting is a result of back-channel talks that were being held with all the political parties from the union territory to decide on the next course of actions, including holding assembly elections as well as restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. By Associated Press PARIS: A 22-year-old man lost his hand and several others were also injured amid clashes as police tried to break up an unauthorized rave party in western France, authorities said Saturday. The tensions erupted in a field near the Brittany town of Redon on Friday night, just two days before France lifts an overnight virus curfew that's been in place for more than eight months and has prompted growing frustration among young people. Police repeatedly fired tear gas and charged clusters of violent partygoers who hurled metal balls, gasoline bombs and other projectiles at security forces, according to images of the clashes shared online and the top government official in the region, prefect Emmanuel Berthier. Local authorities estimated about 1,500 people took part. Berthier accused the attendees of extreme and inexcusable violence. It took police more than seven hours to disperse the crowd, and authorities were still evacuating people from the field Saturday morning, Berthier told reporters. He said an investigation is under way into the overnight events, including how the 22-year-old lost his hand. Regional gendarme chief Pierre Sauvegrain told France-Info radio that the man was believed to have picked up an object that exploded, without elaborating. An underground New Years Eve rave party in the same area drew at least 2,500 people and led to multiple arrests. France has been gradually lifting restrictions in recent weeks as infections wane and vaccinations rise. France's curfew, among the strictest and longest in Europe, is set to expire Sunday. By PTI COLOMBO: A senior health official in Sri Lanka has been transferred after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa expressed his unhappiness over not being able to ease the COVID-19 restrictions in the country on June 14 due to presentation of wrong data that showed a spike in the number of deaths from the virus. Addressing the health officials on Friday to announce the easing of travel restrictions from June 21 till June 25, Rajapaksa said he was planning to lift the lockdown on June 14 but could not do so due to the presentation of wrong data on COVID-19 deaths. In what is being seen as a fall out of the President's comments, chief epidemiologist Sudath Samaraweera, who was holding the position of the Director of the Epidemiology Unit in the health ministry since the onset of the pandemic in the country in March 2020, has now been transferred as the head of the dengue fever prevention unit. ALSO READ | Sri Lanka's zoo seeks India's help after lion 'Thor' tests Covid-19 positive Finding fault with the compilation of the daily COVID-19 death figures, Rajapaksa said that his decision to ease travel restrictions was affected by what he called wrong data. "I was to open the country on June 14. But on the 11th, suddenly they said 101 had died. So everyone got scared. I told the intelligence services to go house to house and verify this figure," Rajapaksa told health officials. The President said that health authorities and intelligence unit after a thorough investigation conducted into the cause of deaths revealed that some of the deaths occurred during a four-month period from February 6 to June 11 and certain deaths had been mentioned twice, according to a report in Colombo Gazette. Rajapaksa said that only 15 COVID-19 deaths had occurred on June 11 instead of 101. Sri Lanka has seen a massive jump in the number of COVID-19 infections since April 15. The number of cases has gone up by nearly 150,000 and the death toll by over 1,700. By Friday night, the total number of cases in the country stood at 235,413 with only over 35,000 of them currently under treatment. The death toll is 2,480. Lockdown in the form of travel restrictions was imposed in the country since late April. ALSO WATCH: By PTI TORONTO: Two more Indo-Canadian politicians have been appointed as ministers in a Cabinet reshuffle in Canada's Ontario province, taking the representation of the community members in the Executive Council to three. Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Friday reshuffled his Cabinet, with former finance minister Rod Phillips "who resigned from his post following a Caribbean vacation during the COVID-19 pandemic" returning as the new minister of long-term care. The reshuffle comes just under a year before next June's provincial election. In the previous ministry, there was one Indo-Canadian - Prabhmeet Sarkariya, who was the associate minister of small business and red tape reduction. Sarkariya, 30, has now been promoted to take over as president of the Treasury Board. He is the first turban-wearing Sikh Cabinet minister in Ontario. "It is an honour to be sworn in as #Ontario's President of the Treasury Board. I am dedicated to working hard with Premier @fordnation and my colleagues to support Ontarians as we continue to tackle the #COVID19 pandemic & work towards our recovery! ," Sarkariya tweeted taking over the new role. It is an honour to be sworn in as #Ontarios President of the Treasury Board. I am dedicated to working hard with Premier @fordnation and my colleagues to support Ontarians as we continue to tackle the #COVID19 pandemic & work towards our recovery!#ONpoli pic.twitter.com/gi6RkAb5Vh Prabmeet Sarkaria (@PrabSarkaria) June 18, 2021 Sarkaria's parents immigrated from Punjab, India in the 1980s. Parm Gill, 47, took on the new portfolio of citizenship and multiculturalism. Gill was born in Moga, Punjab. He moved to Canada at a young age. "Thank you Premier @fordnation for this great honour and thank you to my community of Milton for allowing me to represent you each and every day as part of this Provincial Government," he tweeted after his appointment. "Who would have thought a young boy who immigrated from India to Canada at a young age, raised by a single mother, would today be sworn in as Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism for the Province of Ontario," Gill added. Nina Tangri was appointed associate minister of small business and red tape. "Excited to be sworn in as the Associate Minister of Small Business & Red Tape Reduction. Thank you to Premier @fordnation for his confidence in me and to my family and staff for their continuous support," she tweeted. By PTI DUBAI: Authorities in Dubai have eased travel restrictions for its residents from certain countries, including India, if they have received two doses of a UAE-approved COVID-19 vaccine, according to a media report. The Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management in Dubai, headed by Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, announced updates to Dubai's travel protocols for inbound passengers from South Africa, Nigeria and India, effective from June 23, the Gulf News reported. With regard to travel from India, only passengers with a valid residence visa who have received two doses of a UAE-approved vaccine, are allowed to travel to Dubai. There are four vaccines approved by the UAE government Sinopharm, Pfizer-BioNTech, Sputnik V and Oxford-AstraZeneca, the report added. However, from South Africa and Nigeria, non-residence passengers are also allowed to travel subject to the vaccination and PCR test conditions. A negative test certificate from a PCR test taken 48 hours before departure is required, the report said. The UAE nationals are exempted from this requirement. Only QR-coded negative PCR test certificates are accepted, it said. Furthermore, passengers from India are required to undergo a rapid PCR test four hours prior to departure to Dubai. They must also undergo another PCR test on arrival in Dubai. In addition, following arrival, passengers from India should undergo institutional quarantine until they receive their PCR test result, which is expected within 24 hours, the report added. In late April, the UAE closed its borders for travellers from India due to a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country during the second wave of the pandemic. By PTI JOHANNESBURG: South Africa has launched an ambitious plan to vaccinate 582,000 teachers for COVID-19 protection within 14 days, starting from June 23, officials said on Saturday. Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga gave details of the plan at a media briefing amid an increasing number of schools shutting down in the past week due to rising infections among both teachers and learners. In the economic and financial hub of Gauteng province alone, at least 20 schools had to close their doors, with some private schools resorting to online learning and others running classes on different days of the week for learners to avoid crowded classrooms. Some experts said the number of infections and deaths in the province's third wave is now higher than in both the previous waves combined. Doing business under COVID-19 means that one needs to also strike a balance between saving lives and livelihoods. In the case of the Basic Education Sector, this means that we need to do all that we can to prevent a potential academic disaster. We believe that schools must remain open and in saying so we are not insensitive to the concerns raised about the rising infections, Motshekga said. The minister said that her Department would handle COVID-19 cases according to a differentiated strategy, on a province-by-province, school-by-school basis, taking guidance from advisory bodies and government. There have to be scientific reasons for all decisions that are taken, she said. Earlier this week, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that vaccines for the Basic Education Sector had been secured and delivered. The vaccines have arrived, and are in the process of being distributed to all provinces, Motshekga said, adding that key stakeholders, including teacher unions, national associations responsible for governance in public schools, learners with special education needs, independent schools, and the South African Principals Association had been informed of the vaccination plans and were all in agreement. Those to be vaccinated include all educators as well as administrative and support staff at all public schools, irrespective of their age. The minister said vaccination was voluntary but urged everyone to take it so that everybody can be protected. The vaccination of everybody in the sector is an opportunity to normalise schooling and begin the process of mitigating the impact of COVID-19, Motshekga concluded. Help support your local hometown newspaper/website. Independent local news reporting matters. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription, for as little as $3, so we can continue to provide independent local reporting on our communities. STAMFORD U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., said his first memory is from the summer of 1969. He was only 3, but Himes remembers when Neil Armstrong became the first person to set foot on the Moon. So there I am, watching on a tiny, little black-and-white TV, and I watched a human being step on the Moon, Himes asked a group of children at Mill River Park on Friday. Why did that happen? Science! the kids responded. Science! Himes said. It happened because a lot of young people were as inspired as I was when I watched that happen. Himes and the students gathered Friday as Henkel, which has offices in downtown Stamford, formally launched its Researchers World program in the United States. The international companys brands include Dial soap, Purex laundry detergent and Snuggle fabric softener. The program aims to introduce kids ages 8 to 10 to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM. It started in 2011 in Germany, where Henkel is based, and has spread to other parts of Europe as well as South America, Asia and the Middle East, according to the companys website. Stamford is the first U.S. city to host the program. Henkel has operations all over the United States, why Stamford? said Jenny Schiavone, vice president of corporate communications for the Americas at Henkel. Stamford is a perfect city to launch this program because its a snapshot of the world. It creates the right environment to launch and scale our program and serve more children in more communities for years to come. To bring the program to new places, Schiavone said Henkel looks for a community partner that has expertise in reaching kids. In this case, the company partnered with the Mill River Park Collaborative and Fairfield Countys Community Foundation. On Friday, a small group of mask-wearing children participated in a workshop that taught them about sustainability and included an experiment with small solar panels. There will be two more free workshops this summer one on the natural world of adhesives and another about how humans and animals alike have skin and hair that play vital functions in their lives, according to the Mill River Park Collaboratives website. Arthur Selkowitz, chairman of the collaborative, said the downtown park provides the perfect environment for learning. At the park on Friday, about a dozen tables were set up in front of the carousel. From their seats at the tables, the children could look out onto the grass and see a line of trees. I think by the end of the day, Professor Trent will have made you all into sustainability ambassadors and sent you on a career in science around the world, Selkowitz said, referring to Trent McCann, who manages the collaboratives educational programming. Children need hands-on learning after spending so much time learning virtually because of COVID-19, said Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, who was also on hand. In addition, Bysiewicz noted that STEM-related jobs are the best-paying jobs that you can get, though women are underrepresented in those fields. So are we going to change that, young ladies? Bysiewicz said. She got a loud Yes! from one girl who was listening. Mayor David Martin said more programs like Henkels are needed. Weve seen, entering this pandemic, how many people in this country do not understand what science is and how it works and anything else, said Martin, who has two degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Free access for current print subscribers As a home delivery subscriber, you get free unlimited digital access to news-daily.com including stories, photos, obituaries, e-edition and more on your computer, tablet or phone. All you need is your print subscription account number and your last name. Don't know your subscription number? Email access@news-daily.com with your delivery address. Activate your account now. Reporter Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk). Champaign, IL (61820) Today A mix of clouds and sun. High 76F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mostly clear. Low 53F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Dave Hinton is editor of The News-Gazettes Our County section. He can be reached at dhinton@news-gazette.com or 217-249-2404. The Mentor Beach Park pavilion is targeted for an elevator as part of efforts to offer waterfront dining in the facility. This is the rear view of the building. Euclid's waterfront improvement plan is currently in Phase II, which includes a public access lakefront trail and shoreline stabilization measures. Pell City, AL (35125) Today Cloudy skies this morning followed by scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High near 80F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Partly cloudy skies. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Jeffersonville, IN (47130) Today A mix of clouds and sun. High 78F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Mainly clear. Low 57F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Tom May is a freelance writer who has held paid and volunteer ministry positions at several churches in the tri-state area. Reach him at tgmay001@gmail.com. Goldsboro, NC (27530) Today Thunderstorms. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High near 80F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then cloudy skies after midnight. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 574-583-5121 or email cgrace@thehj.com. (Newser) He was dubbed the "Torso Killer" for the string of dead prostitutessome with their heads and hands cut offleft in hotels in Manhattan and New Jersey over a 6-month period over 1979 and 1980. New Jersey family man Richard Cottingham was convicted in the early '80s and handed more than one life sentence, which he's spent almost entirely in prison, but occasionally in Robert Anzilotti's office, eating pizza and playing poker. Anzilotti had worked his way up to chief of detectives in the Bergen County prosecutors office, and he had long had a hunch that at least five unsolved New Jersey killings from the 1960s and 1970s had been the work of Cottingham, writes Michael Wilson in a lengthy piece for the New York Times. story continues below The theory was a bit of a stretch. "In the 1970s, he had preyed on prostitutes in Times Square30 miles but a world awaynot just killing them, but torturing and dismembering them." These victims were largely teens, most notably two friends found naked and face-down on Aug. 14, 1974, after having gone missing days earlier while headed for the mall. And for years the meetings with Cottingham went on without a breakbut with a "vulnerability" eventually emerging. "After divulging nothing during hours of questioning, hed sometimes loosen up on the drive back to prison, sitting in the back seat and believing the day was done," writes Wilson. And it took a full six years of visits for the first confession to come. It would take years more, until Anzilotti was just days away from retirement, for Cottingham to confess to all of them. (Read the full story for how the admissions unfolded.) (Newser) Pfizer is a household name thanks to its COVID-19 vaccine, of which it expects to produce as many as 3 billion doses this year. That would translate into $26 billion in sales, which would make it the "biggest-selling medicine ever," reports Christopher Rowland in a lengthy piece for the Washington Post that details how getting to this point was far from a sure thing. In fact, its starting point was "utter failure." But before they got to that failed trial run at a Pfizer plant outside Kalamazoo, Mich., came the March 20, 2020, decision to go with that Kalamazoo plant as the place that would "formulate doses, fill vials and ship boxes of vaccine packed with dry ice," explains Rowland, who writes that happened in a quarter-mile long building that didn't initially contain the sizable machines needed to combine lipid nanoparticles and then filter the resultbecause they didn't exist. story continues below By Sept. 11, plant operators were ready to do a trial run, but something very quickly went wrong. "When operators checked a vat at the end of the production run, most of the key ingredientthe fat molecule encasing the messenger RNAwas missing," writes Rowland. They identified a membrane as the point of failure and established an integrity test that would ensure the membranes weren't allowing lipid nanoparticles to leak. It worked, but the fine-tuning continued (Rowland notes, for instance, that they created a system that would allow it to reuse filters to get around shortages). On Dec. 13, the first vials started shippingand on that same day, the plant's head of operations was told he had to figure out how to up production 4x by the following week. (Read the full story for more on how they tackled that complex challenge.) (Newser) About 50 officers in the Portland, Oregon, police force have quit the crowd-control squad tasked with handling protests. The officers arent quitting their jobstheyre just leaving the Rapid Response Team, an extra duty they volunteer for on top of their regular duties, per the AP. The team quit en masse after a member, Corey Budworth, was indicted on assault charges. Budworth is accused of slamming his baton into the face of a protester in August 2020, the Washington Post reports. Portland Polices RRT has been the subject of multiple civil lawsuits, too, the Oregonian reports. Portland has been the site of frequent protests and demonstrations since the murder of George Floyd in May 2020. story continues below Portlands mayor, Ted Wheeler, said Oregon State Police and other local law enforcement agencies would fill the gap, CNN reports. Well use the resources we have, Deputy Chief Chris Davis said. Wheeler also said in a statement that he wanted to acknowledge that the team have worked long hours under difficult conditions. According to a report from the US Department of Justice, Portland police used force more than 6,000 times between May 29 and Nov. 15, 2020, per the Washington Post. In a statement made after the resignations, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt said, We cannot expect the community to trust law enforcement if we hold ourselves to a lower standard. (Read more Portland stories.) (Newser) A couple in a Boston suburb ended five years of harassment with a little creative detective work. And the neighbors who rallied around them to help have raised over $25,000 for the Milton schools Gay Straight Alliance. The harassment took the form of subscriptions sent to the gay couples home addressed to phonyand homophobicnames, USA Today reports. We were being picked on because we were gay, and it had followed me into my 40s. I couldnt believe it, LeeMichael McLean said. McLean and his partner Bryan Furze were troubled by the intrusiveness of the mail, and were growing concerned that their son would see the homophobic slurs on the address labels. story continues below One of the subscriptions their harasser signed them up for was the Boston Globe. But since they were already subscribers, the paper sent back the order paperwork. The subscription card, under the name Michelle Fruitzey, was handwritten. McLean posted an image of the subscription card to a neighborhood website along with a recap of the harassment, LGBTQNation reports. A neighbor looked over local election records, found a name in the same handwriting, and sent the police to talk to the match. The suspect, a close neighbor and fellow member of the Town Meeting, confessed, insisting it was just a harmless prank. In an attempt to flip negative into positive, McLean and Furze sold T-shirts with the message #iammichellefruitzey to raise funds to fight homophobia in their local schools. (Read more weird crimes stories.) (Newser) "In a car with a stranger. I hope I'm not being abducted." The ominous text was the last thing Beccy Serou heard from her 34-year-old daughter. Catherine Serou, a former Marine who was completing graduate studies in Russia, hadn't been heard from since sending the Tuesday text, sparking an investigation near Nizhny Novgorod, some 250 miles east of Moscow, reports NPR. Her body was found following a three-day search that had focused on a forested area beyond the city where Serou's cell phone was last detected. Radio Free Europe reports a suspect in his 40s who has been convicted of "grave and especially grave crimes" has been detained in relation with the American's murder. story continues below Serou, who had a bachelor's degree in design and a master's degree in art history from the University of California, Davis, moved to Russia in 2019 to complete a master's program in law at Lobachevsky University ahead of a plan to enroll in law school in the US. Her mother noted her background, hopefully telling NPR, "She is a Marine, she has got survival skills." Beccy Serou, who lives in Vicksburg, Miss., says the two spoke daily, and that on Tuesday her daughter had been headed to a clinic where a payment she had made didn't go through. Beccy Serou told NPR she suspected her daughter was in a hurry and perhaps didn't wait for her Uber to arrive but rather got into a passing car. (Read more Russia stories.) (Newser) A man in Springfield, Ohio, who called 911 for help after he was shot in his arm was run over by the officer responding to the call, police say. He died shortly afterward, NBC News reports. Police are investigating that incident, and also looking for who shot Eric Cole, 42. Cole called 911 at 11:15pm Monday, saying, Im in the middle of the street. Im about to die, WHIO reports. He was still on the phone with dispatchers when he was struck by the police SUV driven by Officer Amanda Rosales of the Springfield Police. They just hit me, he told the dispatcher. Dash cam video from Rosales vehicle shows Cole lying in the street, his shirt soaked in blood, holding something up to his head moments before he was struck. story continues below It was an accident, Springfield Police Chief Lee Graf said at a news conference Wednesday. He said police were focused on looking for house numbers to find the address they were being sent to and didnt see Cole. He said that while the dash cam was clearly aimed at Cole, the officers in the car were looking away from the road. Coles mother, Regina Wilson, found this explanation troubling. I want the officer held accountable, she said. (Read more police stories.) (Newser) Heidi Kimborowicz lost her son Adrian last year. Adrian Kimborowicz, 20, of Lowell, Massachusetts, was shot in the chest. Found by police lying in the street, he said he was shot by "C-Mello"his friend, Christian "C-Mello" Lemay, 18. He survived for a month on a ventilator, then died. This summer, Kimborowicz learned the local high school's yearbook included messages of support for Lemay, the man charged in her son's death. She saw the messages two students put in the yearbook"Free Mello"and said she "felt numb because I couldnt believe the school would allow something like that to pass through," she told CBS News. story continues below Kimborowicz wants a public apology and for the Dracut High School yearbook to be reprinted. She put together a protest Monday, catching the school's administrators on their way to a town meeting. She voiced her request that students be allowed to return their yearbooks and get new ones without the message in them. "I don't think I'm asking a lot," she said. The school has arranged for the yearbook's publisher to provide stickers to cover those pages with new content, the Lowell Sun reports. (Read more gun violence stories.) (Newser) After Chris Harrison put his foot in his mouth with relish and enthusiasm, his days at the Bachelor were numbered. When photos of recent show winner Rachael Kirkconnell surfaced of her attending a party with an Old South plantation theme, Harrison, the show's longtime host, volunteered to do an interview with former Bachelorette star Rachel Lindsay on Extra, Variety reports. And instead of making a bland statement, Harrison defended Kirkconnell, insisting that the pictures were fine for the time. "Is it not a good look in 2018 or is it not a good look in 2021?" he said. Social media backlash was swift, and his apologies on Instagram came one after another as Harrison realized he had come across as defending racism. story continues below Harrison's apologies weren't cutting it for some cast members, and the current Bachelorette star, Katie Thurston, refused to work with him at all, Variety reports. He lost his gig at Bachelor in Paradise, too, and at that point, the breakup was starting to look mutual. Harrison went from "I plan to be back" to walking away, per the Hollywood Reporter, saying, "I'm excited to start a new chapter." Whatever his new chapter is, it will be well-funded: He's walking away with a $9 million payout plus other fees, bringing his last paycheck up to roughly $10 million. (Read more Chris Harrison stories.) (Newser) The editor of the Capital Gazette, which won a special Pulitzer Prize citation for its coverage and courage in the face of a massacre in its newsroom, is leaving the Maryland newspaper. Rick Hutzell, who worked at the Annapolis paper for more than three decades, authored a farewell column that was published on the paper's website Saturday morning. Hutzell said he took a buyout offered by the newspaper's parent company, the AP reports. The Capital Gazette was owned by Tribune Publishing until it was sold last month to hedge fund Alden Global Capital. Hutzell was the paper's editor when five employees were shot to death in the newsroom in 2018. "The murder of my five friends, Rob Hiaasen, Gerald Fischman, Wendi Winters, John McNamara and Rebecca Smith, changed me, he wrote on Saturday. "I always enjoyed the job. But I became consumed with the notion that it was my purpose to save the paper. A man with a shotgun tried to kill usto kill me and the newspaper I've poured my life into for 33 years. I wasn't going to let it die." story continues below "Of course, it wasn't my responsibility alone," Hutzell added. He credited his paper's journalists and Tribune employees elsewhere who helped. The paper published on schedule and won the Pulitzer citation. The attacker, Jarrod Ramos, had a long-running grudge against the newspaper. He has pleaded guilty but not criminally responsible due to insanity. A trial to determine whether he is criminally responsible is scheduled to begin this month. Hutzell said he's not sure whats next. But he said the buyout represented a chance for something new. When he arrived at the paper in 1987, he said, he told the managing editor he'd stay "for two years and then join the Associated Press and see the world." That's not what happened. "I wish I could say it's all been grand, and I'm headed off to retirement," Hutzell wrote. "But it hasn't, and I'm not." You can read the full piece here. (Read more Capital Gazette shooting stories.) (Newser) There were solemn moments during Juneteenth observances Saturday, as crowds across the country marked the holiday for first year it's had federal recognition. Terrence Floyd unveiled a statue of his brother George in Brooklyn, USA Today reports, telling the crowd, "My brother was the sacrifice, so I need y'all to continue to pay attention and keep my big brother's name ringing in the ears of everyone." But there also was straight-up celebration. "Given the last year of trauma, brutality, and grief that the Black community suffered on a daily basis, it is essential to our survival that we make moments for joy, for love, and for celebrating our resilience," said Ryan Sorrell, an organizer of an event in Kansas City, Missouri, per the AP. Artwork played a large part in the commemoration of the end of slavery in the US, along with parades and concerts. Juneteenth events included: story continues below A 2.5-mile walk in Fort Worth, Texas, led by Opal Lee. The 94-year-old, who watched President Biden sign the bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday this week, began walking in 2016 to build support for the holiday. Among Saturday's similar walks inspired by Lee was one in Pacoima, a Los Angeles neighborhood, per KABC. "This country is not where it used to be," said a minister and relative of Lee's at the Pacoima event, "but it has a long way to go to where it can be." A repainting of artist Hubert Massey's year-old "Power to the People" message on a block-long stretch of Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit. The "o" in "Power" is a red fist, added in memory of George Floyd and other victims of police violence, Massey said. "We did the original," said a 15-year-old. "It's important that we return and share that same energy." The unveiling of public art Friday evening in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. "Monumental Reckoning" has 350 statues representing the first people kidnapped in Africa in 1619 and brought to this country to be enslaved. The dedication of a 5,000-square-foot mural, "Absolute Equality," in Galveston, the origin of the Juneteenth celebration. A ceremony in Bristol, Rhode Island, marking the placement of a marker telling the role the port played in the slave trade. A mansion built by a slave trader now hosts the Linden Place Museum, where the marker was installed. Joe Kings' yearly barbecue in Portland, Maine, which includes children's activities. Kings' great-great-great-grandmother was enslaved. This year's barbecue was "a little bit more celebratory knowing that it's official," Kings said of the holiday, per the AP. "I'm not saying we were in the closet about it, but now it's more widely recognizedand more importantly understood." In a speech Saturday, the Rev. Al Sharpton offered a caution. "The celebration of Juneteenth is not a party," he said, adding, "The way to deal with Juneteenth now is to deal with where race is in 2021." (Read more Juneteenth stories.) Despite Spotify saying more content could be expected in 2021, there's been nothing else since. "We're being told they're having up to five months off and people who are paying them a lot of money will expect something in return," royal author Phil Dampier told The Sun. "They seem to be using up a lot of ammunition very early and putting a lot of stuff out there in terms of deals and agreements with lots of firms. The question might be asked whether they have too much on their plate." The Mirror does report, however, that details about the pair's next episode are expected later this year. Since December, the pair have welcomed a new baby into the world, been interviewed by Oprah Winfrey, and mourned the death of Harry's grandfather, Prince Philip. The Duke of Sussex also featured in a television special with James Corden and in a documentary with Winfrey in May. The Sun also spoke to public relations expert Mark Borowski, who said that even though the Spotify shows "haven't materialised yet, it's a win-win for Spotify to have two of the most famous people in the world connected to them". He said they'd be under scrutiny to deliver and may have pre-recorded content. "Having just had a baby and dealing with COVID too might explain the delay. It might be different if they weren't so keen on having full control over output." Horacio Gutierrez, Spotify's head of global affairs and chief legal officer, was questioned before a British Select Committee about the deal earlier this year. While he didn't confirm how much the pair were being paid, he said they were "not doing it for free". He said their show would attract more people to the service who may then go on to listen to other content creators' productions. British media approached both Archewell Audio and Spotify for comment. "Police want to thank the public for their patience earlier today when Police cordoned off a section of Great North Rd as a precaution to help manage traffic and keep people safe." Insp Whittaker said camera footage and information from members of the public about some of the attendees' driving behaviour was reported to them. They vow to follow these reports up to "ensure anyone who was seen putting others in danger will be held accountable". "Police thank those members of the public who have reported information to us and provided photos and videos to us," Insp Whittaker said. "Anyone with information or who has witnessed any concerning behaviour is encouraged to report it to Police by phoning 105." Earlier on Friday, the massive gathering forced authorities to cordon off part of the central suburb of Grey Lynn and divert buses from the area "as a precaution to ensure the safety of members of the public". A service took place for Fuimaono on Thursday night in Auckland's Grey Lynn. Video footage from outside St Joseph's Catholic Church shows a large number of Head Hunters revving their motorcycles. Hundreds of riders arrived at the church on Friday morning ahead of the hearse. Prior to the service, members of the Head Hunters gang were standing outside the church, while King Cobras watched from the other side of the road. Fuimaono used to be a member of the King Cobras gang. Members of other gangs, like the Killer Beez, Mongrel Mob and Rebels, also drove past on their motorcycles. Here's the latest on the COVID-19 pandemic from around the world. Europe Italy Twenty-eight coronavirus-related deaths were reported in Italy on Saturday (local time) against 35 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections was up to 1197 from 1147. Italy has registered 127,253 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak in February last year, the second-highest toll in Europe after the UK and the eighth-highest in the world. The country has reported 4.25 million cases to date. Shamokin, PA (17872) Today Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. High near 75F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to occasional showers overnight. Low near 55F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%. Let us know what you're seeing and hearing around the community. Submit here The Daily News-Miner encourages residents to make themselves heard through the Opinion pages. Readers' letters and columns also appear online at newsminer.com. Contact the editor with questions at letters@newsminer.com or call 459-7574. Community Perspective Send Community Perspective submissions by mail (P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks AK 99707) or via email (letters@newsminer.com). Submissions must be 500 to 750 words. Columns are welcome on a wide range of issues and should be well-written and well-researched with attribution of sources. Include a full name, email address, daytime telephone number and headshot photograph suitable for publication (email jpg or tiff files at 150 dpi.) You may also schedule a photo to be taken at the News-Miner office. The News-Miner reserves the right to edit submissions or to reject those of poor quality or taste without consulting the writer. Letters to the editor Send letters to the editor by mail (P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks AK 99707), by fax (907-452-7917) or via email (letters@newsminer.com). Writers are limited to one letter every two weeks (14 days.) All letters must contain no more than 350 words and include a full name (no abbreviation), daytime and evening phone numbers and physical address. (If no phone, then provide a mailing address or email address.) The Daily News-Miner reserves the right to edit or reject letters without consulting the writer. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifas visit to the United Kingdom confirms the depth of the strong ties that unite the two friendly countries, said Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Ambassador of Bahrain to the United Kingdom. The visit of the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Shaikh Fawaz said, brings into light the keenness of both countries to consolidate cooperation in various fields. The Ambassador said that the meetings focused on several issues, including that of the Coronavirus vaccine programmes. Bahrain, Shaikh Fawaz said, also welcomed the invitation of the UK to take part in the Climate Summit (COP26) to be held in Glasgow this year. Shaikh Fawaz said the two sides during the meeting affirmed their appreciation of the efforts of various bilateral working groups to increase the strength of partnership and trade volumes. Efforts are also progressing to discuss the free trade and other agreements for creating opportunities for economic cooperation and facilitating direct investments, said Shaikh Fawaz. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com A Bahraini mans life was almost ruined when a university from where he supposedly earned his degree told the Education Ministry that he did not exist in their records and that his degree is fake. Believing this, a Bahrain court then awarded the 30-year-old a six-month jail term on charges of forging degree certificates, rendering him the shock of his life. However, the man stood his ground and fought before the court to prove innocence. Further investigation proved that the real culprit was a clerical mistake by the university. His ordeal started with the man approaching the Ministry of Education to attest his degree certificate. Following usual procedures, the ministry got in touch with the university to confirm the mans degree. The university, however, after checking their records, concluded that the certificates were fake. They also told the ministry that he never joined their classes. Based on the report, the ministry pressed charges against the man for forgery and fraud, with the public prosecution putting him on trial before a competent court. However, the man stood his ground and approached the university to recheck the records. Further investigation resulted in spotting the error in the entries and proved that man had graduated from there. The university then recommunicated with the ministry to admit its error, leading to his acquittal by the High Criminal Court. The defendant, according to records, joined the university in 2011 and graduated in 2015 with a BSc degree in mechanical engineering TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com The much-awaited renovation of an open yard in complex 1042 is set to begin, with the authorities are also working on the projects tendering process. The approval came following a report by the head of the Parks Department in the Northern Region Municipality, Hussein Al Saffar, on the dilapidated condition of the park, based on complaints by residents. This is in response to the complaints received during our field visits to the area, said Zainab Al Darazi, a municipal council member of the Northern Governorate. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com To wash or not to wash eggs? Its an intriguing question, being asked by people too often. The United States Department of Agriculture requires producers to wash eggs with warm water at least 20F warmer than the internal temperature of the eggs and at a minimum of 90F. They also insist on using a detergent that does not impart any foreign odours to the eggs. After washing, farmers must rinse the eggs with a warm water spray containing a chemical sanitiser to remove any remaining bacteria. They are then dried to remove excess moisture. Experts say the last step is crucial to prevent bacteria from penetrating the eggshells, which are porous. But then others say there is more to washing an egg than one might think. Nature designed these eggshells as porous, but just as a hen is about to lay it, she applies a liquid coating around it to protect it against contamination. According to EU egg marketing regulations, this cuticle provides an effective barrier to bacterial ingress with an array of antimicrobial properties. EU text also adds that washing could damage the cuticle making eggs even more vulnerable to contamination from pathogens and other microorganisms rather than providing an additional safety net. To counter that argument, the egg producers in the US applies a thin layer of odourless, colourless mineral oil before letting it go onto the shelves. However, believe it or not, the USDA graded eggs are illegal in the UK, or for that reason, anywhere in the European Union. Because, when the US law calls for washing the eggs, EU law states that the eggs found on supermarket shelves must not be washed or cleaned in any way. And that debate still goes on. What does Bahrain think about it? The question, however, is, where does Bahrain stand in the egg(dy) debate? The tender board says Bahraini producers are using machines to fix this. In fact, the General Poultry company or Dawajin has opened a tender calling for suppliers to provide an Egg washing machine for washing the eggs. The tender requires that the machine should have automatic dosing of cleaning detergent, oiler, direct steam heating system, vacuum pump and piping, egg Blower, loading section roller stainless steel conveyor. But not everyone can participate in the tender, as participation is only for manufacturers. The tender, which closes on the 11th of next month, confirms that third-party vendors are not welcome. Printing on eggs The General Poultry company also plan to mark the eggs that stand cleaned and ready using egg printers. For this, Dawajin had published another tender to purchase three egg-printers. The printers should have continuous inkjet codder, auto flush system, certified green food-grade ink to print up to 3 lines in eggshell with full capability to integrate with MOBA egg collection machine, 6 m conduit & 60-micron print head nozzle. Here also, the tender board document says participation is for manufacturers only. So, if you are a manufacturer of such machines, log onto the tender board website to log your bids. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com It seems like the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning is in a bit of a hurry and is rushing ahead with plans to complete the maintenance of public schools in the Kingdom. According to Tender board documents, the ministry is planning maintenance works at fourteen public schools in the Kingdom. The tendering process had begun, which calls for contractors to complete the works in three months. Thank you for trusting us for your local news coverage. You have reached the maximum number of free articles per month. Subscribe today for unlimited access to News-Press NOW. It's a fast and easy way to support local journalism. Islams connection to Jerusalem is a sacred one based on the Principles of Islamic Belief. Among these are the belief in the oneness of God, divine guidance through His revealed Books and chosen Prophets (peace be upon all of them), divine judgment, and life after death. This connection dates back to Prophet Adam who constructed the first two masjids (place of prostration/worship) dedicated for the sole purpose of worshiping One God. Prophet Muhammad taught that the first House of Worship was established in Makkah called Al-Kabba and the second was established 40 years later in Jerusalem, Masjid Al-Aqsa (which means the farthest masjid). Prophet Mohammad identified three holy sites in Islam Do not undertake a journey to visit any Masjid, except three: my Masjid (located in Madinah), Al-Kabba, and Masjid Al-Aqsa (where Prophet Muhammad lead all the prophets in prayer and ascended to the heavens). Of the three Abrahamic religions, Islam is unique for its inclusivity. Islam recognizes and includes all the divine Books and all the Prophets, among them are the Prophets of Judaism and Christianity. The Quran states: Say (Muhammad), "We believe in God and in what was revealed to us; and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Descendants, and in what was given to Moses and Jesus, and to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we submit." The Quran mentions 25 prophets by name and absolved them of all immoral charges leveled against them by previous communities. Jerusalem is a land where the prophets walked and worshiped. It is indelibly connected to Islam and beloved to Muslims. Its a land where prophets ruled with justice. God said to Prophet David We made you a ruler in the land, so judge between the people with justice, and do not follow desire, lest it diverts you from Gods path Quran 38:26. Prophet Solomon prayed to God for sound wisdom and judgment that is pleasing to God: My Lord, direct me to be thankful for the blessings you have bestowed upon me and my parents, and enable me to do good works that please You Quran 27:19. Central to Islam is the concept of justice. Its a call to action to facilitate peace. Justice is a prerequisite for peace. It is evident that the human condition abhors injustice. Injustice circumvents the unalienable rights endowed by our Creator which leads to inequalities, loss of life and loss of liberty. It is incumbent upon the party with the upper hand of power to be responsible, measured and to demonstrate just leadership where mercy, morals and humanity prevail. The Quran states: Believers! Stand firm for justice as witness for God even if it is against yourselves, your parents, or close relatives. Be they rich or poor, God is best to ensure their interests. Do not let your desires cause you to deviate from justice. If you distort the testimony or refuse to give it, then know God is certainly All-Aware of what you do. Muslims were blessed with leadership of Jerusalem during the reign of Caliphate of Umar Ibn Kitab when the Romans handed over the keys to him. Calipha Umar immediately began the revitalization of Jerusalem. Under his leadership, he demonstrated how Islam honored the People of the Book, the Jews and the Christians. The Temple Mount, known as Al-Aqsa Compound or Al-Haram Al-Sharif (The Noble Sanctuary) to Muslims, was being used by the Romans as a garbage dump to offend the Jews, who considered this site sacred too. Calipha Umar and his army personally cleaned the area. He built Masjid Al-Qabli and eventually the Dome of the Rock was added. Religious freedom for all faiths were protected under the Treaty of Umar. Islam teaches that God said: I have forbidden injustice for Myself and I have forbidden it among you, do not oppress one another. This corresponds to one of His ninety-nine names and attributes, Al-Adl, The Just. The Just would never approve of or give permission to one community to persecute another this applies to everyone, everywhere. Believers! stand firmly for God as witnesses to fair dealing, let not the hatred of others swerve you to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: thats next to Piety: be conscious of God, He is well-acquainted with all you do Quran 5:8. Jerusalem is important to the three Abrahamic religions. It is a land where peace must be established. This requires that morals, consciousness and justice prevail. Shazeeda Khan is the director of Islamic Education at Baitul Mukarram Masjid of Greater Danbury 330 Main Street, Danbury CT. NEW MILFORD After the bodies of two fishermen were recovered earlier this month, local police and fire officials are putting up signage in the area to remind people not to swim or fish in the Housatonic River. Police and the Water Witch Hose Company #2 joined forces earlier this week to reiterate the dangerous conditions on the river, specifically the current and low head dam. When COVID-19 struck, the organizers of the Connecticut Bird Atlas an ambitious three-year study of the states bird population decided to extend the Atlas work for an extra year. Instead of finishing field work in 2020, the projects hundreds of volunteers would have until this summer breeding season to record what they saw oer fields, woods and water. But birders are intrepid and determined and used to walking around, binoculars in hand. They just kept going out and collecting more data. It actually gave it a partial extra year, said Patrick Comins, president of the Connecticut Audubon Society. Now comes the hard part. After the watch for summer breeding birds, the people in charge of the Atlas will begin compiling numbers, with the final atlas published online in 2022. Its been a big job, said Chris Elphick, a professor in The University of Connecticuts Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and one of the leaders on the Bird Atlas project. There were times when I thought I didnt know what I was getting into. When its complete, it will give the state a greatly updated idea of what birds are in the state. The last atlas was completed in the mid-1980s and published in 1994 as The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Connecticut by Louis Bevier. The work on the new atlas follows the basic formula established 40 years ago. Volunteers signed up to study birds in at least one of 596 blocks in the state and record their findings. But the work on the new atlas is more detailed and also more expansive. The volunteers in the 1980s looked only for evidence of breeding birds in the summer: birds who were carrying nesting materials or insects in their beaks; who were sitting on nests; or birds rearing their young. The hundreds of volunteers this time around are still looking for breeding birds. But theyre also counting the numbers of birds they see the abundance of each species. Theyre doing winter counts as well. And the atlas is also trying to study land use during bird migrations to see if that changes migration patterns. Angela Dimmitt, of New Milford, has taken on watching birds in five blocks, including two that overlap the Connecticut New-York border I tend to go out by myself, said Dimmitt, president of the Western Connecticut Bird Club. She admits finding nesting birds can be tricky and that birding in January and February isnt always fun. It can be difficult, she said One of the blocks in the atlas encompasses the Connecticut Audubon Societys Deep Pond Farm nature center in Sherman. It was private land in the 1980s, so that the atlas work is providing it with baseline information about all the birds there. Were finding out about chickadees and blue jays, Cathy Hagadorn, the centers executive director. We have pileated woodpeckers nesting here. We have barred owls nesting. Stefan Martin, the centers habitat steward, said he saw two golden eagles in January at the center evidence that golden eagles may be overwintering in the general area. Comins said the atlas will provide the state with a much more complete idea of Connecticuts bird life. That in turn, will help in determining what conservation efforts are needed to protect declining species, like the wood thrush. It will also give ornithologists and land use officials an idea of how climate change is affecting the states birds. Elphrick said preliminary findings show that Canada warblers, which used to nest throughout Connecticut are shifting their nesting grounds to the states northern tier. At the same time, pine warblers once thought of as a southern species are showing up here. So are black vultures, joining their turkey vulture cousins themselves a fairly recent arrival from the south to soar on thermals, then scavenge the states carrion. Its also showing the evidence of how conservation measures can succeed. By the 1960s, many species of raptors including bald eagles, osprey and peregrine falcons had largely disappeared from the state because the insecticide DDT damaged their eggs. The U.S. government banned its use in 1972 and bit by bit, those birds came back. Now, said Waterbury birder Brian Bennet, hes spotted bald eagles, osprey and peregrine falcons in the rocky bluffs along the once-sorely polluted Naugatuck River south of Waterbury. There are always surprises, he said. Conservation works, Comins said. Were reaping all the benefits now. Contact Robert Miller at earthmattersrgm@gmail.com In the panel discussion, Twitter said that it stands prepared to work with the IT Standing Committee of the Parliament on safeguarding citizens online rights. Twitter representatives also said, We will keep working parallel with the Indian Government as part of the shared commitment to serve and protect the public discourse. The Government of India has locked horns with the microblogging site after failing to comply with the new IT rules laid out by the Modi Government. Twitter was summoned by the parliamentary panel on Friday, June 18. Shagufta Kamran, Twitter Indias public policy manager, and Ayushi Kapoor, legal counsel, represented Twitter before the panel chaired by Shashi Tharoor, Congress leader and Member of the Lok Sabha. In the panel discussion, Twitter said that it stands prepared to work with the IT Standing Committee of the Parliament on safeguarding citizens online rights. Twitter representatives also said, We will keep working parallel with the Indian Government as part of the shared commitment to serve and protect the public discourse. Also Read: Political stagnation to end in J&K? PM calls all-party meet During the discussion, the panel enquired about the microblogging site if it adheres to the law of the land, to which the representatives replied, We follow our policies. The members of the panel firmly objected and told them, The Law of the land is supreme and not your policy. They observed how the policies of Twitter are on par with the rule of the land and strongly condemned it. The Government of India and Twitter are at loggerheads since May 26, the last day for the social media giants to comply with the new rules of the IT Act, 2000. Twitter failed to show compliance with the amendments despite being given extra time to come to terms with the law. Twitter becomes the first US-based social media platform that lost its Intermediary status in the country. Twitter in India is not a platform anymore but will be considered a publisher and can be dragged into court for the content uploaded on the platform. Recently, Uttar Pradesh Police lodged an FIR against Twitter for not flagging a video of an older man allegedly beaten up on religious differences. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for an all-party meet in Jammu & Kashmir. Reports say that the Centre may discuss initiation of political processes, including holding assembly elections due since 2018, restoration of statehood and other important issues in the meeting. As National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and top police officials met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Friday; sources said the Centre is likely to call an all-party meeting on Jammu and Kashmir on June 24 or after. Though there is no official invitation with clear meeting agenda sent out till now but sources say that the Centre may discuss initiation of political processes, including holding assembly elections due since 2018, restoration of statehood and other important issues concerning the union territory. This is the PMs first major outreach and such exercise since the Centre announced the abrogation of Article 370; scrapping Jammu and Kashmirs special status and its bifurcation into union territories in August 2019. This meeting is likely to be attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other central leaders. We have been intimated about a meeting next week. We are waiting for a formal invitation, a senior Jammu and Kashmir leader said. PDP party president Mehbooba Mufti said on Saturday that the PDP will hold a meeting on Sunday to discuss the invitation of the Centre to regional political parties of Jammu and Kashmir for talks. She told, There is no clear-cut agenda about the talks with New Delhi. However, I have asked my partys Political Affairs Committee (PAC) for a meeting to discuss the same. She stated that in the meeting the party will take the decision of whether to participate in the talks or not. The Gupkar Alliance or PAGD, the seven-party amalgam formed to campaign for the restoration of special status to Jammu and Kashmir has expressed its willingness to join the talks. The centre had held local body elections in Jammu and Kashmir in December; the Gupkar Alliance won more than 100 seats and the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 74 seats. Report says that the hacker group had been targeting Indian establishments for six months while border tensions between India, China were high. Meanwhile, another China-linked hacker group was targeting Indias power sector. China and China-linked cyber operations have been seen as a persistent threat in India. Following a clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 between Indian and Chinese soldiers, relations have been tense between the two countries. Amidst this context an US cybersecurity firm named Recorded Future, headquartered near Boston released a report on 16 June. The report says a Chinese state-backed hacker group (nicknamed as RedFoxtrot) is targeting Indian defence research and other Indian organisations. The hacker group has been targeting Indian establishments for six months while border tensions between India, China were high. A similar reporting by the same cybersecurity firm in March said that another China-linked hacker group, nicknamed RedEcho, was targeting Indias power sector, including state-owned NTPC, Indias largest energy conglomerate. This time the report claims to find links between a suspected Chinese state-sponsored threat activity group and the Peoples Liberation Armys Unit 69010, a Chinese military intelligence unit. The unit (69010) also likely has multiple subordinate offices primarily responsible for monitoring military activity along Chinas western border, the report said. As per Recorded Future, the RedFoxtrot has been active since at least 2014, predominantly targeting sectors like government, defence, and telecommunications across Central Asia, India, and Pakistan. The cybersecurity firm has detected RedFoxtrots targets in the past six months. The report said The RedFoxtrot has been targeting 3 Indian aerospace and defence contractors; major telecommunications providers in Afghanistan, India, Kazakhstan, and Pakistan; and multiple government agencies across the region. However, the report does not mention the names of the targeted organisations. MANCHESTER A state expert determined Zaniya Wrights death was a homicide Saturday, as counselors were made available at Illing Middle School after news spread of the seventh graders passing. Chief Medical Examiner James Gill said Saturday an autopsy determined Wright was strangled, dying of compression of her neck. Her death was ruled a homicide, Gill said. The 13-year-old girl, who was reported missing to police by her mother around 8:30 p.m. Thursday, was found dead in the basement of the South Adams Apartments on Olcott Street around 8:30 a.m. Friday, Lt. Ryan Shea said during a press conference Friday. Shea described the basement as a common area for the building that is not tied to any specific unit. He did not say what led investigators to the building. It was unclear how long her body had been in the basement. On Saturday, the lieutenant said there were no updates to report on the case, but on Friday said investigators are doing everything we can to understand the circumstances that led up to the girls death. In a letter to the public schools community Friday, Manchester Superintendent of Schools Matthew Geary confirmed Wright was in seventh grade at Illing. I want to offer our most sincere condolences and prayers to Zaniyas family, her many friends, and people throughout our community traumatized by this terrible news, Geary said. For all those who knew Zaniya both at school and in the community, this is a heartbreaking and incredibly sad day. Geary said counselors were made available at the school Friday and Saturday to support students who want an adult to speak with or even just a safe space to grieve. School officials on Saturday declined to address rumors Wright had suffered bullying at the school, which was mentioned by a family friend to WFSB on Friday. Shea said investigators are looking to talk to anyone who might have seen or spoken to Wright between when she was reported missing and when her body was found. Anyone with information is urged to call police at 860-645-5500. HAMDEN As the clock runs out on a developers contract with the town, the future of the long-abandoned Newhall Street middle school site hangs in limbo. Hamden five years ago selected the Mutual Housing Association of South Central Connecticut, which operates under the name NeighborWorks New Horizons, as the preferred developer of the former middle school at 560 Newhall St. The town approved a contract setting aside land for the nonprofit organization, according to Dale Kroop, Hamdens former economic development director. Their plan was to convert an old gymnasium into a community center and construct 87 apartments, including market-rate and affordable housing units. But unless the town grants NeighborWorks New Horizon an extension, the agreement will expire July 22, Town Planner Erik Johnson said. Meghan Friedmann / Hearst Connecticut Media Tom Cruess, president and CEO of the nonprofit, said he absolutely hopes to renew the contract. But Councilman Justin Farmer, D-5, whose district includes the site, feels the town should solicit new proposals and engage in a community conversation about what southern Hamden residents want for the site. Hes not opposed to giving NeighborWorks New Horizons another chance, he said, but believes a month is not enough time for the public to review materials. The site and surrounding neighborhood, which were constructed atop the contaminated soil of an industrial landfill, have been the subject of a decade-long remediation effort. Part of the middle school complex was portioned off and transformed into Hamdens business incubator, while the remaining land was slated for the NeighborWorks New Horizons project. Meghan Friedmann / Hearst Connecticut Media While the organization has expressed interest in renewing the contract, it has not yet submitted materials laying out a revised site plan, according to Johnson, who said an extension would require Legislative Council approval. Cruess said the organization submitted a letter expressing the nonprofits wish to extend the contract. He was not aware of outstanding application materials but said his organization would get back to (Johnson) and get him whatever it is that he needs. If the contract were to lapse, the town likely would conduct a reevaluation of the existing site conditions, gather community feedback and issue a new Request for Proposals, Johnson said. What they proposed five years ago might not necessarily be the same thing that makes sense to propose today, he said. For example, while Neighborworks New Horizons originally intended to convert the former school into housing units, that option might be cost-prohibitive due to environmental issues and the deterioration of the building, Johnson said, noting that demolition may be the best course of action. The plan also should address a parking shortage in the neighborhood that stems from the popularity of nearby parks, he said. Development delays Its been six years since NeighborWorks came to an agreement with Hamden, and the site remains in disuse. But remediation efforts, including the demolition of two buildings, remained ongoing. The site was contaminated and required quite a bit of remediation, so I think the delay is really around that process taking quite a bit longer than anyone expected, Cruess said. It was not anticipated that it would take upwards of five, six years. In order to really secure funding, we needed that remediation to be completed. According to Kroop, NeighborWorks New Horizons did not cause the delay. Under former Gov. Dannel Malloys administration, he said, the state declined to consider applications for funding until the land remediation was finished. Peter Hvizdak / Hearst Connecticut Media That completely kiboshed them for at least three of the years, he went on, adding that the project would have cost $750,000 less if site work had been allowed to occur at the same time as the remediation. While a point-based application process makes it challenging to secure funding on sites with pending remediation, from our point of view, we had this really important project that they werent being flexible (on), Kroop said. This was a consent order that the state of Connecticut initiated, so there was no doubt that that remediation was gonna happen. The Regional Water Authority, responsible for cleaning up the land around the buildings, completed the physical work last year, according to Kroop, who said the remediation officially will be completed once the state issues an Environmental Land Use Restriction. An ELUR acts as a public disclosure to future property owners. Kroop said an ELUR is being prepared for the Newhall complex. When asked about Kroops statement on the delay in obtaining funds, state Department of Housing spokesman Aaron Turner said in emails the need for remediation had prevented the transfer of the property by the town. He confirmed the ELUR was pending and said NeighborWorks New Horizons received a letter indicating the RWA had completed the work. Delays on the project were compounded by the coronavirus pandemic, according to Turners statement. Our hope is that significant progress will be accomplished and an application for the development of the project will be forth coming in the next Fiscal Year, he wrote. Neighborworks New Horizons has received a $300,000 pre-development loan for the site, according to Turner, who indicated no other state money has yet been approved. Cruess said the organization has used the loan for architectural planning and site surveys. Under the towns current arrangement, NeighborWorks New Horizons would be responsible for remediation of the buildings themselves, according to Kroop, who said said the nonprofit needs to obtain funding to support those efforts. Going forward While Farmer expressed a desire to reassess site options, Turners statement suggests the DOH is expecting an application to be filed for the site. . The Department of Housing hopes that a mutually beneficial resolution will be achieved between the municipality and (NeighborWorks New Horizons/Mutual Housing Association of South Central Connecticut), it said. We all share a common goal - as this project has (experienced) delays, in part due to COVID, the department will continue to be available to provide technical assistance to move it forward. Meanwhile, Farmer worried that his constituents voices go unheard in matters of development. The town should set high standards for the site, Farmer said, contending the land is valuable because of limited space in the area. We should not be expecting less. We should be expecting more, Farmer said. My biggest concern is because we are in a financial crisis were going to sell ourselves short. In the past, residents have expressed an interest in building single- or multifamily homes on the site, according to the councilman, who said he wants a development plan that will help build generational wealth and ensure the land remains a long-term asset to the community. One building he wants to see in that plan is a community center. Farmer said the former gymnasium NeighborWorks New Horizons proposed converting into a community center would need additions to meet community needs. A plan for the community center was never formalized, according to Cruess, who said NeighborWorks New Horizons intended to seek input as the process unfolded. We would work closely with the town to meet the needs of the neighborhood, he said. Meghan Friedmann / Hearst Connecticut Media Generally, Cruess said the organization engaged the community at the start of the process and would do so going forward. Were a mission-based organization, he said. Building communities is really part of our mission, so we always want to make sure that whatever developments we undertake are in keeping with really the goals of the community. meghan.friedmann@hearstmediact.com Days after being terminated from a Greenwich day care facility amid a state investigation into child abuse claims, the employee found success landing a job elsewhere working with kids just a few towns away, court records show. In a system geared toward the safety and wellbeing of children, routinely strengthened by the Office of Early Childhood and the state legislature after a series of day care deaths in 2016, it appears the Norwalk woman found a loophole when her new employer failed to check her references, according to court records. For Amy Tingets, her termination following an OEC investigation into child abuse claims at the Childrens Day School of Greenwich did not impede her from quickly securing a job at the Goddard School of Wilton in 2019, a police investigation shows. Two years later, Tingets is now facing charges of first-degree assault and risk of injury to a child after police say a 6-month-old suffered abusive head trauma while in her care in February at the Goddard School. Tingets, 39, is free on $10,000 bond and has not entered a plea to the charges. Tingets is next scheduled to appear in court on July 10. Her attorney did not respond to a request for comment. Goddard Schools said Tingets was immediately placed on leave after the incident and has since been terminated. The law, broadened in 2019 when the legislature approved recommendations from the OEC, requires all child care workers to complete a thorough background check to ensure they are suitable to work with children. A representative for Goddard Schools said the background check for Tingets came back clear, and they were not aware of any state investigation. When asked why the system did not flag Tingets after her termination in Greenwich, OEC chief legal counsel said the background checks focus on criminal charges and listings in sex offender registers. It appears not to weigh previous OEC investigations. If a criminal conviction, sex offender registry listing, or child protective services registry listing is identified, a review is conducted to determine the suitability of the individual for child care employment, OEC Chief Legal Counsel Michael G. Curley said in a statement. However, if as in this case, no such history of criminal convictions or registry listings are identified, then the above review would not occur given the fact that there would be no criminal or child protective services finding to review, Curley said. Greenwich termination When police were called to investigate injuries suffered by an infant on Feb. 9 at the Goddard School in Wilton, focus fell on Tingets, the only person who cared for the child that day, an arrest warrant affidavit said. EMS had been called that morning when the baby was unresponsive after waking from a nap, the affidavit said. Doctors later said the child suffered serious head trauma, the affidavit read. As detectives pursued the case, they were not notified by the state Department of Children and Families and OEC about a report they received regarding Tingets 18 months earlier from a supervisor at the Childrens Day School in Greenwich, the affidavit read. At the Greenwich facility, Tingets was accused of being abusive and too rough with children, investigators wrote in the affidavit. The reports did not reach the level of triggering a DCF investigation, but OEC looked into the claims. Explaining the investigatory process, Curley said information and records are shared between OEC and DCF and the departments conduct joint investigations when there are allegations of abuse and neglect in a licensed child care facility. However, he said there are instances when the reports do not reach DCFs definition of abuse and that department does not investigate. Among the allegations made against Tingets on July 11, 2019, were that she forced infants heads down if they awoke while napping, and if they did it multiple times, she forcefully slammed their bodies into their cots, according to the affidavit. Tingets was terminated from the Greenwich school within 13 days of the reports for misconduct with children at the day care, investigators wrote in the affidavit. Two other employees were fired for failing to report incidents sooner and the school was also reprimanded, according to the affidavit. We cannot comment at this time regarding any possible pending legal developments in matters involving Ms. Amy Tingets, the Childrens Day School of Greenwich said in a statement. Children's Day School does, however, want to let our community know that we always strive to do everything in our power to ensure a safe and nurturing environment for the children in our care. No reference check Less than two weeks after being fired in Greenwich, Tingets interviewed with the Goddard School in Wilton on Aug. 1, 2019, court documents show. During an initial interview, Tingets provided a resume and references, the affidavit said. On Aug. 2, 2019, Tingets spent time with the teaching staff to get a sense of the facilitys expectations, Wilton investigators wrote in the affidavit. A calendar entry showed she then met with the owner, Deborah Lee, the affidavit said. But Lee told investigators she had no recollection of meeting with Tingets, but she explained it must have occurred if it was on her schedule, the affidavit read. Tingets was offered the job on Aug. 2, 2019, nine days after she was fired from the Greenwich day care facility, according to the police investigation. She accepted the offer that afternoon, informing Lee she needed to give the Childrens School in Greenwich two weeks notice, the affidavit said. Lee told investigators she did not have notes from her management staff about contacting Tingets references, and said it was not common practice to call a candidates current employer to avoid ill will, the affidavit said. [At] no time did Amy Tingets mention to the Goddard School that she was terminated for mishandling children or for her actions while working with children at the Childrens Day School in Greenwich. The Goddard School also did not check Amy Tingets references from her previous employer, the Childrens Day School of Greenwich, Wilton investigators wrote in the affidavit. In certain circumstances, including reports that do not trigger a DCF investigation or when the complaints are not substantiated, Curley said, potential future employers have limited information about any prior conduct of a prospective employee beyond what is shared in the hiring process by the prospective employee or professional references. In response to this incident, a representative from Goddard Schools said they are committed to the safety of children and have followed all state requirements for employees. The Goddard School of Wilton is fully compliant with, and meticulously follows, the requirements established by the state of Connecticut for child care providers to screen potential employees. This includes conducting and maintaining a thorough background check on each employee prior to offering them employment, said Bonnary Lek, a spokesperson for Goddard Schools. The background check on this former employee came back clear. The school was not aware nor made aware at any time that this employee had been investigated by the state because of an earlier incident while employed at another child care center. Screening process enhanced When asked about the background check process, OEC acknowledged that regulations require licensed child care centers to hire staff that have personal qualities necessary to care for kids. Facilities that fail to do so could be cited for violations. But OEC appears to acknowledge the difficulty of determining an employees suitability for the job. The OEC is currently in the process of developing a new background check information system and is reviewing how this system may be enhanced to support child care programs ability to assess staff qualifications within the parameters of state and federal law, Curley said. The Goddard School of Wilton, following Tingets arrest, has strengthened its own screening of potential employees, Lek said. The Goddard School of Wilton continues to require all faculty and staff to successfully complete new-hire training. Working with the state licensor, and in addition to rigorous operating guidelines, the school has now enhanced the hiring process beyond state requirements to include a minimum of two reference checks as well as a reference check from a current employer, Lek said. NEW HAVEN A city man was arrested Saturday after allegedly striking a Massachusetts state police lieutenant with a tractor trailer earlier this week, according to Massachusetts State Police. Perry Livingston, 40, of New Haven, allegedly struck the trooper while traveling on Route 495 north in Hopkinton, Mass., Wednesday, officials said on the departments blog. The Lieutenant was on duty and traveling in his unmarked cruiser when he observed a different tractor-trailer that was ahead of him pull into the breakdown lane for a smoking tire. He activated his blue lights and pulled behind that tractor-trailer to protect that truck and its driver and to render any assistance needed, police said in a different post. As the Lieutenant exited his cruiser, he noticed the second tractor-trailer - the one that would hit him in a matter of seconds - oncoming in the breakdown lane and rapidly approaching his position. That tractor-trailer suddenly attempted to pull back into the right travel lane; the trucks cab was able to do so and narrowly avoid hitting the Lieutenant or his cruiser, but the trailer it was pulling did not clear the Lieutenant, who was standing up against the drivers side of his cruiser. The trailer passing by at highway speed made contact with the Lieutenant, side-swiping and spinning him, pushing him into the passenger side of the cruiser, officials said. The lieutenant suffered injuries to his arms and hands, officials said. It struck him, but did not hit his vehicle. The damage to the cruisers rear drivers side door was caused by the Lieutenant being pushed into it. The Lieutenant then made a radio transmission indicating he had been struck, while a civilian Good Samaritan and the other tractor-trailer driver offered assistance, officials said. The Lieutenant, who is the commander of our Traffic Programs Section, has been released from the hospital and will be on injured leave. Livingstons tractor trailer was found unoccupied in Milford, officials said. Livingston was arrested at his New Haven home. The investigation was a cooperative effort between several Massachusetts State Police units (Troop C, Middlesex County State Police Detective Unit, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Section, and Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section), Connecticut State Police, and New Haven Police, officials said. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com Hearst Connecticut Media NEW HAVEN Police are investigating two shootings Thursday and Friday afternoons that left two people with non-life-threatening wounds. Police were called to the first incident just before 2 p.m. Thursday, when they received multiple 911 calls for a person shot on Downing Street between Peck and Lombard Streets, Officer Scott Shumway said in a news release Friday. HARTFORD A woman suffered non-life-threatening injuries in a shooting early Saturday morning on Huntington Street, according to police. Patrol officers responded to the 100 block of Huntington Street for a ShotSpotter gunfire activation in the area around 3:30 a.m., Lt. Aaron Boisvert said. Arriving officers found the victim, a woman in her 30s, suffering from a gunshot wound. She was taken to a local hospital for treatment. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call the police tips line at 860-722-TIPS. NEW HAVEN Nearly a dozen students from New Haven, Westport and West Hartford were lauded Saturday for their success at the recent National History Day competition. According to the organization, among others, Claire Flynn of Sedgwick Middle School in West Hartford, Zachary Brody of Staples High School in Westport and KeQing Tan and Sneha Maskey of Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven earned a top-three spot in their respective categories. Flynn scored first in the Junior Individual Documentary category for Clearing the Air: How John Hersey Communicated Hiroshima Survivors' Stories to the World and Changed the Global Perspective on Nuclear Weapons; Brody finished third in the Senior Individual Exhibit category for Blowing Smoke: Unmasking the Persuasive Communication Techniques of Cigarette Advertising in the 20th Century: a Key to Understanding the Emergence of Regulations; Tan and Maskey earned third in the Senior Group Website category for Communicating through Code: Elizabeth Friedman's Crackdown on Nazi Spy Rings during World War II. Marlon Coon and Young In Kim of Wilbur Cross; June Lanpher and Maya Harpaz-Levy of Worthington Hooker Middle School in New Haven; and Jeffrey Pogue of Staples High School in Westport earned the senior White House History Award and Outstanding Connecticut Awards in the junior and senior categories for their works, The Camp David Accords: How Jimmy Carter Negotiated Peace Between Two Warring Middle Eastern Countries, The Reindeer Express, and Thomas Paine, the Most Influential Man in America: A Key to Understanding Revolutionary Communication. Other students that finished in the top ten of their respective categories included: Manxi Han of Worthington Hooker for Objective Journalism vs. Patriotic Narrative How (Mis)Information Was Communicated to the American Public during the Tet Offensive of 1968; Hannah Fiarman of Staples High School in Westport for The Freedom Rides: Communicating Injustices in Interstate Travel for a Key understanding of Crucial Change, and Michael Nealon and William Jin for America's Key to Understanding: How Uncle Tom's Cabin Communicated Abolitionist Ideals and Changed the Minds of Millions. According to the organization, 56 students represented Connecticut at the virtual contest this year after advancing by placing in first or second place at the Connecticut State Contest last month, joining close to 3,000 students from the U.S. and overseas to compete at the national level. Im so proud of Connecticuts students for persevering through a really difficult year to do amazing research on creative topics, stated State Coordinator Rebecca Taber. The students' hard work is reflected in Connecticut's strong showing at the National Contest. Congratulations to the teachers and students! The National History Day contest, first held in 1974, was created by Case Western Reserve University professor of history David Van Tassel to counter the devaluation of history as a field of study, according to its website. Van Tassel wanted teachers and students to analyze and interpret historyto draw conclusions about the ways in which historical events influenced the course of human society. He believed that asking students to relate their projects to a theme would force them to think about why their topic was important in history and why their contemporaries should learn the importance of historical perspective, officials said. The organization said his influence resonates each year, when hundreds of thousands of secondary school students around the globe make history come alive through research and analysis for their... projects. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (AP) People typically go to court to be judged for the wrongs theyve committed against society, not to be praised for being superstars. But when a former drug addict and thief who repeatedly served jail time for her crimes uses the programs and resources available to change her old ways and start anew, a court proceeding turns into a celebration. Thats what happened June 10 when Spotsylvania County native Rachel Thornsberry became the fifth person to graduate from the Rappahannock Veterans Docket, an intensive program for former military members whove gotten into legal trouble, often stemming from issues or injuries incurred during their service. Thornsberry, 39, completed the program that involves three sessions a week of therapy and treatment, counseling and court sessions over the course of 18 months. She also checked in regularly with her mentor, another veteran, despite the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has posed. At the same time, shes been taking full-time college courses toward her goal of becoming a social worker and helping others who are incarcerated. Shes also enrolled in another recovery program and volunteers with a local group that helps former inmates re-enter society, all while helping her husband take care of their four children, who range in age from 2 to 15. I have seen her overcome obstacles and tests most people would not last through, but my wife is as tough as they come, said Jimmy Thornsberry, who added she must be a superwoman to manage it all. As he stood before the courtroom and read his prepared remarks, his hand shook nervously, and she smiled sweetly at himand their youngest daughter, who called out Mama and Dada from the audience. He talked about his wifes passion for helping others, the 3.8 grade point average shes maintained at Liberty University and the energy shes put into all the programs, especially as shes driven back and forth to the Spotsylvania proceedings from their home in Richmond. Reading this makes me anxious because I cant even fathom how she does it all, he said. He wasnt the only one to pile on the praise. Ann Baker, a probation program manager, called Rachel Thornsberry a superstar as she presented her a gift from those involved with the program. Youve done a great job, were so proud of you, Baker said. Her mentor, Loretta Gulley, told the court she repeatedly had reminded Thornsberry not to put too much on her plate, that she needed to make time for herself as well. I came to realize that was how she was focusing on herself, by helping others, Gulley said. I really commend her for all the things she put together. UNTREATED TRAUMA Thornsberry graduated from Courtland High School in 2000 and joined the Army after graduation because she wanted to get away from Spotsylvania and do something great and serve my country. As the oldest of five, she knew there wouldnt be money for college, so military service seemed the best choice. She worked in automated logistics supplya fancy word for warehouse worker, she saidand for the most part, enjoyed the experience and the friends she made. But she also suffered what she calls an untreated trauma, something she didnt want to elaborate on in a newspaper story. That incident would come back to haunt her as time went on, and other things happened. Shortly after the birth of her second child in 2011, she was diagnosed with lupus, an inflammatory disease in which the immune system attacks its own tissues, and she was prescribed pain pills. I didnt know I was going to love them, she said. Like countless others, she became addicted to the medication and quickly spiraled out of control. It was just like I was a dressed-up junkie. I had a good job (in insurance), making great money, and within six months, I lost everything: the house, the car, the job, the kids. I went to jail four times, she said. When Thornsberry no longer could get prescriptions for pills, she turned to heroin. She stole as needed to fund her habit. She got clean for a while, then went through the same cycle after her third child was bornand ended up with another jail sentence, 17 months at the Rappahannock Regional Jail. When I got out, I really had to fight my way back, she said. I knew this was not the way I wanted to live. TOE THE LINE OR ELSE Thornsberry enrolled in a recovery program because she was still on suboxone, a drug used to treat a persons dependence on opioids. The Rappahannock Veterans Docket wont allow participants who are still on suboxone, so it took about two years before Thornsberry was eligible for the program. Since the docket began three years ago, it has developed a reputation as being hard to get into, said Wendy Harris, Spotsylvanias deputy public defender. She worked with Judge Ricardo Rigual, who still rules over the program, and other court and law enforcement officials, as well as the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board, to put the program in place. Harris said shes heard public sentiment programs for veterans coddle them or give them breaks that others would not receive. Shes said theres the notion that officials look the other way when rules are violated. The first case on the docket last Thursdaythe same day as Thornsberrys graduationillustrated what happens when veterans dont keep their part of the bargain. At the beginning of the program, they sign a plea agreement with the judge, that if they meet the mandated benchmarks, they may have their charges reduced. In Thornsberrys case, shell probably be released from probation when her case is formally settled later this month. If they dont toe the line, they face the full punishment of their crimes. A veteran who had violated the agreement several timesand lied about it to the courtwas locked up in jail, then came before Rigual last Thursday. The judge kicked him out of the program, but told him the resources would still be available to him if he decided to get his life straight. GUEST OF HONOR Rigual seemed as eager as Thornsberry, who was absolutely giddy with excitement, to get to the part of the program that featured her graduation. Now its time for our guest of honor, he announced. Ms. Thornsberry, come on down. She practically floated on air, walking from a bench on the right side of the courtroom, where 13 people had come to show support for her. The group included family members, friends and other volunteers with Failsafe-ERA, a local program that supports inmates and their families as those incarcerated return to society. Thornsberry serves on Failsafes board and runs a suitcase ministry she started two years ago. She collects clothing and toiletries, along with lists of support meetings in the area, to help someone coming out of jail get on their feet, she said. She also has talked with politicians about getting mandated items, such as feminine hygiene products, to female prisoners. After she becomes a social worker, shed like to do more lobbying on behalf of those incarcerated and to bring her perspective to programs like the Rappahannock Veterans Docket. I want to be that person who can give them insight on what can help programs, she said. I think its important to have someone in there whos actually walked in those shoes. Phyllis Brantley serves as a pastor with Failsafes ministry and saw a Facebook support group Thornsberry leads for those trying to get back on their feet after drugs and jail time. Brantley has watched Thornsberry develop the same attitude through the support group that the military espousesthat those involved are looking out for one another, each step of the way. I cant stress enough how Rachel is that kind of person whos made mistakes but has taken advantage of second-chance opportunities, Brantley said. She not only wants that for herself, she wants that for others. She doesnt want to leave anyone behind. There are many complex policy problems that the U.S. urgently needs to address, from tackling the existential threat of climate change to improving access to health care. But theres one overarching obstacle standing in the way: legislative gridlock, money in politics and special interests blocking meaningful reform. That could change if our federal lawmakers pass the For The People Act, the most impactful anti-corruption and pro-voter legislation in 50 years. Among other worthy reforms, the bill would ban gerrymandering, improve voter access, and curb the influence of billionaires and Super PACs on our elections. The For The People Act has already passed the U.S. House of Representatives, and now needs to get through the Senate before President Biden can sign it into law. According to many recent polls, The For The People Act has overwhelming bipartisan support among voters, despite all the partisan noise in Washington, D.C. This is true in both red states and blue states, and among Trump voters and Biden voters. When you consider the measures in the bill, its not hard to see why. We all want voting to be easy, accessible and secure; we want politicians to represent us, not just wealthy and powerful people and PACs; and we want our government to function. So why hasnt it passed? Why are some legislators reluctant to carry out the will of the people? Because the For The People Act threatens to upend the political system that has allowed dark money and special interests to pick and choose our countrys legislative agenda and secured politicians their seats in Congress. Americans feel like the system is rigged against them. This level of distrust makes us vulnerable to conspiracy theories and suspicious of our leaders, science and facts. Our election system and the checks and balances to assure a peaceful transfer of power barely held, by a thread, just four months ago. As we grapple with tackling so many of the pressing issues of our day, it can be hard to prioritize esoteric and intractable-seeming causes like campaign finance reform and anti-corruption. But prioritize it we must, for it is the broken political system that is making it impossible to advance on other issues. Imposing reform on our political process is not easy. Direct democracy efforts around the country in the form of voter ballot initiatives can be powerful tools of reform. For example, in 2018 Florida voters passed an amendment to their state constitution restoring voting rights to those barred from voting due to a previous felony. Likewise, voters in Alaska, Oregon, Virginia and Colorado have used ballot initiatives to pass anti-gerrymandering, campaign finance, anti-corruption and embracing ranked-choice voting in recent years. Ballot measures are well suited to passing such laws which restrict the very politicians who stonewall them. However, ballot initiatives are also by their nature blunt force approaches not well suited to solving complex public policy issues and therefore best used as a last resort when legislators wont do the will of the people. Most Eastern states, including Connecticut, didnt benefit from the Progressive Era reform measures in the late 1800s that swept direct democracy measures into Western states constitutions. (Eastern states, concerned about the votes of immigrants in the Northern cities and freed slaves in the South, were less willing to institute measures that did the will of the masses.) So, we have to make our voices heard on why it is important to prioritize and pass the For The People Act, and shine the light on the real reasons why this bill is struggling to advance through Congress. Connecticuts own senators, Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal, have already signaled they support the For The People Act. Thats great news, but we have to make it clear to them that this bill is a priority, and we cant afford to fail. Sen. Chris Murphy said it best when he called the For The People Act a down payment on better government. I hope Connecticut voters will join me in making our voices heard that this bill should be a priority, and that its something worth spending political capital on. Aimee Hoben is a deputy general counsel at The Hartford and a volunteer with the nonprofit RepresentUs. The authors views are her own and should not be construed to represent the views of The Hartford. Niagara Falls, NY (14301) Today Mainly cloudy. A few peeks of sunshine possible. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 72F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower throughout the evening. Low 59F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations (UN), has asked Amina Mohammed to serve as deputy secretary-general for a second... Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations (UN), has asked Amina Mohammed to serve as deputy secretary-general for a second term. On Friday, Guterres was re-appointed as the secretary-general of the UN for a second term by the general assembly. His second term starts on January 1, 2022, and will run for a period of five years. Guterres succeeded Ban Ki-moon in January 2017 as the ninth secretary-general. Speaking with journalists after taking the oath of office for a second term, Guterres said he had extended an offer to Mohammed to continue in office. After being elected, I have the pleasure to invite the deputy secretary-general to remain in my second mandate and I hope she will accept, he said. Mohammed, who was standing behind Guterres at the press briefing, responded with the comment absolute honour. Before her appointment in 2017, she was Nigerias minister of environment under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. She had also served as the special adviser to Ban Ki-moon on post-2015 development planning, which focused on the 2030 agenda for sustainable development goals. President Muhammadu Buhari has said that his administration will continue to collaborate with the Chinese government in the area of prov... President Muhammadu Buhari has said that his administration will continue to collaborate with the Chinese government in the area of provision of critical infrastructure in the country. Buhari was quoted as making the statement in Abuja on Friday, when he received in audience the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria His Excellency Cui Jianchun in his office. Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the president, Femi Adesina quoted the president as saying: Nigeria has a high respect for China and what China is helping Nigeria to achieve particularly in the area of infrastructure. President Buhari came at a time of severe infrastructure deficit in the country and resolved to make a difference and he is making that difference with the assistance of China. Nigeria appreciates China a lot for these and will continue to collaborate with it. The Presidential spokesman said the Nigerian President had been to China two times in furtherance of the relationship and looks forward to greater collaboration, assuring the Ambassador that the media office of the President was ready to join hands with the Chinese in advancing the relationship. The large wooden boat used to convey the illegal 210,000 litres diesel. The Nigerian Navy has arrested 10 suspected vandals conveying 210,0... The large wooden boat used to convey the illegal 210,000 litres diesel. The Nigerian Navy has arrested 10 suspected vandals conveying 210,000 litres of diesel, Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), concealed in water tanks inside a large wooden boat around the Lagos Anchorage. A statement by the Information Officer, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT, Sub-Lt. Veronica Effiong, on Saturday, said the vandals were arrested on May 8 by personnel of the NNS BEECROFT while on routine patrol. Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects are of Nigerian origin attempting to smuggle the AGO to the Benin Republic before their arrest, the officer said. She said the Commander, NNS BEECROFT, Commodore Bashir Mohammed, reiterated the commitment of the base to the protection of critical national infrastructure and the eradication of illegal activities in its area of responsibility. This is in line with the Chief of the Naval Staffs mission statement and Strategic Directive of 2021-5. The determination of the Nigerian Navy to rid Nigerias Maritime space of all forms of criminality and the emplacement of a safe maritime environment for legitimate businesses has yielded a positive result, she said. Effiong said the vandals and seized products had been handed over on June 15 to the Lagos Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for further investigation and prosecution. I urge members of the public especially our host communities to kindly furnish the base with credible information to assist in curbing the activities of criminal elements and economic saboteurs, she said. A mob reportedly set a truck belonging to Dangote Cement Factory, Ibese, Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, ablaze after it cru... A mob reportedly set a truck belonging to Dangote Cement Factory, Ibese, Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, ablaze after it crushed two men to death. The driver of the truck is said to have narrowly escaped being lynched. It was gathered that the ugly incident happened on Friday along Igbogila-Ilaro road. It was learnt that the two men were on a motorcycle, heading from Igbogila to Ilaro when the incident happened. A source told our correspondent that the driver of the Dangote truck swerved off his lane, having a head-on collision with the oncoming motorcycle, otherwise known as okada. The two men rider and passenger, died on the spot, the source told our correspondent. The Ogun Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) confirmed the incident on Saturday. TRACE spokesman, Babatunde Akinbiyi, said, according to eyewitness accounts, the Dangote truck driver engaged in reckless driving. He left its lane to face the motorcyclist and the pillion passenger at his back in the other lane and crushed them to death. An angry mob later set the Dangote truck on fire while the driver ran away. The case is being handled by the Dangote Plant Police Post. Akinbiyi added that one of the dead victims bodies had been deposited at Ilaro General Hospital morgue, while the other victim had been buried by the family. Operatives of the Police Rapid Response Squad, RRS, on patrol have arrested a Nollywood star, Mike Omoruyi 37, with guns in his vehicle alon... Operatives of the Police Rapid Response Squad, RRS, on patrol have arrested a Nollywood star, Mike Omoruyi 37, with guns in his vehicle along Obiaruku/Umuebu Community in Delta State. Also arrested for the same offence was an alleged gun runner, Chief Otuya Josiah, 57. The Police recovered from the first suspect, one Lar rifle without magazine, one fabricated AK-47 rifle, one air rifle, one pump action, one English double barrel gun and two toy guns from the suspect. The Delta State Police Command led by CP Ari Muhammed Ali, confirmed the report in a statement signed by the Acting Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bright Edafe. According to the Police, Investigation later revealed that the suspect happens to be a Nollywood producer who hired the above mentioned guns for film production. Further investigation led to arrest of the suspected gun runner, one Chief Otuya Josiah m 57 years of Umuebu community who confessed renting same to the first suspect at cost of fifty thousand naira (N50,000.00) for film production. Investigation is ongoing. A member of the Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, has said the red chamber would do everything possible to safe the Nigeri... A member of the Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, has said the red chamber would do everything possible to safe the Nigerian aviation sector from collapsing. The Senator in a statement on Saturday, pledged to play key roles in the formulation of legislative framework and policies to save the sector. Ubah said, As a member of the Nigerian Senate Committee on Aviation, I will continue to play a key role in fashioning out legislative frameworks and policies that will protect our indigenous Airlines as well as checkmate unwholesome practices that threaten the survival and growth of the Nigerian aviation sector. He commended the Chairman of Air Peace Limited, Chief Allen Onyema, who just taken delivery of the third brand new Embraer 195-E2 aircraft at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. He described Air Peace as a globally competitive aviation powerhouse and a key contributor to the Igbo nations socio-economic development. He said Onyema had placed the Nigerian flag on a global pedestal and also set in motion the dividends that the aviation industry offers for future economic growth of the country. Ubah explained that Onyema had paid for 13 aircraft and had also made an additional purchase of 17 aircraft, making it a total of 30 new aircraft. This is a historic milestone that has distinguished Air Peace as a trailblazer in the Nigerian aviation industry, he added. Watertown, NY (13601) Today Thunderstorms. High 68F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low 56F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death. Submit Locally reported news and sports Stay Current with What's Happening Get the most of NNY360, register today! By providing your email address, you consent to receive emails and special offers from NNY360.com Reese Witherspoon visited Louisiana this week to oversee her new production of "Where the Crawdads Sing" as it films in downtown Houma. The movie is an adaptation of the award-winning novel by Delia Owens. It centers around a character named Kya who is suspected of murdering a man she was previously involved with. Her role will be played by Daisy-Edgar Jones, pictured below with Witherspoon: An incredible day on set of the @CrawdadsMovie. This story has such a special place in my heart and to see it all come to life is true MOVIE MAGIC! Between the stunning location, detailed set design and amazing cast & crew, It truly brought tears to my eyes. @hellosunshine pic.twitter.com/9H0XUJ9DeJ Reese Witherspoon (@ReeseW) June 18, 2021 Houma's main street has been redecorated to fit the time period of the novel, which is set in the 1950s-1960s. Filming will officially begin there on June 21-23. Check out a photo gallery from the Houma Times for more details on the set. On Saturday at noon, women who mask as baby dolls put on satin dresses and bonnets and gathered in the 7th Ward on Bayou Road to pray, dance and celebrate Juneteenth and New Orleans unusual place in the history of Black emancipation. Its about unity, a day when we put aside differences and come together to celebrate us as a people, said Joell Lee of the Black Seminole Baby Dolls. The event was one of several across the New Orleans area for the newly proclaimed federal holiday, which commemorates the day in 1865 that the Union Army informed slaves in Galveston, Texas, of the Emancipation Proclamation. President Abraham Lincoln had signed the executive order more than two years earlier, to free all enslaved people in places that were still in rebellion against the United States. The effective date: Jan. 1, 1863. New Orleans was way ahead of Galveston, however. At the St. Charles Theatre, a series of speakers read the proclamation aloud then led a crowd to Congo Square to celebrate on Jan. 17, 1863. While Texas was the last place where our enslaved ancestors learned that legal slavery had ended, New Orleans was the first, said executive director Asali DeVan Ecclesiastes of the Ashe Cultural Arts Center, which planned a drum circle Saturday evening to mark the holiday. Looking back, Ecclesiastes imagines how invigorating the news must have been to enslaved Black New Orleanians: It was, Im sure, Obama-getting-elected excitement times a million, she said. Though all national holidays carry a sense of patriotism, Ecclesiastes sees Juneteenth as exceptionally so. Its even more patriotic, because it represents the whole story, the pain and the celebration, she said. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The history here is also unusual because the Emancipation Proclamation didnt officially apply in New Orleans. Lincoln exempted border states and Union-occupied territory, including 13 Louisiana parishes: Ascension, Assumption, Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, Terrebonne, St. Martin and St. Mary. So even as they celebrated in Congo Square, the New Orleanians who had been enslaved when the Union Army occupied the city eight months earlier were not yet officially free. They were considered contraband, basically the seized property of war. They werent enslaved. They werent free, said Mark Roudane, whose ancestor, Louis Charles Roudanez, was publisher of LUnion, the citys Black newspaper. But enslaved people in New Orleans and the other 12 exempt parishes werent waiting for Lincoln. They self-emancipated, Roudane said. After the Union Army seized New Orleans in May 1862, slaves began bolting from upriver plantations in a rolling emancipation. The story of Juneteenth, the new federal and Louisiana state holiday The U.S. government is catching up with Black people who have been commemorating the end of slavery in the United States for generations with On Jan. 1, 1869, the New Orleans Tribune, the successor to LUnion, covered an emancipation celebration on the sixth anniversary of the proclamations effective date. How different the position of four million of color people of the South today from what it was six years ago, the newspaper wrote. Those of us who were slaves are free and those who were free are freer all American citizens ... with the way open before us. That spirit of self-determination, said Alana Harris of the New Orleans Creole Belles, runs strong through the tradition of baby dolls, unapologetic Black women who need no permission to celebrate the contributions of our ancestors. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly described Roudanez's job. The Causeway Bridge's northbound lanes were closed for almost an hour on Friday evening during rush hour, the Causeway police said on social media. In a tweet sent out at about 4:40 p.m., authorities said the northbound closure was "due to an incident." A spokesperson said an 18-wheeler skidded near mile marker 16 and caused authorities to shut down the lanes. No one was injured in the incident, said Carlton Dufrechou, the Causeway's general manager. Officials said the bridge reopened at about 5:30 p.m. Police were investigating why the commercial truck jack-knifed on the bridge, but Dufrechou added that the bridge was wet from storms moving over the area ahead of the soon-to-be Tropical Storm Claudette reaching southeast Louisiana. Dufrechou wasn't sure what the wind gusts were at the time of the accident, but said they were earlier clocking in at 40 mph. Shortly after the Causeway reopened, police said motorcycles, RVs and glass trucks would not be allowed to drive across the bridge due to the severe weather. Stay with NOLA.com for more updates. When OBH Massage Therapy first opened in late 2019, nearby residents and business owners weren't sure exactly what sorts of services were being provided in the Mandeville strip mall on La. 22. Michele Avery, president of Beau West Homeowner Association, worried about prostitution. Her concerns seemed to be vindicated Tuesday when undercover St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's deputies arrested a 52-year-old employee, who was booked into St. Tammany Parish on a count of prostitution by massage and license violations. She was released Thursday on $1,000 bond. The arrest followed complaints from residents, according to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office and Mandeville Police. For Avery, the arrest underscores why Mandeville needs a local ordinance aimed at illicit massage businesses, something she said the Beau West, Fontainebleau and Beau Rivage subdivisions are advocating. "We cannot arrest our way out of this issue," Avery said. Other massage parlors in the parish have been raided by law enforcement in the past, only to reopen within days, she said. "What we can do is make it difficult for these businesses to operate in Mandeville." Mandeville City Council member Rebecca Bush, whose district includes OBH, and Councilmember-at-large Jason Zuckerman are working on an ordinance that could be voted on as early as next month. Bush said she wants to make sure the ordinance doesn't interfere with legitimate spas and similar businesses, and that it's in line with state law. The Legislature adopted a law in its recently concluded session that aims to strengthen the oversight of the Louisiana Board of Massage Therapy, including fingerprinting of all employees and owners. Bush said she thinks tightening up on licensing and hours of operation could be considered. Mayor Clay Madden said he's heard from constituents as well. While not all massage businesses are problematic, some of them "don't seem fitting of the north shore and Mandeville." Mandeville wouldn't be the first municipality to tighten rules on massage parlors. Slidell put a seven-month moratorium on permits for new massage businesses in 2018, following an undercover police investigation at three massage parlors that netted four prostitution arrests. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Slidell passed an ordinance after the moratorium aimed at preventing illegitimate massage businesses. Slidell Police spokesman Capt. Daniel Seuzeneau said that no new massage parlors have opened since the adoption of the law, which requires employees giving massages to have a state license to do so. Avery wants Mandeville officials to consider modeling its ordinance after one in Tulare, California that included prohibitions on covering windows and requiring therapists to keep a record of services that police would be allowed to view. An employee of OBH referred questions to someone she called on her cell phone. That man identified himself as Jun Chen and said: "I don't want to answer your questions." He said the arrest was the employee's issue. Bush, who said she's heard a lot of constituent complaints about OBH, called Tuesday's arrest "very promising" and hopes word will get out that people are watching. Some neighbors of the massage parlor share that hope. Dr. Catherine Hebert, whose dental practice is in the same strip mall, said any illegal activity in the community is disturbing, but especially so "right here by our office." Avery and others are also concerned that another massage business is getting ready to open in another strip mall on La. 22, next to Mandina's restaurant. Mandeville's building inspector told owners there that they couldn't open because they didn't have a state Fire Marshal's Office review, required for all new businesses, according to Trilby Lenfant, acting administrative assistant to Madden. "Everybody's pretty discouraged," Avery said of what she sees a trend. "How does this end up in bucolic Mandeville?" A state judge tossed a Black mans murder conviction this week, after Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams agreed with defense lawyers who said there was a 1-in-1,000 chance that the prosecutors accidentally struck 12 Black people from their client's jury pool. The concession ended a hearing before Judge Rhonda Goode-Douglas meant to settle claims of racial discrimination made by Jabari Williams. His fate now rests in the hands of prosecutors, who must decide whether to retry him in the 2011 shooting of a Honduran laborer. In dueling statements, Jason Williams attacked former District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro for his handling of the case, while Cannizzaro blasted Williams for failing to uphold the conviction. The case is the latest in which Williams' newly created civil rights division has joined with defense attorneys to have a disputed conviction thrown out, which stands in stark contrast to Cannizzaro's years-long defense against appeals from men like Jerome Morgan, Robert Jones and John Floyd. Jabari Williams case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court before it landed in state court on Tuesday, but it began in the early hours of April 10, 2011 at a Shell station near Tulane Avenue in Mid-City. Prosecutors alleged that Williams, of no relation to the current district attorney, tried to sell cocaine to Gonzales, 28. The transaction fell apart after Gonzaless roommate intervened. A few blocks away, the roommate would later testify, Williams emerged from the dark and shot Gonzales four times as he pleaded for his life. +3 New Orleans judge tosses murder conviction; DA Jason Williams says predecessors withheld evidence A New Orleans judge on Thursday tossed the conviction of a man serving a life sentence for a 2007 murder, after Orleans Parish District Attorn Jurors watched a videotaped confession where Williams admitted to shooting Gonzales, stating correctly that the construction worker was felled by a .38-caliber handgun. But Williams claimed that he did so in self-defense. Defense attorneys said that police pressured Williams into confessing. The defense also seized on the roommates statement that he had trouble telling Black people apart. Nevertheless, jurors voted unanimously to convict Williams of second-degree murder. On appeal, defense attorneys zeroed in on the jury selection process. Both the judge overseeing the case, Keva Landrum, and the lead prosecutor, Robert Moore, are Black. But Williams lawyers said the selection process was biased. The lawyers claimed there was no other reason to explain why prosecutors struck Black citizens out of the jury pool, while keeping White people who gave near-identical responses to questions about whether defendants could falsely confess. They also pointed to raw numbers: All 12 of the states discretionary strikes were used on Black people. Leon Cannizzaro is back: Former New Orleans DA now has top role under Attorney General Jeff Landry Former Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro kept a low profile after bowing out of last years election amid growing voter discont Cannizzaros appellate lawyers said race had nothing to do with it. They said that for each Black juror struck from the jury pool, prosecutors or Landrum had supplied a race-neutral reason, such as their answers to questions about false confessions, their criminal histories and their demeanor. In 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court kicked the case back to lower courts, noting that Landrum should not have voiced the reason for excluding jurors instead of prosecutors. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The U.S Supreme Court has laid out a complicated, multi-step process for judges to address racial discrimination claims during jury selection. In 2017, the state Supreme Court said the district court in New Orleans would have to hold a special hearing to reconstruct what happened during the 2012 trial. But the hearing never happened. Instead, as they have in several recent cases, attorneys in Williams' newly created Civil Rights Division agreed that the conviction should be tossed. On Tuesday, they filed a court brief agreeing to many of the defense claims, and arguing that reconstructing what happened at the trial would be impossible so many years after the fact. The division, which is headed by the former director of the Innocence Project New Orleans, also cited a statistical analysis offered by defense attorneys Michael Admirand and Patrick Mulvaney, of the Southern Center for Human Rights. Those lawyers said that in the six months leading up to Jabari Williams trial, New Orleans prosecutors used 78% of their discretionary strikes against Black prospective jurors, at a rate more than three times that of White people. Additionally, the defense lawyers cited a math professors claim that there was only a 1-in-1,000 chance of striking so many Black jurors at Williams trial at random. Prosecutors said they havent made contact with Gonzales relatives, who live in Honduras except for a nephew who hasnt been located. Williams, now 30, has been remanded from prison to the New Orleans jail. The developments this week touched on two criminal justice system leaders who were frequent targets for Jason Williams during his campaign: Leon Cannizzaro and Keva Landrum. Last year Williams promised that he would root out wrongful convictions, and in a lengthy statement, he blasted the previous administration for its handling of the trial. +2 Why Jason Williams' move to charge juveniles as adults in killing is angering some groups Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams rode into office earlier this year on a wave of enthusiasm from liberals, including many forme When prosecutors use discriminatory practices, it serves no one, especially not the victims and their families, he said. My administration is committed to building trust and partnerships between the community and the DAs Office. Together, we will achieve this through transparency, speaking truth, and correcting the sins of the past. But Cannizzaro has accused Williams of allowing convictions to be overturned for political reasons. No court, all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, ever found racial discrimination in the jury selection process of this case, Cannizzaro said in a statement. This DAs office took it upon itself to manipulate the ruling of the Supreme Court in order to further its own personal agenda at the expense of the victims family and public safety. Meanwhile, Williams didnt mention Landrum by name, but her handling of the case drew attention during their contest for district attorney last year. Landrum went to work for a local law firm after her defeat, and was recently nominated to serve as U.S. Attorney in New Orleans. The New Orleans Police Department has named a new top cop for its highest-profile patrol district, which includes the French Quarter and Central Business District. Capt. Jeffrey Walls, who currently runs the 2nd District, will replace Capt. Anthony Caprera as commander of the 8th District starting Monday. Caprera retired Friday. Meanwhile, Lt. Eric Gillard, the second-in-command for the 2nd District, will take over the Uptown-based unit. This will be the second time Walls will take charge of the 8th District. The 24-year NOPD veteran served as commander from 2011 to 2016. For his part, Gillard spent 11 years on the SWAT team until he was promoted to the rank of sergeant in August of 2009. Hes since held roles in the Central City-based 6th District and the 5th District, which encompasses the 9th Ward and surrounding areas. Caprera, a 37-year NOPD veteran, became 8th district commander in March 2020. His predecessor, Octavio Baldassaro, had been stripped of his command after he was accused of having an intimate relationship with a subordinate and giving her unauthorized access to a department car, along with other perks. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Prior to that, Caprera led the investigative units in both the 8th District and 3rd District, which serves Gentilly and Lakeview. He was also a detective and sergeant in the homicide investigations unit, a motorcycle officer and a SWAT officer. In recent months, officers in the 8th District have responded to shootings in the French Quarter and CBD much more frequently than normal. The uptick in violence in both areas, which regularly hosts big events and are popular with visitors, has come as the city has steadily lifted pandemic restrictions in the face of waning coronavirus cases. The city has since made moves to increase police patrols in tourist areas. Voters in April approved a sales tax to pay for additional NOPD patrols downtown. And, after a months-long break, state troopers are back working alongside NOPD officers across the city, including in the French Quarter and CBD. Why NOPD changed French Quarter commanders: alleged relationship with subordinate and payroll fraud Octavio Baldassaros short tenure as top cop in the French Quarter ended unceremoniously in March, when he was quietly stripped of his command. A tropical disturbance headed toward the Louisiana coast hadn't yet formed into a depression or tropical storm as forecasters had expected might happen on Friday evening, according to the National Hurricane Center's 10 p.m. update. In the hours before landfall, which is expected to happen early Saturday, much of the New Orleans region was soaked by hours of rain. More heavy rains are in the forecast, and officials have warned residents of severe weather threats, such as flooding, tornadoes and storm surge. With hurricane season starting, take some time to assess the trees in your landscape TREE CHECK: Now that hurricane season has begun, its time to check all of the larger trees in your landscape. A tree that is sickly, low in v However, the disturbance's track shifted slightly east on Friday, lessening the severe weather threat on New Orleans and canceling a flash flood watch in metro Baton Rouge. Heres what we know from the National Hurricane Center about the tropics as of 10 p.m. Friday Landfall, formation is imminent Forecasters said in the NHC's 10 p.m. update that the disturbance was moving north at 13 mph in the Gulf. It was about 60 miles south southeast of Morgan City, Louisiana, and had sustained winds of 45 mph. "Although the disturbance has wind speeds of tropical storm intensity, it has not been named a tropical storm yet since its center is ill defined and broad, as evident in the Air Force Hurricane Hunter data and surface observations," Cangialosi said at 4 p.m. Forecasters expect this storm to make landfall in the next few hours, with the center of the storm reaching the coast in about six hours. Around this time, NHC said it is still highly likely the storm forms into a tropical depression or Tropical Storm Claudette on Saturday morning, though its development chances dropped to 80%. Senior Hurricane Specialist Jack Beven noted in the 10 p.m. update development time is running out for the disturbance as it inches closer to land. "However, it should be noted that in this case, landfall will not instantly put an end to chances of tropical or subtropical cyclone development, as much of the associated strong winds and convection will remain over water for at least 12 hours." This storm should weaken significantly as it moves over land on Saturday afternoon before heading in an east northeast direction. Meteorologists with the Slidell office of the National Weather Service said Friday evening that only another 2 to 3 inches of rain would fall between Interstate 55 and the Pearl River Basin through Saturday. Four to 8 additional inches of rain was possible over coastal Mississippi. +17 2021 hurricane season to be more active for record sixth year; see outlook The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season is again expected to be busier than normal, with 13 to 20 named storms, 6 to 10 of them hurricanes and 3 to A flood advisory for the south shore was issued Friday evening after as much as 3 inches of rain had fallen on the New Orleans area. The north shore, including Slidell and Lacombe, was under a flash flood until 2:15 a.m., with reports of more than 3 inches of rain in the area. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up "The rainfall that is occurring over the city currently will likely be the heaviest this evening ... We are expecting this to persist for the next hour maybe two," NWS meteorologist Megan Williams shortly after the 7 p.m. update. "Rainfall rates are still looking like 1 to 2 inches per hour, and winds have been gusting at 30 to 40 mph, especially for areas along the lake." 10:00PM: Increasing concerns over the possibility of street flooding / eventual flash flooding across portions of the Northshore, east across coastal MS. Torrential rainfall will persist. Use extreme caution if you must travel in this area. #lawx #mswx pic.twitter.com/ZNa7oBdeaW NWS New Orleans (@NWSNewOrleans) June 19, 2021 A tropical storm warning remained in effect from just east of Morgan City to the eastern border of Walton County, Fla. A flash flood watch remained in effect for much of southeast Louisiana until Sunday at 7 a.m., though the watch was lifted Friday at 3 p.m. for Baton Rouge and Ascension, Assumption, Livingston and St. James parishes. Minor coastal flooding also was expected, with a coastal flood warning for 2 to 3 feet of water in effect from south of Houma to the mouth of the Pearl River and farther east along the Mississippi and Alabama coastlines. The warning extends through Saturday at 7 p.m. Increased tides, strong winds and tornadoes are also possible. Forecasters warned of storm surge in coastal areas could reach up to 3 feet. Morgan City, LA to Okaloosa/Walton County Line, FL...2-3 ft Lake Borgne and Mobile Bay...2-3 ft Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas...1-2 ft Okaloosa/Walton County Line, FL to Panama City, FL...1-2 ft Pensacola Bay, Choctawhatchee Bay, and Saint Andrew Bay...1-2 ft Cameron, LA to Morgan City, LA...1-2 ft Vermilion Bay...1-2 ft More on the tropics The disturbance in the Gulf is the only system being monitored by NHC as of 10 p.m. Friday. After Claudette, the next names available are Danny and Elsa for future storms. Subtropical Storm Ana formed May 22 in the Atlantic, and eventually became a tropical storm. Tropical Storm Bill formed Tuesday in the Atlantic. The shaded area on the graphic is where a storm could develop and is not a track. The National Hurricane Center releases a track when a tropical depression forms or is about to form. The categories, in order of increasing strength, are tropical depression, tropical storm and hurricane (categories 1 through 5). Systems are named when they develop into a tropical storm. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. See the full forecast here. Staff writers Mark Schleifstein and Carlie Wells contributed to this story. When Rachel Hutchinson decided to go to Louis Armstrong Park Thursday evening to protest Mayor LaToya Cantrell's plan to move City Hall to the Municipal Auditorium, the 35-year-old had to explain what she would be doing there to her 5-year-old son, Harley. "We're going to a gathering to protest the Queen of Nola because she's trying to move her castle to the Municipal Auditorium, and we don't want her to do that because Congo Square is sacred ground," she told him. "I didn't wanna miss this!" Harley proclaimed. Rachel, Harley and hundreds of others young, old, Black, White gathered at the park Thursday to march in opposition to the proposal, which would use federal funds and city-issued bonds to turn the dilapidated former event hall into New Orleans' seat of government. The march featured a brass band and speakers who attacked Cantrell and her plan. After about two hours it ended at Duncan Plaza across from the current City Hall building. Protestors not only called for an end to the relocation plan, but also urged the city government to put the $38 million in available FEMA funding towards rehabilitating the building or creating a new, culturally significant space in its place. Ideas ranged from the creation of a Civil Rights museum to reopening the space as an auditorium to be used for high school graduations and other events as it had been in the past. "I'm sure that a lot of people right here in New Orleans, they have no idea of what this land means," said Chuck Perkins, a local spoken word poet who emceed the rally. "We should do a better job of telling the story, and using it to uplift our people, to uplift the people who've made great contributions and, and I think City Hall would probably bury that." Opposition to the plan has grown in recent weeks, and the march on Thursday marked the second time this week that Treme residents and like-minded supporters hit the streets. The growing opposition has also taken on political implications ahead of citywide elections later this year. +3 'Can't Tell Cantrell:' Treme rallies for second line in opposition to City Hall relocation plan Mayor LaToya Cantrell wants Treme residents to just trust her when she says putting the offices of a government once tasked with enforcing sla Among those at the rally to show their disapproval of the idea was City Councilmember Kristin Gisleson Palmer, whose district included the neighborhood of Treme and who has announced her intention to run for an at-large seat on the council later this year. "Quite frankly, the people of Treme need to be at the table for any type of decision on this and they have not been," she said. "City Hall is supposed to be reflective of the people and it's become very evident to me that no one really supports this project." Gisleson Palmer also said she is concerned that moving City Hall to the auditorium could lead to further displacement of longtime residents in Treme. The majority-Black neighborhood has suffered through other redevelopments over the decades that cut up the area, and has been on the forefront of gentrification in recent years. Mayors have discussed moving City Hall for decades, and administration officials began floating a potential move to Armstrong Park soon after Cantrell took office in 2018. Early ideas included building atop the auditorium and included adding a seven-story parking garage to the grounds to accommodate large numbers of city workers. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up But as planning has progressed, the Cantrell administration has scaled back those ambitions. Earlier this month, officials said that renovations would only occur inside the Municipal Auditorium itself and not the surrounding areas. +3 Planned City Hall move to Municipal Auditorium scaled back amid growing opposition in Treme Mayor LaToya Cantrell's administration is scaling back its plans to move the seat of New Orleans' government into the Municipal Auditorium, an And in the face of recent opposition, Cantrell has stood steadfast in her desire to make the move. "This is not a takeover. This is breathing new life into a historic building, the Municipal Auditorium, to where it will serve a purpose and a need that the city has currently," she said at a press conference on Wednesday. One aspect of the proposed move which has been particularly contentious is the fate of Congo Square if the project persists as planned. Congo Square holds significance to New Orleans' Black community as the site where enslaved Africans could congregate with one another and celebrate their native cultures through song, dance, and music on Sundays. The Mayor promised on Wednesday that "Congo Square will not be touched at all" during the construction of the new City Hall. But Ansel Augustine, 43, a lifelong Treme resident who attended the demonstration, said that even if Congo Square isn't disturbed, he still has concerns over the space's accessibility to the public. "If you build the City Hall here along with the parking structures, along with the businesses that come with it will we still have access to this place? Will it still be safe for us to be here, to be our authentic selves? Will they want the drummer's here while City Hall is doing business? Will they want tourists coming around here, talking about the history?" he said. "The culture of the city is under attack and that's the problem." Sabrina Mays, one of the principle organizers of the march, called the city's plan "nothing but a land grab." She said the purpose of the protest was to show Mayor Cantrell what the space means to locals. "This issue is an issue that the Mayor does not relate to because she was not born and raised here. There's a sense of spirit, there's a sense of connectedness that says to us: this is our issue. This is our Waterloo." Mays, 66, said the next step for the Save Our Souls Coalition, which is made up of 33 separate community organizations, is to draft a position paper to "let folks know there's a plan in place." Mays added that the coalition will share that plan with the Mayor when she "invites all 33 of us to the table." U.S. Roman Catholic bishops have overwhelmingly approved the drafting of a "teaching document" that many of them hope will rebuke Catholic politicians, including President Joe Biden, for receiving Communion despite supporting abortion rights. The decision, vehemently opposed by a minority of bishops, came despite appeals from the Vatican for a more cautious and collegial approach to the divisive issue. And it raises questions of how closely the bishops will be able to cooperate with the Biden administration on issues such as immigration and racial injustice. The result of the vote - 168 in favor, 55 against - was announced Friday near the end of a three-day virtual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The bishops had cast their votes privately on Thursday after several hours of impassioned debate. Supporters of the measure said a strong rebuke of Biden is needed because of his recent actions protecting and expanding abortion access. Opponents warned that such action would portray the bishops as a partisan force during a time of bitter political divisions across the country. As a result of the vote, the conference's doctrine committee will draft a statement on the meaning of Communion in the life of the church. It is to be submitted for consideration at a future meeting, probably an in-person gathering in November. To be adopted, the document would need support of two thirds of the bishops. One section of the document is intended to include a specific admonition to Catholic politicians and other public figures who disobey church teaching on abortion and other core doctrinal issues. Bishop Donald Hying of Madison, Wisconsin, said during Thursday's debate that he speaks with many people who are confused by a Catholic president who advances "the most radical pro-abortion agenda in history," and action from the bishops' conference is needed. "They're looking for direction," Hying said. Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego countered that the conference would suffer "destructive consequences" from a document targeting Catholic politicians. "It would be impossible to prevent the weaponization of the Eucharist," McElroy said. He warned that the initiative would weaken the bishops' ability to speak on issues such as poverty, racism and the environment. Biden, who attends Mass regularly, says he personally opposes abortion but doesn't think he should impose that position on U.S. residents who feel otherwise. He's taken several executive actions that were hailed by abortion-rights advocates. During a White House event on the COVID-19 pandemic Friday, Biden was asked about the possibility that the bishops would approve a document suggesting that his abortion stance should disqualify him from receiving Communion. "That's a private matter, and I don't think that's going to happen," the president said without elaborating. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The chairman of the conference's doctrine committee, Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, said no decisions have been made on the final contents of the proposed document. He said bishops who are not on the committee will have chances to offer input, and the final draft will be subject to amendments before it is put up to a vote. Rhoades also said the document would not mention Biden or other individuals by name and would offer guidelines rather than imposing a mandatory national policy. That would leave decisions about Communion for specific churchgoers up to individual bishops and archbishops. Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of Washington, has made clear that Biden is welcome to receive Communion at churches in the archdiocese. Gregory was one of almost 70 bishops who signed a letter urging the conference president, Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez, to delay the Communion discussion until the bishops convene in person. That request was not granted. "The choice before us at this moment," Gregory said during Thursday's debate, "is either we pursue a path of strengthening unity among ourselves or settle for creating a document that will not bring unity but may very well further damage it." The conference has identified the fight against abortion as its "preeminent" priority. But the bishops' collective stance is at odds with the views of many Catholics in the U.S. In recent polls by the Pew Research Center, about 56% of U.S. Catholics surveyed said abortion should be legal in most or all cases, and 67% said Biden should be allowed to receive Communion during Mass. On the latter issue, Pew found a sharp partisan divide: 55% of Catholics who identify with the Republican Party said Biden's abortion stance should disqualify him from Communion, compared with 11% of Catholics who lean Democratic. Sixty Catholic Democratic members of the House of Representatives issued a statement Friday urging the conference to drop any effort to exclude politicians from Communion over the abortion issue, and calling it contradictory. "No elected officials have been threatened with being denied the Eucharist as they support and have supported [other] policies contrary to the church teachings," the statement said, "including supporting the death penalty, separating migrant children from their parents, denying asylum to those seeking safety in the United States." David Campbell, a political science professor at the University of Notre Dame, said the bishops' vote "reflects the fact that the same fault lines dividing all American voters also divide American Catholics and Catholic leaders." "The more attention the bishops focus on the Communion question, the more the church will be perceived as being in the political fray, which risks driving some Catholics away," Campbell said. Crystal and Danny Gonzalez had been in bed for only about an hour when they were awakened early Saturday by their 7-year-old daughter, Eva, who had decided to sleep under her pink princess tent in the living room of their home east of Slidell. "I'm wet," the confused girl told her parents. "Why am I wet?" That's when the family realized that Tropical Storm Claudette was at their front door. "At 11:30 it was dry. By 12:30 there were 4 inches in the house," Crystal Gonzalez said. The couple left their French Branch subdivision house with their two daughters, their dog and little else, determined at least to prevent their vehicles from flooding. Such was the night of rude awakenings and harrowing drives as Claudette sloshed across the New Orleans area and into Mississippi. Most of southeast Louisiana was comparatively spared, with rainfall totaling less than 4 inches in Jefferson Parish and no more than 5 inches in most of New Orleans, Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes. But one Slidell weather station recorded more than 10 inches of rain, which flooded streets, stalling some vehicles and washing others into ditches. Police in high-water vehicles rescued stranded motorists, with close to 60 cars dead in the water, many of them on Gause Boulevard. The number of houses flooded was still being tallied Saturday. Stewart Brown was on the porch of his apartment on North Military Road when he saw cars floating into ditches and watched the St. Tammany sheriff's deputies pull a woman out of her car's window "because the water was starting to fill up in her car. I guess the young lady was freaking out, and they pulled her out. It was unbelievable," he said. Pam and Tim Rogers had been waiting for the rain to let up before heading home to the Country Club Estates subdivision. They eventually caught a ride with a friend, only to stall out on a low spot and leaving them to slog through water to their house. There, they found water lapping at the doorway of their home, something the couple had never seen since moving in 22 years ago. They spent three hours trying to keep the flood outside. We were standing out there with towels and mops fighting it off the best we could," Pam Rogers said. "We kept running to the tub to wring them out and then going back into the garage to keep soaking up as much as we could right at the doorway." Mayor Greg Cromer, who lives in the same subdivision, left his house at about 11 p.m. to find water up to the headlights of his pickup truck at the same low spot on Country Club Boulevard where the Rogers couple's friend had stalled. "I haven't seen it like that since the 1995 floods," Cromer said. "The difference between then and last night was in 1995, we had 25 inches of rain in 24 hours. Last night we had 10 to 12 in three hours." "If we'd had a fourth hour ... we would've been looking a a substantial amount of damage this morning. We'd be look at 6 to 12 inches of water in a bunch of houses, I think." Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Cromer said it will take several days to tally the flooded houses. He said the worst flooding occurred just outside the city limits in the Military Road area, and St. Tammany Parish officials asked people with flood damage to email the local government at permits@stpgov.org to help with the assessment. Flood victims were doing their own assessments Saturday. Danny Gonzalez, for example, was pulling up ruined wood floors in the living room and calling the Sheriff's Office to complain about vehicles speeding down the still-inundated street in front of his house. "I'm pushing the water out, and they're pushing it back in," he said. A team of friends and family were hard at work at John and Shaleen Lee's home in French Branch, where water-soaked flooring and baseboards were piling up in front of the flowerbeds. The couple get up early Saturday to open the donut shop they own, but they had been keeping a close eye on the weather because their yard often fills with water during heavy rains. "It was fine," Shaleen Lee said, "and then it wasn't." Across the street from the Gonzalez family, Kristy Neal said she had gone to bed without a second thought about the tropical system and didn't awaken even during the torrential rain. Her house hadn't flooded since Hurricane Katrina left it with 10 inches of water in 2005. But her husband went downstairs at about 4:30 a.m. and stepped into water, she said. She speculated she'll have to replace all the floors and maybe the cabinets. "I'm starting to go through everything, what's dry, what's wet. I've already pitched stuff into the trash can," she said. But at least this time, the mother of two won't be mourning the loss of photo albums like she did in Katrina. "Everything's on computer now," she said. Williamsport, Pa. Growing up, Christopher M. Hile often shadowed his father into the familys woodshop above their three-car garage. He watched and assisted his dad, an accomplished woodworker, restore countless pieces of furniture and build requested items, like deli racks for grocery stores. That introduction to design and production optimization served as a window to his future a future shaped by a hands-on Pennsylvania College of Technology education and dedicated to designing life-affirming products. Hile, a Boyertown native, is a mechanical designer for MPR Associates Inc., a multidiscipline, specialty engineering services and consulting firm based in Alexandria, Virginia. MPR boasts clients in fields ranging from power and energy to health and life sciences. Were offering engineering services to industries that impact peoples lives on a day-to-day basis. Thats one of the main motivators for continuing to work hard, knowing that this next medical device we put out could make the lives of hundreds or thousands of people better, said Hile, who earned a bachelors degree in computer-aided product design (now known as engineering design technology) in 2010. Hile describes MPRs lab as a design and prototype playground. There, he has led or assisted in award-winning designs of myriad products such as AdaptDx Pro, a headset that measures dark adaptation to help diagnose age-related macular degeneration; iTClamp, a hemorrhage control device that seals the edges of a wound to prevent further blood loss; and the WalterLorenz Surgical Assist Arm, an electromechanical arm that mimics motions of the human arm and holds instruments to enhance surgical access. Projects can last from a couple of weeks to a couple of years, depending on the complexity, Hile said. My favorite parts of the job are conceptualizing, brainstorming and sketching, then taking that to the next level and bringing those ideas into a manufacturable, cost-effective product. Its been great here. Its almost a choose-your-own-adventure kind of experience because we have 220 or so technical engineers on staff. One of Hiles favorite adventures is leading MPRs Center for Excellence and Design, which ensures all project teams uphold the companys commitment to quality. Responsibilities include CAD administration, design oversight and training. Our clients and the industries that they serve hold a very high standard that we consistently seek to exceed, he said. Its that pursuit of excellence that really drives MPR and those who thrive here. People hire MPR because their project is difficult. In high school, Hile flirted with graphic design courses rather than pursuing engineering design classes at Berks Career and Technology Center. He credits his mother, a talented painter, for his artistic inclinations. Eventually, he decided the technical nature of engineering design was a better match for his interests and skills, especially after realizing that his artistic ability would be welcomed in the field. My parents helped me make that decision early on. Its how I got to where I am today. It was step one, he said. Step two was attending Penn College and enrolling in a major requiring extensive work with CAD and 3D modeling software. A classmate told him about the school, and after visiting, Hile was hooked. I really wanted a program that was design-focused, where you could develop products and think about how things are made and assembled, he said. The Penn College degree hit the mark for me. I knew it was going to give me the skill set to go out and find the type of work that I wanted to be doing. The Deans List student proved to be a Penn College pioneer of sorts. Chris was in the first group of two or three Penn College students to successfully complete the Certified SolidWorks Professional exam, recalled J.D. Mather, assistant professor of engineering design technology. He was a good student. Passing the test proves proficiency of advanced SolidWorks skills. The software is a prominent computer-aided design and engineering program employed in manufacturing industries worldwide. Earning SolidWorks certifications enhances a students job prospects. Not that Hile had to worry about a job upon graduation. After completing a couple internships at Medcomp in Harleysville, he accepted a full-time design position at the medical device manufacturer long before receiving his bachelors degree. Hile relied on his roots as Medcomps CAD administrator to both fulfill his duties and grow the companys expertise. He hired a Penn College graduate and provided an internship for another student. Hile continued recruiting alumni once he joined MPR in 2012 after relocating to the Washington, D.C., area with his future wife, Tamara. Elias W. Diehl, a 2017 engineering design technology grad, teamed with Hile for over a year in developing various elements of the AdaptDX Pro at MPR. Diehl has since left the company to live on the West Coast. Eli hit the ground running. Three years in, he was capable of leading project teams and doing advanced mechanical designs, Hile said. He was an excellent pickup for us. I think everybody at MPR would recognize his contributions as a resounding success. I want more PCT grads working here. Hile expects to be working at MPR for years to come. The opportunity to tackle diverse, meaningful projects and the companys culture of quality and innovation serve as powerful incentives. Motivation also is fueled by his Penn College background. Choosing to start my career with a Penn College education was one of the best decisions that Ive ever made, Hile said. Its given me the ability to pursue my passion in design, developing products that make a real difference while surrounded by a team obsessed with excellence. What more could you ask for from an education? It really set me up for the future. Williamsport, Pa. A partnership with ABB, a leading global technology company, is bringing an industrial robot and software licenses to Pennsylvania College of Technology for instructional use in manufacturing engineering programs. ABB, based in Zurich, Switzerland, with U.S. operations headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, is providing i$150,000 worth of software licenses for offline programming of its YuMi robot, which the college has purchased. This eliminates the need for programming at the robot itself using the teach pendant. The software can communicate with all ABB robots to download and upload files. Software benefits include freeing the robot for production or maintenance and allowing multiple programmers simultaneously to create and edit programs. In manufacturing, today, most robot programs are created offline and touched up at production lines. YuMi is a 14-axis collaborative robot with integrated vision; Penn College manufacturing students will create a home base and a mobile platform to share YuMi among various School of Engineering Technologies departments at the college. The colleges Robotic Applications course is open to multiple majors within the school. Rob Crane, an electrical technologies alumnus of Penn College and account executive, Discrete Automation and Motion Division, Robotics Business Unity, for ABB Inc., helped facilitate the software donation as part of the robot purchase. As a fellow alum of Penn College, it was my pleasure to represent ABB and help facilitate this donation for offline robotic programming software, Crane said. Partnering with the college will help students enhance their skills as they enter the workforce, while giving them a greater familiarity with ABB and the quality provided through our technology and equipment. Our software will enable students to design the robot cell using CAD programs, Crane continued. Students will draw everything in the robotic work cell. The way the software works is that it simulates cell activities. The visual feedback will help decision makers generate the correct program for the robot. This software saves tremendous time in this purpose. The software also helps generate programs impossible to create by other CAD software complex movements; integration with vision. We are grateful for this enhanced partnership with ABB, said Elizabeth A. Biddle, director of corporate relations for the college. This software is used in the real world and will further allow students in a number of our manufacturing and industrial programs to gain experience generating a robotic program offline and then downloading it to the robot. For more about the career fields/departments in which YuMi is being shared, visit the School of Engineering Technologies website. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has provided updates on road work and construction projects this week: Lycoming County update Motorists are advised that a resurfacing project is set to begin this week on Route 405 (Water Street / Muncy Creek Boulevard) and Route 2014 (Main Street) in Muncy Borough and Muncy Creek Township, Lycoming County. On Sunday, June 20 through Friday, June 25, the contractor, HRI, Inc., will begin work on pedestrian access ramps along Muncy Creek Boulevard, Water Street and Main Street in Muncy. Work will be completed between the hours of 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. Motorists can expect single lane closures with flagging. HRI, Inc. is the primary contractor for this $1.8 million resurfacing project. Work is expected to be completed in mid-October 2021, weather permitting. Surface treatments begin in Tioga and Bradford counties A long-term High Friction Surface Treatment (HFST) and line painting project will begin this week in Bradford and Tioga Counties. On Monday, June 21, the contractor RAM Construction Services, Inc., will begin work on Route 706 in Camptown and Stevens Townships, Bradford County. Work will be completed during daylight hours, weather permitting. Motorists should expect single lane conditions with flagging where work is being performed. Future locations in Bradford County include: 220 in Albany Township Route 6 in Burlington Township and Standing Stone Township Future locations in Tioga County include: Route 249 in Middlebury Township Route 287 in Morris Township and Duncan Township Motorists should be alert, slow down, watch for lane changes, expect delays in travel, and drive with caution through the work zone. RAM Construction Services, Inc., is the primary contractor for this $598,000 project. Work is expected to be completed in early Sept. of 2021, weather permitting. Tioga County update Motorists who travel Route 414 in Morris Township, Tioga County are advised a retaining wall project continues in Morris Township, Tioga County. The project is located at the intersection of Wilson Hill Road and continues north for .58 miles towards Morris, Tioga County. On Tues., June 22 and Wednesday, June 23, the contractor will perform road grading on Wilson Hill Road. Work will be performed during daylight hours. Motorists should expect alternating single lane closures with flagging. On Thurs., July 1, the contractor will spray a surface treatment for dust control along Wilson Hill Road. Work will be performed during evening hours. Motorists should be alert and drive with caution in the area dust suppressant is applied. In April, Route 414 was closed between Wilson Hill Road and Dixie Run Road in Morris Township, Tioga County, while the contractor LTT, Trucking, LLC, began work on retaining walls and roadway reconstruction, due to embankment failures between Babbs Creek and Route 414. A detour using Wilson Hill Road, Route 4002 (Oregon Hill Road), English Run Road and Route 287 in Tioga and Lycoming Counties will be in place until mid-November, weather permitting. Motorists should be alert and drive with caution in the area. LTT Trucking, LLC., is the primary contractor for this $4,900,000, three-year project, which is expected to be completed in 2022. Bradford County update Work continues on a four-year reconstruction project on Route 199 in Sayre and Athens, Bradford County. On Monday, June 21 through Fri., June 25, the contractor, Kriger Construction, will continue work on the full depth pavement reconstruction project. Work this week will include preparation for the next phase of the of the project which will be between North Lehigh Avenue and North Hopkins Street and miscellaneous construction work throughout the construction area. There will not be a detour this week for cars. However, the truck detour will remain in place. Truck traffic will follow a 7.7-mile detour using Route 220 and Interstate 17 (Southern Tier Expressway). In addition, there will be some utility relocations and temporary paving operations being performed at various locations throughout the project. Motorists should expect alternating lane closures with flagging where work is being performed. The 2.6-mile project is located.44 miles north of the intersection with Route 1056 (Front Street) in Athens Borough to the intersection with Interstate 17 (Southern Tier Expressway) at the New York state line in Sayre Borough. The project begins at the New York state line and works south. Traffic impacts on Plank Road in Towanda Township On Route 3020 (Plank Road) in Towanda Township, preparation begins Monday for a full depth reclamation project. The work will be between Plank Road and the intersection with Route 3018 (Bridge Street) and the Towanda Borough line. Traffic will be controlled by road closures or flagging, dependent upon the operation. Motorists should expect significant delays and are encouraged to use alternate routes. Homeowners will have access to their properties. Work on the project includes stabilizing the base, paving and line painting. The project is expected to be completed by the end of August, weather permitting. Resurfacing project in Athens Township and Athens Borough Motorists are advised that a resurfacing project is set to begin this week on Route 199 in Athens Township and Athens Borough, Bradford County. On Mon., June 21, the contractor, Bishop Brothers Construction Company, Inc. will begin work on a resurfacing project from approximately 300-feet northwest of the intersection with Route 220 in Athens Township to the intersection with South Main Street in Athens Borough. Work will be completed during daylight hours. Motorists can expect alternating lane closures with flagging. Bishop Brothers Construction Company, Inc. is the primary contractor for this $692,000 resurfacing project, which includes base repairs, milling and paving, bridge deck epoxy overlays, line painting, guiderail upgrades, and other miscellaneous construction. Work is expected to be completed by the end of August 2021, weather permitting. Northumberland County update Motorists are advised that a portion of Route 2016 (Reading Turnpike Road) will be closed this week in Ralpho Township, Northumberland County for a pipe replacement project. On Wed., June 23, a PennDOT maintenance crew will close Reading Turnpike Road between Route 2018 (Airport Road) and Route 54, while they replace pipes. Work will be performed between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. A detour using Airport Road and Route 2020 (Mountain Road) will be in place while work is being performed. Motorists should be alert and expect travel delays. Union County update Motorists are advised that a long-term microsurfacing project is set to begin this week on Route 15 and Route 45 in Mifflinburg Borough, Buffalo, East Buffalo, White Deer, and Gregg Townships, Union County. On Mon., June 21, the contractor, Suit-Kote Corp., will begin work in both the northbound and southbound lanes of Route 15 at the bridge that spans White Deer Hole Creek, south of Allenwood, in White Deer Township. Work will be performed during daylight and evening hours. Traffic will be controlled by full lane closures on four lane roadways and lane closures with flagging on two lane roadways. Road closure on White Deer Pike in White Deer Township Motorists are advised that a portion of Route 1010 (White Deer Pike) near Mountain Road and the Interstate 80 westbound bridge in White Deer Township, Union County, will be closed for construction. On Wednesday, June 23 through Wed., June 30, White Deer Pike will be closed on either side of the Interstate 80 bridge, while the contractor sets a beam for the bridge on Interstate 80. A detour using Route 1003 (Dyer Road), Route 1008 (New Columbia Road), and Route 1011 (Old Route 15), will be in place. Motorists should be alert and expect travel delays. HRI, Inc., is the primary contractor for the $3.3 million bridge reconstruction project, which is expected to be completed in June of 2022. Columbia County update Motorists are advised that a bridge replacement project continues on Route 487 in Orange Township, Columbia County. The bridge, which carries Route 487 over a tributary to Fishing Creek, is located between the intersection of Savage Hill Road and the intersection with Lodge Road. On Wed., June 16, the construction area will be restricted to one lane with an 11-foot width restriction due to temporary concrete barriers. Traffic will be controlled by temporary traffic signals. Motorists can expect the southbound lane to be closed. Single lane conditions will continue until the project is completed. Work on the project includes removal of the existing bridge, installation of a new box culvert, paving, line painting, new approach work, updated guiderails. Rylind Construction is the primary contractor for this $861,000 bridge replacement project, which is expected to be completed in the fall of 2021. ************************************************************* Motorists should be alert, slow down, and expect delays in travel when encountering these work sites. Instant unlimited access to all of our content on www.northcoastcitizen.com. The North Coast Citizen E-Edition Newsletter emailed to you each week, the night before the paper hits the street! This subscription is for NEW or RENEWING online subscribers. The charge will appear as "Country Media Inc." on your credit card statement. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Submit Here Rome, GA (30161) Today Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 85F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Willie Mae Samuel is a playwright, founder and director of the African American Connection of the Performing Arts Inc. and a 2020 Heart of the Community Award recipient. She can be contacted at artsnow2019@gmail.com. Microsoft has all but officially confirmed that the leaked build of Windows 11 circulating the internet over the past few days is legitimate. The company has issued a copyright take-down notice via Google to Beebom, the site that has been dubiously hosting the leaked build. 4 Reviews , News , CPU , GPU , Articles , Columns , Other "or" search relation. 5G , Accessory , Alder Lake , AMD , Android , Apple , ARM , Audio , Business , Camera , Cannon Lake , Cezanne (Zen 3) , Charts , Chinese Tech , Chromebook , Coffee Lake , Comet Lake , Console , Convertible / 2-in-1 , Cryptocurrency , Cyberlaw , Deal , Desktop , Exclusive , Fail , Foldable , Gadget , Galaxy Note , Galaxy S , Gamecheck , Gaming , Geforce , Google Pixel , GPU , How To , Ice Lake , Intel Evo / Project Athena , Internet of Things (IoT) , iOS , iPad Pro , iPhone , Jasper Lake , Lakefield , Laptop , Launch , Linux / Unix , Lucienne (Zen 2) , MacBook , Mini PC , Monitor , MSI , OnePlus , Opinion , Phablet , Radeon , Renoir , Review Snippet , Rocket Lake , Rumor , Ryzen (Zen) , Science , Security , Smart Home , Smartphone , Smartwatch , Software , Storage , Tablet , ThinkPad , Thunderbolt , Tiger Lake , Touchscreen , Ultrabook , Virtual Reality (VR) / Augmented Reality (AR) , Wearable , Windows , Workstation , XPS , Zen 3 (Vermeer) Ticker Microsofts Windows 11 has certainly made a splash over the past few days, but it is unlikely Microsoft wanted it to be this way. The company, of course, has the official launch of Windows 11 scheduled for 24 June, which is only a few more days away. However, we already have a pretty good idea of what Windows 11 is going to look like thanks to a massive leak of a pre-release build that has been circulating the internet. Until now, however, there have been more than a few sceptics suggesting that the leak isnt legitimate as elements of the build clearly arent finished. One instance of this are the widgets that were originally launched with Windows Vista that have been said to make a return in Windows 11. However, no one expected that to be literally the case with the widgets uncovered in the build taken directly from Windows Vista and looking seriously dated as a result. It has now been discovered that Microsoft has issued a DMCA copyright infringement take-down request to Indian website Beebom which had been hosting the leaked ISO. This effectively confirms the ISO is an early version of Windows 11. As for the Windows Vista widgets, it simply looks like Microsoft was adding that framework back into build at the time it leaked and that it will be much more polished when we see it finally released. Windows 11 features a much more streamlined and simplified UI that has effectively been lifted directly from the now cancelled Windows 10X project. Microsoft did say at the time of its cancelation it would take parts of the Windows 10X project and integrate them into Windows 11. Reaction to the new look has been mixed with some likening it to macOS because Microsoft has shifted the main app launching functionality to the middle of the taskbar. Of course, the taskbar and macOS dock function quite differently in practice. Roseburg, OR (97470) Today Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High 92F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Mainly clear skies. Low 59F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Shipment of iron ore a key raw material that feeds the blazing blast furnaces at Northwest Indiana's lakefront steel mills have risen more than 7% year-over-year to 1.4 million tons thus far this shipping season. Overall international cargo shipped through the St. Lawrence Seaway to Great Lakes ports like the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor have dipped slightly by 0.59% to 8.15 million metric tons through the end of May. Generally, we are seeing increasing efficiencies in the Great Lakes Seaway System, with vessels remaining in the system longer and stopping at multiple ports to load and discharge cargo," Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation Deputy Administrator Craig Middlebrook said. "Many of our Great Lakes ports are handling a more diversified mix of cargo, reflective of what is happening in the economy, and particularly notable for commodities utilized by the manufacturing sector. Shipments of asphalt rose 192% to 63,000 metric tons, gypsum 59% to 221,000 metric tons, and coal 0.06% to 466,000 metric tons year-over-year. Grain shipments have fallen 4.05% to 2.4 million metric tons. The steelmaker said last week it would strive to become net-zero on carbon emissions by 2050, release more sustainable grades of verdeX steel, and work to "tackle climate change profitably." It promised changes to how steel is made and how its mills are powered. "The worlds modern history has been defined by setting bold goals and then coming together to achieve them. These include the ones that have literally changed our world: the moon landing, the end of the First and Second World Wars, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the development of the COVID vaccine. At U. S. Steel, we refer to this magnitude of transformational change as a BHAG (big, hairy, audacious goal)," CEO David Burritt said in a preface to the 2020 Sustainability Report. "This same commitment is needed again to cut across companies, workers, communities, customers, competitors, countries, and ideologies to solve another big challenge: the climate crisis. And, while we are at it, lets address some of the other pressing environmental, social, and governance matters referenced in this sustainability report." Members of the cast of Indiana Ballet Theatre's 'Kaliedoscope' dance concert fine tuned their performance Friday evening at The Hoosier Theatre in Whiting. "Kaliedoscope' is an annual show produced and directed by Indiana Ballet Theatre's (IBT) associate artistic director Amanda Tuohy. This year, the show, which takes place at 1, 4 and 7 Saturday, will highlight the dance work "Opus Rey Trinity." "Opus Rey Trinity," choreographed by former IBT company member Lindsey Lanham, will feature 16 dancers. Performers are a mix of pre-professional performers, alumni of IBT and adult professionals. "Opus Rey Trinty" is a special full-length work. It was created by Lanham as a tribute to her late sister Molley Lanham, who was killed in 2019. "The show is a tribute for and to Molley," said Tuohy. Molley and her sisters Lindsey and Lauren were students at the Tuohy dance school, founded by Tuohy's mother Gloria Tuohy. "I feel that while this is a tribute in honor of and for Molley, it's also a beautiful work which stands on its own and that's about human relationships, love and connection," Tuohy said. Tuohy and Lanham both attended Friday's extensive rehearsal of "Opus Rey Trinity." HAMMOND Federal prosecutors are again demanding imprisonment for former Portage Mayor James E. Snyder. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill R. Koster is asking U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly to impose a lengthy sentence July 16 on Snyder for bribery and tax evasion. Defense attorneys have already demanded the judge order Snyders acquittal, or at least a new trial on the bribery count. His defense team has previously expressed confidence Snyders guilty verdicts will be overturned on appeal. They are expected to offer further argument next week on the issue of sentencing. While Koster doesnt enumerate how long a prison term Snyder deserves, she previously called on the court, two years ago, to sentence him to 47 months. Her memorandum to the court, made public Friday, now only states that Snyders sentence should fall within the federal sentencing guidelines in such cases. She said an earlier guideline calculation put Snyders anticipated sentence between 46 to 57 months. Koster argues that justice demands Snyders imprisonment to deter other elected officials from public corruption. As a result of the allegations, Fields was charged with four felony counts of criminal confinement, three felony counts of battery resulting in moderate bodily injury and three misdemeanor counts of domestic battery. Judge Pro Tempore Michael Pagano granted the state's request for a no-contact order in February 2020, over Fields' objection. At that time, Fech said the woman did not want the no-contact order. As a result of the order, the woman was required to move out of Fields' home. Fech said Fields was relieved the Lake County prosecutor's office decided to drop the charges following a thorough investigation by the defense and review of various reports. The case wasn't the first time Fields was accused of domestic abuse. In December 2017, Fields was accused of pointing a gun at a relative's head during an argument at a West Creek Township home. Fech said those allegations also were determined to be unfounded. Fech also represents Fields in administrative proceedings before the Police Commission. After Meyer and Garwood reached out to him, Smith began the process of having the Clydesdales dispatched to LaPorte. They really are the superstars of horses, Garwood said. Ironically, Smith has never owned a horse. In third grade, he signed up for a program in 4-H that gives youths a chance to ride and take care of horses belonging to other people and show the horses at the fair. A few years later, Smith was doing the same thing with another owners Clydesdales. I took care of them like they were my own, he said. He was in college majoring in nursing and still working with horses when the earth began shaking on what appears to be his true calling in life. Smith said he started taking care of the horses of a neighbor, Shelby Zarobinski, when she was hired as a Budweiser Clydesdale driver in Colorado. She helped him make some connections. Thats how I got the job, he said. Smith said hes practically been to every state east of the Mississippi River and into Canada in his travels with the Budweiser crew to show the horses the past three years. Two of the boaters were treated for hypothermia, and a third person was in critical condition, officials said. All three have since recovered and were released from the hospital. The boat was recovered on May 7 in the Illinois side of Lake Michigan, said Indiana Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Tyler Brock. Crespo was from Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, and he had moved to Chicago last year and started a career at FedEx, his family said. His father, Benjamin Soto, had been searching the shoreline since his son's disappearance and since returned to their home in Puerto Rico. He described Crespo as a loving son, hard worker and a caring person who loved to talk to people. He was Soto's youngest child. Soto said arrangements are being made to bring Crespo to Puerto Rico for funeral services and burial. In order to help pay for Crespo's funeral expenses and to have him transported to Puerto Rico, his family has launched a GoFundMe campaign called, "Carrying Kelvin Home," hosted by Benjamin Soto. So far $4,555 has been raised of the $11,000 goal. "I'm trying to hang on there, it's been hard," said Soto. "I want to thank everyone for their prayers, support and for everything. Thank you." Cates said fresh rescue crews, including units from High Point and Forsyth County, planned to return to the river early Saturday to continue searching for Teresa Villano and Isiah. "(We) want somebody to look at the water, the debris in the water from a new standpoint,'' Cates said during a videotaped news conference Friday afternoon. "Perhaps a new set of eyes could shed light on something, so that's why we're remaining optimistic at this time. At this point we're still optimistic we'll do a rescue.'' The family set out sometime on Wednesday on tubes down the Dan River and went over an 8-foot dam near the Duke Energy Steam Station. The water below the dam, where the current is strongest, is about 3 feet deep, said Jeff Brooks, a spokesman for Duke Energy. Cates said the four survivors were discovered near the dam, clinging to the tubes in the water, and had been there for nearly a full day. They were tired, very fatigued and had been "subjected to the elements for 19 hours,'' he said. None were wearing life jackets at the time they were rescued, and it was unclear if anyone in the group was, Cates said. Their conditions were not available Friday, but he said previously their injuries were not considered life-threatening. WHITING After a year's hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Pierogi Fest Polka Parade will again march through downtown Whiting to kick off the weekend-long festival that celebrates the Region's Polish heritage. Mr. Pierogi, Miss Paczki, the Precision Lawnmower Drill Team and various floats will roll down 119th Street, delighting the crowd lining the sidewalks with lawn chairs and coolers. Pierogi Fest organizers are inviting people to apply for the chance to march in the parade. People are encouraged to submit an application to the Whiting-Robertsdale Chamber of Commerce "by no later than July 21, 2021 at 4:02 a.m." "The parade is popular and fun because its funny," co-founder Tom Dabertin said. "If you have seen previous parades in person, or a segment featuring the parade on various television shows, well, you then have seen a parade. The parade is a spoof on traditional parades. The parade is generally a walking parade although we allow float-type entries, motorcycle units, trucks, buses, construction equipment. ... And, please note, given the massive crowds, please refrain from throwing candy at spectators, but you can throw it at yourself." People are encouraged to dress up in costumes and decorate floats. Outrageous attire is encouraged. Waters said their journey began from the steps of the U.S. Capitol on May 26, less than six months after the insurrection there. The Capitol Police officers might not have noticed the bear spray on their bikes or chose to ignore it, so the journeys beginning was uneventful, he said. We havent been bitten by dogs yet or chased by bears, Waters said, but there have been some adventures. Near Marion, Indiana, Waters gave first aid to a biker who had a serious accident and had to be hospitalized, he said. It was challenging trying to pinpoint the location for the 911 dispatcher because he wasnt entirely sure where he was, Waters said. A young woman from that area who stopped by helped Waters get a closer approximation of their location so the ambulance could find them. Forty-eight degrees in western Maryland in the rain was kind of frustrating, too, but Waters and Cook powered through it. Waters, 56, said he thought he would be the slowest of the group but has kept up with Cook, 34. Also riding the route are Allison and Alan Garrigus, Navy veterans from Greenville, South Carolina, and Joseph De La Garza, a Navy veteran from Laguna Vista, Texas. We can always do just a little bit more to help others, Green said. The community support for all of this has just been tremendous. The fiberglass duck Fisher created sits out front of Lock & Mule and is designed to look like a gear-driven automaton. It features little windows across the ducks surface that allow visitors to peek inside and see the gear works. I wanted my duck to be very detailed, and I wanted her to look weathered, like she had been working the locks and the waterways for decades, Fisher said. The duck is pitted and worn across her surface, he said. I wanted her to look like a hard-working duck, industrious and tough, he said. I think that is the heart of Midwestern towns like Lockport hard-working, industrious folks who weather what storms come their way. The project took 160 to 180 hours, Fisher said. There is a huge amount of detail that took hours and hours to layout and paint, he said. I had to start with line drawings of each side, front and top, and then carefully layout the designs on the duck. Fisher used projected drawings and paper patterns to transfer the designs. The members of your group could reasonably agree to gather in a room with an unvaccinated person who was properly masked and distanced. (Note that its the unvaccinated person who is chiefly at risk, earning a C.D.C. yellow even when those precautions are taken.) Otherwise, the student could indeed participate via Zoom. This arrangement is far from ideal. The student will not get all the benefits that other members will. But disallowing this student from pre-pandemic-style in-person sessions where everyone, including the student, is unmasked and undistanced wouldnt represent hostility toward the student or his faith community. It would merely represent C.D.C.-guided vigilance. For years I have employed a lovely young woman to clean my home. She also works for several of my friends who, like me, are elderly with various infirmities. For five months, at the height of the pandemic, I asked her not to come to work but paid her nevertheless. Now she says that she does not plan to be vaccinated as she doesnt think she needs to be. I said that I might ask her to stop coming when it is cold outside and I cannot leave my home while she is here. I told her that I would be unable to pay her in that event. I believe this would be her choice. She appeared upset but did not say she would reconsider. If she later tells me that she has been vaccinated, would it be ethical for me to ask to see her vaccination card? Name Withheld Asking her for evidence of vaccination means you dont take her at her word. That reflects, of course, the strained nature of your relationship. But she either doesnt recognize that her vaccination status matters to you and her other elderly clients or is reluctant to be vaccinated for reasons that go beyond doubting that she needs to. Otherwise she would have volunteered to be vaccinated once you voiced your concerns. In paying her not to work for five months, youve properly shown consideration for the exigencies of people in her position. But there are exigencies for people in your position, too. Once again, its up to her whether she chooses to forgo vaccination, but its also up to her to deal with the consequences. She may prefer not to; she may think that lying about her vaccination status is justified because its not your business. But it is. And if asking for evidence of vaccination will secure your peace of mind, youre entitled to do so. I recently discovered that my sister lied to our elderly parents about being vaccinated for Covid-19. She has no plans to get vaccinated and told them she had done so only to allay their anxieties. Of all my siblings, she has the most direct contact with our parents. Gunfire erupts on a Bronx sidewalk, and several passers-by, including a 5-year-old boy and his 10-year-old sister, rush toward a bodegas entrance for shelter. But the children collide with a man who is also racing for cover, and all three fall to the pavement before finding safety. As they tumble down together, the children at one point are lying directly between the man, the gunmans obvious target, and the gunman himself, who continues firing at close range. The girl yanks her brothers wrist, pulling him to the ground and wrapping him in her chest as his left shoe comes off in the commotion. After about eight seconds, the gunman sprints off. Amazingly, the harrowing scene, captured on surveillance video, ended without either of the children being hurt and the 24-year-old man they were tangled up with in stable condition and expected to survive after being shot in the back and both legs, the police said. So I can hardly believe Im going to put Adams on my ballot. But as Andrew Yang has grown increasingly strident about public order, Ive started to think that Adams might be only the second-worst of the viable candidates. Many progressive groups are urging people not to rank either, which makes sense if you think theyre equally bad. The contest between Adams and Yang has become less urgent as Maya Wiley and Kathryn Garcia, my top two choices, have surged and Yang has faded. But its still possible that the race could come down to the two men, and I believe in always choosing the lesser of two evils. New Yorkers can rank up to five names. Im planning to put Adams fifth. The writer Ross Barkan has argued that, for the left, Yang would be preferable. Lacking a real political base, Barkan wrote, Yang would be susceptible to progressive pressure. Adams, by contrast, would be strong enough to tell the socialists, the progressives, the Working Families Party, the NGOs and the ordinary activists shouting outside Gracie Mansion that he does not need them to run the city. I think Barkan is right that Yang would be less hostile to left-wing organizations. But I suspect that Adams, precisely because hes more beholden to Black voters, would end up giving us more progressive governance. It was Yangs answers on homelessness and mental health at the final debate that finally settled it for me. Every other candidate spoke of homelessness as a disaster for the homeless. Yang discussed it as a quality of life problem for everyone else. Yes, mentally ill people have rights, but you know who else have rights? he asked. We do: the people and families of the city. Lisa said she had concerns. Like, Im willing to invest in stuff like this, but this I dont know, she said, according to a transcript of their conversation. I dont know how to sell this. Cars, other things I can get rid of easy. Like this Im nervous about. Mr. Isen provided his perspective on art market transactions. Its different than selling a car, he said, cause car has to have the registration, the title, and this and that and everything. These are nothing. These could have been, these could have been your grandmothers. You follow me? So I can say, hey, this is stuff that I inherited not that I bought, Lisa asked. Right. I found it at a thrift store, they were $10 a piece, Mr. Isen replied. Mr. Isen had not been accused of wrongdoing in Belcianos case and has denied knowing Mr. Belciano was using the art to launder money, but as a result of his conversations with Lisa, who was an undercover agent wearing a wire, he would later be charged with money laundering and plead guilty in 2015. He was sentenced to 320 hours of community service and received a $15,000 fine. A week after their first conversation, Lisa returned to Mr. Isens gallery to buy 12 Salvador Dali lithographs for $20,000. She had the cash in a brown paper bag. It smelled of drugs, she told the gallerist, because she kept it with her marijuana stash. He told her she was not getting an invoice for her purchases, according to the court papers. No invoices? Cool, she replied. No receipt, no invoice, Im good with that. Thats the way I like to do business. We never saw you before, Mr. Isen said. Zachary Small contributed reporting. Alain Delaqueriere contributed research. Whenever I would begin to read anything by Janet Malcolm, my expectations were split in two: a soothing sense that it would be confidently and exactingly written, paired with an apprehension an almost exquisite dread of the startling truths it was bound to reveal. Malcolm, the author and longtime staff writer for The New Yorker who died on Wednesday at 86, was preoccupied with doubleness, with divided selves that tried to keep one half hidden. Unlike the caricatured figure of the journalist she derided as too stupid or too full of himself to notice what is going on, she found duplicity less deplorable than inevitable. Of course, some forms of deception are more malignant than others. There are the convicted killers in books like The Journalist and the Murderer and Iphigenia in Forest Hills, but what seemed to animate Malcolm most were the more ordinary manifestations of double lives pretenses to selflessness that mask a deep selfishness; pretenses to certainty that mask an irreducible doubt. Saints and villains bored her. She was always looking for holes in those masks, for the weird and vulnerable human underneath. That didnt translate into her work being kind a word thats almost comically incommensurate with her acerbic narrative voice, the performative I she would insert into her essays and profiles. But it did fuel a curiosity for what she called the small, unregarded motions of life. Malcolm liked to include long quotations from her subjects, allowing them to reveal (or betray) themselves in their own words instead of pinning them down with a crude paraphrase. Her method of stitching together quotes from various conversations to shape those monologues got her into trouble when she was sued for libel by the psychoanalyst Jeffrey Masson for her article about him in The New Yorker, which later became the book In the Freud Archives. In one passage (not among the five disputed ones), Masson recalled a conversation with Sigmund Freuds daughter Anna, in which she said her father wouldnt have wanted to be an analyst if he were alive today. I swear those were her words, Masson declared, before continuing: No, wait. This is important. I said that to her. DRUNK How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization By Edward Slingerland Frederick the Great of Prussia had a problem: His soldiers were drinking coffee instead of beer. This must be prevented, he wrote in a 1777 tirade on the disgusting new fad sweeping the kingdom. Why would any commander want a bunch of guys with guns quaffing liquid neurotoxins instead of wholesome brews rarely associated with brawling, karaoke and regrettable tattoos (to say nothing of liver damage and hangovers)? Caffeinated armies might sound more dependable than their tipsy counterparts but the king recognized that beer was a uniquely powerful bonding agent, and key to morale. He was not the first to intuit its practical applications. For thousands of years cultures around the world have implicitly understood that the sober, rational, calculating individual mind is a barrier to social trust, Edward Slingerland writes in Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization, an effervescent new study thats equal parts anthropology, psychology and evolutionary biology. Drawing on recent experiments, Neolithic burials, eclectic myths and global literature, Slingerland teases out the evolutionary advantages and enduring benefits of getting blitzed. Its a rowdy banquet of a book in which the ancient Roman historian Tacitus, Lord Byron, Timothy Leary, George Washington, the Chinese poet Tao Yuanming and many others toast the merits of drowning Apollonian reason in Dionysian abandon. We visit wine-soaked temple orgies in ancient Egypt, the chicha-brewing capital of the Inca Empire, Fijian villages, Irish pubs and the official whiskey room at a Google campus, knocking back bits of evidence from Burning Man and Beowulf along the way. Nearly a generation after the electronic postcard was introduced, demand for digital greeting cards surged last year as the pandemic isolated people from their social circles. With in-person interactions reduced and stores closed, people seeking to connect with family, friends and co-workers embraced e-cards, a gimmick that had a heyday in an earlier internet era but had largely faded away. Alexandra Suazo, a digital marketing professional in Madison, Wis., said she started using e-cards in March last year to add a personal touch at a time when remote working and so many other aspects of life felt impersonal. It was one of the easiest ways to keep up team morale, she said. Ill sometimes send them as one-offs, especially if theyre cute and will make someones day. The top example (at 22-Across) is perfectly apropos, so we can start there. It almost sounds like it could be a tongue twister: Prisoner accidentally causes a power outage? I got stuck on power outage first; my brain connected outage > blackout > Orange is the New Black. With a few crosses in place, however, FUSES emerged, as did CON, a natural synonym for Prisoner, or convict. The light bulb flickered on, and I figured out CON CONFUSES FUSES. No confusion here, hahaha. Since (for some reason) I was stronger on the left side of this grid, I hit 54-Across next, Fellow imposes a strict palm fruit regimen?. Again I fell for the wrong line of thought for a moment, hearts as in hearts of palm, but the fruit in question here is DATES and imposes is MANDATES, as in, MAN (fellow) MANDATES DATES. The edict is clear, I get it. Only, really, do I? My brain parsed this theme like so A A B B and sought a similar sequence for the rest of the set, mentally repeating the first part before moving on to the second. This resulted in some false starts and slowness at the bottom of the grid, where I got stymied by Doctor acquires antibiotics? and Smartphone advises on poker bets?. I didnt get the title of the puzzle until I was looking at the finished product. Familiar Surroundings asks you to look at the sequence a little differently; a complete word, split in two, and embedded in a copy of itself (in other words, surrounded by its familiar). So you can look at the same entry two ways: MAN MAN / DATES DATES and MAN (MANDATES) DATES. I still think that the first parts of the entries I struggled with are both a little tricky. Smartphone really solves to a component of itself (its guts? Its appendages? I dunno Id have gotten meal starter, maybe). And Doctor is subliminally confusing in a cryptic clue, but you cant argue that anyone with a relevant degree isnt a certified professional. As a grizzled veteran, I love a plot twist here and there, so no complaints on these little wrinkles. Also, as a Panda enthusiast, that is, a solver of Puns and Anagrams crossword puzzles, I sensed an influence from that breezy style of cluing in this puzzle before I read Mr. Liebermans notes and was delighted to see that suspicion confirmed. Constructor Notes Mr. Adamss outspokenness inspired admiration among many of the Black officers he championed. But his penchant for self-promotion and his blunt-force ambition he ran for Congress at 33, only a decade into his police career rankled others in law enforcement, who thought he was using the Police Department as a steppingstone. Today, Mr. Adams, now 60 and the borough president of Brooklyn, is the Democratic front-runner in the New York City mayors race, mounting a campaign that leans hard on his time as an officer. But interviews with friends, mentors, former colleagues and political rivals show that his relationship to the police has always been complicated. A year after protests against police brutality and racism shook the city, Mr. Adams has sought to appeal to voters as a reformer who spent 22 years trying to fix what he says was a broken department before retiring to run for State Senate in 2006. But during his bid for mayor he has also positioned himself as the candidate whose law enforcement experience makes him the best choice for ensuring the safety of a fearful electorate as violent crime rises in the city. Mr. Adamss attempt to manage that precarious balance has drawn attacks from rivals. He has been criticized from the left over his qualified support of the stop-and-frisk strategy, which he fought as an officer but calls a useful tool that previous mayoral administrations abused. And he has struggled to explain how the onetime internal critic of the department is now running as the tough-on-crime ex-cop. I dont hate police departments I hate abusive policing, and thats what people mix up, Mr. Adams said in an interview with The New York Times. When you love something, youre going to critique it and make it what it ought to be, and not just go along and allow it to continue to be disruptive. After a campaign season full of Zoom forums, television ads and fliers stuffed in mailboxes, voting in New York Citys municipal primary has begun. Heres what you should know before you cast your vote. When is Primary Day again? This is a good place to start! Its Tuesday, June 22. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. (If the date seems unusually early to you, its probably because the primary used to be in September.) Can I vote early? Not anymore. Early voting started June 12 and ended on Sunday. About 191,000 votes were cast in that time. Mr. Yang, who would be the citys first Asian American mayor, is betting that he can reshape the electorate by engaging more young, Asian American and Latino voters as he casts himself as a change candidate. Mr. Yang was a front-runner in the race for months, boosted by his strong name identification and air of celebrity, as well as a hopeful message about New Yorks potential and an energetic in-person campaign schedule. But as New York reopened and crime became a bigger issue in voters minds and as Mr. Yang faced growing scrutiny over gaffes and gaps in his municipal knowledge he has lost ground. His tone in the homestretch is a striking departure from the exuberant pitch that defined his early message, as he sharpens his criticism of Mr. Adams and tries to cut into his advantage on public safety issues. Mr. Yang, who has no city government experience, has also sought to use that outsider standing to deliver searing indictments of the political class. Ms. Garcia has moderate instincts she was one of the few leading mayoral candidates to favor President Biden as her first choice in the presidential primary but she is primarily running as a pragmatic technocrat steeped in municipal knowledge. She has been endorsed by the editorial boards of The New York Times and The New York Daily News, among others, and has generated palpable traction in politically engaged, highly educated corners of the city, like the Upper West Side, even as Mr. Stringer and Mr. Donovan have also vied for the government experience mantle. I dont think New York does that well, as progressive as I am, with a series of progressives who think that we should spend more time dealing with those kinds of issues rather than actual stuff that needs to be done, said William Pinzler, 74, as he prepared to vote for Ms. Garcia at Lincoln Center. Kathryn Garcia picked up the garbage. Andrew Yang and Kathryn Garcia, two leading candidates in the New York City mayors race, joined each other on the campaign trail on Saturday, a late alliance that the contests front-runner, Eric Adams, immediately sought to portray as an attempt to weaken the voice of minority voters. Mr. Yang and Ms. Garcia stopped short of an official cross-endorsement, with Mr. Yang urging voters to rank Ms. Garcia second on their ballots but Ms. Garcia refraining from doing the same for him. Still, the two distributed fliers at a rally in Queens that featured their photos and names side by side. Rank me No. 1 and then rank Kathryn Garcia No. 2, Mr. Yang said. The display of unity, just three days before the Democratic primary scheduled for Tuesday, appeared to be aimed at Mr. Adams, the Brooklyn borough president, who has been leading in the polls. Mr. Yang and Ms. Garcia are centrists in the top tier of candidates who are trying to stop Mr. Adamss momentum, and theirs was the first major alliance under ranked-choice voting. The new voting system, in which voters can list up to five candidates on a ballot in ranked preference, has made campaign strategies more complicated. Candidates are not just asking for votes; they need to persuade as many of their rivals backers as possible to rank them second or third. If Mr. Yang and Ms. Garcia can persuade their supporters not to rank Mr. Adams, that could significantly hurt him. Elizabeth Hull Millburn, N.J. The writer is a professor of political science at Rutgers University. To the Editor: I was the executive director of the Illinois Division of A.C.L.U. when we agreed to represent a band of neo-Nazis planning to demonstrate in Skokie. I am deeply troubled by reports that the organization is wavering from its traditional defense of free speech and assembly without regard to content. Our decision to defend the First Amendment in that case was supremely unpopular. In Illinois, we lost nearly 30 percent of our membership; we were forced to reduce staff and salaries and we were subjected to a barrage of threats. There was, however, never a moments doubt about the righteousness of our cause. That there now appear to be some within the organization who would forsake the A.C.L.U.s most vital guiding principle in favor of a politically motivated agenda is not only a direct repudiation of the work we did in the litigation we pursued during the Skokie controversy, but also a betrayal of the organizations long and valiant history. Should they prevail, the resulting damage to the A.C.L.U.s reputation and its core mission will be immense and irreversible. It will also compel those of us who believe that the First Amendment means exactly what it says to take a step no true civil libertarian should have to take: Well have to invent a new A.C.L.U., an invention that cannot but do serious and lasting damage to the old one. David M. Hamlin Palm Springs, Calif. To the Editor: For close to four decades, I have represented the despised, dissident and demented in state and federal criminal courts around the country. I set my own criteria for the cases I accept everyone is entitled to a defense lawyer, but no one is entitled to me. I have chosen not to work for fascists and white supremacists. But like much of the unpleasant work that I refuse to do, it still needs to be done, and someone needs to do it. Historically, that has been the A.C.L.U. Lawyers and staff members at the A.C.L.U. who find themselves at odds with the organizations core mission defense of all civil liberties for all people should align themselves with other individuals or groups with whom they are in solidarity. There is enough injustice for all of us to fight. Ronald L. Kuby New York The writer is a criminal defense and civil rights lawyer who worked for many years with the civil rights activist William Kunstler. Last August, I predicted that Donald Trumps electoral defeat would encourage a lot of Republican politicians to embrace Don Drapers mantra from Mad Men, his explanation of how easy it is to bury an inconvenient piece of your own past: This never happened. It will shock you how much it never happened. You can definitely see the Draper method at work in the lets-just-not-talk-about-Trump wing of the G.O.P. these days. But whats equally striking are the ways that liberals are practitioners as well. This week, for instance, Joe Biden held a summit with Vladimir Putin a banal event in the context of past Democratic administrations, but a remarkable one in the context of the world as the liberal Resistance interpreted it from 2016 through 2020. In that world, Putin was a figure of extraordinary menace, the leader of an authoritarian renaissance whose tentacles extended everywhere, from Brexit to the N.R.A. He had hacked American democracy, placed a Manchurian candidate in the White House, sowed the internet with misinformation, placed bounties on our soldiers in Afghanistan, extended Russian power across the Middle East and threatened Eastern Europe with invasion or subversion. In this atmosphere every rumor about Russian perfidy was pre-emptively believed, and the defense of liberal democracy required recognizing that we had been thrust into Cold War 2.0. Now comes Biden, making moves in Russia policy that are essentially conciliatory freezing a military aid package to Ukraine, ending U.S. sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline linking Germany to Russia, a return of ambassadors and setting up a summit that can reasonably be regarded as a modest propaganda coup for Putin. And suddenly almost everyone wants to act as though the Trump years never happened: Not just the Republicans accusing Biden of being soft on Moscow, but the Democrats who have apparently decided that its fine to hand concessions and photo ops and promises of stability to the regime that just yesterday was the Great Reactionary Enemy, the liberal orders greatest threat. To the next generation of recruits. To the next generation of recruits. To the next generation of recruits. Youve decided to dedicate your life to the service of this nation. Having served for 23 years of my life, Im extremely proud of you. But the sad truth is, youre more likely to be sexually assaulted by a fellow service member than be shot by an enemy at war. My assault occurred Two sexual assaults They started sodomizing me. Thousands of service members report being raped and sexually assaulted each year. But only a fraction of those cases end in a conviction. The problem is almost all the authority lies in the hands of commanders. Its like you have to tell your boss that you were raped by a colleague. And then they have the power to decide whether to dole out justice. This needs to change. Its time for sexual assault cases To be handled by specialized, independent military prosecutors Outside the chain of command. Outside the chain of command. Outside the chain of command. I joined the military because I was growing up in a really poor neighborhood. And I wanted to give my son a better life. I was in my barracks room. A sergeant came up to my door. He pushed his way into the room, and he raped me. I went up to my team leader. I went to my squad leader. I tried to talk to my platoon sergeant about it. I went up my chain of command, and I was shut down at every turn. They have no loyalty to me. I had just gotten there. They were never going to take my side. So I had finally gotten approved to move out of the barracks room. I was getting ready to live with my son. A officer showed up at my front door and threw me on my bed and violently raped me. This assault left me with cuts. It left me with bruises. I was bleeding. Once he finished, he made sure to let me know that he was an officer and that even if I did report it, Id be wasting my time. All we can do is tell our chain of command, which is essentially our boss and hope that he either believes us, or he cares enough about us as a person. Recruits, your success in the military depends on your ability to understand the chain of command. So let me explain how it works through a hypothetical scenario. Youre being sexually harassed at work by one of your colleagues. What do you do? Well, normally, youd probably make a complaint with HR. But this is a special company that doesnt have an HR. Actually, they specifically have rules that all complaints must be made to the employees manager, who will investigate the misconduct and determine if any punishment is necessary. But theres a problem. Your boss really likes that colleague of yours. Theyve worked together for a long time. And you see them getting drinks together quite often. So you consider taking the complaint to your bosss boss. But you dont know him. And hes also friends with your boss. And the rules strongly discourage you from going to the police. To make matters worse, imagine that the company you work for has you stationed in a far-away country. And the only people there are you, your colleague, and your boss. Or to make matters even worse, imagine if the harassment is coming from your boss. Imagine you get raped. At any normal American company, this would be unacceptable. But in the American military, this is the status quo. This is how the chain of command works. Seven months into serving, I was assaulted by somebody I thought I could trust. They took advantage of me while I was unconscious and unable to consent. 22 months ago a man I had just met raped me in a dark alley. Today, he was tried in a military court martial and found not guilty. Out of the 20,500 sexual assaults in fiscal year 18, only 108 people were actually convicted. He said you know, this guy is a really good sailor. Do you want to ruin his career? They found his DNA inside my rape kit. He was still found not guilty. During my time as a prosecutor, I had no ability to make sure that cases actually got to trial. I would routinely see a commander, supervisors, co-workers intimidate the victims. When I asked her, do you want to see the bruises? She wrote me up for disrespect. And every single time I complained, the assaults escalated worse. Id be waking up with them pulling my clothes off me, trying to shove their penis in my anus. If I knew that I was going to get justice, I absolutely would have stayed in the military. I love the Air Force. Im third generation. But I knew I had to leave. The chain of command military justice process is not delivering justice. I have been so torn about taking that decision-making authority away from the chain of command. The senators were listening to generals and admirals who were promising that they would solve the problems, saying if you were to do this, it would destroy the chain of command and good order and discipline. Removing commanders, making commanders less responsible, less accountable will not work. It will undermine the readiness of the force. It will inhibit our commanders ability to shape the climate and discipline of our units. As a former commander in the National Guard, I do believe our chain of command should have the authority to discipline. So for the past six years, Ive worked heavily on a number of efforts that I had hoped would curb military sexual assault. And it hasnt. So I do think its time to do something different. Now, as a Senator and wearing a slightly different uniform, I am supporting sending sexual assault cases to a specialized military prosecutor outside of the chain of command. It is time we take new action Theres currently a bill in Congress that would remove the prosecution of sexual assault from the chain of command. What the bill will do is one, is to improve the prosecution. The second line of effort is prevention. It increases security on our bases and stations. It trains leaders from the top to the bottom on developing a better command climate. But there are still some senators that dont support this bill. As a combat veteran and a survivor of sexual assault, I want to know that I did everything I could to support all of our service members. This is going to make the military a better place. Its time for sexual assault cases to be handled outside the chain of command. It does take effort to track down ones ideal MLBB product, however. Its more personal than finding a good mascara or concealer. There might even be more than one shade per person, depending on the occasion, outfit or time of day. Which has kept the fantasy of MLBB alive for nearly two decades, and allowed beauty companies to capitalize endlessly on it. Edward Bess registered my lips but better as a trademark in 2013. It Cosmetics registered your lips but better in 2015. (For both trademarks, LOreal is the previous listed owner.) Last year, Perricone MD sold a your lips but better collection of three shades; Yves Saint Laurent is currently selling a my lips but better set of its own. Its not something that makes people say, Oh, this is my favorite lipstick, said Ms. Goodwin, whose clients include Emma Stone and January Jones, and who is a founder of the new Makeup Museum in New York City. But no matter who I work with, its the one they always have in their bag. Its probably not the one that they would talk about in an interview, but its the workhorse of their makeup bag. The rosy glow of an MLBB is one of Ms. Goodwins favorite looks even if, she said, its main purpose in history (like during the 18th century and the Victorian era) was to make women look nubile and vital, in order to get a man to marry you. Canned tuna is high in protein, low in fat and by far the most popular shelf-stable seafood in the United States. It can also be mysterious, questionable and scandalous. As The Washington Post reported in late January, Subway the worlds largest sandwich chain is currently facing a class-action lawsuit in the state of California that claims its tuna sandwiches are completely bereft of tuna as an ingredient. After the news broke, the jokes swiftly followed. Jessica Simpson (who famously didnt know whether Chicken of the Sea was chicken or tuna back in 2003) tweeted: Its OK @SUBWAY. It IS confusing. Jimmy Johns, a competitor, started sending email blasts with subjects like: Tuna Sandwiches Should Use Real Tuna . Subway, for its part, has categorically denied the allegations. There simply is no truth to the allegations in the complaint that was filed in California, a spokeswoman wrote in an email to The New York Times. Subway delivers 100 percent cooked tuna to its restaurants, which is mixed with mayonnaise and used in freshly made sandwiches, wraps and salads that are served to and enjoyed by our guests. Standing at the site in Galveston, Texas, where on June 19, 1865, a Union general signed an order notifying enslaved African Americans that they were free, the artist Reginald C. Adams marveled at the moment he found himself in. What would a Black man of that era think about seeing him, another Black man, painting a massive mural commemorating emancipation, he wondered. It is not uncommon for the police to receive calls about people in distress at Monastery Beach in California known locally as Mortuary Beach because of its deadly undertow and steep drop into the ocean. So when a teenager told the authorities that his father had not returned from a late afternoon swim there in February 2019, the authorities got to work, sending divers, a helicopter and a drone to search the chilly waters off Carmel, just south of Monterey Bay. But the reported disappearance of Kim Avis, a 57-year-old man from Scotland, struck investigators as off from the beginning. And they were right. After an investigation that lasted months and spanned states and continents, Mr. Avis was sentenced last week in a Scottish court to 15 years in prison on charges of rape and sexual assault, an end investigators said he had tried to avoid by faking his death on the coast of one of Californias most scenic beaches. A lawyer for Mr. Avis did not respond to a request for comment. The waters were cool on the evening that Mr. Aviss son called 911 to report that his father had gone missing, according to Cmdr. Derrel Simpson of the Monterey County Sheriffs Office. The teenager told investigators that he and his father had traveled to California about two weeks earlier for vacation. LaGRANGE, Ga. Lonnie Hollis has been a member of the Troup County election board in West Georgia since 2013. A Democrat and one of two Black women on the board, she has advocated Sunday voting, helped voters on Election Days and pushed for a new precinct location at a Black church in a nearby town. But this year, Ms. Hollis will be removed from the board, the result of a local election law signed by Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican. Previously, election board members were selected by both political parties, county commissioners and the three biggest municipalities in Troup County. Now, the G.O.P.-controlled county commission has the sole authority to restructure the board and appoint all the new members. I speak out and I know the laws, Ms. Hollis said in an interview. The bottom line is they dont like people that have some type of intelligence and know what theyre doing, because they know they cant influence them. Ms. Hollis is not alone. Across Georgia, members of at least 10 county election boards have been removed, had their position eliminated or are likely to be kicked off through local ordinances or new laws passed by the state legislature. At least five are people of color and most are Democrats though some are Republicans and they will most likely all be replaced by Republicans. Marcelo Seluchi, a meteorologist at the governments national disaster monitoring center, said the current crisis was years in the making. Since 2014, large regions in central, southeast and western Brazil have experienced below-average rain levels. For eight years, it hasnt been raining as much as it tends to rain, he said, calling the drought unusually widespread and lengthy. Its like a water tank that doesnt get refilled, and each year we use up more and more hoping that the following year things will improve, but that better year has yet to come. Mr. Seluchi said rain patterns that have contributed to the drought were manifold and not fully understood. They include La Nina, a weather pattern in the Pacific Ocean, climate change, and deforestation in the Amazon and other biomes that play a key role in precipitation cycles. We cant deny that climate change, namely global warming, plays a role, he said. Its raining less and were using more water. After power outages in 2001, Brazil committed to building increasingly versatile power systems, diversifying its sources beyond hydroelectric plants. Since then, the country has reduced its electrical grids reliance on hydropower to 65 percent from 90 percent. While government officials have played down the risk of power cuts, the national electricity agency recently warned that some customers could receive higher electric bills as the country is forced to rely more heavily on more expensive thermoelectric power. The agency urged Brazilians to save energy by taking short showers, using air-conditioners more sparingly and running washing machines less frequently. At a 2019 rally for commanders of Irans powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Ebrahim Raisi, the conservative head of the countrys judicial system at the time, vowed to dismember corrupt Iranians and praised the Guards for shooting down an American drone. We will not only cut off the fingers but chop off the arms of the corrupt, Mr. Raisi said at the time, according to videos on Iranian media, adding that the downing of the drone had helped shift the countrys mood to defiance instead of negotiations. Now Mr. Raisi, a 60-year-old hard-line cleric and close ally of the countrys supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been elected president after a campaign widely viewed as engineered to ensure his victory. For the past 18 months, the president-elect has served as the head of Irans judiciary, even though rights groups say he has a well-documented record of grave human rights violations over the past three decades, both before and during his time at the helm of the judiciary. He has been accused of playing a role in sending thousands of political prisoners to their deaths in the 1980s, and in lethal crackdowns on antigovernment protests in 2009 and 2019. VATICAN CITY Pope Francis on Saturday put a founder of the European Union on the track to sainthood, told Roman deacons to take care of the poor and met with a top prelate who once defended him against wild allegations by the Vaticans former ambassador to the United States. But the most telling thing he did was stay quiet about the extraordinary vote by Americas Roman Catholic bishops to move ahead despite the warning of the popes top doctrinal official with the drafting of new guidance that conservatives hope will eventually deny communion to President Biden for his support of abortion rights. The pope said nothing, church officials and experts said, because there is nothing else to say. The divergence of the conservative American church from Francis agenda is now so apparent as to become unremarkable, and Vatican officials and experts said Saturday that the popes silence also underlined just how unsurprising the American vote, made public on Friday, was to the Vatican. PARIS Violent clashes erupted on Friday night between hundreds of partygoers and police officers trying to break up an illegal rave in western France, leaving several people injured on both sides, including one man whose hand was severed. The police in France have increasingly been called on in recent months to break up illegal parties, often ending in skirmishes with participants. With clubs having been closed since the beginning of the pandemic last March, illegal outdoor parties have sprung up around the country, posing a challenge for the local authorities. At a news conference on Saturday morning, Emmanuel Berthier, the states representative in Ille-et-Vilaine, in Brittany, where the party took place, described clashes of extreme violence that lasted more than seven hours. The local authorities said that about 1,500 people had attended the rave, and that more than 400 police officers had been mobilized. Mr. Berthier said that the police in the town of Redon were hit with Molotov cocktails, hard wooden balls and other dangerous objects, and that five police officers had been injured. He said that the man who had lost his hand was 22 years old, but that the circumstances were not yet clear. TEHRAN After many Iranians skipped voting in Fridays presidential election, seeing it as rigged in favor of an ultraconservative contender, that candidate the hard-line judiciary chief, Ebrahim Raisi won Irans presidency on Saturday, paving the way for the countrys leadership to cement the conservative legacy of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Mr. Raisi, 60, a cleric favored by Ayatollah Khamenei, has been seen as the supreme leaders possible successor. With his election, the ayatollah will finally have a president all but guaranteed not to challenge him, leaving the urban middle classes who have consistently supported social reforms and engagement with the outside world with no voice at the top. Mr. Raisi has a record of grave human rights abuses, including accusations of playing a role in the mass execution of political opponents in 1988, and is currently under United States sanctions. Yet his background appears unlikely to hinder the renewed negotiations between the United States and Iran over restoring a 2015 agreement to limit Irans nuclear and ballistic missile programs in exchange for lifting American economic sanctions. Mr. Raisi has said he will remain committed to the deal and do all he can to remove the sanctions. Some people in Singapore began receiving the Covid vaccine manufactured by the Chinese company Sinovac at private clinics on Friday, even as one of the city-states top health officials cast doubt on its effectiveness. Singapore allowed 24 private health clinics to administer the vaccine after the World Health Organization authorized it for emergency use earlier this month. But even though initial demand for the shot appeared to be strong, Singapores government has so far stopped short of adding it to the national vaccination program. One reason that people in Singapore and elsewhere would choose to get a Sinovac shot even when more effective vaccines are available is that they are from mainland China or plan to travel there. Chinese state media organizations have been waging a misinformation campaign that questions the safety of American-made vaccines, and Beijing has said that foreigners who receive Chinese shots will have an easier time getting into the country. Kenneth Mak, Singapores director of medical services, told reporters on Friday that he worried about reports from other countries of people becoming sick with Covid-19 even after receiving Sinovacs shot. He cited cases in Indonesia, where officials said this week that dozens of doctors and other health workers who had received Sinovac in one district had been hospitalized. The United States is shipping 2.5 million doses of Modernas Covid-19 vaccines to Taiwan on Saturday, tripling the original amount the Biden administration had promised, Ned Price, the State Department spokesman, said in a tweet. The shipment, first reported by Reuters, could add tension to the U.S.-China relationship as Taiwan grapples with its first major coronavirus outbreak. Chinese officials were peeved this month when three U.S. senators visited the island, which China regards as its own territory, to announce the original pledge of 750,000 doses, as well as when Japan said it was giving Taiwan 1.2 million AstraZeneca doses. We know that Taiwan has faced unfair challenges in its efforts to acquire vaccines, which makes this donation even more important, a senior Biden administration official said. We have had a close partnership with Taiwan on global health issues and have been working together throughout the pandemic. Taiwan was there to help the United States in the earliest days of the pandemic, providing P.P.E. and other lifesaving materials. Taiwans leaders have blamed Chinese intervention for their inability to buy doses from the German company BioNTech, which developed its vaccine with Pfizer. China has called the accusation fabricated out of nothing. What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 716-372-3121 or email nfinnerty@oleantimesherald.com. CELINA [mdash] Doyle Eugene Brittain Doyle Eugene Brittain was called to the lord on Wednesday, June 9th of 2021 in Mckinney, Texas. Doyle was born in Sigourney, Iowa and one of six children to the late Alfred and Bertha Brittain. His late siblings were Verle, Orbie, Eldon, Ruby, and Vera. H VILLIERS-LE-BEL, France (AP) Both fuming and bragging, the man told the police officers that he used his car as a weapon during the street battle in a northern suburb of Paris, ramming the vehicle into a fighter from a rival group. I destroyed him, the man said. For certain, hes at the hospital. Hes got a cut on his skull, hes got a cut on his mouth. For the veteran police major called out to deal with the aftermath of another bloody brawl, the eye-opener this time was the sheer brutality, the clear intent on both sides to gravely wound and perhaps permanently maim. On a national level, such disorder is translating into polarized and politicized debate about violence ahead of France's presidential elections next year and local elections this month. President Emmanuel Macrons opponents are using the perennial hot-button issues of crime and policing to attract votes. Violent rivalries have long been part of the policing geography in the rotting high-rises of tough Paris-region neighborhoods where inequalities and hardship are often more common than good jobs and opportunities. But police say that fighting over turf or differences of race, religion and cultures wasnt always as savage as it increasingly is now. Its more and more violent, the police major said as he worked to reconstruct this week's chain of events, from a clash in a pipe-smoking bar to a full-blown brawl between opposing groups from Pakistani and North African communities. In a fight that perhaps 20 years ago would have been sorted out with fists or kicks, we now see people being run over with cars, he said. The population is increasingly violent. Its no longer simply fighting. They absolutely have to win, even if that means leaving someone in agony on the floor. From the police perspective, recent years have been difficult. Like other Western nations, France has seen large and angry protests over fatal cases of police brutality and allegations of law enforcement racism singling out Black people and other minorities. Police are also increasingly the targets of violence. Most recently, the murders of two police officials in April and May one in a stabbing, the other in a shooting during a drug bust reinforced officers concerns that enforcing the law in France is an increasingly perilous profession. One measure of their anxiety is that officers like Major Nicolas, the 46-year-old called out to the Paris suburb of Villiers-le-Bel for the street fight, refuse to be identified by their full names. Officers say theyre scared of being tracked down at home. They're under orders to change into civilian clothes when they finish shifts, to avoid being readily identifiable as police officers. Nicolas said he also keeps close watch of his rear-view mirrors on his drive home so he isnt followed. Attacks on Paris-region police stations with noisy fireworks, stones and other projectiles have fed tensions. The station in Sarcelles, the Paris suburb where Nicolas is assigned to lead night patrols, was targeted in February. But out on patrol with Sarcelles officers, it also is evident that their presence is appreciated or, failing that, at least tolerated by many residents. The family in neighboring Villiers-le-Bel that called for help after the brawl was clearly grateful that officers and rescue workers sped over, lights flashing, to assist injured relatives. One man seemingly severely beaten in the fight groaned as rescue workers lifted him onto a gurney. Major Nicolas quickly determined that another injured family member had been hit by a car. Questioning witnesses, the major and his colleagues started piecing together how the conflict spiraled. They got calls from their cousins saying, Come quick, weve run into trouble over there. Everyone rushed over there. Full-on fight, the major said. Experience also told him that the enmity likely wouldnt end there and that another grudge-match was probably brewing. Theyll surely have another go at each other, he said. Fathers Day takes on a whole new significance this year for Greg Gerace. The Midland native, who once believed he had no family, was recently united with his 44-year-old son. Exploring their family tree In 1975, Gerace went out with Karen Sprague, a fellow young Midlander. The two of them met at Northern Lanes in Sanford and danced the night away, Gerace showcasing his skills on the dance floor. Gerace recalls the evening they met as well as spending time on Spragues roof, watching the cars drive by in downtown Midland. However, they werent in a committed relationship. A little while later, Gerace saw Sprague had a new boyfriend and was pregnant, but didnt know that it was his child. Back then, we were just wild and young. We were together for a while, Gerace said. Sprague eventually gave birth to Rob Flumignan and was pressured into giving him up for adoption, her parents believing she was too young to handle the responsibility. Flumignan grew up in a loving adoptive family and eventually began a family of his own. He explained that he knew since he was young that he had been adopted, and while he was curious about his birth parents, he kept putting off his search to find them. By the time Flumignan was 39 years old, with his adoptive parents gone and now having three kids of his own, Flumignan began seriously thinking about finding out where he had come from. Im realizing how quickly time goes by, Flumignan said. I said if you keep putting this off, it might be too late. It was one of those situations where I realized tomorrow may never come. After a bit of research and some help from a friend who happened to be a private detective, Flumignan was able to connect with Sprague; the two of them met face-to-face on Flumignans 40th birthday. Their conversation turned towards who was the birth father. The information Flumignan received from the adoption agency listed his father as someone else. But when Sprague showed him a picture of her and Gerace when they were younger, Flumignan realized that he bore a very striking resemblance to Gerace. Finding Gerace was rather easy for Flumignan, as Gerace often posted on Facebook about his band and life events. Connecting with him, however, presented a slightly larger challenge for Flumignan. Gerace had no idea that he had a son. I was a little more hesitant, plus I was just getting used to having my birth mom in my life, Flumignan said. Going out on a limb Four more years went by as Flumignan periodically checked on his possible birth father on social media. When the pandemic began, Flumignan once again realized that he didnt want to keep putting off the chance of meeting Gerace. (The pandemic) was another little nudge that I should do this," Flumignan said. About 1,500 miles away in Key West, Florida, Gerace was feeling the strain of isolation that the pandemic had inflicted. His sister, Camille Nitschky of Midland, ironically kidded with Gerace that perhaps a young man would show up on his doorstep one day claiming to be his son. When Gerace received a letter last September from Flumignan claiming to be his son, he thought it was his sisters attempt at a joke. As he read the letter over a few more times, he understood there was a kernel of truth in it. Reading more of it, I realized it wasnt Camille. She couldnt have known the details about Northern Lanes, Gerace said. Flumignan claimed in the letter that he didnt want anything from Gerace, but simply to get to know him. Gerace quickly replied to the request and they began connecting. After a few months, they decided to conduct a DNA test to put any doubt to rest about Geraces paternity. The results confirmed their speculation: Gerace was Flumignans father. Growing in love After months of emails back and forth, phone calls and video chats between the two families, father and son met on Wednesday, June 2 at Flumignans home in Onsted in southeastern Michigan. As Nitschky followed her brother up to the house, filming the reunion, Gerace stopped halfway up the walk as he saw Flumignan open the door, a mirror image of himself. The two men regarded one another, Gerace chuckling with joy. You are real, Flumignan said, causing Gerace to laugh more. Inside, the father and son embraced for a long moment, only breaking apart as Hayden, the youngest of Geraces three grandchildren, ran up to meet him. Hello, Papa G, Hayden said. Gerace and Flumignan have gotten together for short visits since then but havent had a chance to spend quality time together. Gerace plans to spend summers in Michigan to be closer to his son and grandchildren. This weekend, Gerace will spend Fathers Day in Midland with Flumignan and his family, touring the city, taking pictures, and maybe even bowling at Northern Lanes. Itll be fun to let him have his first Fathers Day experience, Flumignan said. Nitschky is thrilled at being an aunt and great-aunt. I like to think of our new family as one of the gifts of COVID. Theres all sorts of them if were willing to open them up, Nitschky said. Having a new family is still a new sensation for Gerace and Flumignan. When they held their first phone call, Flumignan was nervous. But soon, they were connecting on subjects including their favorite rock music, science fiction movies and hobbies. Once they progressed to video calls, it took them over an hour to say goodbye to each other. The second we started talking, I relaxed. It was just really easy to talk with him and he felt real familiar, Flumignan said. Gerace is looking forward to learning more about Flumignan, including how he met his wife and his experiences playing in a band. He plans to live in the moment with his son and is committed to being there for him and his family as much as he can be. I went from almost no extended family to a large family, Flumignan stated. Its been a great blessing for my life and its just starting, Gerace said. One thing we know for sure is we dont know how long that we have these people, and I plan to enjoy every moment I have with them. Every day is Fathers Day for me. The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriffs Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Andrew Mullin. Wednesday, June 16 11:32 p.m. A 57-year-old female called 911 for a medical issue. Prior to EMS arrival, the female wouldn't answer dispatch's questions and could be heard crying. A deputy was then dispatched to clear the scene for EMS. The female was OK, just in pain from a medical issue. She was later transported to Mid-Michigan Medical Center ER by EMS. 11:28 p.m. Officers responded to a hit and run on Wyllys Street. 10:41 p.m. Deputies were dispatched to a Jerome Township business regarding an unknown female in a dark colored pickup hitting power wires in their parking lot. The female fled the scene and didn't report the crash. Deputies were unable to contact the female driver. 9:46 p.m. Officers responded to a domestic verbal dispute on West Wackerly Street. 6:59 p.m. Officers responded to a domestic verbal situation on Abbott Road. 4:44 p.m. Officers responded to two-vehicle crash at George and East Indian streets. 3:37 p.m. A grey Buick failed to pay for $30.25 in fuel from a Sanford gas station. No plate obtained, unknown direction of travel. 2:36 p.m. Officers responded to a case of larceny on Springfield Drive. 2:23 p.m. Officers responded to a two-vehicle crash in the area of Ashman and Ann streets. 1:52 p.m. A 60-year-old female reported her 52-year-old ex-boyfriend violated his personal protection order by sending threatening text messages. Deputies attempted to contact the male but were unsuccessful. A report has been forwarded to the Midland Prosecuting Attorneys Office for review. 1:03 p.m. Deputies responded to an Edenville Township residence for a possible domestic assault, called in third party. Deputies contacted a 63-year-old Edenville Township female and her 58-year-old brother. Both parties advised nobody was assaulted, however, they did get into a heated argument. The male agreed to leave for the night to let things calm down. 11:00 a.m. Officers responded to a two-vehicle crash in the area of Manor Drive and Richard Court. 10:37 a.m. Deputies responded to a Hope Township roadway for a vehicle driving with an unsecure load. Deputies located the vehicle, and subsequently the driver secured down his load without incident. 9:23 a.m. Officers responded to a domestic assault of a juvenile on Farnsworth Drive. 7:01 a.m. A deputy was dispatched to the area of eastbound US-10 near North Waldo Road for the report of a car/deer traffic crash. MSU Extension of Midland County and cooperating parent educators sponsor the Parents Corner. Send submissions to Midland County MSU Extension Educator, Lisa Treiber, 220 W. Ellsworth St., Midland, MI 48640 Homestead Sunday. Step back in time at Chippewa Nature Centers log cabin, timber frame barn and one-room school for a family friendly afternoon at the Homestead Farm and Log Schoolhouse from 1 to 5 p.m. June 13. Try your hand at grinding corn, pumping water, writing on a slate board, working in the garden, tilling the field or watering the animals. The Homestead and Schoolhouse will be open Sundays, offering weekly activities, in June, July and August. All ages are invited (under 18 w/adult). Pre-registration is required, visit www.chippewanaturecenter.org. Please bring a mask. Food Safety Q & A. MSU Extension offers a week 30-minute informational program about food preservation. A short presentation will be shared focusing on a timely topic, leaving plenty of time for Q & A. The next session title is: Drying Spring Herbs. Join in on this quick free presentation Monday, June 21, at 1 p.m. To register, visit: https://events.anr.msu.edu/SpringFoodSafetyQA/ Reptiles and Amphibians at Audubon Woods. Whether they jump, crawl, hop or swim, reptiles and amphibians are fascinating and beautiful animals. Join Chippewa Nature Center staff in search of these cold-blooded creatures at Chippewa Watershed Conservancys Audubon Woods Preserve in Isabella County, June 22, 2-3 p.m. Meet at the Preserve at 5497 S. Gilmore Road in Mt. Pleasant. This is designed for ages 9 (under 18 w/adult). Pre-registration is required, visit www.chippewanaturecenter.org. Please bring a mask. MI Parenting Resource. MI Parenting Resource is a free, online parenting program offering research-based parenting strategies to caregivers across the state of Michigan. The goal is to strengthen parent-child relationships and gain new tools for enhancing positive child behaviors. Participants will have access to a collection of brief parenting videos introducing evidence-based strategies from common caregiving concerns, such as how to increase child cooperation, teach children new behaviors, and manage emotions. You will hear about these strategies from real-life caregivers people who have used these skills in their own families and want others to experience the same positive outcomes they have seen with their children. To learn move please visit www.miparentingresource.org. Safe Food = Healthy Kids. Looking for a training for your childcare center or home? Michigan State University Extension is hosting several online sessions with education credits. Learn what best practices are for food safety to help keep kids safe. Topics include cleaning and sanitizing, cooking, storing food, common allergens, and personal hygiene. The workshop can count towards annual training hours for licensed childcare providers. This is also an approved training of Great Start to Quality. The next class will be offered from 6 to 9 p.m. June 22. To register visit: https://www.canr.msu.edu/safe_food_healthy_kids/events. There is no charge to participate in this session. Other dates will be offered, they are included on the link listed. Kids Nature Art: Birds. Drop in with Chippewa Nature Center staff at The Woods Nature Play Area, June 23, 2 to 3 p.m., for a blast of bird art. Pre-assembled kits will provide your artist the materials to create art inspired by Michigans feathered friends. All ages are invited (under 18 w/adult). Pre-registration is required, visit www.chippewanaturecenter.org. Please bring a mask. Investigating Food with Science. Michigan State University Extension offers an after-school online program, exploring how cooking is an experiment and baking is a science. Each week MSU Extension educators will explore the science behind food-related topics and food safety along with a fun, kid-friendly recipe, or experiment demonstration. The demonstrations will be designed for youth to experiment at home if they desire and provide youth a chance to share their experience the following week. On June 23, the topic: Eggcellent Investigation. The session runs from 4-4:30. Visit: https://www.canr.msu.edu/events/investigating-food-with-science-spring2021 to register for this free session. Food Preservation Series. Michigan State University Extension will be offering a series of food preservation classes online, these free online classes will be offered on Thursdays, at 1 and 6 p.m. The topic on June 24 will be Pressure Canning. These sessions will not be recorded, they will only be offered live. Supporting materials will be emailed to all participants after each broadcast. Join in the fun, sign up for one, some or all these educational sessions. There is time at the end of each program to ask questions. To register visit: https://www.canr.msu.edu/food_preservation/events Bird Banding. See resident and migratory birds up close as birds are caught in mist nets and banded for research. Join researcher Mike Bishop and Chippewa Nature Center staff at the east Wetlands Area parking lot off Grey Road (the gate will be open during banding hours.) The banding event takes place June 24, 8 and 10 a.m. This program is for ages 9+ (under 18 w/adult). Pre-registration is required, visit www.chippewanaturecenter.org. Please bring a mask. Full Moon Stroll. Join an Interpretive Naturalist for a 60-minute hike to enjoy this months full moon from 9 to 10 p.m. June 24. Learn how the tradition of naming moons began and what makes each month special. Please wear dark colors and bring a flashlight. This program is for ages 9+ (under 18 w/adult). Pre-registration is required, visit www.chippewanaturecenter.org. Please bring a mask. Midland Countys Prescription for Health. MSU Extension is offering an opportunity to learn about farmers markets, using produce and building confidence from shopping at the market. Participate in one or six lessons and receive vouchers to spend at the Midland Area Farmers Market. Attend one class receive $10, attend all 6 lessons receive $60! Classes will be held online Option 1: Tuesdays starting June 8 July 13, 10 to 11 a.m., Option 2: Thursdays starting June 24 - July 29 6 to 7 p.m. and Option 3: tentatively scheduled in-person at Coleman Family Center with Childcare, Thursdays Aug. 5 Sept. 9 from 6 to 7 p.m. (In-person will be determined as date draws closer). To register, call Tara Roberson 989-750-1531. You may attend online or by phone if you do not have internet access. REND CITY, Ill. (AP) State wildlife officials are tracking a black bear that was first spotted more than a week ago by southern Illinois residents and was most recently seen wandering near a state reservoir. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Conservation Police and local law enforcement began tracking the bear on June 10 when it was spotted in the Monroe County town of Waterloo. Since then, the bear has been sighted near Mascoutah in Clinton County, near Dubois in Washington County and near Rend Lake, a state reservoir, The Southern Illinoisan in Carbondale reported. The bear was seen Friday in Franklin County at the Rend Lake spillway east end of the main dam near the village of Rend City, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) southeast of St. Louis, said Kyle Bacon, chief deputy of Franklin County Sheriffs Office. He said the department issued an alert to residents about the animal's presence. We dont want harm to come to the bear," he said. Conservation police said it is likely that all the sightings are of the same young, male black bear traveling through the area. While Illinois does not have an active breeding bear population, neighboring states like Missouri and Wisconsin do, said Illinois Department of Natural Resources spokesperson Tim Schweizer. It is not uncommon to see bears from these neighboring states cross briefly into Illinois before returning to their permanent habitat, especially as they look for food and potential mates, he said. Cotonou Benin (PANA) - Benin's Minister of Health, Professor Benjamin Hounkpatin, has appealed to his compatriots to donate blood at this time of shortage in blood banks Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - An informal public meeting was held on Friday evening at the UN Security Council, at the invitation of the African Group and in the presence of representatives of countries interested in the Libyan issue BERLIN (AP) American filmmaker Laura Poitras, known for her award-winning 2014 documentary on former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden and his revelations about the National Security Agency, has once again turned her camera on the watchmen. In an exhibition that opened Friday in Berlin, Poitras examines the way the state monitors citizens' lives both abroad and at home, in New York City. While her early work on the war in Iraq and the U.S. government surveillance apparatus including the Oscar-winning Citizenfour follows the long trail of the Sept. 11 attacks, Poitras new show grapples with the issues of the past year: The COVID-19 pandemic and the fight for racial justice. The goal remains, Poitras said, to create experience that has emotional resonance. I want to interrogate power, she told The Associated Press in an interview ahead of the show's launch. Together with artist Sean Vegezzi, Poitras puts viewers outside an NYPD outpost in Queens used by the Technical Assistance Response Unit, whose role is to monitor political protests. The unit employs military technology to gather intelligence, including on recent Black Lives Matter rallies, but officers seem unaware that they are being watched as they enter and leave the building. A second video combines exterior shots of the Vernon C. Bain prison barge on the East River with three months of intercepted radio recordings between guards discussing the apparent use of force against inmates. The crowded prison set up as a temporary facility almost three decades ago saw high death rates from COVID-19 last year. Poitras and Vegezzi said they were surprised that the prison's continued existence and the conditions there haven't been taken up by local politicians, given that most of the inmates are local residents awaiting trial for minor crimes. As a New Yorker I hope that it's difficult to look at this prison ship and know that you are complicit in it, Poitras said, admitting: We are interested in getting this shut down. The series is completed with a visit to little-known Hart Island, home to one of the largest mass grave sites in the United States with burials dating back to the Civil War era. Vegezzi, whose brother was among a prison detail from Rikers Island tasked with burying the dead, used a drone to show how detainees with little social distancing or protective equipment stacked coffins in deep trenches at the height of the pandemic. The Department of Corrections halted the practice after it became public last year. The triptych's bleak, distanced footage contrasts with Poitras' 25-minute film Terror Contagion about Israeli spyware company NSO and its alleged role in the monitoring of activists around the world. Rights groups including Amnesty International claim that the company's technology has been licensed by repressive regimes to infiltrate the phones of dissidents and journalists, a charge that NSO rejects. The film was made together with the research group Forensic Architecture, which says its members and collaborators have been hacked using the NSO spyware Pegasus. The group plans to release a broader investigation into the company next month. Since the start of the pandemic, NSO has sought to apply its technology originally designed to hunt down terrorists to COVID-tracking tools, alarming human rights activists. The pandemic rules and surveillance technology are definitely going to be exploited and normalized in future, said Poitras. The filmmaker was herself the subject of intense surveillance by the U.S. government that started after she visited Baghdad in 2004 for her film My Country, My Country." After coming under heightened scrutiny for her work with Snowden, who remains in exile in Russia, Poitras was based for years in Berlin, a city she chose to return to for this latest exhibition. The German capital has its own grim history of state surveillance. The show's gallery is located in the formerly communist-controlled east of the city. It also lies just a few hundreds yards from the bombastic new home of Germany's BND foreign intelligence agency. Poitras and Vegezzi hope to take the exhibition to New York in the fall. The exhibition Circles by Laura Poitras can be seen at Neuen Berliner Kunstverein from June 18 to Aug. 8. Follow Frank Jordans on Twitter at www.twitter.com/wirereporter Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. NORMAL That a second location of Central Illinois Friends came to Bloomington-Normal after the coronavirus pandemic wasn't a coincidence. Normally, the Peoria-based nonprofit group would offer free sexually transmitted infection or HIV testing in Central Illinois via mobile units provided by the state Department of Public Health. When COVID hit, IDPH repurposed mobile units and redirected all for pandemic-related aid removing the group's means of coming directly to the Bloomington-Normal area. "At the same time, we launched a free PrEP program and free HPV vaccination program and that's when we saw that these people we were serving starting to come to us to drive up," Executive Director Deric Kimler said Friday. The way Tim Bassett, Carle Health's vice president of operations, put it, it "became pretty apparent that clinic space, in particular, was a need to be able to offer some of the services that Central Illinois Friends was seeing a need for in McLean County." Via a partnership between the Peoria nonprofit, Community Health Care Clinic and Carle BroMenn Medical Center which owns CHCC's property a deal was made to allow Central Illinois Friends to offer the same services out of CHCC's office in Normal on alternating Friday afternoons. The process took about a month to work out. "It was really encouraging to see how fast things progressed sometimes these things can get stuck down and bogged down with bureaucracy," Bassett said. On Friday, the clinic held a soft opening, in which Kimler said the operation is hoped to expand into a Friday-Saturday run time, versus the current, alternating Fridays schedule. In addition to STI testing and the HPV vaccine, Kimler said, HIV testing will also be available, as will eventually the meningitis vaccine. Clinic workers will also offer sexual health counseling and education, support and services for transgender people. Should other health issues arise during counseling or testing, patients will be able to access CHCC's services for free as well. "There's all these health services, but they have barriers or they create barriers or people don't know how to navigate those services, so they fall through the cracks," Kimler said. "Then they hit the net: The net is us. What's our goal, then, is to funnel them back through the proper channel that's going to comprehensively and organically help them." Kimler became more specific about the people who fall through the cracks, naming LGBTQIA people, the Hispanic population, sex workers, people struggling with homelessness or abuse as among the group the clinic is aiming to reach. "You might think, 'Well, what do they all have in common? Why are why would you jumble all of those groups in together?'" he said. "Quite frankly, it's because society has put them there. So, unfortunately those populations as of right now still are not welcome in a lot of our medical institutions and spaces so we are creating that path." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 PEORIA The next time you talk to a staffer within the OSF HealthCare system, it could be a virtual visit. That's thanks to a push for telehealth that's taken over the Peoria-based network, seen most notably in the creation of a centralized hub of remote health care workers at OSF OnCall Digital Health. At any point of any given day, about 400 of 800 total employees staff the building on Southwest Adams Street, a 24/7 operation that, while based in a tangible building, comprises what organization leaders call a "hospital without walls." "Instead of physically touching the patient, we do it through technology and through telehealth and virtual video and text messaging," Jennifer Junis, senior vice president of OSF Digital Health, said during a media tour Thursday. "Health care has lagged behind a bit further behind when you think about all the things you do on your phone. You order your groceries, you order all of your clothes, you need something and Amazon brings it to you that is really moving into health care." The push for telehealth within the network isn't new: Aspects of it were in place as late as 10 years ago, said Suzanne Hinderliter, director of digital acute services. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, exacerbated challenges within the health care system, accelerating a rush to expand digital options for care. Among those digital options was the placement of telehealth carts in OSF emergency rooms and some medical offices across the entire region. During the pandemic, it allowed remote nurses to monitor hundreds of COVID patients. "We didn't have enough intensive care unit beds. We didn't have enough nurses all the time to watch them. It takes a lot more staff if you have to deploy them in person," Hinderliter said. "When we could utilize the remote staff, it was very helpful because it decreased the amount of (personal protective equipment) that nurses were using and allowed us to keep monitoring and watching (patients) for those subtle changes." Now, with the pandemic easing, telehealth carts which can constantly monitor patients, as well as allow for video visits with workers will also be used to video-in certain medical professionals to smaller operations. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} "If you think about a patient that may come into an emergency department with stroke-like symptoms in a small facility that doesn't have a neurologist, we can have a neurologist to that patient within minutes," Hinderliter said. "They can help determine if that patient stays in that location for their care, or if they need to transfer to a facility that can handle higher-acuity things." Not that everyone is totally bought in. Hinderliter said some medical staff may be hesitant to treat or monitor patients remotely, fearing a feature of caregiving is lost without an in-person experience. "What we show them is how that can actually extend that relationship for them, because now they can be available for the patient all the time," she said. "They can be available, watching them at home as well across their entire health care continuum, not just in those episodic ways of them just coming to us for the care." The home aspect of remote health care extends, now, to taking vital signs as well. Not only can patients opt to video with their health care providers, but some may also choose to have their vital signs monitored remotely largely patients with diabetes, hypertension or congestive heart failure, among other diagnoses. OSF drops off boxes equipped with a blood pressure cuff, a pulse oximeter for measuring oxygen in the blood, and a thermometer. All vitals except the temperature are uploaded automatically into OSF's system and observed by remote staff. A provided tablet allows the patient to track their vitals and video chat with workers before seeing a doctor or heading to the hospital with concerns. "We have had those patients where they've had a question as to whether they should go into the emergency room or not," said Beth Wharton, OSF operations manager of advanced care. "We've been able to address a concern for them right then and there, so that they didn't have to go. We've been able to connect those dots for the patient, whereas otherwise they'd be in a prompt care or they might have to go into emergency, and we want to avoid that for them if they, if we can." About 180 people mostly elderly patients are using the home-based monitoring system, including 23 in the Bloomington-Normal area. Wharton said the program has room to grow, meaning it will keep up with demand and supply of boxes won't be an issue. Junis said she believes the same thing about telehealth options in general, pointing to the brick-and-mortar building dedicated to the operation that spans the two-state health care network. "I don't think (telehealth) is going away," she said. "Consumers are going to demand it." NORMAL Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the Little Free Library is back in place on Constitution Trail, north of Shelbourne Drive, after the original was set on fire earlier this year. And the mythical phoenix decorating the sides of the new library has a message for any would-be vandals: Si libris meis nocebis caput tuum concacabo. Its the Latin version of If you mess with my books, Ill poop on your head. Karen Schmidt, a former Bloomington alderman who rides the Book Bike for the West Bloomington Revitalization Project, came up with the idea of having the phoenix hold a copy of Fahrenheit 451 a novel about book burning in its beak but said the motto was a group effort. The phrase is just something that came out of some casual conversation about what would a phoenix do if a phoenix wanted to punish somebody, she said Thursday. But we wanted to elevate that into something a little more academic and scholarly. So Schmidt, a retired Illinois Wesleyan University librarian, asked her colleague, Amy Coles, an IWU history professor who has taught the classics, to come up with the Latin phrase to add a little class and fun to the library, which is in a converted newspaper box. Meltdown Creative Works designed and created the graphics and the Friends of Constitution Trail contributed money to pay for the wrap design on the box. Bob Williams created the original library on this spot behind his backyard about six years ago. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} I just thought it was a perfect place. At that time, there were no other little libraries on the trail, said Williams. It encourages people to read. It encourages community. The concept behind Little Free Libraries is for people to take a book to read and, hopefully, replace it with another, although a replacement is not required. In fact, Williams has quite a supply of books, especially childrens books, he has picked up at garage sales or that others have given him, and he uses these to keep the library stocked. There are about 40 in Bloomington-Normal listed on the littlefreelibrary.org website. Williams said it was about 9:30 p.m. on a Friday night a few months ago when I looked out my bedroom window and saw smoke going down the trail. Then he saw flames shooting up from the location of the library box. A neighbor notified the Normal Fire Department, which put out the fire. Scorch marks can still be seen on the Little Free Library sign on the post to which the library is attached, a reminder of what happened. No one has been charged in connection with the fire. Many people contributed books to the new library. Schmidt noted that a few of the titles, Inferno, The Final Warning and A Time for Mercy, tie in well with the librarys recent history. These books kind of chose themselves, she said. Contact Lenore Sobota at (309) 820-3240. Follow her on Twitter: @Pg_Sobota Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 1 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Police say thefts of catalytic converters are on the rise across the country, and several near north suburbs haven't been spared. Over the last several weeks, local police departments have been responding to multiple reports of catalytic converters brazenly sawed off of parked cars. No arrests have yet been made. The reason for the uptick, says Park Ridge Police Department Executive Officer Tom Gadomski, is the current value of the three precious metals that are extracted from the vehicle parts and sold. "From what we're learning, the value has jumped up dramatically in price," Gadomski said of the small amount of platinum, rhodium and palladium that are contained within the catalytic converters. In Park Ridge, police have received reports of 13 catalytic converters stolen between May 1 and June 14, Gadomski said. Most appear to have been stolen during overnight or early morning hours, according to weekly police summaries. The thefts can occur rather quickly. "It can takes someone 30 seconds with a saw," Gadomski said. "They are in and out." A catalytic converter is located on the underside of the vehicle, between the engine and muffler, and it converts pollutants into less harmful gases, explained Sgt. Denise Franklin of the Skokie Police Department, which took 27 reports of catalytic converter thefts between May 1 and June 14. Thieves often use a cordless saw to remove the catalytic converters, she said. "This theft is often concealed as the thief will slide under the passenger side of the vehicle along the curb, and out of the view of passing vehicles," Franklin explained. "Offenders will park their vehicle along the curb to blend in to the neighborhood and wait a short time to make sure the area is clear." When a catalytic converter has been removed, the vehicle will make a loud roaring sound upon starting. In Park Ridge, police are seeing many hybrid vehicles targeted, Gadomski said. "Because the catalytic converters don't work as hard, the precious metals inside are in better shape and worth more money," he said. In neighboring Niles, 11 catalytic converters were reported stolen between May 1 and June 14, with Honda Accords, Honda CRVs and Toyota Prius vehicles targeted the most frequently, said Bureau Chief Nick Zakula. In Des Plaines, at least 15 incidents of catalytic converter thefts were reported to police between May 1 and June 14, said Police Cmdr. Matt Bowler, while in Glenview, seven such reports were taken by police, said Sgt. Joel Detloff. Two area communities that have not seen the same spike in thefts are Lincolnwood and Morton Grove. Police officials from both communities reported that just two catalytic converters were reported stolen in each municipality since May 1. In Lincolnwood, both cars were a Toyota Prius. It is unclear what model cars were targeted in Morton Grove. At this time, an organized task force aimed at investigating the thefts has not been formed, the suburban police officials said, but each department is continuing to share and monitor information about reported thefts in area communities, including the Northwest Side of Chicago. "We continuously monitor intelligence and crime bulletins and will follow up on any leads generated from those," said Sgt. Dennis Johnson of the Morton Grove Police Department. There are some things car owners can do to prevent becoming victims of catalytic converter theft, police officials say. Gadomski and others recommend that residents keep their cars parked inside overnight, rather than in driveways or on the street. "If you have a garage, start using it," Gadomski said. Residents with residential surveillance cameras should also aim them at their cars if they are parked outside, Gadomski recommends. The Niles Police Department also recommends parking vehicles in a garage, as well as well-lit areas and close to building entrances. Using motion-activated lights and setting car alarms to go off when vibration is detected can also deter thieves, according to the department. Detloff of the Glenview Police Department said welding the catalytic converter to the car's frame can make it harder to steal, while Deputy Chief Travis Raypole of the Lincolnwood Police Department said there are also cages that can be installed around the catalytic converter to make theft more difficult. Franklin, of Skokie, suggests car owners engrave the car's vehicle identification number (VIN) on the catalytic converter itself. "This may help alert a scrap dealer that it was stolen and make it easier to identify the owner," she said. Having police officers visibly present in the community during overnight hours can also be a deterrent, noted Johnson. Anyone who notices any suspicious activity around their vehicle or hears the sound of a loud power tool overnight should also call 911, Franklin said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SPRINGFIELD A woman who served more than 19 years in prison in connection with the 2001 Burrito Express murder in McHenry was freed Wednesday with assistance from the Springfield-based Illinois Innocence Project. Jennifer McMullan, 39, had her murder conviction and sentence vacated at a court hearing in northern Illinois. McHenry County Judge Robert Wilbrandt then allowed McMullan to plead guilty to a charge of armed violence. McMullan was sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison but was given credit for time served, opening the way to her walking out of prison. McMullan must serve a period of mandatory supervised release for up to three years. McMullan has long maintained her innocence in the crime, the shooting and killing of a restaurant owner during a botched robbery. She was convicted as the getaway driver. McMullan was 19 at the time of the incident. IIP attorneys said McMullan was intimidated and coerced into providing a false confession after nearly 15 hours of interrogation by multiple male law enforcement officers. No parent or legal representation was present during McMullan's interrogation. Stephanie Kamel, one of McMullan's attorneys at IIP, said McMullan thought she would get to go home after detailing the confession. IIP attorneys maintained at McMullan's trial law enforcement withheld extensive and credible evidence implicating an alternate suspect group, never divulging the existence of the group. The alternate suspect group repeatedly confessed to committing the crime, providing to family, friends and two different police departments critical facts about the crime only the perpetrators would know. McMullan ultimately was wrongfully convicted of first-degree murder and attempt armed robbery under the "theory of accountability," where a person can be found guilty of acts committed by others. "Jennifer has long maintained she is innocent of this crime, and the Illinois Innocence Project knows and believes her to be innocent," Kamel said. "We are glad she is finally free and reunited with her family after an almost 20-year absence." No physical evidence ever connected McMullan or her three co-defendants to the crime. Multiple rounds of DNA testing excluded McMullan and her co-defendants from handling any key pieces of evidence located at the bloody crime scene. One of those co-defendants had his conviction vacated and he was released from prison in May. IIP attorney Maria de Arteaga said the pressure, especially among young people, of giving false confessions is prevalent. Persons under the age of 18 are two to three times more likely than adults to confess to crimes they did not commit, she added. "False confessions are a significant cause of wrongful convictions," said de Arteaga. Kamel said one of the factors driving McMullan's recent decision was her father, whose health is deteriorating rapidly due to Alzheimer's disease. McMullan is the 20th client of the IIP to be released or exonerated. The IIP, founded as the Downstate Illinois Innocence Project 20 years ago, is housed in the Center for State Policy and Leadership at the University of Illinois at Springfield. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Exactly three years after Earl Little's death, his relatives and friends will gather outside the prison where he died and a southern Illinois courthouse where his sister says justice has been delayed and so far denied. Dana Caley said she and other family members are frustrated no criminal charges have been filed against the former Springfield man who shared a cell with her brother at Pinckneyville Correctional Center. And she said Perry County State's Attorney David Searby Jr. and the Illinois Department of Corrections refuse to talk with her family or answer questions. "They want us to just give up and let it go," said Caley, 40, a Quincy resident. "Our fear is no one will be prosecuted." Caley said she hopes public pressure will prompt authorities to act. Caley and other family members are convinced Mueller strangled Little. Little's ex-wife, Megan Little of Beardstown, made the same allegation in a federal wrongful-death lawsuit she filed against the prison's former warden in 2018. Megan Little dropped the lawsuit the following year. The reason for the withdrawal hasn't been disclosed. Caley said she and 10 to 15 other people will conduct a memorial service in a public parking lot outside the medium-security Pinckneyville prison at 10 a.m. July 6, and then protest outside the Perry County Courthouse in Pinckneyville 130 miles south of Springfield from 11 a.m. to noon that same day. Members of the public are welcome to join the group, she said. A public Facebook page about the events has been set up at bit.ly/EarlLittle. The memorial service is hoped to provide "some closure" for Little's family, Caley said. "This is where he spent the last few months of his life and was murdered," she said. Caley, a full-time Quincy University student and married mother of four children, said it's "ridiculous" Searby hasn't decided after three years whether to charge her 33-year-old brother's former cellmate, Daniel Mueller, 34, in connection with Little's death. "This isn't rocket science," Caley said. "Earl was strangled to death in a locked cell. The longer it is, the more likely it is that he will get away with it." Perry County officials, in response to a Freedom of Information Act request from The State Journal-Register, released heavily redacted documents on the investigation into Little's death and his autopsy at a Carbondale funeral home. Most of the text has been blacked out, but one document, dated May 21, says "the matter" was recently referred by David Searby to a state agency known as the Illinois state's attorney appellate prosecutor's office. "A review is currently underway by an experienced homicide prosecutor to determine if further investigative action is needed," the document says. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 This much is more or less undisputed: In March 2013, Sanchez Mixon was beaten on a Green Line platform in broad daylight. It was a grisly attack, Cook County prosecutors have said. They allege Anthony Jackson knocked Mixon to the ground and stomped his head repeatedly while onlookers begged him to stop. All of it was captured on CTA surveillance footage. Mixon was pronounced dead less than an hour later. Anthony Jackson has long claimed self-defense, saying Mixon threatened him physically and verbally, and on the first day of his murder trial in 2015, his brother stepped in to help represent him. The entrance of attorney George Jackson III made it a case of brother defending brother an unusual occurrence even at the Leighton Criminal Court Building, a courthouse known for high-stakes drama. Despite his brothers help, Anthony Jackson was convicted, and since then matters have only gotten stranger. George Jackson III, a former federal prosecutor, blamed a co-counsel for ineffectively representing his brother and was able to get the conviction overturned. But in the years since, he has been found in contempt of court multiple times; been reported to the state disciplinary commission twice; and was, for a time, kicked off his brothers case and barred from entering the courthouse altogether. Throughout, the lawyer Jackson has submitted a barrage of filings, some of them striking racial tones and some of them strangely sexual, filled with allegations of collusion and conspiracy, and all pointing to a deep belief that powerful people are working together to keep his brother behind bars. The case is set for trial once again on Monday. On some previous trial dates, George Jackson, mired in controversy as he fights for his brothers freedom, has simply failed to show up in court. But this time, Jackson told the judge, he will be there. An early win fades After Anthonys conviction, Jackson launched an aggressive push to get the verdict tossed out. It took two attempts before multiple different judges until November 2016, when Judge James Linn granted Anthony a new trial on the grounds that his previous attorney was ineffective. It was a nearly unheard-of effort; in general, attorneys are only given one chance to win a new trial before sentencing. But the issues were clear-cut, Linn found. Anthonys previous attorney had since had his law license suspended, and had never tried to raise the matter of Mixons criminal and mental health history, which might have bolstered Anthonys claims of self-defense. However, in the months before Linn granted a new trial, George Jackson began, from time to time, acting erratically, lacking civility, raising his voice, getting personally insulting to the court and to the States Attorneys office, Linn said in court a few months later. The matter came to a head in 2017 after George filed a violent and lurid court document in the midst of an effort to get the case in front of a different judge. He was requesting an investigation into what he called Linns inappropriate communication with prosecutors, but much of it was devoted to a lengthy hypothetical about a pedophile meth dealer named Guy Meatman Black. Jackson devoted nearly two full pages to describing, in disturbing detail, the fictional rape of a young girl while her mother looked on. The filing kick-started a chain reaction: Jackson was held in contempt of court. Prosecutors reported him to the state Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission. Ultimately, Linn kicked him off his brothers case altogether. George Jackson, what hes doing now, is not practicing law, Linn said in May 2017. He is not capable of practicing law. I do believe that hes got personal issues, hes got problems, hes paranoid. I think hes acting in bad faith. I think hes acting hatefully. Whether hes capable of practicing law at all is to be decided by some other forum. Jackson filed an appeal challenging Linns decision removing him from the case. In December 2017, he sent poinsettias and a strange note to one of the prosecutors who had handled his brothers case, referencing, among other things, contained erotica and volcanic passion. The Cook County states attorneys office went to court for a restraining order against him, saying they feared Jackson was unstable and could be dangerous. Jackson did not show up in court to answer the allegations; he later would claim that he was not properly served with papers. Since he didnt show, prosecutors won the restraining order by default, according to court records. And so Jackson, a longtime attorney, found himself prohibited from setting foot at the Leighton Criminal Court Building. Almost a year and a half later, an appellate court ruled in his favor, however, saying Linn overstepped his boundaries when he booted Jackson from the case. Still, he was left in an odd position: defending his brother in a building a judge had restricted him from entering. The case stalled out. Ultimately, the restraining order was modified such that Jackson could enter the building, but only if escorted by Cook County sheriffs. That restriction was particularly painful, George Jackson complained to Judge Ursula Walowski, who is currently presiding over the case. I cant represent him under these circumstances. I cant represent him being treated like Im a freaking slave, he said. I am an officer of the court, I am a lawyer but I come here and Im treated like the N-word. More accusations Back on his brothers case, Jackson filed a flurry of paperwork with variations on one broad theme: that he has uncovered dire wrongdoing on the part of judges and prosecutors, who in retaliation are trying to cover it up and frame Anthony for murder. To the extent that those claims of wrongdoing have been addressed, they dont appear to hold much water. For example, Jackson claims prosecutors were withholding evidence about Sanchez Mixons alleged history of serious mental health issues. In the process of arguing for a new trial, Jackson said he found records supporting his claim that Mixon suffered from mental health issues records that could strengthen Anthonys claims of self-defense. Withholding evidence favorable to a defendant would be a constitutional violation. But prosecutors said they had no knowledge of some of those records until Jackson turned them over in court during his argument for a new trial. Linn made it clear that even if prosecutors had withheld that information before Anthonys first trial, that conviction had been thrown out and they were starting anew. Linn also signed an order giving both prosecutors and defense access to Mixons protected health records. And in the years since, Jackson has apparently made no effort to admit any of the records as evidence at Anthonys future trial. He has repeatedly characterized the restraining order, which has since expired, as a modern day Emmett Till saga, and points to it as evidence of authorities collusion against him. In particular, he said, he regretted ever submitting to the sheriffs escort. Ordering a Black Man in Cook County to voluntarily submit to being placed in custody is akin to ordering a Jewish man to Take this train to mandatory summer camp, he wrote in an unsuccessful 2019 bid to remove the Cook County states attorneys office from prosecuting the case. Formal complaints Jackson has been reported to the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission twice in connection with his brothers case. Such reports are generally not public, but two claims, both from the Cook County states attorneys office, were revealed as part of other public court proceedings. Thus far, the ARDC has taken no action against Jackson, according to their website. Claims of misconduct against attorneys are kept confidential until after the ARDCs investigation is complete and formal complaints are filed. Attorneys have in the past been disciplined for outlandish behavior. Perhaps the most prominent example is Joel Brodsky, former attorney for Drew Peterson, whose law license was suspended for making baseless, vitriolic claims and his overall allegedly disruptive behavior in other cases. A spokesman for the ARDC declined to confirm, deny or comment on any claims against Jackson, saying that investigations of such grievances are confidential. Were going to try again Since Jacksons return to the case, it has proceeded in fits and starts. A jury trial was set for December 2019; Jackson did not show up in court for hours, then said he did not have all the records he needed for trial. Then COVID-19 hit, delaying the case further as courts had to figure out how to operate safely during a pandemic. Jackson even petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court on his brothers behalf, saying the states pandemic-related suspension of speedy-trial deadlines was unconstitutional. That bid was unsuccessful. Recent court proceedings have often gone one of two ways: Either Jackson would fail to show up in court particularly on dates when the case was set for trial or he would file mountains of paperwork reiterating his allegations of prejudice and conspiracy against his brother. And last month, Jacksons arguments got him held in contempt of court twice over. One instance was for a hearing in which he urged Walowski to give him the same respect she would to a white or Jewish man, and accused her of being a cheater with utter pathetic lowlife nonsense of racism in her courtroom. Another was for a lurid recent court filing, in which he criticized a female prosecutors body in explicit terms. He was ordered to appear in court earlier this month to answer to the contempt charges and then proceed to another jury trial. But he showed up an hour and a half late, after Walowski had released the potential jurors. She held him in contempt of court yet again. Two days later, she reset the trial date for Monday. Jackson said he would be there. If the trial proceeds, jurors would be expected to see the surveillance footage of Mixons beating, and hear from eyewitnesses who identified Anthony as the assailant. Jackson is again expected to argue his brother was defending himself on that L platform in 2013. Unclear is whether they would hear anything about Mixons alleged mental health issues, records of which Jackson claims to have unearthed in the course of investigating the case. In general, defense attorneys must specifically request to introduce that type of evidence at trial, and Jackson has never done so in the years since Anthony Jacksons conviction was overturned. Regardless, George Jackson said he would show up for his brothers next trial Monday. The judge would see everyone then with new jurors ready to go, she said. Were going to try again. Reached by phone Wednesday, Jackson declined to comment on the substance of the allegations against his brother, saying it would not be appropriate to discuss litigation before it happens. But he did say that Walowskis order holding him in contempt for his comments at the hearing underscores the dynamics involved in this case. A white woman had the undaunted temerity to hold a much decorated, highly respected former president of the federal bar association in Chicago in criminal contempt of court simply because I talked about the disparity of people of color, brown and Black people, Black and Hispanic are treated so disparately by the Cook County criminal court system, he said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Before thousands descended on St. Petersburg for Russias annual economic forum this month, the local governor boasted to radio listeners that no one had held a similar-scale event since the pandemic struck. A few days later, President Vladimir Putin told the audience that his country was in a better virus position than most and would quickly open to vaccine tourists. The triumphalism proved premature. Russia has seen a spike in COVID-19 cases over the past two weeks, with numbers at the highest in months and the added threat of troublesome new variants. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin declared an extended holiday to curb what he called an explosive growth in infections, and on Wednesday went further, ordering the citys service-sector and municipal employees to get vaccinated. The Kremlin has said for months that there are no plans for compulsory jabs. The problem is not the countrys vaccines, which have been available since late last year. Published data suggests theyre effective too. Rather, its the devastatingly slow pace of inoculation, undermined by a toxic mix of complacency and chronic distrust in authority. Even the flagship Sputnik V shot, which Moscow has used to bolster its standing abroad, has been met at home with skepticism. Its an embarrassment for the Kremlin, and an unwanted public reminder of the limits of its power. Russia has been hit hard by the pandemic. It revised its 2020 COVID-19 death toll higher by nearly 40% earlier this month. New cases, which have remained at more than 7,000 a day since late September, surged to near 13,400 on Wednesday. Moscow and the surrounding region accounted for more than half of the total. Yet only 10% of Russians have been fully vaccinated. In Moscow, a city of some 12 million, Sobyanin put the number of vaccinated people at more than 1.8 million. By contrast, the city of Beijing has fully vaccinated more than 80% of its adults. Russias June surge is a warning to other wealthier vaccine laggards, including Hong Kong, where mistrust in government runs high, or slow-moving Japan. But its a pricklier problem for Putin, especially ahead of September parliamentary elections. The upbeat all-is-well narrative of the past months makes it harder to convince people to get their jabs now without something of an about-turn. Its a painful own-goal for the country. Russia rushed to become the first nation to approve a COVID-19 shot, but it dragged its feet on peer-reviewed data. And while it moved swiftly to start its mass vaccination campaign, Putin didnt lead the way. When he was finally inoculated, he chose to do so behind closed doors, an uncharacteristic display of coyness. He would not, he said, be a performing monkey. Vaccines have not been a sufficiently pressing priority. Now officials will have to tolerate alternative local approaches, as in hard-hit Moscow, where Sobyanin has taken a tougher line throughout the pandemic. Ultimately, the Kremlin can silence political opponents, but it cant quash popular discontent or rapidly fix the distrust that keeps people from inoculation centers. That will have economic as well as political consequences for a country that, while its done better than many during the pandemic, is grappling with rising food prices and contracting real disposable incomes. Clara Ferreira Marques is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering commodities and environmental, social and governance issues. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 100 years ago June 19, 1921: Former BHS Principal William Wallis is back in town and will teach history at IWU. Wallis has been a Bloomington resident since 1907 but resigned from BHS to serve in the World War. He has been closely connected with statewide school interests for a long time. 75 years ago June 19, 1946: State Trooper Melvin Archer, 31, was shot and killed when two armed men resisted arrest at Paxton. Archer shot back before he died, killing one man and wounding the other. The wounded man was later killed in a gun battle with police near Gifford in Champaign County. 50 years ago June 19, 1971: The Gibson City centennial will salute Jonathan Lott, who married a lady with the surname Gibson. Lott founded the town and tried to name it Gibson, but there was already a Gibson post office in Illinois. So he added the word City to the name, and it worked out. 25 years ago June 19, 1996: F. Merle Haughawout, 87, owner of Merle Pharmacies, has died. He had three drugstores in town, starting with his buying out the former Stickrod and Mel Hayes drug stores. He was once Illinois Pharmacist of the Year and president of the state pharmacists group. Compiled by Jack Keefe; jkeefe@coldwellhomes.com. This service is a courtesy for our print subscribers to give them access to our online edition at no additional cost. If you haven't registered on the new site, you must do it now before you do anything else. Mr Alban Bagbin, Speaker of Parliament, has advised management of GIMPA to partner with internet service providers to develop on line programmes for effective and efficient teaching and learning. He said sensitivity to the needs of GIMPA's stakeholders in these times of COVID-19 was important in leveraging the internet to boost the sustainability of higher education in the country. The Speaker of Parliament said this in Accra at the GIMPA at 60 Alumni lecture on the theme, " The Sustainability of Higher Education in Post-Pandemic Times: A Celebration of GIMPA". He commended GIMPA for adapting quickly to the changing demands of teaching and learning in the context of COVID-19 Pandemic, using appropriate technology, providing the institute with a sustainable delivery of education. "GIMPA is not just another institution of learning; rather, it is one that seeks to promote the development of managerial and leadership skills and competences for persons employed in the public and private sectors and non-governmental organizations," he said. The Speaker of Parliament said todays students appeared ready to accept online and a mixed approach to learning and urged GIMPA to redefine its relationship with technology to meet the needs of stakeholders. He urged the Institute to collaborate with competitors, to build an ecosystem rather than sets of transactions and find the synergy for diversification and sustainability. This, Mr Bagbin noted, would require a reassessment of business models and how GIMPA generated value. "GIMPA must continue to explore technological options for the different aspects of teaching and learning- for the preparation of lecture notes, giving and submission of assignments, sharing of lecture notes". The World Economic Forum in 2025, shows that higher education will be a hybrid of in-person and online learning, and the Speaker of Parliament viewed that, that is the way it should be. He suggested that GIMPA must place a greater focus on its purpose and who it intended to serve because the economic sustainability of institutions of higher learning remained a challenged due to a decline in international students and a low return on investments. The 2020 QS Global International Student Survey demonstrates that international students are open to virtual learning, with 58 per cent of students declaring some level of interest in completing their courses online. However, challenges such as the strength of internet connection in local areas and the schedule time of lectures, he believed, should be looked at. He said the role of institutions of higher education in strengthening and informing education policy and practice at every level was central to reimagining education to address the challenges of COVID-19. Mr Bagbin said institutions which continue to invest in online learning in post-COVID-19 era would have access to a greater variety of student markets and could position themselves as innovation leaders. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The National Labour Commission (NLC) has urged government to continue to engage the Technical University Teachers Association (TUTAG) on review of expired conditions of service for its members. The Commission on Wednesday, June 16, 2021 met the parties and asked that the 2018/2019 Research Arrears of members of the Association be paid by the end of July, 2021. A statement issued in Accra by the Commission said the parties should continue the negotiation on the scheme of service for TUTAG and report same to the Commission within 60 days from the date of the engagement. It said the Ministry of Education should implement the tier-two pension payment for retired members of TUTAG and report same to the Commission within 60 days. The statement said the disputing parties-TUTAG and government should report the outcome of their negotiation to the Commission within 90 days. TUTAG should call off its strike for the parties to continue the negotiation in good faith with a view to reaching an agreement, it added. The issues in dispute are review of the conditions of service for TUTAG, which expired in 2006, delay and or failure by government to implement conditions of service comparable to the traditional Universities for TUTAG and 2019/2019 research allowance arrears of TUTAG members. TUTAG commenced a strike action on Monday June 14, 2021 over poor conditions of service. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former PNC General Secretary, Atik Mohammed has expressed confidence in the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), James Oppong-Boanuh. Atik Mohammed strongly believed the IGP is rather doing a better job, contrary to claims that he isn't up to task in combating crimes. A Policeman, Emmanuel Osei, on Monday, June 14, 2021, met his untimely death when robbers riding a number of motorbikes ambused a bullion van he was escorting at Jamestown. Responding to the questions on Police investigations into the incident, the IGP said, We are doing what we can to protect the people of Ghana. There is no society in the world where there is no crime. Even in the USA, UK and Sweden, where they, more or less have everything, they still have crime. The only place that doesnt have crime is heaven and we are not in Heaven." "So, if any so-called security analyst is saying that we are not on top of our game and that's why these things are happening, he does not know what he is talking about," he added after visiting the family of the deceased Police officer. The IGP has come under intense criticisms following his statements with some critics calling for his resignation. But to Atik Mohammed, "this particular IGP, I have a lot of faith in him. Look, we had all kinds of crimes going on and it was very disturbing but upon assuming office, he was able to stem some of these crimes. But these bullion attacks and murders going on, it will not be fair to say, because these are happening, so it means he is incompetent or not doing anything. No! He's effectively doing his part but crimes are sophisticated. So, we have to rally behind him''. He noted that the fight against crimes isn't the sole responsibility of the IGP but each and every Ghanaian. He stressed, "In fighting crime, you always need the support of the citizens. Intelligence is what you use to fight crime". He made these submissions during Peace FM's morning show ''Kokrokoo''. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) last year paid 3.3 billion Ghana Cedis as benefits to more than 250,000 of its members and their survivors. This was made up of more than GH2.9 billion to some 227,000 old age pensioners, GH16.3 million to some 1400 invalid pensioners, GH10 million to 192 emigrants and GH273.7 million to some 24,000 survivors and GH51.8 million in lump sums and other payments. Dr John Ofori-Tenkorang, Director-General of SSNIT, announced this in Accra, at a meeting with stakeholders to sensitise them on the merger of SSNIT numbers with the National Identification Authority (NIA) numbers of Members of the Scheme. The merger is expected to improve the ease of doing business with the Trust by enabling a convenient means to allow members to use one card, that is the Ghana Card, for all transactions. It is also in compliance with Regulation 7 (1) of the National Identity Register Regulations, 2012, L.I. 2111 and a directive from the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA). The regulation, among other things, requires the use of the Ghana Card as a means of identification for transactions pertaining to individuals in respect of pensions. Dr Ofori-Tenkorang expressed the commitment of Trust to serve the needs of its members, saying, We may not be a perfect institution, but our commitment to you is that we will always pay the benefits due you without fail. And if we are able to discharge this obligation within an atmosphere of world class service delivery, it will be the icing on the cake. The Trust is entrusted with the provision of social protection for the working population for various contingencies including old age, invalidity and death (Act 766, section 34(d)). On the merger of the SSNIT card with the NIA card, the Director-General said the Trust would create avenues for people to have it done on their phones by dialling a short code or USSD and also the SSNIT website. However, those who could not use any of those methods could walk in to any SSNIT office to be assisted to merge their numbers. The plan is that from 2022, the Ghana Card will be the only accepted means of identification required for Members to transact business with SSNIT and we believe that with your support and partnership, we can definitely achieve this goal, Dr Ofori-Tenkorang said. After the merger is done, I am optimistic it will bring down further the average 10 working days it takes for SSNIT to process and pay benefits to retirees. From July 2021, new applicants of the Scheme, he said, would be required to have Ghana Card to join it. The Trust, the Director-General said, had outlined a number of stakeholder engagements in the course of the year to ensure continuous dialogue with stakeholders and the strengthening of their partnerships. The Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah, commended the Management of SSNIT for bringing together players in the pension industry to engage on the merger to ensure a smooth transition. He noted that such a tripartite approach was the way institutions should go in promoting industrial harmony. When organisations engage stakeholders before the introduction of new programmes or initiatives, it reduces anxiety and suspicion from them, he stated. This is, particularly, important in circumstances where the relationship between employers, labour and SSNIT has not always been exactly cordial. The General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress, Dr Anthony Yaw Baah commended Dr Ofori-Tenkorang for the level of openness and inclusiveness with which he was managing the Scheme. He assured SSNIT Management of his sides readiness to partner SSNIT to enrol members of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and other informal sector worker groups onto the SSNIT Pension Scheme. The meeting was attended by Chairperson of Parliamentary Select Committee on Employment, Social Welfare and State Enterprises, Mr Philip Basoah, Chief Executive Officer of National Pensions Regulatory Authority, Mr. Hayford Atta Krufi, Executive Secretary, among others. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Mr Sarah Adwoa Safo, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, has said that the promotion of good sexual and reproductive health and rights was a critical prerequisite for human development, particularly for adolescent girls. She said sexual and gender-based violence was a major factor undermining the health, dignity, security and autonomy of victims, who are mostly women and girls. As a result, she said Government had prioritized the improvements in the health status of adolescents and children through various interventions. She said, government through the Ministry has initiated various interventions to ensure that adolescents grow up attaining their full potential and contribute meaningfully to national development." Mrs Safo said this at the National Gender Equality Clinic organized by the Ministry through its Department of Gender [DoG] with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on Friday, in Accra. She said the Clinic seeks to engage adolescents on issues of gender equality, sexual and gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health rights and provide them with the requisite information on life skills, including career development. It is also aimed at bringing change in the gender equality narrative by involving males and creating a network of adolescents to debunk gender equality myths. She said adolescence was the transitional period between childhood and adulthood with specific health and developmental needs and rights, and during this period, adolescents were at risk of substance use and abuse; unsafe sex, teenage pregnancy, and teenage parenting; school underachievement, failure, dropout and delinquency, crime, and violence. "In Ghana, adolescent girls are most vulnerable to harmful traditional and cultural practices, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) of all forms and unwanted pregnancies. " Available statistics indicated that in 2019, 14, 920 cases including rape, defilement, incest, and compulsory marriage were reported to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service. The sector Minister said the District Health Information Management system (DHIMS) of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) recorded astounding numbers of adolescent pregnancy cases in 2020 with 2,865 girls between 10 and 14 years and 107,023 girls between 15 and 19. A regional breakdown of this report across the country indicates that Ashanti, Eastern and Central regions recorded cases of 17,802, 10,865, and 10,301 respectively. "In 2020, adolescent pregnancy saw a sharp rise with thirteen (13) teenage pregnancies recorded every hour in Ghana. This change was attributed to the impact of Covid-19 pandemic. This revelation is indeed alarming and needs immediate attention." Mrs Safo said it was time to help the adolescents develop their knowledge and skills, learn to manage emotions and relationships and acquire attributes and abilities necessary to enjoy their adolescent years and assume adult roles. "It is an opportune time to inculcate the values of an equal society where males and females are seen as partners in development, as well as empower them to make informed choices about their lives." She urged adolescent parents, to take responsibility and take advantage of the natural connection they have with their children to correct, direct, discipline and advise them in love towards attaining their full potential. Ms Faustina Acheampong, Head, DoG, said the programme which brought together more than 100 youth from all the regions were part of Ghanas effort towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly goal 5, which urged state actors to achieve gender equality and empower women and girls by 2030. She said women and girls constituted more than half of the worlds population yet, they were regularly discriminated against. However, it was necessary for society to acknowledge that the potential for growth and prosperity could be achieved when women and girls were empowered and afforded equal opportunities as men and boys. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Dr Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, has reaffirmed the blocs commitment to working together to ensure the development of the West Africa subregion. Speaking at the 59th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government Summit in Accra, Dr Brou expressed gratitude to ECOWAS leaders for their efforts towards regional integration. Dr Brou also expressed gratitude to them for their support to all ECOWAS Institutions in the discharge of their mission. The Summit, which was formally opened by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, is being attended by the ECOWAS Member States, except Mali, due to a military coup d'etat. Mr Brou paid special tribute to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, for his continued commitment and support in the implementation of the major integration projects of ECOWAS. On the political front, the ECOWAS Commission President said the subregion had just completed an electoral cycle with seven presidential elections and several legislative elections in 14 months, following the constitutional timetable of the Member States concerned, thus strengthening their democratic gains. He noted, however, the socio-political crisis in Mali remained a concern given the risks of instability for that country and the Region. "It is, therefore, imperative that the decisions you took at the Extraordinary Summit in Accra on 31 May 2021 are implemented, particularly about adhering to the 27 February 2022 date for presidential elections," he said. He said under their instructions at the Extraordinary Summit of 2 February 2021, a draft ECOWAS Institutional Reform would be submitted to ECOWAS leaders. He said the reform aimed at strengthening the efficiency of ECOWAS Institutions and streamlining their operating costs. Mr Brou said this draft was considered during an extraordinary session of the Council of Ministers, the conclusions of which would be presented to ECOWAS leaders. He said following a one percent decline in 2020, the subregion should return to positive economic growth in 2021, projected at 3.4 percent, the same level as the pre-COVID period. He noted that, however, this growth was still unsatisfactory and would remain below the average for the continent. "We must, therefore, continue to increase public and private investment in infrastructure and human capital," he said. To this end, the concrete implementation of the conclusions of the Paris Summit on the Financing of African Economies as well as the G20 Initiative on debt treatment beyond the debt service suspension was urgently required. He said in terms of intra-regional trade, which had been greatly affected by border closures and COVID-19, he welcomed the reopening of the borders between Nigeria and Benin and Niger, and between Guinea and Sierra Leone. "We also welcome the signing of an Agreement this morning for the reopening of the border between Senegal and Guinea," Mr Brou said. "We hope that a solution will be found on the closure of the border between the Guinea, and Senegal and the Guinea Bissau." Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Three of the four young men recently seen in a viral Video brandishing guns have been arrested by the police in the Ashanti Region. The police have asked the public to help provide information on their criminal activities. A fourth person in the video is being looked for by the police. They are currently in police custody pending further investigation. The Deputy Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP David Agyeman Adjem said the police is appealing to the public to provide any information of criminal activities against them. Already, the young men, one of whom has been identified as Obour has been explaining on social media that they are not criminals. Obour said the video doing the rounds on social media was recorded a long time ago and that it happened in Wa in the Upper West Region. According to him, they were engaged in small scale mining (galamsey) and were involved in an altercation with a rival group and after overpowering the rival group, they brandished the guns on social media. more to follow... Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Commissioner of Police (COP), Mr George Alex Mensah, Director-General in charge of Services has asked family members of the personnel of the Ghana Police Service to avoid engaging the officers in land litigations, inter-community conflicts, and chieftaincy. He also advised them to desist from the unnecessary comparison of the wealth and success of their members to others, as that could lead them into temptations. Mr Mensah who advised a passing-out parade of 357 Police recruits in Ho, implored family members of officers to ensure that their financial demands on them were also measured. He said it was a privilege for one to have his or her relations serving in the Police Service, as the benefits the family stood to gain cannot be overemphasized. COP Mensah said Police officers in recent times have become paralegals, providing good counsel to families and communities, which in most instances prevented and solved many problems affecting families and communities. He, however, said some misconduct exhibited by some officers could be traced to some unnecessary pressure and demand exerted on them by their families. Mr Mensah urged the public to continue supporting the Service, saying the battle against crime required a concerted effort and "to win the fight against crime Police tactical actions was needed to be supplemented by the public." COP Mensah commended the graduands for their tenacity of purpose, comportment, and discipline displayed during the period of their training. He charged them to maintain and take every necessary step to improve upon the standard of discipline and professional policing performance they acquired. Out of the 2,009, recruits nationwide, General Recruit, Wonder Segbedzi from the Ho Police Training School emerged the overall best, obtaining 92 per cent mark of the Police Administration standardized assessment examination. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Mr Alex Sackey, the Eastern Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has called on the public to cooperate with the Population and Housing Census (PHC) enumerators to generate reliable data. He said the national exercise hinged on the efficiency of the enumerators and the cooperation of the public; both Ghanaians and foreigners. Mr Sackey said this at a stakeholders meeting in Koforidua as part of the NCCEs public education exercise to achieve success in the 2021 PHC. The public education exercise is being organised throughout the country to raise awareness about the Census. It includes house-to-house education, meeting with organizations, groups, use of Community Information Centres to reach members, and radio and television broadcasts. The 2021 PHC, on the theme; You count; get counted, began on Sunday, June 13, 2021, with the listing of structures by the enumerators. Mr Sackey said the census, which was conducted once every ten years, was a vital tool for national development because it was the basis for planning. Census data aids in the planning of government budgets at all levels, monitoring of the progress of development targets and monitoring of trends in the economic wellbeing of the population, he said. It is also used in measuring the living conditions and quality of life of the population using the information on household ownership of assets. Others are the provision of data to guide policies to reduce inequality across various sections of society, obtaining information on the labour force distribution in the various industries and provision of data on employment status to inform labour policies. Mr Sackey urged Ghanaians to take special note of the census night because it was the reference point of the exercise and wherever people spent that night was of utmost importance. He said the census was not meant for Ghanaians alone but all people living within the boundaries of Ghana on the Census Night, June 27, would be captured. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban S. K. Bagbin has expressed the commitment of the legislature to the attainment of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Speaker said Parliament would soon approve amendments to the current standing orders of the house which would open up the standing committees for broader engagements including issues bordering on the country's attainment of the SDGs. The Speaker was addressing heads of UN Agencies in the country in Parliament Wednesday. The delegation was led by Mr Charles Abran, the UN Resident Coordinator. The delegation called on the Speaker to, among other things, discuss Parliament's role in serving as a catalyst to achieving SDGs and shaping a new framework of cooperation between the country and the UN. The UN Resident Coordinator noted that the COVID-19 pandemic had taught the world an important lesson, that a network multilateralism was required to achieving the SGDs and peace. He pledge the support of the UN to work closely with Parliament to address the many challenges confronting Ghanaians, particularly the protection for the marginalised and vulnerable in society. The UN stands ready to support with the principal objective of enabling Ghana realise its ambition of a prosperous inclusive, democratic and egalitarian state, building forward positively and confidently, he said. The Speaker announced Parliament's readiness to pass into law, the Affirmative Action Bill which was currently before cabinet. He, however, cautioned that passing the law alone would not be enough to achieving the recommended 30 per cent representation of women in governance and reiterated the need for further education on the subject. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Minority Leader of Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu has been chastised by the Deputy General Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Obiri Boahene for blaming President Akufo-Addo for the recent attacks on the Police officers in the country. The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu in a press conference on Tuesday, June 15, 2021, has blamed the President for the recent attacks on Police officers in the country. A 25-year old Police officer named Emmanuel Osei was shot dead by armed robbers when they attacked a bullion van at Jamestown on Monday, June 14. The Police officer and a trader were killed on the spot by the robbers while the driver survived by gunshot wounds. Commenting on Okay FMs 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show, the Deputy Chief Scribe of the ruling NPP admonished the Minority in Parliament for politicizing crime issues in the country as the same bravado and impunity took place under former President Mahama administration. . . at your time, the same exhibition of bravado and impunity took place. The killing of people in broad daylight did not start from the era of Nana Addo and it will not stop there. So if you get Hon Haruna Iddrisu saying that all the criminal activities going on indicate that Nana Addo has failed, it is sad," he slammed. We should not introduce politics into such a serious issue. Hon. Haruna Iddrisu is a senior lawyer and you have been a responsible and respectable character in the Parliament of Ghana. We dont talk like that and when we are engaging in the dramatization of politics, leave it to the small boys in politics, he added. He further cautioned the Minority Leader of Parliament to be mindful of his utterances as Ghanaians listen with rapt attention whenever he speaks to issues in this country. He, however, added that the Inspector General of Police has done no wrong in this recent attacks on the Police officers to warrant his dismissal from office as the Minority in Parliament and some section of Ghanaians are demanding. He was of the view that, we can do better in this country and if we compare this country to other African countries in terms of crime rate, Ghana is far ahead of others. Watch video below Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former US President, Donald Trump has reacted to Joe Biden's summit with Russian president Vladmir Putin in Geneva. Trump joined Fox News "Hannity" on Thursday, June 17, for an exclusive and wide-ranging interview, hours after President Biden held a closed-door summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Geneva, Switzerland. Trump told host Sean Hannity he is upset that Biden didn't score any wins during the summit, while in claiming Putin and Russia came out tops. Trump highlighted the fact Biden stood by his decision to assent to the NordStream II pipeline's completion while canceling a Canadian-American pipeline project. He said Russia will receive an undue windfall from oil sales to Germany while Chancellor Angela Merkel continues to underpay her country's own dues to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which balance will instead continue to be subsidized by the United States. "We gave a very big stage to Russia, and we got nothing. We gave up something that was unbelievably valuable. I stopped the pipeline, NordStream II, and the pipeline was stopped, and it was given back [to Germany and Russia] and nothing was gotten for it," Trump said. "I think it was a good day for Russia. I don't think we got anything out of it." Hannity went on to point out Biden's near-simultaneous canceling of the North American pipeline and approval of the North Sea connection killed as many as 10,000 U.S. jobs "with the stroke of a pen" With reports also circulating about Biden's 51-year-old son Hunter's purportedly lucrative business deals in Russia and Ukraine, Hannity asked Trump what would happen if his own son Donald Jr. was being scrutinized for business dealings in Russia/Ukraine while he as the president made policy decisions that benefitted Moscow. "Well, you just have to read the news," replied Trump. "For five years, from the day I came down the escalator, we have been under investigation, and it turned out to be all full stuff. It was a terrible thing with the Russia, Russia, Russia, which actually made it difficult to deal with Russia," he said. "It was a phony deal created by [California Rep. Adam] Schiff and [Hillary] Clinton and all of these people. It was a disgrace, an absolute disgrace that it should happen, and it really was dangerous and very bad for our country." Trump added that Hunter Biden was reportedly paid $183,000 per month for being a member of the board of a Ukrainian energy company. "But he admits that he knows nothing about energy. The whole thing is just terrible. The money from Russia, $3.5 million from the wife of the former mayor of Moscow," he said. When asked about whether Biden is showing signs of frailty as of late, with host Sean Hannity pointing to public statements where the 78-year-old Delaware Democrat appears to lose his train of thought, Trump said the current President's age should not be a problem. "[H]is age is not the problem," said Trump, who himself turned 75 this week. Trump said his good friend and Home Depot co-founder Bernard Marcus is 92 and still at "100 percent." "Look, I hope [Biden] has no problems. I want him to do well. I want him to go out and do well. I think the election was unbelievably unfair, but I want this guy to go out and do well for our country." Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Thank you for reading the Philadelphia Tribune. You have exhausted your free article views for this month. Please press the "subscribe" button below and see our introductory price of $0.25 per week for 13 weeks. Otherwise, we look forward to seeing you next month. Michael Coard, Esq. can be followed on Twitter, Instagram, and his YouTube channel as well as at AvengingTheAncestors.com. His Radio Courtroom show can be heard on WURD 96.1 FM or 900 AM. And his TV Courtroom show can be seen on PhillyCAM/Verizon Fios/Comcast. The views expressed in this column are not necessarily those of The Philadelphia Tribune. Hands of the Week: Katz Turns Straight Flush, Petrangelo Nearly Finds Fold June 19, 2021 Chad Holloway PokerNews is known throughout the world for our industry-leading live updates for both live and online events. In fact, right now we're offering various updates right here. Over the years, weve captured memorable hands, many of which have become a part of poker history. In this new column, we will bring you some of the biggest hands of the week as reported in the PokerNews Live Updates. Remember, if youre playing an event PokerNews is covering, you can get in the updates via the MyStack App. You can download the app for iPhone or Android now to get started. Then, create a new PokerNews account or update your current one to start updating your status immediately. Your followers can see all the live action that you're involved in. Click here to download the My Stack app for iPhone, or click here to download the My Stack app for Android. Petrangelo Nearly Finds Fold This hand was actually captured by our friends over at Poker Central, who were live reporting Event #9: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em of the 2021 US Poker Open. As the final table neared, the board read when Nick Petrangelo bet 380,000 and left himself 250,000 behind. Cary Katz, the only other player in the hand and holding the bigger stack, raised all in and action was back on Petrangelo, who his the tank. He burned through four time extensions before calling off with the for the second-nuts. Unfortunately for him, it was no good as Katz rolled over the for a straight flush! Petrangelo, who was clearly considering a fold, wound up busting in 12th place for $19,800. Song Hits Runner-Runner Boat Stephen Song On Day 1b of the MSPT Venetian $1,600 Main Event, it was Level 9 (500/1,000/1,000) when the player in the lojack opened to 2,600 and was called by Stephen Song on the button. The flop came and Song called a 3,500 from his opponent. The came on the turn and Song called another bet from his opponent this time for 8,400. The completed the board and Song's opponent slowed down and checked, prompting an all in from Song for 20,500. Song's opponent went deep into the tank but eventually put in calling chips. Song revealed for a runner-runner full house and his opponent showed for a flopped (but then counterfeited) two pair and mucked. Aces No Good For Affleck Matt Affleck In the same tournament a little while later on Day 1b, it was Level 12 (1,000/2,000/2,000) when Matt Affleck opened to 4,500 from the lojack and action folded to the player in the small blind, who three-bet to 12,000. It was then folded back to Affleck, who smooth called. Affleck's opponent continued for 13,500 on the flop and Affleck called. The small blind then shoved for a bit less than 100k when the came in on the turn. Affleck called instantly for less to put himself at risk. Affleck: Small blind: The small blind had flopped two-pair and had Affleck drawing slim. The river sealed Affleck's fate and he was sent to the rail. Sneideman's Kings Can't Outstand Three Way All-in Michael Sneideman On Day 2 of the RunGood Poker Series all Stars Jamul Casino $575 Main Event, it was Level 17 (4,000/8,000/8,000) when When PokerNews made it to table three players were all-in including Sneideman with . He was in a great spot to triple up, though that's not how things would go down. Michael Sneideman: Opponent: Opponent 2: Board: With the ace in the window, Sneideman knew he needed help but it, unfortunately, did not come. Sneideman finished in 63rd place for $1,000. Miholich Shows the Bluff Kyle \"Jackinthebox\" Miholich On Day 1c of the RGPS Jamul Main Event, it was Level 9 (600/1,200/1,200) when Kyle Miholich was the first to the pot preflop with a raise to 3,000. Action folded around to the big blind and a call was announced. Flop: After being checked to, Miholich continued to show aggression with a bet of 2,100 and was called rather quickly. Turn: Maybe it was the jack on the turn that inspired Miholich to continue as he pushed forward a bet of 3,900. The big-blind player quickly folded, and Miholich, who is famous for often playing in the $10,000 buy-in WSOP Main Event while wearing a suit and extra-large Jack In The Box mask/helmet from the fast-food establishment, turned his cards over and tossed them forward. Miholich: Miholich had just the flush draw and made eye contact with his opponent and sorta shrugged with a "What else could I do?" look on his face. To see what all PokerNews is live reporting today, simply click here. *Lead image courtesy of PokerGO. U.S. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn has asked congressional appropriators to fully fund a so-called payment in lieu of tax for the Savannah River Site, after the Biden administration proposed stripping millions of dollars from the account that directly benefits Aiken, Allendale and Barnwell counties. The congressman said Friday he would continue to advocate for that funding as the federal budget takes shape and is, ultimately, passed. As the third-ranking Democrat, Clyburn has pull. I have long advocated for the funding that meets the needs of the local communities around the Savannah River Site, Clyburn said in a statement to the Aiken Standard, further describing PILT payments as essential to the provision of government services in the three counties occupied by the 310-square-mile nuclear reservation. The fiscal year 2022 budget request for the Department of Energys cleanup office, Environmental Management, cuts $5.7 million in payment-in-lieu-of-tax funds for the Savannah River region. The money for years distributed to Aiken, Allendale and Barnwell counties supports education efforts, infrastructure projects and emergency services, among other things. Barnwell County traditionally receives the lions share of PILT money in the Palmetto State; the county comprises most of the Savannah River Site, where plutonium for U.S. nuclear weapons was produced and where millions of gallons of nuclear waste are now stored. Barnwell County Council member Ben Kinlaw has described the federal payout as sort of like the sacred cow. Its a legacy thats been there for a long time, and certainly the communities have relied on it and used it for very good purposes, said Jim Marra, the executive director of Citizens for Nuclear Technology Awareness, a nonprofit. It really is impactful to everyone, especially Barnwell County. Supporting documents for the latest budget request do not explain why PILT payments were cut for South Carolina. (PILT money, $3.5 million, for the Hanford site in Washington was also slashed in the Environmental Management spending plan.) An Energy Department spokesperson earlier this week said the Biden administration is deeply committed to working with the Savannah River community and other communities who have been adversely effected by the legacy of DOE weapons and research missions. The spokesperson said the department will work with appropriate congressional and agency staff to support these communities moving forward. Lawmakers have the power to add back the payment in lieu of tax for the Savannah River Site. U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., said he, too, would work to restore the funding. With the site continuing to grow with new missions, taking money out of local school districts will have a direct impact on the future workforce needs of the site, Wilson said Tuesday. I plan to work with Congressman Jim Clyburn and my Senate colleagues to reinstate these payments throughout the congressional appropriations process. Providing his 7-year-old daughter, Skylar, with lots of love and support is Christopher Emanuels No. 1 priority. Out of everything I do, the most important role I have is being a dad, he said. Its my responsibility to give my daughter the tools and the resources that she needs to combat the challenges that shell face. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Emanuel, 31, almost didnt get the opportunity to raise his child, and hes made it a point to tell others about his fight for legal custody so theyll know what to do if they face the same situation. Most recently, Emanuel was featured on Honoring Our Kings: OWN Celebrates Black Fatherhood, which premiered June 15 on the Oprah Winfrey Network. He also has appeared on ABCs Nightline news program. In addition, Emanuel was the subject of a story in The Atlantic magazine, and The New York Times published his opinion piece about the rights of fathers. I always knew I would be a great dad, but I didnt know what I would have to go through to be a great dad, Emanuel said. He met Skylars mother in 2012 when they both were driving forklifts at a warehouse in Trenton. They were friends to begin with and then a romance blossomed. After she became pregnant, Emanuel went with her to the doctor. We were prepared in my mind, from what I knew at the time to take care of our child together, Emanuel said. Things changed, however, after his girlfriends family learned about their relationship. When her parents found out I, a Black guy, was the father, they wanted her far away, Emanuel told the Aiken Standard in 2015. Shes a white woman, Im Black and when they called me a (racial slur), that was like being punched in the gut. Ive never encountered racism like that, ever. In the months that followed, Emanuels girlfriend became more distant, but the couple continued to communicate by email, Facebook and telephone. Even though Emanuel was concerned, he didnt panic and kept hoping for the best. Meanwhile, their daughter was born on Feb. 11, 2014, but Emanuels girlfriend didnt let him know. I was deceived, he said. On Feb. 22, a private investigator served Emanuel at his home with notice papers stating that he was the putative father of a female child that had been put up for adoption. It was a Saturday. Two days later, Emanuel drove to Greenville County, where the adoption proceeding had been filed, to launch a legal battle to halt the process and gain custody of his daughter. Because he wasnt married to Skylars mother, Emanuel knew it wasnt going to be easy. In unethical and predatory adoptions, he said, 99% of the (biological) dads lose. There wasnt anybody I could talk to or speak with that had been successful. But I wore Gods armor. I kept my faith. I had my familys support. And I knew who I was. The only way I wasnt going to get my child was if I didnt want to have my child, he continued. Nobody could take care of her better than me, so I fought and I won. I beat the odds. When Emanuel looks back on the experience, he describes it as an awakening. It also was an inspiration because it motivated Emanuel to establish the Sky Is The Limit Foundation, which focuses on educating single fathers about their parental rights. Included on the organizations website is information about the South Carolina Department of Social Services Responsible Father Registry and similar registries in other states. South Carolinas version gives single men who have fathered a child the right to be notified when an adoption or a termination of parental rights action occurs. Emanuel signed up prior to Skylars birth. I was ultimately able to intervene (in her adoption), and that is a major part of why I was successful, he said. To help fund Sky Is The Limit, Emanuel created NoDeadbeats Imprint LLC, a clothing company that promotes parental responsibility. Clothes are probably the worlds biggest conversation starter, Emanuel said. Born in Augusta and raised in Aiken, Emanuel graduated from Aiken High School and was a state champion in the long jump. He attended Chattahoochee Technical College in Marietta, Georgia, and had plans to transfer to Kennesaw State University, another school in the Peach State. But Emanuel developed a serious condition that threatened his life. He had to undergo surgery because of a pseudoaneurysm in one of his carotid arteries. There was a knot protruding on the side of my neck, Emanuel said. When I went to the doctor, I was diagnosed with a cervical strain. But I was persistent. I followed up. They sent me to get a scan and from there, they found the pseudoaneurysm. The arterys wall was injured, and blood was leaking from it into the surrounding tissue. They took 7 inches of the artery out and stretched it back together, Emanuel said. I had to rebuild the way I think. I had to strengthen my memory and my speech. I didnt know what I was capable of at that point. I just wanted to move home and find my purpose. Skylars birth pointed the way as Emanuel developed an action plan for the future. In addition to spreading the word about the parental rights of single fathers, Emanuel serves as the director of Second Baptist Churchs Teen After School Center, which has around 100 participants. He is a dynamic leader who is passionate about helping kids that may need extra help at home and at school, said Teresa Haas, who got to know Emanuel through the Rotary Club of Aikens Mentoring Committee, which she chairs. He is enthusiastic about what he does and is an excellent role model, she continued. Christopher believes every child deserves the opportunity to be successful. For some students, it may not be the traditional path, and that is where Christopher is making a huge difference. Im confident that many kids would have dropped out of school or gotten into trouble were it not for his guidance and help. Emanuel also is Second Baptists youth specialist and has developed various programs to engage and communicate with young people. In addition, Emanuel hosts a radio talk show on WNRR Gospel 1380 AM in North Augusta and is an ambassador for True to Your S.O.L.E., a community outreach program that distributes school supplies, shoes and scholarships to students in need. Recently, I became a national trainer for the One Circle Foundation, Emanuel said. That organization, according to its website, promotes resiliency and healthy development in children, adolescents, families, adults and communities. Emanuel is committed to remaining in Aiken and raising his daughter here. There are so many strengths in our community, he said. It a place of entrepreneurship, a place of business. The space were in is nonjudgmental and its so diverse. People arent afraid to be their authentic selves. Seeing Aiken thrive is my satisfaction. Charleston, SC (29403) Today Scattered thunderstorms. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 84F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 72F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Youre seeing The Post and Courier's weekly real estate newsletter. Receive all the latest transactions and top development, building, and home and commercial sales news to your inbox each Saturday here. Kiawah Island posted record $205M in Q1 sales The wealthy are not sitting on the sidelines in the hot real estate market. On the gated community of Kiawah Island that hugs the Atlantic Ocean, residential sales set another record in the first quarter of 2021, continuing the trend for all of 2020. Kiawah Island Real Estate, which handles the majority of sales on the island, reported $205 million in sales and 177 transactions handled by all firms on the seaside resort town. That's a 176 percent surge in sales volume and 181 percent spike in transactions over the first quarter of 2020, when the coronavirus first disrupted the economy. Measured against the coronavirus-free first three months of 2019, the first quarter accounted for a 250 percent jump in transactions and 297 percent growth in sales volume. For Kiawah Island Real Estate, the firm generated $152 million in sales across 118 transactions. That's a 237 percent leap in the number of sales versus the same quarter last year and a 337 percent rise over the same period in 2019. Like most residential real estate markets across the U.S., the island's inventory of properties for sale is down to a record low 2.7 percent. Just 13 villa and cottage properties were on the market in late May, or 0.8 percent of all stock in that segment. Last year at the same time, 98 properties were available. During the first quarter, the most expensive house sold and handled by Kiawah Island Real Estate was the $7.3 million sale of a four-bedroom, four-bathroom ocean and marsh view home at 4 Ocean Course Drive. Want to receive this newsletter in your inbox every Saturday? Sign up for free. Sign up for our real estate newsletter! Get the best of the Post and Courier's Real Estate news, handpicked and delivered to your inbox each Saturday. Email Sign Up! The 264-unit, recently built Mason Apartments in Ladson recently changed hands as American Landmark Apartments bought the property from New York-based Monday Properties. By the numbers 33: Number of dealerships now in Hudson Automotive Group after the Charleston-based company bought a site in Alabama recently. Another is on the way to Summerville. 4,800: Square footage of the new alcoholic beverage store, Gibby's Bottle Shop, set to open June 22 in St. Andrews Center in West Ashley. 7,474: Square footage of the Chinese restaurant that closed recently in St. Andrews Center in West Ashley. This week in real estate + Protecting airspace: Charleston airport officials agreed to pay a landowner about $1.5 million June 15 to settle a lawsuit over the proposed development of a 4-acre tract of land near the end of one of the runways. + Adding space: South Carolina developers scramble to boost the number of warehouse and distribution sites to handle surge in e-commerce imports. + Managing water: Charleston may update its zoning to account for flooding and sea-level rise. A New Jersey investor recently paid $7.6 million for part of the Promenade at Northwoods Shopping Center on Rivers Avenue that houses Hobby Lobby and Boot Barn. Provided photo Did a friend forward you this email? Subscribe here. Craving more? Check out all of the Post and Courier's newsletters here. The minivan slips into a parking lot where a White woman hops out to hug a Black woman. Roughly the same age, they hail from opposite sides of the history they are about to confront. For 18 months, as COVID-19 derailed their plans, the women have waited for this moment. They shove suitcases in the trunk, buckle up side-by-side, then hit the interstate. The coming journey will take them from Charleston, the port city where about 40 percent of captive Africans arrived, to Georgia and Alabama, where many of those enslaved people toiled in bondage. They plan to stop at key civil rights sites with a simple, yet complicated, goal: to better understand how racism became rooted so deeply that it can feel impossible to weed out. Both are native South Carolinians, both raised during segregation. But each carries that history in her own way. Margaret Seidler, the White woman, grew up in the country club set of Charleston. She thought her family arrived after the Civil War, but recent genealogy research revealed otherwise: Her ancestors include the worst of the city's slave traders. Polly Sheppard, the Black woman, survived a violent eruption of modern-day racism. On June 17, six years ago almost to the day, a white supremacist sat in on Bible study at Emanuel AME Church and, after almost an hour, opened fire. He killed nine of her friends and pastors because of their race, then spared her so that she could tell the story of what he'd done. The murderer had hoped outrage over his actions would prompt a return to segregation. Instead, the two women met because of it. Down South Carolina's country roads, they head first to Montgomery, Ala. As the hours go by, and the fields of corn and soybean pass, they share stories. Polly describes growing up in Florence, picking cotton each fall, tobacco in summers. She graduated high school in 1963 the year 11 Black students desegregated schools in Charleston, officially making South Carolina the last state to do so. Florence, like most districts in the state, didnt follow suit until 1970. Polly was well into her long nursing career by then. Margaret attended the private, all-girl Ashley Hall then the newly integrated Charleston High. All right, folks! her husband Bob calls from the drivers seat. Were in Alabama. Not 10 minutes later, they pass a sign for Dixie General Store, then a large Confederate flag flying atop a pole. Five smaller iterations of it follow. Polly peers out the window. Look at that. Margaret shakes her head. "I'm sorry." Then and now In Birmingham, they stay in a hotel near the 16th Street Baptist Church, where Ku Klux Klan members planted a bomb that killed four little girls one Sunday in 1963. The church anchors an intersection with a history that still haunts America. Four months before the bombing, the nation watched uniformed men blast children, who were protesting segregation, with high-powered fire hoses. Police dogs snapped at their young bodies. Margaret hops from the van and faces the park where it happened. The church rises beside her as they head into the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, which opened in 2017. Polly slips in unrecognized, as she wants. The exhibit hall greets visitors with two old water fountains. One labeled colored resembles a rusty urinal. The other looks clean and modern. Margaret gestures toward them. This is what I had growing up. Wheres our civil rights museum in Charleston? Nobody answers, because there isnt one. Around a few bends, they stop at the metal bars of a jail cell. A month before the children marched, police arrested Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. While locked up, he wrote his famous Letter from a Birmingham Jail. When Margaret and Polly read that King was arrested and jailed that day for parading without a permit, Margarets eyes widen. Justin Hunt, she says. Justin Hunt! Hunt, a 31-year-old Charleston activist, was arrested in April after protesting police brutality. His charges? Disorderly conduct and failure to get a permit for a protest. The two women look at each other. That is the same exact thing, Margaret says. Polly's lips press together. It goes around, she says. As the women meander separately, Margaret arrives at an exhibit detailing a list of requests Black leaders sent White ones following police attacks on the protestors. They sought things like police sensitivity training, improved police-community relations and a citizen review board. This is just like she trails off. She thinks about the Illumination Project, which she helped found and facilitate after the Emanuel massacre and the shooting death of Walter Scott by a White police officer in North Charleston. Illumination Project leaders presented officials with 86 strategies for improving police-community relations. Major goals? Police training, improved police-community trust and a police-citizen advisory counsel. Margaret joins her husband on a bench in the lobby and tears up. I dont want to die and not have some kind of substantial shift, she says. Polly lingers, reading about John Lewis and former President Barack Obama, and then walks down a long hall toward the lobby. When she gets there, a mural of George Floyd's face stares back at her. She stops, a short woman before the large image. Polly raised four sons. She cared for Black men locked up in jail. She survived a White mans hate. As she ducks into the gift shop, Floyds image lingers. Bonds of friendship After lunch, they head to Montgomery. The women reminisce about Charleston of old, although they didn't meet until shortly after the church shooting when Margaret spearheaded a tribute to those killed. Just weeks later, on the exact same Sunday, they both happened to walk into Mount Zion AME Church. Margaret, outraged by the massacre, had decided to cross the weeks most segregated hour and join a Black church. Polly arrived seeking support and a house of worship where she didnt see the bodies of her old friends and pastors every time she went to the kitchen or restroom. They became friends. About six months later, Polly and fellow shooting survivor Felicia Sanders got an invite: Would they speak at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia? Polly said no. She couldnt possibly address such a huge crowd. But Margaret had taught public speaking for years. She offered help. In her kitchen, she gave some advice: Plant your feet. Balance your weight. Clench your glutes. When she got onstage, Polly planted her feet. She balanced her weight. She looked at the teleprompter. To heal, we must forgive, she began. Her voice sounded strong. She felt strong. She mentioned the shooter. So much hate. Too much. But as Scripture says, she waved her glasses, love never fails. So. I. Choose. Love! The glasses came down with each word. Together we can fight for that change! Together we can heal! Together we can love! The crowd roared. In the van, Margaret imitates with flourish: Together! The women howl with laughter. Then Margaret remembers what courage the moment required. She leans over to whisper, That had to be so scary. Marking history The next day, they arrive at The Legacy Museum, which opened in 2018 to expose the historical pipeline from enslavement to mass incarceration. It is run by the Equal Justice Initiative, which provides legal representation to prisoners, especially those who might have been wrongly convicted. Polly worked as a nurse at the Charleston County jail for 14 years. She cares deeply about these issues. The trio steps inside the museum, greeted by a sign that notes: You are standing on a site where enslaved people were warehoused. Nearby, a map plots slave investors offices around the immediate area. It reminds them of Broad Street in Charleston, where Margaret discovered one of her ancestors ran an auction house that sold upward of 10,000 human beings. She recently got a marker put there, but laments that Charleston otherwise lacks such openness about its history. How did Montgomery come to do so much better? Yesterday, they stopped at a sign outside EJI's office that explains 164 slave traders operated in the city between 1848 and 1860. Many worked on the street where they stood. Margaret's dream is to erect these kinds of markers around Charleston. But she isn't exactly sure how to do it. Moving through time, from haunting holograms of enslaved people for sale, they pass postcards featuring Black people hanged in extrajudicial executions. Photographs show the mass arrests of non-violent civil rights protesters. And then, the modern eras war on drugs and mass incarceration of Black men. Polly worked at the jail during that war on drugs. It all feels very personal. She walks to an interactive exhibit of all documented lynchings from 1877 to 1950. Its searchable by state and county. Charleston County shows four, all men killed in the 1919 race riot downtown. Polly is dubious that the number is only four. Her home county of Florence lists nine. In all, the museum has documented 189 across South Carolina. A woman standing beside her begins to cry. The whole truth That afternoon, they sit on firm black couches in EJIs lobby. Before leaving Charleston, Bob emailed its staff letting them know Polly would be in town and would love to meet Bryan Stevenson, the lawyer of Just Mercy fame who is its founder and director. Trey Walk, a friendly man with the title of justice fellow, greets them. In a conference room, Bob explains their road trip. Margaret asks about all the markers in town. Walk outlines EJIs Community Remembrance Project, which has placed more than 40 markers at sites of racial violence. You need to learn the history you havent been taught, he says. Polly nods. Its important to tell the truth. The whole truth, Margaret adds. Suddenly, the conference room door opens. And there stands Stevenson, a trim man with a boyish smile. Hello, hello! he says. Thank you, thank you for coming. He beelines to Polly and hugs her. I read about you and what youve said and what youve done," he says. "I am just so grateful for your peace and your love and your heart. It really moves me. It inspires me. We are just honored to have you here honored. Margaret claps. Polly thanks him. They talk about the plaques around town. When he moved to Montgomery, he says, the city had 59 Confederate markers and monuments. He couldnt find the word slave anywhere. We always tell people that we have to tell the truth, he says. The truth is not always comfortable. Its not always popular. Its not always easy. But we have to tell the truth. Before he leaves, Polly asks him to sign her copy of his book. He opens the cover, and the room falls silent. To Polly Sheppard, An amazing human being who has inspired me and millions of others. Thank you for your hope and your witness! Polly chuckles with delight. They hug again. When the trio departs, Margaret bounds across the street toward their hotel, promising: Im ready to open Charleston up! Polly laughs. I can see them running you out on a rail. Arm-in-arm, they enter their hotel. Uneven progress The last time Polly walked on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, it was 2017, and John Lewis was there. That meant hordes of other people were, too, all walking toward a press conference at the top. This time, she wants to cross it on her own terms. Rain pummels the van during the hour-long drive to Selma, and it doesn't cease when they arrive. They have brought umbrellas, but Polly is 76, and Margaret worries about her friends balance on the slick uphill walk. Plus, they have checked out of their hotel. If they get soaked, a three-hour drive to Atlanta looms ahead. They cruise across the rusty white bridge, then pull over. After travelling more than 500 miles to this apex of their journey, they all wonder: What if the rain doesn't ease up? Bob reads aloud a description of the 1965 "Bloody Sunday" march, when troopers beat Lewis and other protestors on the bridge. As he does, the rain lightens. It stops. They zoom back to the bridge and park on the main street, lined with timeworn buildings, then step outside. The bridge, named for one of Alabamas most famous racists, rises ahead. It looks fairly small, given the enormity of what it represents. Heavy traffic barrels over its tight four lanes. "Im getting goosebumps," Margaret says, "to think what this represents. As they trek up its thin pedestrian lane, traffic roars just feet away. A white pickup truck accelerates hard right when it reaches them. Its tires squeal beside Polly, kicking up mist and making her jump. An older man trudges ahead of them using a cane. Looks like life hasnt changed, right? Margaret says. Hes not walking across the bridge because hes doing an exercise walk. Hes got no transportation, Polly says. No transportation. And hes in bad health. They look at the decaying structures around them. When you don't want to change Polly says. When you dont want to change over time, what do you get? Margaret asks. Thats right. What do you get? It looks like this. When they reach the top, Polly peers at the sky, suddenly grateful. Not a drop. And look at all the clouds! Im telling you, Margaret says, this trip is divine. When they turn around to head down, a few clouds break. On one side of the bridge, ominous dark ones still loom. On the other, the sun shines. The long road home In Atlanta the next morning, they wait in line for the National Center for Civil and Human Rights to open. At an exhibit, popping in headphones, the women sit side-by-side at a lunch counter. A recording plays. White people curse at them. A man threatens to stab them in the neck with a fork. Their stools vibrate, as if the furious crowd is kicking them. The women tear up. It feels so real. They reach an exhibit about King's murder. Near a photograph of his body, Walter Cronkite breaks the news: A well-dressed young White man was seen running from the scene. Polly's thoughts fly to another White man fleeing the scene of murder, this one 47 years later as she frantically dialed 911. On the long drive home, the women gossip about church friends, old friends and political figures. They have driven more than 1,000 miles together, and now both ponder what to do with their new knowledge. "We've learned a lot about what we could do in Charleston," Margaret says. Margaret plans to contact EJI to pursue markers at key sites in Charleston. Ive got to keep doing this, she says. You think you cant make a difference, Polly says, but if you step out, youd be surprised. Polly wants a tour company to organize Black and White travelers to take trips like this one, together. The women agree that White and Black people must learn more about their joint history. But people also must share life experiences if they want to root out racism and the de facto segregation that persists. Juneteenth celebrations Go to postandcourier.com/charleston_scene/ for a roundup of events celebrating Juneteeth, now a federal holiday, to remember the emancipation of enslaved people across the South. "I just don't know how many people would hop on a bus together and drive to Alabama," Margaret says. Polly thinks they would. "Sometimes you've got to offer them something." After a while, passing fields of corn and soybean, Margaret confesses: I thought racism was over until Mother Emanuel. Polly turns and looks at her, surprised. They know so much about each other. And yet, with more than 60 years of unshared history behind them, still so little. You did? COLUMBIA Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin is blasting Rep. Kirkman Finlay over the Midlands receiving $9 million for a convention center expansion instead of the full $19 million request. "I'm fed up with his silliness," Benjamin said. Finlay, R-Columbia, counters the city's to blame, saying the Democratic mayor and other officials didn't do enough to convince him or other House leaders the money was a good investment. No one, including senators who inserted the $19 million into that chamber's budget plan, made a business case for the project to him, he said. "It seems to me that they were unwilling to discuss questions that were difficult," Finlay said. The end result was a budget deal that allocated $9 million toward an expansion of the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. While the Senate approved $19 million in April, the House put just $1 toward the project in the $10.7 billion spending plan it passed earlier this month, allowing for negotiations as the chambers worked toward a final proposal. The $9 million is what emerged from a joint House-Senate panel that voted unanimously June 17 to send the compromise to their floors next week, when both chambers will vote to send it on to Gov. Henry McMaster. How the panel arrived at that number is unclear. The vote followed two days of behind-closed-doors negotiations, with no public discussion whatsoever on any of the chambers' spending differences. While Finlay sits on Ways and Means, the House's budget-writing committee, he wasn't on the six-member panel. And Ways and Means Chairman Murrell Smith did not immediately return a message seeking comment. So, while the partial funding is near-guaranteed, that leaves the Midlands with a lot of work to do to raise funds for what could be a project costing $60 million or more. Finlay said no one from the Columbia team worked to win his backing or even to answer his questions about the proposal and should have done a much better job in preparing for the conference committee. "It's either arrogance or incompetence because they didn't even reach out to me," he said. Finlay said he never saw a business plan for the convention center proposal, calling that a worrisome shortfall in making a case for the $19 million. "You have to assume it's problematic," Finlay said. Benjamin accuses Finlay of working against the economic interest of his Columbia constituents and said that it's "patently false" that he was not consulted or did not have his questions answered. "Every question he asked was answered. He chose to oppose. Sign up for our Columbia business and real estate newsletter. Get all the latest industry happenings from the Midlands, plus exclusive development news and more in your inbox each week. Email Sign Up! "It's just shameful," the mayor said. Benjamin and backers of the expansion believe the convention center would be a much bigger economic catalyst for the Midlands if it is expanded, allowing it to attract programs that pass it by for larger venues elsewhere. The mayor points to an economic impact study that indicates $4 billion in long-term net benefits and 1,900 more jobs from the project and associated growth, such as developer Ben Arnold's plans to build up to three hotels and other buildings on adjacent land. This is far from the first time that Benjamin and Finlay, one a Democrat and one Republican, have clashed. They butted heads for years over spending and other issues when Finlay was a member of Columbia City Council, then Benjamin defeated Finlay to win reelection in 2010. Other cities' requests fared far better in the budget for the fiscal year starting July 1. Greenville will get its full $19 million request for the South Carolina Art & Cultural Center, which will combine event space with exhibits in a new downtown facility. That amount was already locked in before negotiations, since both chambers approved that amount in their separate proposals. The Sumter Opera House is also slated to receive $15 million, after House negotiators agreed to the larger amount in the Senate plan. It's highly unlikely that McMaster will veto any of those three projects. His own budget proposal, released in January, included $19 million for Greenville and $15 million each to the Columbia and Sumter projects. Another city getting a chunk of cash in the budget deal is Spartanburg. Negotiators agreed to give $12 million for its downtown project, taking the Senate's larger amount. Benjamin expressed frustration that Columbia was allocated less than what other cities received for similar projects. "It is insulting, and it needs to be corrected," Benjamin said. With the House allocating just a token dollar to the idea in what it passed earlier this month, the city should be glad that the committee allocated $9 million instead of complaining, Finlay said. Seanna Adcox contributed to this report. In a time that has been deeply challenging to arts organizations, the Gibbes Museum of Art has reported it has been buoyed by philanthropy. That support has made a positive impact on the institution's bottom line as well as its ability to mount significant work during the pandemic. According to Executive Director Angela Mack, member support, private donations and fundraising efforts not only enabled the museum to end the fiscal year in the black, but local philanthropy was fundamental to the museum being able to offer exceptional programming when previously planned exhibitions were canceled due to COVID-19 constraints. Despite a global pandemic, our Gibbes community remained strong with over 400 fellow members, Mack said. Among the support was a $1 million donation from local philanthropists Kim and Jim Pallotta, the largest single private donation since the museums inception. The Gibbes also flagged the challenges and support of an unprecedented year by acknowledging another gesture during the pandemic. The museum's James Shoolbred Gibbes Philanthropy Award recognized artist Jonathan Green and his partner Richard Weedman. The award, which honors benefactor James Gibbes' 1885 bequest that launched the endeavor now known as the Gibbes Museum of Art, is presented annually to an individual, group or business who demonstrates outstanding philanthropic contributions to the museum. According to the Gibbes, after the cancellation of a planned exhibition due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Green and Weedman stepped forward and allowed their private collection to be displayed in the galleries. Green and Weedman gave the Gibbes team free rein of their extensive works in order to curate the exhibition. Sign up for our new opinion newsletter Get a weekly recap of South Carolina opinion and analysis from The Post and Courier in your inbox on Monday evenings. Email Sign Up! "Building a Legacy: The Vibrant Vision Collection of Jonathan Green and Richard Weedman" was on display at the Gibbes from August to January. The exhibition reflects the collector's aim of going beyond the United States to include art and artists of African, Caribbean and Latin American descent. It featured Greens own work as well as those by artists such as Jacob Lawrence, Elizabeth Catlett, Charles White, David Driskell, Sam Gilliam and Reynier Llanes. At the May 28 Fellows Luncheon, when Green was unexpectedly given the award, he was visibly moved while accepting it. Recounting a transformative moment when a fire threatened to destroy the work, Green said he elected to remain in the building until he was sure it was safe. Green and Weedman have long championed both unsung and emerging artists. I believe it is my destiny, not to just be Black and an artist, but to be a humanitarian," Green said. The award presentation also marked the fifth anniversary of the reopening of the Gibbes following a $17 million restoration. At the luncheon, Mack also praised the museums fellows for supporting the museum through the pandemic. According to Mack, the Pallotta gift enabled the organization to pay off the remainder of the expenses incurred from its extensive 2016 renovation. Philanthropy has played a significant role during the pandemic, when the organization pared down staff and operated for months within the locked-down building, presenting virtual programs and gallery tours to continue to engage art lovers. Additional philanthropic support came by way of Gibbes two auxiliary groups, the Womens Council and Society 1858. Together, they raised over $140,000 to support the museums exhibition and education programs and the 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art. Because our members believe in the power of the visual arts, we continue to make a difference in our community," she said. "Art is the reason the Gibbes exists, and through their generosity, it will continue to inspire children and adults for generations to come. COLUMBIA The Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina is widely known for the millions of dollars the faith-based group gives to organizations combating poverty. The $80 million distributed over the past two decades to help improve people's lives is a substantial amount of money. But the group's work extends beyond awarding grants. The foundation's S.C. Center for Fathers and Families aims to help men play active roles in their children's lives. "Children need both parents," said Pat Littlejohn, president of the center which guides the work of six fatherhood programs throughout the state. The center grew out of a statewide initiative launched by the Sisters of Charity Foundation in 1997 targeting at reducing child poverty by reengaging dads with families. The center operates as a public-private partnership with the Department of Social Services. There are connections between a family's socioeconomic status and the involvement of the male parent, Littlejohn said. Children are five times more likely to be poor if they come from fatherless homes, she said. Also, the likelihood for teens to commit suicide, drop out of high school and get pregnant also rises when dads are absent, Littlejohn said. Fathers who lack a presence in their children's lives are often deemed "deadbeat dads," said Tom Keith, president of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina. That label is unfair to most fathers because the men, especially those with criminal backgrounds, often struggle to get jobs with livable wages, Keith said. There are many complicated factors that play into a fathers lack of success," Keith said. One effort of the center to keep men from going to jail for not paying child support has been the center's alternative incarceration program. The initiative enables family court judges to send men to a local fatherhood coalition where they learn about parenting and economic mobility, and also participate in peer group sessions. The goal is to help the men overcome barriers that are hindering their ability to pay child support. "So many men are willing, but unable to pay," Littlejohn said. Sign up for the Charleston Hot Sheet Get a weekly list of tips on pop-ups, last minute tickets and little-known experiences hand-selected by our newsroom in your inbox each Thursday. Email Sign Up! Some fathers need legal support to gain visitation. Columbia resident James Rogers connected with the center two years ago. His now-ex-wife had at the time been preventing Rogers from seeing their two daughters, Rogers said. Rogers, a veteran who works as a Columbia police officer, learned about the fatherhood coalition in the Midlands. The group provided him with a case worker and also connected him with a lawyer. In two years, Rogers successfully obtained rights to see his girls. Being with his daughters, which happens every other weekend, is an indescribable accomplishment, Rogers said. "Its such a good feeling to know theyre here," he said. More information The S.C. Center for Fathers and Families can be reached at 803-227-8800. More information is also available at scfathersandfamilies.com. Rogers agrees children benefit from having two-parent households. As a father who works in law enforcement, he is able to relay to his children the importance of being safe and vigilant, he said. Rogers emphasizes to his girls the need to stay away from strangers and to always look out for each other. "(Fathers) have that stern, alpha male instinct to say, 'You see danger, you walk away from danger,' " he said. The fatherhood program has has economic benefits, too, leaders said. Forty percent of the men who came to the program from 2015 to 2020 entered as an alternative to incarceration. If those men had instead been placed in jail, it would have cost taxpayers $27 million, Littlejohn said. I think the more stable families we have, the more stable communities we have," she said. Summerville, SC (29483) Today Thunderstorms, accompanied by locally heavy rainfall at times. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 84F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected.. Tonight Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. Low around 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. Kingstree, SC (29556) Today Thunderstorms. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 79F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with showers and a few thunderstorms. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. Nearly two weeks after two members of a prominent South Carolina family were shot dead in rural Colleton County, there are few signals the search for the killer is narrowing. The limited public statements from police indicate the sweep is wide open, including an announcement eight days into the investigation that officers are manning a dedicated tip line. In their first public appearance since the June 7 shootings, two members of the Murdaugh family told ABC News their nephew, 22-year-old Paul Murdaugh, had been threatened by strangers. Paul and his mother, Maggie Murdaugh, were found dead at their familys hunting lodge, a place called Moselle, which sits near the Salkehatchie River along the border of Colleton and Hampton counties. SLED tip line The State Law Enforcement Division has established a tip line dedicated to the Murdaugh homicide investigation. Anyone with information about the case can call (803) 896-2605. The line is being monitored 24 hours a day. The case has drawn significant interest, in part, because police have said so little about what happened and because of the Murdaugh name. The vacuum of information has drawn interest from around the country and the world, with news reports reaching from the South Carolina Lowcountry to tabloids in India and the United Kingdom. The case has also renewed questions about Paul Murdaugh's deadly 2019 boat crash and how the police handled it, with two attorneys questioning potential "improprieties" and missing evidence. The Murdaugh family long held power over the states southernmost region, where it produced three generations of solicitors. Members of the family ran the prosecutors office for more than 80 years from 1920 to 2005. And the family has accumulated significant wealth through its law firm, which has a reputation for winning major payouts from multinational companies from its headquarters in the small town of Hampton. The family's history of power and wealth, along with Paul's 2019 boat crash, have fueled speculation about potential enemies, though police have not named any suspects. I didnt think it was a credible threat. If it was, I wouldve tried to do something or notify someone, John Marvin Murdaugh said in an interview broadcast June 17 on "Good Morning America." But I guess maybe I made a mistake. His brother, Randy Murdaugh, likewise expressed disbelief: You hear of all this talk on the social media with regard to Paul, but I dont know of anybody that would truly be an enemy or truly want to harm him, he said. Yet someone did. Paul and Maggie were each shot multiple times, the State Law Enforcement Division confirmed June 15. They were found by Alex Murdaugh Pauls father and Maggies husband outside the familys home. In its broadcast of the Murdaugh brothers interview, ABC News reported that on the night of the shooting, Alex Murdaugh was visiting his mother and taking his dying father to the hospital. Randolph Murdaugh III died a few days after the shooting; his death was not related to the homicides. Alex Murdaugh called 911 shortly after 10 p.m. on June 7. The way the investigation unfolded from there highlights the familys close ties to the regions criminal justice system. Only about 20 minutes after his call came in, the Colleton County Sheriffs Office requested backup from SLED. Local law enforcement often asks for the states help with big cases, but this request had an unusual twist: The sheriffs office wanted SLED to take the lead because local law enforcement officials felt they had a conflict of interest with the Murdaugh family. Like three generations of his family before him, Alex Murdaugh, the father and husband of the victims, does work for the prosecutors office, which tries the sheriffs cases in court. Renewed questions The familys proximity to the local judicial system has come under scrutiny before, particularly after Paul Murdaugh was involved in a fatal boat crash in 2019. Early on the morning of Feb. 24, 2019, Paul Murdaugh and five friends were boating from an oyster roast north of Beaufort to a Murdaugh family house on the Chechessee River south of town. They had been drinking. Court records indicate that Paul stocked the boats cooler with a six-pack of Michelob Ultra Lime and cases of White Claw seltzer and Natural Light beer from a gas station nearby. His friends testified that Paul, who was 19 at the time, used his older brothers ID. The cashier said shed heard of his family growing up in Hampton County. After the oyster roast, the group stopped in downtown Beaufort at Pauls insistence, friends said under oath so that Paul and a friend could buy shots of liquor. His friends testified that he seemed inebriated, insisting on driving when others offered and taking off his shirt and jacket despite the cold. They had seen this type of behavior before; they even gave a nickname to his persona while drinking: Timmy. He turns into a completely totally different person, one of the passengers said in a deposition. Another said, He thinks he is invincible. On their way back to the family house, they cut through a creek that separates Parris Island from the rest of Beaufort County, and they slammed into the bridge that connects the two. All of the passengers were flung into the creek, but one, Mallory Beach, couldnt be found that night. Her body was found a week later. The 14th Circuit Solicitors Office, which the Murdaughs once ran, recused itself from the case within days, and Paul Murdaugh was later charged with three counts of boating under the influence. But the law enforcement investigation has recently come under fresh scrutiny, with questions and accusations of missteps that have recently resurfaced. In separate statements this week, lawyers for Beachs family and one of the boats other passengers indicated that SLED and the state Attorney Generals Office were reviewing the crash investigation. In a statement, Mark Tinsley, who is representing the Beach family, said the family hoped the attorney general would prosecute any improprieties related to any attempts by any member of law enforcement to influence the original criminal investigation. Joseph McCulloch Jr., who is representing passenger Connor Cook, said he was encouraged that the state was looking into the inexplicable disappearance of important evidence and other lapses by the initial investigating authorities. The statements did not specify what evidence was missing or which agency was responsible for securing it. SLED did not respond to questions about that review. The Attorney General's Office said the criminal charges against Paul Murdaugh would be dropped as soon as the agency received official documentation of his death, yet Robert Kittle, a spokesman for the attorney general, confirmed that the overall investigation into Beach's death is still ongoing. He declined to discuss it in detail. The state Department of Natural Resources, which led the crash investigation, declined to say whether it was aware of such a review. The Beaufort County Sheriffs Office, which first secured the crash scene, hasnt been notified of an investigation into its deputies handling of the case, according to Maj. Robert Bromage, the departments spokesman. In the hours after the crash, Paul Murdaugh's father and grandfather arrived at the hospital where the boat's passengers were being treated and encouraged Paul not to speak with investigators, The Post and Courier reported in 2019, citing a DNR spokesman. One of the boat's passengers said in a deposition that the father told him in the hospital hallway that he didn't have to tell police who was driving the boat. Even so, in the ABC interview that aired June 17, John Marvin and Randy Murdaugh denied that their family had influenced the crash investigation. Asked if they believed family members had interfered, both men shook their heads no. I see words like 'dynasty' used. Or 'power.' And I dont know exactly how people use those words but were just regular people, Randy Murdaugh said on ABC. Were hurting just like they would be hurting if this had happened to them. History of influence The family law firm, Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth & Detrick, was founded in 1910 by Randolph Murdaugh, who in 1920 became the first in the familys line of prosecutors. He served as solicitor until July 1940 when a freight train plowed into his car near Varnville as he was returning from a friends house one night. He died instantly, according to news reports at the time. He was succeeded by his son, Randolph Buster Murdaugh Jr., a prosecutor who would occupy the solicitors office for most of the next 48 years. The only gap in his service came in the mid-1950s when he briefly resigned after being accused of helping rural moonshiners sidestep the law. Though a federal judge labeled him grossly unethical, Buster Murdaugh shrugged off the slight, won an acquittal on a liquor conspiracy charge and reclaimed his seat as the circuits chief prosecutor. He went on to preside over several high-profile cases, including a number that carried the death penalty. In fact, he was rebuked repeatedly by the S.C. Supreme Court for the over-the-top arguments he sometimes employed in such proceedings. In one rape case, he warned jurors that if they acquitted the defendant he would drop the charges against other accused rapists. When Buster Murdaugh finally stepped down in 1986, his son, Randolph Murdaugh III, quickly stepped in to fill his seat. Randolph III, who died last week, was the first four-letter athlete in the history of Wade Hampton High School when he achieved the mark in 1957. But he made no secret of where his future lay. I would like to follow in my fathers footsteps and work toward a law degree, he told The News and Courier at the time. He attained that goal, and went on to serve as solicitor until 2005. The courts also created a pathway for the Murdaughs to accumulate considerable wealth: The familys century-old law firm has extracted such large payouts from its litigation that the Hampton County courthouse has a national reputation as a hostile venue for big corporations. The family owns more than 1,700 acres of woodlands and swamps in Colleton and Hampton counties an expanse the size of downtown Charleston. It includes the hunting lodge called Moselle, where the double homicide took place. Nondisclosure The details of what happened at Moselle on June 7 are still largely unknown to the public, and investigators have refused to release even the most basic records related to the killings. The Post and Courier sued SLED and the Colleton County Sheriff's Office on June 17 for violating the state's Freedom of Information Act. That law requires police to release their reports on recent incidents to any member of the public who comes to their offices. When the newspaper's reporters visited the sheriff's office in Walterboro and SLED headquarters in Columbia, the agencies would not release the reports. The sheriff's office deferred to SLED, and SLED would not open its doors. While law enforcement agencies are allowed to redact certain information to protect their investigations, SLED has refused to release even redacted reports. The newspaper's lawsuit also seeks recordings of any 911 calls reporting the shootings. Separately, Colleton County Coroner Richard Harvey has not released his office's reports on the case, even after The Post and Courier sent a FOIA request for them. Harvey, a Republican who has been coroner for nearly three decades, said only that both victims died of multiple gunshot wounds, and that their deaths were being handled as homicides. "This is all my office is releasing at this time," Harvey said in response to the FOIA request. For any other information, Harvey said, the newspaper should contact SLED. Glenn Smith and Gregory Yee contributed reporting. Charleston-area residents are hungry for big economic and social reform and are willing to shell out a little money to help make it happen, according to results from a recent survey. The questionnaire, administered by the Vermont-based Center for Research & Public Policy on behalf of the Charleston Forum, was a follow-up to an earlier effort to record attitudes regarding race relations and to discern what issues were most important to people living in the tri-county area. Among the areas of interest previously identified are policing and criminal justice reform, economic development and housing, education reform, addressing symbols of public history, and quality of life issues. The results were collected from 700 residents of Charleston, Dorchester and Berkeley counties who answered questions online this spring. About 20 percent of total respondents were Black, and 20 percent earned less than $30,000 a year. Democrats, Republicans and independents all were represented. More women than men answered the survey questions (57 percent vs 42 percent). Ages and education levels varied widely. The Forum, in an effort to solicit input from the community, is organizing a series of public panel discussions in each of these subject areas, according to Chairman and CEO Brian Duffy. The first two events, June 22 and 25, will focus on education. The new survey found that 88 percent of respondents overall thought their quality of life was good or very good, and 57 percent thought race relations have improved or, at least, not worsened during the past 10 years. That latter response showed a nearly 11-point decrease from 2020. A large majority, 87 percent, think police should be required to undergo continuing education and training on fair treatment. Nearly as many want police officers to receive comprehensive de-escalation training. About 86 percent think police officers should be punished for failing to activate body cameras, and nearly 73 percent want incidents of excessive use of force recorded in a database that can be monitored by people outside the police department. Nearly as many favor periodic racial bias audits. Respondents showed strong support (79 percent) for strengthening the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, reforming the bail and bond system to ensure nonviolent offenders are not kept in jail if they cant pay (74 percent), and introducing pre-trial programs to support people least able to get themselves to the courtroom and avoid future arrests (72 percent). Fewer respondents, though still a significant majority (64 percent), want certain nonviolent offenses decriminalized. Racial disparities should be taken into account by solicitors responsible for prosecuting offenders (53 percent), and police need to collaborate more with communities of color to build trust (84 percent). Nearly 56 percent of respondents overall indicated they were willing to pay more in local and regional taxes in support of these reforms. On issues of housing and economic disparities, 82 percent of respondents think its a good idea to make tax credits and other incentives available for redevelopment of abandoned buildings. More than three-quarters of respondents said broadband internet access should be expanded and an affordable housing trust fund should be established. Nearly 58 percent indicated a willingness to pay more taxes in support of programs that generate more economic opportunities for those in need. On education issues, 89 percent of respondents overall want parents and caregivers to benefit more from school support services, and 86 percent support the idea of introducing a program to pair educators with charity partners, volunteer groups and others who can provide support. Nearly 73 percent of respondents want only experienced educators assigned to underperforming schools, and they support innovation via public-private partnerships and charter schools that are accountable to the school board. Most, 72 percent, favor school choice policies that allow parents to transfer their children from one school to another. Sixty-three percent would pay higher taxes to see certain education strategies implemented. Regarding monuments and memorials, two-thirds of respondents expressed support for public opinion surveys that can indicate the preferences of local people. A similar number of respondents, 65 percent, support the formation of a public history commission with diverse membership who can make recommendations about who to honor and how to improve current memorials. About 60 percent like the idea of encouraging local and state officials to create new memorials that celebrate diversity and democratic values. Sixty percent of respondents are willing to volunteer for, or donate to, nonprofits that assist minorities and low-income families in the areas of education, health care and economic development. Through an equity lens The Charleston Forum was founded in 2016 in response to the Emanuel AME Church shootings of the previous year. It is comprised of civic leaders determined to overcome racial barriers through open discussion and shared ideas. To prepare the survey, Forum leaders sought input from a variety of people well-versed in each of the main subject areas. Board member Grayson Smith led the outreach efforts. While there were far too many community members and leaders engaged to name everyone, City of Charleston Police Chief Luther Reynolds, Solicitor Scarlett Wilson, and Dr. Geoffrey Alpert provided meaningful feedback in the area of policing and criminal justice, while Darrin Goss, Steve Saltzman, Herbert Drayton, Rev. Bill Stanfield, Treva Williams, Senator Marlon Kimpson, and Rep. Marvin Pendarvis engaged meaningfully in the area of economics, Smith wrote in an email. The education subcommittee members include Tom Grubisich, the Rev. Kylon Middleton, Lynn Pagliaro, Rick Quinn, John Read and Harold Whack. To join the discussion 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, June 22: Superintendents and board members discuss the Forums education-related survey results and plans to use federal funding. To register, go to https://bit.ly/35yTk42. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday, June 25: Nonprofit and community leaders respond to district plans and Forum survey results. To register, go to https://bit.ly/2S4wvSK. The first of the planned panel discussions is set for 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 22 when school superintendents and board members will discuss the education-related survey results, spending plans, strategies for reopening after the pandemic, and ways to address racial disparities. A second session is set for the same time on June 25 when a group of nonprofit and community leaders will discuss the school districts plans, survey results, and ways education reform might be accomplished. The public is encouraged to participate. The federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Grant Program, part of the $2.2 trillion CARES Act passed in March 2020, allocates nearly $250 million to the Charleston County School District, $111 million to the Berkeley County School District, and $62 million to Dorchester District 2. How the funds are spent can only be determined by school board members, who can exercise discretion, and do not alter regular state funding levels. The Forum hopes the money will be used, at least in part, to implement the reforms survey respondents say they want. John Read, chairman of the Forums education subcommittee and founding CEO of the Tri-County Cradle to Career Collaborative, said the group is pressing for reform viewed through an equity lens. Regardless of demographics, a significant portion of the community believes the schools are not working well and need to be improved, he said. The purpose of the panels, he said, is to set the table so the community can engage in how districts plan to spend federal and state funds, and to establish protocols for ongoing monitoring and accountability. Now things need to happen, Read said. Movement needs to begin to reinforce the importance of district leadership to open up the process and execute with more transparency. ... If all the Charleston Forum does is convene a webinar, then we will have missed an important pivot to create a forum for dialogue that moves to action. That action could include the formation of a coalition dedicated to executing reform over time, he said. Involving the community has the potential to build a bridge to partnerships with nonprofits and local business, or other funding sources to sustain the change, Read said. 'Plenty apparent' Abe Jenkins, a community activist and Forum board member, said he supports the effort to initiate broad social and economic reforms, but worries that some people could be left out of the process. We just need to address all segments of the population, he said. And those involved in the panel discussions and early planning need to reflect the diversity of the region. He said surveys and dialogue are great, but its past time to insist that agencies and elected officials implement needed systemic changes. Middleton, a Charleston County councilman who has been involved with the Forum since its inception in 2016, echoed Jenkins concern. We dont need a survey to know we need reform, he said. We can see the activism of individuals in the community. Look at whats going on at school board meetings. ... A survey, on some level, quantifies that and triggers conversation, but the need for reform has been plenty apparent. Middleton said the Forum strives to remain a neutral facilitator when perhaps it should not be afraid to advocate more strongly for social and economic justice. We foster conversation, someone else takes action, he said, with a note of discontent. The idea of forging strategic partnerships makes sense, especially since there are organizations in the Lowcountry already working on economic development, education and criminal justice reform, and affordable housing, he said. But the solutions must be scaled up, and to do that requires broad community commitment. Each entity cannot do it all alone, Middleton said. Plenty of quantitative data already is available regarding racial disparities, discrimination in policing and education, and more, he said. Yet, six years after the Emanuel AME Church shooting, "not a doggone thing has been done, he said. We dont need any more studies. Now we need action. SUMMERVILLE The Moyers returned from vacation June 13 to find their townhome flooded. Water was pouring through the ceiling, into the garage and out the back door. Justin Moyer, 46, followed the current to a ruptured water main in the master bedroom. At first, he thought the pipe had exploded. He enlisted a neighbor to help move valuables out of the house. "I thought the ceiling was going to collapse downstairs," Moyer said. The neighbor saw the damage and told Moyer something seemed off. There were holes in the bedroom wall. Thats when they noticed the laundry room next to the bedroom had holes, too and together these holes seemed to come from next door. And police records show that's exactly what happened. A man visiting residents of the adjacent townhome had unintentionally fired a loaded military-style rifle the night prior, Summerville police later discovered. The bullet appears to have traveled through at least two walls and a washing machine before shattering the water main in the Moyers' bedroom, causing it to burst and flood the whole residence. That weekend, an out-of-state friend was visiting the townhome next door, according to preliminary police records. The night of June 12, two residents and the guest, Corey Reliford, were moving furniture to play video games. A woman and child were in another room. Reliford, 23, spotted a rifle in the corner of a closet in the master bedroom. He picked up the gun and asked if it was loaded, according to a police incident report. One of the residents replied he did not think so. Reliford later told police he checked the magazine and barrel. He flipped the selector switch to fire, pointed the gun at a wall shared with the Moyers and pulled the trigger, records show. No one was hurt, but no one called the police, either. The neighbors went forward with their evening plans to play video games. One of the residents told police he checked to make sure everyone was OK, but Moyer disputes this. Moyer said his smart doorbell detects when anyone arrives at the door, but it didnt report any visitors that night. Police confiscated the Smith & Wesson M&P15 rifle and a Glock 19 handgun found in the home. One officer reviewed with Reliford how to properly clear a firearm of ammunition. Summerville police said June 18 a warrant was issued for Reliford's arrest, charging him with discharging a firearm into a dwelling. Since he resides in Kentucky, an arrest has not yet been made, police said. Reliford could not be reached for comment. Moyer's neighbors did not return requests for comment. The morning of June 17, renovations were already well underway at the Moyer residence. The floor on the main level was stripped bare, with fans positioned to dry out the remaining moisture. Paint was peeling from the ceiling. The master bedroom still sported a softball-size hole where the water main had been hit. Moyer pointed to two smaller holes on the opposite wall. On the other side was their laundry room, where the bullet traveled through an ironing board and washing machine, he said. Movers arrived to take away the rest of the family's furniture and belongings. The Moyers have found temporary housing while they sort out next steps. He said they're not certain if they will return. He expects repairs will be expensive, and his family isn't sure whether they would feel safe living there again. "It's going to be a hard sell, to be honest," Moyer said. "I think we're 50-50." North Augusta, SC (29841) Today Occasional light rain. High 79F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low 68F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. How did North Augusta return between a rock and a hard place with the Seven Gables Flythe property? The historic Seven Gables Flythe property over the past century has gone though several owners. Starting as a hunting lodge then turning into an inn and restaurant, the Tudor-style house was destroyed in a fire in September 2008 and is currently unkempt and overgrown. Now the city, which currently owns the property, is revisiting the idea of using it as the location for North Augusta's new public safety headquarters. The discussion around the city's use for the property started several years ago in 2016 when $11 million was allocated for a new public safety headquarters from the Capital Project Sales Tax IV. Mold, the current split-level layout, and difficulty parking on East Buena Vista Avenue put the North Augusta Department of Public Safety on the top of the list for the funding. North Augusta purchased the Flythe property for $401,445 and the Seven Gables property for $451,585 with the guarantee that the city use it for the intended purpose of locating its public safety headquarters there. If not used for the intended CPST purpose, the city would have to sell the property to commercial developers and repay the CPST funds. The city would have no say on what the property will become next and has had interest from both local and out-of-town businesses. North Augusta residents, like London Smith, were vocally against building a new public safety headquarters on the property which is bounded by Observatory Avenue, Georgia Avenue and Butler Avenue citing their quality of life, property values and residential areas were at risk. We very much disliked the fact that they would take such a historic piece of property and could be such a beautiful piece of property and turn it into something that really truly gives us sirens and gives us tons of public business traffic through our very small two-lane streets, Smith said. I dont know where we can sleep, Smith said. "That's my issue." In 2019, city council decided to relocate Fire Station 1 to 311 West Martintown Road after citizen backlash and decided to build the new public safety headquarters on East Buena Vista Avenue. During the city's most recent study session June 14, city administrator Jim Clifford announced the city is again considering locating the new public safety headquarters site at the Seven Gables Flythe property, which came as a surprise to citizens and council members alike. In the study session, Clifford pivoted back to the Seven Gables Flythe property after a sharp increase in construction costs associated with a retaining wall and soil stabilization. The property was the only available in the city's inventory, he said. Im still processing everything, Council member Kevin Toole said during the study session June 14. This isnt the update that I think most of us were hoping for, but this is the update we got. Each day counts in making a decision. The strategic pause taken in September 2020 was due to an increase in building material costs of the proposed location at East Buena Vista. On top of the pandemic delay, if the city decides to sell the Seven Gables Flythe property, the city faces the burden of paying back into the CPST fund dollar for dollar. Local groups interested in the property like Historic North Augusta, are planning a meeting with the city on this topic, while the Punch & Judy Players are looking to stay apolitical. I dont think it's ever a good idea to have vulnerable adults and children located next to a jail or a courthouse, parent Alice Vantrease said about the potential public safety headquarters. Smith feels like the city should pursue a beautification project, like a park or nonprofit that the city has previously supported instead. We are going to be a bustling little place that we all thought, initially, was residential, Smith said. And there are a lot of people saying this: Its a not-in-my-backyard situation, and it is. But it's not being built in other peoples backyards. North Augusta Mayor Briton Williams wants to proceed differently than the previous council, making sure council has all the exploratory information available from the city planning commission and citizens to make an informed decision. No one has voted on building that public safety building on the Seven Gables Flythe property, Williams said at a Meet the Mayor event June 15. All council did last night (June 14) was tell our city administrator that we want you to begin to go through the process and give us good information so we can make a decision. Is it the best decision? ... just because it's more expensive doesnt necessarily mean it's the best location. Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations. The city of Columbia launched a fascinating experiment on Wednesday aimed at winning mainstream acceptance for the fringe idea which became a little less fringy last year when the federal government started sending out checks to everybody, whether we needed them or not, and paying extended unemployment benefits with few questions asked called guaranteed income. The Columbia Life Improvement Monetary Boost, underwritten by private donations, will give 100 low-income fathers a $500 check every month for a year. The 50-member Mayors for a Guaranteed Income hopes the results will help convince the Congress to create a similar program nationally, using tax money. Of course, the risk with such an experiment is that its success depends on individual choices made by individuals, many of whom dont have a track record of making great choices. A similar experiment, this one using tax funds, is underway in our state and local governments. The American Rescue Plan, which the Congress passed in March to one-up the 2020 CARES Act, is sending $8.9 billion to the S.C. Legislature, cities, counties, school districts and state agencies many of which dont have a track record of making great choices. Will they invest it in transformative initiatives once-in-a-lifetime investments that allow us to compete nationally and globally in the future, as Gov. Henry McMaster urged on Tuesday? Or will they spread it around to every program they operate, to hire extra employees they wont have any money to pay after the funds run out and to purchase shiny new programs and equipment they really dont need? Mr. McMasters entreaty came at the first meeting of a scaled-down version of the AccelerateSC task force he assembled last year to recommend how to spend $1.9 billion in CARES Act funding. The big difference between the 2020 and 2021 funding is that the rules are more flexible this year, the choices less obvious. Were past the COVID-19 unemployment spike, so we dont need to refill the unemployment trust fund this time. With less than half of the eligible population fully vaccinated, South Carolina still could face another COVID surge, and booster shots might be needed, but the infection rate is low enough that our public health system doesnt need another massive influx of funding to keep from collapsing. Some retail and service businesses are still struggling, but few customers are still holed up in their homes, and tourism is back. And even though public education is by far our states top obligation, $2 billion of that $8.9 billion is going directly to the schools; that doesnt mean we shouldnt send them any of the Legislature's $2.6 billion in COVID funds, but theres not the same immediate and urgent need this year. So I shouldnt have been surprised by how much watching the accelerators initial discussion felt like watching the roomful of blind men trying to describe an elephant they had all encountered a small piece of. Sign up for our opinion newsletter Get a weekly recap of South Carolina opinion and analysis from The Post and Courier in your inbox on Monday evenings. Email Sign Up! S.C. Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers said the money could encourage more locally produced food to make us more insulated from the next interruption. Pharmaceutical executive Lou Kennedy put in a pitch for reshoring, onshoring, bringing things back to our own back yard, while Nicky McCarter, who runs a janitorial staffing business, said finding people to take essential jobs is the biggest challenge to bringing those jobs back to South Carolina. Francis Marion University President Fred Carter said colleges could be more flexible and serve more students if they had a new statewide college IT system. Helen Hill, CEO of Explore Charleston, raved over the tourism marketing campaign the Legislature funded last year and said we need more air service; Horry County Council member Tyler Servant dittoed that and called for infrastructure to get people to and from the beach. I dont recall whether he actually uttered the words Interstate 73, but everybody knew what he meant. I have no reason to think our legislators are any more focused on a clear, transformative vision for the funds; if you think they are, take a look at the state money theyre doling out next week to unvetted local projects. And in all fairness, Im not sure anybody is at this point. But the meeting did generate some useful brainstorming. After Mr. Servant suggested local governments pool their money to support important regional projects, retired AT&T executive Pam Lackey suggested that also could work for state entities with similar goals, such as Fred Carters information technology initiative which prompted Dr. Carter to suggest using state funds to provide a local match to encourage such collaborations. And I thought: Why not use some of the states $2.6 billion as a matching fund to encourage school districts to spend their $2 billion on the sorts of smart programs that a lot of them otherwise wont undertake? The meeting also showcased something to watch out for: When Mr. Servant asked whether the state, county and city funding could be used to build roads and bridges, Mr. McMasters no did not end the discussion. Instead, it set off the most creative brainstorming of the day, about how governments could use the federal funds to restore COVID-caused revenue losses to their general funds, whose use is not controlled by the federal government. Essentially laundering the money so it could be spent on whatever elected officials hearts desire. Which sounds an awful lot like those Columbia dads using their guaranteed income to buy a big-screen TV and stock the refrigerator with beer. On June 19, 1865, Union Gen. Gordon Granger read General Order No. 3 in Galveston. The first sentence of the brief message was profound in both its simplicity and its gravity. The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. The liberating order came more than two months after the Civil War ended and nearly two and a half years after the original issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation. It became the central event commemorated by Juneteenth, which started as a celebration of the end of slavery in Texas but grew to be a symbol of racial justice and freedom across the United States. Juneteenth events have been held throughout the week in South Carolina leading up to todays commemoration, which resonates in many ways after the events and changes of the past year. President Joe Biden signed legislation Thursday declaring Juneteenth a federal holiday, a measure that passed both the House and the Senate with bipartisan support. Last year, then-President Donald Trump had promised to support establishment of a Juneteenth holiday if reelected. At a ceremony at the White House, Mr. Biden declared that All Americans can feel the power of this day, and learn from our history. Sign up for our opinion newsletter Get a weekly recap of South Carolina opinion and analysis from The Post and Courier in your inbox on Monday evenings. Email Sign Up! Perhaps one reason the Juneteenth holiday was so long in coming is that history doesnt provide a clear choice for what day to celebrate. The Emancipation Proclamation was read nearly two and a half years earlier in Beaufort, on Jan. 1, 1863. Because the Union occupied this part of the state, enslaved people gained their freedom immediately, as the Civil War droned on. In Charleston, enslaved people gained their first taste of freedom on Feb. 18, 1865, when Confederate forces abandoned the city. Two weeks later, an enormous crowd of newly freed people held a ceremony in Marion Square and presented the Union garrison with a flag. More than 150 years later, African Americans have coalesced around Juneteenth as the appropriate day to celebrate the start of the second phase of our American experiment, when we began to live up to the declaration that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Todays commemoration comes at a time when all of us should strive to better understand each other, demonstrate compassion for one another and enlighten our sense of history. Juneteenth is an important part of that noble and truly American effort. The Post Register and Report for America are working to place a new generation of journalists in community news organizations across the country. To donate to this effort, go to bit.ly/RFA-PostRegister . Contributions are tax deductible. How we reported this story To determine which portion of families will be affected by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare regulation, a Post Register reporter used Idaho Department of Health and Welfare records that included an annual report and two lists that include the name, location, license type and maximum bed count for some of Idahos 420 long-term care facilities. This rule only required vaccination rate disclosure from nursing homes. Idaho is home to 82 nursing homes, which are licensed for 6,218 maximum beds for patients, according to April 2021 records. Idahos 53 state-regulated group homes for people with intellectual disabilities are licensed for 409 patient beds, the records say. The bulk of Idahos long-term care facilities are categorized as residential assisted living centers. Regulated by the state health department, Idaho assisted living centers are licensed for 10,435 patient beds, according to a 2019 annual report. In 2021, there were 286 assisted living centers in Idaho, according to an email from a state health department spokeswoman. Note: We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email circulation@postregister.com for help creating one. This article was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Randa Kriss is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: rkriss@nerdwallet.com. RELATED LINK: NerdWallet: What is a business model? http://bit.ly/nerdwallet-business-model There is a bracing clarity about Irans newly elected president, Ebrahim Raisi. The Times of Israel has useful background on the election in this story attributed to various news agencies: Raisi will be the first serving Iranian president sanctioned by the US government even before entering office, over his involvement in the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988, as well as his time as the head of Irans internationally criticized judiciary one of the worlds top executioners. Yes, by all means, let us open the spigots and fund the executioner, his masters, his colleagues, and their terrorist forces of all stripes. For good measure, let us clear the pathway to the regimes development of nuclear weapons and tap the talented John Kerry to defend these policies on behalf of the Biden administration. Minnesota federal district court Judge Patrick Schiltz has ordered an investigation of apparent leaks of grand jury information to the New York Times and the Star Tribune. I posted his five-page In Re Blue Grand Jury order here. The subject is serious. Moreover, knowing Judge Schiltz, I think he will treat it with the seriousness his order suggests it deserves. The Star Tribune published Rochelle Olsons May 21 story on the order without more. It is a story in which the Star Tribune itself is a player. Reporter Andy Mannixs source for the underlying story is highly likely guilty of serious professional misconduct, though one would have no idea from Mannixs April 29 story. The lack of follow-up is understandable insofar as the Star Tribune is a protagonist and an understanding of its performance places it in a light that is not altogether flattering. One might want more, but more will not be forthcoming on its initiative. I have focused my own attention on it in notes for which I can find an occasion. Yesterday the acting United States Attorney for Minnesota filed his response to Judge Schiltzs In re Blue Grand Jury order. Via the PACER electronic filing system I learn that he filed the response under seal. It is not publicly accessible. I infer, perhaps overoptimistically, that the response said something more than that we know nothing. I hope to have more to add before too long. Arise and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time. Winston Churchill Proclaim Liberty throughout All the land unto All the Inhabitants Thereof. Inscription on the Liberty Bell Steve Silbiger, a longtime observer of Joe Biden, sent me the following message: Biden is living proof of how much progress the United States has made on racial discrimination. The man who ran for President on a Southern strategy in which he claimed that Delewareans were on the side of the South in the Civil War has signed a bill that creates a Federal law commemorating the effective end of slavery in the United States. Now if he can only keep his son, Hunter, from using the N word. . . . The United States has progressed significantly in combatting racial discrimination. Joe Biden, a lagging indicator, has progressed, albeit rather fitfully, with it. What about the law making Juneteenth a national holiday, though? Is it a good idea? I believe the demise of slavery clearly is worth commemorating with a holiday. But there are two problems with the bill Biden signed into law. First, there are already too many federal holidays. If a new one was to be created, an old one should have been removed from the calendar. Its easy to see Juneteenth leading to more federal holidays. Why shouldnt feminists demand a holiday in honor of female suffrage, a huge advance for half of the U.S. population? And as Latinos become the numerically dominant minority group in America, its easy to imagine pandering politicians creating a holiday to honor them. Congress should have established the principle that new holidays can be added only if old ones are subtracted. But of course, it didnt. The second problem in my view is the selection of Juneteenth to commemorate the end of slavery. Why not go with the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation or the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment? Its true that the Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery only in territory not controlled by the Union at the time of issuance. But Lincolns declaration was a game-changer. Juneteenth was just mopping up, if even that. Furthermore, as I understand it, slavery persisted in a few areas even after it ended in Texas on Juneteenth. I suspect the reason why most Black activists prefer commemorating Juneteenth is that it obscures the contributions of Whites to the demise of slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by a White president. A White Congress passed the Thirteenth Amendment. And both were the fruit of military victories achieved, at costs that stagger the imagination, by an almost entirely White army. Juneteenth has the virtue of already being celebrated by Blacks in the South. Thats fine. Undoubtedly, they would have continued to celebrate it without an act of Congress, just as Jews celebrate their holidays. But the end of slavery was a national effort. I would have preferred selection of a national event as the marker for a holiday that commemorates the demise of slavery. Unfortunately, that was never in the cards in the current divisive racial climate. NOTE: The original version of this post managed to reverse the area to which the Emancipation Proclamation applied an error that would embarrass a schoolboy. To ensure fair and equitable access to vaccines, the Africa Union, through the Coalition for Dialogue on Africa, (CoDA) is set to begin the process of vaccine production and distribution within the continent. The union said this initiative would change the narrative of Africas dependence on foreign countries for vaccine development and supplies. The Executive Director of CoDA, Souad Aden-Osman, made this known on Saturday, at a press briefing in Benin, Edo state capital. The briefing was held ahead of the launch of the Independent Task Team on Equitable & Universal Access to Vaccines and Vaccination in Africa which is scheduled to take place at the Igbinedion University Teaching Hospital (IUTH) in Okada Town, Edo State on Monday. Limited vaccines Ms Osman said access to vaccines by African countries has been limited because of the almost total dependence on foreign countries for their human vaccine supplies. She said it is pertinent for the region to develop its vaccines and reduce expectations from foreign countries. Africa should come up with its own solution and stop being at the receiving end of everything. We seem to be consumers of every idea, concepts, definitions, medications, vaccine, everything. So, anyone out there can bring something and it will be considered to be of a good standard for African consumption, she said. Osman said the international community does not have to take responsibility for every happenings in the African region. She said Africa has the capacity to take its destiny into its own hands and that CoDA is ready to explore every possible option to achieve the aim. Funding Funding has been identified as a major obstacle preventing African countries from producing their vaccines and other medical supplies. Medical scientists in Africa often struggle to get funding, with the continents expenditure on research and development at 0.5 per cent of GDP, lagging behind the global average of 2.2 per cent. As a result, its healthcare systems are overly dependent on countries in other continents for new drugs and vaccines. Local pharmaceutical companies are also focused on manufacturing generic drugs. It usually takes many months, and sometimes several years, after a new drug or treatment is approved before it is accessible in Africa. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and urgent needs for vaccines further portrays the damaging effects of relying on foreign countries for supplies. Many Africa countries including Nigeria are currently depending on COVID-19 vaccines through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Assess Facility (COVAX) for its citizens. COVAX is a UN-backed effort that promises access to vaccines for up to 20 per cent of participating countries population. Nigeria has already received 3.92 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines through the facility and additional 3.92 million doses is expected by August 2021. Private sector involvement In his remarks, the President of the Manufacturing Association of Nigeria, Ahmed Mansur, said until the private sector is put at the centre of vaccine production and distribution, the region will never get out of the woods. ADVERTISEMENT Mr Mansur said the initiative provides a platform for the involvement of the African private sector in the development, manufacturing, and distribution of vaccines in the region and a connection between African policymakers and relevant stakeholders on the issue of vaccines and vaccination. He noted that Africa might be in serious trouble if it does not find a way of improving the supply of not just vaccines but other medical facilities and basic medicines in an equitable manner. The reason is that Africa has tended to rely and depend on other nations and other regions even for the most basic of inputs, he said. Task Team A member of the coalition, Ken Ayere, said the objective of the task team is to support the African Union in its efforts to enable the participation of African private sector and civil society, through established African Union policy instruments, in generating demand for and enabling manufacturing and distribution of essential vaccines on the continent. The task team will map existing continental and regional strategies, policies, and frameworks on essential vaccines and vaccinations in Africa to identify current challenges and gaps. Mr Ayere said; Engage relevant stakeholders (e.g. public and private sector, academia, civil society, African philanthropists, etc.) on the development of strategies in support of indigenous manufacturing of essential vaccines for the African continent. Recommend financing and other innovative investments required to support indigenous vaccine manufacturing and facilitate equitable and universal access to essential vaccines and vaccinations across Africa. Contribute to the development of technical and policy papers in support of indigenous manufacturing of essential vaccines and oversee their dissemination. Foster partnerships on research of essential candidate vaccine targets that will inform manufacturing processes aimed at increasing access to vaccines and vaccinations across Africa, such as the African Health Business, African Research Universities Alliance, and Igbinedion University Teaching Hospital.. ADVERTISEMENT The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has passed a non-binding resolution calling for an end to arms deliveries to violence-ridden Myanmar. The 193-member body voted with a large majority in favour of the resolution, which also condemned the February 1 military coup and called for the release of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners. The declaration was supported by 119 countries, while 36, including China and Russia, abstained. Only Belarus voted against it while the remaining countries did not cast a vote. The UN Security Council (UNSC), whose resolutions are binding unlike the general assemblys, has not been able to agree on a resolution since the coup. It has, instead, been issuing statements condemning the violence, among other things. China, Russia, the United States, France, and Britain have a veto which can block any decision and often grinds things to a halt in the 15-member UNSC, but have no veto in the general assembly. Suu Kyi has been under house arrest since the coup as she was for years under the previous military dictatorship. The judiciary has charged her with half a dozen offences, including violating foreign trade laws, violating coronavirus measures, inciting sedition, and corruption. It is suspected that the junta wants to use the proceedings to keep the popular ex-head of government out of politics permanently. Myanmar has been plunged into chaos and violence since the coup. The military suppresses all resistance with brutal force. According to estimates by the prisoners aid organisation, AAPP, at least 858 people have been killed. Almost 6,000 have been arrested. (NAN) In 2006, ten Nigerian military generals travelling to a private security planning meeting in the south of the country died in an aircraft crash. The crash claimed the lives of eight major-generals, two brigadier generals and two other personnel, while six people survived. Devastated by what he described as a monumental national tragedy, then President Olusegun Obasanjo hastily returned home from an International Monetary Fund meeting he was attending at the time in Singapore. After declaring three days of mourning, Mr Obasanjo attended the interment of the deceased at the military national cemetery in Abuja. Pictures of him comforting the widow of the pilot of the plane made rounds at the time. About fifteen years later, a similar tragedy struck Nigeria again. Last month, Nigerias former Chief of Army Staff, Ibrahim Attahiru, alongside ten other military personnel died from a military plane crash in Kaduna. Like his predecessors, President Muhammadu Buhari also declared days of mourning and other mourning rituals in memory of the deceased, but he did not show up as Mr Obasanjo did. Many Nigerians criticised Mr Buhari for failing to attend the funeral rites of the personnel, fueling accusations that the president was always absent from critical national occasions and he does not show empathy during national disasters or tragedies. The presidents detractors believed his attendance would have amounted to a morale booster to the troops who have been battling a deadly insurgency for over a decade. Even though the first and second ladies as well as the vice president later visited the families of the deceased soldiers, many held the belief that a presidential appearance at the funeral would have held more weight. Presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, would later come to defend his principal, saying the presidents non-appearance was because Mr Buhari dislikes the traffic snarls that occur as a result of his large entourage to functions. However, Mr Buhari has always been criticised for not showing empathy with Nigerians in periods of disaster. His absence at the funeral typifies his seeming reticent leadership style that has been consistent for the better part of his six years in power. Absence in Nigerian Media Although he granted a rare double-headed interview last week, the president has engaged more with Nigerians through proxies, spokespersons and press statements. Although taciturn at home, Mr Buhari has been more receptive to foreign journalists and he speaks to foreign audiences, a move that sometimes comes with presidential gaffes. Some believe his seeming susceptibility to these gaffes is one of the reasons the president is tight-lipped to the Nigerian media. Although other previous presidents granted more one on one interviews to media houses, as well as stand-up interviews with reporters, Mr Buharis office has said it is the presidents style. ADVERTISEMENT In some of the few occasions that the president has spoken back home, he has made unempathetic rhetorics that sometimes spark outrage. This has often not been helped with some statements released by his aides, who some have accused of lacking diplomacy and hardly ever showing empathy to the Nigerian people. No Empathy even when school children are kidnapped In the wake of the rising wave of insecurity in recent years which has sparked a bout of school kidnappings in Zamfara, Niger, Kaduna, Katsina the presidents hometown and most recently Kebbi State, the president has refused to visit any of the schools. The kidnap of 344 students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State, was especially peculiar because it happened when the president was in the state for a private visit. Yet, he did not visit the school. Rather, the presidents coterie of aides on these occasions released statements to air the presidents mind. Nigeria has witnessed at least six cases of mass kidnapping of students and pupils from their schools since Mr Buhari assumed office. The president has not visited any of the schools nor visited families of the victims. Not Just Mass Kidnappings It took about a month before Mr Buhari addressed Nigerians in the wake of the uncertainties that trailed the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country last year February. By then, many other presidents had addressed their citizens multiple times at a time of global confusion about the pandemic. Likewise, last year, when a tragic gas explosion struck the Abule Ado area of Lagos State killing at least 20 Nigerians, President Muhammadu Buhari refused to visit the scene of the incident. Instead, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu flew to Abuja to show the president pictures of the ruins from the explosion. Again unlike him, on January 27, 2002, when there was a blast of a large stock of military high explosives at a storage facility in Lagos which killed many residents as they fled and trampled on one another, former president Obasanjo immediately visited the scene the next morning to commiserate with the affected residents. How other presidents reacted to disasters Although the timeliness of their visits varies from country to country, world leaders often empathize with victims of disasters in their countries by visiting the scenes of the accident to calm frayed nerves and instil hope in their people. Russian President Vladimir Putin in March 2018, visited the scene of a fire in a Siberian shopping mall that killed at least 64 people, 41 of them children. At another time, he laid flowers at a makeshift memorial to the victims of a fire incident in the Kemerovo region of the country. Whats happening here? This isnt war, its not a spontaneous methane outburst. People came to relax, children, he said. Were talking about demography and losing so many people, Mr Putin said in a meeting with ministers in Kemerovo. Why? Because of some criminal negligence, because of slovenliness. How could this ever happen? he asked. Like him, last March, a former United States President, Donald Trump, visited tornado-ravaged disaster areas in Tennessee, which left 25 dead and dozens more injured. This is real devastation like youll never see, hopefully, again, Mr Trump said. This was about as big a tornado as you can have. It was 50 miles long, which is extraordinarily long, and a very wide one. And you see whats happened. They got very little warning. They get a phone call and boom, the tornado is on them. In response to a question on the message he had for the families of the victims, he said: I have a message for the families of those that lost their lives. We love them, theyre incredible people, its an incredible state. Great people, its a great state, and they have great leadership. In November 2012, a former Ghanaian President John Mahama cut short an intercountry campaign tour to visit a disaster site in Accra, barely 24 hours after nine people died and nearly 70 were rescued from a building collapse. When UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, delayed for six days his visitation to an area hit by devastating floods last year, he was shunned by a woman and heckled by the residents in Yorkshire who booed him saying whereve you, you took your time. In April, 26-year-old Iniubong Umoren, a graduate of the University of Uyo (UNIUYO), took her job-hunting mission to Twitter. #AkwaIbomTwitter please Im really in need of a job, something to do to keep mind and soul together while contributing dutifully to the organisation. My location is Uyo. Im creative, really good in thinking critically and most importantly a fast learner. CV available on request, she tweeted on April 27, 2021. Not too long afterwards, Ms Umorens hope for a job appeared to be coming true as she soon got an invitation for an employment interview. Unknown to her, she had fallen for a bait, and she would not make it out alive. The job interview scheduled to take place on April 29, 2021 was fake as the public would later learn from her friend who raised the alarm on Twitter. Few hours after Ms Umoren left for her supposed interview, her friend with Twitter username @umohuduak1 raised the alarm about the whereabouts of her friend through Twitter. Nigerians on Twitter swung into action and were able to deploy all sorts of online tools to unravel what had happened to her. Ms Umoren was later found, although dead. Save Twitter, she would have been another unreported case of murder in Nigeria. Like several other scenarios, Twitter has become a rallying point for Nigerians seeking justice in different ways, and on many occasions, it has helped to provide citizens desired help. With diverse positive purposes it is being used for, Twitter has become a part of life of the estimated 40 million Nigerians using the microblogging site. According to a 2019 survey by NOI Polls, there are estimated 40 million Twitter users in Nigeria with the majority of them aged 18 35, many of whom use the microblogging platform for commercial purposes. Therefore, for many, Twitter is a platform where they exercise their economic rights. Not minding these, the President Muhammadu Buhari administration banned Twitter operations in Nigeria on June 4, two days after a controversial tweet of the president, viewed as a threat of violence against Igbo people, was deleted by the microblogging site. Although many Nigerians have been bypassing the ban using various Virtual Private Network (VPN) applications, government institutions, many private businesses and media outlets, among others have stopped using the site in compliance with the federal governments directive. Since the ban on Twitter, the Buhari administration has been more aggressive in its quest to control the media across the social, traditional and online platforms, through the push for far-reaching legislation. Damage #TwitterBan can do A gender inclusion expert, Busola Ajibola, fears that the ban of Twitter may have a negative effect on access to justice. Responses people generate on Twitter, compared to other social media platforms, are instant and prompt. You could see that a lot of professionals, civil society, all have a presence on Twitter and so if you are a victim of any form of injustice or abuse, you quickly know who to tag or reach out to, she said. Uncertain if such instant responses can come quickly on other platforms, Ms Ajibola believes that even if they exist, they are not as vigorous or vibrant as what is obtainable on Twitter. ADVERTISEMENT She adds that the ban on Twitter will not only affect access to justice but also other interventions ranging from emotional, financial, and others, people get from the platform. One of such interventions was seen in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic when the world and especially developing economies were in short supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The Nigerian government, through Twitter, solicited support from the international communities, which they got. Twitter has also become the foremost social media resource centre where disease control agencies of different countries, including Nigeria, share local and international updates with their citizens. Attack on civic activities During the #EndSARS protests against police brutality in October 2020 when peaceful protesters were detained by state forces, the Nigerian youth, through Twitter, created hotlines affected persons could reach in order to secure their release or that of their colleagues. The bird application also drew the attention of the international communities to the plight of young Nigerians who had suffered at the hands of law enforcement. A lawyer and human rights crusader, Inibehe Effiong, describes Twitter and other social media platforms as veritable tools for civic engagement. It gives the ordinary people a voice to air their grievances and bring to public attention, injustice that has been done to them and seek both institutional and public support, the activist says, noting that so many citizens have got redress for injustice done to them on account of the popularisation of such cases on Twitter. Mr Effiong, who has sued the federal government over the ban, says the ban on microblogging site limits access to (justice) and in a way, shrinks the civic space. People can no longer organise effectively as they are supposed to, he said. Setback for impactful positive campaigns The Executive Director TechHer Nigeria, Chioma Agwuegbo, says Twitter has been instrumental in helping to serve justice to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Twitter was instrumental in sensitising the public on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) issues, calling the government and relevant stakeholders to action, seeking justice for survivors, and holding perpetrators accountable. Indeed, it was a powerful tool for online activism and advocacy for issues of sexual and gender-based violence, she says. In the wake of the COVID-19 lockdown, governors of Nigerias 36 states unanimously declared a state of emergency on SGBV after a series of violence perpetrated against women sparked nationwide protests by activists online and at rallies. Reports of rape, abuse, and killing of women and girls flooded the social media space. Notable among the cases were the rape and murder of Vera Uwa Omozuwa and Barakat Bello and the rape of a 12-year-old girl in Jigawa State. These public outcries using hashtags such as #JusticeForUwa, and #JusticeForBarakat helped to sustain the call for justice which led to the declaration of the state of emergency. Several other female survivors of SGBV were encouraged and told their own stories. Ms Agwuegbo said with the ban on Twitter in Nigeria, the progress achieved in using the Twitter platform to get justice may suffer a setback. Ban not the answer to abuse Many advocates of stringent social regulations and sanctions on tech companies have often cited how the social media platforms have been used in spreading injurious fake news, inciting violence, and divisive campaigns. Mr Effiong acknowledged that the social media space is susceptible to abuse like other forms of media, but insists imposing a ban is not the solution. Fake news does not warrant banning Twitter, he said, explaining further that the solution to the problem is putting put out more correct news. He adds that an advantage social media has over other traditional media is that it is a self-censoring platform where users are able to challenge (and) demand evidence. You dont find this in the print or broadcast media, he said. He also describes instances cited in making a case for stringent regulations of the social media space as isolated. I agree that social media can be abused. It is susceptible to abuse by people, just like any other media. People take advantage of social media to spread disinformation to incite violence and to cause disharmony. It does not make a case for stringent regulation, Mr Effiong said. He also said the divisive comments often made on Twitter are responsive to governments divisive action and inaction such as what he described as a lukewarm attitude towards criminal activities of armed herdsmen around the country. Government too should look into its divisive policies, he said. Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has dared the the Nigerian Labour Congress to return to Kaduna for protest again. The governor in a radio interview in Kaduna on Thursday night said the NLC leadership was paid from Abuja to organise the last protest in Kaduna. NLC had held the protest against a planned mass sack of workers by the state government which said it was spending too much on the states revenue on its civil servants. The federal government stepped in after three days of the five-day warning strike and got the two parties to the negotiation table. But Mr El-Rufais tone since the truce shows he is not mollified. We know what happened, the NLC were paid from Abuja to come to Kaduna and protest and we know who gave them money, we will soon expose them, Mr El-Rufai said in the interview. He said the NLC staged the protest without any concrete evidence that the state had retrenched public servants inappropriately. Everything the NLC said was a lie, the state government did not sack any civil servant. In fact as I speak to you now, the state government is screening the credentials of the over 30,000 civil servants in the state. It is based on that that we are going to releive those we find guilty of their employment. Some civil servant have fake certificates, some are using other peoples certificates. We are checking all that and when we finish we will do away with them. So what the NLC is saying about the state is wrong. The governor further repeated his threat to prosecute all those who participated in the NLC protest. PREMIUM TIMES had reported how the NLC protested in Kaduna, in April. The protest resulted to the cutting off of Kaduna from the electricity national grid for three days before the intervention of the federal government. The state government insisted on its plan to sack civil servants it consider excess load despite the intervention. Sacking of political appointees Governor El-Rufai said he has so far sacked 99 political appointees. We have asked our commissioners and permanent secretaries to cut down the number of their aides to just two. We have also reviewed some of the appointments and have since sacked 99 of them so far. Asked why he did not make the list public, Mr El-Rufai said it was deliberate to make it secret to protect those affected. The governor also spoke on why the state government increased tuition fees in its tertiary institutions. We have to do that, yet what we say students should pay is still not enough. But we have to do that to sustain our institutions. Many parents spend thousands of naira to pay for their childrens primary and secondary education, but coming to the university of polytechnic, they pay less and they are complaining. We cant run our institutions like that. ADVERTISEMENT We have provided scholarships for our students and even education loans, we have sponsored some of our bright students to overseas and they are doing well. Even the less privileged who cannot afford it at all we take it upon ourselves to support them throughout. All you have to do is to provide us with your fathers tax certificate. We will review it and we take it from there. We sponsor you fully. Nigerias secret police, the SSS, appears to have taken over investigation into the case of the Akwa Ibom woman who was raped and killed in April by a 20-year-old man, Uduak Akpan, who had lured her with a fake job offer. The victim, Iniubong Umoren, 26, was buried in a shallow grave inside the suspects family house where she was brutally killed, in the outskirts of Uyo, the Akwa Ibom capital. The crime attracted nationwide outrage. Nigerians have been putting pressure on the police to bring her killers to justice. A former attorney general of Akwa Ibom State, Uwemedimo Nwoko, told PREMIUM TIMES last week that the SSS has taken over the investigation from the police. Mr Nwoko, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, is holding brief in the case for a socio-cultural group, Ati Annang, which promotes and protects the interest of the Annang, one of the ethnic nationalities in Akwa Ibom. The late Miss Umoren was an Annang woman. She was an orphan. She had just graduated from the Department of Philosophy, University of Uyo, and was hoping she could get a temporary job, make some decent money for herself ahead of the mandatory National Youth Service Corps. And then her dream was suddenly cut short in the most brutal manner. Our steps so far have actually led to the matter being further investigated because we (Ati Annang) were not satisfied with the level of investigations that the police carried out, hence we demanded that the matter should be further investigated with all loose ends tight. The transfer of the suspect to the DSS is not a secretive thing, it is a public matter. They have taken custody of the suspect, Mr Nwoko said. What Mr Nwoko said about the SSS taking over the investigation was corroborated by an official of the Nigeria Correction Service in Uyo who informed PREMIUM TIMES, Friday, that the SSS about a week ago had taken the suspect, Mr Akpan, out from the Ikot Ekpene Correction Centre, along with two other suspects in the case. The SSS, apparently conducting their own investigation into Miss Umorens killing, took the three suspects away for some days, the correctional officer said on Friday. They (the SSS) have just brought them (the suspects) back (to the correction centre) this evening, he added. Apart from Mr Akpan who has confessed to the rape and killing of Miss Umoren, another suspect in the case is his father. The other suspect is Emem Emmanuel who is believed to have been part of the plot to lure the victim with the fake job offer. Police reaction The police spokesperson in Akwa Ibom, Odiko MacDon told this newspaper that the suspects were remanded in the correction centre, but he, however, denied that the case has been taken over by the SSS. The spokesperson for the SSS in Abuja, Peter Afunanya, did not respond to calls and a text message seeking comment from him. A lawyer in Uyo who did not want his name mentioned in the report said the SSS can wade into a case that is being investigated by the police if such a case is believed to have the potential to affect state security. If a suspect in a criminal investigation is taken into custody by the SSS, the SSS would eventually have to return them to the police, the lawyer said. ADVERTISEMENT Mr Nwoko, the lawyer who is holding brief for Ati Annang, told PREMIUM TIMES that it is the office of the attorney general of Akwa Ibom State that would prosecute the case, and not the police. It is not a matter that the police can prosecute, that is why the case file was transferred to the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP). It is the attorney generals office that is handling the case. Both the investigative reports of the police and that of the DSS will be put together in the same file and forwarded to the DPP for prosecution. None of the agencies can handle it. It is a murder case, it is the office of the attorney general that is handling the matter directly, Mr Nwoko said. The lawyer vowed that Ati Annang would ensure justice for late Miss Iniubong. I give you assurance that on our part, the Ati Annang Foundation which I represent is not going to leave any stone unturned in ensuring that justice is obtained for late Miss Umoren and indeed the society. Miss Umoren is only one victim, the society is the biggest loser when we have characters like this parading the state, he said. Some candidates who took part in the 2021 unified tertiary matriculation examination (UTME), which kicked off nationwide on Saturday, have experienced some difficulties in their attempts to sit the examination. Technical challenges experienced by candidates at Certified Shipping Institute of Nigeria, Magbon, along Badagry expressway, led to the cancellation of examination at the centre. The head of public affairs and protocol of the examination body, Fabian Benjamin, confirmed the development to our reporter on the phone. Mr Benjamin said the affected candidates would be rescheduled by JAMB to sit the examination at a date to be announced soon. Yes, we are aware of the difficulty. The affected candidates will be rescheduled, he said on the phone. He, however, did not state whether the centre would continue to take part in the ongoing examination or not. Man shares experience Meanwhile, a guardian, who said he had accompanied a candidate to the centre, Andrew Adejo, said till around 3 p.m on Saturday when the cancellation was announced, no student was able to sit the exam at the centre. He said; The first batch of candidates were screened and allowed into the examination hall around 7 a.m but till around noon, the network was still said to be bad. The centres management initially came to announce that the problem was nationwide but when information started to filter in that candidates from other centres had no hitches, candidates, parents and guardians were charged and began agitation. Mr. Adejo said he put a call through to JAMB for clarification and that the spokesman for the examination body told him of the cancellation on the phone. Similar experiences Also at a computer-based test centre located inside the Government Secondary School, Garki, Abuja, candidates could not start the examination until after 11 a.m. According to a witness, the candidates for a 7 a.m batch were later divided into two batches due to technical issues with the computers. At around 11 a.m, the parents became agitated and attempted to enter the hall. They complained that their wards were hungry and that they should be allowed to go out of the centre to avoid a crisis, the source, who does not want to be quoted, said. The source said it took the prompt intervention of the security operatives to bar the parents from gaining entry into the hall. In Nasarawa State, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that parents on Saturday complained of poor network and malfunctioning of computers at designated CBT centres in the state. Some of the parents told NAN in Nasarawa Local Government Area of the state, that the development would affect their childrens performance negatively. They, however, called on the management of JAMB to ensure that systems at all accredited JAMB centres were working properly so as not to shortchange candidates sitting the examination. But they lauded security agents for restricting the movement of people around and within the examination hall. ADVERTISEMENT Mr Ayuba Joshua, a parent whose son was writing UTME, expressed disappointment over the challenge of poor network and malfunctioning of computers. He said; We have been here since morning, some of the students that are supposed to sit examinations at 9 a.m examinations have complained of poor network and malfunctioning of systems. They have told us that keyboards and mouses are not functioning well and some of them are still in the examination hall due to a bad network. Our problem is also that applicants who are meant to sit their examination at 1p.m are yet to commence at 3.45pm. We dont know what has been happening since 9 a.m. With an estimated 150,000 annual births of babies with sickle cell anaemia -regarded as the most common form of sickle cell disease, Nigeria takes almost half of the share of more than 300,000 babies with severe haemoglobin disorders that are born globally each year. These staggering statistics, according to health experts, has ranked Nigeria as a black sheep among the comity of nations. But the Nigerian government seems unconcerned about the countrys status as the global epicentre of the disease with successive administrations showing no clear signs of commitment to its elimination. Today, as the world gathers to mark the 2021 edition of the annual World Sickle Cell Day towards raising awareness about the disease, there is no evidence of any activity on the part of the Nigerian government to solidarise with those living with the disease. This year, relevant individuals and governmental and non-governmental organisations will assemble in the United States of America (USA) to mark the day with the theme; Shine the Light on Sickle Cell. However, without any significant activities lined up to sensitise the populace on the danger inherent in ignorance about the disease, Nigeria continues to grope in the dark for imaginary solutions. A PREMIUM TIMES recent letter seeking relevant information on the disease, which was addressed to the Federal Ministry of Health, Nigerias government department in charge of health issues, was yet to be replied by the ministry. Also, the ministrys official in charge of family health, the department responsible for family health issues, Salma Kolo, however, said the department of hospital services is responsible for sickle cell matters. Mrs Kolo said; Im yet to receive your letter on my desk. However, I will direct you to the director of hospital services if you can come to the ministry on Monday. That is the department in charge of sickle cell disease. About sickle cell disease According to Medscape, a multilingual online platform providing continuing medical education for physicians and health professionals, sickle cell denotes all genotypes containing at least one sickle gene, in which haemoglobin S makes up at least half the haemoglobin present. The organisation further categorises major sickle genotypes to include those with haemoglobin SS which is otherwise called sickle cell anaemia and regarded as the most common form, and another with homozygote for the S globin with usually a severe or moderately severe phenotype and with the shortest survival. There are also others with haemoglobin S/b-0 thalassemia which means double heterozygote for haemoglobin S and b-0 thalassemia, which is said to be indistinguishable from sickle cell anaemia, and the haemoglobin S/b+ thalassemia, which is said to be mild-to-moderate severity with variability in different ethnicities, among others. By its foundation, sickle cell anaemia is an inherited form of anaemia, described as a condition in which there are not enough healthy red blood cells to transport adequate oxygen throughout the body. Experts say sickle cell anaemia can lead to many complications such as stroke, acute chest syndrome, pulmonary hypertension, organ damage, blindness, leg ulcers, pregnancy complications, among others. For instance, it is believed that sickle cells can block blood flow to an area of the brain, igniting stroke signs such as seizures, weakness or numbness of arms and legs; sudden speech difficulties, and loss of consciousness. Frightening statistics According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), approximately five per cent of the worlds population carries trait genes for haemoglobin disorders, mainly sickle-cell disease and thalassaemia. According to the global health body, more than 300,000 babies with severe haemoglobin disorders are born globally each year, but 75 per cent is said to be found in Sub-Saharan Africa. Nigeria carries 66 per cent of the burden in the region, the American Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states. ADVERTISEMENT Experts further added that the majority of the children with the most severe form of the disease die before the age of 5, usually from an infection or severe blood loss. According to a report from the World Health Organisation (WHO), 24 per cent of the Nigerian population are carriers of the mutant gene and the prevalence of sickle-cell anaemia is about 20 per 1,000 births. In countries such as Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana and Nigeria, the prevalence is between 20 to 30 per cent while in some parts of Uganda, the prevalence is said to be as high as 45 per cent. Meanwhile, a study published on thelancet.com shows that Nigeria has the highest birth prevalence of sickle cell disease in the world, with an estimated 150,000 annual births of babies with sickle cell anaemia, the most common form of sickle cell disease. An earlier report by this newspaper also quoted the WHO 2014 statistics, saying that; at least 100,000 babies die from the disorder in Nigeria every year. And like other sub-Saharan African countries, the inherited blood disorder is said to be the underlying cause of about 1 in 12 newborn deaths. The grim statistics is said to have qualified Nigeria as the number one sickle-cell endemic country in Africa. Efforts to stem the tide? Annette Akinsete is a consultant public health physician, who, like many other Nigerians, is unimpressed with the Nigerian governments poor attention to the elimination of the disease in the country. Ms Akinsete, who doubles as the chief executive officer of Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria, a non-governmental organisation that is focused on preventive and curative measures for sickle cell disease, said she cannot beat her chest that Nigeria is committed to global policies and programmes aimed at beating the scourge. In an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES, the campaigner said Nigeria has not invested enough in SCD. She said; The government comes up with policies and plans but they need to work with advocates for implementation. NGOs are the ones picking the slack for the government. We want the government to come up with comprehensive policies that take care of people with sickle cell. The senator representing Ebonyi North Senatorial District, Sam Egwu, once corroborated Mrs Akinsete while leading a debate on a bill to prevent, control and manage sickle cell anaemia in Nigeria. Mr Egwu, an agronomist and former Ebonyi State governor, who rued the prevalence of the disease in the country, said the situation has risen to an alarming proportion, but that little is known about it and far little is done about it. Abiola Morakinyo, an SCD sufferer, lamented what he described as the victims harrowing experiences for diseases brought upon them by others. He lamented the social challenges such as stigmatisation facing the patients, saying Nigeria is one of the very few countries where medications taken regularly by the SCD patients are not available for free. The disease is prevalent among the poor due to illiteracy and poor awareness campaigns by the government. But the poor cannot afford regular medications such as folic acid, Mr Morakinyo told PREMIUM TIMES on the phone. Aborted legislation The sickle cell prevention, control and management bill, which was sponsored by Mr Egwu during the eighth parliamentary calendar, scaled the second reading in 2020. The main provision of the bill seeks to prevent persons who are carriers of AS and SS genotype from marrying others carrying similar genotypes. The sponsor said the bill seeks to curb preventable massive deaths and avoidable hardships caused by the disease, and that such will be achieved by placing a statutory duty on the federal government to engage in and encourage the prevention, control and management of the occurrence, spread and effect of sickle cell anaemia. He said the legislation will enable the Ministry of Health to direct, coordinate and supervise the prevention, control and management of the disease, while it will also be empowered to accredit reputable public and private hospitals and medical clinics across the country, including the rural areas, to function as accredited participants in the prevention, control and management of the disease in Nigeria. The lawmaker explained that the passage of the bill will ensure that experts and other concerned parties are committed to the prevention and control of sickle cell disease in the country through adequate sensitisation and counselling towards facilitating uniformity and standardisation of care for those living with the disease. Mr Egwu said; It will ensure that these campaigns, sensitisation and services are taken to the rural areas across the nation where the majority of the citizens are ignorant of this disease and do not carry out the relevant tests to ascertain their genotype before getting married. Proper sensitisation of the rural dwellers and accessibility of the blood testing services, which this Bill seeks to enhance, will lead to an appreciable reduction in the number of fresh cases in a short time. However, since May 2020, when the bill scaled the second reading, with a committee tasked to report back to the house by June, nothing has been heard of the bill one year after. But the sickle cell advocate, Ms Akinsete, has criticised the bill, saying it is not what should be prioritised. She said; Those are not the kind of things we are looking out for because they are thinking of how to prevent sickle cell. Lets focus on those who are there already. In terms of prevention, its just to make people know what sickle cell is and thats why we have World Sickle Cell Day. This can help people make informed decisions but you cannot force your decision down their throat. Let them make the decision to either marry each other or not. But it is best they know before they get to that level of marriage. She also suggested that Nigeria should have enough counsellors in primary healthcare centres (PHCs) in every local government area in the country to prevent sickle cell disease. Until that happens, I wont say Nigeria has done enough. Health Commissioner speaks The commissioner for health in Osun State, Rafiu Isamotu, has said by virtue of Nigerias population and the nature of the disease, it is easier to guess that Nigeria has the larger percentage of the global cases of SCD. He, however, explained that since he joined the Osun State government to man the health ministry about eight years ago, he has focused on public campaigns and awareness drives to limit the prevalence. Mr Isamotu, a paediatrician, said; I want to believe that we are not doing enough awareness regarding this. The less people with sickle cell trait marry each other, the less (the) chance of giving birth to children with sickle cell. He said the state government is working on a major collaboration aimed at screening newborns of sickle cell, which he said would kick off in October in the state. We have concluded arrangements on how we would start newborn screening of sickle cell. Exactly what is done in Europe and the USA. By the grace of God, by October this year we would start. We are also recommending Hydroxyurea as part of our treatment regime for sickle cell kids in the state, the commissioner added. Mr Isamotu, while pleading with his colleagues across the 35 other states of the federation and the federal capital territory to step up the efforts to address the disease prevalence, noted that the partnership targeted at newborn screening would be with Global Sickle Cell Alliance, Inc. Managing SCD Mrs Akinsete noted that in Nigeria, when people with sickle cell disease appear in hospitals for treatment, they hardly receive the required attention. She said unlike other patients with other forms of complaints, those with SCD require pain relief and rehydration. Mrs Akinsete said; So you need to set up a drip for them and observe them for the day. For the usual daily medication, its folic acid every day. Folic acid is hematinic; that is one thing that helps to build blood. When we say they have a shortage of blood, sometimes doctors prescribe iron tablets for them but that is wrong. People with sickle cell should not be given iron tablet. Iron tablet is what we give people with shortage of blood but we dont do that for sickle cell. This is because they already have excess load of iron in their bodies. Sometimes when we give them blood transfusion, we give them something to remove the iron. We also give malaria prophylaxis and that is very important. She said because Malaria attacks the red blood cells, and that sickle cell patients already have problems with their red blood cells, this means that the blood they have will be compromised. So we give them prevention medication for malaria, like proguanil and daily doses of folic acid. Mrs Akinsete said at her clinic in Lagos, such medications are given free because if we dont, most families cannot afford these medicines every day. In our country, the health insurance scheme is still in its infancy. When patients go to the hospital, they are told that their insurance does not cover these medicines. So until the government steps in with a proper policy, backed by law, the people with sickle cell should be treated free. At least folic acid and proguanil are preventive drugs and what we are pushing for is that they get these medicines free every day of their lives, Mrs Akinsete added. She also spoke about a new medication called hydroxyurea, saying it was initially found for cancer treatment before it was repurposed for sickle cell. Because it increases the level of fetal haemoglobin, she said taking this drug makes people with haemoglobin S come up and they begin to behave like AS because they would no longer have a crisis. She added; So the discovery of hydroxyurea has been a big boost to the management of sickle cell. Although many doctors are still wary of prescribing it because its a new drug. But we are prescribing it in our clinic as other countries are also using it. Some people talk about infertility and dark nails as some of the side effects but we are following them based on science and research findings. The other treatment used for children with high risk of stroke is hydroxyurea. In fact, before this treatment, it was blood transfusion for every three weeks. But thats almost impossible in Nigeria because we hardly have enough blood in our blood bank. The Osun State health commissioner corroborated Mrs Akinsete, and added that in science, as long as the merits far outweigh the demerits, the drugs are safe to use. Mr Isamotu, however, did not confirm the infertility claim, saying it is a drug adopted by his state. Apart from routine care of giving prophylactic folic acid and penicillin antibiotics to all kids with diagnosed sickle cell, we also follow them up in the clinic till their teen years. Gene therapy There is significant progress made by scientists in the developed world to combat the scourge of the disease through a new innovation called gene therapy. In 2017, France recorded a milestone when a 13-year-old boy with sickle cell disease became the worlds first patient to be successfully treated with gene therapy. The teenager was said to have remained free from sickle crises and other signs of the disease 15 months after his treatment, which was conducted as part of Phase One of two clinical trials. Meanwhile, Africa also received a boost when in 2020, the United States National Institutes of Health and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced plans to invest $200 million in the development of gene-based cures for sickle cell disease and HIV. Previously regarded as experimental, gene therapy has now evolved with a team of scientists in Germany and Iran said to have noted in a September 2019 review that, at least, 20 gene therapy products have already been approved. In Nigeria, the Sickle Cell Foundation has established a centre for bone marrow transplant in collaboration with Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). World Sickle Cell Day Since 2008, World Sickle Cell Awareness Day has been held annually marked across the world. The decision followed a resolution passed by the General Assembly of the United Nations, recognising SCD as a public health concern. The choice of the date, June 19, is in commemoration of the date the resolution was passed. It is aimed at increasing public knowledge and raising awareness of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and the struggles people with the disease and their families go through. ADVERTISEMENT The House of Representatives has passed 88 bills out of 1407 bills in the past two years, its spokesperson, Benjamin Kalu (APC, Abia) has said. The House clocked two years on June 11 and has two years left. Mr Kalu had earlier released different data on the status of legislative activities. However, PREMIUM TIMES is yet to independently verify this latest data. Mr Kalu had claimed that the House considered 853 bills and 41 of them passed, in the previous statement. According to the new statement released on Friday, a total of 554 bills were introduced between June 2020 and June 2021. It was a sharp decline considering that the House introduced 853 bills between June 2019 and June 2020. Although the decline could be blamed on the outbreak of COVID-19. The accurate number of bills considered by the 9th House of Representatives as of June 10, 2021 is 1407 out of which the House has passed 88 bills. Additionally, the accurate number of motions considered by the 9th House of Representatives as of June 10, 2021, is 730 out of which the House has made 98 resolutions on security issues. The data released by the lawmaker shows that while the introduction of bills has been easy, the progression of bills has been very slow. A total of 942 bills are awaiting second reading, only 327 bills have been referred to committees, and 79 are awaiting committee of the whole consideration. Within the same period, 730 motions were considered by the House. However, out of the 663 referred to committees, only 40 reports have been laid, and only six have been considered by the House. Legislative activities suffered a great deal in 2020 due to the breakout of COVID-19. The National Assembly was shut down for about two months between March 2020 and May 2020. At a point, the plenary was reduced to once a week. However, the lawmakers did not help the situation by embarking on holidays at the slightest opportunity, thereby missing deadlines on passage of key legislation. Also, a review of the legislative agenda of the House by PREMIUM TIMES shows that the lawmakers are far behind in fulfilling their agenda. A Nigerian author, Shehu Mohammed, on Saturday in Abuja, said the Nigerian society lacks empathy and understanding for sickle cell warriors and that the situation explains why they are still being discriminated against. He said sickle cell warriors also lack adequate information on how to take care of themselves so as to, at least, reduce the impact of the disorder on their well-being. Mr Mohammed, a sickle cell warrior, said this while launching his new book, Im a survivor: The story of my triumph over pains in Abuja on Saturday. The launching coincided with the World Sickle Cell Awareness Day marked globally on June 19, yearly. Launch Mr Muhammed, a former general manager (finance) of Media Trust, publishers of Daily Trust newspaper, and a graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, said he wrote the book to bust several myths concerning the disorder, principal of which he said was that they dont survive. The book was aimed at proffering solutions to the lack of awareness about the disorder, the 55-year-old author said, adding that it also contains his lifes journey as a sickle cell warrior and various survival techniques he deployed to weather the storm. It is a motivational book relevant for anyone not only going through sickle cell pains but any challenges, he said, adding; The book gives hope and reassurance to warriors that despite our challenges, we can still realise our dreams. The book reveals that the story of warriors is not all about death and incapacitation. He said the donation from the launch would go towards making life meaningful for sickle cell warriors. One of his projects, he added, would be to enrol 100 indigent sickle cell warriors on the NHIS Scheme so they can access health care. Later on, I plan to create a sickle cell hub where warriors can have access to psychologists and counsellors to discuss their worries and fears, he said. The hub, when functional, will have facilities for business training and development so as to make warriors independent economically. Commendations The event was well attended by many from different sectors in Nigeria and also in the diaspora via a virtual engagement. Meanwhile, commendations also poured in for the author from different quarters during the launch. Odoh Okeyondo, an author said, this is a revealing book of courage and faith when the odds against the sickle cell patient (warrior) stack several stories high. My takeaway for this timely book is the motivation I got to never give up, said Halima Nagado, founder, Sickle Cell Anaemia Foundation. The author suffered traumatising complications but he didnt allow it to depress him. Instead, it made his dreams achievable. And for Josephine Olunaike, founder of Beulah Sickle Cell Foundation, the book is a lifesaver. The beauty of the book is that it did not just outline the troubles, shame, agonies and societal myths associated with sickle cell, it also proffers realistic advice and practical solutions health wise, emotionally, mentally and psychologically, she said. Sickle Cell Sickle cell anaemia is a form anaemia a condition in which there are not enough healthy red blood cells to transport adequate oxygen throughout the body. Premium Times reported how since 2008, World Sickle Cell Awareness Day has been held annually, in order to help increase public knowledge and raise awareness of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and the struggles sufferers and their families go through. ADVERTISEMENT The date 19 June was chosen to commemorate the day on which a resolution was officially adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations, recognising SCD as a public health concern. Nigeria has the highest burden of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) in the world and is also the top sickle cell endemic country in Africa, with an annual infant death of about 150,000 representing more than eight per cent of infant mortality in the country. ADVERTISEMENT The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Faruk Yahaya has visited wounded troops recuperating in University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. A statement on Saturday in Maiduguri by Ado Isa, the Deputy Director, Public Relations, 7 Division/Joint Task Force (Northeast), Operation Hadin Kai, said the COAS was in Maiduguri on a four-day visit to assess the operational and welfare state of troops engaged in the fight against insurgency. During his visit to the hospital, he assured troops of adequate medicare and support in the ongoing counter-insurgency operations. While at the hospital, the COAS took time to interact with the soldiers and assured them of proper medical care and welfare, adding that their medical care is of utmost importance to him. He averred that the nation is indeed proud of their selfless service and sacrifices towards restoring peace to the North East region. Similarly, the COAS visited the Mechanical Repair Group to inspect the ongoing repairs and refurbishment of vehicles at the workshop through the use of local resources. He commended the resilience and ingenuity of the engineers and technicians in fixing most of the vehicles that were hitherto classified as beyond local repairs, Isa said. He also said that the COAS had earlier been briefed by the new Theatre Commander Operation Hadin Kai, Christopher Musa, on the operational situation in the theatre where he was assured that all efforts would be geared towards bringing the war against terrorism to a decisive end. The COAS appreciated the commitment and selflessness of the troops in the Theatre and implored them to exhibit a high level of professionalism and ensure that all remnants of Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists are neutralised, Mr Isa said. (NAN) The fraud and money laundering charges against Peter Nwaoboshi, a senator representing Delta North, was dismissed Friday by Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, who said the EFCC failed to prove the elements of the offences for which it charged the lawmaker. The lawmaker and his two companies were subsequently discharged and acquitted. Mr Nwaoboshi was arraigned alongside Golden Touch Construction Project Ltd and Suiming Electrical Ltd before a Lagos Division of the Federal High Court in 2018 over N322 million fraud and money laundering charges. The EFCC in suit number FHC/L/117C/18 arraigned the three defendants for acquiring a property named Guinea House, Marine Road, in Apapa, Lagos, for N805 million and that N322 million out of the N805 million, which Mr Nwaoboshi and the firm paid for the property, which it said was part of proceeds of fraud. Delivering his judgment on Friday, Mr Aneke said the ingredients of the offence the defendants were charged with in counts 1 and 2 were not proved and they could not be found guilty of the crime. Judgment Mr Aneke began reading his judgment in a courtroom packed with lawyers and journalists at 9 a.m. and it lasted just under an hour. According to the judgment, in his final address, the second defendant, Mr Nwaoboshi, through his counsel, Emmanuel Kachukwu (SAN), maintained that the prosecution, based on the evidence produced before the court, had not proven their case beyond a reasonable doubt. The prosecution did not demonstrate that the second defendant or any other defendant acquired the property known as Guinea House or that Guinea House was acquired with proceeds of unlawful act because documents are not in evidence. The evidence of prosecution witness did not reveal that there was a transfer of the sum of N322m from the third defendant to the vendor of Guinea House or that the said sum of N322m was a proceed of unlawful act, the written address read. The second defendant further said the evidence of PW1 (first prosecution witness), which the prosecution heavily relied on, is hearsay and lacking in evidential value and was derived from an anonymous person who was not called as a witness. He submitted that the evidence is lacking in credibility and that the elements of the charges had not been proved. He urged the court to reject the evidence. In his judgment, Mr Aneke said the only full evidence offered by the complainant or prosecution is the evidence of PW2 from Zenith Bank. The evidence proved that the third defendant obtained a loan of N1.2 billion from Zenith Bank for purchase of additional equipment and as provision of working capital. It also proved that the loan of N1.2 billion together with interest of N24 million was properly granted to the third. Nothing else was proved by the complainant or prosecutor in this case, the judge said. He further said the financial statement of the defendant is not evident before the court and none of its content evident of any relevance in the case. They need to tender an agreement between the owners of the land and the first and second defendants in sections 128 of the evidence act. The admissible evidence, in this case, does not even show the owners of the said Guinea House. Apart from the first element of defence charged which has not proved that the first and second defendant acquired Guniea House, none of the other evidence as stated above have been proved. How could they have been proved when the statement of account of the third defendant of Sterling Bank was tendered and rejected in evidence? ADVERTISEMENT The rejection of the same statement of account means that any facts concerning or relating to the N322 million paid by the third defendant to the Lagos government cannot be proved. Coupled with this is the fact that Sterling Bank officials were not called to testify and probably tender exhibits F and F10. The prosecutions case collapsed, the judge said. Mr Aneke further said that it is the statement of account of the third defendant of Zenith Bank that could show that apart from the loan of N1. 2 billion from Zenith Bank, there is no other money or sufficient money in the account of the third defendant to pay the N322 million. He said that proved that the N322 million was paid from N1.2 billion and not from any other money belonging to the third defendant. The result is that none of the evidence or elements on count 1 has been proved. On count 2, the ingredients of the offence charged with count 1 have to be proved before the third defendant will be found guilty or the first and second defendants taken for the offence charged. That is to say the offence in count 2 has not been committed, while the primary or principal offence as contained in count 1 has not been proved. The result is the prosecutions case against the defendants are accordingly discharged and acquainted, Mr Aneke said. Mr Nwaoboshi, alongside his two companies, was then freed from the charges against them by the EFCC. The mother of a phone seller, Ramon Azeez, who was killed in Wednesdays clash between members of the state Park Management System (PMS) and phone sellers, in Ibadan, has demanded justice. Salmot Azeez, who spoke with journalists on Friday in Ibadan, expressed sadness over the killing of her 37-year-old son, calling for the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators. She recounted how the then Commissioner of Police, Adisa Bolanta, helped to resolve issues over her property in Iwo Road. I dont know what I did to those who killed my son. I was not there, but people kept calling me. They told me that Ramon had been stabbed to death. Government should fish out the killers of my son, and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book. I want justice, she said. At least one person died in the clash which, according to some witnesses, began after some phone dealers in Iwo Road challenged the park managers, who are also members of the proscribed National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), for blocking the main entrance of their shopping complex. Mrs Azeez wondered why someone would stab her son to death without committing any crime or fighting anyone. She said that her children were not cultists, but phone sellers in her complex. My children are graduates. The late Ramon finished from Lead City University in Ibadan. My first son, Ahmed, whom they were trailing that day, graduated from a University in London. My first son said he doesnt want to work in London, so I gave them shops in my complex to sell phones. That is how they started their business. They are not cultists, but phone sellers, she said. Ahmed, the elder brother of the deceased, recounted his ordeals in the hands of the PMS boys, saying that he was the one they were trailing. I was lucky to escape. Basically, I was the one they were after. If they were able to lay their hands on me that day, I wont be here talking to you. Look at us now, we are mourning our brother. We cannot go back to our work. What is this? Is this a society? What kind of leaders do we have? We want justice, he said. Also, Adebayo Adekoya, who spoke on behalf of the family, recounted how the late Ramon was killed. Mr Adekoya said the late Ramon was never a cultist, and has no criminal record in any police station in the state. What we want from the government is justice, nothing but justice. Video evidence and other media evidence are available to justify these claims, he said. ADVERTISEMENT PMS excesses Teslim Folarin, (APC-Oyo Central), while paying a condolence visit to the family on Friday called on the police to investigate the killings at Oremeji-Agugu and Iwo Road areas of Ibadan, Oyo State, and bring the perpetrators to book. The latest killings at Oremeji-Agugu and Iwo Road must be investigated by the Nigeria Police, with a view to bringing the perpetrators to book, he said. Mr Folarin, while describing the killing as wicked and barbaric, condemned the excesses of the state PMS, led by Mukaila Lamidi, popularly known as Auxiliary. The excesses of Oyo State Park Management System (PMS) led by Mukaila Lamidi, popularly known as Auxiliary in recent times are condemnable. Former Gov. Abiola Ajimobi bequeathed peace and security to Gov. Seyi Makinde-led administration, but things have turned upside. There is hardly any day without breakdown of law and order. Oyo State has become theatre of violence, killings, kidnapping and all sorts of crimes, he said. (NAN) The Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ), YIAGA Africa and nine other CSOs have written a petition to the Senate opposing the appointment of Lauretta Onochie as a commissioner for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). In the petition, dated June 16 and addressed to the Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Kabiru Gaya, the CSOs referred to Section 156(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution which mandates that a person nominated as an INEC National Commissioner should be non-partisan. Ms Onochie, who is currently a presidential aide, was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari in October 2020 as an INEC commissioner to represent Delta State. The president, in a letter to the Senate, announced the appointment and sought the lawmakers confirmation. The appointment had triggered outrage among Nigerians as many described it as unconstitutional. Many have called on the president to withdraw the nomination on grounds that Ms Onochie is partisan and so it would be undemocratic for her to be appointed into such an office. The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, had on June 9, directed the Senate committee on INEC to screen Ms Onochie and five other nominees. PREMIUM TIMES reported how her appointment violates Section 14(2a) of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution as amended which states that a member of the commission shall be non-partisan and a person of unquestionable integrity. While the Senate spokesperson, Aibola Basiru, has said Nigerians who feel Ms Onochie is not qualified to be INEC commissioner should write a petition to the Senate panel. The petition The CSOs, in the petition, noted that Ms Onochie is not only a card-carrying member of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), and a Special Assistant to President Buhari on social media, but also notorious for her partisan, biased and in some instances, inflammatory comments on national issues targeted at perceived or imagined enemies of the Buhari government. Given her antecedents, they said, it is highly unlikely that she will remain neutral and objective if successfully screened as one of INECs National Commissioners. They also stated that Ms Onochie has been a peddler of fake news. We contend that her appointment will greatly undermine the neutrality and impartiality of INEC and it will increase mistrust in the INEC and Nigerias electoral process. By the combined effect of Section 156 (1)(a) and Third Schedule, Part 1, Item F, paragraph 14 (1), Ms Onochie is constitutionally prohibited from any appointment as a member of the electoral umpire. It is against the sacred spirit of our Constitution to accept her nomination. Unfortunately, Ms Onochie lacks the integrity to serve as INECs National Commissioner due to her previous antics on social media. In addition to using her social media platform to express her loyalty to the APC, she peddles propaganda and misinformation regularly, part of the petition read. In addition to tweets of misinformation by Ms Onochie, the CSOs also referred to PREMIUM TIMES analysis of February 2019 where Ms Onochie was identified as one of the Nigerian politicians who used fake news as campaign strategies online. The social media space is still littered with many other inexcusable tweets and posts by Ms Onochie. It will be innocuous to state that the nomination of an individual as INECs National Commissioner, who, as in the instant case, has habitually demonstrated unabashed partisanship should be outrightly refused and rejected by the Senate. Doing otherwise is a violation of our constitution and the impartiality of our electoral umpire. International political activities The Senate was also asked to disqualify the nomination of Ms Onichie on grounds that she is a British Citizen and has, over the years, been involved in active politics in the UK. ADVERTISEMENT A collective reading of Sections 156(1a) and 66(1a) of the 1999 Constitution disqualifies a person as in the instant case from being appointed as INECs National Commissioner on the grounds that a person is a member of a political party. Ms Onochie is a British Citizen and has over the years been involved in active politics in the UK. Up till recently, she has been a full, card carrying member of the British Conservative Party. To be specific, Ms Onochie in 2010, contested elections for a councillorship position in Thames Ward in the London Borough of Barking and Degenham as a member of the UK Conservative Party. A total of 12 candidates contested for the election, Ms Onochie lost by emerging tenth on the ballot after securing a total vote of 322 in her favour. The mere fact that she holds dual citizenship makes her unfit to hold such a sensitive office. As a Nigerian and UK citizen, she is obligated to demonstrate loyalty to both countries. Therefore, her dual loyalty will undermine national interest and it could potentially threaten the independence of INEC, they said. The CSOs further said Ms Onochie was a volunteer on the media campaign team for former Prime Minister David Cameron and while she was campaigning for the APC in Nigeria in 2014, she was also involved in the Conservative Party #Roadtrip2015 to campaign for the re-election of conservative candidates across the UK. Prayers While they urged the Senate to completely reject Ms Onochies nomination, the CSOs called on Mr Buhari to withdraw her nomination in the public interest and in furtherance of his commitment to leave a legacy of a truly independent electoral institution that enjoys the trust and confidence of citizens and electoral stakeholders. They asked the president to uphold the federal character principle in renominating a non-partisan, neutral, and competent Nigerian to represent the South-south region as INEC National Commissioner and also uphold the principle of diversity by ensuring gender inclusion in the nomination of non-partisan and competent Nigerians as INEC Commissioners. Ensure that members of the Independent National Election Commission must be of individuals with impeccable character, unquestionable neutral inclinations dispositions, and competence; Ensure proper scrutiny and due diligence is exercised in the confirmation of nominations into INEC; and As custodians of the Nigerian constitution, the Senate should ensure that the principle of Federal Character is protected in order to guarantee inclusiveness and promote national unity amongst Nigerians, the CSOs said. Other CSOs which signed the petition include Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA), International Press Centre (IPC), Institute for Media and Society (IMS), the Albino Foundation and Centre for Citizens with Disability (CCD). Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) and CLEEN Foundation also signed the petition. ADVERTISEMENT The Nigerian Exchange has halted trading in the shares of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) Plc, as the bank moves to its transition to a holding company. The transaction is to enable Nigerias biggest lender by market value consolidate its businesses into a single group, set up payments and asset management subsidiaries. The suspension is necessary to prevent trading in the shares of the bank in preparation for the eventual delisting of Guaranty Trust Bank Plc from the Daily Official List of the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) and listing of the Holding Company, Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc on NGX, the bourse said in a report on Friday. GT Bank is optimistic the metamorphosis will help bolster profitability at a time when lenders are seeing drops in earnings from core banking business, forcing rivals like Access Bank and Sterling to also see a holdco structure as the way to go. GTBs outstanding shares of 29.431 billion units will be swapped on a one-for-one basis for the shares in the succeeding holding company, just as its global depository receipts will be exchanged in the same way once the transformation is completed. The lender will be delisted from the NGX and the London Stock Exchange and re-registered as a private limited liability company, towing the path of FBN Holdings Plc and Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc. It has in place the approval in principle of the Central Bank of Nigeria and a no objection of the Securities and Exchange Commission. According to The Africa Report, a spokesperson of the bank said GTB is in the concluding stage of the approval processes. Shares in GTB have shed 11.75 per cent so far this year, closing at N28.55 per unit on its last trading day on Thursday. ADVERTISEMENT A consortium of four media development and media freedom organisations have opposed the proposed amendment of the Nigerian Press Council Act by the National Assembly saying the measures contained in the amendment Bill seek to make the government the arbiter of truth while subjecting the entire media sector in Nigeria to the control of the Minister of Information and Culture in violation of internationally accepted norms and standards. The organisations, comprising the International Press Centre (IPC), Media Rights Agenda (MRA), the Centre for Media Law and Advocacy (CMLA), and the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ), outlined their objections to the measures in a Joint Memorandum they presented to the House of Representatives Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values at a public hearing in Abuja on the Proposed Bill for An Act to Amend the Nigerian Press Council Act. Presented by Lanre Arogundade, IPCs Executive Director, on their behalf, the groups said although regulation is necessary in this age of fake news and hate speech such regulation should not erode media independence or freedom and should not be unduly punitive, adding that the regulator must also be free of the stranglehold of the powers that be, political or other interests, so that it can judiciously adjudicate in matters bothering on the infringement of the code of ethics of the profession of journalism. In the Memorandum signed by Mr. Arogundade as well as Edetaen Ojo, MRAs Executive Director; Richard Akinnola, Executive Director of CMLA; and Dapo Olorunyomi, PTCIJ Executive Director, the organisations noted that although masquerading as regulation, the proposals contained in the amendment Bill are aimed at restricting freedom of expression and media freedom. They complained that the amendments as currently proposed would give exclusive powers on the composition of the board of such sensitive body like the press council whose independence is of paramount importance, to the president and the minister without confirmation by the National Assembly unlike what obtains with other regulatory bodies such as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). Besides, the organisations said, the amendments seek to empower the Council to ensure truth and genuineness in reporting, which would make a Council dominated by government appointees and controlled by the government the arbiter of truth. According to them, the proposed amendment to the functions of the Council has the additional effect of making the Nigerian media a department of the Federal Ministry of Information and subjecting the entire media sector to the control of the minister by giving him the power to approve a national Press Code and standards to guide conduct of print media, related media houses and media practitioners. The organisations objected to the highly punitive measures which can be taken by the Council against media houses and media practitioners for alleged violation of the press code without judicial intervention, saying they constitute a potential threat to press freedom and media survival as they could be used as a political weapon against the media. They criticised the proposal to empower the council to receive, process and consider applications for the establishment, ownership, and operation of print media and other related media houses as a violation of section 39 of the Constitution, which gives everyone the right to own, establish and operate any medium, and called on the committee to reject the proposals on the composition and functions of the council. The organisations suggested that the power to determine sanctions relating to hefty fines should be vested in the courts and not the council, adding that the provision relating to revocation of license for alleged publication of fake news should be removed from the Act as decisions on appropriate sanctions for such offences should belong to the courts. SGD: Olutoyin Ayoade Communications Officer International Press Centre (IPC) +2348114503887 tayoade@ipcng.org ADVERTISEMENT They kill, they threaten, they invade, and they place bans on our biggest sources of obtaining information. Therefore, we must continue to persist by the use of any means possible. We must continue to scream until they have no option but to grant us our hearts desires We must fight this battle because that is our identity. We belong to this fight. We belong to this land. And we shall truly Never Forget. A deeper look into the manner by which undoubtedly historical events unravel in our present society, tends to reveal a quite repetitive thread in the way we are made to absorb these, often tragic, happenings into our daily lives. One might notice that a decent number of individuals who share the same trauma and pain we feel, repeatedly remind us to, Never Forget. Yet, it seems as if they always forget to explain to us what it truly means to Never Forget. If they were to explain, what exactly would they say it entails? Perhaps they will inform us of the never ending pain that we will become incapable of healing from. Or maybe they would tell us of the despair we experience when we look around and acknowledge the fact that our unbearable situation has, once again, failed to improve. They might even explain to us that it involves holding on to the anger and rage we feel in our hearts when we realise that all our cries and pleads for assistance and change have fallen on deaf ears. Regardless of how they choose to explain to us what it really means to Never Forget, we have already been made to live with the exhausting challenges we are plagued with when we make the slightest attempt to carry on. In our day-to-day lives we are constantly reminded of the blood that has been made to spill over the past decades due to the insurgency in our own nation caused by terrorist attacks, banditry, and kidnappings. Since these are occurrences that we have been made aware of, one might be led to ask the question of what it really means to Never Forget. We train our minds to be able to ignore the repeated thoughts that haunts our minds of that could have been methat could have been my family memberthat could have been my friend. We say a quick prayer and hope that our everlasting laughter, joy, and aspirations, can undermine the trauma we experience as we watch the news and attempt to process numerous innocent killings. We fear for our childrens future as we watch them mature in a country where their dreams, safety, and chances of success are never guaranteed. We contemplate the possibilities of obtaining aid from foreign countries as we strive to come to terms with the fact that we cannot rectify the damages that have been done to our own fatherland. We look around us and we catch sight of the ever-rising number of youths who are made to tackle a system of generational injustice and strife. We bear witness to the countless victims whose careers have been made to suffer from the inevitable hands of corruption that has been deeply sown into the fabrics of our home. We watch as the current situation of our nation provides room for ample division among our people, on the basis of the things that make us beautifully unique and outrightly distinctive. We endure the weight of frustration and resentment that we are forced to carry on our shoulders due to the endless amount of disappointment we receive from the individuals who we trusted, not only to lead our country correctly, but to ensure our happiness and comfort as well. We find ourselves in a situation where we have almost neglected the motive to ask for basic necessities like water, electricity, and food. We find ourselves begging our government for the absolute bare minimum we require as citizens of our country: life. We plead for life. In addition to all this, we ask ourselves how many lives might suffice in order to receive the justice we deserve from this country? How many of our peaceful protests must be dismantled, invaded, and attacked, in order to attract change from our dear leaders? How many years is necessary for our nation to become a home that is fulfilling all of our basic needs as citizens of a nation? We look around us once again, but this time, we see each other. This is because our identity betrays us. It ties us down to this land. It defines who we are. Our culture discloses our entire heritage. We realise that we cannot keep it a secret, even if we tried our very best to. Our citizenship exposes us to an ongoing battle that we are continuously trying to fight. We begin to ask ourselves, What happens if we quit the fight? What will our future look like if we surrender in this battle? The truth is we do not know. We have never stopped fighting. How could we possibly know what life would become for us if we give up on the fight that has been passed on for generations? Nonetheless, we can only imagine that we do not have the option to quit the struggle; we simply do not get the option to be tired. Instead we train ourselves to be able to witness the pain and despair of people who share our identity, and carry on the fight without getting discouraged and exhausted. We fight for them. We fight for the ones who have fallen. We fight for the ones who have been taken away from us. We fight for the opportunities and entitlements that have been stolen away from us by a government that we trusted to keep them safe. We know in our hearts that, that is, in fact, what it truly means to Never Forget. It entails accepting this battle as our very own battle that we have been born into. It means coming to terms with the fact that no matter where we might be on the planet, it will remain our battle to fight. It means acknowledging our imperfect history and applying it to our everyday lives and struggles. It means pleading to the Almighty to supply everyone of us with the strength, courage, and motivation that it takes to carry on. It means going to distant lengths and measures to obtain the wisdom and understanding that is necessary in order to reflect a change in not only our current societies, but in the upcoming ones as well. It means being a fountain of love for those who share our battle and identity, regardless of what differences might attempt to divide us. It means fighting with and for one another regardless of societal class and education standards. We are aware of our goals and only we understand how dear they are to us. It is only us that yearns for our victory just as much as those who have lost their lives for the sake of this battle. To Never Forget means to avoid being silent. It means to cry out for justice and change. It is a known fact that they only attempt to silence us with killings and retaliation when we are raising our voices and desperately pleading for changes. This can only mean that they are disturbed by our cries for help; they are bothered by our attempts to create awareness of the injustices happening all around us. As a result, they partake in everything they can in order to silence us. They kill, they threaten, they invade, and they place bans on our biggest sources of obtaining information. Therefore, we must continue to persist by the use of any means possible. We must continue to scream until they have no option but to grant us our hearts desires. We must push until their backs are against the wall and they have no possible means of escaping our complaints and petitions. We must do this because that is who we are. We must fight this battle because that is our identity. We belong to this fight. We belong to this land. And we shall truly Never Forget. Mary Ukiri writes from Abuja. Whilst going through the news feed of my social platforms on Friday evening, an analysis written by a Senate correspondent of an online platform, Premium Times, on the performance of the Ninth Senate under the leadership of Senator Ahmad Lawan caught my attention. It reads: In two years, Lawans Senate records more failures than successes. Though I felt a strong sense of outright disagreement with the caption of the report which I perceived as strongly biased, I nevertheless decided to read its contents for very obvious reasons. 1. To determine the rationale behind the writers position; 2. To examine the strength of arguments in reaching what I perceived to be a rather misleading conclusion; 3. To establish and understand the parameters used in coming to such erroneous judgement; and 4. To understand the reporters level of competency and professionalism As one who has covered the proceedings of the upper chamber in the last 10 years under the strict supervision of very meticulous line Editors, I learnt to avoid falling for the temptation to skew analysis in my weekly column to only reflect my personal thoughts or opinion on a matter devoid of supporting facts. In other words, my credo as a Reporter at the time was to live up to the ethos of what Helen Sissons considers Good Journalism in the book titled Practical Journalism: How to Write News. For Sissons, Good Journalism requires accurate writing, as carelessly written reports can mislead the audience. With respect to the analysis by the Premium Times reporter, it brings to mind what then ought to constitute Good Journalism? In response, I would say, the provision of accurate facts. Now, let us examine the parameters used and facts provided by the reporter in reaching such misleading position. In essence, what were the highlighted facts suggestive of the purported failure of parliament within the context of the analysis? For the purpose of clarity, I advise that due attention be given to parenthetical observations in the following paragraph. The reporter gave them as follows: Approval of Executive Loan Requests; Checking Excesses of Executive Appointees and Colleagues (not recounting the Senates summons on the Health Minister during the COVID-19 pandemic last year, the Former Service Chiefs and IGP over lingering insecurity and many others); Holidays and Lateness (again, not disclosing the number of times the Senate bent its rules to sit beyond 2pm and most times till 4pm or the circumstances of the pandemic which compelled the upper chamber to adjust plenary sessions from three to two sitting days in a week); Budget Padding (in this instance not taking into consideration that the National Assembly has the legislative and constitutional powers to review executive requests in this regard); and Checks and Balances (which by the way makes no reference to, or recourse to the efforts of the Legislative Compliance Committee of the Senate). What I find even ludicrous on the other hand is that these purported failures were made to tower above the outstanding legislative accomplishments of the Lawan-led Senate in a way intended to undermine the achievements of the Ninth Assembly. Much as journalists are expected to hold government accountable as the fourth estate of the realm, such responsibility must not be seen to trample on objectivity, foster bias, or suppress truth. This takes us to the bigger question, what then is the objective approach to assessing the performance of the ninth Senate in the last two years? My response: an objective approach that juxtaposes the Senates accomplishments side-by-side with its legislative agenda to measure whether or not the upper chamber has indeed lived up to expectations. Only a newbie or rookie to parliamentary reporting would attempt to do otherwise. How to assess the mid-term performance of the Ninth Senate When Senator Ahmad Lawan threw his hat in the ring to contest the Senate Presidency a second time in 2019, he very much went for it fully prepared with a robust legislative agenda. Tagged: A National Assembly that Works For Nigeria, Lawans clearly defined agenda remains the first ever seen from any candidate contesting the Senate Presidency since Nigerias return to democratic rule in 1999. He also was the first candidate ever in Nigerias history to take his campaign round media houses across the country in a bid to sell his Senate Presidency and as well seek the support of the media as partners in having a National Assembly that works for all Nigerians. ADVERTISEMENT His legislative agenda targeted the following key areas: Security, Economy, Criminal Legislation Reform, Public Finance Management Legislations, Youth Unemployment and Substance Abuse, Standard of Education, Healthcare Services, Social Safety Net, and Constitutional Amendments. Other aspects include: Independence of the Legislature, Electoral Reforms, and Reviving the Real Sector and Infrastructure. While delivering his 2nd Anniversary speech during a special session last week, the Senate President announced that the upper chamber in the last two years passed 58 bills out of 742 bills introduced. Surprisingly, some analysts like the Premium Times reporter jumped at it and fell for the nonsensical and shallow approach which adjudges the success of Parliament by the number of bills passed as against those introduced over a specified period of time. They, however, fail to realize that the actual success of parliament is measured not by the number of bills passed as against the number introduced, but by their numbers spread across the legislative agenda in meeting with the expectations of citizens. The 58 bills passed in the period of two years by the Senate addresses and touches on critical aspects of the economy, security, public finance, employment, education, healthcare and so on. Education On the 7th of July 2020, the Senate passed a landmark legislation which criminalized sexual harassment in Nigerias tertiary institutions. With the passage of the Sexual Harassment bill, the Nigerian government would be fulfilling part of its obligations undertaken through the ratification of the United States Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, the Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Women in Africa, and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. The upper chamber during the last two years also passed bills to upgrade some polytechnics across the country such as the Yaba College of Technology and Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, into full-fledged Federal Universities. This is not to mention the passage of bills to establish new tertiary institutions across the six geo-political zones of the country as well as put an end to discrimination between First Degree and HND holders by employers. Healthcare Services In its bid to improve healthcare services across the country, the upper chamber considered several bills and passed some seeking to upgrade Federal Medical Centres to University Teaching Hospitals. Among such bills is one passed on June 1, 2021, seeking to establish the Modibbi Adana University Teaching Hospital, Yola in Adamawa state. The Senate also on May 19, 2021, passed a bill for an Act to provide the legal framework to establish Federal Medical Centres in the country, as well as equip and maintain them to provide facilities for diagnosis, rehabilitation and treatment in medicine. The upper chamber also approved the establishment of the National Dermatology Hospital, Garkida, Adamawa, State. The bill seeks to revive an international hospital that would specifically focus on the treatment of leprosy, skin cancer and other skin-related diseases. In addition, the Senate on Wednesday, February 17, 2021, passed for second reading the Public Health Emergency Bill, 2021, and referred same to its Committee on Primary Health and Communicable Diseases for further legislative work. The bill seeks to repeal the obsolete Quarantine Act 1926 and provide an effective and efficient legal and administrative framework to address challenges from a sudden outbreak of infectious diseases. It also seeks to facilitate the provision of funds and accountability mechanisms to contain the spread of dangerous infectious diseases, as well as prescribe offences and punishments for violations associated with the control and management of such diseases. Economy The ninth Senate in contrast to past assemblies since 1999, passed the most impactful legislations targeted at strengthening the Nigerian economy. It recorded a significant feat with the restoration of the nations budget cycle to the January December timeline which before now was an unbreakable jinx. The restoration of the budget cycle by then ninth assembly saved Nigeria from an economic recession during the first quarter of this year. The move is expected to turn around the fortunes of the countrys fiscal plans and boost local and foreign investors confidence in Nigerias economy. In a similar attempt, the upper chamber also passed the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contract Act (Amendment) Bill 2019 which defied all attempts by previous assemblies to amend since is enactment. The bill which has since received presidential assent pushes Nigerias revenue figure accruing from International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in the country from $150 million (USD) to $1.5 billion (USD) annually. Also passed was the Finance Bill 2020 which, specifically, amended 17 key aspects of the extant laws. They are: Capital Gains Act; Companies Income Tax Act; Industrial Development (Income Tax Relief) Act; Personal Income Tax Act; Tertiary Trust Fund Act; Customs and Excise Duties Tariff; Value Added Tax Act; Stamp Duties Act; and Electronic Transaction Levy. Other areas amended include: Federal Inland Revenue Service (Establishment) Act; Nigeria Export Processing Zone Authority Act; Oil and Gas Export Processing Zone Act; Crisis Intervention Fund; Unclaimed Funds Trust Fund; Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020; Fiscal Responsibility Act; and Public Procurement Act. President Muhammadu Buhari, had in a letter dated 25th November, 2020 said the passage of the Finance Bill would support the implementation of the 2021 budget through key reforms in taxation, customs, excise, fiscal and other laws. Given these achievements, I daresay that the Senate President reserves the right to constantly remind Nigerians about his milestone accomplishments which before now were unrealisable under previous assemblies since 1999. Youth Unemployment Disturbed by the growing number of unemployed youths in Nigeria, the Senate President in his legislative agenda identified this as a challenge and has remained focused in ensuring its reversal through legislative support to executive requests. Drawing from the cordial relations between the Executive and National Assembly, the exit strategy identified by the Buhari-led Federal Government to address youth unemployment targets the provision of critical infrastructures that would create jobs for the thousands of young Nigerian graduates churned out by universities across the country. However, getting the support of the National Assembly would require its approval for loan requests from the Executive to finance the implementation of such critical infrastructures and projects. In one of such moves last month, President Buhari while seeking the upper chambers approval of donor fund projects under 2018-2020 borrowing plan in a letter addressed to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, dated 6th May, 2020, explained that same would enable projects listed to be financed through sovereign loans from the World Bank, African Development Bank (AfDB), French Development Agency (AFD), Islamic Development Bank, China EXIMBank, China Development Bank, European Investment Bank, European ECA, KfW, lPEX, AFC, India EximBank and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). He added that the projects are geared towards the realization of the Nigerian Economic Sustainability Plan that cut across key sectors such as Infrastructure, Health, Agriculture and Food Security, Energy, Education and Human Capital Development and COVID 19 Response efforts in the six geo-political zones of the country. There are yet other numerous achievements or issues addressed by the Ninth Senate in just two years which the Premium Times reporter either inadvertently forgot or mischievously left out in her write-up probably to justify her biased conclusion. Ezrel TABIOWO is the Special Assistant (Press) to the Senate President. ADVERTISEMENT The pan-Ijaw socio-cultural organisation, Ijaw National Congress (INC), on Friday, said only true federalism in the ongoing constitutional review would address their concerns in Nigeria. Benjamin Okaba, the president of the INC, made this assertion while speaking with reporters on Friday in Yenagoa, the capital city of Bayelsa State He said the minorities which produced the resources to develop the country have remained neglected over the years. Mr Okaba, a professor of Sociology at the Federal University, Otuoke, advocated the restoration of true federalism under a new constitution, enacted by the people, with a clean exclusive legislative list prescribed for the federal tier of government. He said it was regrettable that Ijaw land and the Niger Delta region were the only place in the entire world where oil and gas were produced but have remained impoverished, neglected and underdeveloped. He said the retreat from militancy to constructive engagement was yet to yield results, adding that the choice of civilised engagement should not be misconstrued for cowardice. Mr Okaba equally called for the repeal of all obnoxious and discriminatory laws and policies that have continuously undermined the fundamental human and environmental rights of the Ijaw people. The INC president said the delay in the construction of the East-West Road was a typical pointer to the neglect of the goose that lays the golden egg. He said their current resolve for self-determination and self-actualisation could only be reversed if urgent steps are taken to address the conditions to guarantee the continued commitment of the Ijaws to the Nigerian project. (NAN) No fewer than 26 persons who registered for the 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) organised by the Joint Matriculation Examination Board (JAMB) missed their examination in Anambra State. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent who monitored the conduct of the examination on Saturday in Awka and environs reported that some of the candidates had difficulty in locating their centres. The candidates were posted to Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, and some other centres within the town. Meanwhile, other candidates scored the organisers high in providing conducive examination halls, security and functional computer sets. Two candidates, Oluchi Okafor and Enuka Uchendu, said they were impressed with the conduct. JAMB supervisor at Unizik, who did not want his name in print, told NAN that 500 candidates were posted to the centre for the two sessions slated for June 19. Out of the number, six candidates did not turn up, he said. Favour Oluchukwu, a parent who was seen in the vicinity waiting for her child, said the environment was peaceful and safe. Mrs Oluchukwu commended the organisers, saying it was the best UTME organised by JAMB. Ugochukwu Umerie, the administrator for Integrated Development Konsult, another centre in Awka , said the centre had two sessions and recorded 10 absentees. Mr Umerie said the centre would host three sessions for 750 candidates, saying each group would take 250 candidates per session on June 21. The administrator urged candidates whose centres were in far locations to leave their houses early. He said the centre had no record of impostors or security challenges of any kind and hoped that other days would be as peaceful as the first outing. ALSO READ: JAMB cancels examination at Lagos centre as 2021 UTME begins nationwide Ugochukwu Ezeogbulu, a candidate at the centre, said the environment was conducive for the examination. Mr Ezeogbulu, a student of Redeemed Secondary School Okpuno in Awka South Council Area of the state commended the process. Chinenye Ezeanya of Carol Standard Convent, Ichi, Nnewi South council Area, said the examination was good and that she hoped to get a nice score. Nasiru Yaro, a supervisor at Grafill House Centre, Awka, said 10 candidates missed both the morning and afternoon session. (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT The Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) began amidst heavy security in all approved computer-based test (CBT) centres on Saturday in Ebonyi State. A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who monitored the examination across some centres in Abakaliki, reported that there was heavy presence of armed security operatives in all centres visited. Some officials of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), who spoke to NAN on condition of anonymity, said the measure was taken to forestall possible security breaches. This is in view of the festering security challenges in the state. Meanwhile, the first batch of the examination started at 8.00 a.m. in most of the centres, after accreditation, an hour behind the boards approved 7.00 a.m. and lasted for two hours. Two candidates, Uchenna Agwu and Eunice Elom, who wrote the examination commended JAMB for putting adequate security measures in place. The duo also applauded the board for ensuring that all approved CBT centres provided candidates with the conducive environment to write the examination. There are enough security measures in place at the Annunciation Information Communication Technology (ICT) centre. The computers and other internet facilities are in good working condition. There is an improvement in the level of preparation by the board in this 2020 /2021 UTME examination when compared to previous years, one of the candidates said. Candidates at the Comprehensive School of Management and Technology in Abakaliki told NAN that the examination started behind schedule. ALSO READ: Over 26 candidates miss UTME in Anambra They, however, said adequate security arrangements were put in place to protect the candidates and officials. Two candidates, Emeka Agara and Raymond Ukpai, said the centre was peaceful while the computers and other ICT accessories functioned very well. We are grateful for the peaceful and successful conduct of the first batch of examination. We pray that subsequent batches will be hitch free. We also commend the board for placing a premium on the safety of candidates and their officials, another candidate said. NAN reported that Ebonyi has 12 approved CBT centres for the 2020 /2021 UTME. (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT For the second time, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has suspended two leaders of the party, allegedly for hobnobbing with the South West Agenda for 2023 (SWAGA), a political platform campaigning for a national leader of the party, Bola Tinubu, to be Nigerias president. Kayode Adetifa and Jide Oso, who were slammed with the suspension, are members of the party in Ward 9, Owaye quarters in Ayede Ekiti, Oye Local Government Area of the state. In April, the Chairman of Ward 8, Ado Ekiti Local Government Area, Clement Afolabi, was suspended over a similar offence. PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the larger number of the leadership of the party is averse to the activities of SWAGA, viewing it as contradicting the agreements of the party not to encourage groups that appear to be dividing the party. Like Mr Tinubu, the Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, is believed to be nursing the ambition to become president. The suspension of Messrs Adetifa and Oso was communicated in two separate letters signed by the ward Chairman, Abejide Sola; Women Leader, Bamisayo Abigeal; Youth Leader, Oladipo Adekunle; Secretary, Fayemi Apeke, and Treasurer, Oloruntoba Bosede. We noted from your activities in the party in the recent past that you have been working against the unity of the party even to the extent of creating a parallel ward that you named SWAGA within the ward, the letters dated May 31, 2021, stated. You sent in confirmation of your action through Mr. Jide Oso, a former ward chairman on 16th May, 2021 to the ward that you have created another venue for this purpose. You as well was invited to the general Executive and leaders meeting on 20th May, 2021 to explain your action and you confirmed that the message of Mr Jide Oso was sent by you as his principal and that you would not stop your parallel meeting for any reason. In view of the above reasons the general executive of the ward met 27th May, 2021 and decided to suspend you for running against the party (APC) Constitution till further notice. The Ekiti APC Publicity Secretary, Ade Ajayi, however, denied that the suspension had anything to do with their association with SWAGA. He said the report from the ward indicated that the two were defying the partys orders and dividing the party through their actions They were not suspended because of SWAGA. But they have been dividing the party and all efforts to rein them in failed, he said on Friday. They were invited to defend themselves; they confirmed it and party supremacy had to come to play. Nobody is bigger than the party. The Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Babafemi Ojudu, had earlier reacted to the action of the party, saying the suspension of party members for their association with the group was draconian and devoid of the tenets of democracy. A former senator, Dayo Adeyeye, is a major leader of the SWAGA group and is backed by a retinue of former members of the National Assembly and top politicians in the South-west zone. His campaign across the country is to sell the candidature of Mr Tinubu, detailing the reasons why the former Lagos governor should run for president in 2023. While Mr Adeyeye has continued his campaign unhindered, his activities have been irksome to the party leadership in Ekiti State. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT An angry mob set ablaze a truck belonging to the Dangote Group after it fatally hit two people on Friday evening along Dangote-Ibeshe road in Yewa North Local Government area of Ogun. The Spokesperson, Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirmed the incident to the )) in Abeokuta on Saturday. Mr Akinbiyi, quoting witnesses, said the truck driver drove recklessly, left his lane and faced the motorcycle, thereby hitting and killing both the rider and his passenger. He said An angry mob later set the Dangote truck on fire while the driver ran away. The case is being handled by the Dangote plant police post, he said. He noted that it took the intervention of the police and officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to calm frayed nerves and the situation. The TRACE spokesperson added that the remains of one of the deceased had been deposited at Ilaro General Hospital morgue, while the other victim has been buried by the family members. He commiserated with the family of the dead victims, while admonishing truck drivers to resist the temptation of reckless and dangerous driving and give consideration to other road users. In January, another truck belonging to the company ran into some residents and students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, killing at least eight people. (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has distanced itself from the alleged nefarious activities of the Park Management System (PMS) in Oyo State. This is contained in a statement signed by its Deputy General Secretary, Suleiman Musa, and made available to journalists on Friday in Ibadan. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the union, in the statement, was reacting to reports labelling it with atrocities allegedly committed by the PMS. At least one person was killed on Wednesday after officials of the state governments Park Management System clashed with phone dealers at Iwo Road. An account of the incident said the violence began after some phone dealers challenged the park managers for blocking the main entrance to their shopping complex. Several officials of the park managers are also members of the proscribed NURTW in the state. But the NURTW, in its statement, said that Mukaila Lamidi, popularly known as Auxiliary, who was appointed by Governor Seyi Makinde to lead the PMS, had been expelled from the union since 2011. It emphasised that the governor had proscribed the NURTW in the state since May 31, 2019, distancing itself from the atrocities allegedly committed by the PMS. We viewed the persistent reports linking us with alleged nefarious activities of the PMS as highly unacceptable. We are calling on the Oyo State Government to do the needful on allegations against the PMS to prevent avoidable clashes resulting in wanton destruction of properties and loss of lives. NURTW is a body of law-abiding individuals making a living in the transport sector and averse to all forms of violent activities capable of jeopadising our source of livelihood, it said. It said that the constitution of the union was very clear in dealing with identified dissidents or bad eggs, saying such was evident in the expulsion of the current PMS leader. The union appealed to the media and the general public to stop attributing alleged excesses of the PMS to the NURTW. It said that the union remains committed to the promotion and sustenance of peace at all times, saying the breach of peace would deprive its members the opportunity to earn their living in the industry. (NAN) Mixed reactions have trailed the conduct of the 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), which started in all centres across Lagos on Saturday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that about 1.5 million candidates registered for the examination, which began nationwide in over 700 centres on Saturday. The examination will end on July 3. NAN correspondents who visited some centres in various parts of the state report that candidates trooped to the centres as early as 6.00 a.m. for the compulsory biometric verification exercise ahead of the examination. The first day of the examination is expected to be conducted in two sessions 9.00 a.m. and 11.00 a.m. However, there were hitches in some centres, especially the private owned ones, visited by NAN correspondents. Parents frustrations The exercise recorded a lot of technical hitches, as candidates could not start the examination at the scheduled time. The development has since generated reactions from anxious parents. Some parents insisted that there was need for improvement on the entire process and other mechanisms, for the conduct of examination of this status. In some centres around Ikotun Egbe and Palmgrove areas of the state, candidates who were scheduled for 9.00 a.m. could not start the examination until about 12.00 noon, due to technical issues. A candidate at Daleware Institute of Technology, Palmgrove CBT centre, Jaafar Omoniyi, told NAN that he arrived at the centre as early as 7.00 a.m. They delayed the biometric verification at this centre. It wasnt until after 12.00 noon before they started calling those of us in the first batch, Omoniyi told NAN. At another centre, Wisdom House in the Ogba area, where candidates for 9.00 a.m. were supposed to conclude the examination by 11.00 a.m., they also experienced technical hitches. Philomena Nezieanya, a parent, whose daughter was scheduled for the examination at Sweet Valley School in Ikotun, told NAN that her daughter was supposed to be in the first batch for 9.00 a.m. Mrs Nezieanya said that her daughter was still waiting to start the examination, as a result of what she described as system failure. This is frustrating and uncalled for and I think organisers of the examination should look deeper into the facilities some of these centres present to them, before giving them the go ahead to be part of an exercise of this magnitude. ADVERTISEMENT This entire development could have affected the psyche of these candidates and this should not be the cases. As you can see, all candidates scheduled for the various sessions of the examination have come together now and the place is already rowdy, she said. At the Value Place College, CBT centre, Pipeline Idimu area, four candidates for the 9.00 a.m. session had issues with their biometrics and screening. NAN reports that the development, if not rectified, could affect their chances of participating in this years examination. However, in some other centres like WAEC Test and Training Centre in Ogba, WAEC International Office (WIO), Agidingbi, Datforth International School, Bakare Estate, Hamadiya, Abule-Egba, the case was different. Top notch An official at the WAEC TTC Ogba, who requested not to be named, described the conduct of the exercise so far, as top notch. According to him, the candidates arrived in good time for their accreditation and search and have conducted themselves well. He added that there had been no record of any hitch so far at the centre, adding that everything had been going on as planned. I want to say that I am very elated at the way everything is going on in this particular centre; it is giving me joy. From the security agents at the gate, the facilities and the candidates themselves, it has been so far so good. With what is on ground in this centre, I will want to encourage other centres to key in, in order to continually promote excellent and hitch-free conduct of examinations in the country, the officer said. When contacted, the head of media of the board, Fabian Benjamin, expressed satisfaction at the conduct of the examination so far, nationwide. He told NAN that the board was not unmindful of the hitches recorded in some centres across the country. Mr Benjamin assured that the board was on top of the situation. Yes, we are aware of the few technical hitches in some centres, but I want to assure you that we are on top of the situation. Being the first day of the examination, we are bound to witness few teething problems. But all I can say is that we have the mechanism to put all that under control. There is no need to panic, as we are working round the clock to ensure that every Nigerian child is given an equal opportunity, he said. (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT The Police in Ekiti State have arrested a 16-year-old girl alongside three accomplices for faking her own kidnap. Police spokesman in the state, Sunday Abutu, said on Saturday at Ado-Ekiti that the suspects were arrested on Thursday at their hotel hideout. Mr Abutu said the supposed victim admitted that she conspired with those arrested to actualise her dream of becoming an actress as against studying medicine, which was her mothers choice. He explained that the girl said she conspired with the others to raise money from her family members to enable her to relocate from Ekiti State to pursue her dream. She said she did it since her mother had insisted that she goes through medical field as against her dream of becoming an actress, Mr Abutu said. Mr Abutu said one Bolaji Femi of Bawa Estate, Ado-Ekiti, reported to the police on Tuesday that her sister who left home for school at Christs School, Ado-Ekiti, on Monday did not return home. She told the police that an unknown person picked a call made to her phone and confirmed that she was in the custody of kidnappers. The unknown person said the supposed victim would not be released until a ransom of N500,000 was paid to a particular bank account. Mr Abutu said the police tracked the owner of the bank account and he was arrested. He said the account owner, who is also a friend to the girls boyfriend, led operatives to a hotel in Ado-Ekiti, where the supposed victim, her boyfriend, and one other accomplice were apprehended. (NAN) A Celebration of Life Service for David J. Tallman, NK2Y, will be held at the Plattsburgh United Methodist Church, 127 Beekman Street, Plattsburgh, NY on Saturday, July 10, 2021, at 3 P.M. on the front lawn of the church, weather permitting. It will be moved to the sanctuary for inclement we Plattsburgh, NY (12901) Today Cloudy with occasional light rain throughout the day. High 67F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Overcast with rain showers at times. Low 57F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. SOLAN, India, June 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In a unique initiative, Indian Direct Selling Association (IDSA) and Shoolini University have jointly launched a 'Center of Excellence for Direct Selling in Academics' (CEDSA) which is to impart a year-long PG Diploma in Direct Sales starting Academic year 2021-22. CEDSA will be India's first 'Centre of Excellence' for Direct Selling. The Centre was inaugurated by Mr. Govind Singh Thakur, Minister of Education, Government of Himachal Pradesh, and Mr. Rajinder Garg, Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Government of Himachal Pradesh. Speaking at the function, Mr. Thakur said, "It is very important to introduce such employment oriented educational courses in curriculum. By introducing Direct Selling in academics, the students will be ensured of research-based education while also learning the nuances of the business." Mr. Rajinder Garg inaugurated the portal for admissions in Post Graduate Diploma in Direct Selling and said, "I congratulate IDSA & Shoolini University for starting a unique, employment-oriented course which links education with employment and would benefit the youth of the state and the rest of country." On the occasion Vice Chancellor Shoolini University Prof Atul Khosla said, "this is a wonderful effort to bring industry and academia together which will also generate employment. " Ms. Rini Sanyal, IDSA Chairperson, said, "The launch of CEDSA will open a new chapter in the Direct Selling ecosystem in the country and we remain hopeful that other educational institutions also give a much-needed impetus on formal studies in Direct Selling business model. We believe there is need for an exhaustive academic curriculum, and that CEDSA can serve as a research incubator for Direct Selling in India." Based out of the University's picturesque campus in Solan, CEDSA is only the second such 'Centre of Excellence' globally, dedicated to Direct Selling business - the other being the US-based DSEF (Direct Selling Education Foundation). CEDSA will also house the 2nd global research center on Direct Selling - the other being Pekin University Research Center on Direct Selling (RCDS) in China. With the launch of CEDSA, IDSA has become only the 2nd Direct Selling Association in the world to facilitate a Diploma in Direct Selling, after the DSA of France. "This is a new initiative at Shoolini University to enable students to consider Direct Selling is a promising future. With IDSA, we are sure that we will deliver a curriculum that meets the requirements of this dynamic industry", said Shoolini University Founder and Pro-Chancellor Vishal Anand. While addressing the audience, Ms. Simarjot Kaur, Additional Director, Dept. of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Govt. of Punjab said "My heartiest congratulation to the IDSA and ShooIini University for taking such a huge initiative. Direct Selling has given a lot of impetus and magnitude with which it has grown in the Covid times and the kind of opportunities it has provided to the people of our country, especially the women, is really amazing." Dr. Kamal Kant Vashishth, Director- eLearning at Shoolini University shared all details of the Post Graduate Diploma in Direct Selling being offered by CEDSA. Dr. Vashishth said "In the current day scenario, earning while learning is an important aspect of our lives. CEDSA's core objective is to encourage inclusive entrepreneurship and it would certainly be a boon for the youth of the country. The event also saw eminent dignitaries, like Shri. Hem Kumar Pandey, Former Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, Mr. Gary Huggins, Executive Director- DSEF, Ms. Tamuna Gabilaia, Executive Director and COO-WFDSA, along with members of IDSA's Executive Committee, Mr. Rajat Banerji - Vice Chair, Mr. Vivek Katoch- Treasurer, Dr. Jitendra Jagota- Secretary and Mr. Chetan Bhardwaj- General Manager. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/792680/Shoolini_University_Logo.jpg SOURCE Shoolini University MEMPHIS, Tenn., June 17, 2021 -/PRNewswire/ -- Indigo Agriculture , a company with a mission to harness nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, today announced plans to unveil a new brand identity for its carbon farming program : Carbon by Indigo. The refreshed identity will officially debut at the inaugural "Carbon Farming Connection" learning session on June 23. The session will bring together farmers with private industry and scientific experts supporting the development of a robust global market for agricultural carbon credits. (Courtesy of Indigo Ag) The refreshed identity seeks to better reflect the program's focus on meeting the needs of farmers in an increasingly complex voluntary carbon market. Supported by committed purchasers of verified agricultural carbon credits, Carbon works with growers at every step of the carbon farming journey, from those who are just beginning to think about implementing their first cover crop, to those who are further along down the regenerative path. Distinguished by an emphasis on enabling informed decision-making through a combination of learning resources, agronomic tools, and community-building efforts, Carbon seeks to catalyze action and scale impact. According to Indigo Ag CMO Jennifer Betka, "Carbon by Indigo conveys the long-term journey of transformation that a decision to farm carbon sparks. By bringing 'carbon' to the forefront, we hope to simply speak to the hallmark values -- shared ownership, collaboration, and maximized value for all -- that guide our support for stakeholders on this journey of sustainable business and land stewardship." As private companies increasingly seek out science-based strategies for addressing the environmental impact of their operations , demand for verified offsets (and subsequent interest in regenerative agricultural techniques that generate this new asset) has continued to mount. Farmers are poised to benefit from the economic and environmental benefits of cultivating a new crop (carbon). Still, access to information is a key challenge to getting started. A recent Ag Economy Barometer study from Purdue University found that while growers were aware of opportunities to earn income from farming carbon, less than 1% have entered a contract with a program aimed to help them do so. The findings are congruent with a recent Indigo-commissioned Nielsen survey, which highlighted that for farmers a highly conscientious group eager to innovate with new practices like cover cropping and no till but careful to ensure any practice changes they make are right for their unique operation -- more support is needed to meet the need for informed decisionmaking and get started with a program today. "We want to ensure that 'farming carbon' is understood beyond just the soil health benefits it provides in order to deliver on its potential as a long-term source of productivity and pride for the ag industry," said Chris Harbourt, Global Head of Carbon by Indigo. "The question for farmers is no longer if the opportunity to become a producer of carbon credits is there, but how can I produce carbon credits in a way that expands my access to the transformative economic opportunity of this new frontier. With Carbon by Indigo, we've created an experience that puts growers in the driver's seat, empowering them with comprehensive supports educational, financial, operational, technological as they grow and evolve their operation for years to come." By leveraging Indigo Ag's technological and scientific capabilities, Carbon provides stakeholders across the full carbon farming ecosystem with digital solutions and market insights to ensure the ag industry's knowledgebase keeps pace with the rapidly developing carbon market. To facilitate this understanding and mark the identity refresh, Carbon by Indigo has built on its programmatic experience with the launch of several new components available to all growers for free, regardless of their enrollment status. The cornerstone of these educational efforts is "Carbon Farming Connection," a virtual community learning session held Wednesday, June 23. Featuring conversations with industry-leading experts from companies such as Brands for Good, the Climate Action Reserve, and Maple Leaf Foods, the event promises to address the questions on many farmers' minds today: why, when, and how should I farm carbon? In response to significant demand for the event to date nearly 1200 individuals across 44 states are planning to attend -- the company has slated another session this December and will continue to amplify focus on convening peer communities. Laying a path for continued learning for those considering adopting new beneficial farming practices, the company also recently launched Carbon College , a free online series designed to deepen understanding of the agronomic foundations of regenerative farming practices and reduce barriers to practice change adoption. Accredited by the Certified Crop Advisor Program, the self-guided course delivers applicable on-farm insights and data-backed recommendations for adopting soil health techniques and generating carbon credits in agriculture. Carbon College expands on the company's suite of educational content, including recurring soil health and profitability strategy webinars geared to those considering the near and long-term benefits of enrolling in a carbon program. To learn more about these resources, visit our website or register for Carbon Farming Connection . ABOUT INDIGO AG Indigo Ag improves grower profitability, environmental sustainability, and consumer health through the use of natural microbiology and digital technologies. The company's scientific discoveries and digital platforms benefit stakeholders across the agricultural ecosystem, including tens of thousands of growers across millions of acres. Working across the supply chain, Indigo Ag is furthering its mission of harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet. Indigo Ag is headquartered in Boston, MA, with additional offices in Memphis, TN; Research Triangle Park, NC; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Basel, Switzerland. MEDIA CONTACT: Paula Sokolska, [email protected] SOURCE Indigo Ag SANTA ROSA, Calif., June 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Darius Anderson, the CEO of Sonoma Lab Works, California's premier cannabis testing lab and the CEO of Kenwood Investments, LLC announced today that Sonoma Lab Works' employees unanimously voted to join the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW), Local 5 for employee representation. "We are pleased to have our employees join UFCW Local 5 and fully support their decision," said Darius Anderson, CEO of Kenwood Investments, LLC and Sonoma Lab Works, the highly regarded, licensed testing lab which operates a state-of-the-art, 8,000 square foot laboratory offering testing services to clients throughout California. "While many cannabis dispensary employees have unionized throughout California, Sonoma Lab Works is the first testing laboratory to unionize," said Darius Anderson. The lab's employees are a mix of highly educated scientists, engineers, assistants, and office staff. Darius Anderson stated further that, "One of my goals when I led Kenwood Investments' acquisition of Sonoma Lab Works in 2019 was to professionalize the cannabis testing business in order to protect consumers, employees and our clients. As the cannabis industry expands in California and nationally it is important that employees have union representation to meet these goals so that employees can benefit from the industry's growth," Darius Anderson said. Kenwood Investments, LLC is a California opportunistic investment company led by Darius Anderson that acquired Sonoma Lab Works in 2019. Darius Anderson is the CEO of Kenwood Investments, LLC and Sonoma Lab Works. Since 2019, Kenwood Investments' senior management team, along with the management team hired to run Sonoma Lab Works, have successfully managed Sonoma Lab Works as a profitable and growing business in California's robust cannabis market. Jim Araby, Director of Strategic Campaigns for UFCW, Local 5 said, "We are extremely happy to have worked closely with Sonoma Lab Works' employees and management on this first union contract for a cannabis laboratory. We would like to thank Darius Anderson, CEO of Sonoma Lab Works, for his leadership in making this historic contract happen." The UFCW now represents more than 2,000 cannabis workers in California, primarily in the retail dispensary space, and the unanimous vote by Sonoma Lab Works' employees makes it the first licensed laboratory in the State to have union representation. About Sonoma Lab Works Sonoma Lab Works is a Bureau of Cannabis Control licensed testing lab and is the lab of choice for companies looking to bring new cannabis products to market. Sonoma Lab Works provides research and development and State mandated compliance tests for its clients. Sonoma Lab Works utilizes state of the art equipment and proprietary methodologies to provide best in class test results for consumers and its clients. The lab's employees are a mix of highly educated scientists, engineers, assistants, and office staff who provide analytical, testing, research, and development services to its clients, allowing Sonoma Lab Works to work side-by-side with its clients to help new ideas grow beyond inception as they make their way to dispensary shelves. Darius Anderson CEO of Kenwood Investments, LLC and other investors acquired the lab in January 2019. About Kenwood Investments, LLC Kenwood Investments, LLC was founded by Darius Anderson in 2000. Since that time, Kenwood Investments, LLC's investment focus has been on opportunistic investments in retail, real estate, media, tourism, and hospitality projects. In 2019, Darius Anderson led Kenwood Investments' acquisition of Sonoma Lab Works and it has provided important management expertise to Sonoma Lab Works since that time. Kenwood Investments, LLC has a successful track record of developing one-of-a-kind projects in Northern California and has invested over $1B for its own account and its investors during the last 20+ years. Kenwood Investments, LLC is based in Sonoma, California, and is managed by a group of seasoned professionals who have worked with Darius Anderson and Kenwood Investments, LLC for decades. Contact: Jay Wallace Phone: 415-601-2081 [email protected] SOURCE Kenwood Investments J Hotel Shanghai Tower is located at the top of the 632-meter Shanghai Tower in the heart of Lujiazui, offering a bird's-eye view across the whole expanse of Shanghai. From this unparalleled location, guests can savor a view above and beyond all else. The horizon stretches clear from Hongqiao Airport in the west to the Yangtze River's powerful entrance into the East China Sea. It also provides a rare perspective on the nearby Oriental Pearl Tower and the Bund, offering a chance to contemplate the city's rich historical evolution. J Hotel Shanghai Tower also carries forward the brand's ambitious ideals, delivering its own interpretation of home and the world as they intersect with Chinese culture. By crafting luxury hotels that combine modern aesthetics and Chinese tradition, the J brand aims to set the benchmark for China's homegrown hospitality industry. The Art of Interior Design The interior design of J Hotel Shanghai Tower was led by Lv Haiyan, Chairman of Jin Jiang Luxury Hotels Management Co., Ltd, renowned novelist and award-winning screenwriter and crafted by R&O, a respected studio dedicated to the world's top hotels that was founded by Oscar LLinas and the late Robert Bilkey. Both Bilkey and LLinas personally participated in the hotel's design, which is Bilkey's final masterpiece on his life-long journey of designing wonders. Guests are welcomed into the vast interior with six crystal Roman columns leading to an eight-meter-high Shikumen the stately courtyard gates traditional to Shanghai in an astonishing design that seamlessly blends the best of the east and west. On the sprawling tower's Floor 101, a sky bridge of laminated glass and metal unfolds before guests. At the end of the bridge, guests are met with graceful ballerinas dancing across the sky in delicately threaded metallics as an installation handcrafted by French artist Pauline Ohrel to invite every visitor into a unique universe of art and culture. At this artistic landmark in the clouds, designers have utilized lacquer, glaze and enamel works as well as metal, crystal and mosaics that give life to a breathtaking space with creativity at every turn. The hotel also invited Chinese and international artists to collaborate on artworks that reflect their individual style while connecting in a cohesive design language, inviting guests to explore the carefully curated art exhibition that spans different floors. The Art of an Elegant Residence J Hotel Shanghai Tower boasts 165 rooms, including 34 suites. The staterooms and suites are located from Floors 86 to 98 and vary from 62 square meters to 380 square meters, making them some of the highest and most spacious options in Shanghai. Nestled into the Shanghai Tower's spiral, every stateroom has unique views. Beginning at the Huangpu River and cutting through the heart of the city below, guests have access to Shanghai's diverse and spectacular urban scenery, from the Bund and the Oriental Pearl Tower to the expanses across Puxi and Pudong. As guests walk along the breathtaking guestroom corridors lined with unique art pieces lit by Chinese carved "lui li" crystal frames, they will discover doors of different colors. Behind each colored door lies the intrigue and unrivaled luxury of different guestroom design styles at J Hotel: New Chinese and Contemporary. In the New Chinese staterooms, bespoke embossed wallpaper recalls the Yangtze Delta's ancient pavilions and buildings, giving a sense of the region's historic prosperity and elegance. The leather-trimmed TV cabinet and emerald glazed tea table embody dignified traditional Chinese culture. From the gold trim on the olive-green calfskin wall panel and dragon patterns on the sofa to the hand-blown glass floral bedside decorations and Tang Sancai-style ornaments, this thoughtfully crafted interior melds a touch of opulence with a rejuvenating environment. The bathroom is made of white marble with an exquisite glazed backdrop inlaid with a magnolia pattern in full bloom. A full set of Italian-made crystal faucets engraved with the J logo also reflects Jinjiang's determination to build a homegrown high-end brand. The Contemporary staterooms are boldly constructed, defined by crystal magnolias and laminated glass. Sumptuous natural calfskin wall panels add elegance and spaciousness to the sanctuary. The bedside canopy woven with gold and silver wire, crystal magnolia lamps and a two-meter-wide Italian crystal glass TV cabinet all demonstrate exquisite craftsmanship. Selected furniture and ornaments reflect the sophistication of our guests, who can relax in the magnolia petal-shaped bathtub by the window and take in the breathtaking views across the Huangpu River. All prevailing staterooms incorporate separated spaces including a bedroom, living area, bathroom and walk-in closet, creating personal sanctuaries in different layouts and styles. The mini-bar at the entrance offers various drinks and snacks, as well as a Nespresso coffee machine and a Chinese tea set. The bedroom area is equipped with a soft Simmons mattress with high-thread-count bedding and a full set of down products, creating a cloud-like, skin-friendly sleeping experience. Whether it be with the integrated crystal executive desk in the New China stateroom or the natural leather executive desk in the Contemporary stateroom, both room styles offer an intuitive workspace, along with high-speed Internet access, USB and HDMI ports and audio inputs. Each room's built-in Smart Senor Control System allows digital control of the TV, curtains, air conditioning and lights, as well as personal butler services, all with a simple tap on a tablet. The complementary 10 M Internet access not only meets guests' needs for high-speed connectivity, but also allows them to enjoy remote document printing services. Numerous international TV programs are available on the 46-inch LED IPTVs, as well as on-demand viewing and screen projections to meet the demands of a diverse range of guests. The walk-in closet provides ample storage space for clothing and luggage and a large-capacity personal safe, while the butler's closet is specially designed for contactless 24-hour laundry collection, ensuring the privacy of each guest. Spacious bathrooms are equipped with a double vanity, multiple light modes, separate bathtubs, showers and make-up areas, as well as mirrored TVs, branded hairdryers, and Hermes or Diptyque toiletries. In addition to the prevailing staterooms, the hotel has 24 Grand Suites, eight J Suites, one Jinjiang suite and one Shanghai suite, each with distinctive design themes. The Grand Suite, with an area of about 100 square meters, is an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city and a serene sanctuary with elegant neutral tones, delicate fabrics and top-notch leather. The J Suite, at around 195 square meters, presents the elegance of old Shanghai, also known as the "Paris of the East," woven together with the sleekness and modernity of contemporary Shanghai. The burgundy door panels and high crystal chandeliers heighten the sense of glamour, while the finest leathers and rich wood grains add a soothing natural touch. The Jinjiang Suite is a spacious 210 square meters. With an unparalleled 180-degree view, guests can enjoy the beautiful scenery of Shanghai and experience the city's evolution in real time. The suite has a separate living room, bedroom, dressing room, dining room, study and guest washroom to ensure privacy. The Jinjiang Suite is connected to two prevailing guest rooms, allowing for further expansion of living space based on guest needs. As the highest-end suite at J Hotel Shanghai Tower, the Shanghai Suite is an integrated residence of magnificence in the sky. The astonishing 380 square meters of space on Floor 98 offers a separate parlor, bedroom, dressing room, study, kitchen and physiotherapy area. Guests are greeted by a luxurious Chinese phoenix and peony embroidery on the calfskin wall at the entrance, before being led into the curved parlor that boasts an exclusive panoramic view of Shanghai. Enriched with elegant furniture and cutting-edge artwork, the Shanghai Suite perfectly illustrates the art of luxury living above it all. The Art of Global Haute Cuisine J Hotel Shanghai Tower features seven distinctive restaurants and bars that offer the art of fine dining in the clouds. These include Heavenly Jin, one of the world's highest restaurants, Kinnjyou Inaka for a serene Japanese experience, Jin Yan for the best of Chinese cuisine, Centouno for Italian and Mediterranean cuisine, the Lobby Lounge, the Yi Lounge and the Cafe & Patisserie. Each establishment has its own unique design and artistic decor, welcoming guests to enjoy spectacular views of Shanghai while feasting on diverse cuisines, fine wines and imaginative cocktails. Located on Floor 120 of the Shanghai Tower, 556 meters above ground, Heavenly Jin is one of the world's highest restaurants. The restaurant is a fusion of diverse culinary arts, featuring modern European, Japanese and fine Chinese cuisines created by top chefs from different countries. Guests are greeted by a 30-meter-long Silk Road-themed Italian mosaic made of dozens of rich materials, manifesting openness and inclusivity. Inside the restaurant, diners are seated beneath a sky of ribbon-like crystal lights as they enjoy delicacies prepared by chefs from all over the worlda heavenly experience in the clouds that is not to be missed. On Floor 104, Kinnjyou Inaka Japanese restaurant evokes a feeling of elegance and eternity with an infinity mirror design integrated in the ceiling and partitions. The entrance blends exoticism and traditional craftsmanship with three Japanese fan installations handmade with 24 K gold, engraved glazed glass and black and gold enamel. The restaurant specializes in Kaiseki and Teppanyaki cuisine and features 10 private rooms, as well as a circular sushi bar and open dining area. Each dining area offers a different view of the city, while the chefs perform live Japanese cooking techniques and present fresh and authentic Japanese cuisine. The Jin Yan restaurant on Floor 103 serves authentic Cantonese cuisine. Featuring classic shades of Chinese red, the restaurant is a proud demonstration of the beauty of traditional Chinese craftsmanship. The entrance corridor is made from red glaze and takes inspiration from traditional Chinese architecture. Inside, a crystal art installation displays a dragon playing with a pearl, which is considered an auspicious symbol in China. The openwork light shades are formed from glaze, and the walls are embellished with jade, glaze and gold foil, while a dragon pattern plays across the marble floor. The restaurant has eight private rooms with decorations that incorporate gold, wood, water, fire and earththe five elements considered by ancient Chinese culture to have built the world. It also boasts two special private rooms featuring bespoke artworks from artists in glaze and enamel, each lending their own exceptional touch to the dining experience. Painter Zhou Xikang hand-painted landscapes for the moon doors of each private room, inviting diners into a refreshing environment with a feast for both the eyes and the palate. Centouno on Floor 101 blurs the boundary between reality and the virtual with artwork from Edoardo Tresoldi, the famous Italian artist behind "Absent Matter." His ghostly architectural work fuses a large Roman wire-mesh dome within the restaurant environment, casting a dream-like atmosphere over the space. This environment is heightened by the modern, healthy cuisine that defines southern Italian and Mediterranean culture. The open kitchen allows guests to appreciate the chef's performance at any time and features a unique pasta selection, offering authentic Italian pasta dishes made from ancient recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. The Lobby Lounge, also on Floor 101, is the place for guests to meet and mingle, while the Yi Lounge on Floor 84 is a new benchmark for Shanghai's bar and nightlife scene, mesmerizing guests with Shanghai's world-famous nightlife and live jazz. Located on the first floor of the hotel, the Cafe & Patisserie specializes in grab-and-go delicacies including coffee, beverages and light, healthy food options. The Art of Wedding and Banquet Experiences The J Hotel Shanghai Tower boasts a 422-square-meter semi-circular Soiree Ballroom on Floor 105, which can be divided into two smaller fan-shaped spaces. It also offers an 86-square-meter boardroom and two multifunctional rooms at 38 square meters and 24 square meters, making it an ideal venue for high-end banquets, weddings, meetings and cocktail parties. The Soiree Ballroom and conference rooms boast panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows and are equipped with advanced audio-visual systems and integrated multimedia equipment. The two fan-shaped ballrooms are each equipped with 31 square meters of embedded curved LED screens for live screen casting with real-time connectivity. The boardroom has a Maxhub smart screen combining HDTV, a digital whiteboard and audio-visual video conferencing functions. The multifunctional meeting room can be custom-designed according to guests' requirements to meet the different needs of any given event. The hotel's professional wedding, banquet and conference event team provides one-stop services for guests, with access to the hotel's complete arsenal of resources, such as limousine transportation, bespoke menus, sommelier services and more to create once-in-a-lifetime memories tailored to guests' individual needs. The Art of Wellbeing The Reiki spa and fitness center on Floors 84 and 85 provide a perfect escape for guests to relax and rejuvenate. The spa helps dissolve stress and anxiety while rejuvenating the body through holistic techniques and natural products. The fitness center is fully equipped with a yoga room and 160-meter skyline swimming pool, where professional fitness concierges are ready to provide guidance and health management services. The swimming pool on Floor 84 features a contemporary design with a touch of traditional Chinese elements. At the 130-square-meter viewing deck located by the pool, guests can step out into the clouds and enjoy the city from unparalleled heights. The Art of Butler Service Every guest at J Hotel Shanghai Tower can enjoy the exclusive services of a J Hotel Personal Butler. Highly trained, they are "know-it-all" Shanghai experts who curate services based on guest preferences and respond to requests around the clock. From ground transportation arrangements, luggage organizing, itinerary booking, pillow menu, a series of offerings dedicated to female guests, restaurant reservations, and sightseeing recommendations to business secretarial work, the J Hotel Personal Butlers are always ready to provide meticulous services to all guests, whether they are traveling for business or leisure. At the pinnacle of Shanghai, J Hotel Shanghai Tower is so much more than a luxury hotelit is a private sanctuary in the clouds with exclusive bliss that represents the best of Shanghai's rich heritage and cutting-edge modernity. It not only carries the aspirations of China's hotel industry, but also represents an exciting new milestone for Chinese homegrown hotel brands. In its brand mission to "live the spirit of benevolence," J Hotel Shanghai Tower will create a truly extraordinary experience for all guests with integrity, kindness, professionalism and humanity. For more details or room booking, please contact hotel at (86 21) 3886 8888, or visit hotel website www.jhotel-shanghai.com. About J Brand J is the premier luxury hospitality brand of Jin Jiang International Hotels, China's largest and the world's second-largest hotel group. J is named after the initial of Jinjiang. Centered around the Chinese philosophy of benevolence, the hotel welcomes all guests with integrity, kindness, professionalism and humanity, through an artistic environment of Chinese elements and heart-felt, quality services. J Hotel's logo is inspired by a blossoming magnolia, the symbol of Shanghai, and encircled by rings of transparent rays that deliver dynamism within a static image. Through the icon's significance and elegance, J brand wishes to share its vision of building an internationally recognized hotel in Shanghai through its Chinese cultural cultivation. About Jin Jiang Luxury Hotels (China Region) Jin Jiang Luxury Hotels (China Region) is a high-end hotel management company established by Jin Jiang International Group, managing over 40 premium hotels including J, Yan Garden, Jin Jiang and The Kunlun brands. SOURCE J Hotel Shanghai Tower "Our mission is to innovate in education and have a major impact on the way people teach and learn. We bootstrapped the business to profitability so had a high bar in terms of bringing on an equity partner that would bring more than just capital. Invictus is the perfect partner for us, bringing deep operating expertise, a broad network, and unique data science resources that will enhance our platform and help us scale faster. We are excited to have Invictus as a partner as we continue to accelerate our vision of providing enterprises and educational institutions worldwide with the best online teaching and learning experience." CYPHER LEARNING is the only company that provides an LMS for all major e-learning sectors.The company has three award-winning products: MATRIX LMS for Businesses, NEO LMS for Schools and Universities, and INDIE LMS for Entrepreneurs. The products are used by more than 20,000 organizations globally and are available in more than 40 languages. The global LMS market is estimated at more than $21 billion, yet it is still very fragmented and populated with outdated, subscale companies that have not kept up with the current needs of enterprises and educational institutions. This large market has created significant growth opportunities for CYPHER LEARNING as its leading-edge learning platform continues to gain traction due to its intuitive user experience, powerful functionality, and innovative approach to teaching and learning. "CYPHER LEARNING's unique positioning in the industry and the vast addressable market in both the business and K-2O sectors has led to tremendous growth that we expect will rapidly increase over the next several years," continued Graham Glass, CEO and Founder of CYPHER LEARNING. John DeLoche, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Invictus Growth Partners, said: "CYPHER LEARNING's platform brings many benefits to enterprises and educational institutions, including ease of use, consistency of learning, innovative tracking and reporting, increased engagement, and better learning results. Graham and his leadership team have created a world-class learning platform with innovative automation, mobile, social, and gamification features that is built to scale and lead the space across all sectors. We are honored to partner with CYPHER LEARNING and look forward to working with them to achieve their mission." For more details about CYPHER LEARNING and its products, please visit cypherlearning.com. About CYPHER LEARNING CYPHER LEARNING is a company based in San Francisco that specializes in providing learning platforms to organizations worldwide. CYPHER LEARNING has three products: MATRIX LMS for Businesses, NEO LMS for Schools and Universities, and INDIE LMS for Entrepreneurs. The products are used by over 20,000 organizations, support 40+ languages, and have won several awards. CYPHER LEARNING is currently the only company that offers platforms in all major e-learning sectors: academic, corporate, and entrepreneurship. About Invictus Growth Partners Invictus Growth Partners is a growth equity and buyout firm which invests in bootstrapped and capital efficient, automation-enabled cloud software, cybersecurity and fintech companies which seek capital and strategic resources to accelerate their growth. The firm and all their professionals are based in San Francisco, CA. This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com. SOURCE CYPHER LEARNING HOUSTON, June 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- #WeAreDoneDying Tweet this Let's kick off Summer 2021 with FREE COVID-19 vaccinations on Juneteenth Saturday, June 19 Houston, let's celebrate Juneteenth and kick off Summer 2021 with freedom from COVID-19! WHAT: The NAACP Houston Branch and Dr. Joseph C. Gathe, Jr., M.D. collaborate to offer free Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccinations on a first-come-first-serve basis to students, parents, and guardians in unserved and underserved Houston communities. This event is part of the NAACP Houston Branch's commitment to address community healthcare inequities and help curb the rising COVID-19 infection rate especially among young people ages 12-20. To protect health and safety during this event, masks and social distancing will be encouraged but not required. #WeAreDoneDying WHEN: Juneteenth on Saturday, June 19, 2021 10 a.m. 2 p.m. (or while supplies last) WHERE: Madison High School 13719 White Heather Drive, Houston (77045) (Serving students & families from Madison and Westbury high schools and from Lawson, Pershing, and Reagan middle schools) Worthing High School 9215 Scott Street, Houston (77051) (Serving students & families from Worthing High School and from Attucks and Thomas middle schools) WHO: Carlotta Brown, Principal, Madison High School Everett Hare, Principal, Worthing High School Dr. Joseph C. Gathe, Jr., M.D., Chair, NAACP Houston Branch Health Committee & Board Certified Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, Chair, NAACP Houston Branch Education Committee & Houston City Council Member, District D Belinda Everette, Chair, Housing Committee, and Secretary, NAACP Houston Branch FEATURES: Free Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines while supplies last Scholarships for rising & graduating seniors to attend a HBCU (Historically Black College/University) Raffle contests for prizes About NAACP Houston Branch The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Houston Branch is to ensure the political, educational, housing, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination. The Houston Branch is committed to advocating and serving our most vulnerable communities who are experiencing the brunt of food and health insecurities, during this COVD-19 Pandemic. About Dr. Joseph C. Gathe, Jr., M.D. Board-certified infectious disease specialist Dr. Joseph C. Gathe, Jr., M.D. has been in private practice serving Houston, the community where he was born and raised, since 1986. A fellow in the Infectious Diseases Society of America, Dr. Gathe has expertise in a wide range of infectious-disease problems with a particular focus on those living with HIV. Early in the pandemic, he opened and co-directed one of the largest HIV care units in the world. SOURCE NAACP Houston Branch Los Angeles, June 19 : Celebrated talk show host-philanthropist Oprah Winfrey found herself on the other side of the mic for a change when she appeared as a guest on Hollywood star Drew Barrymore's chat show recently. On the "The Drew Barrymore Show", Winfrey opened up on dealing with trauma. "I know this for sure that whatever has happened to you can also be for you. I endured suffering to survive as a child and turning that inside out," she said. Winfrey said she created a school looking for girls who are like her. "So that is why I created my school specifically looking for girls who are just like me. Girls who came from poor backgrounds, who came from dysfunctional backgrounds and many times felt unwanted. I thought, how do I create an environment for them, how do I give back. This is how you save yourself!" she said on the show, which airs on Zee Cafe in India. Ramallah, June 19 : Palestinian authorities have announced announced the cancellation of an agreement with Israel and the Pfizer company on exchanging Covid-19 vaccines with the Jewish state as it did not match the specifications. Spokesman of the Palestinian government Ibrahim Milhem said in a statement on friday that Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye instructed Health Minister Mai al-Kaila to inform both Israel and Pfizer that the agreement has been cancelled, reports Xinhua news agency. The vaccines Palestine received earlier in the day from the Israeli side will also be sent back, the spokesman added. Al-Kaila explained that the Health Ministry's specialists had found out that the vaccines received earlier from Israel didn't match the specifications. "So we decided to send back all the vaccines we received earlier today from the Israeli side," she said. On Friday, the Palestinian Health ministry said it recorded three fatalities and 165 new Covid-19 cases in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, adding that it recorded 453 recoveries. Since the outbreak of coronavirus in Palestine, 3,813 people have died from the virus, while 341,175 cases had been recorded. The Ministry said that 436,275 Palestinians had already been vaccinated in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Addis Ababa, June 19 : The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has commended Ethiopia for its efforts towards inclusive education policies for refugee children and the youth. The Agency for Refugee and Returnee Affairs (ARRA), an Ethiopian governmental organization, and UNHCR together with humanitarian partners on Friday marked the World Refugee Day, with a call for greater inclusion of refugees in education, reports Xinhua news agency. Global displacement figures have hit a historic high of more than 82 million people, according to the report on UNHCR's Global Trends in Forced Displacement released Friday. Girls and boys under the age of 18 account for 42 per cent of all forcibly displaced people. As the third largest refugee hosting country on the African continent, Ethiopia hosts nearly 800,000 refugees of whom 52 per cent are school-aged children, and nearly half of them are still waiting for a chance to go to school. In Ethiopia, 55 per cent of refugee children are in school, according to UNHCR. UNHCR's Representative Ann Encontre has commended the efforts and inclusive policies of the Ethiopian government which have resulted in "remarkable progress in increasing the enrolment of refugee children and the youth over the last few years". "Nevertheless, too many refugee children are still out of school, and Covid-19 has only exacerbated the situation," the representative said, "We all need to come together to do more to ensure that even more refugee children get the chance of realising their potential." Schools have reopened following extended closure due to Covid-19 restrictions. Meeting the necessary Covid-19 precautionary measures, however, remains a challenge as most schools are congested and have limited handwashing facilities and other amenities, said UNHCR in its statement. Ethiopia's progressive refugee law grants refugees access to education and allows qualified refugees to obtain work permits. "Ethiopia is doing its part in ensuring refugees have access to primary, secondary and tertiary education as well as to include them in the national education system," said Tesfahun Gobezay, director general of ARRA. "However, lack of resources is limiting the government's ability to make good on its promises." World Refugee Day is observed every year on June 20. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) New Delhi, June 19 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised a mother, who had separated herself from her 6-year-old son after getting infected with the coronavirus, for her courage. The mother wrote a letter to the Prime Minister and narrated her ordeal through a poem. Ghaziabad resident Pooja Verma and her husband got infected in April, after which they isolated themselves in different rooms at their home. It was a challenge for them to keep their son safe from the virus. They decided to keep their 6-year-old son in another room. Pooja, her husband and their son lived in the same house, but in different rooms for a period of 14 days. This was a time most difficult in their life as Pooja talked to her son on a video call while living in the same house. She ordered food for him from outside and made him comfortable so that he could not feel alone. Pooja narrated this most difficult period of her life through a poem (mother's compulsion in Covid). After expressing her pain in a letter she sent it to the Prime Minister. However, she and her husband had never thought that a reply would come. The 36-year-old Pooja Verma told IANS, "my husband was infected first on April 6, we got him tested at Yashoda Hospital. Just a few days later I also started showing symptoms of the coronavirus and later I also tested positive." After both the parents got infected, their agony started as their son refused to live alone. "We used to order food for him from outside, and made him read, study and play, and told him not to come out of the room," she said. She further said, "I wrote a poem describing those moments of our life and sent it to the Prime Minister on April 25. After a few days, a call came from the PMO to know our condition. They told us that Prime Minister Modi read your poem and he liked it very much. Then on June 8, I got a reply to my poem from the Prime Minister in which he praised me." Prime Minister's reply to Pooja Verma said, "the way you have put into words the thoughts that emerge in your mind of a mother fighting corona while separated from your child, is so well written. Poems are a powerful medium of communication. Poems have the wonderful ability to express the thoughts and feelings of the mind in words. Your poem covers many such expressions of a mother's love, affection, her concern for being away from the child, her anxiety." Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Madrid, June 19 : Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that his government is considering easing compulsory mask-wearing, and facemasks will no longer be obligatory outdoors from June 26. Addressing an event in Barcelona on Friday, he said that the government is going to bring up the proposal on June 24 at the cabinet meeting, reports Xinhua news agency. "This will be the last weekend with facemasks outside, because from June 26 we will no longer have to wear them in open spaces outside," Sanchez added. Spain has had strict rules regarding facemask use for just over a year, with everyone aged six and over being obliged to wear them (unless they are doing exercise), even at places where a two-metre safe social distance can be observed. Sanchez's announcement comes as the vaccination campaign continues to have a positive effect in Spain. According to data from the Ministry of Health 13,641,091 people, or 28.7 per cent of Spain's population, have received both doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, while 22,365,106, or 47.1 per cent, have received at least one dose. Spain has so far reported 3,757,442 coronavirus cases, with 80,652 deaths. Ramallah, June 19 : At least seven Palestinian protesters were injured during clashes with Israeli soldiers in two separate incidents in the West Bank, medical sources said. On Friday, five Palestinians were injured by rubber-coated metal bullets in the clashes with Israeli soldiers in the village of Beita south of the West Bank city of Nablus, Xinhua news agency reported. The two others were injured by rubber bullets in the village of Beit Dajan east of Nablus, according to the sources. Currently, several villages and towns in the West Bank have become a routine scene for weekly rallies that are held on Fridays against the Israeli settlement activities. Local residents said that the clashes broke out during rallies that the Palestinians organise every Friday afternoon. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said in a statement that nine Palestinian protesters were injured during clashes with Israeli police forces in the old city in East Jerusalem. The statement said that Israeli police officers fired rubber bullets and teargas canisters at Palestinian worshippers at their exit from al-Aqsa Mosque in the city after they finished Friday's prayers. New Delhi, June 19 : Fintech major BharatPe, that hit a new high with 106 million monthly transactions in UPI in March this year, is reportedly raising nearly $250 million in its next funding round led by Tiger Global. TechCrunch on Friday reported, citing sources, that the fresh funding will take the company's valuation to about $2.5 billion. When reached, the company declined to comment at the moment. The financial services company last month raised Rs 50 crore in debt from Northern Arc Capital, one of the leading digital debt finance platforms. This was the sixth round of debt financing in 2021. In January, the company had raised Rs 200 crore from three top debt companies in the country -- Alteria Capital, InnoVen Capital and Trifecta Capital, having later raised additional capital from ICICI Bank and Axis Bank. "We have considerably ramped up our lending business in the last year and have set an ambitious target of facilitating disbursals to the tune of $1 billion to more than 10 lakh merchants by the end of current fiscal (FY22)," Suhail Sameer, Group President, BharatPe, had said. The fintech company has already facilitated disbursals of over Rs 1,600 crore to more than 2 lakh merchants since the launch of the lending vertical. As per a recent report by ACI Worldwide and Global Data, India has outpaced the US and China to become the world's biggest real-time digital payments market, driven by P2P as well as merchant payments. BharatPe said it is committed to help small merchants and kirana store owners grow their business with a range of fintech products for them. June 19 : Varun Dhawan has recently brought home a cute puppy as he embraced fatherhood. Introducing the furry boy to his fans recently, the Kalank actor asked his fans to help him give a name to his pet. While fans shared several names for the new addition to the Dhawan family, Varun finally named the puppy. Varun took to his Instagram handle and revealed the name of his new puppy as Joey. While the actor deleted the post, he later shared a couple of pictures with his wife, designer Natasha Dalal and their dog. In the pictures, the actor can be seen sporting a pink Polo shirt while Natasha was dressed in white. The couple posed with Joey in the adorable clicks. Varun captioned the pictures as "JOEY Puppy power." Image Source: Instagram/varundvn Varun Dhawan names his puppy Joey Earlier, Varun shared a video, in which he introduced the puppy and talked about fatherhood, In the video clip, Varun was seen playing with his little boy. The cute little beagle was seen jumping around him, trying to lick his face. Varun captioned the post as "FATHERHOOD Still havent been able to name my boy. Help me out." Image Source: Instagram/varundvn Varun clicks adorable pics with wife Natasha Dalal and furry boy Fans showered the puppy with love as they dropped heart and heart eye emojis. "Such a cute name," a fan wrote. "This made my day!" said another. "AHHH HELLO JOEY," wrote another netizen. Celebs also dropped comments on his post. Actor Ileana D'Cruz wrote, "Joeyyyy! How you doin????" Pooja Hegde commented, "Joeyyyy" followed by heart eye emoji. Adah Sharma wrote, "Sooo cutee. Meanwhile, on the work front, Varun was in Arunachal Pradesh for two months, where he was shooting for his upcoming horror comedy film Bhediya along with Kriti Sanon. Owning to the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, the team had to return to Mumbai after wrapping it. Varun was also shooting for Jug Jugg Jeeyo with Kiara Advani, Anil Kapoor, and Neetu Singh when shooting was halted as he and Neetu Singh tested positive for Covid-19. Reportedly, Kriti and Varun will resume shooting for their film by the end of this month. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) June 19 : Priyanka Chopra Jonas revealed her new tattoo to her fans. The actress took to her Instagram stories and shared her freshly done tattoos. Sharing a video clip, The White Tiger actress gave a close look at her new tattoo. The actress also flaunted her freshly done toenails suited for the summer, along with tattoos of three tiny paws just above her right ankle. The three paws indicate her three pet dogs Diana, Gino, and Panda. Sharing the video clip, Priyanka captioned it as, "Summer nails; summer tattoo #happyfeet." Image Source: Instagram/priyankachopra Priyanka Chopra gets a new tattoo dedicated to her three pets Priyankas pet Diana was with her even before she married Nick Jonas. Later, for their first marriage anniversary, she gifted Gino to Nick, and during the Covid-19 pandemic, the couple adopted a husky Australian shepherd. Priyanka often posts pictures of their pets on her Instagram account. The Sky is Pink actress had her first tattoo for long, which she had dedicated to her father Dr Ashok Chopra. In 2012, the actress inked the words Daddy's lil girl in his handwriting, just a year before he died after battling cancer. Priyanka, who was very close to her father, talked about the tattoo several times. Recently, in her memoir, Unfinished, Priyanka wrote that she got the tattoo done in Ibiza, Spain. Meanwhile, Priyanka Chopra has been roped in to be the face of Victoria's Secret as she will promote the lingerie brand. The actress is currently in London shooting for her web series Citadel with Richard Madden. The actress is also a part of Keanu Reeves starrer Matrix 4, and Text 4 You with Sam Heughan, Celine Dion, Russell Tovey, and Omid Djalili. Priyanka will also be seen in an Indian wedding comedy with Mindy Kaling. The actress will also co-produce the film. She also has a film based on the life of Maa Anand Sheela in her kitty. New Delhi, June 19 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed grief over the demise of Dr Guruprasad Mohapatra, Secretary of Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). Odisha-born Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Mohapatra succumbed to Covid-19 on Saturday. Mohapatra was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Delhi where he took his last breath. In a tweet, the Prime Minister said: "Saddened by the demise of Dr Guruprasad Mohapatra, DPIIT Secretary. I had worked with him extensively in Gujarat and at the Centre. He had a great understanding of administrative issues and was known for his innovative zeal. Condolences to his family and friends. Om Shanti," the Prime Minister tweeted. Union Minister Piyush Goyal also expressed his condolences over the demise of Mohapatra through Twitter, saying "extremely saddened to hear about the loss of Dr Guruprasad Mohapatra, Secretary DPIIT. His long-standing service and dedication to the Nation have left a lasting impact. I convey my deepest sympathies to his family and friends". Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also took to Twitter to express his deep condolence. "A pioneer, he made unparalleled contributions in reforming the urban development landscape in Gujarat, led many public enterprises with distinction and also steered the commerce & aviation sector," Pradhan tweeted. The 1986 batch IAS officer, Mohapatra had assumed charge as the secretary of the DPIIT in August 2019. Before taking over as the secretary of DPIIT, he had served as the chairman of the Airports Authority of India (AAI). Mohapatra had also served as a joint secretary in the Department of Commerce, where he worked for the promotion of special economic zones (SEZs), public procurement and project exports (financing and insurance), a statement from DPIIT had said. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Kochi, June 19 : Lakshadweep film personality Ayesha Sultana, on Saturday, left for the island, to appear before the Kavaratti Police which had served her a notice to appear before them on Sunday evening. The complaint was registered by Lakshadweep BJP's unit president Abdul Khader following the TV channel debate on June 7, where she had alleged that the 'Centre used biological weapons for the spread of Covid in Lakshadweep', which according to the complainant is anti-national. At the Kochi airport, Sultana said she has done no wrong while she appeared on a Malayalam TV channel and spoke about the spread of Covid in the island. "I have done no wrong and I will appear before the police tomorrow as asked by them," said Sultana, who is accompanied by her counsel too. Incidentally, she had filed a petition before the Kerala high court seeking anticipatory bail as she feared her arrest. The court however asked her to appear before the police and in case the police find the need to arrest her, she should be given bail. The notice that has been served on Sultana by Sub Inspector Ameer Bin Mohammed contains charges under 124 A and 153 B of the CrPC, both of which are non-bailable offences. Incidentally, following the move by Khader, several BJP leaders and workers in the island have resigned from the party. Sultana hails from Chelath Island in Lakshadweep, and is based here. Besides being a model, she has worked in numerous films in Malayalam. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Washington, June 19 : The US government is investing more than $3 billion to accelerate the development and manufacturing of antiviral medicines to treat Covid-19, according to a statement by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The plan, called the Antiviral Program for Pandemics, will respond to the urgent need for the antivirals by spurring the availability of medicines to prevent serious illness and save lives, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying on Friday. This plan will support research to identify and accelerate availability of breakthrough treatment options. It also will build sustainable platforms for developing antivirals for other viruses with pandemic potential, said the HHS. The plan provides more than $300 million for research and lab support; nearly $1 billion for preclinical and clinical evaluation; and nearly $700 million for development and manufacturing through the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA),the statement added. Identifying effective treatment options to prevent people diagnosed with Covid-19 from progressing to serious illness and death are vitally important, even as hundreds of millions of Americans get vaccinated against the disease and cases, hospitalisations and death rates continue to fall, experts have said. Highly effective oral antiviral medicines that can be taken at home early in the course of infection, similar to antiviral treatment for influenza, would save lives and prevent overwhelming surges in hospitalizations, according to the HHS. "New antivirals that prevent serious Covid-19 illness and death, especially oral drugs that could be taken at home early in the course of disease, would be powerful tools for battling the pandemic and saving lives," said NIAID Director Anthony Fauci. "Throughout this public health emergency, we have worked with industry to develop treatments to reduce severe illness, hospitalisations, and deaths, and this proposal will help us go even further to accelerate and deliver more safe and effective treatments that are easy to administer," said BARDA Director Gary Disbrow. Currently, a total of 19 therapeutic agents have been prioritised for testing in rigorous clinical trials for outpatients and inpatients with Covid-19, according to the HHS. Last week, President Joe Biden's administration announced that it will procure approximately 1.7 million courses of an investigational antiviral treatment, molnupiravir (MK-4482), for Covid-19 from Merck, pending approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) New Delhi, June 19 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to hold an all-party meeting on Jammu and Kashmir next week, a first such move taken since the abrogation of Article 370 from the region and bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories in August 2019, sources said. However, the schedule is not yet fixed, it is learnt that the meeting may occur any time next week. The meeting will be held in Delhi as the central government wanted to restart the democratic process in Jammu and Kashmir which was bifurcated into two UTs -- Jammu and Kashmir with an assembly and Ladakh without one. Regional parties in Jammu and Kashmir may also agree to participate in the Delimitation Commission proceedings. The commission was set up in March 2020 to redraw the constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir before the next assembly elections are held. However, the National Conference (NC), one of the oldest parties in Jammu and Kashmir, may not join the meeting as it is adamant on the restoration of the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir. Public representatives may also be the part of the meeting. The development comes following a meeting taken by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday in Delhi to review ongoing welfare programs in Jammu and Kashmir in order to bring development with transparency in the region. Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and other top officials attended Shah's meeting on Friday. In a statement, the home ministry said that all-around development and welfare of people of Jammu and Kashmir is the government's top priority. Shah congratulated Sinha and his team for ensuring the Covid-19 vaccination drive has reached 76 per cent of the target in the Union Territory and 100 per cent in four districts. The statement said Shah asked authorities to ensure the farmers in the region get the benefits of the central schemes. Jammu and Kashmir has been without an elected government since chief minister Mehbooba Mufti lost power when the Bharatiya Janata Party withdrew support to the People's Democratic Party-led government in June 2018. Mufti and two other former chief ministers were among hundreds of people arrested in the run-up to the nullification of the Constitution's Article 370 that stripped Jammu & Kashmir of its special status. A communications blackout and a lockdown were also imposed to stem protests against the move. All the restrictions have since been removed. The first major electoral exercise --District Development Council polls -- was held in the region as part of efforts to restart political activities in Jammu and Kashmir last year. All major political parties participated in the exercise. The parties have also shown willingness to engage with the Centre. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Moscow, June 19 : Russia will officially withdraw from the Treaty on Open Skies, an arms control pact with the US that permitted unarmed surveillance flights over military facilities in both countries, on December 18, the Foreign Ministry said. In a statement on Friday, the Ministry announced that it notified all the related parties of Russia's pullout and the decision will enter into force in six months, reports Xinhua news agency. The Ministry recalled Russia's efforts to preserve the arms-control pact and reiterated that the US is responsible for its collapse. On June 7, President Vladimir Putin signed the law to quit the Treaty on Open Skies. The administration of former US President Donald Trump announced a year ago that Washington would withdraw from Open Skies, alleging Russia had violated its terms. The incumbent Joe Biden administration decided in May to stick to that decision. Russia blamed the US for the end of the agreement, which was signed in Helsinki on March 24, 1992. It has been in force since 2002. Only one key arms control agreement remains between the US and Russia -- the New START nuclear disarmament treaty. Shortly before it was set to expire in February, Biden and Putin had agreed on an extension. The New START treaty limits the nuclear arsenals of both countries to 800 delivery systems and 1,550 ready-to-use nuclear warheads. New Delhi, June 19 : International Yoga Day is celebrated across the globe on Monday, June 21. To get you inspired, IANSlife speaks to eight exemplary visual artists, classical dancers and musicians who share insights on how their yogic lifestyle helps them with life and art. Dance is yoga: Kathak Guru Padmashri Shovana Narayan My dance is my yoga. Since I do my Kathak dance practice every single day, in spirit, mentally, and physically, I am living and going through all the eight stages of Yoga namely yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharna, dhyan and samadhi. Kathak dance involves a lot of physical activity involving virtually the entire gamut of asanas. Pranayama is best seen in Kathak in the practice of 'padhant' (rhythmic utterances by the dancer herself) immediately after performing a strenuous energetic rhythmic pattern where a lot of energy has been expended. One has to recite the next rhythmic pattern without any trace of panting. Finally, when I start hearing within myself the music of dance and am completely oblivious of my surroundings, I am well on my way to reaching the seventh and eighth stages. Brushstrokes become meditative: Visual artist Chetnaa I have been a workout enthusiast for almost two decades now and have managed to explore various aspects of exercise ranging from yoga to pilates to weight training. When it became an obsession, I took exercising to the next level by becoming a certified trainer. Although power yoga is my go-to form of exercise, Surya Namaskars and pranayama have never failed in helping me achieve a positive mindset for each morning. Many times, I have found myself holding my breath while painting in fine lines. The repetitive strokes and gestures in my artworks proved to be a form of meditation and I soon came to a realisation that these two together make a major contribution to my well being. (She is showcasing at Anupa Mehta Arts.) Yoga improves flexibility, balance: Bharatanatyam Dancer Priya Venkataraman I have been practising Sivananda yoga for over twenty years now. I start my day with at least eleven rounds of Surya Namaskar and Pranayama practise. Yoga definitely keeps the body healthy and calms the mind. The use of breath and linking breath to movement, has helped my dance practice immensely. In addition, yoga has improved my flexibility and balance over the years. My students learn basic asanas as part of their dance training. Merging yoga and classical performances: Shruti ChaturLal Sharma Euphonic yoga is an amalgamation of Yoga, Indian Classical Music and Indian classical Dance together on the same stage, it has been curated and conceptualized by me. It is a concept designed specially to help people cope with stress. It is also a merger effort to bring Indian culture closer to the people in the most perceivable form, with an aim to make our audience aware about the 7 chakras and their mammoth impact on the human body. The journey of seven musical notes transcends in the world of 7 mystical chakras... while classical dance narrates the mood, expression and the significance of both performing arts. Yogic lifestyle brings mind to 'yes' mode: Ankur Pathak, author and co-founder, Garuda Prakashan I have been practising Yoga for the past twelve years. Different asanas help me in keeping myself physically fit while different pranayama (breathing techniques) and dhyana (meditation) make me centred and calm, which is essential for any person who is in the field of creative writing. Yogic lifestyle provides you immense energy, which brings your mind into 'yes' mode and this positive outlook makes you successful in all your endeavours. Personally, I feel that my creativity is honed due to Pranayam and Dhyan, not only in the writing field, but in music too. Yoga helps you in exploring the source of your untapped energy and unexplored talents. Musical breathwork is yoga: Classical Vocalist Sunanda Sharma Yoga helps build strength, balance and flexibility--elements which are important for a musician. It also facilitates in managing stress which in turn uplifts mood and makes the body more energetic. I have been unknowingly using Yoga since childhood during music practice in the form of breath control and concentration. In the last 10 years I have started the scientific practice of yoga with breathing exercises like OM, Kapalbhati, anulom-vilom etc postures and meditation which have helped to improve my performance in music. Regular practice has created mental clarity, calmness, alertness, enthusiasm and also sharpened my concentration. Yoga and art nourish each other: Visual artist Seema Kohli Physical discipline has been a part of me since my early years of my life. My inclination to yoga has grown as it struck a balance between breath, mind and body. It started with lawn yoga when I was eight and I went on to be possessed by the various nuances and the promise it holds. I studied and practised yoga through various able masters, presently I am practising yoga under Navtej Johar. For me the practise and the study yoga imbibes and weaves in my life and art; they are not separate entities but support each other for their nourishment. Gurus RajaRadha Reddy and Kaushalya Reddy Karnas Yogic stances or yoga whatever you want to call it, for us this is an art that gives peace or Anandam to the soul created by Lord Shiva. It gives us happiness and fulfilment, that is the beauty of Yoga. By practicing these yogic postures, it brings calm and ease within you. (Siddhi Jain can be contacted at siddhi.j@ians.in) Toronto, June 19 : Three Punjabis were appointed as Ministers in a Cabinet reshuffle in Canada's Ontario province. Moga-born Parm Gill, 47, was on Friday appointed as Ontario's new Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism. Prabmeet Sakaria, who in 2019 became the first turban-wearing minister in Ontario when he was appointed Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction, now gets a full Cabinet rank as President of the Treasury Board. "It is an honour to be sworn in as Ontario's President of the Treasury Board. I am dedicated to working hard with Premier Ford and my colleagues to support Ontarians," Sarkaria said after his elevation. Nina Tangri, whose family comes from Bilga near Jalandhar, has been made Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction. Till now, she was serving as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. "Excited to be sworn in as the Associate Minister of Small Business & Red Tape Reduction. Thank you to Premier," Nina said. But it is the appointment of Gill as Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism that surprised many in the Indo-Canadian community. Gill himself seemed to be surprised when he said: "Who would have thought a young boy who immigrated from India to Canada at a young age, raised by a single mother, would today be sworn in as Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism for the Province of Ontario." He had previously served as an MP in the House of Commons. With the Ontario elections exactly a year away, Premier Doug Ford has elevated three Punjabis in his Cabinet with an eye on Indo-Canadian votes in the so-called 905 region around Toronto, including Brampton and Mississauga. The 905 region, named after the area code, has the biggest concentration of the Punjabi community in Canada. Beirut, June 19 : The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the authorities in Beirut have opened an investigation into a claim by Israel that it has thwarted an attempt to smuggle weapons, a security source said. The Israeli Army informed the UNIFIL that it arrested a suspect who tried to pick a bag containing 12 pistols left in a spot in the Lebanese border town of Khiyam facing the Israeli settlement of Motella, the source told Xinhua news agency on Friday. According to the source, an Israeli infantry force, backed by armoured vehicles, carried out a wide combing operation on Friday along the border fence separating Lebanon and Israel around the perimeter of Motella. The Lebanese Army, in coordination with UNIFIL, monitored the Israeli force until it withdrew from the border fence. The border line between Lebanon and Israel extends about 120 km and witnesses occasional tension between the two countries' armies. The UNIFIL was created by the Security Council in March 1978 to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, restore international peace and security and assist the Lebanese Government in restoring its effective authority in the area. Chennai, June 19 : As an Iran-expert at one of the most important security institute in Israel and the Middle East, Dr. Raz Zimmt's views on Iran, its domestic and foreign policies, are keenly followed by the strategic and political community globally. Here are excerpts of an exclusive interview of Zimmt to IANS, held forth on the likely scenarios to unfold after the Iran elections held on June 18. With Iran facing tough US economic sanctions and the Iranians trying to restore their nuclear deal of 2015 and the country's Supreme Spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's dictum being the last word, pollsters and opinion poll agencies say that the voting percentage is expected to be only 42. This could be a Presidential election with the least voter turnout ever since the Islamic Revolution in Iran of 1979. Q: What outcome can be expected of the Iranian elections held on June 18? A: The Iranian elections have been very very unexpected. We all remember the surprises we had when reformist leader Mohammed Hatami won in 1997, when Mahmoud Ahmadinajad won in 2005, and another surprise when Hassan Rouhani won in 2013. However, we have to say that due to the mass disqualifications of high-ranking Iranian officials, especially former speaker of the "Majlis" Ali Larijani, I can say that it will take a miracle for anyone other than the hardliner judge, Ebrahimi Raisi to win. It is very clear that the Supreme Leader and the regime want no one other than Raisi to win the elections that is why they have disqualified a lot of leaders who would have posed a challenge to him. Three other presidential candidates have also withdrawn from the fray and the former Governor of the Central Bank of Iran, Abdolnasser Hametti has a chance of getting some votes from the reformists but is very unlikely for him to win. Q: Will Iran change its policy if the present opposition comes to power? A: Let me make it clear that I wouldn't call it opposition, Ebrahim Raisi is not a member of the opposition, he is a member of the judiciary and an integral part of the Iranian regime. It's a pragmatic coalition of hardliners and regarding policy change, the bottom line is that there won't be any major policy changes. However, in domestic policy, it will be the more hardline position for the women in Iran and more Islamisation will come into being. The economic policy may change a bit as Rouhani adopted a more liberal policy but Raisi will promote "Resistance" economy or an Economy not much dependent on the West. As far as foreign policy is concerned, Iran's foreign policy is not decided by the President but by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as well as the revolutionary guards and the National Security Council of Iran. Ultimately there will not be much of a change in policy owing to a change in the President. Q: Is the Supreme Spiritual Leader Khamenei more determinant in Iran than an elected government? A: Yes certainly. He is the major decision-maker in Iran. Of course, he doesn't make decisions himself, he has the Supreme Advisory Council, there are other power centres in Iran, including the Clerical establishment, the Revolutionary Guards. Overall I can say that the President of Iran or the government cannot contradict the strategy adopted by Khamenei. The policies of Iran will be decided by this Shia cleric, Khamenei. The President of Iran implements the strategy adopted by the Supreme Leader Khamenei and the supreme national security council, as well as the Revolutionary Guards Corps. Q: Iran and Israel were good friends four decades ago. Any possibilities of such a bonhomie returning? A: As long as Iran continues with the Khamenei regime which is obsessed with the anti-Israeli views and actions, I don't think that there ever can be a friendship between Iran and Israel. The Iranian position towards Israel which refuses to even recognize the right of Israel to exist has been a major part of Iran's official ideology. It continues to support Palestine Islamic organizations like Hezbollah with arms and ammunition and its continued actions of entrenching Syria militarily as well as developing its nuclear capabilities show that it is totally against Israel. More than that most, of the decision-makers are for annihilating Israel. As far as this regime which continues to support anti-Israeli forces continues, I don't think that there would be any major changes in Iran's policy towards Israel. (Dr. Raz Zimmt is Iran Expert in Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), Tel Aviv, Israel) New Delhi, June 19 : As many states and Union Territories (UTs) have started relaxing restrictions with decline in number of active Covid-19 cases, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), on Saturday, advised them to ensure the opening process in "carefully calibrated" manner. The Ministry suggested them to follow the fivefold strategy of Covid appropriate behaviour, test-track-treat and vaccination, while opening up. Among the directions, issued by Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla in a written letter to the states and the UTs, they have been also asked to regularly monitor Covid appropriate behaviour to "prevent relapse". The Home Ministry reiterated Covid appropriate behaviour that includes mandatory use of masks, hand hygiene, social distancing and also proper ventilation of closed spaces. The direction comes in the backdrop of information regarding crowding in markets without adherence of norms of Covid appropriate behaviour in many states soon after the relaxation in restrictions. "It is, therefore, essential to ensure that complacency does not set in, and there is no let-up in adhering to Covid appropriate behaviour, while opening up activities," mentions the letter. To contain the spread of infection on sustainable basis, the letter further advises, it is necessary to continue the strategy of test-track-treat. "It may especially be ensured that the testing rate does not come down." As the situation is dynamic, it said, a close watch needs to be kept on early signs of a surge in active cases or high positivity rates. "A system should be in place at the micro-level to ensure that whenever cases rise in a smaller place, it gets checked there itself, through local containment measures as per the existing guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare." The Home Secretary also stressed in the letter over vaccination process, saying "vaccination against Covid-19, in the present scenario, is critical to break the chain of transmission". "Therefore, all states and the UT governments should step up the pace of vaccination, to cover the maximum number of people in an expeditious manner," Bhalla directed. The Home secretary asked the states and the UTs to issue directions to district and all other authorities concerned to keep a close watch on the situation, while activities are opened in a cautious manner and to scrupulously ensure that there is no complacency in adhering to Covid appropriate behaviour and in the test-track-treat vaccination strategy. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Caracas, June 19 : Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that his country has been forced to implement a "war economy" to confront US sanctions and promote the development of productivity. The President said in a Bloomberg interview on Friday that the nation has had to "allow the operation of the (US) dollar for trade exchange", which has been very positive, but the official currency (of the bolivar) "will once again play a strong and dominant role in the economic and commercial life of the country", reports Xinhua news agency. In the face of economic "aggressions", the government has had to react with a broad vision, the President said. The aim of today is the development of national production, he said in the interview broadcast by the state-owned Venezolana de Television. Maduro also said that he sought to "reconstruct relations with the ruling elites in Washington" and "rebuild the paths of dialogue and understanding". For over 15 years, the US has imposed sanctions in response to activities of the Venezuelan government and Venezuelan individuals. The earliest sanctions imposed related to Venezuela's lack of cooperation on anti-drug and counter-terrorism efforts. The former Barack Obama administration had imposed targeted sanctions against individuals for human rights abuses, corruption, and anti-democratic actions. Former President Donald Trump had also significantly expanded economic sanctions. As of January 22, 2021, the Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on roughly 166 Venezuelan or Venezuelan-connected individuals. Meanwhile, the State Department has revoked the visas of more than 1,000 individuals and their families so far. New Delhi, June 19 : If your old man is an alcohol lover, he's going to be chuffed when these brands turn up at his doorstep this Father's Day. It is the perfect opportunity for you to treat, if we dare say, the most important man in your life to their favorite spirits. 1. The Glenlivet The Glenlivet is the definitive Speyside malt produced in the Livet Valley. The spirit exhibits the characteristic delicacy and softness of the region. Since 1824, when George Smith was granted the first legal license to distill in Glenlivet, The Glenlivet has been acclaimed for its balance and perfect finish and is the benchmark against which all other malts are measured. Available in four heritage variants -- The Glenlivet 12, The Glenlivet 15, The Glenlivet 18, The Glenlivet 21 and The Glenlivet 25, the spirit sets the standard in quality and taste that defines the Speyside style of whisky and is priced at Rs 3,500, Rs 5,130, Rs 7,915, Rs 17,980 and Rs 34,220, respectively. (All Delhi prices) 2. Aberlour Aberlour whisky makers have over 120 years of combined experience in creating a rich and harmonious balance of flavours that has led to Aberlour becoming the leading brand in France and one of the most popular malt whisky in the world today. Aberlour gets its depth and velvet richness through its unique double cask maturation process which involves both sherry casks and bourbon casks for the full maturation period. The launch entails the introduction of the entire range-- Aberlour 12 years old, 16 years old and 18 years old which are priced at Rs 5,500, Rs 9,400 and Rs 16,500, respectively. (All Delhi prices) 3. Longmorn Longmorn traces its origin to the late 1800s as the embodiment of the vision of John Duff. The meticulous craftsmanship and use of exquisite materials make Longmorn a rarefied and richly sensorial experience whisky to drink. Longmorn is rich and full of flavour: smooth, and elegant, multi-layered, rare and highly prized. Two expressions of Longmorn --The Distiller's choice and 16 year old expression are available in India which are priced at Rs 8,950 and Rs 22,400, respectively. (All Delhi prices) 4. Grant's Distinction With its raisin cake richness that makes it highly mixable, Grant's Distinction can undeniably stir up an inspiring ambience whilst celebrating the many 'distinctions' of your father. Retaining the 'House style' of the Grant's family, Grant's Distinction has a robust, malty character with delicate fresh fruit flavours that brings a unique blend of sweet and spicy notes. It is derived from the finest of malt and grain whiskies, handpicked by master blender Brian Kingsman to appeal to a new gen of Scotch Whiskey drinkers. Grant's Distinction is exclusively available in India and is priced at Rs 2,500 for 750 ml in Mumbai. 5. Monkey Shoulder Have you got your cheeky sense of humour from your father? Well then, look no further as your perfect companion is here to amplify the cool quotient to your 'fun' genes and playful banter this Father's Day! Monkey Shoulder is a fun-loving scotch whisky that has a unique versatility. Its richness and vibrancy combined with fruity aromas and mellow vanilla notes, makes it the perfect 100 per cent malt whiskey for mixing. It can be enjoyed neat, on the rocks, or experimented with cocktails. Available across the country and is priced at Rs 5,800 in Mumbai for 750 ml. 6. The Balvenie distillery The Balvenie DoubleWood Aged 12 years gains its distinctive character from being matured in two different wood types. Each stage lends different qualities to the resulting single malt whisky. To make The Balvenie DoubleWood, David Stewart MBE takes whisky that has spent at least 12 years in traditional whisky casks, American oak ex-bourbon barrels and hogsheads, and moved to Spanish oak ex-Oloroso, sherry casks for an additional nine months. The traditional casks soften and add delicate character, the sherry wood brings depth and fullness of flavour and the final few months in our tuns allow the whiskies to marry harmoniously. The chocolate and raspberry, rich brioche, and stewed cherries aromas along with the cherries and raspberries, sponge cake, spicy cinnamon and black pepper tingling one's taste buds makes the whisky a delight to sip on. It is available across the country and is priced at Rs 8,900 in Mumbai for 700ml. 7. A Gluten Free, Pure Distilled Vodka Get your shot glasses and martini shakers out as you celebrate this special occasion with your father and gift him a sophisticated, smooth new experience with Billion Air Vodka! * Available in 750 ml for MRP Rs 19908. Glenfiddich Single Malt Whiskey On a day as special as Father's day, let's take the opportunity to create magical memories with your dad. Celebrate the extraordinary man of your life by making him feel special. Gift him the Glenfiddich 12 YO Single Malt Whisky and bring a smile on his face. Glenfiddich 12-Year-Old: Glenfiddich's signature malt, 'Our Original Twelve', is matured in the finest Oloroso sherry and bourbon casks and uniquely married in oak tuns for at least 12 years, to give a beautifully balanced nose complemented by refreshingly rich and complex notes of fresh pear and subtle oak, making it an ideal and classy gift for the whisky aficionado. * Price: Rs 3860 (Delhi) Availability: All leading liquor stores in the country9. Belvedere vodka Belvedere Pure made with high quality Polska rye, purified water and a distillation process by fire to cherish the women in your life and make their day even more special -- be it shaken or stirred. Made With Nature -- Made from only Polska rye, purified water and a distillation process by fire, Belvedere contains zero additives, is certified kosher, and is produced in accordance with the legal regulations of Polska vodka that dictate nothing can be added. * Price: Delhi: Rs 3735, Mumbai: Rs 6176, Bangalore: Rs 619710. Gin Cocktail This Gin Cocktail box is everything you can gift your dad to make his day.The gift box contains 6 Cocktails -- Pack of 2 each of Dragon Fruit Mojito, Cocona 19 & Smoked Winter Gin & Tonic, 4 Chocolates -- Pack of Ferrero Rocher & Handwritten Note for your loving DAD * Price: Rs 1,499 Sale Price Rs 999 Available on https://swizzle.in/product-category/swizzle-gift-boxes/11. Whiskey Cocktails Gift Box This Whiskey cocktail gift box is just too adorable. Will help you to personalize your kind of Whiskey cocktail. The gift box contains --6 Cocktails -- Pack of 2 each of Hot Toddy, Old Fashioned, & Pudina Punch, 4 Chocolates -- Pack of Ferrero Rocher & Handwritten Note for your dad. * Price: Rs 1,499 Sale Price Rs 999 Available on https://swizzle.in/product-category/swizzle-gift-boxes/12. Vodka Cocktail Gift Box Does your dad even prefer vodka over any other drink while any family function or in family gathering? This Vodka Cocktail Gift box is the best option for your dad. The gift box contains 6 Cocktails -- Pack of 2 each of Bloody Mary, Cosmopolitan & Margaritan, 4 Chocolates -- Pack of Ferrero Rocher with a handwritten note for dad. * Price: Rs 1,499 Sale Price Rs 999 Available on https://swizzle.in/product-category/swizzle-gift-boxes/13. Ardbeg Wee Beastie -- Limited Edition Matured just for 5 years, this youngest Ardbeg is a raw, smoky, tongue-tingling, beautifully smoky dram. Matured in ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks, Wee Beastie is perfect for enjoying neat or as the mouth-watering main ingredient in a powerfully smoky cocktail. * Product Price: Mumbai -- Rs 8300 Available online and instore14. Glenmorengie -- The Lasanta In every corner of the world, the setting of the sun is magical, mused Dr Bill, our Director of Whisky Creation and an inveterate traveller. This whisky is Dr Bill's attempt to bottle the magic of sunset, with its endless horizon of reds, oranges and purples. Lasanta begins with our giraffe-high stills, which yield a deliciously delicate and fruity spirit. Next, we mature it in bourbon and sherry casks for 12 years, transforming it into a mouth-watering odyssey bursting with rich spiciness and sun-drenched sweetness. It radiates with raisins, honeycomb and chocolate-covered hazelnuts lightened by cinnamon breezes. Each time you watch the sunset, you see something different -- this is how it is to drink Lasanta. * Product Price: Delhi -- Rs 6010, Mumbai -- Rs 11,130, Bangalore -- Rs 7825 Available online and instore15. Moet & Chandon Ice Imperial Ice Imperial offers a new champagne experience that combines fun and fresh sensations while remaining true to the Moet & Chandon distinctive style. It was designed to conserve its bright fruitiness, seductive palate and elegant maturity even with the added ice cubes. Moet & Chandon Ice Imperial is the champagne that best expresses the contemporaneity of Moet & Chandon. It is a born out of centuries of tradition that bestow on a historic house like Moet & Chandon the boldness to be truly contemporary and to embrace the evolution of tastes and lifestyles while remaining true to its heritage. * Product Price: Mumbai: Rs 10250 for 750ml, Delhi: Rs 8400 for 750ml16. Bowmore's 12-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky Bowmore, Islay's oldest distillery, is home to the world's oldest whisky maturation warehouse, The No. 1 Vaults. Crafted to perfection in this legendary warehouse for over 240 years, the Bowmore's 12-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky is a delicate blend of citrus notes and mellow honey, teasing the brand's trademark peat smoke notes all the way. The culmination of this symphony of flavours leads to a titillating experience of the senses. The 12-Year-Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky has been awarded a Gold at San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2018 and International Spirits Challenge 2017. Available across Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andaman, Maharashtra, Goa, Assam, Sikkim and West Bengal, and ranges from Rs 3,200 to Rs 7,600 for a 700 ml bottle (IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in) Amaravati, June 19 : Andhra Pradesh civil supplies commissioner Kona Sasidhar said food grains worth 1,637 crore have been procured until now and noted that Rs 200 crore funds will be paid to farmers from Saturday. Explaining the delay in paying farmers, Sasidhar on Friday said the Centre releases funds prior to grain procurement season which has been delayed this year, leading to farmers not receiving the funds. "Even then, the civil supplies department managed Rs 1,637 crore from the state government to pay the farmers," said the commissioner. He said that the Centre has to release Rs 3,299 crore, out of which Rs 1,200 crore would be given to the state on Monday for the first quarter of 2021 - 22. Considering the paucity of funds, Sasidhar said Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy released Rs 500 crore to avoid hardships to farmers, out of which Rs 300 crore were paid to them recently. Even 21 days after selling food grains, he said Rs 1,619 crore are due for farmers which will be cleared after receiving funds from the Centre. Sasidhar said dues amounting to Rs 996 crore from the past government will also be paid to farmers and food grains procurement will be taken forward. New Delhi, June 19 : The Indian Air Force has gone through monumental transformation with unprecedented and rapidly evolving security scenario in the neighbourhood, said Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria, on Saturday, pointing out that this has led to intense combat power in operations. Speaking at the combined graduation parade at the Air Force Academy in Dundigal, Hyderabad, Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria said: "Rapid infusion of niche technology and combat power in every facet of our operations has never been as intense as it is now." He added that it is primarily because of the unprecedented and rapidly evolving security challenges that "we face, coupled with arising geo-political uncertainty in our neighbourhood and beyond". Indian military has for long flagged the threat of two front war. With the disputed border with China and Pakistan active at the same point of time, the armed forces are stretched to the maximum. He said the last few decades have clearly established the critical role of Air Power in achieving victory in any conflict. "It is in this backdrop that IAF's on-going capability enhancement assumes tremendous significance." Bhadauria also referred to how the Air Force maintained operational readiness, proactively assisting in the national fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Proactive vaccination and strict Covid discipline within IAF enabled us to undertake all Covid tasks on a war-footing, he said. "IAF's heavy lift capability was put into action for airlift of crucial Covid related equipment; wherein our transport fleet flew more than 3,800 hours within two months in a huge effort across the globe and domestically to transport critical oxygen Tankers, and all related medical equipment and supplies. You all are joining the field that operates at this level, across the spectrum," he said to those passing out of the academy. "It is also essential for all of you to bear in mind that as future leaders, you will stand shoulder to shoulder with your comrades in Olive Greens and Whites and prosecute integrated operations," Indian Air Force Chief said. He also said, "You will be an integral part of this important transition in the years ahead," was the chief's concluding message to the future leaders. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) San Francisco, June 19 : Yahoo Mobile, a mobile phone service that uses Verizons network, is shutting down, the service announced on its official website. For the customers continuing to use the service, launched in March of last year, the Yahoo Mobile website tells them to switch to Visible, another Verizon-operated service, XDA Developers reported. Back in 2016, Verizon acquired the Yahoo brand for $4.83 billion. In March of 2020, Verizon launched Yahoo Mobile with only one plan on offer: unlimited talk, text, and 4G LTE data for $40 per month. As The Verge pointed out, Yahoo Mobile was a rebranded version of Visible, another of Verizon's spinoff phone services. During its operation, the service only saw the launches of a couple of devices, including the budget Blade A3 Prime and Blade A3Y by ZTE. Last month, Verizon sold all the brands under Verizon Media, which included Yahoo, to an investment management firm called Apollo Global Management. On a support page, Yahoo Mobile cites this sale as the reason behind its shutdown, but the service would not have lasted much longer anyway given its poor branding, marketing and value, according to the report. Current Yahoo Mobile members will still have service for this billing cycle and can renew their service for one more month, but the service will be shut off completely by August 31. Members can request for their numbers to be transferred to another carrier by logging into YahooMobile.com or the Yahoo Mobile app, and members are free to bring their existing devices to another carrier. Kochi, June 19 : A day after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan went hammer and tongs against new Congress chief K.Sudhakaran, the latter responded with equal fire and termed the left leader as "a mafia", saying it suits him better than anyone. Addressing the media for an hour here on Saturday, Sudhakaran challenged Vijayan to look into his mafia links, since he has spoken out. "Vijayan says I am a smuggler and have links with the sand mafia. All of you know the recent gold and dollar smuggling cases which happened with the knowledge of Vijayan. The prime accused in these cases -- Swapna Suresh for the past few years has been part and parcel of Vijayan's coterie. She travelled with him, she stayed in the same place where he stayed and was moving together. But after the cases surfaced, when the media asked Vijayan about Swapna -- he said he doesn't know. Will any child in Kerala believe this," asked Sudhakaran. "I challenge Vijayan to order a probe into my mafia links and if he can find any links, I will quit as president of the party. Also none should forget, bullets were recovered from his baggage. Why should he carry bullets, which means, he has a gun. I do not have any gun," added Sudhakaran. Incidentally, it was Vijayan who opened this fresh round of debate on issues related to Government Brennen College, where both Vijayan and Sudhakaran studied and he also spoke about an incident that a friend and financier of Sudhakaran came and told him that his two children will be kidnapped by Sudhakaran. "It was yesterday the real face of Vijayan surfaced after a long time as he was speaking in the tone and tenor of a political 'criminal'. What's most hilarious is Vijayan was responding to a stage managed question and will any father require to read out from a piece of paper about a life experience and he did have. "He said that the kidnap incident was revealed to Vijayan by my friend and financier. Vijayan is yet to reveal the name of my friend who revealed about the kidnapping. Why is he not revealing the name and why did he not file a case then and why did he not say this to others," asked Sudhakaran. The present standoff between the two Kannur 'lions' was expected ever since Sudhakaran was named as the new president of the Congress, but none expected it to be this fast. Vijayan went after Sudhakaran following an interview of the Congress leader in a weekly, where he said he had kicked down Vijayan, while in college. "In the course of my interview I had stated a few things off the record and this was one such statement and I had told him that this should not be published, but he published it and it was unethical of the journalist to do it. I have given a complaint to the weekly's editor also," said Sudhakaran. Sudhakaran then raised an FIR of a murder case of Vadikal Ramakrishnan who was murdered and the first accused was Vijayan. "Then there is another murder case which was the murder of Vijayan's body guard -- Babu. Babu lived near Vijayan's house and when the body was brought to his house, there was a total boycott and it was only after they intervened was Babu's body buried. Who is Vijayan is a fit case for an analytical study," said Sudhakaran. Sudhakaran also had with him K.Gopi, one who hails from Vijayan's village, who said that in 1977 when 26 beedi workers was terminated from a society, they led a protest. "I was leading the protest and then Vijayan with a sword led a group of people and he brandished his sword and it hit my hand and the injury mark is still there," said Gopi showing his hand. Sudhakaran said Vijayan has publicly spoken to eliminate him and three times I have had a narrow escape. "Ever since I became the president of Kannur Congress committee, 28 Congress workers was murdered and there is only case against the Congress. All the time Vijayan and his party portrays me as a goon. If that be the case, please let them show one case which is registered against me. They have tried their best to implicate me. All this is now being raked up by Vijayan as he wants to divert the present illegal tree felling which is a huge scam and this has been done with the knowledge of Vijayan and other ministers," said Sudhakaran. Sudhakaran also said in his debut election in 1970 at Kuthuparampu in Kannur, it was Vijayan who had the support of the then Jan Sangh as there was adjustments in 10 seats between the CPI-M and Jan Sangh. "After he did this and which is still continuing, he accuses me of having links with the BJP. Where is the CPI-M opposing the BJP and which state is the CPI-M now present, while all across the country, it's the Congress which is opposing the BJP," added Sudhakaran and ended his press meet by saying that personally he has nothing against Vijayan. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Phoenix, June 19 : Authorities US state of Arizona said that a 19-year-old teenager was charged over a shooting spree that left one dead and 12 others injured in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Ashin Tricarico, 19, was charged on Friday with one count of first-degree murder, multiple counts of aggravated assault and drive-by shooting, and endangerment, according to the Peoria Police Department that led the investigation. The suspect was booked into the Maricopa County Jail, Xinhua news agency quoted the Department as saying in a statement. The statement said that Tricarico's motive "is still unknown at this point as detectives are still sorting through evidence to determine exactly what occurred". The shootings took place Thursday afternoon at eight locations throughout the West Valley cities, including Peoria, in the Phoenix metropolitan area and lasted more than an hour. Police said on Thursday that the suspect was later found during a traffic stop in the city of Surprise, where he surrendered without incident. Both Peoria and Surprise are major suburbs of Phoenix. The two cities are 15 km apart. The victim is a 56-year-old male, the Peoria Police Department said. Mumbai : , June 19 (IANS) A Mumbai College on Saturday claimed it may have been cheated in a vaccination drive on it campus, conducted by an event management company earlier this month. According to the Aditya College, Borivali west, one Rajesh Pandey, who reportedly posed as an event company head and chief manager of sales for the reputed Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, had conducted the vaccination camp in the college on June 3. However, the KDAH has already denied its involvement in such camps while the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued warnings to all people to beware of scamsters taking advantage of the situation. In a statement, the Aditya College authorities said that Pandey allegedly even agreed to procure all necessary permissions and complete all legal formalities, while the college would only make the payments. Accordingly, the inoculation drive was held for the students, staffers and their families as the trustees of the college, considering the difficulties in getting vaccination slots for people in the 18-44 age group. Following the fracas involving the Hiranandani Heritage Society in Kandivali west last week, and delays in receiving the Covid Vaccination Certificates (CVC) by the beneficiaries in the college inoculation camp, the college authorities lodged a formal complaint with the police. On Friday, Tips Industries Ltd Chairman Ramesh Taurani also revealed that 365 of his employees were inoculated on June 3 but have yet to receive their CVCs. Police sources say that there may be at least 9 other similar camps conducted in the city by one or more groups which are now being probed in detail. In the cases that have come out so far, there are many common points - the CVCs not issued promptly, in many cases, the data not uploaded on the CoWin portal, people not experiencing any possible side-effects post-dose, CVCs that eventually came were from different hospitals with errors, high charges for the dose which the Centre now plans to give free to all from June 21, etc. Notching a big breakthrough, Additional Commissioner of Police (Mumbai North Region) Dilip Sawant on Friday said that five persons have been arrested in connection with the vaccine scam in the Kandivali society. As the scams are coming out, many people are worried whether they were administered the genuine vaccines or something else since in some cases the vials were not sealed, or they were stamped 'Not For Sale'. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Johannesburg, June 19 : South Africa has deployed military personnel in hospitals in the province of Gauteng to help fight against a latest Covid-19 resurgence, said Acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane. The Mnister told reporters on Friday that the South African National Defence Force medics would move into hospitals and areas where healthcare practitioners are needed. "We have requested additional capacity to assist Gauteng in terms of military health that has moved into the province to assist us swiftly. What this will do is we will be able to release the capacity of the beds that have been held because there was no human capacity," Kubayi-Ngubane said. The Minister also said that military members would assist with Covid-19 tracing and testing. Gauteng is currently the country's epicentre, accounting for 60 per cent of the total cases registered amid the third wave of the pandemic. South Africa recorded 10,510 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, representing a positivity rate of 20.5 per cent and increasing the overall infection tally to 1,796,589. The death toll stood at 58,441. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) New Delhi, June 19: Pakistan is obsessed with India, and its ruling elite goes ballistic when the conversation shifts to New Delhis role in Afghanistan. The outburst by Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi is the latest edition when there has been a free flow of vitriol targeting India. "At times we feel their (Indian) presence is larger than it ought to be, because, you know, they don't share a border with you," Qureshi told Lotfullah Najafizada of Afghan's TV channel Tolo News, in an interview to be telecast on Saturday. In a video clip posted by the Tolo News on Twitter, when Qureshi was asked by the correspondent that how many consulates India has in Afghanistan? Qureshi replied, ""On paper, perhaps four," insinuating there were more unofficially. Qureshi added: "If they used your soil against us, it bothers me." When pressed further, Qureshi pulled out his trump card, "Yes. They are.....they are carrying out terrorist activities." Given his experience in the foreign ministry and beyond, Qureshi should know well that the region from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to Gilgit-Baltistan is an integral part of India, which is currently under the illegal occupation of Pakistan. The Wakhan Corridor in the Badakhshan province separates Afghanistan from Gilgit Baltistan in PoK. The corridor is approximately140 miles long and between 10-40 miles wide. Besides PoK, it shares border with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan, China and Tajikistan. The nearly 2,600 km border demarcating the areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan is called the Durand Line - drawn by the British in 1893. Though Pakistan has accepted the Durand Line, the Afghan governments - whether run by the Taliban or democratically-elected - have never accepted this border alignment. In a joint press conference with the then US special envoy Richard Olson last year, Qureshi had mentioned that India had set up 24 consulates in Afghanistan, some close to the Pakistani border. Disagreeing with Pakistan's concerns that India was using its strong presence in Afghanistan to stir trouble in Balochistan, the US envoy said: "India has been a supportive partner for Afghanistan. It has provided a limited amount but important military assistance (to Afghanistan)." Last year, Pakistan's foreign minister and the military released "details" of what they termed "India's state sponsorship of terrorism," alleging the Indian government and intelligence agencies were funding the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TPP) and ethnic Baloch armed separatist groups that conducted attacks on Pakistani soil and submitted to the UN as well. Expectedly, the world went into splits after listening to Pakistan's fake claims. Back to the interview with Tolo News, the Pakistani foreign minister claimed that India has not been a constructive partner for peace in Afghanistan, but, instead a spoiler. But his selective amnesia prevented him from saying that that it was Pakistan, which was the crucible of the birth of Taliban, which then went on to occupy Afghanistan to establish the world's biggest hub of Global Jihad, which eventually led to the horrific 9/11 attacks. Instead, the honourable foreign minister went into a diatribe, accusing the present government of Afghanistan and other "spoilers" for present dire situation in Afghanistan. "Violence by the Taliban... this is an exaggeration. Are not other elements over there who are playing the role of spoilers like Daesh and other ppl who are involved in war economy and people who are in power," thundered Qureshi. Interestingly, a few days ago, former Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, and the incumbent President Ashraf Ghani have accused Pakistan for the volatile situation in their country. India's pitch in Afghanistan has been queered by Pakistan and its "iron brother" China. Both have their vested interests in Kabul and a common goal to keep India out, in the hope of protecting Beijing-led China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Numerous surveys show that most Afghan's view India as the "most cherished partner of Afghanistan," mirroring the potency of New Delhi's soft-power. Data shows that India has supported Afghans with roughly $3 billion in development assistance, far more than it has provided to any other nation. This assistance has taken the form of scholarships, much-needed infrastructure and transportation projects, medical treatment and heal Afghans, and building institutional capacities including a brand-new parliament building that stands proudly as a beacon of democracy in Kabul. (This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative/ Srinagar, June 19 : Amid reports that New Delhi is extending invitation to all mainstream political parties in J&K, former chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti confirmed on Saturday that she has received the invitation while NC patron, Dr Farooq Abdullah said he is yet to receive it. Former chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti has confirmed that she has received a formal invitation from New Delhi for the meeting scheduled on June 24. "Yes, I got a phone call from Delhi inviting me for a meeting on June 24. The meeting will be chaired by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi", Mehbooba told reporters. She, however, added that she hasn't decided yet whether she would attend the meeting. Dr Farooq Abdullah told some reporters that he hadn't received any invitation from Delhi so far. "Once we receive such invitation, we will meet to decide the strategy to be adopted regarding the invitation", Dr Abdullah told reporters. Sources close to People's Conference chief, Sajad Lone told IANS that he has also received the invitation to attend the June 24 meeting. CPI-M leader, M.Y. Tarigami said he has so far received no formal or informal invitation from Delhi regarding the meeting. Tarigami has said that sources in Delhi have confirmed to him that all mainstream leaders of J&K would be invited to attend the proposed meeting. J&K Apni Party chief, Syed Altaf Bukhari said, "Solution to J&K's problems lies in New Delhi. We have stated openly that we have a relation with Delhi." "Solution to J&K's problems lies in New Delhi and not in Islamabad, New York or London. Delhi's invitation to J&K's political parties is a welcome development". Bukhari sarcastically added that all these parties called Apni Party the King's party so far. "Now who is the king's party?" he said. He added that since job security and security to own land has been restored to people of J&K through the good offices of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, statehood would also be restored in future. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Kabul, June 19 : Afghan security forces have repulsed a Taliban attack on the northern Kunduz city on Saturday and the militants fled after suffering casualties, an army spokesman said. "Taliban rebels launched massive offensive on Kunduz city early Saturday but fled after suffering casualties and leaving six bodies behind," the spokesman told Xinhua news agency. The militants were also attempting to explode an explosive-laden military vehicle next to a military base outside Kunduz city, but was identified and targeted by soldiers. As a result a few more militants inside the vehicle were killed, the official added. However, five security personnel had been injured during the gunfight which lasted for a couple of hours, he said. The militant group has stepped up activities and captured over a dozen districts since the withdrawal of the US-led forces from Afghanistan on May 1. Over the past two months, the government has lost 30 districts to the Taliban, which makes up 8 per cent of the country. Previously, 210 districts, which makes up 54 per cent of the entire territory in Afghanistan, were under the control of the government, 132 districts are contested and 46 districts were under Taliban control. Kolkata, June 19 : Four days after West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar wrote to chief minister Mamata Banerjee alleging that the state government has been inactive and indifferent about the sufferings of the people due to post-poll violence, the Calcutta High Court on Saturday criticised the Mamata Banerjee government and observed that the state has not taken any concrete steps to address the complaints pertaining to post-poll violence. "In a case where the allegation is that life and property of the residents of the State are in danger on account of alleged post poll violence, the State cannot be allowed to proceed in the manner it likes. The complaints required immediate action... It is the duty of the State to maintain law and order and inspire confidence in the residents of the State," the High Court observed. The five-member bench, hearing a clutch of petitions alleging hundreds of persons got displaced due to the violence and that they are now unable to return to their homes due to fear of backlash, also observed, "Though action should have been taken by the State but despite matter being pending in Court apparently no concrete steps have been taken". The 5-judge bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal reminded the West Bengal Government that it is duty bound to maintain the law-and-order situation in the State and to inspire confidence in the people. The Bench also comprises of Justices I.P. Mukerji, Harish Tandon, Soumen Sen and Subrata Talukdar. The Court asked the State to ensure that there is no obstruction of any kind in this process. "Such obstruction shall be viewed seriously, which may entail action under the Contempt of Courts Act besides others," the order said. The Court also directed the State Legal Services Authority to look into complaints of displaced persons who are being prevented from returning to their homes and take necessary steps for their rehabilitation. The court then ordered the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to constitute a committee that will examine complaints filed by persons who were displaced during the post-poll violence in West Bengal. Earlier, the High Court had constituted a committee composed of members nominated by NHRC, SHRC & SLSA to coordinate rehabilitation of displaced persons of Entally constituency. The Committee shall examine all the cases and may be by visiting the affected areas will submit a comprehensive report to this Court about the present situation and also the steps to be taken to ensure confidence of the people that they can peacefully live in their houses and also carry on their occupation or business to earn their livelihood. "The persons prima facie responsible for crime and the officers who maintained calculated silence on the issue, be pointed out," the Court added. The case will be heard again on June 30. Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar recently wrote a strong letter to chief minister Mamata Banerjee criticising her silence over post poll retributive bloodshed, violation of human rights, outrageous assault on dignity of women and wanton destruction of property. The letter was met with utmost criticism from the state government. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Chennai, June 19 : Four lions at Arignar Anna Zoological Park or popularly known as Vandalur Zoo are suffering from the contagious Delta variant of coronavirus, the Zoo said. According to Vandalur Zoo officials, the Zoo had sent samples of 11 lions to the ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal. On its part, NIHSAD had said nine lions tested positive for SARS CoV-2. The animals were under active treatment. The Vandalur Zoo had requested NIHSAD to share the results of genome sequencing of the SARS CoV-2 virus that has infected the lions. According to NIHSAD, the genome sequencing of four samples belong to Pangolin lineage B.1.617.2 and are Delta variants as per World Health Organisation (WHO) nomenclature. On May 11, the WHO had classified B.1.617.2 lineage as a variant of concern (VOC), and said that it showed evidence of higher transmissibility and reduced neutralization, the Zoo said. Meanwhile the Tamil Nadu government has constituted a State Level Task Force to provide support and guidance to authorities about the prevention and mitigation of Covid-19 infections in wild and captive animals in the Tiger Reserves, NationalParks, Wildlife Sanctuaries Reserve Forests and others. The State Level Task Force will be headed by Supriya Sahu, Principal Secretary to Government, Environment, Climate Change & Forests Department and will have six members. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Washington, June 19 : Olympic champion Ryan Crouser broke the 31-year-old men's shot put world record as he topped the US Olympic trials event in Eugene, Oregon. The 29-year-old Crouser, who won gold at the 2016 Olympic games in Rio, achieved his winning mark of 23.37m in the fourth round, adding 25 centimetres to the world record set by compatriot Randy Barnes in 1990, reports Xinhua. Reigning world champion Joe Kovacs finished second with 22.34m, followed by Payton Otterdahl with a personal best of 21.92m on Friday. Crouser's previous career best mark was 23.01m which he achieved last month in Tucson, US. He also set the shot put world indoor record of 22.82m earlier this year, breaking the previous record of 22.66m, also set by Barnes in 1989. June 19 : Action star Akshay Kumar was recently challenged by the wrestling icon Undertaker Mark Calaway to have a fight with him. The actor, who celebrated 25 years of his film Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi, took to social media to react to the fighter. In Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi, Akshay was seen fighting with the Undertaker. Fans believed that the actor had some intense fight with the Undertaker till the Bell Bottom actor revealed recently on social media that it was actually wrestler Brian Lee who had played the character in the film. The real Undertaker, Mark Calaway, dropped a comment on Akshays post and wrote, "Ha! Tell me when you are ready for a REAL rematch," adding a thumbs-up emoji. Akshay immediately reacted to the wrestling champion, and wrote, "Let me check on my insurance and get back bro." The official Twitter page of WWE India shared the posts and wrote, "Interesting." Mark Callaway, who retired from the ring last year, was the Undertaker since 1991. Wrestler Brian Lee became an Undertaker impersonator in a few matches in 1994. s+sss A hilarious note to mark 25 years to the release of #KhiladiyonKaKhiladi #Apnaakshay #shivakki #AkshayKumar#akshaytwinkale #powerofakshay A fun fact though: it was wrestler Brian Lee who played The Undertaker in the film pic.twitter.com/RhhVP5OEFf Shiv akki (@shivjan67861027) June 14, 2021 On the occasion of Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi completing 25 years, fans dropped several memes on social media. Akshay reacted to one such meme, and revealed that it was not him who was pitted against the Undertaker in the film. A hilarious note to mark 25 years to the release of #KhiladiyonKaKhiladi tomorrow! A fun fact though: it was wrestler Brian Lee who played The Undertaker in the film, he wrote. 1 A hilarious note to mark 25 years to the release of #KhiladiyonKaKhiladi tomorrow! A fun fact though: it was wrestler Brian Lee who played The Undertaker in the film pic.twitter.com/w7J5z3QGBQ Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) June 13, 2021 Meanwhile, on the work front, Akshay Kumar is awaiting the release of Rohit Shetty's action drama Sooryavanshi. The release date of the film was recently postponed due to the second wave of coronavirus. The actor completed shooting of his forthcoming film Bell Bottom amidst the pandemic last year. Akshay will also be seen in Aanand L Rai's films Raksha Bandhan with Bhumi Pednekar and Atrangi Re with Sara Ali Khan and Dhanush. He also has Ram Setu with Nushrratt Bharuccha and Jacqueline Fernandez. Akshays film Prithviraj has been facing threats from different political and social organisations who demand a change in the title of the film. Hyderabad, June 19 : Telugu actor Adivi Sesh took to social media on Saturday to inform fans that the shoot of his upcoming bilingual film "Major" will resume in July. The film will release in Hindi and Telugu and be dubbed in Malayalam. It is a biographical drama starring Sesh as 26/11 martyr Sandeep Unnikrishnan. The film marks Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu's debut as a producer. Putting up a picture on Instagram with one of the producer of the film, Sharath Chandra, Sesh recalled shooting in Chitkul, Himachal Pradesh, along with the shoot update he shared. "When we began #MajorTheFilm last year #Chitkul was never colder. But brilliant visuals and amazing people led to great memories. Can't wait to start filming in July. An Epic Story inspired by the life of #MajorSandeepUnnikrishnan," he wrote. "Major" was postponed due to lockdown, with portions of shooting still to be done. Earlier slated to release on July 2, a new date for the Shashi Kiran Tikka directorial is yet to be announced. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, June 19 : As the farmers agitation, which started on November 26 last year, entered the 205th day on Saturday, the question arises whether by adopting an arbitrary attitude and interfering in the elections, will the farmers be able to get what they want? According to Bijendra Singh, Ghaziabad President of the Bhartiya Kisan Union, "It is all the fault of the government, after so many talks, was anything given to the farmer? If they had accepted some of our demands, then the problem would have been solved. The government looks at its own interest only. Some state elections are due in 6 months. The farmers will not rise from here, will fight all the elections from here only. The government should talk to us and our demands should be accepted." "Farmers are very angry with the government. This you will see in the upcoming elections," he added. Earlier, in the West Bengal elections also, farmers had appealed to the public to vote against the BJP. Although the BJP got more seats in Bengal than before but it lost the election. At the same time, the farmers are now realizing that they can harm the government by pitting the public against the government, that is why the farmers are firm on their demands. Farmers sitting on the Delhi borders are only working to warn the government about the upcoming elections. Are the farmers adopting an arbitrary attitude? In response to this, Jai Kumar Malik, Ghaziabad in-charge of the Bhartiya Kisan Union, says, "The farmers are not doing anything, we are sitting silent. It is only the government that is doing this. Sometimes they label us Khalistanis, sometimes they will say there is no crowd, and sometimes they will also say that it is because of the farmers that coronavirus cases are rising." Rakesh Chaudhary, who reached Ghazipur border after walking for 5 days from Bulandshahr, says, "The government which we elected have their eyes closed. Public, farmers and youth are upset, in what selfishness the government has forgotten all this? If the government accepts the demands, it is very good. Otherwise UP will go the Bengal way. There are elections in Punjab and Uttarakhand too." Is this a threat to the government? In response to this question, farmer Rakesh said, "No it is not a threat. We have voted for them, our problems should be heard. There are problems everywhere, farmers have given answer in Bengal. Talking about UP, salute to CM Yogi." Ever since the protest against the three new farm laws began, farmers have been protesting against various corporate houses by holding frequent dharnas at malls, petrol stations and other places and it is continuing. They are sitting at the Delhi borders since November 26. The farmers' next big protest is to be held on June 26, which will include dharna-demonstrations at Raj Bhavans in various states apart from district/tehsil level protests across India. For this the Samyukta Kisan Morcha has called upon all progressive institutions and citizens of India including trade unions, merchant unions, women's organizations, student and youth organizations, employees' unions and others, to participate. Farmers are constantly engaged in making their strategy by holding meetings at the borders, but for the time being, the government seems to have decided not to accept their demands. The number of farmers has been increasing once again on the borders. Farmers have started leaving their villages with tractors and are marching towards the borders in big numbers to press for their demands. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Thiruvananthapuram, June 19 : Joining issue in the ongoing war of words between chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and new Congress president K. Sudhakaran, on Saturday, Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan demanded that an attempt to murder case against Vijayan be lodged. On Saturday, at Sudhakaran's press conference, his party colleague K. Gopi, who hails from Vijayan's village in Kannur, recalled an old incident, that in 1977 when 26 beedi workers were terminated from a society, they led a protest. "I was leading the protest and then Vijayan with a sword led a group of people and he brandished his sword and it hit my hand and the injury mark is still there," said Gopi showing his hand and adding that despite his complaint to the local police then, there was no further action in the case. Muraleedharan told the media in the state capital that if the Congress party is serious in the allegation, they should register a police complaint. "There is no time limit to an attempt to murder case and hence, Sudhakaran should ask Gopi to go forward and register a fresh complaint," said Muraleedharan. He also pointed out that in the past two days both these leaders have been revisiting their college days at the Government Brennen College and have been saying about their deeds then and it shows that both of them were goons and criminals. "My appeal to both of them is not to portray a great institution like Brennen College by distorting its greatness, and lowering it as a place of goons," said Muraleedharan. Hyderabad, June 19 : The Telangana government has decided to totally lift the lockdown in the state. At its meeting held on Saturday, the state cabinet discussed the matter and decided on total removal of the lockdown which was imposed to control the spread of Covid in the state. With the latest instalment of lockdown set to end on Saturday, the state cabinet had been convened for an emergency meeting to decide the future course of action. The cabinet discussed the report prepared by the health department, which noted that with corona cases and positivity rate declining significantly, the pandemic is in control in the state. While the cabinet has instructed all departments to withdraw all the restrictions that have been imposed during the lockdown, there is no clarity yet on allowing inter-state bus services. Over the past few days, corona cases have been steadily declining in the state. Apart from this, the vaccination program has gained pace in the rural areas, leading to increased protection for larger cross-sections of the population. On June 8, the Telangana government had decided to extend the lockdown for another 10 days but had increased daily relaxation time by four hours, from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. The lockdown, which was to end on June 9, had been extended for 10 days from June 10. Initially, the state government had announced a 10-day lockdown from May 12 to rein in the surge in coronavirus cases. This was later extended twice. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) June 19 : After Shashank Khaitans directorial Mr Leles shoot had started earlier this year, it was halted within weeks as its lead actors, Vicky Kaushal and Bhumi Pednekar had contracted Covid-19 in April. Next, the films shooting couldnt start off due to the second wave of the pandemic, followed by the lockdown declared by the Maharashtra government. Now, with relaxations of the lockdown, Shashank Khaitan has resumed shoot once again. Producer Karan Johar reportedly gave the nod to start shoot of the film after the cast and crew got the first dose of the vaccine, which is mandatory to start shoot in the current situation. Following the green signal from Karan, Shashank took the film to the floors with a 10-day schedule at a bungalow in Andheri. Besides Vicky and Bhumi, the film also stars Kiara Advani. Reportedly, last Tuesday, Vicky and Kiara started shooting, while Bhumi joined the sets on Friday. Currently, Shashank is filming some indoor sequences after which the film will be shot at different locations in Mumbai. Karan Johars production Mr. Lele was first announced in 2020 with Varun Dhawan in the lead. However, it was reported that Varun backed out of the film, forcing the makers to make a change in the cast as well as in the script to suit the new casting. The makers had even released the first poster of the film which featured Varun posing in a risque manner. However in March last year, the film was shelved for sometime as Varun was not happy with the script. Vicky Kaushal was then brought on board. Mr Lele is touted as a comedy film with a twist and Vicky will be a part of a comedy film for the first time. The actor plays the role of a conman and juggles his two love interests. Initially, Janhvi Kapoor and Bhumi Pednekar were locked as its leading ladies but now Janhvi has been replaced by Kiara Advani. It is also reported that the title of the film may also been changed and the makers will soon announce the new title. Panaji, June 19 : All India Congress Committee general secretary Dinesh Gundu Rao, on Saturday, said that the Kumbh mela organised in Uttarakhand amid the second Covid wave, was the "biggest super spreader event in the world", even as he blamed Prime Minister Narendra modi for not doing enough to rein in the rapid spread of infections earlier this year. Addressing a press conference in Panaji, Rao also said that despite being the largest manufacturer of vaccines in the world, India was worse off than its South Asian neighbours. "The biggest super spreader event in the world was the Kumbha mela," Rao told reporters at the state Congress headquarters in Panaji. "People throughout the country lost their lives and livelihood, they are suffering. Why? Because the central government did not bother to address the situation. It did not bother to purchase the vaccines. It did not bother to warn the people that the second wave of Covid has already started, let us be careful," Rao said. "Instead of that, he was doing election rallies, even though he knew that the second wave had come. Never in the history of Indian politics, has a PM behaved so irresponsibly... And he does not care. He does not bother," Rao also said. "The PM was busy congratulating himself. Why is the situation not the same in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, our own neighbours," the AICC official asked. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, June 19 : The Indian Youth Congress (IYC), National Students Union of India (NSUI) and Delhi Congress on Saturday organised free Covid vaccination camps here and distributed ration kits among the people on the birthday of former party president Rahul Gandhi. The NSUI organised free vaccination camp for the people at its party office, while the IYC distributed free ration kits, medicines and financial help to the needy people. Meanwhile, the Delhi Congress also distributed free ration kits to the people in all 272 wards of the national capital. Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal visited the vaccination camp and the free ration distribution centre at its office here. Venugopal tweeted, "Congratulations NSUI for the free vaccination program initiative on Rahul Gandhi's birthday, to help our citizens in these difficult times." "Congress believes vaccination is crucial to fight the pandemic and is committed to helping people," he said. IYC national president Srinivas BV said that the organisation celebrated the birthday of Rahul Gandhi as 'Sewa Diwas'. He said that on the occasion of Rahul Gandhi's birthday, keeping in mind the spirit of public interest and public welfare, all the workers and office bearers of IYC in Delhi and across the country distributed ration kits to the needy, free vaccine camps were organised, and financial assistance was made available to the unemployed and disabled companions.* Srinivas said that Venugopal, who is also a Dajya Sabha member distributed ration kits to the women drivers of Ola, Uber and provided financial assistance to the citizens who lost their jobs and to disabled colleagues during this Covid crisis. Venugopal said that on this occasion that Rahul Gandhi did all possible help to the countrymen in such a dire situation, day and night in the global pandemic of Covid. "Rahul Gandhi from time to time, alerted the Central government about their responsibility and duty, he showed the path of excellent and remarkable contribution in the field of public interest, which is a source of inspiration for all the countrymen. Today all the workers of Congress party are celebrating his birthday as 'Seva Diwas' across the country," the Congress leader added. Srinivas further said that free vaccine camp was also organised by Youth Congress for sex workers at GB Road and at Badarpur old age ashram in which the facility of getting free vaccines was made available to the citizens. IYC Media in-charge Rahul Rao said that in the program organised on the occasion of the birthday of Rahul Gandhi, Venugopal, Delhi Congress chief Anil Kumar Chaudhary also participated. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, June 19 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has planned major events across Jammu and Kashmir on International Yoga Day (IYD) observed on June 21 every year, to further expand its base in the Union Territory (UT), including the valley. The saffron party will organise a yoga programme in Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP has decided to use the opportunity to create awareness to reduce vaccine hesitancy among the people. Jammu and Kashmir BJP Co-incharge, Ashish Sood, told IANS that IYD programmes will be held at the polling booth level across Jammu and Kashmir and senior party leaders will participate. He said that like the other flagship programmes of the Narendra Modi government, the BJP has planned to promote Yoga Day in Jammu and Kashmir by organising events at the booth level. "Several events and awareness programmes highlighting the welfare schemes of the Modi government have been held in Jammu and Kashmir. This year for the first time, the BJP will be organising an International Yoga Day programme across Jammu and Kashmir, including Srinagar, Baramulla, Ganderbal and other parts of the UT," Sood said. The saffron party believes that such events involving public participation will give a boost to its expansion in the valley. "For the first time a BJP member won District Development Council (DDC) polls in the valley and continuously worked to win people's support with the welfare schemes of the Modi government," Sood added. BJP workers and leaders will do yoga with the people and explain to them about the benefits of yoga, especially in the time of a pandemic. The party workers will celebrate IYD with people at the majority of booths or where the BJP has already appointed booth level workers. "Our workers and leaders will do yoga with the residents of that particular polling booth," Sood said. A party leader said out of more than 10,000 polling booths in Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP has appointed workers at the majority of the booths. Sood said the BJP workers will also use Yoga Day as an opportunity to create awareness about Covid vaccination. "On June 21, the Union government is also launching free vaccines for everyone above 18 years and the BJP workers, including me, will use yoga day events to create awareness to reduce vaccine hesitancy among people," he added. New Delhi, June 19 : Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, on Saturday, turned 51 with several political leaders across party line wishing him on his birthday, which he has decided not to celebrate in view of the Covid pandemic. Rahul Gandhi was born on June 19, 1970 to Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi in Delhi. Several party leaders across the party line greeted the Congress leader on his birthday. National Students Union of India (NSUI) celebrated his birthday as 'Sewa Diwas' by arranging free Covid-19 vaccination camps, while Indian Youth Congress and the Delhi Congress distributed medicines, cash, ration kits to people in need. Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal in a tweet said, "It's been a difficult year and you've continued to lead our people with love and sincerity. Best wishes for your birthday, Rahul Gandhi. Wishing you good health, happiness and success in all your endeavours." Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh said that he was proud of the Congress leader's hard work and his abiding commitment to serve the people of the country. Tamil Nadu chief minister M.K. Stalin also greeted the Congress leader and in a tweet said, "Wishing my beloved brother Rahul Gandhi on his birthday and I join others in praising his selfless, untiring work to establish an egalitarian India in every aspect. His commitment to the ethos of the Congress Party has been exemplary." Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted, "To a true leader, who battles the challenges with truth, honesty, compassion and courage. To a leader for whom righteous means are as important as the goal. Wishing Rahul Gandhi ji more power to keep fighting the good fight." National Conference leader Omar Abdullah wished Rahul Gandhi for his birthday, good health and many years ahead in the service of the nation. Former prime minister and JD(S) president H.D. Deve Gowda took to Twitter and said, "I wish him well, and sincerely pray that his view of the world and his compassion defeats the narrowness that surrounds us." Among others to wish Rahul Gandhi on his birthday were union minister Nitin Gadkari, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and several others. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, June 19 : Federation of 'Farmer Producer Organisation' (FPO) is required in each state to exploit economies of scales as well as enhance farmers' income levels, Grant Thornton Bharat said in a report. "The next big step could be to confederate a few FPOs in a district or state into a federal body through an SPV, to carry out intensive and vigorous marketing activities with greater scale economies, and leverage upon newly proposed schemes to promote agri infrastructure, establish storage facilities etc," the report said. "Subsequently, they could also diversify into secondary processing, with a strategy to focus upon hyperlocal marketing activities for their products and building hyperlocal brands." Besides, the report said that FPOs may now move onto the challenging task of secondary processing and value-addition, and virtually develop into a more vibrant agri-business start ups, albeit with a 'farmer-friendly and a farmer-led face'. "Moreover, the newly launched GoI programme for 'Formation and Promotion of 10,000 new Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs)' may draw upon learnings from this intervention and also work on federating block level FPOs into larger agglomeration platforms, as to help them derive benefit of even greater scale economies and bargaining power." Furthermore, it cited that as an enabling policy initiative, the GOI may consider the complete waiver of IT from FPOs rather than "a mere 5-year holiday". "The MAT that FPOs have to contribute is a burden on typical marginal and small farmer-led FPOs." Kolkata, June 19 : A shocking incident has come to light at Kaliachak in West Bengals Malda district, where a 19-year-old youth allegedly killed his parents, sister and grandmother and kept the bodies buried in the godown of the house for the last four months. The police recovered the bodies on Saturday and are questioning the accused teen, who has been identified as Asif Mohammed, and his elder brother Arif to seek details about the motive behind the murder. The incident came to light after Arif, who stayed away from his home, lodged a complaint with the Kaliachak police station on Saturday morning, alleging that his brother had killed four members of his family and buried the bodies under the floor of the godown located adjacent to the house. The police immediately rushed to the spot and arrested Asif. Later, in the presence of a magistrate, the floor of the godown was dug and the four bodies were recovered from there. The bodies have been sent to the Malda Medical College for post-mortem. "The accused has admitted that he had killed all the four persons in February end. He confessed that he had mixed drugs in their drinks and made them unconscious. After that, he pushed them into a well to confirm their death. The bodies were then pulled out of the well, taken to the godown where they were buried one after another. The police are also interrogating Arif because we don't want to leave anything to chance," said Alok Rajoria, Superintendent of Malda Police. The police have also recovered Rs one lakh in cash from the house. Sources in the police said the gate of the godown was close to the entrance and there was no gate that could open inside and so he had dug a tunnel to bring the bodies inside the godown. "The tunnel was made so that the local people didn't get to know anything," a senior police officer said. The police have also come to know that the teen hardly stepped out of his house, and none -- not even the maid servant -- was allowed inside the house. The teen used to order food online. However, the police admitted there are still some grey areas in the case. According to senior police officers, it seems unlikely for a 19-year-old to kill four persons and bury them singlehandedly, and it is possible that there was some accomplice in the case. Moreover, it is also unlikely that Arif didn't get any information about his family for four months. "Asif confessed that he told his neighbours that his family had shifted to Kolkata in a newly-purchased flat, but what was Arif doing? Why didn't he have any suspicion? Why didn't he come to the police before? These are some questions that need to be answered and that is the reason we are also questioning Arif," the officer said. As the news of the murders spread, a huge crowd gathered near the house. According to the neighbours, Asif had passed his Class X board exams reportedly from a private school in Kaliachak, not far from his village. They said that after passing the exams, he had run away from his home because his parents refused to buy him a laptop. After he came back, his parents reportedly bought him an expensive computer and other gadgets. He had told his parents that he was developing an app that would make him "very rich", the neighbours said. Mumbai, June 19 : The proposed capital infusion in PNB Housing Finance Limited (PNBHF) would strengthen the company's equity buffers to absorb any asset-side stress, said India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra). According to the ratings agency, it will also provide the company with the capital needed to grow the franchisee. "PNBHF had seen heightened delinquencies and a decline in asset under management in the last two years due to a challenging operating environment amid the Covid-19 pandemic," Ind-Ra said in a report. "The company has already increased the provision cover for standard as well as stage 3 assets. It also plans to increase its focus on the affordable 'Unnati' segment which offers a higher yield on a lower ticket size loan." On May 21, 2021, PNBHF announced a capital infusion plan of Rs 40 billion through a preferential issue of equity and warrants which would increase its net worth by almost 50 per cent to over Rs 120 billion. "The proposed infusion is significantly higher than earlier planned." Accordingly, it would be led by the Carlyle group which holds 32.2 per cent in PNBHF. "Post the transaction, the Carlyle group would be the single-largest shareholder of PNBHF." "The other players infusing equity would be General Atlantic Singapore and Alpha investments. Salisbury Investments, family investment vehicle of Aditya Puri, former CEO & MD of HDFC Bank, is also stated to invest in the capital raise." Besides, the report said this transaction triggers an open offer by the Carlyle group for the purchase of shares from public shareholders. "Punjab National Bank would not participate in the capital raise and the shareholding would thus decline to below 26 per cent from 32.64 per cent." "However, the bank has entered into an agreement with PNBHF whereby the name sharing would continue up to 20 per cent stake and it would charge branding fees if the stake falls below 30 per cent." New Delhi, June 19 : Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday slammed the Uttar Pradesh government for giving a clean chit to an Agra hospital where 22 patients died after oxygen supply was allegedly cut during a drill. She said that the government has closed all the doors of justice. Priyanka, who is also the in-charge of UP Congress, tweeted: "What an irony. According to reports a hospital in Agra conducted mock drill by allegedly cutting the oxygen supply and the BJP government gave clean chit to the hospital doing mock drill of the inquiry. The paths of government and the hospital have been cleared. By not listening to the complaints of the patients families, the government has shut all hope of justice." She also attached a news report claiming that a clean chit was given to the Paeas Hospital, which was caught in a controversy after a video surfaced online. In the video, a man was heard saying to conduct a mock drill on oxygen supply. New Delhi, June 19 : With the number of new Covid cases dropping significantly in the last few days and several states announcing unlock measures, the Indian Railways is helping to bring workers to their respective workplaces from different parts of the country, ferrying over 32 lakh people in the last seven days. A Railway Ministry spokesperson said that from June 11 to June 17, the national transporter ferried approximately 32.56 lakh passengers, including migrant workers and other passengers travelling by long distance trains, with an average occupancy of 110.2 per cent from areas like Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha to various destinations, including Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Surat, Ahmedabad, and Chennai, among others. The official said that to facilitate the movement of the migrant workers from Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha to Metros like Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai, the Railways is operating mail and express specials, holiday specials and summer special trains. The official said that all these trains are being operated as fully reserved trains, keeping in view the Covid protocols. He said that as on June 18, 983 mail, express and holiday specials, which is 56 per cent of the pre-Covid levels, are being operated by the Indian Railways. In addition, about 1,309 summer special trains have also been operated to facilitate the movement of people wanting to return to their workplaces, he added. The official pointed out that these summer special trains provide connectivity primarily from states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha and Assam to major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Bengaluru etc. He also said that from June 19 to June 28, approximately 29.15 lakh passengers, including migrant workers and others, have booked tickets in long-distance mail/express trains. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Thiruvananthapuram, June 19 : Congress workers staged a protest in front of the Kanhangad district hospital in Kasaragod on Saturday against the manner in which the wives of three CPI-M supporters, presently jailed for the murder of two Youth Congress workers, were given temporary jobs by the district authorities. As many as 100 people had appeared for the interview for four sweeper's posts in the district hospital. Of the four persons who have been appointed, three are the wives of the accused persons who are presently in jail. The gruesome murders took place in Periye on February 17, 2019, when two Youth Congress workers, Krupesh (19) and Sharath Lal aka Joshy (24), were attacked by three motorcycle-borne men while they were returning from an event. While Krupesh died at the Kasaragod district hospital, Joshy succumbed to his injuries on his way to a medical facility in Mangaluru, Karnataka. It has been alleged that the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government tried to shield the accused persons, especially after it went to the apex court, which upheld the verdict of a division bench of the Kerala High Court that ruled to handover the case to the CBI. The central probe agency is presently investigating the case. Senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP from Kasaragod, Rajmohan Unnithan, said that this is the way the CPI-M operates, by protecting the criminals, adding that the jobs should have been given to the victims' family members. Senior Congress legislator K. Babu said that this is a slap on the face of thousands of unemployed people in the state by the ruling CPI-M. "This shows the CPI-M will go to any extent to protect its workers who engage in murders of political opponents. This is nothing but a shame," said Babu. Meanwhile, the Kasaragod district CPI-M denied having any role in the appointments. Mumbai, June 19 : Actress Arshi Khan, who rose to fame on "Bigg Boss 14", is back to reality TV with the show "Swayamvar". She wants actor and "Bigg Boss" host Salman Khan to help her choose the right life partner. "I feel Salman sahab should help me find a groom in the show. He is the only person who has helped me grow and succeed. He has given me lessons of a lifetime on 'Bigg Boss'," Arshi tells IANS. As per the format of "Swayamvar", the actress will decide who she wants as her husband. Arshi who has appeared in television shows like "Vish" and "Savitri Devi College & Hospital", says she plans to do more OTT projects after 'Swayamvar' "I have many roles offered to me for the OTT screen. But I'm missing out on them because I'll be busy shooting for my 'swayamvar'. But after I'm done, I will return back to acting and will sign more OTT projects," she says. New Delhi, June 19: Unemployment has only risen in Nepal, hit by a severe second wave of Covid 19 and the subsequent lockdowns. A survey by the Nepal Rashtra Bank last year indicated that more than 60 per cent of the businesses in the Himalayan country may completely shut down. Large number of Nepalese, looking for employment opportunities, are once again firming up plans to move out of the country. The Gulf countries including Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman remain the most favoured employment destination for the Nepalese. Malaysia is also another country attracting Nepalese youth. "These seven countries host an estimated 1.3 million Nepali migrant workers," the Kathmandu Post said. Besides, the number of Nepali people working in India is estimated between 3 and 4 million. "A majority of Nepalis who work abroad are employed in India. But since Nepal and India share an open border, there are no official figures," the newspaper said. "Nepal's youth never saw any future in the country. The Covid 19 pandemic and its impact on the economy have only made things worse," a Kathmandu based analyst who did not wish to be named told India Narrative. Two years ago, Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had introduced an ambitious employment generation scheme with an allocation of Rs 3.1 billion. But sources said that it has failed to deliver due to corruption. Eight one per cent of the workers in the informal sector and 1.4 million in home-based work are at severe risk of losing jobs on account of the Coronavirus pandemic, an Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in a study published six months ago said. The International Labour Organisation earlier noted that a large number of the labour force, especially the youth have opted for overseas migration in search of higher income and dignity at work. "That hasn't changed. Nepalese are still looking for lucrative options outside the country with limited employment opportunities here," a Kathmandu based entrepreneur told India Narrative. "The severe second wave of Covid 19 has hit the economy further and many of us are staring at an uncertain future," he said. Recently, ANI said that despite a ban put in place by the district authorities, scores of Nepali migrant workers cross the border into India every day amid a gloomy employment scenario. "Despite the halt of public transportation since April 29, migrant workers under desperate circumstances are trying to reach India for employment. Most of these workers are paying outrageous prices for transport in vehicles with passes granted for emergency services," the news agency said. Will the issue of unemployment be a cause for concern for Oli? Interestingly, multiple sources told India Narrative that the rising unemployment problem may not be a major concern for Oli even as Nepal gears up for general elections in November. "It is true that unemployment has risen but the issue is not a new one. It has remained at the sore for many years. Oli is a man who is otherwise well connected with the grassroots level and this may help him in the upcoming general elections," one of them said. Unfortunately, job creation for the youth has not been a priority for the present government in Nepal or, so to say, for any of the governments in the past. The planners and policymakers in the country are indifferent to this problem as they are satisfied merely with the growth of remittance from migrant workers, which accounts for more than over one-fourth of Nepal's gross domestic product of $30 billion," the ORF study said. (This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative/ Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Bengaluru, June 19 : Intensifying its efforts to gain public traction in its fight against Covid, the Karnataka unit of the Congress party is now wooing children. Karnataka Pradesh Congress President DK Shivakumar on Saturday launched the "Vaccinate Karnataka" campaign, a social media video contest for children to make videos that urge adults to get vaccinated. The first-of-its-kind competition invites 95 lakh students from all schools across Karnataka to make a social media video about Covid vaccination. The 100 best videos shall be given an Android tablet each, a party release stated. To participate in the contest, children have to post a 2-minute video on social media platforms with the hashtag #VaccinateKarnataka and then submit a form at www.vaccinatekarnataka.in. "Nobody persuades adults like children do. When children tell parents to get vaccinated, they won't say no. That is why we have launched this campaign to spread awareness in society about Covid vaccination," said Shivakumar. To prevent damage from the anticipated 3rd wave, at least 80% of people above the age of 18 need to get vaccinated. Shivakumar called upon the students to prompt parents and others to get vaccinated and curb the further spread of Covid. "The children of Karnataka are very creative. I want them to find creative ways of spreading a positive message for taking the vaccine. Use song, dance, poetry, drama, art, humour, or anything you like, to create a video. In the video, you must tell why all adults should take the vaccine," Shivakumar said. All the participants in the campaign will get a "Covid Heroes" certificate. "Students from all parts of Karnataka are free to participate in this competition and they can share their videos with us through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube using the hashtag #VaccinateKarnataka so that we can view and examine them," Shivakumar said, adding that this competition aims to inject the positive message of getting vaccinated in the society. Shivakumar said that there is no fee or a complicated registration process as the primary objective of this campaign is to motivate children to use their time creatively during the lockdown, inspire others to get vaccinated and create a safe Karnataka. "The 100 tablets are only to encourage creativity. I will also speak to the winners personally over a Zoom call to hear their ideas for a better Karnataka," he said. Meanwhile, the move has raised the hackles of the ruling BJP in Karnataka. Observing that vaccination is proceeding smoothly in the state, party spokesperson S Prakash said that dragging students into such a campaign is a politically motivated move. "In the beginning it is the very same DK Shivakumar who scared people away from vaccination. Today he wants children to create awareness. Duplicity of Congress stands exposed time and again", Prakash told IANS. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) New Delhi, June 19 : Activist Medha Patkar has moved a PIL in the Supreme Court for decongesting jails across the country by adopting a uniform mechanism to release inmates above 70 years of age, in the backdrop of the prevailing Covid situation in the country. The plea contends that the High Powered Committee (HPC), formed by each state in accordance with the directions issued by the top court in a suo motu case last year, did not include categorisation of prisoners on the basis of their susceptibility to the viral infection, and these prisoners should be released on an urgent basis. "The most susceptible ones here are the aged/elderly prisoners, who have a higher chance of getting infected (specifically septuagenarian prisoners, i.e., above 70 years)," read the plea drafted by advocate S.B. Talekar and filed by advocate Vipin Nair. The plea said that as per the National Prisons Information Portal, the total number of inmates over 70 years of age in all prisons, except for Maharashtra, Manipur and Lakshadweep, as on May 16, 2021 was 5,163, and 88 per cent of Covid deaths occurred in the age group of 45 years and above. The plea claimed that except for Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Bihar, Haryana and Maharashtra, none of the other states has considered releasing the elderly prisoners amid the pandemic. The plea contended that it is pertinent to note that the condition in some of the states such as Gujarat and Rajasthan are the worst in this regard. "Although the HPCs of Rajasthan and Gujarat have directed to release prisoners pursuant to the directions of this court, there is a need to consider the release of the elderly prisoners on the basis of their vulnerability to the infection," the plea said. It further contended that the HPCs in some states have over-emphasised the law and order considerations as against health, and ignored the need for the release of the elderly prisoners. The plea said that the Covid response team of the Imperial College in London has reported that symptomatic individuals in their seventies are 20 times more likely to require hospitalisation than those in their twenties. Patkar sought direction from the top court to the state governments to take immediate steps for the release of the elderly prisoners, either on interim bail or on emergency parole, to safeguard their interests. The plea suggested that such category of prisoners can be shifted to the uncongested prisons with proper medical facilities. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Mumbai, June 19 : Actress Sushmita Sen took to social media on Saturday to celebrate one year of release of her web series "Aarya". "She lost everything, to eventually find herself" #Aarya What a heart warming journey of self discovery!!! Happpyyyy First Anniversary of Aarya @madhvaniram @amitamadhvani @disneyplushotstarvip, the brilliant cast & crew Most importantly, THANK YOU to all you people who received Aarya with soooooo much love & appreciation," she wrote as caption with a still she posted on Instagram. In another post, she uploaded a collage of pictures of every crew member and actor, who was part of the series. She captioned the second post as: "#TeamAarya #Gratitude #love #celebration. I love you guys." The series directed by Ram Madhvani is now gearing up for the second season. New Delhi, June 19 : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government on Saturday announced a compensation of Rs one crore each to the families of six persons, who were residents of Delhi, and were killed while performing their duty. Of the six people who lost their lives, three belonged to the Indian Air Force (IAF), two were Delhi Police personnel and one was part of Civil Defence. Announcing the ex-gratia amount, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said, "To honour our personnel who risked their lives to protect and serve the nation, Delhi Government has announced disbursal of ex-gratia amount of Rs 1 crore to families of 6 personnel who passed away while performing their duties. The decision to support the families was taken at today's (Saturday) meeting." Martyrs whose families will be given ex-gratia of Rs 1 crore are: Sanket Kaushik - (ACP) Delhi Police who lost his life while performing duty at Rajokri Flyover in Delhi. A truck hit him while he was checking vehicles around the area and he died on the spot. Rajesh Kumar, a resident of Safdarjung lost his life while performing his duty in the Air Force. He was on an aircraft which took off from Jorhat in Assam and its wreckage was found in Arunachal Pradesh. His body was found subsequently. He had only been married for three months. Flt. Lt. Sunit Mohanty, a resident of Dwarka was in the same flight with Rajesh Kumar and he also died in the crash. Meet Kumar, a Squadron Leader in the Indian Air Force (IAF) died when his aircraft MiG-21 crashed during an operational sortie in the Kangra hills in Himachal Pradesh. Vikas Kumar, who was a Delhi Police Constable, was performing picket duty when the driver of a Swift car deliberately increased the speed when asked to stop and the car hit and injured Kumar. He was shifted to AIIMS where he was pronounced dead. Pravesh Kumar, a Civil Defence Personnel was performing his duty at Mangolpuri flyover when a truck hit and crushed him. Kolkata, June 19 : On a day when the Calcutta High Court snubbed the West Bengal government for its 'inaction' over the post-poll violence in the state, Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the national capital on Saturday for the second time in 48 hours. Dhankhar, who has been critical of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and West Bengal government over its 'failure' to contain post-poll violence in the state, said, "In Delhi I spoke to some people. We cannot compromise on democracy; we cannot compromise on rule of law and we cannot compromise with the Constitution. I am hopeful that everyone will listen to my sane voice." "I want everyone to rise to the occasion and try to wipe the tears of those families and people who have to leave their houses, whose near and dear ones have been killed, injured, whose houses have been subjected to arson and loot. We cannot survive in a democracy if people have to pay extortion fees to run their small business," Dhankhar said after his second meeting with Shah at the latter's residence on Saturday. His meeting with Shah came at a time when Banerjee and Dhankhar have been at the loggerheads over a range of issues. Over the past few weeks, Dhankhar has raised concerns over the alleged incidents of political violence in West Bengal. Dhankhar had sent a report on the violence to the Centre soon after the Bengal polls. Before his Delhi visit, he had slammed Banerjee over her handling of the violence. On its part, the state government said that the post-poll violence was "somewhat unabated" when the Election Commission was in charge of law and order in Bengal, adding that the cabinet restored order once the oath ceremony was over. During his trip to the national capital, Dhankar, 70, also met President Ram Nath Kovind and Union ministers Prahlad Joshi and Pralhad Singh Patel, besides calling on senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. The Trinamool Congress was quick to react to Dhankhar's meetings in the national capital. In a press conference, senior Trinamool leader and MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said, "There is absolute peace and law and order in the state. In spite of that, one who is complaining is doing this with an ulterior motive and it has got a political intention." "For this reason, he (Dhankhar) is roaming about in Delhi for the last five days so that he can present a wrong picture of West Bengal and its people. But the people of Bengal will never accept this intentional propaganda to show the state in a poor light in front of the country," he added. Earlier on Saturday morning, the Calcutta High Court criticised the Mamata Banerjee-led government, saying that the state did not take any concrete steps to address the complaints pertaining to post-poll violence. "In a case where the allegation is that life and property of the residents of the state are in danger on account of alleged post-poll violence, the state cannot be allowed to proceed in the manner it likes. The complaints required immediate action... It is the duty of the state to maintain law and order and inspire confidence in the residents of the state," the high court observed. Mumbai, June 19 : Bollywood star Ajay Devgn and his son Yug were spotted Saturday planting trees in the city on Saturday, as part of Mega Vriksha Campaign of Campaign Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). On why he had brought his son along, Ajay said: "I can only try and set an example. I want everyone including all the kids to get involved in this initiative. Things will not change just because I am doing it, they will change when everyone gets involved. I can create awareness about it." Ajay and Yug planted saplings and watered them in the Juhu locality. While the actor was dressed in a black T-shirt teamed with black pants, Yug sported a comfy white T-shirt and black pants. The actor urged people to start taking care of trees in any way possible. "So many trees have fallen and I would like to request everyone to get involved. Just step outside your home and take care of trees planted outside, water the trees and plant. If someone finds an opportunity to plant some saplings, please do so. It would be great for the entire nation, world and universe," Ajay summed up. Actor Vatsal Sheth, and filmmaker Anusha Srinivasan Iyer were also part of the campaign, among others. Thiruvananthapuram, June 19 : The daily Covid caseload continues to remain high in Kerala with the state reporting 12,443 new cases on Saturday out of the 1,21,743 samples tested in the past 24 hours, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in a statement. The state presently has 1,06,861 active cases, the Chief Minister informed. The day also saw 12,443 people getting cured of the disease, taking the state's total number of recoveries to 26,78,499. Thiruvananthapuram district saw 1,777 people turning positive on Saturday, the highest among the 14 districts of the state. The state also reported 115 Covid deaths on Saturday, taking its overall death toll to 11,948. Across the state, 4,55,621 people are under observation at various places, including 27,867 persons in different hospitals. Meanwhile, the Leader of Opposition, V.D. Satheeshan, said on Saturday that Kerala Health Minister Veena George should immediately intervene as there is a huge shortage of Covaxin in the state, as a result of which several people are unable to take the second jab. "There is a massive shortage of Covaxin and people who took the first dose are unable to get their second shot. Even if jabs are available, people have to travel long distances to get them," Satheeshan said. Veena George said that so far 1,21,75,020 vaccines have been received by the state, and on Saturday, 9,85,490 doses of Covishield and 97,500 doses of Covaxin were received. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) J&K : Jammu and Kashmir Police have arrested 10 persons after busting a major narco-terror module, seizing arms and ammunition, heroin, cash and several vehicles from the arrested persons, in Srinagar on Saturday 19 June 2021. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News Srinagar, June 19 : The Jammu and Kashmir Police have arrested 10 persons after busting a major narco-terror module, seizing arms and ammunition, heroin, cash and several vehicles from the arrested persons, officials said here on Saturday. The Baramulla police along with the Army and the CRPF busted the narco-terror module by arresting 10 persons and recovering arms and ammunition, 9 kg heroin and cash from their possession, the police said. "On receiving specific information, the Baramulla police along with the Army and the CRPF signalled a Maruti Swift vehicle to stop at a checkpoint in Bandi Uri in Baramulla district. However the person driving the said vehicle tried to flee from the spot. But the alert joint party stopped the vehicle in which three persons were travelling," the police said. The trio has been been identified as Sajid Ahmad Shah, a resident of Lalpora Lolab, Kupwara; Sharafat Khan from Keran Kupwara; and Shahid Hussain, a resident of Khaipora Tangmarg. "During checking, the joint party recovered some quantity of contraband substance (heroin), arms and ammunition along with cash from the said vehicle. All the three persons were arrested," the police said. The police added that upon questioning, the officers learnt that the said arms and ammunition and contraband substance were received from across the LoC to provide aid to the terrorist outfits. The accused persons also disclosed that some deliveries had been taken by some other parties. As per their disclosure, special checkpoints were immediately established. The following persons were arrested after the series of actions that followed -- Reyaz Ahmad Hajam, a resident of Yarikah Chadoora, Budgam; Adil Bashir from Nemthal Chadoora, Budgam; and Angraz Singh, a resident of Chadharpur Tehsil in Amritsar, Punjab. One Hyundai Verna, one Scooty, cash and some contraband substance besides arms and ammunition were seized from their possession. Meanwhile, a police party from Baramulla assisted by the Jammu police arrested four more accused persons from Jammu. They have been identified as Raman, Rohit and Krishan, all residents of Ferozpur in Punjab; and Fayaz Ahmad Khan from Keran Kupwara. According to the police, Rs 16 lakh and one Eicher Canter truck were recovered from their possession. "The total incriminating materials recovered from the possession of the arrested persons include 10 Chinese grenades, four Chinese pistols, four pistol magazines, 20 pistol rounds, Indian currency worth Rs 21.5 lakh, 9 kg heroin (worth Rs 45 crore) and two cheques amounting Rs 1 lakh. "Besides, three vehicles -- one Eicher Canter truck, one Hyundai Verna and a Maruti Swift -- and a Scooty were also seized," the police said. Further investigations are underway. Aizawl/Imphal, June 19 : The Delta variant of coronavirus has been found for the first time in two northeastern states -- Manipur and Mizoram -- following which the authorities have asked the people to be more cautious and follow Covid appropriate behaviour, officials said on Saturday. Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh has confirmed that the Delta variant of Covid-19 has been detected in the state. "After initial testing of 20 samples from Manipur at a laboratory in Hyderabad, 18 were found to be of Delta variant," the Chief Minister said while addressing an official function in Imphal. He said that the major cause of concern of rapid spread of positive cases in Manipur is due to the Delta variant. The Chief Minister urged the people to be more cautious and follow the Covid appropriate behaviour and standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the state government to prevent infection from the new variant. Officials in Aizawl said that Mizoram has also reported four cases of the highly infectious Delta variant (B.1.617.2) of Covid-19. "The Delta variant has been detected in four men, all from Aizawl district, whose samples were sent along with others to the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG) at Kalyani in West Bengal," Mizoram government's spokesperson on Covid-19, Pachuau Lalmalsawma, told IANS over phone. He said that three of the four patients, aged 18-45 years, had travel history, while one had locally contracted the infection. Lalmalsawma, who is also the state's nodal officer for the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), said that around 100 more samples would be sent for whole genome sequencing very soon to the NIBMG. The Delta variant was observed in Europe in March and it was notified and brought into public domain on June 13. Earlier this week, scientists in New Delhi said the highly transmissible Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 has mutated further to form the 'Delta plus' or 'AY.1' variant, but there is no immediate cause for concern in India as its incidence in the country is still low. The new Delta plus variant formed due to a mutation in the Delta or B.1.617.2 variant, first identified in India, and one of the drivers of the deadly second wave, they had said. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) New Delhi, June 19 : The Union Home Ministry on Saturday directed the states and the Union Territories (UTs) to proactively engage with the members of the medical fraternity to assuage their concerns, and take strict action against those who assault healthcare professionals. The ministry made it mandatory for the states and the UTs to take all centrally advised measures for the protection of the healthcare professionals on a "priority" basis. Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla issued the new advisory citing similar orders issued by the ministry on April 27 and June 9 this year in connection with the security concerns relating to healthcare establishments and professionals. Noting that it is imperative to take strict action against those who assault healthcare professionals in the present circumstances, Bhalla suggested the states and the UTs to register institutional FIRs against the assaulters and fast-track such cases. Besides, the states and the UTs have been advised to invoke provisions of the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Act, 2020, wherever applicable. The official further reiterated to keep a close watch on any objectionable content in social media which may exacerbate such situations, saying, "Concerted efforts should be made through posters in hospitals, social media to emphasise the valuable contributions being made by the doctors and other healthcare personnel in the fight against Covid-19." Bhalla mentioned that any incident of threat or assault on doctors or healthcare professionals may dampen their morale and create a sense of insecurity among them. "This may adversely affect the healthcare response system," he said. Pointing at the previous advisories, Bhalla said that various remedial measures were suggested to check the recurrence of such incidents, including adequate security measures at the healthcare facilities, especially at the Covid designated hospitals, besides sharing information regarding medical resources with the public through websites and helplines, among others. Bhalla said that development of quick response police teams at the vulnerable locations with effective communication or security gadgets; and effective local level medical intervention along with well-equipped centralised control room for monitoring were also among the measures suggested to check such incidents. The Central government came up with the set of advisories soon after various cases of assault on healthcare professionals were reported from across the country. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) New Delhi, June 19 : The Minority Affairs Ministry will be launching an awareness campaign 'Jaan Hai To Jahaan Hai' in rural and remote areas to dispel rumours against the ongoing Covid vaccination drive in the country. Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that the campaign will be launched on June 21 to create awareness on Covid vaccination programme in rural and remote areas of the country and to "crush and curb" the rumours and apprehensions, being spread by some vested interests regarding the ongoing drive. The campaign will be launched by the Ministry of Minority Affairs along with various Socio-Educational Organisations, NGOs and Women Self Help Groups (SGHs). "The nationwide awareness campaign will be launched from the minority concentrated district of Rampur in Uttar Pradesh and will also be organised in different parts of the country," Naqvi said. Shahi Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid Syed Ahmed Bukhari, Imam of Fatehpuri Masjid in Delhi Dr Mufti Mukarram Ahmad, Jain Guru Acharya Lokesh Muni, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee President Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Ajmer Sharif Dargah Sajjadanashin Syed Zainul Abedin are few prominent religious leaders who joined the campaign along with personalities from film, television and other fields to create awareness on the Covid vaccination drive. "Some vested interests are trying to spread rumours and apprehensions regarding Covid vaccines in some areas of the country. Such elements are enemies of the health and well-being of the people. Two 'Made in India' Covid vaccines are the result of the hard work of our scientists and it has been proved scientifically that these vaccines are absolutely safe and effective weapons in the fight against Corona," Naqvi said. According to the Minister, State Haj Committees, Waqf Boards, their associated organisations, Central Waqf Council, Maulana Azad Education Foundation, various social and educational institutions, NGOs, Women Self Help Groups, working under aNai Roshni' scheme of the Minority Affairs Ministry, will be part of the awareness campaign 'Jaan Hai To Jahaan Hai'. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guwahati, June 19 : The Assam government has set a target of inoculating three lakh people every day from June 21 under the enhanced vaccination programme, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday. Sarma said that in view of the enhanced vaccination programme under which three lakh people in the state would receive vaccine doses everyday, the district administrations should ramp up the matching infrastructure to make the campaign a success. During a review meeting with the Deputy Commissioners (DC) and District Superintendent of Police of all 34 districts via video conferencing, the Chief Minister had asked the health department to generate adequate awareness by sufficient publicity. He also reiterated the need of vaccinating all sections of the people right from government employees to vendors. A health official said that from June 21 onwards, the Centre would give free vaccinations to everybody above 18 years of age. The Chief Minister also asked the concerned authority of the health department to provide Rs 100 to each paramedical staff engaged in vaccination for their transportation. He also asked the DCs to ensure proper food for them. Over 2,000 vaccination centres would be set up across the state to undertake the enhanced vaccination programme. Over 53.20 lakh of Assam's 3.30 crore population have been vaccinated. They include 10.55 lakh people who have received both the Covid doses. Health and Family Welfare Minister Keshab Mahanta, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Samir Kumar Sinha, National Health Mission (Assam) Director Lakshmanan S among others officials were present during the statewide review meeting. Kolar : , June 20 (IANS) A special train 'Kisan Rail' carrying 250 tonnes of mango grown in Kolar region left Doddanatta Halt Station (Chintamani), Kolar district for Adarsh Nagar railway station in Delhi on Saturday, an official said here. After symbolically flagging off the train here, Divisional Railway Manager, Bengaluru Division, Ashok Kumar Verma said that the transport of farm produce by train through Kisan Rail was cheaper and faster than by road. "The road transport costs about Rs 7-8 per kg whereas (with subsidy applied) the transport cost per kg by Kisan Rail is just Rs 2.82. Farmers could save a lot of time too, as by road it takes anywhere about 3-4 days to reach Delhi, whereas the Kisan Rail will reach by 40 hours, transportations from Kisan rail is way cheaper and faster," he contended. He also added that South Western Railway (SWR) aimed to run at least one Kisan Rail every 2-3 days once in its commitment to assist farmers to transport tomatoes, onions and other seasonal products to the markets across the nation based on demand. While Kolar Lok Sabha MP, S. Muniswamy urged Farm Producers Organisations (FPOs) to come forward and utilise the services of Kisan Rail trains. A statement released by the SWR claimed that the Kisan Rail Trains are run on time-tabled paths and their punctuality is monitored very strictly to avoid delays enroute. "This helps in swift movement of perishable goods like fruits, vegetables and other agricultural produce across the nation," the statement said. The transportation of fruits and vegetables by Kisan Rail are granted a subsidy of 50 per cent on the tariff chargeable, by Ministry of Food Processing and Industries, so that farmers can realise better value for their products. Jaipur, June 20 : Politics, these days, seem to be centred around the orphaned kids in Rajasthan with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot criticising the package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for children orphaned due to Covid and praising the package announced by Rajasthan government. Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha BJP MP Kirorilal Meena on Saturday surprised all by staging a 'dharna' near the Chief Minister's residence on Saturday with 30 orphaned kids and their families demanding a well-defined economic package for them. His dharna came a day after Gehlot said the Centre's welfare measures for children who lost their parents to Covid-19 were 'defective' and demanded their revision as they did not provide immediate relief. Gehlot also claimed the Centre did not announce any scheme to help women whose husbands succumbed to Covid. "The Centre's package did not provide immediate relief, which was of utmost importance, to the children who lost their parents to Covid-19. The package of the government of India is defective and there is confusion about it. The government will provide financial help after a child reaches the age of 18. Who knows who will be where after 18 years? Package means instant help," said the Rajasthan Chief Minister, adding that he would speak to the Prime Minister about the scheme. A day after his criticism, Rajya Sabha MP Meena demanded that orphaned children in Rajasthan should be given aid of Rs 1 lakh each, free college education and Rs 7,000 a month till they turn adults. Their requirements related to food and rations should be arranged by the state government, he said. If the orphaned children were in school, they should be provided Rs 25,000 annually in one go, he demanded. Meena's protest at the Chief Minister's residence caught the security apparatus by surprise as neither intelligence officers nor or security officers had information about it. The Rajasthan government had announced immediate relief of Rs 1 lakh to children whose parents had died of Covid and women, who had been widowed during the pandemic, apart from monthly financial assistance. Additionally, these children would get Rs 2,500 per month till the age of 18 and Rs 5 lakh once they attained the age of 18 years while widows would get a monthly social security pension of Rs 1,500. Meena demanded a similar package for other orphaned kids in the state. State Transport Minister Pratap Singh Khariyawas reached the Chief Minister's residence and spoke to Meena. He ensured that quick action will be taken on his demands. Meena eventually ended the protest. Sangeeta Beniwal, chairperson, Rajasthan State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, said, "There should be no politics over children who have been orphaned. There are many other ways to reach out to the Chief Minister and convey the message but getting these children to stand on roads with placards in hand is not right. We will write a letter to Meena. We will ask him for the whereabouts of such children who need help and connect them with our schemes." Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) London, June 20 : A new wave of coronavirus infections is "definitely under way" in England due to the Delta variant first identified in India, a British government advisory scientist said on Saturday. "The race is firmly on between the vaccine program... and the Delta variant third wave," said professor Adam Finn, a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), Xinhua news agency reported. Acknowledging the recent surge in infections, Finn told the BBC: "Perhaps we can be a little bit optimistic it's not going up any faster, but nevertheless it's going up -- so this third wave is definitely under way." Noting that the highest number of cases of the Delta variant is among 16-25 year-olds, Finn said that older people are still "much more likely to end up in hospital." "As far as vaccines are concerned, the main emphasis everywhere at the moment is immunizing adults because it's adults that suffer predominantly from this infection," he said. Meanwhile, epidemiologist Mike Tildesley said he is "cautiously hopeful" that hospital admissions in Britain will not be on the same scale as in January. Tildesley, a member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M), another government advisory body, said cases have been "creeping steadily" over the past month "but we haven't yet seen that reflected in hospital admissions and deaths". "I'm cautiously hopeful that whilst we probably will expect some sort of wave of hospital admissions over the next few weeks, it won't be the same scale that we saw back in January." The recent data published by Public Health England showed the AstraZeneca vaccine is 92 per cent effective against hospitalization from the Delta variant after two doses, and the Pfizer vaccine is 96 per cent effective against hospitalization after two doses. More than 42.4 million people have been given the first jab of a coronavirus vaccine while more than 30.8 million people have been fully vaccinated with a second dose, according to the latest official figures. Experts have warned that coronavirus may continue to evolve for years to come, and eventually it is likely current vaccines will fail to protect against transmission, infection, or even against disease caused by newer variants. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Joi Lansing: A Body to Die For by Alexis Hunter "the new edition for these post- #MeToo years, just in time for the tenth anniversary of marriage equality" Joi Lansing may have been the last of Hollywoods blonde bombshells, but she was also victim to its vile, indeed murderous system of control. With Joi Lansing: A Body to Die For, author Alexis Hunter, herself a victim of studio indentured servitude and Lansings partner and spouse during the starlets final years, offers the tell-all now available in a new, frank edition set for these post- #MeToo years, and just in time for the tenth anniversary of marriage equality. More so, the author is currently in talks with enthusiastic producers and a noted screen writer to cast this vital story as a film or mini-series. Hunter, a quiet activist over decades for the rights of women and the LGBTQ community, was forced--like far too many--to endure a hidden life during her years with the noted sex symbol. I had to pose as her little sister, Hunter explained, and was given the name Rachel Lansing to explain their shared life. It is rare that such a romance can exist amidst the seductive yet destructive climate of Hollywood. Indeed, the pair forged a lasting relationship cut brutally short by the encroaching cancer Joi developed following years of breast- and buttocks-enhancement injections by a rabidly profit-mad industry. Told with a still palpable love by the author, the book places the reader into the heart of a relationship that couldnt have known it was destined for such a brief shelf life. Joi Lansing, actress and vocalist, was the tragic biproduct of male-led business thriving on the distorted body imagery of women, particularly in the time of #BeverlyKills, which we apparently are not as far removed from as wed thought. The book is a must-read as our society re-evaluates whether weve done all we can to assure this tragedy doesnt happen again. As Hunter states in this unfortunately timeless tale, Joi died for beauty. ---The 2021 edition of Joi Lansing: A Body to Die For by Alexis Hunter will be available as a download on June 24, 2021, LGBTQ Pride Day and the anniversary of the Marriage Equality Act. It will soon be published in book form. See BearManorMedia.com --- This national recognition is a testament to the vision for SafeStreets we have worked so hard to build. SafeStreets USA CEO Kevin Gaylord has won a Glassdoor Employees Choice Award honoring the Top CEOs in 2021 in the U.S. Small and Medium Companies (SMB) Category. Every year, Glassdoor releases its annual Top CEOs award, highlighting top leaders that employees love working for in countries throughout North America and parts of Europe. Among chief executives recognized by employees in the U.S., SafeStreets USA CEO Kevin Gaylord received an impressive approval rating of 95% based on the anonymous and voluntary reviews SafeStreets employees shared on Glassdoor throughout the past year. While it is always nice to be recognized among your peers, this represents so much more. This national recognition is a testament to the vision for SafeStreets we have worked so hard to build. The vision and culture are carried by every manager at every level to ensure it permeates every part of our company. Our 5 Star culture ensures both customers and fellow employees receive the best experience possible with every interaction, said Kevin Gaylord, CEO of SafeStreets USA. Over the past year, company leaders around the world faced unprecedented challenges to support employees during the COVID-19 crisis. Now, the employees have spoken and its clear that these CEOs excelled and found new ways to support their people when the world of work flipped upside down, said Christian Sutherland-Wong, Glassdoor chief executive officer. Through a challenging year, its inspiring to see Top CEOs who, according to their employees, adapted to change, redefined visions, and led with transparency while putting the health and safety of employees first. I extend my sincerest congratulations to this years Employees Choice Award winners. When employees submit reviews about their employer on Glassdoor, they are asked to rate several factors tied to their employment experience. These include rating sentiment around their CEOs leadership as well as senior management among others. Specifically, when rating their CEO on Glassdoor, employees are asked to report whether they approve of, disapprove of, or have no opinion about their CEOs performance. Across the approximately 1.5 million employers reviewed on Glassdoor, the average CEO approval rating is 73 percent. Kevin Gaylord appears on the U.S. 50 Top CEOs at SMB Companies list with an impressive Glassdoor rating well above the average due in part to his and Safestreets' commitment to excellent customer service both internally and externally in addition to their security expertise and providing dependable, top-of-the-line home security equipment to homeowners. Complete award methodology can be found and downloaded here: https://www.glassdoor.com/Award/index.htm. To learn more about SafeStreets USA, visit http://www.safestreetsusa.com. About SafeStreets USA SafeStreets USA LLC is one of ADTs most established and respected Authorized Dealers in the United States, averaging more than 50,000 alarm installations annually. Based in Garner, N.C., SafeStreets USA, its team members, and its president Barry Simmons have been inducted into ADTs Hall of Fame and recognized as top performers in various categories. With services in 27 states and plans for additional growth in the future, SafeStreets USA is a leader in home and business security expertise. For more information, visit http://www.safestreetsusa.com. About Glassdoor Glassdoor combines all the latest jobs with millions of reviews and insights to make it easy for people to find a job that is uniquely right for them. As a result, Glassdoor helps employers hire truly informed candidates at scale through effective recruiting solutions like employer branding and employee insights products. Launched in 2008, Glassdoor now has reviews and insights for more than one million companies around the world. For more information, visit glassdoor.com. Glassdoor Media Contacts: Sarah Stoddard and Tyler Murphy, pr@glassdoor.com SafeStreets Media Contact: Aaron Zeyer, marketing@safestreets.com Our three successive years on the list are validation that the work we do to help our clients achieve success is on target with the needs of colleges and universities today. The list recognizes the fastest-growing, privately held companies in the Tampa Bay region. Sextant Marketing made the list in 2019 and 2020, rising from No. 36 to No. 8. Were extremely grateful for the nomination and the recognition. Our three successive years on the list are validation that the work we do to help our clients achieve success is on target with the needs of colleges and universities today, said Adrian Marrullier, CEO of Sextant Marketing. Thats the benchmark by which we judge our efforts. Our team of exclusively higher education marketing and enrollment professionals work hard to make sure our clients see the kind of remarkable success that has contributed to our sustained growth. Adrian credited Sextant Marketings success to their partnership approach that allows Sextant to function as a seamless extension of a universitys team, facilitating collaboration that delivers insightful, data-driven recommendations and results. Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, Sextant Marketing employs a team of 40 exclusively higher education marketing & enrollment professionals. As both a marketing and branding consultancy and a comprehensive full enrollment cycle management partner for residential and online programs, Sextants unique approach is leading-edge, collaborative, and bespoke. The Tampa Bay Business Journal bases the Fast 50 rankings on a companys percentage of annual growth over a three-year period. Companies must be privately held and locally owned with headquarters in Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk or Sarasota counties. The official Fast 50 rankings will be announced in July. About Sextant Marketing Sextant Marketing is a Tampa-based, independently owned, fee-for-service marketing and consulting company delivering omnichannel marketing and end-to-end enrollment cycle solutions exclusively to higher education clients. Recognized by HolonIQ as a leading Global OPX company, Sextant is uniquely positioned to understand and articulate higher education brand and program value propositions while seamlessly delivering efficient, effective, and turn-key full-funnel recruitment, enrollment, and retention services. Learn more about our innovative approach and how weve helped build hundreds of programs through our decades of enrollment and marketing experience at http://www.Sextantmktg.com. This is a beautiful thing, King said of the award. And Im most appreciative. Looks like Im in great company! The Strand Magazine is pleased to announce the nominations for the 2021 Strand Critics Awards. Authors Walter Mosley, Alyssa Cole, Lisa Unger, and Ian Rankin headline this years Critics Award nominees. Receiving Lifetime Achievement Awards will be Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, and Alexander McCall Smith. Josh Stanton of Blackstone Publishing will receive the Publisher of the Year Award. Recognizing excellence in the field of mystery fiction and publishing, the 2021 Strand Critics Awards are judged by a select group of book critics and journalists. This years judges include talent from NPR, USA Today, The LA Times, and The Wall Street Journal. And the nominees are . . . Best Mystery Novel (2020) Snow by John Banville (Hanover Square Press) You Again by Debra Jo Immergut (Ecco) Trouble Is What I Do by Walter Mosley (Mulholland Books) The Missing American by Kwei Quartey (Soho Crime) A Song for the Dark Times by Ian Rankin (Little, Brown and Company) Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay (William Morrow) Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger (Park Row) Best Debut Novel (2020) Amnesty by Aravind Adiga (Scribner) Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam (Ecco) When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole (William Morrow) Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline (William Morrow) A Burning by Megha Majumdar (Knopf) A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers (The Unnamed Press) Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas (Custom House) This years panel chose a diverse set of authors, said Andrew F. Gulli, managing editor of The Strand Magazine. Many of these authors are new and exciting voices in our genre, and its wonderful to see them get the recognition they deserve. Past recipients of Critics Awards include Michael Connelly, Laura Lippman, Richard Price, Megan Abbott, George Pelecanos, Joseph Finder, Lauren Beukes, and William Landay. The Strand Magazines Publisher of the Year Award recognizes excellence in publishing. This years recipient is Josh Stanton, CEO of Blackstone Publishing. Stanton took the helm at Blackstone ten years ago, and during his tenure sales have more than tripled. He has also overseen the evolution of Blackstone not only as one of the largest audiobook publishers in the United States, but also as a publisher of bestselling print and digital books, recently releasing highly successful mystery novels by Meg Gardiner, Brian Freeman, Catherine Ryan Howard, and Sara Foster. Josh and the team at Blackstone are simply phenomenal, said Managing Editor Gulli. Their recipe for success should serve as a guide to all businesses seeking to expand and forge excellent relationships with authors, vendors, publishers, and customers. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to The Strand, Stanton said. Its truly an honor to be chosen, and Im humbled to receive this award. This recognition is a testament to our entire Blackstone team and all their amazing efforts and creativity. Id like to thank the entire company because each one of you is as much a part of this accolade as I am. Past recipients of the Strand Publisher of the Year Award include Tom Doherty and Bronwen Hruska. The Strand Magazines Lifetime Achievement Awards go to Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, and Alexander McCall Smith. Aptly dubbed the King of Horror, Stephen King is a true renaissance man of storytelling. Over the past 50 years, he has mastered and melded genres, from supernatural and crime to sci-fi and Western. King is also one of the most prolific authors of our time, with over 60 published novels and roughly 200 short stories. Yet with millions of books in print and a readership around the world, his writing remains as fresh and inventive as when Carrie (1974) first put him on the literary map. This is a beautiful thing, King said of the award. And Im most appreciative. Looks like Im in great company! When her first novel, With Shuddering Fall, published in 1964, 26-year-old Joyce Carol Oates was lauded as an exciting voice in fictionand that has not changed. Consistently striking at the heart of the human experience, she has written over 70 novels, scores of short stories and poems, countless critical reviews, a heartbreaking memoir, and has edited several anthologies, plays, and essays. Oates has long been a force to be reckoned with, and an inspiration to aspiring writers everywhere. Im honored to be a recipient of the Strand Lifetime Achievement Award with its distinguished history, Oates said. As a writer who spends much time in solitude, and especially during this perilous pandemic year when immersion in a world of fiction has been both a way of remaining sane and a way of trying to comprehend the insanity roiling about us, I am particularly grateful for the thoughtfulness and generosity of the critics who have thought of me in this regard. Thank you enormously! All writers need encouragementand this is very encouraging. The release of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency in 2002 catapulted Alexander McCall Smith to the top of the bestseller lists. Hes continued the series of charming mysteries set in Botswana and has started several other highly successful series, including the 44 Scotland Street books, The Sunday Philosophy Club series, and numerous childrens books. A true humanitarian, McCall Smith has lent his support to several charitable causes, including rabies control and safeguards for the environment, as well as contributed to the Christian Book Sale, a charity that raises funds for disaster relief. I am immensely honored by this award from The Strand Magazine, McCall Smith said. This is a magazine with a great reputation and a great history, and it is such an honor to be associated with it in this way. I look forward to my continuing association with the splendid cultural institution that is the Strand Magazine. Past lifetime achievement award-winners include Tess Gerritsen, Walter Mosley, Heather Graham, Jonathan Gash, J.A. Jance, Clive Cussler, Jeffery Deaver, and Elmore Leonard. The Strand Critics Awards will be held virtually in early September. One of the first things Peter Heller does, after joining a Zoom call to discuss his forthcoming novel, The Guide (Knopf, Aug.), is pick up his laptop and point its camera out his window. Heller lives near Denver, and the view he presents is picturesquely western: rolling grass, bright sunlight, wide open sky. After a moment, he turns his laptop back around and resumes the conversation, but the image of that landscape lingers over everything he says. No matter what hes doing, no matter what hes writing, Heller is always, in a sense, looking outside. Heller, 62, has written five novels, three works of nonfiction, and numerous magazine articles, all focused in one way or another on the natural world. His work also often exposes the dangers posed to it by mankind. The Guide is no different: it follows a young rancher who takes a job as a guide at an upscale Colorado fishing resort, where he uncovers a conspiracy involving a nature-perverting scientific experiment. For a wilderness obsessive, Hellers roots are surprisingly metropolitan. He grew up in Brooklyn Heights, where he attended the prestigious St. Anns School. The itch to explore the great outdoors came early. He fell in love with fiction writers and poets who transported him to the natural worldamong them Joseph Conrad, James Dickey, Jack London, and Derek Walcott. He also got out of the city as much as possible. When he was 14, he and a friend took a Greyhound bus to the Adirondacks, where they spent 12 days hiking off-trail mountains by compass. I was crazy about the outdoors, but I was also crazy about poetry, and the two threads kind of wound together, Heller says. Lyricism and love of wild places propelled me into this life. Early in his career, Heller combined these interests by writing environmental journalism for Outside, National Geographic, and other publications. He covered subjects ranging from illegal Japanese whaling in the Antarctic to fracking in western Colorado. He inherited his creative bent, as well as his investigative instincts, from his mother, who worked as an artist and a PI. According to Heller, she was once commissioned by the FBI to track down a fraudster banker in Greenwich, Conn. She spied on him with her opera glasses, he says, laughing. But Hellers mothers influence was primarily an artistic one. Even as he amassed an impressive journalistic portfolio, she kept nudging him toward his early literary aspirations. Shed say, Hows the poetry going? She didnt care if I made a penny. She wanted me to follow my heart. In his early 30s, Heller followed his heart to the Iowa Writers Workshop, where his teachers included Marilynne Robinson (who makes a cameo appearance in The Guide, in a flashback to the protagonists college days). But it wasnt until he was in his early 50s that he embarked on his dream of writing the kinds of books hed loved as a child. He got to the point, he says, where he thought, I dont want to end my life and have never tried. Hellers first novel, however belated, was auspicious. The Dog Stars, published in 2012, captivated readers and reviewers with its story of a man struggling to survive in Colorado after a superflu has wiped out most of mankind. It was a bestseller and named a best book of the year by this magazine. In a starred review, PW described the novel as perhaps the worlds most poetic survival guide. Heller followed The Dog Stars with four more novels in quick succession, as if making up for lost time. In 2014 he published The Painter, about an artist in New Mexico racked by violent impulses. Three years later came Celine, the story of a private investigator (based on Hellers mother) who hunts for a missing man in Yellowstone National Park. His fourth novel, The River, follows two Dartmouth students on a hellish canoeing trip in northern Canada. The Guide, like Hellers previous books, offers a signature blend of lyrical, leisurely nature writing and pulse-quickening suspense. Within hours of arriving at the fishing resort where hell be working, the protagonist, Jack (whom readers will recognize from The River), begins to suspect that the idyllic landscape around him harbors threats. Why are there hidden cameras installed throughout the property? Why does the main gate require a code to leave? And what really happened to the guide who held his job before him? In interviews, Heller often stresses that his writing process is intuitive. He told the Denver Post in 2018 that, when he started writing fiction, I didnt want to know what happened next. I didnt want to know the ending. This may surprise readers of The Guide, which appears intricately constructed. Heller says that for this outing he took inspiration from thriller writer Lee Child, whom he met at a literary festival in Palm Springs, Calif. Child told Heller that he too begins his books without a clear idea of where theyll end, which Heller found hard to believe. My method, Child said, is, I throw everything against the wall in the first halfdead bodies, menacing lurkers, car accidentsand in the second half I mirror it, tie up all the threads, and whatever doesnt tie up is a red herring, and Im good. Heller appears to have adopted this strategy in The Guide, especially when it comes to his bold decision to incorporate the Covid-19 pandemic. At first, the virus seems like suspenseful window dressinga detail that, like the hidden cameras, imbues the novel with ambient dread. But eventually it becomes central to the novels mystery, in an unexpected and horrifying way. Heller, who came down with a serious case of Covid in November, cant help but see the pandemic as an extension of the environmental calamities that hes documented in his journalism. Were in the middle of the sixth mass extinction, he says. These issues, the accelerating lossesCovid is part of it. Its all intertwined. I feel like, as people with conscience and consciousness, its very, very difficult to be a human being today. Heller admits that, amid so many near and looming disasters, it feels weird to be an artist right now. It could be seen as frivolous, he says. But he hopes that his fiction, with its deep attention to the natural world, will in some way influence people toward solutions, a better life for our planet. When Heller was at the Iowa Writers Workshop, he studied with the poet Jorie Graham, who told her students that every poem poses a question, and that they should pose that question not to their teachers, not to the market, but to God. She meant God as it manifests for each of us, Heller says. For me, God had to do with my experience in nature, this spirit that I felt ran through everything, through the rivers and the trees and the rocks. Every time I start a new work of fiction, I get on my knees and I pray that I can be true to that. Daniel Lefferts is a writer in New York City. DEAL OF THE WEEK Holt Wins Wolffs Landslide Michael Wolff sold another book about the Trump presidency to Henry Holt. Sarah Crichton acquired North American rights to Landslide: The Final Days of the Trump Presidency from Andrew Wylie at the Wylie Agency. Its the authors third title about the former president, following his 2018 runaway bestseller Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House and the 2019 follow-up, Siege: Trump Under Fire. Holt said Landslide closes the story of Trumps four years in office and his tumultuous last months at the helm of the country and offers a wealth of new information and insights about what really happened inside the highest office in the land, and the world. The book, which is embargoed, will publish July 27 and has a first serial set to appear in the July 5 issue of New York magazine. FROM THE U.S. McMillan Cottom Goes to Random House National Book Awardfinalist and MacArthur fellow Tressie McMillan Cottom closed a two-book deal with Random Houses Kate Medina and Jamia Wilson. The duo acquired North American rights to Basic, a work about the cultural underpinnings of white identity, and a memoir titled The Vivian from William Morris Endeavors Dorian Karchmar. Basic, RH said, is a paradigm-shifting exploration of how white identity is created, commodified, and disseminated as a dominant cultural, economic, and political force. The Vivian will examine contemporary Black motherhood through the lens of McMillan Cottoms own experiences with her mother and draws upon the history of the Jim Crow South, the postcivil rights movement, and Americas foundational brutality towards Black mothers. McMillan Cottom is a sociologist and associate professor at the UNC School of Information and Library Science. Kushner Lands at Broadside HarperCollinss Broadside Books took world rights to a currently untitled work by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of, and former senior advisor to, President Trump. Eric Nelson bought the book, slated for early 2022, from David Vigliano at Vigliano Associates. Broadside said it will be the definitive, thorough recounting of the administrationand the truth about what happened behind closed doors and called Kushner the most consequential advisor throughout President Trumps presidency. Nardone Is Welcome at Random House For six figures, Marie Pantojan at Random House bought North American rights to two books, at auction, by Mai Nardone. The author, whos contributed to outlets including Guernica and McSweeneys, was represented by Massie & McQuilkin agents Rob McQuilkin and Max Moorhead. The first title is a debut linked story collection, Welcome Me to the Kingdom, set in Bangkok. McQuilkin said it stretches over the course of three decades, before, during, and after the 1997 financial collapse, and illuminates greater truths about class, race, and religious belief at the center of a Thai culture buffeted by the economic and cultural headwinds of global capitalism. Welcome Me to the Kingdom is set for 2022, with the second book, an untitled novel, not yet scheduled. Clark Lies for Sourcebooks Julie Clarks The Lies I Tell was acquired in a North American rights agreement by Shana Drehs at Sourcebooks Landmark imprint. The novel is the second thriller by Clark, following her 2020 bestseller The Last Flight (also published by Landmark). The Lies I Tell follows, Landmark said, what happens when the lives of two women collide: a con artist who holds men accountable for their misdeeds by fleecing them, and a reporter whos spent years trailing her. As the two characters become more intertwined, it becomes unclear who is conning whom. The Lies I Tell is slated for a June 2022 release. Mollie Glick at Creative Artists Agency represented Clark. Mikyla Bruder doesnt anticipate any surprises when she takes charge of Amazon Publishing in July, following the departure of Jeff Belle, who has headed the operation since it began in 2009. Weve worked together for so long, I expect it to be an easy transition, she said. June marks her 10th year with Amazon Publishing, and she has been publisher since 2015. Prior to joining Amazon, Bruder worked at a number of West Coast publishers in several different roles. She was executive editor and publishing director at Chronicle Books and then associate publisher/director of sales and marketing at Workmans Portland, Ore.based imprint Timber Press. Like many West Coast publishers, she believes being outside of the New York City metro area has given her a different view of the book world. She said she sees her mission as helping Amazon Publishing, which she described as a midsize publisher, take the next steps forward in its evolution while remaining an author-centric publishing house. Though Bruder does not see a shift in the overall vision for Amazon Publishing, that doesnt mean there wont be some changes. Most importantly, she brings a completely different life experience to her job than Belle did. Bruder, who is Asian American, said she has lived as an other in the largely homogenous world of trade book publishing and knows how tiring that can be. I have seen firsthand how difficult it can be to work in that environment, she added. Bruder has no doubt that the types of books that are published reflect the sensibilities of the editors who acquire them, making it imperative that publishers, including Amazon, hire people from diverse backgrounds. Her goal, she said, is to release titles that reflect the makeup of American society. Bruder also hopes to be a role model other people of color can follow as they enter the publishing industry. She sees herself as being a problem solver, and as the leader of Amazon Publishing, she said she will encourage more debate about the best steps forward to make the company and the industry more inclusive. She knows that making some of the necessary changes wont be easy, but it must be done. We need to do it togetherpeople need to be willing to be uncomfortable in facing some of these issues, she said. Noting that publishing is a business of words, Bruder said the industry has a responsibility to develop a more inclusive vocabulary when discussing diversity issues. This needs to be an industry-wide conversation, she added. As publisher, Bruder has already taken steps to diversify Amazon Publishings list, including the 2018 launch of Topple Books, which is overseen by filmmaker, writer, and LGBTQ activist Joey Soloway. Part of Amazon Publishings literary imprint Little A and named after Soloways production company, Topple is focused on releasing works by women of color, as well as writers who identify as queer and/or gender nonconforming. Its debut list in 2020 had three titles, and in July it will publish I Have Always Been Me by Precious Brady-Davis, in which, Amazon said, the author shares her profound journey as a trans woman. Set for October is The One You Want to Marry, a memoir by Sophie Santos, host of the Lesbian Agenda series of stand-up shows. Other Amazon imprints also include books from diverse authors. This month, the YA imprint Skyscape released Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun, a novel by Jonny Garza Villa that draws on their personal experienced growing up queer in the Latinx communities of Texas. Since its launch in late 2017, Amazon Original Stories, which publishes new short fiction and nonfiction, has become one of the pillars of Amazon Publishing, releasing more than 150 stories. Bruder said she sees Amazon Original Stories as a playground for writers to tell stories. They love it. Among those who have published under the imprint is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, whose Zikora was released last fall and who has a new story coming from the imprint later this year. All Amazon Original Stories are available for free for Prime and Kindle Unlimited subscribers, and Bruder called the imprint hugely successful. Amazon Publishing has had its share of commercial hits, and Bruder said she is prepared to make some bets on new books. Mark Sullivan, author of one of Amazons bestsellers, Beneath a Scarlet Sky, has just published The Last Green Valley through the Lake Union imprint. In July, the Thomas & Mercer imprint will publish Choose Me by Tess Gerritsen, writing with Gary Braver. On the nonfiction list is Mothertrucker, a true story from college professor and writer Amy Butcher about the connection she forged with Joy Mothertrucker Wiebe, an Instagram celebrity and the nations only female ice road trucker, over their shared history of spousal abuse. It will be published in November by Little A. Though book publishing has been slow to diversify, Bruder feels fortunate to be in the industry at this time, as there appears to be opportunity to effect real change. She said shes working with people who are passionate about addressing the questions involving the lack of industry diversity. And while theres no simple answer to the question of how to improve things, she noted, bringing in diverse talent in the form of new staff and new authors is critical to success. After all, Bruder added, storytelling is for everyone. Because of its heavy investment in military technology, Russia was recently thought to have achieved an edge in air power over its NATO rivals. However, that advantage is now up for debate due to the purchase of the F-35 by many countries in NATO, including some on the front line with Russia. The F-35 is more than a strike fighter. What makes it so essential for partners and so coveted by buyers is its unmatched lethality, survivability, and adaptability. It is ten times more effective at collecting intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance (ISR) than other fighters. In addition, it is capable of putting so much energy on relevant frequencies that it suppresses enemy radar and communications. In short, it is an unparalleled force multiplier. The F-35 is also the only aircraft in production that is effectively invisible to Russian radar, and as a result, it has altered the balance of strategic power in Europe in NATOs favor. While Europe faces various security challenges, the threat from Russia remains the most urgent. The F-35 is currently in use or on order by 13 countries, including the United States. The other members of the original consortium are the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, Norway and Denmark. The six additional foreign buyers are Israel, Japan, South Korea, Belgium, Poland and Singapore. It is not a coincidence that the majority of these countries are in Western Europe and would be able to respond quickly to Russian aggression. By design, this builds a wall of deterrence. The F-35 also fills a niche that is not an option for other fighters. With limited availability of air power from the sea services, the Air Force version of the F-35, the F-35A, would be the primary actor by default. Fortunately, the Air Force version of the fighter is the version most buyers have been purchasing. Two exceptions are Britain and Italy, which have both purchased the Marine version of the F-35, F-35B, for use on their aircraft carriers. Italy is only buying F-35B, but Britain has purchased both versions. The advantage of F-35B is its ability to land and take off vertically, allowing it to land on almost any surface. The implication of so many NATO member countries operating this kind of fighter is a reshaping of the strategic balance in Europe to the disadvantage of Russia. Until recently, it was assumed that a conventional Russian attack on a country like Poland or one of the Baltic States was likely to overwhelm NATO airpower even if allied air forces responded fast. Northern Poland is currently under the most pressure from the presence of Russian troops, which have been deployed en masse near Polands border with Belarus. Large numbers of tanks and troops were also recently sent to the eastern part of Ukraine before being withdrawn. However, around 80,000 troops (down from 100,000) are still stationed in that region, which has been engulfed by violence between Russian soldiers and nationalist militias. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania face a variation of the same threat. Russia may choose to launch a conventional attack in one of the Baltics rather than spend time interfering with their civil society and institutions, which are already clearly oriented toward Europe. The F-35, while not owned by any of the three countries, is used by NATOs Baltic Air Policing (BAP) mission. It was deployed for the first time in April of 2021 when Italy brought four of the fighters to Estonias Amari Air Base. However, the front forming in Eastern Europe is not the only place where Russian troops are active and where conflict might break out. The Mediterranean Sea is another potential theater for future military action, given Russia's access to its waters and Putin's relatively close relationship with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the autocratic president of Turkey. Erdogans dealings with Russia are no secret. Turkey is in possession of Russian S-400 surface-to-air missiles, a 2017 purchase that resulted in Turkeys expulsion from the F-35 consortium. Erdogan has also shown no compunction about taking military action against U.S. allies in the region, such as the Kurds, nor about supporting extremist factions that he views as protecting Turkish interests. During the Trump years, the impunity of Erdogans behavior toward allies began to escalate, culminating in threats to close the Incirlik airbase, home to 50 U.S. tactical nuclear warheads, in response to the possibility of sanctions from Washington. Turkey has also recently come into conflict with Greece over oil exploration in the waters just off Cyprus, a disputed territory between them that has an unofficial Turkish enclave. Partly because of Ankaras purchase of the S-400, Greece was chosen to receive F-35s that would have originally been destined for Turkey, a decision that incensed Ankara. Russian military action, potentially in conjunction with Turkey, could also be taken around the Black Sea, immediately endangering NATO forces in Romania and in Greece. Italy has already drawn attention to the presence of Russian naval ships in the Mediterranean that may be prepared to put military support behind Turkish interests. Because other aircraft would be less survivable in a future war with Russia, the F-35 would be deployed early to support NATO ground forces. The F-35 is designed to find, fix and destroy hostile air defenses, which would then leave room for less survivable aircraft to be called in for support. Some NATO F-35s will also be configured to deliver nuclear weapons, a feature that is mainly intended to deter Russia from using nuclear weapons first. This will only be deployed as a measure of last resort during a conflictmost likely if Russia seeks to employ nuclear weapons preemptively. However, it is difficult to believe that countries with the F-35 would actually use nuclear weapons on Russian soil during a conventional conflict, as to do so would likely lead to escalation. Taken together, the F-35s peerless versatility and the enthusiasm for its adoption on the part of NATO allies leave no doubt that it is playing a central role in reshaping the strategic balance of Europe. With barely a fifth of all F-35s destined to be built in the hands of receiving nations, the shift in NATOs military fortunes is likely to prove decisive through mid-century. Sarah White is a Senior Research Analyst at Arlingtons Lexington Institute. The views expressed are the authors own. https://www.instagram.com/p/CQQ_Re-J0zr/Cody Rhodes and Brandi Rhodes of AEW announced the birth of their first child together on Friday, a baby girl. ADVERTISEMENT "6lbs 12oz - Liberty Iris Runnels - Mother & Daughter are doing wonderful," Cody Rhodes said alongside a photo on Instagram of he and his wife holding Liberty's hand. "Happy Birthday Liberty Iris. We are so in love with you, sweet beautiful girl. We are so fortunate and blessed to be your mom and dad," Brandi Rhodes said on her Instagram account alongside the same photo. "Couldn't be any happy for you & Brandi & Liberty love her name," professional wrestling legend Diamond Dallas Page commented on Cody Rhodes' post. "The best. Congrats," fellow AEW star Brian Cage added. Cody and Brandi Rhodes announced that they were expecting their first child together during a special, holiday-themed segment that aired on AEW Dynamite in December. The segment featured the married couple decorating their Christmas tree before hearing a knock on the door. At the door was a gift box that contained an ornament that said they were expecting a baby in 2021. The duo then announced the baby's gender on AEW Dynamite in February. Pink fireworks erupted at Daily's Place in Jacksonville, Fla., as Cody and Brandi Rhodes celebrated together on the entrance ramp. FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! 56, of Traverse City, died, June 25, 2021. He is the son of Elizabeth Yates and brother of Marcia Emery. Scott was preceded in death by his brother, James McCann. Services will be held 11 a.m., Friday, July 2, 2021 at the Greensky Hill Indian Methodist Church, 8484 Greensky Hill, Charlevoix. FILE - In this Jan. 20, 2021, screen grab taken from a Zoom meeting provided by the Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners, Grand Traverse County Commissioner Ronald Clous holds a rifle at his home during a county commissioner meeting in Michigan. Michigan's attorney general said Friday, June 18 she would not file charges against Clous for the incident which some described as illustrating racial and cultural tensions in the Lake Michigan resort area. Nancy Krcek Allen has been a chef-educator for more than 25 years and has taught professional and recreational classes in California, New York City and Michigan. Her culinary textbook is called Discovering Global Cuisines. Juneteenth, sometimes known as Freedom Day, celebrates June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Texas and informed the states enslaved people they were free. While it has long been celebrated by Black communities across the U.S., it has recently become more widely known following nationwide protests over police brutality and racial inequality. Greenville, NC (27833) Today Thunderstorms likely. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 79F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. Greenville, NC (27833) Today Scattered thunderstorms. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 79F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then cloudy skies after midnight. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. Norma Jean Henderson, 90, of Glen Daniel, passed away Wednesday, June 30, 2021. Born January 12, 1931, she was the daughter of the late Fred and Blanche Stover Burleson. In addition to her family, she was preceded in death by a son, Eddie Henderson, and eight siblings Betty Marsh, Ruth Snuff BRIDGEPORT A local man was wounded after reportedly being caught in a gang-related shooting involving his teenaged son, police said. On Friday morning, police said they arrested one of the shooters, an alleged member of the Green Hollow Boyz gang. Jadarius Jackson, 20, of Norman Street, was charged with first-degree assault, illegally firing a firearm, conspiracy to commit first-degree assault, risk of injury to a child, reckless endangerment, and possession of a firearm without a permit. Jackson, who was arrested last December in New Haven on gun charges, was served with the new arrest warrant at the Golden Hill Street courthouse. During Jacksons arraignment Friday afternoon, Assistant States Attorney Felicia Valentino urged Superior Court Judge Kevin Doyle to set a high bond. Jacksons lawyer, Assistant Public Defender Mike Paris, argued that his client is already being held on a high bond for the New Haven case. The judge agreed with the prosecutor and ordered Jackson held in lieu of $300,000 bond. He continued the case to July 20. Shortly after noon on Nov. 4, 2020, police said a local man was walking along State Street with his three children when he heard gunshots and realized he had been shot in the left hand. Police said witnesses told officers they had seen two men, wearing black hoodies, fleeing the scene after the shooting. The victim was taken to Bridgeport Hospital for the hand wound. Police said surveillance video in the area showed two men in hoodies fleeing to a dark-colored Hyundai sedan. They said witnesses identified the owner of the car as a member of the Green Hollow Boyz, a gang operating out of the Greene Homes housing project. Police said they checked video surveillance of the housing project and spotted Jackson walking from the car parked in a parking lot at the project. Police said they then checked surveillance video from Nov. 4, 2020 and saw Jackson and three other men get into the Hyundai. Other video surveillance tracked the car as it drove to the area of State Street, passing the shooting victim and his family before parking a short distance away, police said. Video then showed two men in dark hoodies leave the Hyundai and fire guns in the direction of the victim and his family, police said. They then fled in the Hyundai. Police said they subsequently arrested a juvenile male who they allege to have taken part in the shooting. Police said the juvenile told them that the victims teenaged son had actually been the target. The juvenile told them the teen had previously made disparaging remarks about the cousin of the juvenile who had been murdered in January 2020, police said. Police said they subsequently recovered a .40-caliber handgun from the juveniles home that had been used in the shooting. Police said they are seeking two other men who were involved in the shooting. HARRISBURG The Pennsylvania state senator in charge of a key election committee is backing an audit of the November presidential contest similar to Arizonas partisan ballot review, four days after former President Donald Trump called him out and claimed he was dragging his feet. Despite two audits and assurances from every level of government that the election was free of widespread fraud, Sen. David G. Argall, R-29, Rush Township, told Spotlight PA he does not see the damage in doing it one more time to try to answer the concerns that people have. But such an effort, particularly if advanced by just one political party, will be sure to attract criticism and come with critical questions, including how much it would cost, who would pay for it, and why it would be any more trustworthy than the widely accepted audits already completed. Argalls counterpart in the state House has rejected an additional audit, but the Senate is able to order its own review, and Argalls committee has the power to subpoena ballots. The results are the results, Argall said Friday during Spotlight PAs Capitol Live event, when asked if he accepted Novembers results as legitimate. The Electoral College has spoken, you know the president has been sworn in. I understand thats a reality. County election and state officials, as well as Trumps own attorney general, have repeatedly said there was no evidence of widespread fraud in Pennsylvania, and that the results were accurate and reflected the will of voters across the state. Yet Pennsylvania has been and continues to be the focus of Trump and his most ardent supporters, who falsely claim the 2020 election was stolen. Many Republican lawmakers, including leadership in the House, signed on to a letter calling for Congress to reject the states electors for President Joe Biden, while prominent senators, including Argall, asked the body to delay certification of the Electoral College because of inconsistent and questionable activities. On Monday, Trump targeted Argall as well as state Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, R-Centre, demanding an audit and asking if they were stupid, corrupt, or naive? I feel certain that if Corman continues along this path of resistance, with its lack of transparency, he will be primaried and lose by big numbers, the former president said in a statement. Despite sustained efforts by Trump and some Republicans across the U.S. to cast doubt on the results of the election, Argall said, I dont know why people are so mistrusting of the results. I just know that they are, he said. Argall said he was focused on the process, including decisions by the state Supreme Court and the Wolf administration that completely ignored what lawmakers intended when they passed a major election overhaul in 2019 that, among other things, instituted universal mail voting. Experts previously told Spotlight PA and Votebeat that guidance from the Department of State on issues like curing mail ballots with problems like a missing privacy envelope was the result of gaps in the law. Rulings from the states high court, including one that allowed mail ballots to be received past the standard deadline, cited the pandemic as requiring extraordinary relief. Do I have 100% confidence that everything was perfect? No, Id really like us to take a detailed review of that, Argall said. Thats why were looking at changing pieces of the election legislation, and its also why I think it wouldnt hurt at all to go back, do that audit, and say, How exactly did that work out? Those concerns, and how to fix them, have already been the subject of 10 hearings by the state House panel and culminated in a sweeping GOP proposal to change voting in Pennsylvania. Argall said he couldnt be sure what, if anything, another audit would reveal. Asked if he thought the election was fair and secure, he said, Cant we do the audit, and answer that, so that we all have a final answer? So is that a yes or a no? the interviewer responded. Thats, lets do the audit and find out. Argall is chair of the powerful Senate State Government Committee, which, in addition to election bills, considers redistricting legislation. In a wide-ranging interview with Spotlight PA, the senator said there are talks to advance an amended version of a bill that would put additional guardrails on the decennial process of drawing new political maps. The bill, proposed by Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Northampton, would add more transparency to the legislative and congressional redistricting process. But Joe Kelly, her chief of staff, told Spotlight PA and Votebeat on Friday that Argalls proposed amendment would focus only on the process by which the congressional map is drawn. Kelly said the senator was disappointed the bill wouldnt include reforms to how the state House and Senate maps are drawn. Unlike the congressional map, only a five-member commission of General Assembly leaders and an appointed, third-party chairman can approve the legislative maps. Boscola hasnt been involved in drafting the amendment, Kelly said, and was told of it Thursday. Argall declined to provide specifics about which provisions were included in the amendment, and which might be removed, but said there appeared to be a consensus that municipal, county, and school district boundaries should be kept intact. When asked why he had not prioritized the legislation or similar redistricting reform bills in the past, Argall said he is not interested in moving measures that will not pass the House. That chamber, at the moment, is focused on a major election overhaul that includes stricter voter ID rules, signature verification requirements for mail ballots, and in-person early voting. Rep. Seth Grove, chair of the House State Government Committee, said earlier this month the chamber would not authorize any further audits on any previous election and would instead focus on changing the states voting statute. But Argall said Friday he thinks it would not be a bad idea at all to proceed with an audit and that he hopes to wrap up the issue in the next few weeks. He said he would want the review to be independent, whether through the state auditor generals office or a Senate-commissioned probe. There would also be options when it came to paying for an additional audit, he said. One would be yes, do it through public funding, he said. The other would be the Arizona model way in which they found, I guess, private donors willing to pick up the cost. A private option runs counter to the election legislation Argalls GOP colleagues are pushing in the House, which would ban counties from taking private dollars in order to pay for voting administration. Kelayres The Kline Township Police Department has issued a reminder for residents that the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code prohibits anyone from operating all-terrain vehicles, motor scooters, mini motorcycles, go-carts or any such vehicle, whether gasoline- or electric-powered, on streets, alleys or sidewalks. Parking vehicles, including trailers and ATVs, on streets, alleys or sidewalks is also prohibited. Pottsville The Pottsville Kiwanis Club is having its annual fresh blueberry sale. Members are taking orders until July 6. Blueberries will be delivered between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. July 10 at the parking lot of Boyers Market, 22nd and West Market streets, Pottsville. For more information, call 570-985-7262. Pottsville Members of Fair Districts PA and Schuylkill Indivisible have announced they will hold a rally for fair redistricting at the 100 N. Centre St. office of state Sen. David Argall, R-29, Rush Township, from noon to 1 p.m. Monday. A Fair Districts PA official is scheduled to speak. According to an event release, the groups want Argall, who chairs the Senate State Government Committee, to hold a vote on Senate Bill 222 before the summer recess. The bill, according to the release, would stop political parties from disproportionately benefiting from redistricting by requiring public hearings, allowing public input and setting clear criteria for defining the legislative and congressional districts. Shenandoah The faithful can stay in touch with Divine Mercy Roman Catholic Parish in multiple ways. They can read the bulletin/services schedule and make contributions online by going to the parish website at www.dmparish.com. People may also email the parish at info@dmparish.com or call the parish office, 108 W. Cherry St., at 570-462-1968. State Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding announced that the departments Spotted Lanternfly Compliance and Enforcement Team will be conducting spotted lanternfly permit and inspection record checks for businesses in Pennsylvanias 34 counties quarantined for the pest. That includes Schuylkill and all of its neighboring counties. Canvassing will begin in Blair County in July. Notice will be given as additional counties are added to the schedule. Weve been saying for a long time now that businesses are an important part of the fight against the spotted lanternfly, they should protect with a permit, Redding was quoted in a news release. With a spotted lanternfly business permit and an educated workforce, we can stop this threat in its tracks while keeping business and commerce moving, trade and consumers protected. In March, the department added eight counties to the commonwealths quarantine zone, which now spans from east to west across the commonwealth. Businesses that operate in or travel through quarantined counties are required to obtain a free permit which comes with the responsibility of maintaining a trained, engaged workforce. Violators of permit requirements are subject to up to $300 per violation plus associated court costs. The spotted lanternfly business permit and inspection canvassing program aims to raise awareness of the value of quarantine compliance actions that work to slow the spread of the invasive pest, the department reports. Canvassers will always show their commonwealth ID and will ask to see proof of permit in addition to inspection and training records. A Spotted Lanternfly Business Toolkit is available to help operations learn about why the spotted lanternfly is bad, how the quarantine works, if they need a permit and responsibilities of holding a permit. For more information on the spotted lanternfly, visit agriculture.pa.gov/spottedlanternfly. On May 18, the people of Schuylkill and Berks Counties made their voices heard by amending our constitution in a landslide! The Senate and the House have moved quickly to honor their decision. After more than 450 days, Gov. Tom Wolfs emergency declaration has finally been ended. The House and the Senate used their new powers, on a bipartisan vote, under the State Constitution to pass a resolution that limits the Wolf administration from using never-ending emergency powers to close employers, limit occupancy, suspend state laws or issue stay-at-home orders. I voted in favor of this resolution because the people of Schuylkill and Berks counties who I represent voted to approve two constitutional amendments that limited the length of disaster declarations and gave the General Assembly the sole power to extend a governors initial disaster declaration. Pennsylvania was the first state in the nation to move to check the power of the executive branch in this manner. The people of Pennsylvania never elected Wolf to be our king. We have a constitutional obligation to preserve our delicate system of checks and balances. No one person should ever hold the vast powers of this commonwealth in their hands alone. Our Founding Fathers designed a system where three separate, but co-equal, branches of government are responsible for governing at the consent of the governed. When the people of Pennsylvania approved these two amendments, they granted us the authority to limit the unilateral power the governor wielded for 15 months without listening to the voices of the General Assembly or local governments. Throughout the pandemic, I heard from thousands of people from Berks and Schuylkill counties: people who were frustrated with the flawed and outdated unemployment system, small employers who were struggling under the overbearing business restrictions, parents raising concerns about the education of their children, children like me who were concerned about the well-being of their parents in long-term care facilities. My vote to end the emergency declaration was a response to all of these concerns. I said many times throughout the pandemic that there is a way to protect both the lives and the livelihoods of Pennsylvanians. Im incredibly thankful that the House and the Senate were finally able to fulfill this promise to the people of Pennsylvania. Never again in Pennsylvania will the voices of the people be ignored during a disaster. (Argall represents the state Senates 29th District) Vice President Harris went to Guatemala and Mexico to find the root cause of the crisis at the border. It is not in Guatemala or Mexico. The root cause is in the White House and the Democratic Party. Friedensburg I am an 81-year-old and graduated from Frailey Township High School in Donaldson. I remember the poppies because on the 30th of May, I recited In Flanders Fields at the Donaldson Cemetery to everyone to honor the dead. Pine Grove I would like to thank the caretakers who maintain the graves and the grounds at the cemeteries in Shenandoah Heights. Thank you for all your expert care. Thank you, Ed Boxter and Bill Tomcavage, and all who work with them. The grass is cut to perfection. The grounds are well kept. The trees are all pruned and everything is so nice. I think the Diocese of Allentown should put a nice raise in their pay. Ringtown Remember when Vice President Pence tried to attend the Broadway show Hamilton and the cast members stopped and chastised him in front of everyone? Imagine if that was done to Kamala Harris right now. There would be rioting in the streets. Hegins The United States dollar is a fiat currency. It is not backed by gold, silver or cow feathers. Every dollar Joe Biden and the Democrats print for their utopia make every dollar you have worth less. So, Joe does have an influence on the price of food, gas and everything else you buy. Pine Grove It seems there is a new Democrat strategy to get rid of the Republicans. First, you chose your target and accuse them of sexual harassment, then not require his accusers to be named or you can recuse to allow a besmirched candidate to be removed from the ballot, thus guarantee a Democrat win in November. South Manheim Township What is allowable to buy with an ACCESS card needs to be revived. No more lobsters, crab legs and junk food. It should be similar to what WIC allows. It is ridiculous. Pottsville The late great Hank Williams had a song in which he sang, if you mind your own business, youll stay busy all the time. That is still good advice today. Girardville It is a shame that Bob Casey doesnt have the same courage as Joe Manchin. There was once a time when Casey was considered a moderate but now hes walking in lock step with the far left. What a shame. Hegins I travel a lot of this county in a weeks time and today I saw two lemonade stands the kids are having out. I think it is wonderful these kids want to earn a little money and try to do their own little business. Congratulations, kids. You are doing a good job. Pine Grove The latest equation in the COVID pandemic is Fauci + science = failure. Pottsville Freshman state Rep. Joe Kerwin needs to gain some wisdom and courage and start representing all the citizens of the 125th District. Joe needs to work with Democrats and Republicans equally and be less partisan. I hope Mr. Kerwin will realize all voters count as one vote when he runs for reelection. The support for Trump and Stop the Steal is bunk and Joe needs the common sense and political courage to leave Trump quietly fade away and for himself to be a reasonable Republican. Lykens Way to go, Allen Coady. Keep those letters coming. We should have a president just like you. We need one. God bless you. Amen. Frackville Ace filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansalis iconic 1999 film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam clocked 22 years of its release on June 18. Actress Aishwarya Rai who played the central role in the film took to Instagram and shared a bunch of throwback pictures from the sets while renumerating some old lost memories. She also penned a heartfelt note while expressing her sincere gratitude to fans and the director. Aishwarya Rai celebrates 22 years of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam Aishwarya Rai shared two pictures featuring director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The director-actor duo was photographed in candid moments, having conversations between shots. Aishwarya also shared pictures of herself, posing solo for the camera. While captioning the pictures, the former Miss World wrote, 22 years of HUM DIL DE CHUKE SANAMI am reminded, by such an outpouring of love but my dearest Sanjay This one is evergreen Forever THANK YOU and to ALL our audience world over and my ever. LOVING family of well-wishers THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR LOVEALWAYS. Much LOVE too. Actress Priyanka Chopra was the first one to comment below the post and wrote, Stunning!!! one of the best ever. Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, based on Rashtriyashayar Jhaverchand Meghanis play Shetal ne Kathe, was set in the deserts of Rajasthan with Aishwarya playing Nandini while Salman played her lover Sameer. However, Nandini is married off to Vanraj, played by Ajay Devgn. The newly married couple takes a journey to help Nandini reunite with Sameer. The Instagram page of Bhansali Productions also shared some unseen photos from the set featuring the three leading stars. The post read, We experienced a gamut of emotions then and were experiencing a gamut of emotions now as we open our treasure chest. Celebrating 22 Years of living and loving Vanraj, Nandini & Sameers testimony of love. Meanwhile, on the work front, Aishwarya recently voiced for Hollywood film Maleficient: Mistress of the Evil starring Angelina Jolie. She will next be seen in Mani Ratnams film Ponniyin Selvan. The film's music is being composed by A. R. Rahman, with cinematography handled by Ravi Varman. Apart from Aishwarya, it also stars It stars Vikram, Jayam Ravi, Karthi, Trisha, and Jayaram in prominent roles, while Prabhu, Vikram Prabhu, Aishwarya Lekshmi, and Sobhita Dhulipala appear in supporting roles. IMAGE:AISHWARYARAIBACHCHAN_ARB/Instagram Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. Actor Varun Dhawan recently joined the league of stars to receive the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine. The actor who had contracted the virus in December last year after returning from his shoot of next Jug Jug Jeeyo in Chandigarh has now taken the first shot. The actor shared a picture from the hospital while thanking the doctors for their help and assistance. Varun Dhawan receives COVID-19 vaccine While captioning the post, he wrote, #VACCINATED Thank u to the wonderful doctors Don't be a prick go get the prick." The actor appeared to be smiling after the jab as he posed at the hospital in a cut-out with a caption, 'I am vaccinated against COVID-19.' Apart from Varun, several Bollywood stars like Radhika Madan, Sonakshi Sinha, Pulkit Samrat, Alaya F, Radhika Apte were a few to name who have received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine. Varun Dhawan on the other hand has embraced fatherhood on June 15, as he introduced his boy to his Instagram followers and asked them to help him with a name. Varun was referring to his new pet dog, He posted a video clip where he is seen playing with the pup. He confessed to not being able to name the dog yet. Apart from this, he also shared several pictures with his wife Natasha Dalal along with the dog. On the work front, Varun Dhawan was last seen in Coolie No.1, a remake of a 1995 release starring Govinda and Karisma Kapoor. The film, which starred Sara Ali Khan, is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Varun will be next seen in Bhediya, which marks his first project with Stree fame director Amar Kaushik. The film, produced by Maddock Films, will also star Kriti Sanon, who has shared the screen space with Varun in Rohit Shettys Dilwale. COVID-19 cases in India India has registered over 60,000 new COVID-19 infections in the previous 24 hours, bringing the country's entire caseload close to the alarming 3-crore mark. The death toll from the deadly virus has also risen to 3.85 lakh, with roughly 1,700 individuals succumbing to the sickness in a 24-hour period. On June 19 morning, the Union Health Ministry informed that India reported 60,753 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 2,98,23,546. IMAGE: VARUNDVN/Instagram Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. An aquarium in the US is auctioning off the chance to name three of its five recently arrived beluga whales to raise money for their care and transportation. Mystic Aquarium, located in Connecticut, is now hoping to raise at least US$4million out of the total US$5 million required to care for the cetaceans for a year. It includes roughly $250000 a year to pay for their food and veterinary care along with costs of running the habitat and related research. Speaking to ABC News, Stephen Coan President and CEO confirmed that the Sea Research Foundation has teamed up with New York Based auction house Guernseys to hold the auction on August 19. As per Coan, through the auction, the three beluga whales will get what is known as their stage names adding that theyve conducted similar events in the past. Reckoning that such events make people excited, he further added that names are given by the public make animals a part of the community. Cross border transfer The Sea Research Foundation, which runs the Mystic Aquarium had spent millions of dollars last month to get permissions from both American and the Canadian government to get the marine creatures transported across the international borders. Additionally, they had also battled animals rights groups that had opposed the transfer. The pod initially resided in Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ontario but were relocated using custom-made stretchers and special tanks inside a C-130 cargo plane by the foundation. Connecticut aquarium officials told Associated Press that the whales, which range in age from 7 to 12, were born in captivity and cannot be released into the ocean. The new arrivals were previously held inside an overcrowded habitat with about 50 other whales but their new home gives them larger space to frolic. A morning mixer occurred at Mystic! The new five belugas participating in our research and the three varsity whales began integrating into one pod. This milestone provides direct social interaction for all belugas and could not have gone better! #SeaResearch pic.twitter.com/5vun6OdUvO Mystic Aquarium (@mysticaquarium) June 18, 2021 Saliva collection and blowhole swabs? How do our researchers collect samples from belugas? We won't leave it up to your imagination because we are going live with the belugas! Join us Tuesday, June 15 at 9:45 a.m. ET on Facebook or Instagram. #SeaResearch pic.twitter.com/Qql9pIT10A Mystic Aquarium (@mysticaquarium) June 13, 2021 Meanwhile, another beluga whale is winning hearts over the internet. In a recently posted video, the whale could be seen getting excited after seeing a toy whale outside an aquarium. The video features a woman and a little girl watching the beluga whale inside the Mystic Aquarium in the United States. The adorable reaction of the beluga whale has won over the internet. The video was shared by Viralhog on YouTube and it has caught the attention of netizens. Image: mysticaquarium/Twitter Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. Scientists have discovered the fossils of a new giant rhino species which was taller than giraffe that roamed Central Asia nearly 26.5 million years ago. Standing 20 feet tall and weighing more than 20 tons, this mammoth ancient rhino entered Asia via the Tibetan region and has been considered as one of the largest land mammals that ever lived. The skull and legs of the now-extinct creature were longer than the modern rhinos or any other reported land mammals to date. In the study published on June 17, in the scientific journal communication biology in Nature, scientists state that the Tibetan region, millions of years ago was open woodland with humid or arid climatic conditions which was suitable for the survival of these giant rhinos. [Credit: Nature journal/Communications Biology] The Tibetan region likely hosted some areas with low elevation, possibly under 2000 m during Oligocene, and the lineage of giant rhinos could have dispersed freely along the eastern coast of the Tethys Ocean and perhaps through some lowlands of this region, researchers said in the study. These species that are the cousins of the modern-day species of rhinos termed Paraceratherium Linxiaense were heavier than African elephants and were known to exist from northwest to southwest China. Scientists found a completely preserved skull of the species from the Linxia Basin in Gansu Province, China, located at the northeastern border of the Tibetan Plateau. P. Linxiaense rhinos are renowned for their gigantic sizes, at times standing 16 feet tall and with 7 foot-long neck that is longer than the giraffes. They were mostly hornless. The giant rhino has been found to be closely associated with the species of rhinos that inhabited Pakistan Pakistani P. Bugtiense. It spread across northwest China and the Indian-Pakistani subcontinent as it had dispersed from the low elevated Tibetan plateau. [Credit: Nature journal/Communications Biology] [Credit: Nature journal/Communications Biology] New species of rhino differed from others A fully preserved skull and jawbone were dug in 2015 near the village of Wangjiachuan, 10.8 km southwest of the town of Dongxiang County, China. After analysis, scientists found that the new species of rhino differed from other species of Paraceratherium as it had a deeper nasal notch, proportionally larger height, short muzzle bones, and a diastema anterior to cheek teeth. The nose of the Paraceratherium Linxiaense was found to be flat and straight, with a short distance from the orbit which was also much deeper than those of other species of Paraceratherium. The dorsal surface of the skull of giant rhinos was shallowly depressed. Most fossils were unearthed brown sandstones of central Chinas Linxia Basin. Researchers found that all six species of Paraceratherium were sisters to Aralotherium, an extinct hornless rhinoceros which is closely related to Paraceratherium but is one of the largest terrestrial mammals that ever existed. [Images Credit: Nature journal/Communications Biology/ https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-021-02170-6] Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. Bhubaneswar, Jun 19 (PTI) A ten-day-old boy, who was allegedly sold by his drug-addict father for Rs 10,000 in Odisha, was rescued from a woman by members of Childline with the help of police. The baby was rescued from a woman in Mali Sahi area under Kharvelnagar police station limit in the state capital and kept at an adoption centre, Childline director Benudhar Senapati said. "The father of the baby is a drug addct. Due to financial constraints, the newborns father forced his wife to dump the baby in a dustbin. But, the mother handed over the child to a woman," Senapati told reporters. However, the woman who purchased the child said, "They were about to abandon the baby. Since I have no son, I bought the baby for Rs 10,000." Senapati said, both the buyer and seller of a baby are guilty under provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act. The police said it was inquiring into the matter and all the facts will become clear after the probe is over. A case has been registered in Kharavela Nagar police station. The matter came to light after video of a man telling that a woman came to him and his wife and forcibly took away their 10-day-old child after giving them Rs 10,000 came to the notice of the Childline authorities, police said. "There are many inconsistencies in the versions of both the parties and only a proper investigation will unravel the truth," they said. PTI AAM MM MM (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) After reports quoted a Rs 20,700 crore rise of Indian funds in Swiss banks, the Ministry of Finance on Friday responded to the news, refuting the alleged rise of black money held by Indians in Switzerland. In an official release, the Finance Ministry stated that the figures did not indicate the 'quantum of the black money' held by Indians, stating that the biggest increase had been cited under 'Other amounts due from customers'-- which refers to bonds, securities, and various other financial instruments. "Media reports allude to the fact that the figures reported are official figures reported by banks to Swiss National Bank (SNB) and do not indicate the quantum of much debated alleged black money held by Indians in Switzerland. Further, these statistics do not include the money that Indians, NRIs or others might have in Swiss banks in the names of thirdcountry entities," the Finance Ministry stated. Funds in Swiss banks have halved since 2019: Centre The Ministry cited the fall in the customer deposits from 2019 stating, "The funds held through fiduciaries has also more than halved from end of 2019." It also stated that exchanges of Financial Account information in respect of residents of each country have taken place between both countries in 2019 and 2020 and in view of the information exchanged, 'there does not appear to be any significant possibility of the increase of deposits in the Swiss banks which is out of undeclared incomes of Indian residents'. The Centre has asked the Swiss Authorities to provide the relevant facts along with their view on possible reasons for increase/decrease in Indian funds as cited by the news reports. Finance Ministry refutes News media reports of alleged black money held by Indians in Switzerland Information sought from Swiss Authorities to verify increase/decrease of deposits Read more https://t.co/W1fKhlh7LR (1/6) pic.twitter.com/tPUOciARJR Ministry of Finance (@FinMinIndia) June 19, 2021 Indian funds in Swiss banks at an all-time high: Report On Thursday PTI reported that funds parked by Indian individuals and firms in Swiss banks had risen to 2.55 billion Swiss francs (over Rs 20,700 crore) in 2020 on a sharp surge in holdings via securities and similar instruments. Citing the annual data from Switzerland's central bank, the report stated that while customer deposits fell, there was an increase in aggregate funds of Indian clients with Swiss banks. According to PTI, the rise in Indian funds from 899 million Swiss francs (Rs 6,625 crore) at the end of 2019, reverses a two-year declining trend and has taken the figure to the highest level in 13 years. (With Agency Inputs) India on Friday abstained from voting on a UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution on Myanmar saying that it had been tabled in a 'hasty manner' without adequate consultations with neighbours and regional countries. The resolution-- The situation in Myanmar expressed 'grave concern' over the February 1 Myanmar coup and called its military junta to 'immediately and unconditionally release' President Win Myint, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and other government officials who had been detained. Additionally, it called upon all Member States 'to prevent the flow of arms into Myanmar.' Indias Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti told PTI that while India is cognizant of the serious impact of political instability in the country which had the potential to spill outside its borders, the resolution was 'not only unhelpful but may also prove counter-productive to the efforts of the ASEAN to find a solution to the current situation in Myanmar.' "During the discussions on this resolution, we had engaged in a spirit of finding a constructive and pragmatic way forward and had accordingly shared our suggestions to those who piloted this resolution, he said. However, we find that our views have not been reflected in the draft being considered for adoption today. We would like to reiterate that a consultative and constructive approach involving the neighbouring countries and the region, remains important as the international community strives for the peaceful resolution of the issue, Tirumurti added. India backs initiatives by ASEAN The Indian Ambassador also emphasised the lack of support from all neighbouring countries as well as several other countries in the region saying that India had already been pushing for the ongoing initiative under the aegis of ASEAN. We, therefore, do not believe that the tabling of this resolution for adoption at this juncture, is conducive to aiding our joint efforts towards strengthening the democratic process in Myanmar. We are therefore constrained to abstain, Tirumurti said. During the UNGA session, 119 Member States voted in favour, including Myanmar while 36 nations abstained, including - India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Laos, Nepal and Thailand. Russia, while Belarus was the only country that voted against it. On February 1, the Myanmar military began detaining the democratically elected members of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other members of the Parliament. Declaring 'emergency' for a year, Myanmar Army's Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing took charge of the country. The coup occurred a day before Myanmar's newly elected members of Parliament were supposed to be sworn-in. (With PTI Inputs) Leh, June 19 (PTI) Ladakh's Lt Governor R K Mathur has discussed with the Centre air connectivity possibilities for Kargil and urged the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to explore possibilities for operation of Q-400 Bombardier turboprop aircraft, an official spokesman said on Saturday. He also requested for necessary efforts to operationalise small fixed-wing aircraft at Kargil and Thoise (Nubra) under the Regional Connectivity (UDAN) scheme at the earliest. The Lt governor raised the issue during a meeting with Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri in New Delhi on Friday, the spokesman said, adding that he discussed various matters on operation and improvement of air facilities in Ladakh. Mathur applauded the smooth functioning of Pawan Hans helicopters in the region for essential movement of passengers, especially during the winter months, medical emergencies, including evacuation of Covid patients, and stated that this has resulted in reduced dependency on the Indian Air Force. The lieutenant governor urged the AAI to explore possibilities of Required Navigation Performance (RNP) and relaxation in Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) standards, as accorded to Arunachal Pradesh and countries like Nepal and Bhutan for the operation of Q-400 Bombardier turboprop aircraft at Kargil, the spokesman said. Mathur stated a feasibility report post examining the topography and other factors may be prepared. In the meeting, they also discussed expediting a feasibility study to be carried by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) of Kargil airport for operation of EA320/B737 aircraft, while also studying alternative land for the construction of Kargil airport, the spokesman said. He said discussions were also held on the matter of exorbitant airfare charged by commercial airlines during the winter months. The Lt governor urged the minister to rationalise the issue as, during the winter months, airways remain the only source of transportation for locals, especially students, patients, and pilgrims to travel to other parts of the country, the spokesman said. Concerning the development of Leh and Kargil as smart cities under Housing and Urban Affairs, Mathur urged the minister for expediting the final processes viz formal administrative approvals. He also requested for strengthening the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) in Ladakh for the timely completion of their projects. PTI TAS SNE SNE (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) With tensions between India and Pakistan toning down recently after a ceasefire was announced by the military, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval will be participating in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting next week in Dushanbe. The meeting next week will see in-person participation of NSAs from the eight member nations unlike the virtual meeting last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The SCO meeting will also be attended by Doval's counterpart and Pakistan's NSA Moeed Yusuf. The two NSAs will be sharing the aisle for the first time since Ajit Doval furiously stormed out of the SCO meeting last year following Pakistan's act of showing a 'fictious' map violating the agenda of the gathering. In a statement after the meeting, the External Affairs Ministry had said that the Pakistani NSA deliberately projected a fictitious map that Pakistan had been propagating. This was in blatant disregard to the advisory by the host against it and in violation of the norms of the meeting. After consultation with the host, the Indian side left the meeting in protest at that juncture, he said. Tajikistan to chair SCO 2021 Meanwhile, there is no confirmation of India and Pakistan holding a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the SCO meeting next week. The SCO which has eight members namely, Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan will meet under the chairmanship of Tajikistan. The meeting comes amidst the soft stance taken by Pakistan, hinting at the mending of ties. Prime Minister Imran Khan, while repeating his rhetoric over Article 370, put the onus on India to initiate the first step for improving bilateral relations. In February this year, India and Paksitan DGMOs announced that they had agreed to a ceasefire along the LoC which has been maintained so far. PM Modi Sends Stern Message At the SCO summit last year, where leaders of member nations gathered virtually, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asserted that India has had strong cultural and historical ties with SCO countries, remarking that attempts to bring bilateral issues in the SCO agenda were 'unnecessary' and against the 'Shanghai spirit'. Finance Ministry Responds To Whopping Rs 20,700 Cr Rise Of Indian Funds In Swiss Banks After reports quoted a Rs 20,700 crore rise of Indian funds in Swiss banks, the Ministry of Finance on Friday responded to the news, refuting the alleged rise of black money held by Indians in Switzerland. In an official release, the Finance Ministry stated that the figures did not indicate the 'quantum of the black money' held by Indians, stating that the biggest increase had been cited under 'Other amounts due from customers'-- which refers to bonds, securities, and various other financial instruments. Read full story here J&K Parties Deny Receiving A Formal Invite To All-party Meet By PM; Mull On Attending It As Centre seeks to bolster political activities in Jammu-Kashmir, J&K parties like National Conference (NC), People's Democratic Party (PDP), Congress, Apni party have denied receiving a 'formal' invitation for an all-party meet chaired by PM Modi on June 24. PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti has confirmed that she has received a call regarding the meeting and plans to hold a political affairs committee (PAC) meeting on Sunday to decide on attending it or not. Read full story here Ghaziabad Fake Hate Video Case: Booked SP Leader Ummed Pahalwan Arrested In Delhi A day after the Ghaziabad police filed an FIR against Samajwadi Party leader Ummed Pahalwan in the fake hate video case, Uttar Pradesh has arrested the neta. As per the UP Police, the SP leader was arrested from an area near the LNJP Hospital in Delhi by the Crime Branch and the Ghaziabad Police in a joint operation on Saturday. Ummed Pahalwan is currently being taken to Ghaziabad. Read full story here UP BJP Chief Announces "We Will Fight 2022 Polls Under CM Yogi Adityanath's Leadership" Settling the question of who will lead BJP in UP 2022 polls, the state's party president Swatantra Dev Singh said that incumbent Yogi Adityanath will lead the saffron party in the polls. His comment comes a day after Home Minister Amit Shah summoned Singh and State General Secretary (Org) Sunil Bansal to Delhi hurriedly. The discussion between the ex-BJP chief and the two-state heads will be regarding BJP's organization and the all-important state polls. Read full story here Agra: Death Audit Committee Says '22 Deaths Not Due To Oxygen Shortage' At Paras Hospital Maintaining that 22 patients did not die due to oxygen shortage at Agra's Paras Hospital, a UP death audit committee on Friday, concluded that oxygen supply had not been cut off during a mock drill. The committee further stated that the hospital was provided with 149 cylinders with 20 in reserve on April 25 and 121 cylinders with 15 in reserve on April 26, sufficient for its needs. Read full story here DPIIT Secy Dr Mohapatra Passes Away; PM Modi, President Kovind & Other Leaders Pay Tribute The Department of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) secretary Dr Guruprasad Mohapatra passed away on Saturday due to post COVID complications. Several Indian officials including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President Jagat Prakash Nadda, Home Minister Amit Shah and several other officials offered their condolences. Read full story here Delhi Govt Announces Ex-gratia Of Rs 1 Cr To Families Of 6 Military And Police Personnel The Delhi Government on Saturday, June 19 announced a 'financial assistance' of Rs 1 crore to families of six Air Force, Delhi Police, and Civil Defence personnel who died in the line of duty. The announcement was made in a press conference chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. The families include three IAF personnel, two Delhi Police personnel, and one Civil Defence personnel, added Sisodia. Read full story here 'China's Presence In Sri Lanka Could Pose A Threat, Keeping Close Watch: Indian Navy As China attempts to make inroads into Sri Lanka through billion-dollar infrastructure investments, the Indian Navy responded to the communist country's heightened presence down South saying that it 'could pose a threat' to Indian interests. In an interview with news agency ANI, Navy Vice Chief Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar said that it was important for the security forces to keep a close watch on such activities. Read full story here Ganga Dussehra To Be Celebrated In A Symbolic Way; Haridwar, District Borders To Be Sealed On June 18, the Haridwar police said 'The Ganga Snan' scheduled on June 20 on the occasion of Ganga Dussehra in Haridwar has been cancelled for devotees due to the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic situation. According to the police, the district borders will be sealed on June 20, and devotees coming from other states will not be allowed. Read full story here Home Secy Urges States, UTs To Ensure COVID-appropriate Behaviour; Ramp-up Vaccination In a major development, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla wrote to Chief Secretaries of all states on Saturday to ensure that there is no complacency in adhering to COVID appropriate behaviour and in the test-track-treat-vaccination strategy. In a letter to all the Chief Secretaries, Bhalla wrote, "As you are aware, during the 2nd wave of the COVID-19 pandemic a significant surge in COVID cases was witnessed in several states and UTs. Many states imposed restrictions in order to contain the spread of infection. " Read full story here A senior U.S. general warned of security fears in Africa as the large-scale U.S.-led African Lion war games with American, African and European troops in Morocco came to a close on Friday. The African Lion war games, which lasted nearly two weeks, stretched across Morocco, a key U.S ally, with smaller parts held in Tunisia and Senegal. General Stephen J. Townsend, head of the U.S. Africa Command said he was concerned about the security situation across a band of Africa, from the Sahel region in the west to the Horn of Africa. He noted deadly attacks by al-Qaida and Islamic State-linked jihadis and al-Shabab. Townsend told reporters, "That's why America should care, because that problem is going to continue to metastasise and eventually where it will go, the problems will go once they take root in Africa, they'll spread to Europe and eventually the United States." "It may not be a threat to the US homeland right now but it is definitely a threat to US interests in the world," he added. African Lion saw more than 7,000 troops from seven countries and NATO carry out air, land and sea exercises together. "It has been an exceptional exercise that has helped our interoperability, our joint capabilities, and provided readiness and a good opportunity to build cohesion across the forces," said Major General Andrew Rohling, commander of the U.S. Army's Southern European Task Force Africa. The annual drills were skipped last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a hitch at the start of this year's war games, with Spain withdrawing from the war games citing budgetary reasons. Press reports attributed the move to Spain's poor relations with Morocco, a former key partner. The two countries have been at loggerheads since Spain took in the leader of the Polisario Front independence movement - Morocco's number one enemy - for COVID-19 treatment in a Spanish hospital earlier this year. The Polisario is fighting for independence for the Western Sahara, a vast region that Morocco claims as its own. During the exercise, Morocco held some airborne operations near the Western Sahara and not far from Polisario refugee camps in Tindouf, in neighbouring Algeria. The participating countries in African Lion were the U.S., Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, Italy, The Netherlands and Britain. Observers also attended from countries including Egypt, Qatar, Niger and Mali. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) In the latest sign of worsening tensions between Canberra and Beijing, Australia on June 19 reportedly announced that it will take China before the World Trade Organization (WTO) over the imposition of crippling tariffs on Australian wine exports. According to The Guardian, the Australian government in a statement said that the decision follows extensive consultation with the countrys winemakers. It added that the decision to defend Austalias winemakers in line with the governments support for the rules-based trading system. However, it also said that Australia remains open to engaging directly with China to resolve this issue. It is worth mentioning that Canberra has already taken Beijing to the WTO over its tariffs on Australian barley. While speaking to ABC News, Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan noted that last month the government was considering whether to act on its complaint over China putting large tariffs on wine. He added that Australia would take a very principled approach when dealing with trade disputes. However, he also said that if the country thinks that the industry has been harmed or injured, then the government will take all necessary steps and measures to try to address that. When asked whether Beijings possible retaliation to such actions was part of the governments considerations, Tehan said that China and all other countries use the dispute settlement mechanism of the WTO. He said that Australia wants to make sure that it has a very strong legal case to be able to take to the WTO. Tensions between Australia and China Meanwhile, the latest incident in an escalating trade and diplomatic stand-off between Australia and its largest trading partner comes just days after the G7 summit that echoed Australias call for a tougher stand against Chinas trade practices and a more assertive stance globally. Australian PM Scott Morrison attended the summit as part of a G7-plus formula that also brought in the leaders of South Korea, South Africa and India. Previously, Morrison had also warned that his government will respond to countries trying to use economic coercion against it. Beijing, on the other hand, has imposed tough economic sanctions on a range of Australian products in recent months, including tariffs or disruption across several agricultural sectors, coal, wine and tourism. Last month, China also suspended all activities under the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue, a forum launched in 2014 and last convened in 2017. That decision had followed Australia scrapping the Belt and Road (BRI) agreement with China. (Image: AP) After hitting the headline in 2011 for construction of a 15 story Ark Hotel in Changsha in just 46.5 hours, a privately owned manufacturing enterprise in China, Broad Group, has done it again. This time, it has developed a 10-story apartment building in just 28 hours and 45 minutes in Changsha, China. The firm, Broad Sustainable Building has been expanding the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry by using the installations of the prefabricated, factory-built structures that are mostly shipped in the 3D forms as foldouts. Even then, to construct the 10-story residential high-rise in such a short span of the timeframe required the company ample manpower, at least three cranes, and a large number of builders on the site to get the structure standing. In time-lapse footage that the company shared on its website as well as social media handles, its on-site crew is seen cutting a new edge in the age of industrial innovation by constructing a 10-story steel apartment building in just over a day. This obviously was made possible after the China-based enterprise bolt-together modular units known as Living Building System. The broad group used pre-manufactured components, including the walls, kitchen, bath, and floors that are folded out to a span of 39.3 feet by 15.75 feet by 9 feet high and are then able to fit into a standard shipping container to be transported to the construction site where it is assembled. Although, assembling a building this tall, even when the 3D components of the buildings and the mechanical systems are all in place can be a tough feat, as can be seen in the nearly 5-minute footage shared by the group. Board explains the technology on-site, saying that ahead of the construction, the floors, walls, windows, and glass; electrical and mechanical equipment; AC and DC power, lighting, water supply, and drainage; as well as sanitary facilities, are all completed in the factory using the pre-construction and conceptual design process. The companys 5D Macro-BIM helps preassemble at least 95 percent component reducing the work at the construction site to minimal. In the factory, the engineers connect the bolts, pre-ready the water supply, drainage, and electrical systems so that the structure can be occupied immediately. Broad constructs walls out of the CTS Slab panels, which are stainless steel with bending rigidity. The parametric building components are also cost-effective. 'Extremely simple onsite installation..' says company In the video, the Chinese-based group explains, extremely simple onsite installation just tighten bolts and connect water and electricity. The company also claims that it has tested its construction methods to withstand earthquakes that measure 9.0 on the Richter Scale despite its speedy build time. The components carry a longer life span and recyclability. The panels can last thousands of years and the building itself can be "disestablished" and moved or taken somewhere else. In 2010, Broad group used its innovative construction methods and environmental-friendly techniques to build the pavilion for the massive Shanghai World Expo. An Armenian opposition group on Friday held its last rally in country's capital ahead of the snap parliamentary election. More than 2,000 polling stations will open across Armenia on Sunday, with nearly 2.6 million people eligible to vote. The ballot includes 21 political parties and four electoral blocs, but two political forces are seen as the main contenders: the ruling Civic Contract party led by acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, and the Armenia alliance led by former President Robert Kocharyan. During his final campaign rally Friday, Kocharyan told supporters in Yerevan that Pashinian's "government can't address all issues because they created all of them themselves". "We have come to put it to an end," he added. Kocharyan, a Nagorno-Karabakh native who was president between 1998 and 2008, has run on promises of reinforcing the country's shaken security, encouraging economic growth and reconciling a society divided by the war and the political tensions. Supporters say Kocharyan needs to win in order for Armenia to do well. "We want Armenia to be strong, solidarity, and all prisoners of war to come back. I want Kocharyan to be elected and Armenia to prosper," Mariam Gevorgyan told The Associated Press at a rally in support of Kocharyan Friday. "We came (to the rally) to free our homeland from the defeatist (Pashinyan)," Narek Markosyan, who also attended the Kocharyan rally on Friday, added. "He can't stay, period. Just period. He can't stay in our homeland." Pashinyan, who took office just three years ago, called snap elections in a bid to defuse political tensions sparked by his handling of a conflict with Azerbaijan over the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh. A six-week war that broke out last fall ended with a Russia-brokered ceasefire deal, under which Armenia ceded large swaths of territory in and around Nagorno-Karabakh. The territory that lies within Azerbaijan was under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since the end of a separatist war in 1994. The truce was celebrated as a triumph in Azerbaijan, but sparked a political crisis in Armenia, with thousands of opposition supporters taking to the streets to protest against the terms of the deal and to demand that Pashinyan resign. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) STORY: Spain Western Sahara Protest - Madrid protesters demand independence for WSahara LENGTH: 01:57 FIRST RUN: 1812 RESTRICTIONS: TYPE: Spanish/Natsound SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS STORY NUMBER: 4331417 DATELINE: 19 June 2021 - Madrid SHOTLIST: RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Madrid - 19 June 2021 1. Various of protest to support the right to self-determination for the Western Sahara, flags and banners 2. Mid of police officer standing at the front of protest 3. Mid of protester Minechu Embarek 4. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Minechu Embarek, protester: "We are Sahrawi and we want freedom for our country. We want to fight because who doesn't have land, doesn't have anything." 5. Various of protesters with banners and flags 6. Setup of reporter talking to protester Abdel Halil Barak 7. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Abdel Halil Barak, protester: "The Spanish people are 100% supportive, they have always given a warm and nice support to the Sahrawi people for decades now. We hope this becomes a reality for the freedom of the Sahrawi people." 8. Close up of banner reading (Spanish) "Morocco leave Western Sahara" 9. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Mazah Kulti, 47, protester: "(Morocco) is illegally occupying, looting in an abusive way our resources and coercing the population." 10. Various of protesters waving flags STORYLINE: Thousands attended a demonstration in Madrid Saturday to demand Spain and Morocco respect self-determination for the Western Sahara. The rally came at the end of a march from different corners of Spain to support the autonomy of the self-declared Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Morocco annexed the area in the 1970s after Spain's colonial administration ended. It considers the vast territory part and parcel of the Moroccan kingdom. Protester Mazah Kulti, who left her father behind in Western Sahara when she was two years old, accused Morocco of "illegally occupying, looting in a abusive way our resources and coercing the population." Meanwhile fellow protester Minechu Embarek explained they were attending the demonstration as "who doesn't have a land, doesn't have anything". Spain, like most other Western countries, has urged a negotiated solution through the United Nations to the question of Western Sahara's future. But the issue became clouded last December when the US Trump administration formally recognized Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara in return for Rabat's normalization of ties with Israel. Tensions have risen betwen Madrid and Rabat after Brahim Ghali, the leader of the self-declared Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, secretly entered Spain in April. The 71-year-old spent six weeks in hospital after contracting COVID-19, according to a statement from the independence movement. Morroco said at the end of May that the diplomatic rift was "about trust and mutual respect, which has been broken". =========================================================== Clients are reminded: (i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com (ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service (iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke ahead of a working dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron Friday, the first time she has hosted a foreign leader in Germany since last year. The dinner was planned as a discussion about the next EU summit in Brussels. Merkel said that foreign policy will take up a bigger part of the summit. Turkey and Russia will be at the centre of the talks On Turkey Merkel said "We have both met President Erdogan (of Turkey) during the NATO summit. We know that we are facing huge challenges. On the one side we have differences; on the other side we need each other if we want to tackle some certain problems together. Those would be the question of migration; that would be the question of the future of Libya and the question of the future of Syria." The leaders of Germany and France called for vigilance Friday to prevent the spread of a coronavirus variant that this week prompted Britain to delay the planned relaxation of pandemic restrictions. Chancellor Angela Merkel said that while Germany has very low numbers of new COVID-19 infections at present, the "aggressive" Delta variant could lead to a rise in new cases. "We can't pretend that corona is over," Merkel told reporters in Berlin. "Even though there's a feeling on such a warm summer's evening that it's all over, one can see from the example of Lisbon that things can quickly change." Portuguese authorities on Thursday banned travel in or out of the capital region over coming weekends in response to a spike in Delta variant cases. Earlier this week, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson pushed back the date for lifting restrictions on social contacts by four weeks as the government reported thousands of newly confirmed cases, mostly with the Delta variant. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez met Italian Premier Mario Draghi for bilateral talks on Friday to discuss the countries' post-pandemic strategies. The leaders met at the Albeniz Palace in Barcelona, which was constructed in the 1920s for the Spanish Royal Family and offers stunning views of the city. During the talks on the sidelines of the Spain-Italy Dialogue Forum, being held in Barcelona this Friday and Saturday, the leaders touched on the issues facing the southern border of the European Union, particularly migration. Sanchez and Draghi also spoke about digital transformation, climate issues and industrial cooperation. The Italian Prime Minister also received his second award while in Barcelona. It came from the "Foment del Treball Nacional", a business owners' union, which recognised his work and commitment to public service. Earlier, Draghi was awarded for his contribution to the European economy while he was president of the European Central Bank, between 2011 and 2019. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez on Thursday announced that the legal requirement to wear a mask outdoors will no longer be effective from Saturday (June 26), Spanish newspaper El Pais reported. At a business event, also attended by South Korean President Moon Jae-in who is on a state visit to Spain, Sanchez announced that this would be last weekend when people will be required to wear the face masks outdoors. Sanchez told reporters that the COVID-19 rule, first introduced in early May 2020 during the pandemics first wave, will now be scrapped at a special cabinet meeting scheduled for the coming Thursday. Furthermore, he added, that there have been plans in the pipeline for over a month, but the government has finally been able to decide on a specific date to end the mask advisory. The Spanish PM cited a significant decline in the new cases of the novel coronavirus, adding that nearly 50 percent of the Spanish population will have at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in few weeks. He told reporters that the countrys COVID-19 vaccination campaign has progressed at a cruising speed, and as many as 15 million people will have been vaccinated in just a matter of a few days. This will be the last weekend we wear masks outdoors as from June 26 we wont have to wear masks in outdoor public spaces anymore, said the Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez at the press conference. In a speech that he delivered in Barcelona, the Socialist Party (PSOE) leader furthermore added, Our streets, our faces, will start to regain their normal appearance in the coming days. Sanchez said that the decision was reached with the help of his chief epidemiologist Fernando Simon who had earlier said that the outdoor masks rule may be removed around mid-May. Although, this could not be implemented due to the surge in infections, nationwide. France scraps outdoor mask rule Spain's decision to lift the outdoor mask advisory comes just days after France and Germany made a similar announcement. France, earlier yesterday, announced that it was ending the mandatory mask protocol, and also removing the night curfew in an effort to relax some of the coronavirus restrictions. At a news conference, Prime Minister Jean Castex said that Frances COVID-19 curfew would be lifted on Sunday, approximately 10 days earlier than expected. This was made possible as France registered only 3,900 confirmed cases of coronavirus cases per day, which slumped from the previously reported 35,000 cases per day during the March and April peak, last year. Iran began voting Friday in a presidential election tipped in the favour of a hard-line protege of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, fueling public apathy and sparking calls for a boycott in the Islamic Republic. State-linked opinion polling and analysts put hard-line judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi as the dominant front-runner in a field of just four candidates. Former Central Bank chief, Abdolnasser Hemmati, is running as the race's moderate candidate but hasn't inspired the same support as outgoing President Hassan Rouhani, who is term-limited from seeking the office again. If elected, Raisi would be the first serving Iranian president sanctioned by the U.S. government even before entering office over his involvement in the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988, as well as his time as the head of Iran's internationally criticised judiciary - one of the world's top executioners. It also would firmly put hard-liners in control across the Iranian government as negotiations in Vienna continue over trying to save Tehran's tattered nuclear deal with world powers as it enriches uranium to the closest point yet to weapons-grade levels. Tensions remain high with both the U.S. and Israel, which is believed to have carried out a series of attacks targeting Iranian nuclear sites and assassinating the scientist who created its military atomic program decades earlier. Polls opened at 7 a.m. local time for the vote, which has seen widespread public apathy after a panel under Khamenei barred hundreds of candidates, including reformists and those aligned with Rouhani. Khamenei cast the ceremonial vote from Tehran, where he urged the public to take part. "Through the participation of the people the country and the Islamic ruling system will win great points in the international arena, but the ones who benefit first are the people themselves," Khamenei said. "Go ahead, choose and vote." There are more than 59 million eligible voters in Iran, a nation home to over 80 million people. However, the state-linked Iranian Student Polling Agency has estimated a turnout of just 42%, which would be the lowest ever since the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Fears about a low turnout have some warning Iran may be turning away from being an Islamic Republic a government with elected civilian leadership overseen by a supreme leader from its Shiite clergy to a country more tightly governed by its supreme leader. As supreme leader, Khamenei has final say on all matters of state and oversees its defense and atomic program. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Votes were being counted on Saturday after Iranians went to the polls in a presidential election dominated by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's hard-line protege after the disqualification of his strongest competition. The disqualification has fuelled apathy in voters, with some polling places largely deserted, despite pleas to support the Islamic Republic at the ballot box. Opinion polling by state-linked organizations, along with analysts, indicated that judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi - who already is under U.S. sanctions - was the front-runner in a field of only four candidates. Former Central Bank chief Abdolnasser Hemmati is running as the moderate candidate but hasnt inspired the same support as outgoing President Hassan Rouhani, who is term-limited from seeking office again. As night fell, turnout appeared far lower than in Irans last presidential election in 2017. Balloting came to a close at 2 a.m. Saturday, after the government extended voting to accommodate what it called crowding at several polling places nationwide. Paper ballots, stuffed into large plastic boxes, were to be counted by hand through the night, and authorities said they expected to have initial results and turnout figures Saturday morning at the earliest. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) On Friday, June 18, clashes erupted between Opposition lawmakers and supporters with police at the Balochistan Assembly when police arrived at the assembly to open gates that were locked by opposition parties during the budget session. Talks turned intense between police personnel and Opposition lawmakers, which lead to a tense situation. Amid massive demonstrations by opposition lawmakers and their supporters, the budget session in Pakistan's Balochistan Assembly started a few hours later than the scheduled time. Dawn newspaper reported, protesting over the issue of unfair distribution of funds, opposition lawmakers had blocked access to the provincial assembly premises to prevent the presentation of the provincial budget for the new fiscal year. The opposition members locked up the assembly gates and prevented administrative officials from opening the gates due to which the session could not commence for two hours. Also, the opposition members and their supporters clashed with police personnel. This comes as the opposition lawmakers from the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Balochistan National Party-Mengal, and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami party have been protesting for several days against their neglected constituencies in the budget. On Thursday, opposition parties had blocked national highways passing through many cities and towns of Balochistan. According to the Pakistani daily, the protesters had chanted slogans against the provincial government and alleged that non-elected politicians were being granted funds and members of the provincial assembly from the opposition were being ignored just because they did not belong to the ruling party. Earlier on June 11, the Pakistani Opposition, with placards in hand, protested against Imran Khan's govt as Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin presented the budget for the year 2021-22. Imran Khan Tells Pakistan Cops 'no Holy Cows' Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan going overboard in his attempt to crack down on corruption made an odd statement asking the police to act against lawbreakers regardless of their position. He said that there were no holy cows and law enforcers should not be worried about anything while performing their duties. Stressing on the importance of effective policing, the PM said a country generates more revenue when its law-and-order situation is stable because it ensures the safety of investments. The capital (Islamabad) houses foreign embassies and missions, and when the environment is safe and secure (in the city), it has a big effect on visitors, and this leads to prosperity in the country, he said. The Prime Minister said the law enforcement does not mean putting only poor vendors in jail. Instead, police should rather be lenient to them but strict to the powerful law violators, he added. (With ANI input) (Image credit: AP/REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE) As India still struggles to battle the second wave of COVID, many countries across the world are moving towards mask-free and Coronavirus free nations. Some countries have successfully won the pandemic crisis and are managing to keep up the recovery process. Here's a list of countries where people are living a pre-pandemic life in a post- COVID situation. USA In April, President Joe Biden had said that Americans vaccinated against COVID-19 no longer need to mask up outdoors when there is no crowd. Later in May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the month of May, put a halt to the mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people, allowing them to stop wearing masks outdoors in crowds and in most indoor settings. Fully vaccinated people were however required to wear masks on aeroplanes, buses, trains, and other public transportation. To date, the US has reported a total of 3.35 Cr COVID active cases and 6.01 lakh deaths. China China is the country where the first case of Coronavirus infection was reported, it also happens to be one of the first to go mask-free. Although masking up was once required at all public venues, authorities now say people dont need to do so while outdoors, at public gatherings or when theyre in places that have good air circulation. Still, people are subjected to mandatory mask-wearing rules nationwide at hospitals and transport hubs. The new guidelines also suggested people who have a fever or respiratory symptoms avoid attending gatherings. So far, 91,534 COVID cases are reported in China and 4,636 deaths. New Zealand New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern received praises for handling the pandemic situation so well. Its because of the government's quick actions and decisions, New Zealand today is mask-free. To date, the country has reported just 2,714 COVID cases and 26 deaths. Israel Israel was the first country to remove the mandatory face mask rule as in April, it declared itself COVID-free. So far, Israels 70% of the population has been vaccinated. The country reported no new COVID-19 cases since April 24 as the lockdown measures curbed the infection. To date, Israel has reported a total of 3.44 lakh COVID cases and 6,427 deaths. Bhutan Bhutan was able to combat the novel coronavirus without even going under a lockdown, despite sharing its border with China. Bhutan won the battle against Covid through timely actions, preventive measures, and its vaccination drive which was able to vaccinate more than 90 per cent of its adult population in just two weeks. The country has reported 1,882 deaths and 1 death. (Image Credit: UNSPLASH) As the US Military is in process of withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan, all is seemingly not well in the region as the donations to the Afghan Taliban forces have increased significantly in the regions bordering Pakistan, according to locals. Voice of America (VOA) news, citing multiple sources and eyewitnesses, has reported that fundraising for the Taliban has continued in various parts of Pakistan. One of the residents from Duki in Balochistan informed VOA that Taliban Militants stay with coal miners in the nearby mountains and come to the bazaar area every Friday to ask for 5,000-10,000 Pakistani rupees from shopkeepers which is equivalent to $50 to $70. Earlier this practice of seeking donations was restricted only to a few mosques but now the donations is being asked from shopkeepers as well. A member of the Balochistan assembly which is a disputed territory under the control of Pakistan, has also said that Taliban militants openly hold fundraising campaigns in several districts of the province. According to VOA, the sources including Balochistan assembly members have requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue and the fear of retribution from the Taliban. A resident of Quetta said he has frequently seen Taliban militants at mosques, adding that once on a Friday, a Talib (Taliban member) with long hair gave a five-minute speech where he said others should support them financially as they were fighting for their cause. It is also being said that Taliban militants have become stronger since the US and NATO allies decided to withdraw their troops from the region. However, donations are one of the many sources of funds for the Taliban. They collect double the tax gathered by Afghan authorities, from smuggling, transportation of oil, narcotics, weapons, and local cultivation and in Ramadan, they also receive huge alms from Islamic countries, a reporter and analyst of the Afghanistan-Pakistan region told VOA. Pakistan as usual been in denial and maintained that it has strict laws to curb terror financing and that it prosecutes individuals and groups accused of fundraising for militants. It has even boasted of conducting high profile arrest of Hafiz Saeed and sentencing to 11 years in prison for terrorism-financing charges, however, several experts believe it is a cover to escape the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) blacklisting. UN concerned about Taliban crisis A panel of UN experts said this month that violence perpetrated by Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan continues to hamper the peace negotiations with the Afghanistan government. The U.N. experts, who monitor sanctions against the Taliban, predicted more violence in the run-up to their departure, raising a significant question as to how would the Afghanistan military manage without any external support. A peace deal that Washington brokered with the Taliban and signed in February 2020 was aimed at bringing American troops home and ending more than four decades of relentless wars following the 1979 Afghan invasion by forces from the former Soviet Union. Negotiations between the Taliban and Afghan representatives began last September in Doha, Qatar and continued earlier this year. But the Taliban announced on April 13 -- a day before President Joe Bidens announcement that all U.S. troops would leave by Sept. 11 -- that it would not take part in any conference intended to decide the future of Afghanistan until all foreign troops were gone. A European Union (EU) envoy, who has served for years in Ethiopia, has claimed that the countrys leaders were planning an ethnic cleansing of the minority Tigrayans. Speaking at a question and answer session with European Parliament Committee, Finnish Foreign Affairs Minister Pekka Haavisto, said that Ethiopian leaders had told him that they are going to wipe out the Tigrayans for 100 years. Haavistos comments also sparked a reaction with the Ethiopian foreign ministry which denounced the claim as ludicrous, adding that the claim was a hallucination of sorts or a lapse in memory of some kind. What did Haavisto say? Earlier in February, the Finnish lawmaker had said that he had a meeting with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and other key members about the growing humanitarian crisis in the Tigray region. Recalling the same intensive meeting, Haavisto said it was then that the lawmakers told him that they destroyed all the minorities of the 6 million-strong region. When I met the Ethiopian leadership in February they really used this kind of language, that they are going to destroy the Tigrayans, they are going to wipe out the Tigrayans for 100 years and so forth," the envoy said. If you wipe out your national minority, well, what is it?" Haavisto added. "You cannot destroy all the people, you cannot destroy all the population in Tigray. And I think that's very obvious, that we have to react, because it looks for us like ethnic cleansing. It is a very, very serious act if this is true." Since November last year, the Tigray region has been hit by the crisis -not only physical but also emotional. According to reports by rights groups, every year hundreds of children die due to famine and hunger, others die by war. On one side of the battle are the resident of Tigray and on the other end are the countrys military joined by Eritrean forces and Amhara regional forces. Earlier in February, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on the African Union and other international partners to help address a deepening crisis in Ethiopias Tigray region. Image: AP Nepal's President Bidya Devi Bhandari has told the Supreme Court that the House of Representatives has been dissolved under constitutional provisions. She said that neither the court can overturn its decision in the matter, nor can it do the judicial review. For the second time in just five months, Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari dissolved the lower house of the Nepal parliament on May 22. President Bidya Devi Bhandari defends her decision in SC President Bhandari announced to hold snap elections on 12 and 19 November. In the clarification on behalf of the President, Article-76 of the Constitution has been cited, under which no action of the President can become the subject of a petition. It cannot even become a matter of judicial review. President Bhandari referred to Clause 16 of the Remunerations and Benefits of the President and Vice President Act-2017 that gives immunity to the President. At present, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is leading a minority government after losing the trust vote in the House of Representatives. Nepal Prime Minister KP Oli on June 17 defended his governments decision to dissolve the House of Representatives in the Supreme Court. He also told the apex court that it is not the judiciarys call to appoint a prime minister. As per reports, Oli told the apex court of the country that it cannot undertake legislative and executive functions of the state. While the President and Prime Minister defended their decisions, Speaker Sapkota has called the House dissolution an unconstitutional move. The Supreme Court of Nepal had issued a show-cause notice to the Office of the Prime Minister and the Presidents Office to produce a written response within 15 days. Nearly 30 writ petitions including the one by the Opposition alliance have been filed against the dissolution of the House of Representatives in Nepal in the apex court. The Supreme Court has also started hearing on the case and regular hearings will reportedly resume from June 23. IMAGE: PTI Inputs from PTI Armenians will head to the polls Sunday for a snap parliamentary election which follows a political crisis that has engulfed the former Soviet nation ever since last year's fighting over the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian called the early vote after facing months of protests demanding his resignation following Armenia's defeat in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan, its neighbour in the Caucasus Mountains region south of Russia. A Moscow-brokered peace agreement signed in November ended six weeks of fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces, but saw Azerbaijan reclaim control over large parts of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas that had been held by Armenian forces for more than a quarter-century. Thousands of Armenians took to the streets in Yerevan and some broke into government buildings, denouncing it as a betrayal of their national interests and demanding that Pashinian step down. He rejected the demand but eventually called the vote in the apparent hope that it would assuage public anger and allow him to remain in power. "This is very much a referendum, or an election defined by security or more correctly, insecurity given the unexpected and very much unprecedented loss in the war for Nagorno-Karabakh," Richard Giragosian, director of the Yerevan-based Regional Studies Centre, told The Associated Press. "The attack by Azerbaijan, with Turkish military support, has redefined the political landscape in Armenia," he said. Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but was under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by the government in Yerevan since a separatist war ended in 1994, leaving the region and substantial surrounding territory in Armenian hands. Hostilities flared in late September 2020, and the Azerbaijani military pushed deep into Nagorno-Karabakh and nearby areas in six weeks of fighting involving heavy artillery and drones that killed more than 6,000 people. Pashinian, who came to power after leading large street protests in 2018 that ousted his predecessor, has defended the deal as a painful but necessary move that prevented Azerbaijan from overrunning the entire Nagorno-Karabakh region. In Sunday's election, more than 2,000 polling stations will open across Armenia, with nearly 2.6 million people eligible to vote. The ballot includes 21 political parties and four electoral blocs, but two political forces are seen as the main contenders: the ruling Civic Contract party led by Pashinian and the Armenia alliance, led by former President Robert Kocharyan. Pashinian, a 46-year-old former journalist, seemingly continues to enjoy broad support despite the humiliating defeat in Nagorno-Karabakh and demonstrations demanding his resignation. When opposition protests swelled in Yerevan, he drew thousands into the streets to rally in his support. During his final campaign rally Thursday, Pashinian told a crowd of around 20,000 supporters in Yerevan that "after eight months of hell, after we entered the war, we've come to this stage, this election race." Kocharyan, a Nagorno-Karabakh native who was president between 1998 and 2008, ran on promises of reinforcing the country's shaken security, encouraging economic growth and reconciling a society divided by the war and the political tensions. Alexander Iskandaryan, founding director of the Yerevan-based Caucasus Institute, believes that those who would vote for Kocharyan don't support him as much as they dislike Pashinian. "It's not about people who love Kocharyan. Maybe there are some, but not a lot. The majority of people who would vote for Kocharyan are people who hate Pashinian," Iskandaryan told the AP. While voters remain polarized, recent media reports cite polls showing Pashinian's party and Kocharyan's bloc neck and neck, and it's unclear if either will be able to win 54% of parliament seats necessary to form a government. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) In a rare move, the U.N. General Assembly on Friday condemned Myanmars military coup and called for an arms embargo against the country in a resolution that demonstrated widespread global opposition to the junta and demanded the restoration of the countrys democratic transition. Supporters had hoped the 193-member U.N. General Assembly would approve the resolution unanimously by consensus, but Belarus called for a vote. The measure was approved with 119 countries voting yes, Belarus voting no and 36 countries abstaining including Myanmars neighbors China and India, along with Russia. U.N. special envoy Christine Schraner Burgener warned the General Assembly after the vote that the risk of a large-scale civil war is real. Time is of the essence, she said. The opportunity to reverse the military takeover is narrowing and regional threat increasing. The resolution was the result of lengthy negotiations by a so-called Core Group including the European Union and many Western nations and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations known as ASEAN, which includes Myanmar. A U.N. diplomat said there was an agreement with ASEAN to seek consensus. But in the vote, its members were divided. Myanmar, whose U.N. ambassador supports the ousted democratic government, voted yes along with Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines while Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Brunei abstained. Even though the resolution didnt get the overwhelming support its backers hoped for, the action by the General Assembly, while not legally binding, reflects international condemnation of the Feb. 1 coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyis party from power and put her under arrest along with many government leaders and politicians, as well as strong opposition to the military crackdown on protesters demanding an end to the armys takeover. Schraner Burgener, the U.N. envoy, told the assembly: Inclusive political dialogue is urgently needed. We must continue to call for maximum restraint and condemn all forms of violence, she said. The resolution also addresses another major issue facing Myanmars military - its relations with ethnic minorities, especially Rohingya Muslims in northern Rakhine state. Over 700,000 Rohingya fled a military crackdown in in 2017 and are now in camps in Bangladesh. The General Assembly expressed concern over the human rights of the Rohingya and other minorities, singling out the denial of citizenship to almost all Rohingyas and reiterating the responsibility of the Myanmar armed forces to respect the human rights of all persons in Myanmar. The resolution called on Myanmars armed forces to immediately facilitate a visit by Schraner Burgener. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) A bus carrying mineworkers ran off a road in the Peru on Friday, leaving at least 27 people dead, according to local officials and the mining company. Fire Department Lt. Hugo Meza said the accident in the province of Lucanas left dead and injured passengers scattered along the hillside. At least 13 workers were injured. We are all devastated by this news and we have already started a thorough investigation," said Ignacio Bustamante, chief executive officer of London-based Hochschild Mining. "However, our immediate priorities are to support those involved in the accident and their families and to work together with the relevant authorities. Police said they did not immediately know why the accident occurred. Those aboard the bus were heading from the Pallancata gold and silver mine to the city of Arequipa. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Funeral workers in Colombia are struggling to dispose of bodies as the country experiences a surge in deaths from COVID-19. According to health officials, 596 people died from the disease in Colombia on Thursday, a threefold figure compared to April. At a cemetery in Zipaquira, a town about 40km from the capital city of Bogota, staff said they are working overtime to cremate the bodies of COVID-19 victims. Every day the cemetery cremates about 12 bodies, which is as much as it can handle. On Thursday, Bogota's city government acknowledged that funerary ovens in the city were starting to fall behind schedule due to the high number of deaths. Bodies of coronavirus victims that cannot be immediately cremated, as per government regulation, are being held in freezers. Health regulations don't allow people who have contracted COVID-19 to have visits while in the hospital. Many did not have contact with their loved ones before their death. Next week Colombia is expected to reach the grim milestone of 100,000 deaths from COVID-19. New infections show few signs of slowing down as new, more contagious variants spread in the country. While vaccination has accelerated somewhat over the past month, only about 9% of Colombia's population is fully vaccinated. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Hundreds of Indigenous tribal members have been protesting legislation put forth by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro to legalize mining and logging on Indigenous reserves, saying the law could pose an existential threat to the tribes. Tribal groups have gathered together to stage daily protests outside the Congress since the legislation was introduced this week, prompting Congressional leaders to postpone the vote. Illegal mining and logging are causing increasingly violent clashes between Indigenous tribes in Brazil's reservations and illegal operations are flaunting the restrictions on commercial exploitation in the reservations. The Bolsonaro Government has had to deploy the Army and police forces to reservations to quell particularly violent clashes in the last few months that have claimed the lives of both illegal miners and local Indigenous members. Bolsonaro has been outspoken about his desire to legalize mining in Indigenous territories which is not allowed under Brazil's constitution and to promote development in the Amazon. Activists say about 20,000 illegal miners are suspected of working within the Yanomami Indigenous Territory, which is Brazil's largest Indigenous reserve and roughly the size of Portugal. About 27,000 Indigenous people live on that land. The country's Supreme Court has ruled against efforts to open Indigenous reserves to commercial interests in the past, stating the reserves are inviolate and off limits to commercial development. The current bill, PL 490, is aimed at establishing 1988 as the cut-off date for establishing Indigenous reserves, which activists say would ignore the ancestral nature of Indigenous claims on reservation lands and violate legal restrictions on development in the reserves. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) With anger in the province rising, hundreds protested against the Northern Ireland Protocol in the Ulster town of Newtownards on Friday evening. Agreed between the UK and the EU as part of the Brexit withdrawal deal, the new arrangements, designed to keep an open border between Ireland and its northern neighbour, have incensed Unionists in Northern Ireland, who claim they weaken ties with the rest of the UK. Critics claim it has created a border down the Irish Sea. Britain and the EU are locked in an escalating diplomatic feud over Northern Ireland, the only part of the UK that borders the 27-nation bloc. At the protest on Friday, Heather Ramsay told Sky News the protocol is "diluting" unionism with Britain. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) The United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Germany, France and Italy. Blinken is scheduled to travel to Berlin, Paris, Rome, Vatican and Italian cities of Bari and Matera from June 22-29. He will attend the Second Berlin Conference on Libya to support national elections in December and the withdrawal of foreign forces. The US Secretary will participate in G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Italy. Blinken to hold meetings with heads of nations Blinken is scheduled to meet heads of nations and foreign ministers on his tour to these countries scheduled from June 22 to June 29. To highlight the importance of the US Germany relationship in addressing common challenges and priorities, according to the press statement. Blinken will have a meeting with Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas. He will also hold a meeting with Libyan and other foreign leaders to discuss mutual concerns. Look forward to an important trip to Germany, France, and Italy. Ill meet foreign leaders to express our commitment to the Transatlantic Alliance, discuss Libya, co-chair the D-ISIS Ministerial, and address key issues at the G20. Were stronger when we face challenges together. Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) June 18, 2021 On June 25, Secretary Blinken will have a discussion with France President Emmanuel Macron and Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on global security and about recovering from the pandemic, according to the press statement. The US Secretary will also meet with Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD) Secretary-General Mathias Cormann. They are scheduled to discuss on economic priorities, international taxation and US chairmanship of the 60th anniversary Ministerial Council Meeting in October. Blinken is scheduled to co-chair a meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. He will participate in a Syria Ministerial to discuss the crisis in Syria. He will have bilateral meetings with President Sergio Mattarella and Foreign Minister Di Maio to underscore the US-Italy partnerships important role in addressing key global priorities. Secretary Blinken will head to Vatican where he will meet with senior Holy See officials to discuss on freedom of religion or belief and tackling the climate crisis. IMAGE: AP Officers could be punished for authorizing use of stockpiled food, fuel and medicine. In a photo taken on December 17, 2019 Korean People's Army (KPA) soldiers make their way to pay their respects to late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, on the anniversary of his death, at Mansu Hill in Pyongyang. A North Korean investigation into military combat reserve supplies has revealed shoddy maintenance and discrepancies between inventory records and actual supplies of food, fuel and medicine, sources in the military told RFA. North Koreas total military personnel of 1.47 million in 2018 ranked it third in the world that year, behind only China and India, and the country remains technically at war with South Korea and its ally the United States. In accordance with Central Military Commission order 0035 issued in early June, we are conducting an intensive inspection of the storage maintenance status of combat reserve supplies, a member of the North Korean military in the northwestern province of North Pyongan told RFAs Korean Service Wednesday. The Ministry of Peoples Armed Forces, the General Staff Department, the General Political Bureau, the General Rear Services Bureau and the Military Security Command of the Korean Peoples Army have jointly organized inspection teams and have been inspecting the storage maintenance status of combat reserve supplies for all military units since June 10th, said the source, who requested anonymity to speak freely. According to the source, the ministry and the staff department inspect units of corps level or above twice per year and three times per year for divisions and brigades, and once per quarter for units of the regiment level or lower. The regular inspection in the first half of this year has revealed a lot of issues such as poor maintenance of wartime reserve supplies and insufficient quantity compared to written records. This is why the Partys Central Military Commission has issued a special inspection order, the source said. Because of the serious issues in the storage and maintenance of combat reserve supplies were reported to the Central Party, this special inspection was organized, said the source. In addition to the punishment of those who are found at fault in the military-wide intensive inspection, the project to distribute combat reserve materials according to demand will also be under review," said the source. All units have been specifically asked whether they comply with the directive that requires them to create combat reserve supplies by contributing five percent of the daily supplies guaranteed by the state and of military supplies they themselves produce, the source said. The inspection is underway simultaneously in all branches of the military and all units, according to the source. Another military member in North Hamgyong province in the countrys northeast told RFA Thursday that commanding officers of all ranks and staff members are worried because they could face immediate punishment for not properly maintaining reserve supplies or if the supplies they manage are damaged or otherwise not usable. The main focus of this inspection is on supplies like wartime fuel, food, combat suites and medicine. All units typically lack fuel, food and medicine so they often secretly dip into their reserves, the second source said. This is why a lot of units have less supplies in reserve than what is listed in records. Since the start of the inspection, officers are quickly seeking help from social institutions or the wealthy class to fill their shortages. According to 2019 data from the CIA World Factbook, North Korea spent between 22 and 24 percent of its GDP, or roughly U.S. $3.7 billion to $4.2 billion each year between 2007 and 2017. Reported by Myungchul Lee for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Jinha Shin. Written in English by Eugene Whong. Blast was one of six Friday explosions in largest city Yangon. Screen shot of a video obtained by RFA showing the aftermath of an explosion in Yangon, Myanmar, June 18, 2021 Six bombs exploded in three different locations in Myanmars largest city Yangon today, including at the headquarters of a political party backed by the countrys military, witnesses told RFA. A Yangon rescue official told Reuters that two of the bombs killed two people and injured five others. Bomb attacks have occurred frequently as people across Myanmar continue to resist the military junta that deposed the countrys democratically elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy (NLD) party on Feb. 1, citing unsupported election fraud claims. Anti-junta forces have attacked targets associated with the military in what the junta describes as acts of terrorism by those aligned with the NLD. One of the six blasts in Yangon Friday occurred near a bus stop in front of the offices of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), an army proxy party that fared badly in 2020 elections and supported the coup, witnesses said. Witnesses told RFAs Myanmar Service that a car bomb exploded near a military vehicle parked in front of the office, in Yangons Tamwe township. "It was very loud. I was near my sisters, and even the houses shook a little. We found out that some people were injured. I also heard the sound of ambulances, a woman living nearby, who declined to be named, told RFA. Several other Tamwe residents told RFA that the military vehicle had been parked near the bus stop in front of the USDP offices since June 14, during an anti-junta protest by youth on the occasion of Cuban revolutionary leader Che Guevaras birth anniversary. The residents said they had seen at least 10 soldiers on board the military vehicle previously, but they did not know if there were any soldiers on it during the bombing. They said they believed that there were casualties because ambulances arrived at the scene. RFA is still investigating whether anyone was injured in the blast. Two other bombs went off on a nearby Yangon street on Friday, injuring two civilians, according to residents. The Reuters report said that according to Win Thu, vice chairman of the Yangon Rescue Committee, the first of the two explosions killed a soldier and the second killed a passenger riding in a taxi. The explosions also injured five members of the security forces and the taxi driver. Another Yangon resident told RFA that four more bombs exploded near the town hall in Hlaing Thayar township in the western part of the city. Junta statement denied In the countrys central Magway region, people who witnessed the burning of Kin Ma village on Tuesday told RFA that the junta misrepresented events in statements and a video it had released. RFA reported Wednesday that four elderly villagers were killed when a fire tore through Kin Ma, destroying about 250 houses and sending 1,000 people fleeing to safety in nearby mountains. According to a statement by the junta on Wednesday, security forces patrolling the village were ambushed by gunmen who had taken a position inside the houses, and it was the gunmen who started the fire as they fled. Junta-controlled TV said troops were trying to clear terrorists from Kin Ma and found the village burning. The report said troops helped extinguish the fire. On Thursday, the junta said that reports that conflicted with their version of events were untrue. They blamed a local peoples defense force (PDF), one the many fighting forces that have sprung up across Myanmar to fight junta troops after the coup, for starting the fire at the house of USDP member Kyaw Htay. Witnesses told RFA that the juntas statement was false. Theres a school in the eastern part of the village. The fire started in the house behind the school. It was not a USDP members house. She is one of my neighbors and I knew her, a Kin Ma resident who lived near the house told RFA. Before you reach the eastern part of the village, there is a little creek, and the soldiers first had a shootout there with the local PDF. There was a lot of gunfire and the soldiers set fire to a small hut nearby, she said. The witness said that when the PDF retreated, the junta soldiers entered the village. After they entered the village, they were cursing and challenging the PDF members to fight. The PDF leader was near the school and another shootout broke out. He was no match for them because they were so many. After that they set fire to the first house they came upon, she said. This file photo shows the aftermath of the burning of Kin Ma village, Magway region, Myanmar. Credit: RFA Another resident said many others witnessed the military torching houses. The video we saw did not show that the villagers set fire to their own village. We dont have electricity or phone lines in Kin Ma, but the video put out by the junta clearly shows lampposts and electric wires, the second Kin Ma resident said. The military never dares to speak the truth. They never tell the truth. We have many eyewitness accounts of their arson attack, said the second resident. It was not immediately clear to RFA which video the second villager was referring to. The day after the fire, the villagers returned to their burnt houses in the village and cleared the debris and then fled again when soldiers came back, the witnesses said. Another Kin Ma resident told RFA Friday that people there are now homeless and in need of shelter and medical assistance. The problem is getting food, clothes and medicine. Its because this village is almost completely destroyed. A few have returned but they are still very scared. There are currently not many people living in the village, the third villager said. The junta has said that NLD party members, extremists and some of the members of the media have deliberately accused security forces of setting the fire in an attempt to mislead the public and the international community. RFA was unable to reach the juntas Deputy Information Minister Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun for comment. The parallel National Unity Government (NUG) said Thursday that the incident showed that the militarys leader Sr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing and the armed forces under his command are unwilling to comply with international calls to stop violence. The U.S. embassy in Yangon Thursday condemned the burning of Kin Ma on Twitter Thursday. These horrific acts are consistent w/ past atrocities committed against ppl of all ethnicities & religions. The military cont to demonstrate a complete disregard for human life, the embassy said. Two dozen die in detention Data compiled by RFA and by the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) show that since the Feb. 1 coup, 24 people have died while in custody of the junta forces, who continue to arrest NLD members, their supporters, and civilians. The latest two victims are Chit Ko and Sein Win from Kun Site village in the central Mandalay regions Myingyan township, whose bodies were discovered Wednesday near the village. Sources said the police and the military took the bodies away. The two men were tortured to death during interrogations, the AAPP said in its daily coup briefing on Friday. The two were part of a group of 38 betel growers arrested and detained at the Myingyan No. 2 police station on Tuesday after two unidentified men in Kun Site stabbed the townships former USDP chairman Myint Kyaw. A resident of Myingyan who declined to be named for security reasons told RFA that the police did not return the bodies to the community. The village abbot went to ask for the dead bodies. Police said the bodies had already been buried, said the Myingyan resident. The others arrested along with Win Sein and Chit Ko said they did not know what happened because the two were not killed in front of them. I want the world to know about the unlawful arrests and inhumane torture of the military, the Myingyan resident said. Another resident who declined to be named told RFA that the stabbers remain at large. The guilty people admitted what they did and ran away. Chit Ko and Win Sein were taken to the police station for interrogation. The bodies can now be confirmed as theirs, but the bodies were not given back. The army has taken them away, the second Myingyan villager said. Myint Kyaw, the USDP member who was stabbed, is currently undergoing treatment at Mandalay hospital, residents said. Chit Ko was the son of the village NLD party chairman. Sources said his father went into hiding as the troops are currently stationed in the village. "The actions of the military are not acceptable under both domestic and international law. The killing of innocent people should no longer be tolerated by the international community, an AAPP member told RFA. The junta has openly committed crimes against humanity and war crimes. The international community as well as the people should make efforts to bring the military regime to justice. Chit Ko and Sein Win are the latest of seven people who died at interrogation centers within a day of their arrest since Feb. 1. Aung Myo Min, the NUGs human rights minister, said that torture violated international human rights. No one should ever be tortured Unlawful persecution and torture to the point of death are unacceptable. If there is a violation, the perpetrator has to be prosecuted accordingly as a deterrent so that such incidents can be prevented from happening again, said the minister. As of Friday 870 people have been killed and 4,983 have been arrested and are still detained since Feb. 1, according to AAPP figures. Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Kyaw Min Htun and Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Eugene Whong. We had to detain these agents to protect the young people, said a Karen National Defence Organisation spokesman. Karen people ride in a vehicle in Myawaddy district in Karen state, after fleeing from their village due to ongoing fighting between the Myanmar army and Democractic Karen Buddhist Army, June 2, 2021. Twenty-five men found dead last week at a bridge building site near Myanmars border with Thailand were spies for the military junta, not construction workers as claimed by authorities, a Karen rebel group spokesman said Friday while the political wing of the ethnic group said it would investigate the case. The Karen National Defence Organisation (KNDO), an armed group under the Karen National Union (KNU), detained 47 people, including women and children, who were working on a bridge construction site in eastern Kayan state, near the border with Thailand, on May 31, an official military newspaper reported Monday. According to the military-run Myawaddy newspaper, 22 of the group, including six women and 10 children, were released on June 1 and 9, while the bodies of the 25 remaining captives were found near the Uhu Chaung Bridge on June 11 and 12. One body was burned and six of the men had their hands tied behind their backs, the report said. A KNDO spokesman released a video Friday saying the slain men were not ordinary construction workers, but military intelligence officers who came to collect evidence of Myanmar youths undergoing military training in KNU territory. Thousands of citizens opposed to the junta that overthrew the government on Feb. 1 have fled to rebel territories on Myanmar's periphery to receive military training. We have a lot of evidence, together with photos, that the group that came to build the bridge near Kanelay village was a military intelligence group. We also have videos, said the spokesman in the video. If we didnt take action against the military agents, all the information about the young Generation Z people and the urban youth who had come to us for training would be exposed. We had to detain these agents to protect the young people, said the spokesman. The Irrawaddy, an independent online news outlet, quoted the spokesman for the KNDO chief of staff Major General Nerdah Bo Mya as saying the slain men wore military dress and were from infantry and engineering units. We shot some of them dead. But some were killed in shelling by the military, spokesman Saw Wah Nay Nu was quoted as saying. They were not road workers. They had military uniforms and badges. They had military equipment. We seized it all, he told The Irrawaddy. They sent drones every night for a month. We said we could not accept that. But they continued and we have had to do what we are supposed to do as we are fighting a war. It was because they didnt listen to us, added Saw Wah Nay Nu They always want to carry out area clearance operations. In fact, they have killed a lot of people. They (the victims) belonged to the engineering unit, said the KNDO spokesman. The juntas Southeast Military Command sent a letter to KNU on June 13 urging an investigation and the announced on June 16 that it would investigate the matter, reported the local KIC Karen News outfit. Padoh Saw Taw Ni, KNU's foreign affairs officer, told RFA that in cases when innocent civilians are killed, KNU follows international and local laws. "I do not know the details yet. As the statement says, we follow the Geneva Conventions because we work with international organizations, he said. Aung Myo Min, human rights minister for the National Unity Government and a longtime human rights activist, says the killing of detainees without a fair trial is unacceptable. "From a human rights point of view, even if it was during a war, killing without trial is completely unacceptable to us. Civilians should not be killed at all, he said. Inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment for a person is absolutely unacceptable in the eyes of any human rights group, added Aung Myo Min. According to The Irrawaddy, heavy clashes between the KNDO and junta troops in the area of the killings from May 31 to the first week of June had driven more than 200 villagers to flee to Thailand. Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Paul Eckert. Analysis of Chinese research shows policies are drive by intention to dilute the Uyghur population of Xinjiang. Uyghur teacher Qelbinur Sidik holds up a photograph of the hospital where she says she underwent a forced sterilization procedure on the first day of hearings at the "Uyghur Tribunal," a panel of UK-based lawyers and rights experts investigating alleged abuses against Uyghurs in China, in London, June 4, 2021. China appears to be taking measures to sharply reduce ethnic minority population growth in the southern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) under population optimization policies amid its crackdown on Uyghurs and other Muslims, according to a new report by a German researcher. Adrian Zenzs report indicates that Chinese birth control and population transfer policies could result in a large drop in births among Uyghurs of 2.6 million to 4.5 million by 2040, based on population projections by Chinese researchers. There are about 12 million Uyghurs in the XUAR. Official Chinese data presented in the 28-page report titled End the Dominance of the Uyghur Ethnic Group: An Analysis of Beijings Population Optimization Strategy in Southern Xinjiang, indicate that birth rates in the southern XUAR have dropped by 48.7 percent between 2017 and 2019, writes Zenz, an independent researcher with the Washington-based non-profit Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. The report on Chinas policy to reduce population growth in the Uyghur heartland comes at a time when Western nations and rights groups have called for a probe into Beijings policies in the XUAR internment camps, forced labor, and coercive birth control to determine whether they constitute genocide. China angrily denies it is committing atrocities or genocide in the XUAR. The peer-reviewed report includes research by Chinese officials and academics that show that policies in Xinjiang, such as mass sterilization of women, are driven by the view that the Uyghur populations size, concentration, and rapid growth are a national security threat that must be addressed. Based on official birth data, demographic projections, and ethnic ratios proposed by Chinese academics and officials, Zenz estimates that the policies could increase the Han population in the southern XUAR to about 25 percent from its current 8.4 percent. Zenz has published previous reports on abortions in the XUAR, forced labor, and the internment of an estimated one million Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in a network of camps. His work has been cited as evidence that the Uyghurs are being destroyed as a people by those making the case of genocide under the United Nations legal framework. Zenz and others note that the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide lists birth prevention targeting an ethnic group as an act that could qualify as genocide. China slams report Chinese officials have slammed Zenzs recent findings, as they have his other research on the mass detention of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim minorities within China's Xinjiang re-education camps, transfers of Muslim laborers to other regions, and birth reductions in the XUAR. In an op-ed published on June 10, the state-run TV outlet CGTN said Zenz was driven by spiritual beliefs to portray a slowdown in population growth in Xinjiang as evidence of deliberate policies to reduce the Uyghur population. No genocide is taking place in Xinjiang. Instead, a media-savvy mix of separatists and religious zealots are being used by frightened geopolitical rivals to distract China, isolate it diplomatically, and slow down its rise, it said. And Adrian Zenzs latest paper shows the desperation of the people manufacturing these lies laboring mightily yet futilely to sustain them, said CGTN. More than 30 witnesses and experts, including Zenz, provided testimony to a Uyghur Tribunal held in London on June 4-7 that aimed to gather evidence on whether the Chinese governments alleged human rights abuses in the XUAR constitute genocide. The nine members of the panel, which has no state backing, will hold a second round of hearings in September and are expected to issue a non-binding verdict in December. Beijings strategy in Xinjiang is not one of population destruction, but population control, Zenz said when discussing his findings at a June 10 hearing on the atrocities in the XUAR held by the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Its a mass atrocity without mass slaughter, one with human rights violations of historic proportions, but leading to a loss of millions of lives potentially. China has held up to 1.8 million Uyghurs in a network of detention camps since 2017. Beijing has said that the camps are vocational training centers or re-education centers and smaller numbers of Kazakhs and Kyrgyz, fellow Turkic speaking people, have also been incarcerated in the camp system. The democratic parliaments of Belgium, the Czech Republic, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Lithuania have passed motions determining that Chinas policies in the XUAR constitute genocide. The U.S. government in January designated abuses in the region as part of a campaign of genocide, and the German parliament is conducting an inquiry into the allegations. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has said that Poland's security services were scrambling to "secure the many inboxes" of ranking politicians victimized by an "external hack cooked up at the Kremlin." His statement on June 18 came after the chairman of the ruling Law and Justice party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, described a "large-scale" cyberattack on leading Polish politicians there that Kaczynski also said was launched from inside Russia. Kaczinski described the targets as "Poland's top officials, ministers, lawmakers of various political stripes." Two days earlier, Polish lawmakers held a closed-door session to mount a response to what a government spokesman said was an "unprecedented" attack. Many sides on EU and NATO member Poland's political landscape are staunch historical critics of Russia. Warsaw has been a leading voice for tough responses to Russia's seizure of Ukrainian territory in 2014 and its military buildup on its western border. It has also taken hard lines over Mosow's alleged poisoning of political opponents at home and abroad, election meddling, Kremlin support for a brutal crackdown on political dissent in neighboring Belarus, and ongoing cybercrime emanating from Russia. The e-mail account of Poland's COVID-19 vaccination chief, Michal Dworczyk, was reportedly hacked a week ago and purported messages posted on the Internet. Kaczynski said the cyberattack was intended to "destabilize our country." At their summit on June 16, U.S. President Joe Biden said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to further discussions on keeping certain types of critical infrastructure off-limits to cyberattacks. Biden also said they would hold additional talks on the pursuit of criminals carrying out ransomware attacks. NATO leaders this week denounced Moscow's "hybrid actions," "widespread disinformation campaigns," and "malicious" cyberactivities. Based on reporting by AFP and the Financial Times Russian authorities say they have detained a suspect after the body of an American graduate student who went missing this week in the Nizhny Novgorod region of Russia was thought to have been discovered after a three-day search. Police opened a criminal investigation when 34-year-old Catherine Serou was unaccounted for after she got into a car "with a stranger" earlier in the week. "Today, as a result of a large-scale search operation, the girl's body was discovered," the federal Investigative Committee said in a statement, without naming the victim. They said a local man in his 40s with previous convictions for "grave and especially grave crimes" had been detained "on suspicion of committing murder." Serou's mother, who is in Mississippi, told U.S. National Public Radio (NPR) that she last heard from her daughter in a text message that said: "In a car with a stranger. I hope I'm not being abducted." She said her daughter may have hitched a ride as she was in a hurry to reach a clinic where a payment had not gone through, the station said. Officers and more than 100 volunteers were said to have been searching a forested area outside the city, which is about 400 kilometers east of Moscow. Serou was a former Marine who served a tour in Afghanistan, NPR said. She had reportedly sold her California condominium two years ago to finance her trip to Russia to study the language before applying for law school. She enrolled in a master's program in law at Lobachevsky University in Nizhny Novgorod in the fall of 2019, according to NPR. A local Russian search-and-rescue group, Rys (Lynx), whose volunteers were helping in the search, posted news of the discovery of the body and expressed condolences to Serou's family. With reporting by RIA Novosti and AP The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Russian firefighters were battling a massive blaze at a fireworks depot in central Moscow on June 19. The sound of fireworks exploding rang through the air, while a big plume of smoke rose skywards. At least two firefighting helicopters were deployed to fight the flames. MANSFIELD -- The Ohio State University at Mansfield is now home to an official Ohio Historical Marker commemorating the last remaining pillar of the Ohio Standard Baseline (OSB). The Ohio Historical Markers Project, administered by the Ohio History Connection, allows local communities to identify, honor, and commemorate the important people, places and events that have contributed to their past and share these stories in a visible and lasting way. Krista Horrocks of the Ohio History Connection stated that there are approximately 1,750 markers across the state. The marker was unveiled Thursday morning on the west side of campus next to a simple concrete base located along the bike trail near the health sciences building. The pillar was one of eight installed as part of the campus first research project -- establishing a geodetic baseline. A geodetic baseline is a line between two points on the surface of the planet for which the precise distance and direction are known, according to Ozeas Costa, an associate professor of Earth sciences at OSU Mansfield. In 1953, Dr. T.J. Kukkamaki, then a professor in the Department of Geodetic Science at The Ohio State University, proposed establishing a baseline in Ohio that would be part of the worldwide efforts to accurately understand how the size and shape of the earth change over time. The OSB was constructed between 1965 and 1966 and consisted of a series of eight concrete pillars spaced along a 500-meter distance. The lone remaining pillar sits at the 250-meter point. Although it seems abstract at first glance, the science of geodesy has many practical purposes. Surveyors used it to determine property lines and develop boundaries between neighboring properties, townships and entire states. Determining the precise position of terminate points on the Earth's surface -- taking into account the shape, size and curvature of the planet -- is not an easy task, Costa said. Geodesy is also a crucial part of navigation -- whether its a smartphone GPS or space mission. If I'm sending an astronaut into space, and he has to land on Mars, for example, I need to be very precise, Costa added. It's like shooting a bullet on a moving target across town. I need to know exactly the speed that the target is moving and the distance between me and the target so I can hit the target. Other facets of earth science also rely on geodesy. Tectonic plate motions, earthquakes, sea level rise -- all that ties back to surveying and geospatial sciences, said Jeff Jalbrzikowski, Appalachian regional advisor for the National Geodetic Survey. The OSBs series of concrete pillars contained reflectors, mirrors and other specialized instruments for measuring distance using light waves. The equipment was so sensitive that it could detect the pressure of a finger on the cement block. When it was operational, the baseline could provide highly accurate measurements of the earth and be used as a reference point for calibrating surveying equipment. One of the reasons this is near and dear to our hearts is that Ohio State is a research university, including on our regional campuses, said Norman Jones, dean and director at OSU Mansfield.It's one of the things we pride ourselves on that our faculty are engaged in research and that many of our students get an opportunity to engage in research. Costa described the installation as one of global significance during its time. At the time that it was proposed, there were only six projects like that all over the globe. And this was the only one in North America, he said. The technology has since become obsolete due to advancements like satellites and laser technology, but Costa said it still remains an important part of geodetic history. Despite being highly precise technology, the OSB baseline was only used once due to ground stability issues and the fact that the technology was already becoming out-of-date. This type of technology really was phased out right around when this was constructed, Jalbrzikowski said It was an important research project, but it was almost behind its time. Jalbrzikowski encouraged young people interested in math and science to consider a career in geodesy. All the studies have shown that in the US, we're kind of falling behind, he said. It's really important for anyone considering entering that field to explore it. MANSFIELD Dionne Goodwin said the Juneteenth Festival on Saturday was only the beginning of bringing the major celebration back to the area. The owner and CEO of True Ballah Records hosted the event at John Todd Park with Darrell Smith of Smittys & Co and Cleve Gordan of Shirley A. Foundation. People came out and interacted with the vendors to enjoy a day commemorated nationwide. On Thursday, President Joe Biden signed a law making Juneteenth a federal holiday. It was the first national holiday established since Martin Luther Kings Birthday in 1983. It's good to see that the country is recognizing it as our Independence Day, Goodwin said. On June 19, 1865, two years after the passage of the Emancipation Proclamation, about 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas and announced that more than 250,000 enslaved black people were free. That day has been known as Juneteenth, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Goodwin said she was educated on the Black culture and the history of slavery as a youngster. Juneteenth has always been a holiday in her family. That is why when Smith reached out with the idea of hosting an event locally, she knew it was something she had to be part of, Goodwin said. Smith said Mansfield has not had a Juneteenth celebration on the same scale since 2005. The organizers put a lot of effort into making it happen this year, including establishing an organizing committee. Smith said they hope to collaborate with different organizations or individuals in the community. Wenda Burnom, independent consultant for Paparazzi Accessories, said having Juneteenth as a national holiday is over overwhelming. I feel so good to finally have the opportunity to have a freedom day, the vendor said while setting up pieces of jewelry on Saturday. We (the Black community) have worked so hard and we've gone through so much. Now, it's an opportunity for us to just feel that release that we can actually breathe and really be accepted and recognized and acknowledged. Burnom said she used to help with the big celebrations in downtown Mansfield and Richland County Fairgrounds. Some of those organizers have passed away. I hate that they weren't able to see this day because they would have been so, so happy, she said. Fayette Battle, owner of A JoDeloria and another vendor at the Saturday event, said she looks forward to the growth of celebration in the future with people of any ethnicity. It's not just (about) Black culture. It's all of us coming together, she said. Definitely come out and celebrate with us. Battle said she started making memorable gifts at her house two years ago. She incorporates the pictures of peoples loved ones with T-shirts, necklaces and many other things. The business picked up at a time when COVID-19 caused a lot of deaths. While the life lost was unfortunate, Battle said she was glad to help people ease the pain by offering something they can cherish after the loved ones passed away. Rocky Mount, NC (27804) Today Thunderstorms likely. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 79F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Widely scattered showers or a thunderstorm this evening. Then partly cloudy. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%. Customs and Border Protection officers direct a driver on who missed the last turn before entry into Canada on how to turn around at the Peace Arch border crossing into the U.S., Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Blaine, Wash. The border has been closed to nonessential travel since March 2020. Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin. In 1991, she had a vision for an Asia Town in San Diego. Three decades later, that dream has come to life. The winners received more than $15,000 altogether for their businesses Sanford, NC (27330) Today Thunderstorms. High 77F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%. Lee County deputies attempting to serve a misdemeanor warrant at home on Lower Moncure Road earlier this month wound up seizing 145 pounds of marijuana with an estimated street value of $349,728. The discovery was made June 6 when lawmen went to the home of Shaun Phillip Lowery, 44, who lives in the 3700 block of Lower Moncure Road, about 6.5 miles northeast of U.S. 1, serve a warrant on a charge of cyberstalking, according to a Lee County Sheriffs Office release. Lowery was not at the residence, but deputies detected an overwhelmingly strong odor of marijuana coming from the home, the release said. Narcotics investigators were called to the scene and detected the odor of marijuana in the driveway. The investigators obtained a search warrant for the residence and discovered the marijuana which had been processed and packaged in several forms, the release said. Investigators recovered vacuum-sealed packages each containing about a pound of marijuana, the release said, along with edible goods laced with pot also packaged for sale. They also found marijuana that had been converted into a liquid form and packaged into vape cartridges, the release said. Lowery turned himself in to authorities on Wednesday and has been charged with trafficking marijuana, manufacturing marijuana, maintaining a drug dwelling, packaging and sales of marijuana and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. He also was served with the cyberstalking warrant, the release said. Bail was set at $100,000. The busy week began Tuesday with two drug-related busts. Lyle Dudley Vanderwalker, 44, of the 3900 block of Center Church Road was arrested on charges of methamphetamine possession and traffic violations. A narcotics investigator stopped a gray Nissan Altima, operated by Vanderwalker, about 6:30 p.m. on Main Street in Broadway after noting the car had a fictitious registration plate, the release said. Investigators also found about 1 gram of crystal meth in Vanderwalkers possession, according to the release. Vanderwalker was charged with possessing crystal meth and cited on traffic violations to include driving on a suspended license, operating a vehicle without insurance and having the bogus license tag. Bail was set at $10,000. Two more drug-related arrests were made about 9:30 p.m., the release said. While investigating complaints about drugs, narcotics officers spotted a dark silver Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck leaving a home on Blacks Chapel Road near the Harnett County line. Agents are familiar with the residence and its occupants and this vehicle stood out as it was unfamiliar, the release said. They followed the pickup and noticed the driver committed several traffic violations, the release said. The truck was stopped and narcotics officers found two of the three people inside had drugs with them. Suzanne Robyn Halverson, 27, of Brush, Colorado, was charged with possessing crystal methamphetamine after investigators found her with about a gram, the release said. Richard Edward Oliver Jr., 41, of the 100 block of Oliver Road, Cameron, charged with possessing heroin after he was found to have a small amount of the drug with him. Both were charged with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia and bail was set at $5,000 each. CLIFTON PARK Shens top two students know what its like to overcome obstacles When you think about finding a summer job, you often think about teens looking for work. Thats definitely one situation. However, many different people are looking for summer jobs this year. No matter your age or experience, use these tips to find great summer jobs. Reasons To Look for Great Summer Jobs Obviously, teens and young adults often seek out summer jobs. Theyre between semesters at school. They want some extra pocket money. Moreover, they want to get some work experience under their belt before they head out into the workplace full-time. However, not only teens are looking for great summer jobs this year. Many people are on the job hunt. While some are looking for a permanent position, others are seeking something just for the summer. Examples include: Families that want to do work together during the summer months People who have been out of work for awhile and need to boost their budget Folks who are traveling for the summer and want to work their way as they go People with full-time jobs who want a side gig during the months of the year with lots of daylight No matter the reason, there are a ton of great summer jobs out there. You just need to know how to find them. 5 Solid Tips to Find Great Summer Jobs These tips to find great summer jobs apply no matter how old you are or what job you might seek this summer: 1. Treat The Job Search Like Its a Job Its tempting to put just a little bit of effort into your job search. After all, its summertime. You want to go enjoy your life, too. However, thats a mistake. You should treat the job search as though it is a job in and of itself. The more seriously you take the job search, the more likely it is that youll get the job that you want. How to Take a Job Search Seriously Commit to a schedule for your job search. It doesnt have to be 9-5. However, it should be comparable to a full-time job. Note that if you already have a full-time job and are looking for a second summer job, then your job search schedule would reflect that difference. In that case, you might commit to searching for three hours per night after work. Do your research. Decide what kind of job youre looking for. Then dig deep to find all of the opportunities available in your chosen area. Dont just browse the first Google search result and end there. Instead, put in effort to find all of the potential jobs out there. Dress the part, figuratively. In this case, that means taking the time to rework your resume. Write cover letters. Update your web presence. Everything related to your job search should look like youre the person who deserves the job. 2. Make Your Want, Will, Wont List This is a great way to make decisions about nearly anything in your life. Basically, you take three sheets of paper. Then you label one want, another will, and the last one wont. Then you brainstorm as many things as possible related to the question at hand. In this case, the question is what kind of summer job do I want? Tips to Find Great Summer Jobs You Actually Want to Work On your want list, youll put all of the qualities that you would desire in the perfect job. Consider: Preferred salary Desired / required hours Dress code Work environment Work duties Benefits Length of commitment Remote vs. in-office opportunities Who youll be working with Next, write your wont list. What are the things that you absolutely wont tolerate in a job? Theres no point in even applying to jobs that have items from your wont list. Finally, use that information to make your will list. These are the things that youll accept even though they arent your true wants. For example, you might want a job that pays $30 per hour. You definitely wont take a job that pays minimum wage. However, under the right conditions, you will take a job that pays $20 per hour. Knowing this information makes it much easier to search for a job. After all, you can easily filter out what wont work for you, focusing on what will. 3. Put the Word Out There and Network As Much As Possible Of all the important tips to find great summer jobs, this might be the most important. Yes, there are tons of job boards available online. Certainly, you do have a chance of getting those jobs, especially if you treat the job search like a job in and of itself. Nevertheless, its always better if you know someone to help you get the foot in the door. Therefore, you should make sure that you do as much as you can to network to find the jobs that youre seeking. First of all, this means that you have to put the word out there to your existing network. Let everyone know that youre searching. Moreover, tell them what youre searching for and dont hesitate to share why you think youre the perfect person for the job. Next, get into networking outside of your existing circle. Identify the types of jobs that you want for the summer. Then start heading to places where you can meet people hiring inside those jobs. Job fairs, business events, meetups these are all great ways to start meeting the people who can hire you this summer. 4. Ask for Help Its totally okay to ask other people for help in getting summer jobs. Think about your unique situation in order to find the people that you can ask. For example, if youre a student looking for a summer job, then you might want to ask your school counselor for assistance. They always have tips for finding great summer jobs. Plus they might provide you with a reference. If youve been unemployed for awhile and on assistance, then you might want to check with your unemployment counselor. Youd be surprised at how helpful they can be with tips for finding great summer jobs. Of course, they can help you find long-term solutions as well. Maybe you know someone who has the kind of company that you want to work for. You dont have to ask them for a job (although you could.) However, you might ask for a lunch meeting to pick their brain about how to get that job., You can also opt to find a job in freelance marketplaces like the ones below. Platforms Best For: Fiverr Finding Freelancers Bark Finding Unique Freelancers Appjobs Gig Economy Professionals 5. Create Your Own Summer Job You dont necessarily have to rely on someone else to hire you this summer. You can start your own job. If youre a teenager, then you might choose petsitting, babysitting or learning how to use social media for income. If youre older, then you might want to launch a side business, write an ebook or begin to sell your consulting services. You can try it out for the summer. Then, if you like it, you might grow it. Read More: If you enjoy reading our blog posts and would like to try your hand at blogging, we have good news for you; you can do exactly that on Saving Advice. Just click here to get started. Check out these helpful tools to help you save more. For investing advice, visit The Motley Fool. Food-lovers who stayed put in Seattle during the pandemic missed the Point Ruston Public Markets opening last summer: an impressive collection of local vendors in a multi-story building overlooking Puget Sound that deserves the drive for a day trip. Though significantly smaller than the Pike Place Market, it embodies a similar feel an eclectic selection of artists, food producers, unique stores, and small businesses with local ties. The vendor list includes familiar businesses like Macadons, which sells its macaron ice cream sandwiches in White Center as well, Owens Meats from Enumclaw, and Dancing Goats Coffee from Olympia. Farmers market favorites like Kings Mozzarella and La Pasta both have booths, and it hosts some single-location sweets vendors such as Only Oatmeal Cookies and Mimis Gourmet Cake Pops. Fardell Farms brings down their fruit and vegetables from Entiat, Bao Gardens sells flowers, and Jack + Adeline sells wild yeast breads. Between the food stalls, visitors shop Indigenous art from Speakthunder, succulents from Muddas Designs, and Northwest-inspired shirts from Dewdrops Perch. Point Ruston Public Market Point Ruston Public Market teems with the kind of high-quality products and culinary excitement that drives people to trek to Bow for the day in its daily incarnations. Then, on weekends, it steps up the effort. A rotating slate of food trucks and pop-ups set up in front, including Sweet Nothings and More, Tolu Fijian Cuisine, and Munch Munch Waffles. On Sundays, a farmers market wraps around the side of the building. The open stalls in the shared building and wide variety of vendors in terms of the stage their business is in, the type of company, and who they are really makes the market stand out from similar business collections. The diversity that we have here is something that's intentional and we're proud of it, says Assistant Market Manager Kim Archer. We all know that when you see people that look like you, you automatically feel welcome. Point Ruston Public Market Stacy Carkonen, the Public Market Manager, previously worked for the Tacoma Farmers Markets and came in armed with a deep rolodex of vendors, explains Archer and an equally deep commitment to a market that reflected the surrounding area. When we bring in artists and vendors from certain communities, those communities come to the market, Archer says. We are putting people here that look like the people that are in our community. As of right now, the market sits only about 70% full. After last summers opening, it idled through the worst of the pandemic. Were back to moving forward again, says Archer. One of the biggest struggles comes in getting building materials, so as construction finishes on additional sections of the market, the new businesses move into their permanent spots. One of the most recently opened sections, though, is not a business, but the attractive mezzanine with tables for eating and equipped with free wi-fi for remote workers. Point Ruston Public Market Viewed from the high deck, the new construction housing, hotels, and shops of Point Ruston in the foreground never shake the planned development feel. But given the areas history, it offers hope: in purchasing the land, the developers committed to turning the former smelter facility site from toxic superfund land into a usable area. Suddenly looking out over the green of Dune Peninsula at Point Defiance Park and the blue of Commencement Bay, bright purple Macadon in one hand, Fijian fried flatbread curry taco in the other, with art by tribal members of this lands original occupants, the Puyallup, hanging on the wall, Point Ruston seems a delicious success. For Eastside shoppers looking for a quick and easy grocery shopping experience, the first full-service Amazon Fresh grocery store with "Just Walk Out" shopping technology opened in Bellevue this week. Located at the Marketplace at Factoria, the store allows shoppers to simply "enter the store, grab what they want, and just go." For those who prefer to do their shopping with a cashier, traditional check-out lanes are also available. Just Walk Out works like this: upon entry to the grocery store, shoppers will be prompted on their phone to scan the QR code within the Amazon app or insert a credit card linked to their Amazon account. Anything shoppers remove from the shelves will be added to their cart; anything put back will be removed from their cart. Once finished, simply scan or insert your payment entry method again to exit. The Just Walk Out gates will only open automatically for shoppers who chose the virtual experience upon entry. Amazon Bringing Just Walk Out technology to a full-size grocery space with the Amazon Fresh store in Bellevue showcases the technologys continued ability to scale and adapt to new environments and selection," said Dilip Kumar, vice president of physical retail and technology at Amazon. "Im thrilled itll help even more customers enjoy an easier and faster way to shop and I cant wait to get their feedback on this latest Just Walk Out offering. Guests who choose the traditional grocery shopping experience will be prompted to enter through a designated exterior entrance. Once finished shopping, traditional checkout lines staffed with Amazon employees will be there to greet them. Customers can choose to pay using cash, card, Amazon One technology that allows patrons to use a palm scan to pay the in-store code in the Amazon app, or SNAP EBT. Amazon Shoppers who choose Just Walk Out shopping will receive a digital receipt while those who chose the more traditional experience will walk out with a paper copy. Shoppers who are Amazon members and chose the check-out lines will receive both. The new Bellevue store is open every day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Local top story Ghost Army exhibit in Keene brings long-deserved attention to unit Courtesy Mickey McKane, far right, is shown with fellow Ghost Army members during World War II. Third from left is McKanes friend Bill Blass, who became a famous fashion designer and was best man at McKanes wedding in Keene. Olivia Belanger / Sentinel Staff They were heroes, Keith McKane of Keene said of his father, Mickey McKane, and other members of the Ghost Army. And to not know if what they did worked Keith McKane was among those who attended an informal gathering Friday with U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster at the Historical Society of Cheshire County in Keene, which has a summer-long exhibit about the classified Army unit on display. Olivia Belanger / Sentinel Staff This is just an incredible story. And it really worked to deceive the Germans, U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster, shown at the Historical Society of Cheshire County in Keene on Friday, said of the Ghost Army's secret mission. You cant miss it. Walk into the exhibit room at the Historical Society of Cheshire County in Keene and it commands its environs, floor to ceiling a Sherman tank complete with turret, cannon and camouflage netting on top. But looks are deceptive, and deception is the theme in this fascinating summer-long exhibit about a classified Army unit that played a vital role for the U.S. at the end of World War II. Filled with air, the tank is a 98-pound, Army-green rubber blob with painted black markings to make it look like the real thing. Pull the plug and it would collapse around you, which happened to an unsuspecting general when a tank folded on him during World War II. Fake tanks were part of the Ghost Armys repertoire, along with a host of other props intended to deceive the Germans. For nearly three-quarters of a century, the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops the Ghost Army was little more than an apparition. Its mission and men were sworn to secrecy, even silencing gregarious personalities like the late Mickey McKane of Marlborough and Keene. McKane is prominently featured in the exhibit; many artworks and stories come courtesy of Keith McKane of Keene, the youngest of Mickey McKanes three sons. They include stories about famous fashion designer Bill Blass, who was Mickey McKanes best friend and best man at his wedding in Keene. The top-secret unit, activated on Jan. 20, 1944, was created to fool the enemy, not fight it. The 1,105 men, including 82 officers, were illusionists as much as they were soldiers, stealthily crossing the countrysides of France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany in trying to lure the enemy away from real battles planned elsewhere. Masters of deception U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster, D-N.H., who visited the exhibit Friday, said she has a special interest in the Ghost Army, as shes enamored with World War II history. Her father, Malcolm McLane, was a pilot who was in the air during the invasion of Normandy on D-Day. Six months later, on Christmas Eve, McLane was shot down during the Battle of the Bulge and taken to a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp. He survived the experience and later was elected mayor of Concord. After reading about the Ghost Army, Kuster said she believes it was never given its proper due. Thus, in February, Kuster co-sponsored the Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act with Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, to honor those who served in the unit. It passed the U.S. House May 18, and Kuster said shes hopeful the bipartisan measure will make it through the Senate, where it also needs a two-thirds majority vote. This is just an incredible story. And it really worked to deceive the Germans, Kuster said. They helped us win the war, but afterward they were sworn to secrecy. No one knew that for half a century. The Ghost Armys existence remained classified until the mid-1990s, and only in the past 10 years have details slowly emerged. Filmmaker Rick Beyer produced The Ghost Army for PBS in 2013, interviewing 19 members who were still alive, and in 2015 he co-authored a book with Elizabeth Sayles, The Ghost Army of World War II: How One Top-Secret Unit Deceived the Enemy. Beyer, who was a classmate of Kusters at Dartmouth College in the late 1970s, is behind the national exhibit thats on display at the historical society in Keene through Sept. 2. Called the Ghost Army Legacy Project, it features wall-boards that circle the room detailing the Ghost Armys objectives, missions and personal stories of some of its members. It includes photos and sketch artifacts drawn by the soldiers themselves. One entire wall is dedicated to Mickey McKane, an artist, musician and performer, who had appeared in John Barrymores Oscar-nominated Reunion in Vienna. Mickey McKane was attending the Pratt Institute of Fine Arts in Brooklyn, N.Y., when the Army recruited him. Though he died in 1990, his three sons have shared many of his stories. Keith McKane and his wife, Tammy, were at Fridays informal gathering with Kuster at the historical society. Keith and his brother Morgan McKane talked at length about their father in a May 11, 2013, Sentinel article, and on Friday Keith said he was overwhelmed to see his father so prominently displayed in the exhibit. This means so much, he said. Im so quick to remind people how much they gave, not to brag about my father. They were heroes. And to not know if what they did worked For example, in Operation Viersen, the Ghost Army wanted the Germans to think the Allies would be crossing the Rhine River 15 miles north of where they actually intended to attack. They faked the buildup of two divisions (about 30,000 men) with their traveling props, and even had the Germans believing the attack would be delayed. The Ghost Army was long gone when the Germans came ready for battle; the real crossing resulted in light resistance and only 31 Allied casualties. Overall, officials have said the Ghost Army may have saved more than 30,000 Allied lives in the war. Part of the deception was carrying on misleading conversations for the Germans to overhear. Keith McKane said their clandestine operations even led to a friendly fire fistfight. Seems that the Ghost Army was called upon for assistance by another unit that had no idea it was forbidden to engage the enemy. When members of the two units later crossed paths, it led to a fight, McKane said. McKane wasnt the only local son of a Ghost Army member at Fridays gathering. Timothy H. Congdon of Keene said his father, Richard H. Congdon, was also in the Ghost Army. However, Tim Congdon said his father never talked about it and died before it was declassified. Historical Society Executive Director Alan Rumrill said McKanes involvement played a role in the exhibit coming to Keene. It had been in North Carolina and will move to Chicago after its run here. The historical society first showed Beyers film three years ago, and that sparked further interest. Rumrill said it has attracted a lot of traffic since it opened June 2. People are surprised and pleased that they can learn about it, he said. Its been really fantastic. Thank you for reading! You have reached your 30-day limit of free access to SentinelSource.com, The Keene Sentinels website. If you would like to read two more articles for free at this time, please register for an account by clicking the sign up button below. We hope you find The Sentinels coverage of the Monadnock Region valuable. We rely on our subscribers to bring you strong local journalism and hope you will consider supporting our work by taking advantage of this special subscription offer here. LONDON (AP) Scotch single malt whisky makers breathed a sigh of relief Thursday after the United States agreed to suspend tariffs on one of Scotland's main exports in the wake of the resolution of a long-standing transatlantic trade row over subsidies to aircraft companies Boeing and Airbus. President Donald Trump imposed the 25% tariffs on select products of the European Union, including Scotch single malt whiskies, in October 2019 as part of the trade dispute. While the U.K. is no longer an EU member, it belonged to the bloc when the tariffs were introduced. Earlier this week, the U.S. and the EU reached an agreement to end the aerospace dispute, paving the way for a 5-year suspension of tariffs. Parallel talks were held between the U.S. and the U.K. over the tariffs. The tariffs on Scotch single malts were the most high-profile to affect Britain. The Scotch Whisky Association estimated that they contributed to a 30% fall in total whisky exports to the U.S., equivalent to around 600 million pounds ($850 million) in the 18 months to March 2021. This deal removes the threat of tariffs being re-imposed on Scotch whisky next month and enables distillers to focus on recovering exports to our largest and most valuable export market," Karen Betts, the associations chief executive, said. A thaw in U.S.-EU relations had been widely expected following the election of President Joe Biden. Tariffs linked to the Airbus-Boeing dispute were temporarily halted in a bid to negotiate a solution. Following the U.S.-EU aerospace agreement, British International Trade Secretary Liz Truss and the U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai agreed to halt retaliatory tariffs for five years. Todays deal draws a line under an incredibly damaging issue and means we can focus on taking our trading relationship with the U.S. to the next level, including working more closely to challenge unfair practices by nations like China and using the power of free trade to build back better from the pandemic," Truss said. Tai said the agreement, in which both sides also agreed to form a working group on the civil aviation industry, can be built upon to "ensure fair competition and address common challenges from China and other non-market economies. Following the U.K.'s departure from the EU's economic orbit at the start of this year, it is free to negotiate trade deals independently. Earlier this week, the British government negotiated the broad outlines of a trade deal with Australia that will see tariffs on a range of goods eliminated over coming years. Ivan Menezes, the chief executive of drinks giant Diageo, said the elimination of tariffs on Scotch whisky and other recent developments illustrate the benefits that can accrue from Brexit. With the end of this dispute, a new free trade agreement with Australia that removes remaining tariffs on U.K. spirits and the opening of trade talks with India, the largest whisky market in the world, the U.K.s newly independent trade policy is now bringing major benefits for Scotch and Scotland, said Menezes, whose company's stable of single malt whiskies includes Talisker and Lagavulin. The Scottish National Party, which runs the devolved administration in Scotland, urged more support from the British government to help businesses that suffered. Whilst this announcement is very welcome after months of cross-party campaigning, the losses to Scotch whisky exports have been eye-watering, and it will take time for the industry to get back on its feet," lawmaker David Linden said. Under Thursday's agreement, the U.K. will suspend for five years the 25% tariffs on U.S. rum, brandy and vodka. American whiskeys though will continue to face a 25% tariff in the U.K. that were imposed in connection with a separate steel and aluminum dispute between the EU and the U.S. The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States welcomed Thursday's deal and hoped that a resolution can soon be found to lift the tariffs on American whiskeys, which it said have contributed to a 53% decline in exports to the U.K. We hope this positive momentum will also lead to the prompt and permanent removal of the EU and UKs tariffs on American Whiskeys, the group's CEO Chris Swonger said. ___ Follow all AP stories about Brexit and British politics at https://apnews.com/Brexit In the past few days, people all over the Bay Area at least those vaccinated against COVID-19 faced an ostensibly simple choice as they approached the sliding doors of grocery stores: Do they finally shed their masks, as allowed under last Tuesdays statewide reopening? Or do they keep their mouths and noses covered, still smiling with their eyes? Turns out, it was a real pickle: a personal health decision involving not only statistics and beliefs but also infinite emotional variables trauma and comfort, guilt and confusion, familial relationships, self-image, and solidarity with still-masked workers. To get a snapshot of the Bay Area as it emerges from the worst of the pandemic, we sent reporters and photographers to five grocery stores around the region on Thursday, two days into the reopening. For an hour, the journalists counted customers they deemed to be adults as they exited, tabulating people as masked or unmasked. (Partially masked folks were given credit for intent and counted as masked.) Reporters then interviewed people about their choices. The consensus: Most people arent ready to move on from masks. And their reluctance means theres no easy way to discern what message individuals are sending by being covered or uncovered. Is that masked person unvaccinated and following the rules? Or is she just being extra safe? Is that unmasked person vaccinated? Or does he not believe in masks or the virus at all? Even public health experts have mixed views about ditching masks, despite what one Bay Area infectious disease doctor described as a force field of protection created by vaccines. Masks are still required in places like public transit, medical clinics and schools and for any unvaccinated people in indoor public settings and businesses. We picked grocery stores because theyve been a nexus for masking decisions, with food shopping representing a nearly unavoidable convergence with strangers in an indoor space with sometimes crowded aisles and often a face-to-face interaction with a cashier. What we found is a reminder that June 15 was not a light-switch moment but another halting step through a disaster that has changed us in ways we dont yet fully understand. Where we went What we learned WAIT, WHAT? While its true that, as of this past Tuesday, California no longer requires masks in retail settings, confusion lingers. Stores can set their own policies, and even though most are allowing vaccinated people to lose the masks, many people and store signs are still catching up with the news. LIKE DOFFING ONES CAP: For many people, wearing a mask has become a way to show respect, a bit of chivalry in the aisles. That goes double for interacting with shelf stockers and clerks who remain masked. PIERCING THE PANDEMIC: The unmasked were eager to let their skin breathe, show off a new nose ring, smile, flirt, be seen and demonstrate they trust the science of vaccines. Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle THE KIDS ARENT ALL RIGHT: About 48% of Californians are fully vaccinated, but one group remains totally unprotected: children under 12. Some vaccinated shoppers said that the chance they could spread the virus to a child, even if slim, was enough reason to continue wearing a mask in public. PERMANENT SHIFT? Masks have been commonplace throughout parts of Asia for decades to prevent contracting or spreading illness. Some shoppers asked: Why not embrace this simple health practice for the long term? POLITICS AS USUAL: For many, going masked or maskless has nothing to do with their politics but they still worry about the perception it does. DO YOUR PART, RETURN YOUR CART: Unrelated to the pandemic, an informal audit of who pushes their grocery cart back to the drop-off corral exposed an eyebrow-raising generational divide. Elders were dutiful despite troubled knees. Those in the middle ages were too hurried. But Ryan Malek-Maple, a 19-year-old political science major at UC Berkeley, waved to the woman parked next to him and asked if he could take her cart back with his. Im just trying to do my part, said the masked man. Rainbow Grocery 1745 Folsom St., San Francisco, 9-10 a.m. Thursday MASKED: 63 UNMASKED: 3 Heres what people said ITS ALL POLITICAL: Artist Keith Hennessy, 61, wore a black t-shirt honoring the Stud bar, which closed during the pandemic, and a silver nose ring visible because he wasnt wearing a mask. Glancing at his fellow shoppers, nearly all masked, Hennessy said he understood why they ignored the signs allowing vaccinated people to go maskless. Theyre sending a message, he said: I didnt vote for Trump. IM BEING SAFE (SHHH!): Tarliena Aamir of Oakland, 69, got vaccinated in secret because, she said, many in her family wouldnt approve. But the retired San Francisco sheriffs deputy said she wasnt sure it was a good idea: I still wear a mask because Im not sure if being vaccinated will actually keep me safe. NAUGHTY, NAUGHTY: Contractor Christopher Reynolds, 40, of San Francisco, admitted to feeling self-conscious as he wandered maskless around Rainbow Grocery, bananas in hand. Its a little bit naughty, he said. Like smoking was in the 90s. Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle A GIRLS BEST FRIEND: Private chef Andrea Loeffler of San Francisco, 37, sounded believable when she said she was unmasked because Im vaccinated, Im healthy and, I hope, some of the danger has passed. Then something on the chefs face glinted under the fluorescent light a tiny gold and diamond nose stud that would have gone unseen if Loeffler had worn a mask. She smiled. I just got it two days ago. I was excited and I wanted to show it off! STAYING THE COURSE: Mushrooms and scallions in hand for lentil soup, Dylan Reinhardt, a 49-year-old software engineer, knew he needed no mask to shop at Rainbow. Not for public health and not for the law. Yet there he was, face in full swaddle, selecting vegetables. Im not quite ready, he said, to let the anti-maskers have the world back. Rockys Market 288 Ninth Ave., Oakland, 8-9 a.m. Thursday MASKED: 26 UNMASKED: 1 Heres what people said TEXAN GETS MIXED SIGNALS: For some like Lance Jackson, a 53-year-old Dallas pilot on a stopover in Oakland, the mask rules were confusing. Rockys doesnt require masks for the vaccinated, but still had Masks are required signs up. Jackson, who hadnt been forced to wear one for awhile, went inside maskless and didnt have a back-up in his pocket. So when he saw an outdated sign telling customers to mask up, he said, I immediately made a 180-degree turn and left. NO BIGGIE: Oaklander Elmer Guevara, 35, walked partially masked out of Rockys with a beer in hand, then sipped it at a nearby table while explaining he plans to stay masked even though hes vaccinated. His parents, a grandmother and a cousin got COVID in December at a family get-together that he happened to miss. Guevara noted that he hadnt had a cold or the flu in more than a year, and though hed worn his mask wrong in the store conspicuously below the nose he was adamant: I don't understand what the big issue is. Show people you care about them by putting your f mask on. TRUST SCIENCE: William Elmer, a 40-year-old engineer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, asked a Rockys cashier if it was OK to go maskless, and the worker gave him the thumbs-up. This is what trusting the science looks like, he said of removing his mask. NO DELI MEAT MEANS NO VAX: A masked Victoria Whitely, 34, an Oakland resident who works in venture capital, said her family in Modesto is anti-mask, anti-everything, but that she isnt vaccinated yet for one reason. I did IVF and poured a lot of money into getting pregnant, she said, adding that she is waiting to enter her second trimester just weeks away before she gets the shot. (The CDC advises that pregnant women can get vaccinated.) I cant eat sliced deli meat right now so lets just give it a couple more weeks and then go for it. THE FATALISTIC VIEW: A masked Francis Liau, 43, who stopped into Rockys for a breakfast burrito before starting his first workday at a nearby kayak shop, said he wasnt vaccinated and never would be. There are just a lot of folks on Earth, Liau said. This is Earths response to what weve done to it. Im not married and I don't have kids. If the virus takes me, then its, like, all right. Its probably a good thing. Safeway 3365 Deer Valley Road, Antioch, 9-10 a.m. Thursday MASKED: 58 UNMASKED: 13 Heres what people said YOU CAN SEE IT IN THEIR EYES: Lauren, a fully vaccinated medical assistant from Antioch, usually wears a face mask everywhere she goes to make others feel comfortable. But on Thursday, when she forgot to bring her mask to the store, she thought: "Well, I don't have to go back and get it." The 22-year-old, who declined to give her last name, quickly regretted her move when masked patrons gave her cold stares. "It was awkward," she said. "It definitely made me want to wear a mask." A HARD HABIT TO BREAK: Like many, Loretta Thomas of Antioch has gotten so used to wearing a mask that she keeps a few in her car just in case she forgets to bring one from home. And not because she feels unsafe not wearing one; rather, its become a habit she hasn't been able to shake. "I'm vaccinated and still wearing a mask," said Thomas, 51. "I'm pretty much used to it." IF I DON'T HAVE TO, I WON'T: Anietie Ugoh, 33 and visiting from Southern California, prefers not to wear a mask, and doesnt believe wearing one will fully protect him, but he has gotten so used to them that he doesn't mind covering up if it is required: "You're kinda like the odd man out if you're not wearing a mask. Trader Joes 337 Third St., San Rafael, 9:09-10:09 a.m. Thursday MASKED: 119 UNMASKED: 17 Heres what people said WHAT WOULD FAUCI DO? San Rafael retiree Liz McBrady, 72, was ready to ditch the mask, but then all she saw were masked faces inside Trader Joes. Confused, she went to the customer service desk, where a staffer told her she was free to unmask. So McBrady, who is vaccinated and always buys extra peanut butter to donate to a homeless shelter when she shops, put the mask back in her pocket. "If Fauci walked in, she said, he wouldn't wear a mask." CONCERN OVER THE DELTA VARIANT: The pandemics cruelty is not fading for a masked Syed Ali, a 64-year-old IT pro for the insurance industry who lost both his mother and aunt to complications of COVID-19 within the last three weeks. The elderly women lived in Bangalore, where the delta variant is driving a surge. Airlines have canceled flights and theres no way for the family to gather and grieve. There is another variant afoot, Ali said, and Im not confident we are protected against it. ARE WE READY? A 19-year-old Marinwood resident, Sasha Garcia, said her family survived a bout with COVID-19 last summer a wakeup call that influenced her plan to continue wearing a mask in places like grocery stores. Shes alarmed that so many restrictions have been lifted at a time when so many people remain reluctant to get vaccinated: Its infuriating to see other people not take it seriously. A COMMON COURTESY? Samantha Gottsegen, 18, of Fairfax, and Keeley Levinson, 17, of Woodacre, were shopping for an epic post-graduation camping adventure in Oregon and Washington. The vaccinated teens said they wore masks in a nod to essential workers and people unable to get the vaccine. I just think its respectful, Levinson said. FOR THE CHILDREN: San Anselmos Rachel Feibusch, 41, wants her daughters, 3 and 5, who arent yet eligible for vaccines, to continue wearing masks. So it makes sense for Feibusch to wear one, too. Its about modeling good behavior, she said, as well as caution. Im not ready to give it up yet, she said. There are cases of people getting COVID-19 even after the vaccine. Draegers Market 222 East Fourth Ave., San Mateo, 9:19-10:19 a.m. Thursday MASKED: 65 UNMASKED: 9 Heres what people said EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING IT: Joni Holland, 63, feels much safer now that she is vaccinated. Still, the San Francisco resident wont stop wearing a mask while that continues to be embraced by most of the public: It just seems to me that everybody inside a store is wearing a mask still, and so why not? THESE MASKS WERE MADE FOR WEARING: People were still visibly social distancing and wearing masks when Wilson Lam, 40, stopped by Draegers. Though vaccinated, the Hayward resident will keep masking up until Californias vaccination rates improve. Plus, I still have tons of masks at home anyway, Lam said. So I might as well keep using them. THE NORM IN JAPAN: Yuki Kobayashi, 62, of San Mateo, said he will keep wearing masks in public through the end of the year. Kobayashi, who is of Japanese descent, said its no big deal hes used to wearing them: We have a culture of wearing masks in the winter season. POP OPEN THE BUBBLY: Cheryl Enright of Burlingame was so ecstatic when California reopened Tuesday that she wanted to "pop open the bubbly." Enright shopped maskless, and was really surprised to be in the minority. I think the sooner people do feel that sense of comfort, the quicker we're all going to feel like were living a somewhat normal life again. Reported by Julie Johnson, Sarah Ravani, Jessica Flores, Ricardo Cano and Nanette Asimov. Graphics by John Blanchard and Mike Massa. Anh Peng Taylor, the 94-year-old woman stabbed repeatedly in an unprovoked attack this week, likely will lose function of her left arm and hand due to a knife wound that extended clear through her wrist, according to Taylors niece. Whats worse, the attack was a likely permanent blow to Taylors sense of self, as a woman who achieved 100 strokes a day on her rowing machine and prided herself on being autonomous, independent and strong, niece Vivianne Taylor said in a victim impact statement. The statement, read by Assistant District Attorney Trevor Kempner at suspect Daniel Cauichs first court appearance Friday afternoon, offered a window into the quiet life of the nonagenarian, as well as her steep road ahead to not only physical but emotional recovery. How can she relearn to do all of that, at her advanced age with only one working arm? Vivianne Taylors statement read. Prosecutors charged 35-year-old Cauich with attempted murder, elder abuse and battery causing serious injury after police say they identified him from a photo captured near the scene of the attack. Cauich was known at the police department as a prolific burglar with a long criminal record, and had been released from jail only the previous week after being charged with another burglary. Cauich, who appeared in court Friday morning in orange jail garb, pleaded not guilty through his attorney. He is being held in custody without bail. Cauich has a history of contact with police. In 2016 he was charged with a Mission District homicide before a judge dismissed his case in 2019 for lack of sufficient evidence. He has a long list of burglary arrests, the most recent on May 18. Prosecutors charged Cauich with first-degree robbery and other crimes in that case, and requested that he be detained in jail while awaiting trial. A judge denied the detention motion, however, and Cauich was released with an ankle monitor June 7, records show. Cauich is next scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday. He is also facing allegations of violating the terms of his release. Anh Taylor is expected to return to her Lower Nob Hill apartment Friday evening, where she has lived in a small rent-controlled unit for the last 45 years, according to family and neighbor Miranda Peto Benvenuti. According to a family statement provided by Benvenuti, Anh Taylor is the widow of a U.S. war veteran who died almost exactly two years ago. Anh Taylor, who is Chinese and Vietnamese, was born in Haiphong, Vietnam, in 1926, and grew up to be a chef, owning her own restaurant in Laos, the family statement said. It was at this restaurant that she met her late husband, whom she married in Bangkok before the pair moved to Hawaii and then San Francisco in the late 1970s. Benvenuti said Anh Taylor is known to keep to herself, and was loath to trouble anyone else in the apartment complex, even if she needed help. Since the sudden death of her husband, though, Benvenuti said shes been visiting Anh Taylor about twice a week. The neighbors were able to speak on the phone Thursday evening, and after a silence, Anh Taylors niece got on the the phone. Anh Taylor, the niece said, was blowing Benvenuti air kisses. Benvenuti has since established a GoFundMe page to help support Anh Taylor through her recovery. Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy Angel Island State Park is much bigger, less expensive and often 10 degrees warmer than its penitentiary brother to the south. But its still an underrated Bay Area gem. John Martini, a historian and retired U.S. park ranger who is working on his fourth book about Alcatraz, has a hard time explaining why Angel Island is often overlooked. The park has history, places to explore, bike and hiking paths, and enough stunning viewpoints (including the ferry ride over) for everyone to have one to themselves. Maybe because access is limited it doesnt get the number of visitors that it really should have, Martini says. And thats a terrible thing to say, because you can overlove a park. Like Muir Woods, so many people want to go see it. But this one could easily attract much larger crowds. And you can learn so much here. Access to Angel Island requires planning and travel. Right now theres no direct ferry from San Francisco. The only route is by the charming Angel Island Tiburon Ferry and private boats. Angel Island may require planning, but its worth the effort, as Martini and my co-host Chronicle columnist Heather Knight confirmed on the latest Total SF podcast. Subscribe or listen using the player on top of this article. Below are five wonders of the island chosen by Martini. Courtesy John Martini Camp Reynolds Start at the Ayala Cove ferry landing and head up to the Perimeter Road going counter-clockwise around the island. After the first curve youll see buildings that have survived from the 1800s. The first part youre just sort of looking over Raccoon Strait towards Tiburon. But you come around the corner and all of a sudden theres this village thats spread out below with these vaguely Victorian-looking buildings, Martini says. Thats old Camp Reynolds. It was built during the Civil War and beyond that, the Bay and then Sausalito. Thats one of my magical views especially when the fog comes in the afternoon and it pours over Wolfback Ridge in Sausalito. Courtesy John Martini Battery Wallace After traveling past Camp Reynolds theres an outlook above Battery Ledyard that offers a wonderful view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Keep traveling and the San Francisco skyline comes into view at Battery Wallace. This may be the ultimate Bay Area panorama shot, from the Oakland Hills to Marin Headlands. There the view is straight south across toward the San Francisco skyline, Martini says. And youve got Alcatraz in the middle foreground. And theres really nothing around you. One bunker, but otherwise its the underdeveloped part of the island. Peter Hartlaub/The Chronicle Point Blunt The closest thing to a disappointment on Angel Island is the SALT missile site, where Cold War-era missiles used to rest underground, ready to be raised by elevator to thwart a Soviet plane attack. Theres nothing to see now except a few history placards, but look to your right and youll see the most Pirates of the Carribean-looking beach in the Bay Area. Point Blunt is the southernmost part of Angel Island, Martini says. Its a lovely beach that apparently has cannonballs mixed in with the boulders, fired from cannons on Alcatraz more than a century ago. But youll have to wait for a documentary about it to get a closer look. The beach is a memorable site, but closed to the public. Peter Hartlaub / The Chronicle Fort McDowell Hospital Mighty Fort McDowell and all its outbuildings are fun to view from afar. What was once a mess hall, barracks, a movie theater and other amenities for World War II soldiers going back and forth from the Pacific is now in slow decomposition. But the biggest draw is the hospital just off Perimeter Road to the left. Its this big old hospital building, which would have done justice to a small town, and the ground floor is totally open, Martini says. You can wander around down there. They knocked out the staircases so you cant get upstairs. But it allows you to get in and explore these empty buildings. Angel Island Immigration Station Connor Radnovich/The Chronicle The most important historical destination on the island is the Immigration Station at Winslow Cove, which served as a port between 1910 and 1940, processing more than 500,000 immigrants, including hundreds of thousands from China. Its called the Ellis Island of the West, Martini says, raving about recent improvements to the detention barracks museum and the ability for families to trace ancestors who came through Angel Island. The Immigration Station is currently open for self-guided tours. For more information, COVID updates and special events check the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation site. Peter Hartlaub is The San Francisco Chronicles culture critic. Email: phartlaub@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @PeterHartlaub San Francisco saw the second largest population decline of all major cities in the U.S. in 2020, according to census data. Only one city Baltimore logged a greater population decline. San Franciscos population shrank by 1.39% between July 1, 2019, and July 1, 2020, U.S. Census data shows. Before that, San Franciscos population had been growing modestly since 2010. Baltimore, meanwhile, declined by 1.42%. San Jose was the city with the third largest population decline, shrinking by 1.3% over that time period, though the city also had negative growth in 2019. Though they top the list for population declines, San Francisco and San Jose are not necessarily outliers for having seen such declines. Among the 50 most populous U.S. cities, 15 shrunk during the pandemic, including New York, Los Angeles, Boston and Chicago, according to the data. So where were people leaving the Bay Areas big cities going? Postal service data shows that they mostly moved to other parts of the Bay Area or California. A Chronicle analysis in March found 72% of address changes filed with the United States Postal Service resulted in moves to other Bay Area counties, and about a fifth went elsewhere in California. For those who did leave the state, the most popular destination was Washington state, the Chronicle found. That lines up with the census data, which showed that Seattle which has been among the fastest growing cities for the last few years topped the list for 2020, adding to its population by 2.2%. Seattle, like San Francisco, has become a hub for tech workers. Bay Area tech giants like Google and Facebook have satellite offices there, and Salesforce, San Franciscos largest private employer, has a significant Seattle division after buying local software company Tableau. Amazon and Microsoft are also based in the coastal city and are hiring rapidly. Seattle housing prices are also substantially lower than in the Bay Area. A median one-bedroom apartment is $1,500 there, substantially lower than San Franciscos $2,650, according to real estate firm Zumper. Also contributing to the decline in San Francisco and San Jose is that California had a decrease of new people moving into the state, leaving fewer people to replace those who left according to a March study by the California Policy Lab, an initiative from UCLA and UC Berkeley that uses data to address policy questions. But while the census data does capture what happened in the early months of the pandemic, it doesnt answer whether there have been any changes since July, or how much of the loss can be attributed to people moving versus natural population growth births and deaths. Theres reason to believe San Francisco is already making a comeback. San Franciscos rent prices are making a strong recovery after dropping during the pandemic, a report by Apartment List found, indicating that people may be ready to move back to the city. The Apartment List analysis uses property data on its website and statistics from the Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development and includes rents for older units and those in lower-income neighborhoods. Danielle Echeverria is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Twitter: @DanielleEchev Email: danielle.echeverria@sfchronicle.com San Francisco policymakers generally agree that police are not best suited to respond to homelessness and mental illness but debate still rages over how to shift resources and whether money should be taken from police to do so. The issue looms large as the Board of Supervisors wraps up negotiations over the citys $13 billion budget. Mayor London Breed proposed upping spending on alternative responses to police calls better handled by social workers or paramedics, while increasing funding to maintain police staffing, which some supervisors oppose. Part of the police funding debate this year is over a plan crafted over the past year by a coalition of community organizations and backed by a police commissioner, the public defender and progressive supervisors to take police out of the equation for homelessness calls. The Compassionate Alternative Response Team, or CART, would respond to diverted 911 and 311 calls related to homelessness that are low priority and dont pose a danger ranging from a complaint about aggressive panhandling to a well-being check for a mentally disturbed person. A group of supervisors backs the proposal, but the mayor opposes it. Under the CART plan, the citys Street Crisis Response Team, started as part of the MentalHealthSF reform initiative last year, would still send three mental health experts to higher priority calls." CART teams would not be city staffers, but community workers trained in mental health and first aid to de-escalate crises and connect people with services. The proposal would cost $6.8 million a year. In last years budget cycle, $2 million was already set aside by supervisors for an alternative response to homelessness. CARTs backers have asked for the remaining $4.8 million from the police budget. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle The city estimates police spend $18.5 million a year responding to homelessness. CARTs budget aims to take all those calls off their hands, which in 2019 amounted to 65,000 a year, or around 179 a day. CART stemmed from a Police Commission resolution urging an end to officers responding to homelessness and was informed by interviews with 95 people who live on the streets. Its advocates say police responses to homelessness havent worked and instead led to criminalization or in the worst-case scenario, death at the hands of officers. Police have no business being first responders to individuals who are unhoused, said Vinny Eng, a San Francisco resident who worked on the proposal and whose sister was killed by sheriffs deputies at a mental health clinic in Southern California. We cant always wait for another crisis situation to make a fundamental shift. David Alan Sklansky, a law professor at Stanford and faculty co-director of the Stanford Criminal Justice Center, said it makes sense for cities to shift homelessness response from police, although questions have to be answered about how to involve the police if needed and dispatch calls. He said some cities have created a separate hotline while some have integrated it with 911. Breeds spokesman Andy Lynch said CART would duplicate her street crisis teams who respond to calls about mental health crises, wellness checks and overdoses, and she doesnt support non-city staff responding to emergency calls. Five of 11 supervisors Hillary Ronen, Shamann Walton, Matt Haney, Dean Preston and Gordon Mar sponsored a resolution supporting CART. They believe it would be more effective and less expensive than a police response. Other supervisors, including Catherine Stefani, Ahsha Safai and Rafael Mandelman said they supported the concept, but questioned whether it was needed in light of the existing street teams and how it would work practically. In addition to receiving diverted 911 and 311 calls, CART would create its own hotline, and its not yet clear how it would fit with the citys dispatch system, how to escalate calls if someone had a medical emergency or committed a crime, and how to comply with strict regulatory oversight if the teams provide medical care. With questions remaining, Ronen said Friday she would push to fund the proposal next year, reducing the likelihood it would be included in this budget, and will support adding two more street crisis teams at a cost of $5 million now. The debate over police funding continues. In an hours-long hearing last month, some residents called for defunding the police, while others clamored for more officers as the city reels from violent attacks. The mayors budget proposes $22.8 million for more alternative policing teams and $21 million more for the police over the next two years, including adding 100 officers to maintain staffing levels. Breed said last week that it shouldnt be either/or. She stressed not every situation requires a police response, and San Francisco is investing in alternatives for mental health and homelessness, but police still need support. At the end of the day, if your son is shot, or if your grandmother is attacked or something happens violently to you or your family, thats who youre going to want to show up, she said. Police Chief Bill Scott told The Chronicle last week he believes in CARTs concept, but wouldnt support the proposal at the expense of reducing his budget. CARTs cost could translate to cutting 38 officers and the department is already 18% below recommended staffing levels, he said. The police budget is currently $667 million. We still need officers out here to keep people from getting stabbed and keep people from getting shot. Were short officers right now, so why would we agree to anything thats going to make our situation worse? Scott said. There needs to be a transition. Preston and Ronen said they want to reduce, not increase the police budget, with Ronen questioning why police need more staff if calls would increasingly be shifted away from officers. It is up to this Board of Supervisors to take a stand and insist that the city decrease, rather than increase, police spending, Preston said on Twitter Thursday. We should ramp up our investment in alternatives to policing. Haney and Mar said Thursday they are still considering how best to respond to homelessness and public safety in the budget and finding out more information on police staffing needs. Stefani, Safai and Mandelman backed more funding for the police and alternative responses, with Stefani saying she wanted more community paramedics. Safai and Mandelman added that police would still need to be involved in some homelessness calls if there is a crime or violence. Some community members want more officers and oppose CART. Leanna Louie, who has led citizen patrols in Chinatown during the pandemic, rallied on City Hall steps last week with a couple dozen others to support police funding. Louie said she doesnt know anyone who calls the police simply when someone is homeless, but only when someone is loud or violent. When that happens ... you need the police, Louie said. We are already at bare bones. You cannot keep cutting them. Mallory Moench is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com Twitter:@mallorymoench Authorities on Saturday morning recovered the body of a 22-year-old San Jose man who drowned in Pleasure Cove Marina at Lake Berryessa. The Napa County Sheriffs Office identified the victim as Billy Dy, whose friends reported him going underwater the day before. Sheriffs spokesperson Henry Wofford said the department dispatched officers from a satellite office near the lake when Dys friends called 911 to report the drowning around 4:55 p.m. Friday. Deputies called in help from the Yolo County Sheriffs Office, which has a robot that can detect bodies underwater, Wofford explained. Around 9 p.m., the search was halted for lack of visibility, which is the only reason why something would be called, Wofford said. That water is very dark. The search was resumed as soon as there was enough light on Saturday morning, Wofford said. Dys body was recovered at 9:30 a.m. Its extremely unfortunate, Wofford said. Our condolences go out to his family and friends. Drownings at Lake Berryessa are not uncommon, Wofford said. The beginning of 2020 saw a record pace with six drownings in six months, before wildfires closed Lake Berryessa for most of the rest of the year. Thats a really high number for a six-month span, Wofford said. Wofford warned that in most cases, the people who drown in Lake Berryessa are swimmers who misjudge how dangerous swimming in the lake can be. He said that the lake can go from 4 feet to 15 feet deep within a matter of inches and recommended swimming with a life jacket on. I know its not a cool idea, but its a good idea, he said. It helps. A lake is very different than a pool. The Napa County Sheriffs Office has resources and videos on water and lake safety, including how to safely try to save a person drowning, on its Facebook page. Both in California and nationally, drowning is a leading cause of death for children, according to the California Department of Developmental Services and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But its not just kids the CDC estimates an average of 11 drowning deaths per day every year, including from boating-related drowning, and an average of 22 nonfatal drownings per day. With the hot weather and Californians urge to get out as pandemic restrictions ease, its more important than ever to be educated on lake and boat safety, Wofford said. Danielle Echeverria is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: danielle.echeverria@sfchronicle.com; Twitter: @DanielleEchev Californias grand reopening Tuesday allowed its pandemic-ravaged people to return in droves to places ranging from the fondly missed to the not so much: cafes and cubicles, restaurants and gyms, amusement parks and industrial parks. But one crucial public space remains more hushed than usual for many communities: the library. Thats a particular problem for neighborhoods that rely on them not just for books and other media but also for access to computers, the internet, public services and job listings. San Franciscos library system is one glaring example of the slowness with which this service has emerged from coronavirus-induced closures. While the citys Main Library began reopening last month and resumed regular service on its upper floors Monday, most of San Franciscos 27 branch libraries remain closed. We have heard June 15 as basically the day when everything is opening up in California, library advocate Peter Warfield said during a recent meeting of the citys Library Commission. What about the library? I believe the library is an essential service and should be open with full service in all of its activities. Only two of San Franciscos branch libraries, Chinatown and Mission Bay, are open for in-person browse and bounce service, which allows limited daytime browsing and computer use with reservations. Library officials say they plan to offer limited hours and services at four more branches next week, an additional six in July and all branches by early fall, though they cautioned that the reopenings are contingent on staffing and subject to change. About half the citys branches are currently offering to go service, allowing patrons to request and pick up materials and print jobs, with plans to expand curbside offerings in the coming weeks. But the system has yet to offer a single minute of evening service, Warfield noted, and the closed branches leave most of the citys residents without convenient access to library computers and internet connections, which could be linking people to jobs and services as the city emerges from the pandemic and the associated economic and employment downturn. We have a lot of people who are having issues with unemployment, Alex Walker, an aide to Assemblyman Phil Ting, told the commissioners Thursday. I ... have helped hundreds of constituents, and I see the digital divide people who have internet access at home versus people who do not. Having more public computing is really essential. City Librarian Michael Lambert said Thursdays loosening of state workplace safety rules could help the system accelerate restoration of service, including more access to our computers. But library officials say reopening has been hampered by staffing shortages, with over a fifth of the systems positions vacant due to attrition or redeployment of library staff to contact tracing and other pandemic services. City libraries were also repurposed over the past year to support some of the children most affected by another service that has been notoriously slow to resume, the public schools. San Franciscos shuttered libraries are certainly not alone. Over 80% of the nations public libraries were closed or offering only curbside services as of last month, according to an American Library Association survey, though more than a third reported plans to reopen this month or next. Libraries in the Bay Areas suburbs are generally offering only limited hours and services as well. There is, however, a nearby example that San Francisco should emulate: Oakland, which restored pre-pandemic hours and services at its main and branch libraries as of June 15. Like the schools, libraries should be leading Californias reopening instead of leaving the public that depends on them behind. This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters. If you were a devoted reader of Soybean Digest in the middle of the past century, you might have witnessed a quiet invasion taking place on the series of U.S. maps printed in the magazines annual review of new soy cultivars, or cultivated varieties. Unlike names for public-facing produce like apples, the names for soy cultivars were not intended to entice consumers. Instead, they began as a pragmatic means to keep genetic lineages straight: single proper names or series of numbers and letters chosen for reasons known only to the breeders. In the early 1900s, when the USDA began taking an active hand in importing and sorting Asian seeds into cultivars for American farmers, names indicating geographic origin, such as Peking, were common. By the late 1940s, breeders were choosing names for soybeans, still widely regarded as a botanical immigrants, that rooted them on American soil. Northern breeders favored the names of presidents Adams, Lincoln and tribal nations: Chippewa, Blackhawk. Southern names of the time included Volstate (for Tennessee, the Volunteer State). These practices were inconsistent, though, next to one that emerged in the South in the mid-1950s. Somehow, a century after losing the Civil War, Confederate generals had returned. It began with a smattering of Jackson and Lee cultivars. By the last map of the series, in 1966, older varieties had been crowded out by Hood, Hill, Hampton, Stuart, and Bragg. This shift pointed to a dramatic transformation of Southern agriculture one that largely excluded African American farmers in which new soybean varieties played a major role once held by cotton. The Confederate cultivars were largely the work of a single man: Edgar E. Hartwig. In 1948, Hartwig was assigned to oversee the USDAs cooperative soybean breeding program for the 11 former Confederate states plus Oklahoma. Soybeans, like many crops, are sensitive to conditions that vary markedly from north to south, such as summer day-length. Hartwigs outsized influence on Southern soybeans was, in part, due to his consummate skill at mixing and matching plant genes to create hardy, higher-yielding varieties. As Hartwigs cultivars went into circulation, soybean acreage in the 12 states in his program increased sixfold between 1954 to 1974 to almost 16 million acres, one quarter of the nations total. The agricultural economy of the South was changing fundamentally. Soy acreage in Louisiana shot up from 73,000 acres in 1954 to 1.8 million in 1974. The poultry industrys shift to fattening caged chickens on soy-enriched feed helped Georgias acreage increase by a factor of 31 in 20 years. Above all, soy appealed to farmers because it was not cotton. For decades, the region had struggled with gluts of its main cash crop and consequent low prices. Hartwigs soybeans provided Southern farmers with a robust cash flow, enabling them to cut back cotton production. By 1960, American farmers were planting a little more than 15 million acres of cotton, down from almost 45 million acres at the crops peak in the 1920s. This might provide the best clue for Hartwigs commitment to Confederate generals. As an agricultural modernizer, he was selling Southern landowners on an entirely new mechanized system. Confederate generals, memorialized throughout the region in monuments and the names of parks, towns, and military bases, were a readily available form of nostalgia to drape over disruptive innovation. Key to the effectiveness of this pitch was the race of the intended audience. Nearly 90% of landowners were white. They had customarily sold their own cotton fiber while allowing their tenants to sell the cottonseed to local mills. Now they could dispense with the labor of sharecroppers and keep the profits from soybeans for themselves. Soybeans required farmers to invest more heavily in equipment, fertilizers and pesticides. Predominantly white farmers, who were best positioned to receive credit and government aid, benefited. African Americans, poorer to begin with, suffered from discriminatory practices by both private and public lenders. In 1920, there were 920,000 nonwhite farms in the South, a majority of them operated by tenants. In 1954, this had fallen to 430,000, or 26% of the regions farms. By 1987, the number would drop to a mere 27,000, or 3% of farms in the South. This decline represented the virtual disappearance of Black sharecroppers, but also of tens of thousands of Black owner-operators unable to compete on a fair basis. The influence of the Confederate cultivars waned after the 1970s, when commercial seed developers largely took the reins from USDA breeders like Hartwig. Proper names were supplanted by alphanumerical designations like AG2702 and 5344STS. In the meantime, Hartwig persisted in his enthusiasm for Confederate names. He used all three of Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard Nathan Bedford Forrests names on separate cultivars. The Confederate soybean cultivars have receded into the past, but they were part of a larger pattern of systemic racism. Facing decades of pressure, the federal government has made halting progress toward redressing the wrongs it committed to farmers of color, most recently by promising them $4 billion of debt relief. Critics have decried this as reparations. In this context, its worth recalling Hartwigs soybeans as one illustration of the USDAs longstanding service to, above all, the interests of white farmers. Matthew Roth is assistant director of the Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy at the University of Pennsylvania. He wrote this piece for Zocalo Public Square. Smoke from a wildfire burning in the Big Sur region is expected to impact the San Francisco Bay Area Saturday evening and potentially into Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. The Willow Fire started on Thursday evening and has grown to over 2,000 acres in size with zero containment. The blaze pumped out a massive plume of smoke known as a pyrocumulus cloud on Friday amid moderate winds and sweltering temperatures. It's difficult to pin down smoke forecasts as the slightest shift in wind can move move a mass of sooty air from one place to another in minutes, but Drew Peterson, a forecaster with the weather service, said models on Saturday morning showed smoke drifting into the Bay Area this evening. "We think the smoke will continue to move north-northwest into the Bay Area into this evening," said Peterson. "I think especially by [Saturday] evening, theres going to be some of the beautiful sunsets with the smoke suspended in the atmosphere. I think most of the smoke will remain lofted high in the atmosphere, but some smoke will filter down into the surface. The degrees its going to effect the surface its unknown. People could smell the tinge of smoke in the air. We could drop into yellow air quality levels." The Bay Area is already experiencing poor air quality with smoke pushing into the area from Arizona where a cauldron of wildfires has been burning for days. What's more, hot temperatures, along with motor vehicle exhaust are creating elevated concentrations of ozone, or smog. On Saturday morning, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District indicated that air quality for most of the region range was moderate. A Spare the Air Alert is in effect Saturday and residents are being asked to limit driving to reduce air pollution. @CarmelValleyGirl The Willow Fire started at 8:10 p.m. on Thursday, June 17, in the Ventana Wilderness northwest of the Arroyo Seco Recreation Area and about three miles away from the Tassajara Zen Center, according to the incident report from the U.S. Forest Service. Flames spread amid moderate winds on Friday, and by evening the fire's footprint was over 2,000 acres. Winds Saturday are forecast to be light, with sustained winds of 4 to 6 mph and isolated gusts of 10 mph. Read more about the Willow Fire on SFGATE. Evacuation information Willow Fire map and updates LATEST June 20, 6:30 a.m. Firefighters appeared to gain an upper hand on the Willow Fire overnight Saturday. On Sunday morning, the fire is at 2,066 acres, up only a few dozen acres from the earlier day's total of 2,000 acres burned. "Firefighters are reinforcing existing line construction and dozer lines from the 2020 Dolan Fire. Retardant lines held well during the day minimizing growth," the Los Padres National Forest said in a Sunday morning update. The latest information can be found here. June 19, 10 a.m. A wildfire tearing across a dry, parched landscape in the mountains of California's Big Sur region, grew to more than 2,000 acres in 24 hours. Containment is zero percent. Amid a suffocating heat wave gripping the West, firefighters are hiking in to reach the blaze that's burning in remote steep terrain and aircraft are overhead dropping fire retardent. Los Padres National Forest The Willow Fire started at 8:10 p.m. on Thursday, June 17, in the Ventana Wilderness northwest of the Arroyo Seco Recreation Area and about three miles away from the Tassajara Zen Center, according to the incident report from the U.S. Forest Service. Flames spread amid moderate winds on Friday, and by evening the fire's footprint was over 2,000 acres. The blaze was expected to increase in size overnight but the Los Padres National Forest that's managing the fire had yet to release an update on acreage burned Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. Los Padres National Forest More than 300 people have been evacuated from the Tassajara Zen Center to China Camp, and you can find the latest evacuation information here. Evacuation warnings are in effect for areas north of Arroyo Seco Campground to Anastasia Canyon; west of Carmel Valley Road, and east of Tassajara Road, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Tassajara Road is closed from the Tassajara Zen Center to China Camp. Los Padres National Forest There are 337 firefighters, fixed-wing air tankers and water-dropping helicopters battling the Willow Fire. Hot and dry weather conditions with temperatures over 100 degrees are creating difficult firefighting conditions. Winds out of the west are pushing the fire toward the Tassajara Zen Center, a monastery and retreat center in a remote mountain valley in the Ventana Wilderness. The center provided an update on the fire's status Saturday on its website: "There was moderate fire activity last night and the fire has moved closer to Tassajara. A crew of 10 firefighters worked with the Tassajara Fire Crew yesterday and through the night, helping with fire prep and cutting fire lines. Dharma Rain was run until 11 pm. The area is damp and the water supply is good." @CarmelValleyGirl The blaze emitted a massive pyrocumulus cloud Friday afternoon that rose up to 14,000 feet above ground level, according to the National Weather Service. "Any time we have a fire, these can develop," said Brooke Bingaman, a meteorologist with the weather service. "I think whats shocking is this is developing very quickly and that plume is going very high and we havent seen that since last year when we had our big lightning outbreak and a lot of fires." So called "fire clouds" form over forest fires when an intense heating of the air triggers an upward motion, pushing smoke and water vapor to rapidly rise. "What happens is when any moisture in the air rises, it wants to condense, but it cant condense on nothing, and so the smoke particulates act as something it can condense on," Bingaman explained. @CarmelValleyGirl The cloud was visible from the Salinas and Carmel valleys and many posted images in social media. One Twitter user said he spotted the cloud from Capitola near Santa Cruz. MALJEVAC, Croatia (AP) Dozens of human rights advocates briefly blocked Croatias border with Bosnia on Saturday to protest the European Unions migration policies. The protesters demanded that EUs border agency, Frontex, be dismantled and countries end their pushbacks of migrants trying to reach Western Europe. Waving banners reading Stop deportation, or No human is illegal, they parked cars at the border and shouted slogans against EU policies. No incidents were reported as Croatian police stood nearby. Croatian officers have faced allegations of using violence to turn back migrants trying to come in from Bosnia, which authorities have denied. Thousands of people remain stranded in Bosnia while waiting for a chance to cross into the EU member state Croatia and move on toward other, wealthier EU nations. Francesco Cibati, from a rights group based in Trieste, Italy, said protesters came to demand that everyone be granted the right to seek asylum. He said organizations from Spain, Germany, France, Austria and Slovenia supported the protest. European Union is violently pushing back people and Croatian police is doing that on behalf of European Union, paid by European Union," he said. "So we are here to protest this situation, which is intolerable. Migrants fleeing war and poverty in the Mideast, Africa or Asia come to the Balkans by first arriving in Turkey, then slipping into Greece or Bulgaria before moving on toward North Macedonia, Serbia and Bosnia. ___ Follow all AP stories on global migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration Currently Reading Alert: Moderate candidate in Iran's presidential election concedes loss to hard-line judiciary chief in Instagram post COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) After a year of protests over police brutality, some Republican-controlled states have ignored or blocked police-reform proposals, moving instead in the other direction by granting greater powers to officers, making it harder to discipline them and expanding their authority to crack down on demonstrations. The sponsors of the GOP measures acted in the wake of the nationwide protests that followed George Floyds death, and they cited the disturbances and destruction that spread last summer through major U.S. cities, including Portland, New York and Minneapolis, where Floyd died at the hands of officers. We have to strengthen our laws when it comes to mob violence, to make sure individuals are unequivocally dissuaded from committing violence when theyre in large groups, Florida state Rep. Juan Fernandez-Barquin, a Republican, said during a hearing for an anti-riot bill that was enacted in April. Florida is one of the few states this year to both expand police authority and pass reforms: A separate bill awaiting action by the governor would require additional use-of-force training and ensure officers intervene if another uses excessive force. States where lawmakers pushed back against the police-reform movement included Arizona, Iowa, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wyoming, according to an Associated Press review of legislation. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill Thursday to expand qualified immunity for police officers and enhance penalties for protesters, including elevating rioting to a felony. This is about protecting law enforcement and giving them the tools they need to keep our communities safe and showing them that we have their back, said state Rep. Jarad Klein, a supporter of the bill. The bill passed the GOP-controlled Legislature despite promises last summer by the Republican governor and GOP legislative leaders to try to end discriminatory police behavior and adopt other criminal-justice reforms. Reynolds introduced measures at the start of the 2021 legislative session to ban racial profiling by police and establish a system for tracking racial data on police stops. Both ideas were recommended by a task force the governor appointed in November 2019. Instead, Republican lawmakers left out those proposals and pushed through the new bill. Reynolds acknowledged that she doesnt always get what she wants, even from her own party. She plans to reintroduce the measures next year, a spokesperson said. Reform advocates found the quick reversal by Iowa Republicans disappointing. Would it have been too hard to do the right thing? Democratic state Rep. Ras Smith asked during a floor debate over the bill. You decided to make this an either-or, to trample on freedom, to show support for law enforcement in ways that they didnt even ask for. After Floyds death, Oklahoma Democrats tried to seize on the protest movement to pass bills that would ban the use of chokeholds, provide uniform guidance for body cameras and create a database of police use-of-force incidents. But none of those proposals even received a hearing. One GOP lawmaker called them unnecessary after the measures faced opposition from rank-and-file officers, prosecutors and county sheriffs. Instead, the Republican-dominated Statehouse passed legislation to grant immunity to drivers whose vehicles strike and injure protesters on public streets and to prevent the doxxing, or releasing of personal identifying information, of law enforcement officers if the intent is to stalk, harass or threaten the officer. I was a little disappointed because these were simply accountability measures" aimed at "making sure the public understands what happens when something goes wrong, said state Rep. Monroe Nichols, a Democrat whose father and uncle were police officers. In Wyoming, Democratic state Rep. Karlee Provenza introduced a bill that would have prevented officers who are dismissed for misconduct from being hired by another law enforcement agency. Her bill passed the House but failed in the Senate, which are both controlled by Republicans. If the conversation is, This is an anti-policing bill, rather than, This is an accountability bill, it has a steeper hill to climb, Provenza said. Byron Oedekoven, executive director of the Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police, said the measure was not needed. Law enforcement, he said, already does a good job vetting officers, including following hiring standards in state law and voluntarily reporting officers who are decertified to a national database. While cities across the U.S. were creating or expanding civilian police oversight boards, Republican governors in Tennessee and Arizona signed into law measures that could reduce the independence of those boards. The GOP laws require board members to complete hours of police training or mandate that a majority of board positions be filled with sworn officers. Critics say such steps defeat the purpose of civilian oversight. The review boards were intended to address concerns, especially in Black communities, that police departments have little oversight outside their own internal review systems, which often clear officers of wrongdoing in fatal shootings. It has all the trappings of making it look like the fox is watching the henhouse here, Arizona state Sen. Kirsten Engel, a Democrat, said of that state's measure. Some states continue to introduce bills to protect police, including recent proposals in Ohio and Kentucky that would make taunting or filming a police officer a crime. But about half of states have embraced at least some reform measures. Since May 2020, at least 67 police reforms have been signed into law in 25 states, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Those laws addressed neck restraints and chokeholds, body cameras, disciplinary and personnel records, and independent investigations, among other reforms. At least 13 states enacted restrictions on the use of force, and at least eight have implemented laws beefing up officer reviews and investigations, according to the NCSL data. Minnesota banned chokeholds. Colorado became the first state in the country to strip police of qualified immunity. Washington enacted a dozen police-reform laws, including restricting the use of no-knock warrants and designating an independent investigator for fatal police shootings. Even GOP-dominated Texas, where Floyds body was laid to rest, implemented more uniform disciplinary actions for officer misconduct. Some Democrats in Republican-controlled states have become discouraged in their quest to change the justice system. We just hit so many roadblocks, said South Dakota Rep. Linda Duba, a Democrat who was part of a coalition to pass reforms. In the reckoning over Floyds death, there seemed to be momentum to reevaluate the role of policing in minority communities, Duba said, but the issue steadily calcified along political lines. Its happening slowly because we live in a state where people are either not exposed to it, dont believe it happens or believe it's unpatriotic to criticize law enforcement, she said. ___ Associated Press writers Acacia Coronado in Austin, Texas; Brendan Farrington in Tallahassee, Florida; Stephen Groves in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee; Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City; David Pitt in Des Moines, Iowa; and Colleen Slevin in Denver contributed to this report. ___ Farnoush Amiri is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. CORNING, Ark. (AP) Authorities say a church bus collided Saturday with another vehicle on a northeastern Arkansas highway, sending at least 11 people to the hospital. Clay County Sheriff Terry Miller said he believes there were 11 people aboard the Tennessee church bus, and that they were all taken to hospitals. CHICAGO (AP) A 7-year-old Chicago boy has been honored and showered with gifts for helping save his mother by calling 911 and calmly providing information on her condition as she was suffering a seizure. Daniel Armani and his family got a tour Friday of the Engine 16 fire station in Chicagos Bronzeville neighborhood. He got to sit behind the steering wheel of a fire truck and received several gifts, including a plastic fire helmet, a Lego fire truck, a new bicycle and a bike helmet. HANOVER, N.H. (AP) Dartmouth College is providing up to $1 million to encourage students to move off campus to ease an on-campus housing crunch this fall. Students can opt to have their names included in a one-time lottery for $5,000 to encourage as many as 200 returning students to live off campus, Mike Wooten, associate dean of residential life, said in an email to students who are on a housing waitlist. Dartmouth is shifting some of its larger doubles to triples and converting lounges to student rooms where possible, but that isn't enough to alleviate the housing crunch, Wooten said in the email. As expected, demand has exceeded our capacity, he wrote. Although this has been the case in prior years, interest in living on campus has understandably surged following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. Some students said the school should be trying harder to house them, or at least better communicate why they cant. It hasnt been made clear of what actions theyve taken to mitigate this other than the lottery, David Millman, a sophomore, told WMUR-TV. Dartmouth has company in facing a housing crunch. And colleges are coming up with novel ways to deal with it. The College of Idaho teamed up with a local company to create student housing out of shipping containers. The University of Tampa is offering $3,500 deferral scholarships for students who cannot find housing. At Dartmouth, students have until 5 p.m. Monday to decide whether to place their names in the lottery. Those who do will be notified Wednesday whether they'll be getting a cash bonus. DENVER (AP) The Lockdown Drill Generation. Thats what 17-year-old Ellie Perlmutter said shes part of. No, it has nothing to do with the pandemic. Its the generation of students that have had to participate in active shooter drills at school. Approximately 95 percent of schools practice what to do in case a shooter enters their facility. And growing up in Colorado, Ellie has gone through her share of those drills. I always feel really nervous. And I always want to make sure there is a solid plan in place because I often notice inconsistencies, or a lack of care, if people know its a drill, she explained. After the 2019 STEM School shooting in Douglas County, Ellie was frustrated with the lack of action on gun laws. She talked with her mentor, a teacher at her school, about what they could do to help students. They got to talking about the active shooter drills and the mental effect and the toll they take on the students to have to go through them, she said. And its not just high school students, its elementary schoolers, its teachers, its other staff. Ellie testified at the state Capitol in September of that year about the anxiety that came with the drills. She reached out to some state lawmakers, but she says she didnt hear back. Her father suggested she talk to his cousin, Ed, who also happens to represent Colorados 7th congressional district in Congress. It turned out this wasnt an entirely new idea for Perlmutter; it was something hed heard before, from his youngest daughter. She would feel anxious about these things when they were going through these drills, he recalled. Rep. Perlmutter thought Ellie was asking some good questions: What are the best practices? Is this more beneficial than harmful? How do we prepare for active shooters in schools? how do we prepare in a way thats effective and doesnt unnecessarily cause anxiety? He recently re-introduced the bipartisan School Safety Drill Research Act, alongside Rep. Stephanie Murphy, a Democrat from Florida, and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican from Pennsylvania. Under the bill, the National Academy of Sciences would get a million dollars to study the effect of active shooter drills on youth and come up with recommended approaches. For a practice that is so widespread, we really should not be operating in the dark, said Rob Wilcox, federal legal director for Everytown for Gun Safety. The group has tried to look at the impact of these experiences on kids. Part of the issue is that there are many different types of active shooter drills. Some are announced ahead of time, so kids know it is coming and are prepared. Others, they get no warning at all. And some go even further, Wilcox said. For example, (some schools will do) an unannounced drill where students are caught off guard, (where) an individual is dressed and acting like an intruder and is trying to storm classrooms, he said. In some schools, these pretend intruders will carry and shoot a fake gun. Every Town for Gun Safety and Georgia Tech have examined student and parents conversations on social media to see how they change after an active shooter drill. We saw active shooter drills being associated with increases in depression, stress and anxiety and physiological health problems, overall, Wilcox said. Lockdown drills are a normal part of school life, like bad cafeteria lunches. Kids prepare for fires, tornados, and bomb threats. In the 1950s, they practiced the infamous duck and cover drills in case of nuclear attack. But its the severity of some of todays active shooter drills, and the different ways that kids are taught to respond that leads to confusion and can add to a students stress, explained Ndea Moore-Petinak. So, some students are taught to run, hide, fight, she said, and some are just taught just to hide. Moore-Petinak is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Michigan Health Management & Policy department. She was part of a team that examined the mental health effects of active shooter drills on young adults 14 to 24. She thinks more data is still needed, in particular how these drills impact younger kids and especially now, in the wake of the pandemic. This has been a trying year for much of the nation, and a traumatic and often isolating year for many kids. And now were asking them to go back into schools and be potentially further traumatized by these drills, she said. Rep. Perlmutter is optimistic that theres enough bipartisan support to get Ellies idea to the presidents desk. But he tried last year, too, only to see funding for the research derailed at the last minute. While Congress is spending more money to research gun violence, it can still be a tough slog to clear that money through Congress. But in a state that has seen several school shootings in recent years, Ellie Perlmutter knows the necessity of these drills. Thats why she wants to make sure a solid system is in place to protect students physically and mentally. Her message to Congress is simple. Its not about the 2nd Amendment or the right to bear arms. Voting for this bill is just voting for students, she said. JACKSON, Mich. (AP) A former Catholic school teacher has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing children during his tenure at a southern Michigan school in the 1970s. Joseph Comperchio, 66, pleaded guilty Friday in Jackson County Circuit Court to three counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, Attorney General Dana Nessels office announced. MARBLE HILL, Mo. (AP) Authorities in rural southwest Missouri aren't amused after deputies and firefighters rushed to the scene of possible human body and found clothes stuffed with trash instead. The Bollinger County Sheriffs Office said in a Facebook post that someone called 911 on Thursday night after spotting the duct-tape wrapped object in a roadside ditch. A picture taken at the scene shows a pair of worn boots at the end of stuffed coveralls wrapped in a black plastic covering. Prospective students interested in taking classes at the Community College of Rhode Island can get enrolled and get vaccinated at the same time. The event scheduled for Tuesday afternoon at the schools Warwick campus will offer those interested in attending CCRI the opportunity to apply for free, receive assistance with filing for financial aid, schedule or take the placement exam, and register for classes, the college said in a statement. The pop-up, walk-in COVID-19 vaccine clinic is free for prospective students and their families. The clinic will be administering the Pfizer vaccine, which is approved for those 12 years of age or older. Class of 2021 high school graduates can also learn about the Rhode Island Promise Scholarship program, which provides two years of free tuition for full-time students who attend CCRI the semester after graduating high school. CCRI has campuses in Warwick, Lincoln, Providence and Newport and a satellite education center in Westerly. In other pandemic-related news around the region: ___ MAINE A communitys level of support for former President Donald Trump in the 2020 election correlates to vaccination levels, a newspaper reported. A statistical analysis in Penobscot County showed communities support for Trump was the strongest predictor of low vaccination rates, the Bangor Daily News reported. Some residents of towns with low vaccination rates voiced distrust in the science behind the vaccines or said they disliked vaccines in general. Pam Carmichael, of Greenbush, said she doesnt see any reason to get vaccinated because she doesnt live in an urban area like New York City. Out here, I dont use a bus or a taxi or subway, said Carmichael, 70. Its not close like the big cities, she said. In Greenbush, 45% of residents had received a vaccine dose as of June 14, giving it one of the lowest rates in Penobscot County. Nearly 65% of the states population is fully vaccinated. ___ MASSACHUSETTS Coronavirus rates are at all-time lows and every community in the state is now out of the red and yellow risk categories for transmission of COVID-19, according to weekly data released by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. All told, 23 Massachusetts communities were in the states green category, which usually means 15 or less total COVID-19 cases. More than 300 communities were in the states gray category, which means 10 or less COVID-19 cases for most smaller communities. The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Massachusetts has declined over the past two weeks, going from 166 new cases per day on June 3 to 79 new cases per day on June 17. That compares to about 6,000 cases per day in January. ___ NEW HAMPSHIRE Enhanced unemployment benefits came to an end Saturday in New Hampshire. Gov. Chris Sununu eliminated the $300 weekly federal payment ahead of the program's national expiration in September. In its place, stipends are being offered to encourage people to return to work. This is a once-in-a-lifetime type of market that we see right now, with the incentives that are being offered, so really, theres no reason to not get out there and find that job that youve been looking for, said Richard Lavers, deputy commissioner of employment security. The stipend announced last month offers a $1,000 bonus for full-time jobs and $500 for part-time jobs after working for eight weeks. ___ VERMONT The University of Vermont Health Network is winding down mass vaccination sites that helped the state reach its goal of 80% of eligible residents being vaccinated. The Champlain Valley Fairgrounds seemed like a ghost town Friday after the car carrying the last vaccine recipient exited the Champlain Expo in Essex Junction, WCAX-TV reported. The mass clinic at Porter Hospital in Middlebury closed last week and the clinic at the former JCPenney in Berlin will close next week. Between the three facilities, the state administered more than 115,000 doses. In coming months, UVM will continue to play a role at smaller, walk-in clinics. Vermonters can also get vaccinated in their primary doctors offices. LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) A New Mexico jail guard who was stabbed by a detainee was hospitalized in El Paso, Texas, and sheriffs deputies were investigating, a county official said. The name and condition of the officer were not immediately made public following the late Thursday incident during medication distribution in a medium custody unit at the Dona Ana County Detention Center. ATLANTA (AP) It was too late this year for Georgia state workers to get the new Juneteenth holiday off, even though some federal agencies scheduled to close on Friday to observe the day in advance of the actual June 19 date on Saturday. But Republican Gov. Brian Kemp will soon face a decision about whether Georgia government agencies will close for Juneteenth next year, marking Black liberation from slavery at the end of the Civil War. State law fixes 12 paid holidays for public employees, including all federal holidays as of 1984, when Martin Luther King Jr. Day was first observed. But Kemp has some wiggle room about which days are observed. That's because Georgia observes two unnamed state holidays that used to specifically commemorate Confederate Memorial Day on April 26 and Robert E. Lees birthday on Jan 19. In 2015, after Dylann Roof shot and killed nine people during a bible study at a Black church in Charleston, South Carolina, then-Gov. Nathan Deal stopped designating Lee's Birthday and Confederate Memorial Day as holidays. This year, what is now the unnamed Jan. 19 state holiday will actually be taken on the Friday after Thanksgiving, while the unnamed April 26 state holiday was observed on Good Friday before Easter. Kemp designated this year's days in an Aug. 17, 2020 memo. Well announce the holiday observances for next year in the coming weeks, like we did last year, Kemp spokesperson Cody Hall wrote in an email on Friday. If Kemp uses one of the former Confederate holidays, it wouldn't be the first time one has been used to honor African Americans. Alabama and Mississippi observe Lee's Birthday and Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a combined state holiday. So far, at least eight states have designated it in law as an official paid state holiday Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Virginia and Washington. All but Texas, where the events of the original Juneteenth took place, acted after the killing of George Floyd last year. Kemp signed a proclamation Wednesday recognizing Juneteenth, but that didn't make it a holiday. House Bill 444 was introduced this year in the state House by Rep. Miriam Paris of Macon and other Democrats to mandate that Juneteenth be a state holiday, but saw no action. The bill is still alive and could be considered during the 2022 session. The Georgia chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union on Thursday called for Kemp to drop the Columbus Day holiday on Oct. 11 and instead designate Juneteenth, saying Columbus Day commemorates the shameful dispossession and killing of the native peoples of the Americas. Columbus Day should be replaced with Juneteenth as a state holiday, as it is far past time for Georgia to celebrate emancipation rather than genocide, wrote Vasu Abhiraman, senior policy counsel for the ACLU of Georgia Voting Access Project. ___ Follow Jeff Amy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jeffamy. LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) Prosecutors should not be able to use a Louisiana mans statements to police after an officer was killed and three other people shot or shot at, because he was psychotic, his attorneys say. State District Judge Valerie Gotch Garrett is expected to rule in July on whether statements that Ian Howard made following a shooting in October 2017 may be used in his trial for the nonfatal shootings, The Advertiser reported. Hes accused of shooting two people at a convenience store with his own gun the evening of Oct. 1, returning there without a gun but grabbing a clerk's gun, killing Police Cpl. Michael Middlebrook, and shooting at but missing a second officer. A capital murder trial in Middlebrook's death will be scheduled after he is tried on three counts of attempted murder. That case is currently set to start April 25, 2022, defense attorney Richard Bourke wrote in an email Tuesday. Prosecutors have argued that Howard's statements are valid because he made them continuously and without prompting or interrogation. But Bourke and Elliott Brown, both of the Louisiana Capital Assistance Center, contend that Howard's mental condition kept him from rationally deciding to talk to police, whether or not they coerced him. Prosecutors have said they won't use statements that Howard made during a formal police interview but still plan to use his other statements, the defense attorneys said in their motion. The document includes statements from a forensic psychiatrist and a forensic psychologist, both commissioned by the defense, saying Howard is psychotic. The psychologist, F.T. Friedberg, said he believes Howard was psychotic when Friedberg tried to interview him four days after the shootings. Howard appeared very confused, was not responsive, mumbled and the words I could understand did not make sense in the context of what I was asking him," Friedberg wrote. Dr. Sarah DeLand, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Tulane University, wrote that in her opinion, Howard suffers from severe mental illness called schizoaffective disorder. This affected him at the time of the shootings and kept him from making a free and rational choice to talk to police or to decide what to say afterward, DeLand wrote. She had 13 interviews with him, 10 of them in person, after he was sent to a state prison with a mental health facility because of bizarre behavior, including drinking from the toilet, in the Lafayette Parish jail. Records of Howard's life and increasing mental problems back up the diagnoses, both said. They describe a gifted childhood and high-school life. When he was a high-school senior, his gifted and talented evaluation described him as a wonderful student with unlimited potential, DeLand wrote. But a significant mental decline began after he entered college, becoming even more dramatic starting in January 2017, both said. Mr. Howard reported that he was being tracked by the FBI through electronics everywhere, even via kitchen appliances, DeLand wrote. The records fit the classic presentation of a schizophrenia spectrum disorder. ... This what it looks like, Friedberg wrote. THIBODAUX, La. (AP) Kimberly Crochet has some big plans when she gets released from the Lafourche Parish jail. When I get out of here I want to open my own salon, the 37-year-old Bayou Blue resident said. Im taking college courses in business management and am a licensed cosmetologist. This program gave me the skills to be successful when I get out. Crochet was one of five graduates who completed the first female pre-release class at the jail. The 100-hour program lasts 12 weeks and prepares inmates who are nearing the end of their sentences. The participants go through problem-solving, decision-making, learn employment skills and do exercises where they create resumes and go through job interviews, said Capt. Karla Beck, director of programming and re-entry and assistant warden. They learn values and goal-setting, victim awareness and restitution, money management and anger management. They receive counseling and get job-placement assistance. It gets them ready for life on the outside and teaches them the skills to have clean, sober and productive lives. Inmate Mary Taylor used the program to gain skills to become a forklift operator. Im trying to get my GED, and building a resume is really going to help me look for a job because now I have a certificate on top of going to school, the 36-year-old Golden Meadow resident said. So this program did a lot for me. The programs instructor, Debra Guidry, said participants had to earn their way toward graduation by working hard and venturing out of their comfort zones. There are 10 modules they have to go through, she said. It gets them ready to get back to the free world with every opportunity and positive direction we can give them. The graduates were recently honored during a ceremony that included participation from their families. We think its important to have a ceremony at the end because its hard work, Beck said. They take this on willingly. They dont have to participate. During the ceremony we get their families to send in messages of encouragement and pictures and they get to watch the ceremony through Zoom. Its really a touching thing. Autum Adams, 38, said she learned a lot about money management during her weeks in the program. I also learned to create budgets because Im a big spender, the Lockport resident said. Im a licensed cosmetologist whos been out of school for over 20 years. I still never had to create a resume, so that was really big for me. Crochet said she is leaving the jail as a different person. When you stay in here so long you lose yourself a bit, she said. This program gave us our self-confidence back because it helped us believe in ourselves again. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) Cynthia Hall lost her son, granddaughter and home to gunfire. All in a matter of two days. Hall, 53, said she no longer felt safe in her apartment in Louisvilles Parkland neighborhood after someone fired more than 75 bullets into the home in the early morning of Feb. 2. Later that day, her son and granddaughter were shot and killed a few miles away. Now, months later, she and her daughter are sleeping in their car. Its miserable, Hall said. I dont like asking nobody for nothing. Ive always been able to get up and get it myself. Hall isnt the only person whos been forced out of her home by violence in Louisville. Christopher 2X, executive director of local anti-violence nonprofit Game Changers, said hes had many people he estimates up to 20 a year reach out to him after being displaced by violence during his 20 years of advocacy in the city. A decade ago, those people were concentrated in a few Louisville Metro Police districts, but over recent years it became more of a widespread problem. 2X said hes gotten calls from people of varied backgrounds living in different neighborhoods around the city. Its grown, and the problem is not just in west Louisville and downtown east Louisville, 2X said. Its always going to be more heavily concentrated in certain areas, but theres strong evidence the shootings started to spread. From January 2018 to June 2019, a total of more than 4,500 citizen reports of gunshots came in from all eight of Louisvilles police districts, according to data Game Changers received from the city. After shootings, police may suggest residents leave their homes at least temporarily if theres reason to believe they could be in danger, LMPD spokesman Dwight Mitchell said. But for many people, the bullets alone are enough to make them move. Now 2X is working with city leaders to find a way to help those families. He said he envisions a program that will provide assistance in a way similar to how the Red Cross and other organizations help people displaced by fires, such as paying for temporary housing or helping with moving costs. His efforts have support from both sides of the aisle in Louisville Metro Council, including from Councilman Anthony Piagentini, R-19th, and President David James, D-6th. Piagentini said hes met with 2X to go over some options to address the issue and supports the idea of implementing a program centered around helping those impacted by crime. The focus is on the victims, which is where the focus should always be, he said. Right now, there arent a lot of options for those people to get help in Louisville, especially financially. James said the best the city can do is offer a victims advocate to talk about what happened but that wont help them find shelter. We have citizens that are living real-life situations where their lives are in jeopardy, and theyre scared, and theyve been traumatized, James said. We have to do better. RELIEF FUND IN THE WORKS Jessie Halladay, project manager of Louisvilles Group Violence Intervention program, said the recently launched initiative is in the early stages of creating a fund that would provide resources for people impacted by crime not necessarily covered by the statewide Crime Victims Compensation Fund. The fund wouldnt be able to provide financial assistance for an extended period of time but could pay for costs such as immediate temporary lodging, a security deposit or renting a moving truck to help a family relocate. Halladay said shes begun researching similar programs in other cities, including a clergy-based nonprofit in Detroit that provides support through fundraising from member churches. A lot of people are in those positions where they just cant afford to move, Halladay said. People just dont really plan for violence to erupt in their lives, and violence has a lot of associated costs with it. Mayor Greg Fischers budget proposal requests $550,000 for the Group Violence Intervention program, and Halladay said part of that would go toward a victim relief fund, with additional support coming from community partners. Halladay said she anticipates the fund being run through a partnership between Game Changers and national nonprofit Volunteers of America. Its still in the formation stages and depends on the citys budget, which will be voted on June 24. Halladay said she hopes the fund will be ready to launch and start giving assistance by the end of the year. HOW MANY PEOPLE NEED HELP? Though violence in the city isnt a new issue, its been on the rise. Louisville saw a record year of violence in 2020 and is on track to beat last years totals for homicides and nonfatal shootings. By mid June, the city had at least 90 killings in 2021. 2X said its impossible to gauge just how widespread the need for the assistance program is. We cant get an accurate count because so many people try to tough this out, 2X said. We have, unfortunately, the invisible kids and families. Many people dont even know where to request assistance, Halladay said. Its hard to even really assess what the need is because we know people dont necessarily ask for help, she said. We want to try to provide a bit of a safety net. Karen Bailey, who lives in the Russell neighborhood, could be helped by the assistance program 2X envisions. The 62-year-old has lived in her home for 20 years, but after a stray bullet went through her wall and into the pillow resting under her head the morning of April 19, she knew she had to get out. Bailey, who is on disability, said she called the Louisville Metro Housing Authority for help but was told there wasnt anywhere for her to go. She said the bullet wasnt the first to enter her home. In 2018, multiple shots struck the house in a late-night shooting. She said she went to the housing authority then, too, but didnt receive any help. The bullet holes are still there filled with plaster, but visible across the homes exterior and inside the walls of her bedroom, bathroom and dining room. I got holes all through the house, Bailey said. I see these every day. I hid one of them behind my china cabinet. Bailey, who takes care of her 79-year-old aunt, now sleeps in her spare bedroom to leave an extra room and hallway between the walls separating her from the alley where the shootings have happened. She said her son stays over during the night to make her feel safer while she looks for another home. EVERY DAY, WE FEEL HOPELESS In Halls case, LMPD is investigating but has not made any arrests in the killing of her son and granddaughter, Larry and Larea Hall, and she is constantly worried for her safety. Her 30-year-old daughter, Delnicha Hall, was in their home watching television just before their home was shot up. It was shocking. It came out of nowhere, Delnicha Hall said. It was a lot of big bullets all around the house, and then not knowing if youre going to get hit. ... It was just like, is this going to be the end? Thats what it felt like. Though they have family in Louisville, Cynthia Hall said most of their relatives dont feel safe letting them stay with them. Im constantly watching looking to see if somebodys following us, she said. Every day, we feel hopeless and dont know what to do. Mitchell said LMPD is still investigating the killings of the Halls, which occurred near Interstate 264s Bells Lane exit, and would not comment further on the case. No arrests have been made in connection to the shooting at her apartment, either. Hall said she heard about 2Xs Game Changers organization through a neighbor. The nonprofit, which aims to prevent violence long term by promoting education and mentorship, gave her and her daughter some money for food and a place to stay for a few nights. It made us feel a little better ... at least somebodys in our corner, Hall said. For people whove been through trauma like Hall and her family, its common to feel unsafe no matter where they go, 2X said. That stress is multiplied for the Halls, who also are facing the loss of their son and brother, and his daughter. And then she still gets displaced for not even being involved in anything, 2X said of Cynthia Hall. So you can imagine the amount of stress and emotional strain is off the charts. 2X said his team is working to help Hall find an apartment that will accept her disability check for rent, and he hopes to be able to pay her deposit and first months rent. The Halls also set up a GoFundMe to help with expenses. In the meantime, 2X has been speaking with Metro Council members about what the city can do. People are just suffering in different ways, Halladay said. If we can do one little thing to take one burden off their plate, thats what we would hope this fund could do. PARIS, Maine (AP) A jury needed only 25 minutes to convict a man of killing his longtime girlfriend at their home in western Maine. Rondon Athayde, 49, was convicted of murder Friday in the death of Ana Cordeiro at their Hartford home on Dec. 13, 2018. He will be sentenced on Aug. 31 in Oxford County Superior Court. COOS BAY, Ore. (AP) A man sought in the killings of three people after a hit-and-run crash near a casino and a shooting at a marijuana dispensary in a small Oregon city was still at large Saturday. The suspect, who was considered armed and dangerous, was not found after a manhunt Friday, Coos County District Attorney Paul Frasier said. The Oregonian/OregonLive reported that the man is suspected of killing a person and stealing their truck before running over two people Friday near a casino in the coastal city of North Bend, leaving one of them dead. He's then accused of shooting and killing someone inside a cannabis shop in the city about 220 miles (354 kilometers) southwest of Portland. Frasier identified the person fatally struck at an RV park at the Mill Casino as 74-year-old Anthony Oyster. His wife, 73-year-old Linda Oyster, also was hit and was in critical condition at a hospital Saturday. They are a couple from Florida, Frasier said. The prosecutor said 47-year-old Coos Bay resident Jennifer L. Davidson was fatally shot at the marijuana dispensary. Authorities have not been able to notify the family of the third person who was killed, so their name has not been released. Officials also have not been able to identify the name and other pertinent information of the suspect in this case, Frasier said in a news release. Authorities found the stolen truck Friday near the small community of Noti, on a highway north of where the wave of violence took place. The truck had been set ablaze, Frasier said. Lane County sheriffs deputies and Oregon State Police troopers searched unsuccessfully for the man in the woods, and residents were asked to stay inside. NATCHEZ, Miss. (AP) A city in Mississippi is now part of a trail commemorating what was then a nationwide tour by a French general who had participated in both the American and French revolutions. The Marquis de Lafayette visited Natchez on April 18, 1825, during the second and final year of a tour made at the invitation of President James Monroe and the U.S. Congress. During those two years, Lafayette stopped at 320 cities and towns in the 24 states then in the union, Lafayette Trail founder James Icher said. The Virginia itinerary included cities in what is now West Virginia, he said.. He said he hopes eventually to have 175 markers, including one at Le Havre, the port where Lafayette left from and returned to France. About 40 markers have been approved since the project started in 2017, with about 25 installed in 13 states so far, he said in a phone interview Wednesday with The Associated Press. A marker describing Lafayette's stay in Natchez was unveiled Wednesday at a lot overlooking the Mississippi River, The Natchez Democrat reported. The Historic Natchez Foundation and the Daughters of the American Revolution worked with The Lafayette Trail Inc. on the project. Two families offered the property, foundation executive director Carter Burns said. When Lafayette made his tour, the 50th anniversary of the American Revolution's end was nearing. Lafayette, who had been 19 when he first came to America, was the last surviving general of the Continental Army, Icher said. He epitomized the American Revolution and people received him as a hero, Icher told the newspaper. Icher, originally from Carcassonne, France, said he came to the U.S. in 2015 as an exchange student at the College of William and Mary in Virginia and became fascinated by the fervor with which Lafayette is remembered in this country. In France, he said, Lafayette, who headed the French National Guard during the French Revolution, has detractors as well as fans. Lafayette never fully embraced the goals of the French Revolution, he said. Rather, he said, Lafayette believed that France should adopt a constitutional monarchy with greater rights for citizens. Natchez is the only Mississippi city that Lafayette visited, Icher said. He said other states with Lafayette Trail markers are New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Alabama, North and South Carolina, and Pennsylvania. Lafayettes visit contributed to national unity, Icher told The Natchez Democrat. While he was traveling, the U.S. endured a divisive election the U.S. House chose the winner in 1825 because none of the candidates got an electoral majority in 1824. "The country survives this election, demonstrates the resilience of its institutions and uses Lafayette to express that and send a message to Europe that the United States is an independent nation. The American experiment is working and it is here to stay, Icher said. COLUMBUS, Miss. (AP) Lindsay Miller considers herself a yes person, especially at her job. She has jumped around the math department in her 10 years at New Hope High School, teaching various levels of algebra and even taking on duties as department head. Miller also coordinates the schools homecoming festivities, from the ballots for queen and maids to organizing the parade and the coronation ceremonies. This past school year, as COVID-19 pushed schools nationwide to reinvent how they delivered instruction to students while also trying to keep them safe from the virus, Miller taught both virtual and in-person classes. Shes probably up at the school right now, NHHS Principal Matt Smith said of Miller in an interview last Sunday afternoon. Its crazy how much she works. Shes a student of what she teaches, too, constantly going to training and learning as much as she can about it. Then she shares that knowledge with our other math teachers. That work ethic earned Miller honors as Lowndes County School Districts Teacher of the Year in 2020-21. For Miller, who grew up on a farm in Uriah, Alabama, saying yes to helping others is a way of life. Whatever you need, Ill do it, Miller said. Even so, before she agreed to marrying her husband Jason, he had to say yes to something first. He had to be willing to be a foster parent, Lindsay said, something that turned out to be no problem for her husband of now 14 years. Ever since I was a teenager, Ive always enjoyed taking care of kids. Foster care, unlike adoption, is designed to provide temporary homes for children who have been removed from their parents care by Child Protective Services. The Millers, who are licensed to foster ages 0-5, welcomed their first placements two little boys in 2017 and kept them for about a year and a half. Now they are taking care of a 7-month-old girl Miller expects will be with them for about 22 months. As a foster parent, you see yourself as a buffer, Lindsay explained. You have to be a cheerleader, an advocate for the child. You have to protect the child. The goal from the start is to reunite the children with their parents. To be a foster parent in Mississippi, Lindsay said, the most direct way is to apply through the CPS website. After completing the interest form, applicants must complete background checks, training courses and an interview process, as well as have their home inspected and licensed for foster care. The Millers have gone through the training twice, and Lindsay is impressed with how its evolved. When we first took the classes, it was like watching videos from the 1950s, she said. Now, they are looking at more research on the psychological aspects of a child being removed from their home and the different things the child has experienced, such as neglect. Every child weve had has needed physical therapy or some sort of early intervention, she added. You have to do whatever you can do (as far as setting up those services) to make it easier for the parents when the child goes back. Another key aspect of fostering is having a strong support system, something the Millers have found at New Hope High School and through their New Journey Church family. Your heart has to be in it, and you have to have a strong support system, Lindsay said. Our big thing is to love others, to minister to others. Thats what keeps us going. If ever the parents of a foster child placed with the Millers have their rights terminated, the Millers will attempt to adopt the child, Lindsay said. But during the foster care process, she said they fight alongside the social worker to restore the broken family. That means the Millers build and maintain relationships with those parents they hope will last long past when the children go home. Its coparenting with the (biological) parents as they complete their court-ordered process, Lindsay said. Everybody has their own sin and struggles they have to deal with. It just looks different for different people. Were rooting for the parents and were never trying to take someones child. Ultimately, the parents have been through trauma too. Im just trying to show them I am your family friend. With that mindset, you can stay connected after the child goes home. That, of course, comes with its own grieving process for foster parents when children leave their care. The two little boys the Millers first fostered once called them mom and dad (with the understanding they had two moms and two dads). Now, they are just Lindsay and Jason. Still, the Millers attend the boys birthday parties and occasionally have them over to their home. As time has gone by, and the Millers have settled into the family friend role, Lindsay has discovered it has its own advantages. We get to be the ones to spoil them rotten, she said, laughing. WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) The Navajo Nation reported 11 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday no additional deaths. The sprawling reservation that stretches into New Mexico, Arizona and Utah has seen 30,959 known cases of the coronavirus since the pandemic began and 1,343 deaths. The Navajo Department of Health on Friday lifted the nation's stay-at-home order, easing restrictions to allow in-person meetings and ceremonies of 25 people or fewer and drive-thru gatherings of up to 100 vehicles. Face masks are required by everyone, whether or not they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer on Friday vetoed a resolution to reopen parks on the nation, including parks that encompass Monument Valley and Antelope Canyon, to 100% capacity. Nez and Lizer said in a letter to the Navajo Nation Council that the nation needs to be careful with variants of the disease still circulating. They said that rather than opening the parks to full capacity, opening to 50% capacity would allow officials to monitor the impacts of reopening and gradually increase capacity from there. Nex and Lizer requested that the council hold a special session to repeal a March 2020 order closing roads to visitors and free the health department to issue a new order. OMAHA, Neb. (AP) A Nebraska teen has been charged as an adult in the death of his 6-month-old daughter. The Omaha World-Herald reports that 17-year-old Alejandro Flores, of Omaha, was ordered held this week on $225,000 bail on a charge of intentional child abuse in the death of Ruby Flores-Martinez. FARMINGTON, N.M. (AP) The Grand Canyon is known first and foremost for its enormity, and Farmington artist Marilyn Taylor acknowledges that its sheer size, especially when viewed from the perspective of the rim, can be overwhelming. But when Taylor chose to paint a series of scenes from her trip down the Colorado River through the canyon in 2018, a collection being featured in a new exhibition at the Farmington Museum at Gateway Park, it was the little things that caught her eye. The Inner Canyon: Rafting Down the Colorado River is a series of 28 oil paintings that capture the canyon from perspectives large and small. Taylor told the Farmington Daily Times that she already had visited the rim probably 15 times over the course of her life. But when she had a milestone birthday approaching a few years ago, she decided to pull the trigger on a long-held dream and signed up for a 10-day, 276-mile river trip through the canyon on a pontoon boat. That allowed her to see the canyon from the bottom up, instead of the top down. It also provided her with access to many of its lesser-known charms, especially its plant and animal life that she never could have seen from the rim. Taylor brought along a camera, of course, and captured images from throughout the trip because she said she knew she would want to paint many of the scenes she saw. But she said it wasnt until she got back home and started working that she decided to create enough paintings from the trip to make up an entire show. It was like I was still in the canyon, she said of the way she immersed herself in the project over the last few years. Taylor originally was scheduled to show the work at the San Juan College Art Gallery. But with that facility still closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, she happily accepted an invitation from Farmington Museum director Bart Wilsey to move the exhibition to that institution. Most of the paintings in Taylors show focus on terra firma, rather than the river itself, and she said her apprehension about the rapids she would encounter on the trip certainly gave her pause. I never had a desire to do the rapids, she said, laughing. Taylor made the trip in a large pontoon boat, so the experience wasnt quite as adventurous as it would have been in a normal, smaller raft, she said. At one point, the boat did get lodged between two rocks, but the three women guides who were leading Taylors 12-person group quickly got the craft headed in the right direction. Being on a pontoon boat instead of a raft not only allowed Taylor to feel safer, it afforded her the opportunity to fully take in the beauty of the canyon without being distracted. She marveled at the perfection of the light during certain times of the day and the way the towering canyon walls were reflected in the water. Her favorite spot in the canyon was at the confluence of the Colorado River and the Little Colorado River, she said. She described the water as a stunning aqua blue and said the inflow from the Little Colorado was so warm, she was able to get out of the boat and swim in it, even though it was only April. The confluence also features several waterfalls, she said. One of the more enjoyable aspects of the experience, she said, was the simple pleasure of sleeping outside at night. Like the other members of her group, Taylor had brought along a tent, but found it too warm, even when the sun went down. So she simply curled up in her sleeping bag on the bare ground. She was almost dissuaded from doing that when another member of the party felt a snake slither across her sleeping bag one night. Taylor vowed to spend the next night in her tent, but later reconsidered. I thought, Thats not going to happen two nights in a row, she said, chuckling. What are the chances of that? Taylor has been painting for nearly a dozen years, with former Farmington gallery owner and artist Rod Hubble serving as her mentor. She said the most valuable thing he taught her was to trust her instincts as an artist. Have a little bit of faith in what youre doing, she said he told her. If it feels right, go for it. The two sometimes get together to do plein air paintings, and Taylor said she still tries to emulate Hubbles approach whenever she can. I think hes more of an intuitive painter, she said. He just feels what hes painting. Hes more analytical, and it shows in his work. Theres a magic to his work. There are a few paintings, I think, where I accomplished that in this show. That was really encouraging. Taylor said she enjoys becoming engrossed in the experience of painting. When youre going through rough times, it can take you to another place, she said. It gives you time to let that other stuff go away for a while. I relived my experiences (in the canyon) doing such a variety of paintings from that trip. PORTLAND, Maine (AP) A half-dozen projects in New England and New York are slated to receive more than $3.5 million in funding to help protect common loons. Loons have been the focus of conservation efforts throughout the country, and they have slowly come back in some states, including Maine. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said state and federal regulators have picked six projects to receive money via a settlement stemming from an oil spill. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Police say five people were shot in the Dinkytown neighborhood Friday near the University of Minnesota. The Star Tribune reports just before midnight, police responded to a call of shots fired. Officers found three men and two women had suffered noncritical gunshot wounds. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) The administrator of the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles said he had no idea that a sex business was allegedly operating in a building he owns. Cranston police raided the building owned by Walter Bud Craddock through his real estate holdings company following a months-long investigation into six properties where investigators suspect prostitution was taking police, according to a police affidavit. MOSCOW (AP) Russian news reports said searchers on Saturday found the body of an American student who went missing several days earlier and that a man has been arrested on suspicion of murder. The body of Catherine Serou, 34, was found in a wooded area near the city of Bor, 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Moscow, the reports said. ROME (AP) An Italian court late Saturday convicted four African men in the drugging, aggravated sexual assault and murder of an Italian teen in Rome, a crime that spurred calls in Italy for quick expulsions of migrants illegally living in in the country, state TV and private Italian media said. After some nine hours of deliberation, the court delivered its verdict and sentenced two of the defendants to life imprisonment, Italy's stiffest criminal punishment, and meted out prison sentences of 27 and 24.5 years to the other two, the LaPresse news agency said. The body of Desiree Mariottini, 16, was found in October 2018 in an abandoned building used by drug dealers in a neighborhood near Romes main train station. When arrested, the suspects were found to be lacking documents granting permission for migrants to legally reside in Italy. Right-wing leader Matteo Salvini, who was interior minister at the time of the slaying, used the case to push his anti-migrant political agenda. The brutal crime also focused attention on the degradation of some areas of the Italian capital. Some in Italy demanded that the then-populist government speed up expulsions of immigrants who were in Italy illegally, as promised by Salvinis League party during the 2018 election campaign. Prosecutors, who had sought life imprisonment for all four defendants, alleged during the trial that Mariottini had been drugged, gang raped and left for dead in the abandoned building. Defendants were also charged with providing drugs to a minor. One of the defendants is from Gambia, two are from Senegal and the fourth is from Nigeria. In the days following the slaying, Italian news reports indicated that Mariottini had told her family that she had missed the bus to her town outside of Rome and she would stay at a friends house the night she disappeared. A lawyer for the family denied reports that she had a drug problem. PHILADEPHIA (AP) Lisanne Brown stood in her classroom and studied the map shed printed out and attached to a clipboard. It showed the North Philadelphia homes of William Dick Elementary students learning remotely who had near perfect attendance, and it would be her guide that day when she left school to congratulate them. Brown was dressed from head to toe that spring morning as the Philadelphia public schools mascot: all black fur, whiskers, and tail. Im a first-grade teacher by day, but I became a panther by lunchtime, Brown said. This pandemic year has been tough for educators and students alike. But for many Philadelphia schools, which function as lifelines in their communities and largely have not had children back inside buildings for most of the year, keeping connections with families has been especially crucial. That the school succeeded in a corner of the city once overrun with virus cases and despite broad concern that vulnerable children might slip through the cracks amid the chaos is even more remarkable. Sending a large fuzzy mascot through North Philadelphia is just one of the things Dick teachers and staff did this past year to help the schools 450 students and their families survive a year of virtual learning. Early in the pandemic, when schools closed abruptly and staff lost contact with more than two dozen students, the principal hit the streets and knocked on doors to find them, and to praise those who consistently attended. When technology problems kept kids from coming to class online, a literacy specialist morphed into a tech-support guru. And when a paraprofessional noticed certain students were routinely late to sign on, she started calling every day to wake them up and remind them. The schools all-in approach worked. The share of Dick students who attended school 95% of the time or more this past school year, the districts gold standard, is among the highest of any elementary or middle school in North Philly. Browns costumed arrival at her first stop on that warm April day brought screams of joy from Theresa Meggetts household five siblings and a cousin all enrolled at the school. The panther is here! first grader Jakiera Raynor shouted as Brown walked through the doorway in full fuzzy regalia. Yes! They all have perfect attendance, said Meggett, Jakieras mom. Hard work pays off, the struggle of waking up and doing what you have to do. I have to keep on top of them. Brown posed for photos and distributed hugs and high-fives. At one point, she removed the panther head to better have a conversation with Meggett and smile at the children. She remarked on how much had changed since she saw them last. Everybody grew, Brown said. Where are all of our kids? Amy Williams, Dicks principal, devoted herself to keeping the schools attendance rate up this school year despite the pandemic, and about 300 of her students, about two-thirds of the school, came to class at least 90% of the time. But she remembers how worried she felt when the district first closed schools to slow the spread of the virus, and some children vanished. In the beginning, it wasnt about them being absent, it was about: Where are all our kids? said Williams, a veteran principal whos spent her career in North Philadelphia. One child who went missing in those frightening, early days of the crisis was a mentee of Williams, and she admits she panicked when his family stopped answering the phone. The school later located him at an aunts house. Not knowing if everybody was safe, not knowing if everybody was fed. That weighs on you, she said. When Williams and her staff couldnt reach families, they didnt hesitate to mask up and start knocking on doors in the schools dense catchment area, which includes Raymond Rosen Manor, a sprawling public housing community. By mid-May of last year, all 27 Dick students whod gone missing had been located. Next, Williams set out to tackle families technology problems, recognizing there was no hope of keeping up attendance in the pandemic without addressing them. Reyshe and Chantel Sullivan relied heavily on Dick for support this COVID-19 year, the couple said. Between them, they have four children and two nephews enrolled at the school. At first, it was rough, having the kids home, getting used to the computers, Reyshe Sullivan said. The kids were late getting their computers, and had makeup work to do. But theyve settled into the rhythm of pandemic schooling, and all of the kids now attend in-person classes two days a week and spend the remaining days learning from Martin Luther King Rec Center at 21st and Cecil B. Moore. The Sullivans liked how the school staff prioritized childrens attendance. If the kids are one second late, youll get a Mikhi is late, is everything OK? Theyre always on their game, and they meet us where we are, Reyshe Sullivan said. The kids are not missing a day. From the school nurse, who helps the family stay on top of when their son needs a refill on his medication to staff who reminded families where they can get free food and find warm coats for kids who need them in the winter, there was always someone willing to help, Reyshe Sullivan said. This school always makes sure the kids have what they need, she added. William Dick isnt going to let you slip through the cracks. If somethings lacking, theyll say, Mom, Dad, we need you to help your son. I thank God for William Dick I say that every day. The technology hurdle At the start of the pandemic, technology was a hurdle for many students. Ryan Mann, a teacher who became the schools technology coordinator, led the charge to get students connected corralling the schools Chromebooks for distribution, getting them to families, and troubleshooting the issues that arose as children attempted to get online. ___ I want these kids to know theyre leaders, not followers, and they can do whatever they want. Shuna Neal, paraprofessional ___ Manns cell phone rang every day, from early morning into the evening, with students, parents, and teachers asking how to unlock their machines, how to get internet service, how to get into a Google Meet. He fielded their calls from his home office in West Philadelphia, which was so strewn with monitors and devices at one point that it resembled a repair shop. In the beginning, I was like a switchboard operator, said Mann, who has also worked as Dicks literacy specialist. I would have third graders calling me and saying, Mr. Mann, can you help? My brother is in kindergarten and he cant log on. It was a huge barrier to entry for a lot of students. Internet access was a problem for many Dick families: Even if they were able to afford wireless service, the networks were overwhelmed with multiple people trying to simultaneously use video chatting programs. The city and Comcast offered free service, but it wasnt a silver bullet. It was spotty, it was dropping, and kids would get kicked out of Google Classroom, said Mann. Wireless hot spots were crucial for a sizable portion of Dick families, including those experiencing housing insecurity and those with large numbers of students at home. Mann drove many hot spots to families homes himself, and found that the reliable internet access the hot spots provided were key in getting kids who werent logging on back into their virtual classrooms. Other students need a daily nudge to log on, and thats where longtime paraprofessional Shuna Neal came in. She had a dozen families she called or texted most days between 8:30 and 9 a.m. Not even an early morning doctors appointment could stop her from making the rounds. I have their numbers packed in my phone, so I can call from anywhere, said Neal, who worked with 7th and 8th graders this year. She made her calls and texted families one recent morning from the corner of an empty classroom as she sipped coffee from a large Styrofoam cup. A lot of the kids are really grateful. They need that extra touch. Neal said students have been receptive to her efforts because they know shes one of them. She lived in Raymond Rosen, too, and attended Dick, starting in 1978. She returned to work at the school after graduating from Dobbins High School. Her mother also works at Dick. Like I always tell the kids: You are not your environment. Your environment doesnt define who you are. Your character defines who you are, Neal said. I want these kids to know theyre leaders, not followers, and they can do whatever they want. Neal noted that the online learning model the pandemic forced on Dick students, and students everywhere, had some upside. It brought families into the classroom on a daily basis and allowed school staff and parents to bond. Parents got to see firsthand how much their children are loved. Were doing this together, as a unit, Neal said. Finding a way Brown, the first-grade teacher, launched Dicks attendance rewards program encouraging students with prizes and certificates well before the pandemic began. But dressing up like the Panther is a ritual born out of lockdown. One day in November, when Brown and Mann were out visiting students with near-perfect attendance, she noticed the kids didnt seem interested. Some didnt even answer the door, and Brown wondered if they recognized her beneath her mask and bulky winter coat. We wanted the kids to come to the door and be excited. Instead they were coming to the door like, OK, whats going on? said Brown, whos wrapping up her seventh year at Dick. I told Mr. Mann: We need a new look. Like many elementary schools, Dicks attendance this past year was lowest among its kindergarten, first-, and second- grade students because theyre the ones who needed the most help logging on. The share of Dick students who attended school at least 95% of the time was roughly 20 percentage points higher among seventh and eighth graders than it was for kindergartners. Thats where the Panther comes in. The prospect of a visit from their mascot was a real incentive for Dicks youngest learners to come to school. Brown also enters the names of children who attend regularly into a quarterly drawing for ShopRite and Target gift cards. One recent morning, Brown taught a lesson on seeds to 21 students learning online as well as three kids, all masked, sitting several yards away from one another in her classroom on Diamond Street. Kylee. Hey! Do you have a sentence on seeds for us? the first-grade teacher asked while squinting at her virtual students faces, each one no larger than a postage stamp. Brown is hearing impaired, and reading lips was a lot easier when all her students were seated in front of her. After turning away from the laptop to speak with a student sitting beside her, several virtual learners began talking at once. Use your virtual hand, please, when youd like to share, Brown said with a calmness that belied the cacophony of eager first graders talking over one another. Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. has acknowledged how tough the model is for staff. Hybrid instruction is not ideal (nor) a sustainable option, he said in May, announcing schools reopening plans for the fall. Though Philadelphia is planning on offering full-time, in-person instruction five days a week, it will also offer a fully remote option for students whose families do not feel comfortable with in-person school. Those students will be taught not by regular classroom teachers like Brown, but by educators who focus solely on remote pupils. Pandemic schooling was tough on everyone, and early on, Brown wondered whether she could keep the attendance program going. So many kids were missing so many days, and I wondered, who could qualify? Brown said. But I decided, no. Our goal stays the same. Thats what great attendance is. Setting high expectations and communicating them. Asking our students to show up regardless. Many Dick families found a way. Supervising the kids remote learning has become Theresa Meggetts full-time job. The routine: up at 7 a.m., breakfast by 7:45, logged in by the time school starts at 8:30. She spread the children out in different rooms the living room, with her, the kitchen, a hallway, bedrooms. Its been a challenge, Meggett said, but after a time, she had everyones schedule down pat, knew the teachers voices. It wouldnt have been possible without partnership from Dick staff, Meggett said. I get text messages, phone calls, even from the principal, said Meggett. The teachers have been compassionate. I love the school. Meggett replicated the school environment as best as she could: brightly-colored walls with rainbow and sunshine stickers, school certificates framed and hung, medals the children have earned for meeting reading goals on display in the hallway, backpacks and books organized in a neat row. I have to help them understand, Youre not in school, but its still a school environment, Meggett said. There have been challenges, she said a lack of structure when school abruptly shut down last year, broken computers, kids who try to test boundaries but Meggett said shes met them with the Dick staffs help. Williams, Brown, and others answer every question she has. They make us feel welcome, Megett said. Even when were not there. ___ Online: https://bit.ly/3gw0GdK BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) An explosion rocked a munitions factory central Serbia on Saturday in the second such incident this month, injuring at least three workers, state-run Serbian television reported. A powerful explosion was heard just before 8 p.m. (1800GMT), followed by several smaller blasts, the TV report said. It added that the workers were slightly injured and treated at a local hospital. BLUFFON, S.C. (AP) Jason Garcia has had about two months of normalcy in the last two years. In July 2019, he saw a doctor for what he thought was a migraine after years of headaches and nausea that would begin the moment he woke up. What the doctor found was a large tumor in the back of his head, where his spinal cord and brain met. The tumor, called ependymoma, could have been growing there since he was a small child. Garcia underwent a 10-hour surgery at Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston to remove the tumor that left him with light sensitivity and an unsteady gait. When he began his junior year at May River High School that August, he was homebound a teacher came to his home to help him with virtual classes while he recovered from his surgery. She offered to help him start taking welding classes at May River with teacher Bradley Childress the next semester when he returned to in-person classes. Garcia took her up on it, returning to in-person classes and beginning the welding program in January 2020. Two months later, he went back to virtual classes, this time with the districts full 21,000-plus student population joining him because of COVID-19. I was like Wow, come on! I just got back, he said Monday. And I have to do welding online? Despite those setbacks, Garcia graduated from May River on Tuesday on time and with a welding certificate after completing four levels of required classes. Hes recovered from the surgery to remove his tumor; his light sensitivity stopped about a month after the operation, and his walking returned to normal shortly after. Now, he just has to get an MRI scan every three months, he said. And he attended his first ever prom last month, accompanying girlfriend Erica Hayes and hanging out with friends. He said its one of his favorite memories of high school. Despite a few months of learning welding online a process that apparently focuses on verbal descriptions of hands-on tasks and vocabulary review hes learned that he enjoys the trade, especially after returning to in-person classes when the district started them back up. At first, I really sucked, he said. I just got better. And I really like it. Even on the first day, when I sucked, I really liked it. I like making the welds really pretty and all that. In April, Garcia participated in the annual Arclabs Welding School Competition, competing against fellow May River students and Battery Creek High School. He was one of the top two students in the competition, netting an $11,500 scholarship to attend the Charleston trade school. Originally, Garcia planned on heading straight into the workforce after graduation. But after talking to Childress, he thinks he might put that scholarship to use. I was thinking of just working right out of high school instead of going to trade school, but now Im kind of thinking maybe I could go to trade school in Charleston, he said. BRISTOL, R.I. (AP) A Rhode Island town that was a center of the transatlantic slave trade is commemorating Juneteenth by unveiling a new marker recognizing its role in slavery. Officials on Saturday were placing the first of two planned slavery markers in town at the Linden Place Museum, a mansion built in the 1800s by General George DeWolf, a prominent merchant and slave trader. Another medallion will be placed later this month at DeWolf Tavern. PHILADELPHIA (AP) Police say a triple shooting killed two men and wounded a 3-year-old boy in west Philadelphia over the weekend. Police said the gunfire shortly before 2:30 p.m. Saturday hit two 23-year-old men multiple times. Both were taken to Presbyterian Hospital by private vehicle and pronounced dead minutes later. The child was shot three times in the leg and was listed in stable condition at the hospital. LAS VEGAS (AP) Jamie Sprague-Ballous heart raced in fear every time she walked into a public restroom when she was transitioning from male to female. In the womens restroom, she risked being humiliated by security. In the mens restroom, she risked violence. Nobody wants to walk into a restroom and get beat up because somebody doesnt understand you, said Sprague-Ballou, a UNLV student and founder of the nonprofit organization Las Vegas Transpride. Sprague-Ballou was relieved to hear last week that UNLV changed signs for 165 of its single-use public restrooms at the Maryland Parkway and Shadow Lane campuses to say, All-gender restrooms, with a small symbol of a toilet. Thats a huge statement. ... That is inviting and welcoming to everybody. I dont know how much more inclusive you could make the campus, Sprague-Ballou said. UNLV made the change after receiving student feedback, but the move is timely. It comes on the heels of Gov. Steve Sisolak signing Assembly Bill 280 into law last week, requiring all single-stall bathrooms in public places throughout the state to be gender-neutral. The legislation passed the Nevada Assembly 36-5 with one vote excused, and the state Senate 15-6. Almost every building at UNLV has a single-toilet, all-gender restroom. Multi-stall restrooms are still separated by male or female signage, the Las Vegas Sun reported. The former signs on single-toilet restrooms on campus just said, Restroom. Some had a male and female symbol or just a symbol of a toilet. Giving everybody the sense of belonging and feeling welcome, comfortable and safe, that comes up a lot. People just want a place where they feel safe, said John Treston, director of design and associate architect with UNLVs planning and construction team. Sprague-Ballou said many transgender people who are transitioning fear someone will spy on them while they are in a bathroom stall. They want to humiliate the person, and thats the sad part about it, she said. Theres also the worry over being questioned about using the proper bathroom. In the early-2000s, when Sprague-Ballou was transitioning, she said security personnel at a local casino followed her into the womens restroom and asked for her identification. By that time, she had already changed her gender on her ID. Its a nightmare still in some parts. Our states pretty good, but we still have incidents, said Sprague-Ballou, who has fully transitioned. There are other states where its scary to be LGBTQ altogether. We live in a pretty good state where we have laws to protect us; some states dont. When UNLV formed a Safety and Security Working Group in 2019, it looked at issues affecting the well-being of students, and all-gender restrooms quickly rose to the top of the list of priorities. Before the project, there were only 13 all-gender restrooms. The committee also decided to add baby-changing stations to many of the all-gender restrooms to enhance the availability for those with small children. In total, 129 of the single bathrooms one toilet; one sink have a changing station. We know that the benefits of all-gender restrooms run deeper than providing safety for trans and nonbinary individuals, said Barbee Oakes, UNLVs retiring as chief diversity officer, in a news release. Achieving this goal also has the potential to fundamentally transform the way that we think about gender equity; and signals that UNLV is striving to provide an equitable, inclusive campus for everyone. The university designed the all-gender restroom signs in-house with guidance from the committee. The signs cost $61 to $67 each. The signs were delivered in March last year when the coronavirus pandemic began, so they sat packaged for a few months before Treston and his team began installing them in the summer. It was like, That didnt take too much effort. It was like, Why didnt we do this before? Treston said. LOS ANGELES (AP) COVID-19 vaccination rates for police and firefighting personnel in Los Angeles and prison employees across California are significantly lower than the state's average for other adults, raising concerns among medical ethicists and public safety leaders about whether unvaccinated first responders could become a threat to public health. While about 72% of adult Californians and 64% of Los Angeles residents 16 and older have received at least one vaccine dose, only about 51% of LA firefighters and 52% of the city's police officers are at least partially vaccinated, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday. Fewer than 30% of Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department staff have received vaccine doses through employee clinics, and about 54% of state corrections employees are at least partially vaccinated. The extent of the low vaccination rate is unclear because not all agencies keep track of who got their doses, whether through their workplace or elsewhere. Law enforcement analysts and ethicists said public safety workers should be allowed to make independent decisions about their health. However, they said the reluctance to get vaccinated is a matter of public concern because they work in close spaces, such as jails and courthouses, and interact with some of the most vulnerable populations. As first responders, thats a significant public health issue. It isnt only a matter of their health, but others they come into contact with daily, said Miami Police Chief Art Acevedo, who heads the influential Major Cities Chiefs Association. This is becoming a big discussion among the chiefs and health leaders. Some agencies surveyed by the Times say theyre legally prohibited from asking employees whether they were vaccinated, citing medical privacy laws. Others say they're trying to increase vaccination rates through outreach and incentives such as cash and prizes. The effectiveness of those efforts is uncertain. The Los Angeles Fire Department offered cash prizes to fire stations whose entire staff got vaccinated. As of last week, the Times reported, none of the city's 106 fire stations had qualified. City Councilman Paul Koretz, who leads a committee focused on personnel issues, said that if the rates don't go up in the coming weeks, he may consider mandating vaccinations for police and fire employees. It's possible we could not allow people to do overtime shifts if they're not vaccinated, he said. Arthur Caplan, a medical ethicist at New York University, said mandates may become necessary but that the agencies are right to keep encouraging voluntary compliance. These folks make a living trying to help other people, he said. If we point out that they can maybe help other people by getting vaccinated, that will maybe get more pickup. MARION, Iowa (AP) For months, a Utah man teared up every time he talked about a Marion woman he had never met, anticipating what he would say when he finally saw her. But last week, as Michael Braginton met the woman who saved his life with a kidney donation, words escaped him. What do you say? Braginton asked as his voice broke and his eyes welled up after meeting Cheryl Moore, his kidney donor. Ive been thinking about it for six months, what I would say to this person. You cant say thank you enough. After nearly five years on dialysis while waiting on the organ transplant list, Braginton received a transplant about four months ago from Moore, a friend of his Iowa family, thanks to a campaign launched by his family in 2019. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that after an exhaustive search for a compatible kidney among dozens of relatives, the Utah man was resigned to living a life centered on dialysis three times per week. His father died of kidney disease; and none of his children could donate due to kidney problems his family wasnt previously aware of. For the physical therapist an otherwise healthy man before his kidneys started to fail because of high blood pressure. We all started getting really concerned about two years ago, said Jordan Moenck, his niece. I remember when we saw him in 2019, he was a shell of who he used to be. Thats when the family rallied through social media campaigns, window stickers and ads on Facebook to find a donor something Moore casually noticed on her phone while scrolling through Facebook in February 2020. Though she always was willing to be an organ donor, it wasnt something she had thought about in depth before. Oh, Im his blood type, Moore remembered thinking. Did I think of cutting my kidney out before that moment? No. But after confirming the match through extensive testing for blood type, antibodies, her own kidney function, tests to ensure the kidney wouldnt be rejected and tests to ensure she could live with one kidney, she committed herself to going through with it. I cant expect someone to help me if I wont be willing to help, said Moore, director of early childhood education with Xavier Catholic Schools. Hes got grand kids. If (my kids) needed something, I would hope someone would help them. But the gravity of her selflessness hasnt quite hit her yet. I can say I saved his life with words, but I dont think I get the gravity still, because it was such an easy thing for me. I wasnt the one suffering, Moore said. So easy for me, yet completely life changing for him. Before, Braginton couldnt walk to his kitchen without being out of breath. Now, more than regaining the shell of who he used to be, he has a new lease on life. But whats more is that Moore didnt just give him the ability to survive, she gave him the ability to live a satisfaction that made a few weeks of recovery after surgery a pittance to pay. I didnt know people like this existed, and I worked in health care for 30 years, Braginton said. She doesnt know me from a man on the moon. Through the ordeal, the man who seldom had to see a doctor throughout his life learned something else, too. Take care of yourself. I think I spent most of my life taking care of other people, not myself, he said. Im pretty sure thats why this happened. Take care and put yourself in the equation. The family hopes their example will show others just how important living organ donation is. If we hadnt found Cheryl, we couldve lost one of the most important men in our family, Moenck said of her favorite uncle. Its not just important to be a donor after youve passed. If you can, share a spare. The extended family, which did not talk often in between family reunions, now has weekly conversations, she said. We are so immersed in each others lives because we understand time goes fast, said Moenck. As of June 1, there are over 107,000 people waiting for lifesaving organ transplants, including 600 in Iowa, according to the Iowa Donor Network. A single organ donor can save up to eight lives and a single tissue donor can heal 50 to 300 people. Iowans can register to be a donor at IowaDonorNetwork.org. Commemoration of the newest federal holiday began on Friday across the Bay Area, grew on Saturday and will continue on Monday with planned closings at government offices. June 19 became a federal holiday on Thursday, when President Joe Biden signed a bill that Congress passed earlier in the week. It celebrates the day in 1865 that African Americans in Galveston, Texas, finally learned that President Abraham Lincoln had declared them free two years earlier. "Today, it is unconscionable to think this happened," said state Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa). "And, like a lot of African American history, including the Tulsa Race Massacre a half-century later, it remains largely unrecognized outside the African American community." On Friday, a two-year art installation was unveiled in Golden Gate Park honoring the first enslaved people brought to the American colonies, in 1619. And a variety of events in East Palo Alto, Redwood City and Menlo Park honored the historical day. In Richmond starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, a caravan of decorated vehicles processed to Kennedy High School for a rally and educational program to honor both the holiday and African American members of the class of 2021. In San Francisco on Saturday, Mayor London Breed called the anniversary a "monumental day." "Growing up as a Black woman in the Fillmore, Juneteenth has always been a special day for me," Breed said in a statement. "I remember cowboys riding their horses through crowds of performers, both young and old, re-enacting the emancipation of our ancestors.... Juneteenth is not just a reminder of our history of being enslaved and our prolonged struggle for equality; it's a celebration of the contributions Black San Franciscans have made to the City we all love." And in Berkeley, officials announced that in recognition of Juneteenth, most city services, including summer programs for youth, will not be offered on Monday. Copyright 2021 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area. Copyright 2021 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. After a turbulent 2020, Bay Area restaurateurs can breathe easier now that California has dropped its COVID-19 restrictions and fully reopened. With more than a million vaccine doses administered within San Francisco County alone, it seems that a return to normalcy is closer than ever. But with great financial losses and the wound of permanent restaurant closures still fresh, where does San Franciscos food industry stand in its recovery timeline? It might be too soon to know for sure, but Emily Abraham, interim director of public policy at San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, says that the outlook for San Francisco is optimistic as the number of temporary and permanent restaurant closures continues to drop. We are seeing a lot of indicators pointing towards a recovery, Abraham said. At the beginning of the pandemic when a lot of the quarantine measures were put in place, about 50% of small businesses were closed in some format. We've seen that number fluctuate since the beginning of COVID, but we see that trend starting to decrease. Our numbers are showing at the beginning of May [that] about 48% [of small businesses are] either temporarily closed or maybe only opened some days of the week. We are trending in the right direction. Abraham said that the city gathered this data from multiple sources, including credit card companies and OpenTable bookings, that help determine a restaurants current status. OpenTable told SFGATE that San Francisco restaurants within the $30 and under price range had a 33% growth in bookings while restaurants in the $31 to $49 range grew by 26% between April and May 2021. There is still a long road to recovery, particularly in large cities that have been slower to ease restrictions like San Francisco, Susan Lee, chief growth officer of OpenTable, told SFGATE via email. But the city has such a rich culinary landscape with local favorites, like Foreign Cinema and State Bird Provisions, that we know diners are eager to revisit. As the city reopens ... well no doubt see how that translates to increased dining demand. Yelp Leading up to Californias reopening June 15, restaurant reservations in San Francisco were also heading in an upward direction on Yelp. The business review company traced data for SFGATE and found that diners seated through the Yelp app grew by 1.5% within the San Francisco, Oakland and Hayward metro areas during May compared with the same time in May 2019. On the national level, diners seated via Yelp also grew by 48% in May compared with May 2019. But restaurant bookings are just one thing. San Francisco has recently welcomed Itria, Vida Cantina and Shokudou among other new restauarnts that have added to the citys diverse culinary landscape. Yelp also told SFGATE that the year-to-year change for new restaurant openings within the San Francisco, Oakland and the Hayward metro areas during May 2020 to May 2021 grew by 17.9%, but it was down 20.7% compared with that of May 2019. Still, a lineup of new restaurant openings in San Francisco signals light at the end of the tunnel, Abraham says. Some of our economists that we work with at the chamber [show] that we might have a boom coming soon, so things are looking good, but I do think this is an opportunity for us to really focus on some of the structural issues that we have as a city; clean and safe streets and making sure we're building consumer confidence, Abraham said. We want to make sure tourists feel [were] open for business and that we're a safe place to come and spend your dollars. We still have a long way to go to recoup that tourism-based loss. Tourism makes up a third of SFs overall economy, and while its still down from its pre-pandemic days, Abraham says that it has begun to pick up as more visitors began to head back to the city with loosened COVID restrictions this year. Last December, Abraham told SFGATE that an estimated 85% of restaurants and bars were temporarily or permanently closed within the SoMa and Financial District neighborhoods, but a solid number for citywide closures in 2020 is difficult to pin down. One of the best ways to ascertain permanent closures in 2020 would be for the city to sort through nearly 3,900 health permits it issued to cafes and restaurants last year and check if they are still active, Laurie Thomas, executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, told Forbes. While San Franciscos food industry recovery is much better than it has been in recent months, Abraham is cautious to declare it a triumph just yet. She points to the economic impact the pandemic had on small businesses and says that we cant forget the issues they faced in 2020. Even if we're treading in the right direction, we want to make sure we're still focusing on small businesses, Abraham said. They'll need our support for quite some time. Sign up for our Remote Control newsletter to receive our best streaming stories of the week in your inbox. Sweet Tooth climbed to No. 1 on Netflix charts on release, but what drew more attention than the poignant preteen protagonist and sci-fi story line was one very misguided advertisement. The June 4 weekend edition cover of USA Today couldve easily been mistaken for the National Enquirer. An advertorial designed to mimic a real front page featured doctored images of half-human, half-animal children with the headline Hybrid babies born across the US. Under the fold, fake news articles detailed the national security risk posed by the mutant newborns (foreshadowing a worldwide pandemic, more about that later). A small text disclaimer marked it as an ad, but it was easily overlooked. Despite USA Todays claim of no wrongdoing and lack of comment from Netflix, the subversive promotion appeared to violate their own guidelines that ads should not resemble the papers front page format. It was in poor taste at best and dangerous at worst. The promotional blunder also tainted whats otherwise one of the best shows of the year. Courtesy of Netflix Based on a DC Comic, the show revolves around Gus (Christian Convery), an adorable deer hybrid raised in the woods by his father, who spirited the child away to protect him from those who blamed hybrids for the pandemic. The antlered child, nicknamed Sweet Tooth, is eventually orphaned and embarks on a quest to find his lost mother with the help of a former hybrid bounty hunter making amends for his past sins (Nonso Anozie). On their journey, they pass through a cyberpunk clubhouse for runaway teens and gorgeous Colorado forests, while dodging evil poachers and a villainous hybrid-hating general (Neil Sandilands doing a bad John Malkovich impression). Kirsty Griffin / Netflix Now, about that pandemic part. Albeit cliche, its impossible not to analyze Sweet Tooth through a 2020/2021 lens. The sick, as its referred to in the show, kills most of the worlds population. The few remaining humans fear the virus so much that they burn their neighbors alive at the first signs of infection (a twitching pinky). Never has a post-apocalypse felt so comforting. It sounds morose, but I actually found a strange relief while watching this complete collapse of society. Sweet Tooth is a reminder of a worst case scenario. As horrible as the coronavirus has been, humanitys worst elements havent completely overwhelmed our better angels. Kirsty Griffin / Netflix Gus may very well be the best angel left. His isolated upbringing results in the type of optimism thats been hard to find over the past year and a half. The joy he experiences biting into his first candy bar (hence his nickname, sorry for the spoiler) has gone nearly extinct in the world of Sweet Tooth. Despite the preteen protagonist, the world of Sweet Tooth is violent, morally bankrupt and a show that will make many kids (and some adults) want to close their eyes. The contrast between the gray rubble of cities filled with hybrid poachers and Gus frolicking through rolling green hills is some of the most heartstring-pulling material youll find on a streaming service this year. Kirsty Griffin / Netflix Its a shame that any endorsement of the show has to be tempered by their marketing misstep, and almost a little too fitting. The USA Today cover was intended to create the same type of fear mongering that causes society to turn against hybrids in Sweet Tooth. It likely only took most readers a moment to realize the ad was fiction, but was designed as an exploitive trigger. In one sense, it ruins the show for me, linking it to peoples worst impulses. But another part of me wants to rewatch it, to be reminded of our best ones. GROVE CITY A Grove City man faces homicide charges for allegedly beating his wife to death with a dumbbell on Wednesday. On Friday, Grove City police charged Randall Harland Leaf, 58, of 129 S. Broad St., with homicide and aggravated assault in the death of his wife, Gretchen Pallack, 53. Victim described as kind, caring GROVE CITY The Grove City community is still trying to come to terms with the tragic death The building, in the downtown business district, also houses Superior Bedding, the mattress store the couple owns. Police said they found Pallack in a downstairs basement bedroom, face down with a wound on the back of her head. She had no pulse. A weight-lifting dumbbell with blood on it was found next to her. Leaf, taken from the scene in an ambulance, suffered severe lacerations to his wrists and neck, police stated in court documents. Mercer County Coroner John Libonati later determined Pallack died by homicide. Dr. Eric Vey, a forensic pathologist with the Erie County Coroners Office, conducted an autopsy and determined the cause of death was head and neck injuries. Leaf is hospitalized, and court proceedings with District Judge D. Neil McEwen, Pine Township, have yet to be scheduled. Police were called to the property at 2:39 p.m. by a man who said he was bleeding and dying. Police had to force a locked door open with a pry bar. While police were checking Leaf, he allegedly told them several times his wife was downstairs. Police obtained a search warrant and spoke to the 16-year-old boy who also lives at the apartment; he was joined by an adult. The boy had spoken to Pallack and Leaf that morning and told police he later heard them arguing in the basement. He said Leaf, exiting the basement with blood on his hands, told him not to call the police. Police collected evidence including the dumbbell and cell phones belonging to Leaf and Pallack. On Thursday, police spoke to Leaf at a Pittsburgh hospital. Police reported that Leaf said he carried the dumbbell downstairs, without intending to use them. Police also said Leaf told officers that she drove me to this. Police reported they had responded to Leafs address before, when Leaf reportedly attempted suicide. EDITORS NOTE: Suspects are to be considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. (StatePoint) If youre among the millions of fans of the hit show Bridgerton, or of the novels that inspired it, you know that societys fin Unlimited website access 24/7 Unlimited e-Edition access 24/7 The best local, regional and national news in sports, politics, business and more! With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. By Brad Durick Its safe to say the spawn is done and the catfish are feeding. There are many fish being caught all up and down the Red River. It appears the fish are moving to holes and more summer areas to take up residence. Fish the top, middle and outer edges of holes. Wood... The Biden Team is currently working on increasing oversight on cryptocurrency to make sure that investors are protected and illicit transactions cannot take place. Lawmakers, White House representatives, and central bankers have recently had several meetings for the regulation of cryptocurrency after the recent swings that crypto prices took. White House officials have been briefed by experts working in the Treasury Department about potential risks that cryptocurrencies can post. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) have both been involved in the process too. The Biden Administration officials are currently studying the potential gaps that could exist in terms of oversight. Since cryptocurrency is increasingly being used for terrorism activities and finance illicit, there should be some regulation to protect investors. Some potential protectors are also discussed for average retail investors who are putting their money into cryptocurrency. The Treasury Department has also unveiled the tax proposal by Biden that makes it a requirement for companies to report cryptocurrency transactions of over $10,000. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is part of the larger effort to reduce tax evasion. As of now, federal regulators dont consider the volatile nature of cryptocurrency as a full threat to the bigger financial markets stability. However, they do think that the risks should be monitored. Officials from the White House have had discussions about increasing oversight while allowing people to invest as much as they like. One official stated, Theyre aware of the fact that there are all kinds of risks in the abstract and things to look out for, but they are still largely in a wait-and-see posture. Congressional lawmakers and central banking officials have stated how there are some policies that can change the cryptocurrency market in a significant manner. The Senate has received bipartisan legislation from the House that instructs the federal regulators to properly clarify and study the rules of the cryptocurrency. The Supervision Randal Quarless Federal Reserve Vice Chair considers the matter one of great priority. The recent instability of the market has resulted in some concerns around cryptocurrency. One major concern is the environmental impact that Bitcoin and the mining of other coins has. Government officials have also stated that this kind of currency makes it quite easy for criminals and terrorists to transfer money without getting detected. Recently, in a cyber-attack on a fuel pipeline, the perpetrators were paid $5 million through untraceable cryptocurrency. One economist who worked with the Obama Administration, Jason Furman, had commented, I wish we had smothered this a decade ago before it grew into a $2 trillion monster. Digital currencies are all cons and no pros environment, crime, volatility, taking advantage of unaware investors. If they had any use at all, we could debate it. But they dont have any use at all. However, a lot of people dont share the same sentiment seeing a lot of value in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies for their fast processing and free transaction abilities. This is why the government should expect cryptocurrency to stick around. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissions new chairman has also stressed on the importance of investor protection and regulation on crypto exchanges. He has also been in touch with Congress about the problem. However, Jim Himes, a Congressman, has stated that Congress is not fully ready to act on cryptocurrency yet, so registration for crypto may not pass through Congress any time soon. The Biden Administration will be taking a close look into problems like tax evasion, investor protection, and money laundering, which is ultimately good for investors and will serve to add a level of security and transparency to cryptocurrencyusking platform like qunatum ai To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size More than $38 million worth of art has been sold through the major Australian auction houses since January, an almost fourfold increase on the $10.7 million reported by the same time last year. From the blue-chip auctioneers to the multi-category clearance venues, Australias art auctioneers have swiftly adapted to bidding through online platforms and business has never been better. Business has never been better for Australias art auctioneers. This picture, taken in April, shows Arthur Streetons The Grand Canal being auctioned off by Deutscher and Hackett in Melbourne. Credit:Penny Stephens John Albrecht, managing director of auction house Leonard Joel, said he had never seen anything like it. Albrecht said the online shopping phenomenon had been embraced by art collectors, and some of those collectors were buying art for the first time. What were seeing is absolutely the gilded cage syndrome, he said. [Consumers] have gone from experience spending on things like travel to good old-fashioned spending money on things to fill your home with. Leonard Joel held a fine art auction on June 8 in Melbourne during a stage four lockdown. There were no bidders in the auction room, with interested buyers able to view artworks only via Facetime calls with curatorial staff who showed them the pictures and sculptures dotted around the gallery walls. Advertisement Eighty-five per cent of the 147 artworks found buyers. In a stage four lockdown its beaten its budget and grossed $829,000, Albrecht said. Its distasteful talking about how gangbusters the art market is because Im conscious some other businesses are doing it tough. Arthur Streetons record-setting Grand Canal. Industry-wide, the top 10 highest prices at auction in 2021 have, as usual, been paid for large canvasses painted by dead, white men. Arthur Streetons Grand Canal sold for $3 million, the years top price. Paintings by Jeffrey Smart, Sid Nolan and Frederick McCubbin also performed strongly. The late Bessie Davidson is the only female artist in the top 10, with her still-life Interieur (1935) selling for almost $700,000 more than double its upper estimate, in a price driven by private collectors and public institutions endeavour to equal the historical gender imbalance. Bessie Davidsons Interieur (1935) sold for $662,727 in April this year. Credit: Record prices are being set for living artists, too, with an edition of the acclaimed photographer Tracey Moffatts most famous series, Something More, fetching $270,000 in March. Advertisement Ben Quiltys budgie Beast 2, painted 16 years ago, sold for $270,000 in late March, over $100,000 more than the previous highest price paid for a Quilty at auction. Other living artists benefiting from the upswing are Imants Tillers, Michael Zavros and Ron Robertson-Swann, whose model of his once-maligned civic sculpture Vault, nicknamed The Yellow Peril, fetched $55,000. Those living artists can earn a five per cent royalty from the transactions but only if the artwork has been sold twice before. Ben Quiltys Beast 2 (2005) set a new record for the artist, soaring almost five times above its high estimate to sell for $220,000 ($270,000 including buyers premium). Credit:Menzies The modest auction total for this time last year reflected the fact art auctions were largely on hold from late March until June. Then, as the auction houses ramped up their online trading in an attempt to return to business, sellers were reluctant to release items for sale. We were looking at an absolute disaster, said buyers agent David Hulme. In the second half of 2020, the art market rebounded so strongly that by years end, $108 million worth of artworks had been sold, a figure comparable to the pre-pandemic 2019 total of $111 million and 2018 industry total of $107 million. A lot of my clients would normally be spending six to eight weeks in Europe, Hulme said. They cant go and so there are now more buyers out there than sellers. Advertisement Loading Scrutiny of the figures reveals that in 2020 fewer artworks were sold, and limited stock generated higher prices per artwork. But these high prices arent just reserved for art. During the recent lockdown in Melbourne, Leonard Joel sold more than $800,000 worth of jewels. The company has sold more than $7 million worth of jewellery in the past 12 months, double what it had budgeted for. International auction house Bonhams also sells jewellery, in addition to vintage cars, prints, Asian art and many other categories of collectables at offices all over the world. Bonhams Australia director Merryn Schriever in the houses viewing room in 2020. Credit:Louise Kennerley Bonhams Australia director Merryn Schriever said theres a lot of discretionary money available to certain people and auction houses are working harder to reach them. She has doubled her photography budget and boosted spending on video, while the company saves money by printing fewer catalogues. Advertisement I dont think its business as usual, she said. All the old barriers have vanished, such as buyers [no longer] seeing the works. Loading As a consequence, Schriever said international buyers are swooping into categories and territories they previously didnt for example, buyers from Hong Kong are increasingly turning to jewels and Asian art. In these conditions, the market for Australian art should be growing, year on year, but it currently remains stable. I dont see enough diversification in the collector base, Schriever said. Retail galleries confirmed trade had been stable during the past year but the art markets greatest achievement is that it has not decreased on account of the various COVID-19 shutdowns. Albrecht said the market will contract when international travel resumes, but in the meantime: Im expecting another year of this. Advertisement Treasures from the reign of Ramses the Great will visit Sydney as part of a $40 million fund created to revive the citys season of big-ticket blockbusters, which took a hit during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Australian Museum has locked in a new exhibition that showcases 183 rare objects from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo after its highly anticipated King Tutankhamun blockbuster scheduled for this year was cancelled. Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs is coming to the Australian Museum. Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs will arrive in November 2023 on a 10-city international tour that opens at the Houston Museum of Natural Science later this year. At the same time, the Australian Museum is developing an in-depth look at apex predators of the worlds oceans, with plans to export SHARKS to international audiences in the United States and Europe. Teigen was accordingly cancelled, which was sweet justice for some, because she had been inadvertently responsible for the cancellation of former New York Times food writer Alison Roman. (*Deep breath here.*) You see, in a 2020 interview, Roman criticised Teigen (who endorses cooking products for Target, at least she did until her own cancellation) for cashing in. Roman was accused of being racist (Teigen is ethnically half-Thai) and was abused on social media. The upshot was that Roman left The New York Times and started her own subscription-based recipe and cooking newsletter. If Roman is indeed racist, it doesnt show because she only ever talks about cooking, and her eggplant parmigiana is excellent. This week Teigen took to Twitter, again, to issue a long apology replete with promises to learn and grow. As one writer pointed out, it might have been better to apologise privately to the people she had wronged. But in the age of social media, no principle is worth standing on if you cant do it in full public view, preferably with thousands of retweets. Which brings us to the second and more fascinating social media fight of the week, between the acclaimed Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and two of her former protegees. Adichie went viral with a blogpost she penned attacking young people on Twitter who are choking on sanctimony and lacking in compassion, who wield the words violence and weaponise like tarnished pitchforks ... people who depend on obfuscation, who have no compassion for anybody genuinely curious or confused. The source of the dispute was comments Adichie made during a 2017 interview on British television. Adichie, a strong feminist, was asked her views of trans women. She responded by saying, among other things, that trans women are trans women and that I dont think its a good thing to talk about womens issues being exactly the same as the issues of trans women because I dont think thats true. Loading Her former protegees, one of them transgender, attacked Adichie on social media, calling her a transphobe. Adichie details her surprise and disgust when one of them subsequently used her name in the author bio on their novel (Adichie asked the publisher to remove it), and the other emailed her privately to apologise (Adichie did not respond). Adichie extrapolated these experiences to lament a younger generation that is sanctimonious and performative in its virtue, but lacking true decency. We have a generation of young people on social media so terrified of having the wrong opinions that they have robbed themselves of the opportunity to think and to learn and to grow, she wrote. The blogpost went viral, with Adichie once again copping abuse on Twitter, rather proving her point. But the point was well argued and well expressed. There is part of the left, closely associated with Twitter, that is characterised by a refusal to recognise context, indifference to nuance and complexity, and a total rejection of the concept of intention. They refuse to acknowledge that it matters very much whether a person is engaging in a debate in good faith or not. All these qualities are put together with a performative flex if you get that flex right, you are part of the in-group, which is as elemental and occasionally nasty as a schoolyard gang. Loading A home-grown example of this is the malice and idiocy with which some journalists have been viciously attacked on social media for close questioning of Victorian Premier Dan Andrews and his heavy lockdown policy. Donald Trump was also known for leading attacks on journalists for doing their job what a noble tradition to be following in. The journalists attacked happen to be female, which I dont think is a coincidence. Women, people of colour and trans people appear to suffer disproportionately from Twitter abuse. It can have real-life consequences in terms of career harm and damage to mental health, not to mention a cruelling effect on debate and transparency. French-Australian chef and former My Kitchen Rules host Manu Feildel is sitting in Botany, weighing up his future. It might be a new television program or spending more time watching his son play rugby, but theres one thing it wont be: launching a new restaurant. Never say never, but I think my wife would kill me if I did, he says. A lot of things would have to change in Australia for me to get back into a restaurant because its a very fickle business. The margins are so small nowadays that you have a lot of work that you have to do to be successful. Staff are getting paid better every year, the food prices are getting higher every year: celebrity chef Manu Feildel. Credit:Janie Barrett Its far from what the 47-year-old Feildel might have said a decade ago. The restaurateur, who made his name hosting the Seven Networks popular cooking show My Kitchen Rules with controversial chef Pete Evans until it was axed last year, has tried several times to launch his own restaurant. One of his more infamous endeavours was with former Masterchef Australia judge George Calombaris in Melbourne. Their Le Grand Cirque in South Yarra closed four months after opening following several bad reviews. We didnt have anything to fall back on, Feildel says. That was a slap in the head. That was a wake up call. The closure sent the chef into to a period of depression. But he says that will never happen again. Sydney identity John Ibrahim and his model girlfriend Sarah Budge have been keeping details of the child they are expecting a secret for months. But now Emerald City can reveal the couple are expecting a baby boy. John Ibrahim and Sarah Budge are expecting a baby boy in September. Credit:Instagram In recent weeks the pair have shared with their inner circle the exciting news that they are expecting a son in September. Mother-to-be Budge, 31, has plenty to celebrate having vacated her Leichhardt apartment and moved into Ibrahims Dover Heights clifftop mansion. In recent weeks tradesmen have been seen coming and going from the Dover Heights property as the couple make preparations for their forthcoming baby. Whatever shiny fad is taking the school lunch time by storm, says Matt Zeremes, one half of the creative duo behind ABC MEs International Kids Emmy-winning hit, Hardball, theres one game sure to outlast the lot. Handball was being played when we were kids, agrees co-creator, Guy Edmonds. Its being played now. It will probably still be played in another 20 years. So the core of the show will hopefully never date. Hardball: virtually everybody has redeemable qualities. Credit: Semisi Cheekham, the 14-year-old star of the comedy series set in a Western Sydney primary school where handball unites and divides its diverse pupils, has noticed a resurgence in the games popularity, along with a slight name change. Hardball has started to kick off everywhere! Theres always a ball and theres all these courts around. If not, theres always a crack in the ground you can use. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size On a recent wintry morning, farmer Paul Porter surveyed a dying stand of grey box trees lining Mirrool Creek that meanders 15 kilometres through his Mywurlie property near Booligal in the NSW Riverina. The area, described unflatteringly in an 1896 Banjo Patterson poem as worse than hell itself, supports grazing and crops like barley and wheat. And when the water flows, birds such as mountain ducks and endangered Australasian bitterns fly in, while turtles, snakes and fish flourish. Paul Porter, a fifth-generation farmer, sits under a dead grey box tree amid indigo bushes and lignum in part of the Mirrool Creek on his property in the Riverina. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer Nowadays, though, flows typically only reach Porters 12,000 hectare spread when the Barren Box Swamp formally converted into a storage area by the NSW government in 2005 gets too full for its operators, the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, to handle. At the moment they just harvest, harvest, harvest, and then when theyve got too much they just flood us out, the fifth-generation farmer says. They put deep water over pretty fragile country at the wrong time of the year. They scar the country and it could be buggered for five or 10 years after it. Mirrool Creek runs 15 kilometres through Paul Porters property - at least when water is released from a dam upstream. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer The creek is just one of many that make up the Murray-Darling Basin, the million-square kilometre swathe of eastern Australia that also serves as the nations most important food bowl. Governments have spent about $9 billion of the $13 billion plan earmarked to rescue the region after a century of excessive extraction. Advertisement But with three years to go until the beginning of a major review and reset of the Basin Plan, farmers along Mirrool Creek are wondering why their watercourse and the Lachlan River downstream should be allowed to wither. Why is this environment any less important than another? Porter asks. Dead trees in what was known as Barren Box Swamp before its name was changed to a storage, and its water used for nearby farms. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer An opportunity to air such questions arose this month during a two-day conference hosted by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority at nearby Griffith. The agency, overseeing the Basin Plans implementation, notably picked the town for its inaugural annual event dubbed River Reflections near the site of infamous burning of copies of the plan guidelines in 2010. That fiery event, which included a stuffed horse-head being thrown at then authority chair Mike Taylor, scarred this organisation, a senior MDBA official said on the sidelines of this months gathering. This time around, with good rains and a bumper season in prospect, farmers were probably too busy on the tractor, making money to complain, said the official, who was not authorised to comment publicly. We have a problem: Sir Angus Houston, chair of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, addresses the River Reflections dinner at Whitton in the Riverina. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer As multiple speakers at the conference sought to make clear, the rivers particularly in the southern basin region spanning Victoria and NSW are on a drying track as a warming world makes notoriously variable rainfall even more so. Advertisement We all know, I think, that inflows into the river system, have reduced 51 per cent over the last 20 years, when you compare that with the [previous] 100 years, authority chair and former defence forces chief Sir Angus Houston told attendees. So things are not looking good in terms of where the trends are going. Loading Houston, who emigrated from Scotland to work as a jackaroo into Western Australia in 1968 before drought spurred him to join the airforce two years later, says the June 2024 so-called reconciliation of the Basin Plan and reset by 2026 will inevitably stoke concerns about further water savings to come. Its all coming up fairly rapidly. I know theres a lot of concern in the room about what happens at that stage, he told the conference dinner in Whitton. Listeners should focus on the whole basin, he said, and concluded, the challenges you face are pretty severe going forward. Inflows to the basin vary. The north endured its worst drought on record until rains returned last year but its longer-term trend has not been as clear-cut as the south. The important Macquarie Marshes wetlands in north-western NSW have begun filling after the worst drought on record broke last year. Credit:Wolter Peeters NSW government documents, though, show climate scientists predict that region too will turn drier and hotter. Over the next 40 years, the total volume of water in the Peel and Namoi rivers could drop by average of 47 per cent and 44 per cent, respectively. Advertisement Under a dry climate change scenario, there could be no end of system flows for 40 per cent of the time for the Barwon-Darling River, the data shows. Loading Mark Howden, director of the Australian National Universitys Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster solutions, and a conference speaker, says it will be vital that climate change projections inform the 2026 reset. Global climate models are not picking up the changes, Howden says. They are underestimating [their] rapidity. For farmers like Debbie Buller, who sows rice at Murrami, and Jo Brighenti, a citrus grower at Griffith, the conference didnt tackle the issues that matter to them and wasnt worth the $80 entry fee. Jo Brighenti (left) and rice grower Debbie Buller on the Brighentis valencia orange farm in Griffith. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer We know all these people, we know exactly what theyre saying and theyre not listening, says Buller, who is also head of Murrumbidgee Food and Fibre. Advertisement Its been going on for 30 years, she says. They said give us this and well go away. The separation of water rights from the land, which began in 1994, is having a profound effect on rural industries, particularly as perennial crops such as almonds and walnuts outbid dairy, rice or other producers who squeeze less value from each irrigated drop. Waters going to the people with the deepest pockets and to the most desperate people, Buller says. Its created something like the irrigation hunger games. Loading For Brighenti, her family has held off expanding her orange and mandarin orchards that ship fruit to China and elsewhere. If I dont develop I can sell my water in some years for an extraordinary amount, but whats that do for food security? she asks. Meanwhile, she watches as Murrumbidgee Irrigation (MI) opens up land, widening a canal that passes through some of her familys land. Advertisement When you think of a sexologist, what comes to mind? Perhaps a Barbra Streisand-esque character from Meet the Fockers, with billowing clothes in an office adorned with phallic statues counselling a couple of 20 years in a sexless marriage. Something kooky, confronting or embarrassing? No matter what the popular imagination cooks up, its probably far from the reality of what sexology actually looks like in 2021. A new cohort of young social-media-savvy practitioners are working almost exclusively with young people who are treating their sexuality as an extension of their mental health and an avenue for self-improvement. Meg Callander is a sexologist who works overwhelmingly with young people and says many of the issues clients are coming forward with for help are as a result of a lack of pleasure-centred consent and sexual education in schools. Credit:Jason South The vast majority of Melbourne based sexologist Meg Callanders clients are Millennials or Gen Z between the ages of 18 and 35 who find her through Instagram. And Friday brought encouraging signs, with almost 131,000 Australians turning out to have a vaccination just short of the same time a week before. But doctors have still been reporting that many people have been cancelling their AstraZeneca appointments, and Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Victorian chair Anita Munoz said some patients had also been verbally abusing reception staff, demanding to receive Pfizer. Dr Munoz, who works at a GP clinic in Melbournes CBD, anticipated doctors would face an uphill battle to convince patients over 60, who were still eligible for AstraZeneca, to get vaccinated or have their second shot. There really is going to have to be a widespread campaign that informs the public that this is what medicine does, it changes with the evidence. Almost a million people in their 50s who had already received the AstraZeneca shot have been advised that it is safe to get their second dose, with UK data showing the chance of people developing the rare condition drastically lower than for first doses. There were an estimated 1.5 cases of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia per million following the second shot, compared to 27 per million for first doses for those in their 50s in Australia. The AstraZeneca vaccine, like the Pfizer jab, is estimated to provide an extremely high level of protection against hospitalisation and death due to COVID-19. Infectious diseases specialist with the Australian National University, Sanjaya Senanayake, said while he wished older Australians would take up the very good AstraZeneca vaccine the reality is that we may not win this public relations campaign. He said the transparency of health authorities in keeping people abreast of the developments with the rare side effect (60 likely cases in almost 4 million doses of the vaccine) alongside low rates of coronavirus in Australia had culminated in hesitancy. But he warned there was no guarantee that Australia would continue suppressing the virus, or that the new cluster in Sydney, which on Saturday grew to six cases, would be contained. Loading The reality is it might take hold and we might have a Melbourne 2020 situation again, Associate Professor Senanayake said. In the blink of an eye or we can go from having no community transmission to a really nasty outbreak. Victoria recorded one locally acquired case of coronavirus on Saturday, a person who had been in isolation while infectious, while the states Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton warned the virus was absolutely still out there. Mr Hunt has said supplies of the Pfizer vaccine are due to double next month, when weekly deliveries increase from an average of 300,000 a week to 600,000. However, Professor Crabb said if there was an outbreak in Australia in the next six to nine months the rate of death and serious illness could be greatly influenced by the success or otherwise of the AstraZeneca rollout. The community has an inkling of this which is why they rushed to get vaccinated during the recent Victorian scare, he said. In poorer countries, Professor Crabb said the impact of not going full steam ahead with AstraZeneca and other similar vaccines was potentially devastating because those countries may not have access to alternatives for years. Hesitancy is already a major problem. What we do influences uptake elsewhere, he said. Loading In Australia, experts say the AstraZeneca vaccine may be less of a feature of the countrys vaccine strategy from next year, as it was quicker to develop booster vaccines using different types of vaccines. Australia has already ordered 15 million doses of Modernas variant booster vaccine. Like the Pfizer vaccine, the Moderna jab uses mRNA technology. The prospect of combining the AstraZeneca vaccine with one dose of the mRNA vaccine has also been flagged, amid emerging evidence that a mixed dose could lead to a better immune response. Following the latest decision by ATAGI, Mr Hunt announced a new payment for GPs, allowing them to bulk bill consultations with patients to discuss their vaccine concerns. University of Sydney infectious diseases expert Robert Booy said it was clear that public trust in AstraZeneca had been dented, and said GPs should have been notified ahead of the change in clinical advice. Melbourne GP Alastair Stark said agitated and anxious patients, who had concerns over AstraZeneca, had been phoning his western suburbs clinic and taking out their frustrations on reception staff. It has become the norm for patients to just call and shout at receptionists, which is really awful, he said. Loading Another GP, John Hodgson, who runs a respiratory and vaccine clinic in Coolaroo in Melbournes north, is concerned vaccines may go to waste. He estimated the change in clinical advice had set back the vaccine rollout by months. The major problem is people are fearful again, they are worried about being vaccinated. Its raised the question of why cant we all get Pfizer? A spokeswoman for CSL, the manufacturer of AstraZeneca in Australia, said it remained committed to meeting its contracted arrangements with the Australian government and AstraZeneca. Well-connected members of Sydneys male-only Australian Club are embarking upon an internal campaign to admit women into the exclusive association, warning it risks becoming an upmarket mens shed. Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and fellow former Liberal MP Bruce Baird, as well as the businessman David Gonski, are among the ginger group committed to staying in the club to bring about the change. Last week 62 per cent of the clubs members voted to continue excluding women. Former prime minister John Howard leaves the Australian Club. Credit:Kate Geraghty Former prime minister John Howard, another member of the 183-year-old institution, declined to say how he voted - though his friends strongly believe he supported admitting women. However, several high-profile women in Sydneys business community told The Sun-Herald they had no interest in joining the Australian Club. Im not really a club person, said corporate adviser and board director Cass OConnor, who also disliked the dress code. It says denim is not permitted on the website - kinda rules me out. The NSW Department of Education keeps no records about which students are facing criminal charges, have been convicted or have apprehended violence orders taken out against them, meaning students convicted of a criminal offence could attend a new school without the principal knowing. The father of a girl whose schoolmate is charged with violently raping her has called for a register, saying schools have a duty of care to other students who come into contact with potential offenders. But the NSW Department of Education said it was limited by privacy laws, and a leading former prosecutor said the issue should be left to police and the courts. About 5000 young people aged between 10 and 17 face charges in court each year, and between 4000 and 5000 are convicted of criminal offences. More than 100 young people typically appear for sexual offences, with a majority of those convicted. Police searching for missing mother Ju Zhang expect to know on Monday or Tuesday the results of a post mortem on a body found at a Melbourne tip this week. The examination is being conducted over the weekend after the human remains were found at a landfill site in Wollert, in Melbournes north, as part of an investigation into the suspicious disappearance of Ms Zhang, also known as Kelly. Ju Zhang was last seen on February 1 at her Epping home. Credit:Victoria Police Ms Zhang was last seen at the home she shared with her eight-year-old son on Winchester Avenue in Epping on the evening of February 1. Her boyfriend, Joon Seong Tan, 35, was charged with her murder on February 11 after being stopped by police while allegedly trying to catch a flight at Melbourne Airport. Winston gets restless when Kim Watson has a nightmare. The labrador puppy squirms; interrupting her panicked dreams. He makes a difference, even just having him there on my bed, sleeping with me, touching him, Ms Watson says. Ms Watson, a carer, was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder after a couple of violent incidents at the group home where she used to work. Once a resident punched her in the face, breaking her nose. I have a terrible nights sleep with flashbacks and I scratch and its horrific, Ms Watson says. Winston gets me to go out, I take him for a walk, I feel safe with him. Kim Watson with Winston Credit:Scott McNaughton Ms Watson has been unable to work since 2018. She lodged a WorkCover claim, which was accepted by her employers insurance agent, Allianz. But her claim for an assistance dog recommended by her psychologist and psychiatrist to assist with her PTSD symptoms was rejected. I felt responsibility to do everything I could to protect healthcare workers, Professor Rait said. But as a father with a daughter working on the frontline the anxiety was palpable. At the height of Melbournes deadly second wave of coronavirus, and in the midst of a punishing 112-day lockdown, Professor Rait said he barely slept. His phone did not stop ringing. Loading The ophthalmologist was working late into the night as the Victorian head of the Australian Medical Association, before spending hours reading the endless flow of scientific literature emerging on the then mysterious virus. Each day brought news of more COVID-19 outbreaks. Victorias contact tracing system was collapsing. Testing systems were overwhelmed. Healthcare workers were being infected in their thousands, and some were so sick they were in intensive care wards fighting for their lives. My heart just sank at that time, Professor Rait said. I felt so much anguish because the writing was on the wall way back in June. Medical professionals were putting their lives on a line by turning up to work because we werent on top of either the ventilation controls or the respiratory protection measures to protect them. He said while the new Australian Institute for Infectious Disease could give health experts a direct line to government and help to prevent the kind of disastrous outbreaks that leaked out of hotel quarantine and on cruise ships, it did not go far enough. A coronavirus patient can turn up at any hospital at any time, he said. We need to go back to the drawing board and redesign hospitals to make sure they are safer because we dont know when the next pandemic will come. Arguably one of Victorias most influential voices during the horror second wave last year where hundreds of people died after the virus broke out of quarantine hotels, Professor Rait was tireless in sounding the alarm on the safety of healthcare workers. He believes that rigid thinking on how the virus spread contributed to the large number infections among them. The problem was that there was this dogma about dividing viruses arbitrarily into those spread by droplets and those spread by aerosols, he said. There was this perception that coronavirus would behave like the SARS virus and it didnt. Investigators at Melbourne hospitals also found it is common for air in rooms of sick patients to be funnelled into busy corridors, with poor ventilation and airflow issues the likely cause of coronavirus outbreaks during Victorias second wave. It was not until September last year, after months of criticism led by the AMA, medical unions and whistleblowing frontline workers, that the state government finally made it mandatory that every healthcare worker in a COVID-19 ward had access to a properly fitted N95 respirators to ensure the mask properly seals their face. If there was any silver lining in the pandemic, Professor Rait said it was that it had forced the splintering of the health department and the human services sector. This resulted in suburban run public health units, which have vastly improved technology and have transformed our capacity to trace, isolate and contain the virus. Professor Rait said the Victorian government must do lockdowns better and smarter. He hoped increasing vaccine rates would seek outbreaks curtailed by mandating face masks and localised lockdowns rather than widespread shutdowns. The government must get more curious and scrutinise their own response to past outbreaks and mine that data for new insights about how the virus spreads within our community, he said. Quarantining of returned travellers remained a weak spot in countrys response and Professor Rait said more quarantine facilities like the highly successful Howard Springs model were needed to stop the virus, and other future infectious diseases, creeping into Australian shores. When he was a boy, Professor Raits father Bill, a pioneering doctor and scientist who lived through the Spanish flu crisis, told him to always look to the most vulnerable during a pandemic. The ethos of a society was reflected there. Professor Rait thought often about his fathers words during his tenure as head of the AMA and in rare quiet moments he was able to reflect and recharge as he walked his labradoodle Daisy with his wife Jane last year. Loading Bills insights proved ominous as coronavirus outbreaks swept through aged care homes, public housing towers, migrant communities and those in casual employment such as aged care workers. Moving forward we must to do more to protect these communities, Professor Rait said. The biggest flaw of the vaccine rollout so far is that it has failed to vaccinate all of the vulnerable people first, the aged care and disability workers. Roderick McRae, an anaesthetist, intensive care doctor and qualified lawyer, was appointed the new Victorian president of the AMA at the end of May. Professor Rait remains chair of the AMA Federal Council and has spent recent months working in Alice Springs to improve vision services for Australias Indigenous communities. Washington: Rumours that Chinas top spy catcher has defected to the United States were swirling Friday night amid a growing focus in Washington on the theory that COVID-19 escaped from a Wuhan laboratory. Dong Jingwei, a vice-minister of state security who assumed responsibility for counter-intelligence three years ago, was reported to have flown from Hong Kong to the US in February with his daughter. President Xi Jinping, centre, reviews with Communist Party admission oath on a visit to the Museum of the Communist Party of China. Credit:Xinhua Although there was no official comment from China, the social media account of the Central Political Legal Affairs Commission, Beijings top law enforcement agency, on Friday posted remarks from Dong that it said came from a seminar he gave that day. According to a report in the in the South China Morning Post, Dong warned spies to watch out for insiders who collude with anti-China forces. Geneva: Delta variant of COVID-19, first identified in India, is spreading rapidly across the world. The World Health Organisations chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan told a news conference on Friday local time (Saturday AEST) it would soon become the dominant variant of coronavirus worldwide. The Delta variant is well on its way to becoming the dominant variant globally because of its increased transmissibility, Swaminathan said. Soumya Swaminathan, WHOs chief scientist, expressed her disappointment at the failure of the latest vtrials for a new COVID vaccine. Credit:Keystone Britain has reported a steep rise in infections with the Delta variant, while Germanys top public health official predicted it would rapidly become the dominant variant there despite rising vaccination rates. Palermo: Years after he lost his dream job in the Vaticans Latin department, left the priesthood, came out as gay, went public with sensational accounts of rampant sex among clergy in Rome and reinvented himself as a gay rights activist and journalist, Francesco Lepore returned to the Vatican to discuss a new gig. In November, Lepore, 45, accepted an invitation to the office of Andrea Tornielli, the Vaticans influential editorial director, who complimented him profusely on his Latin and asked if he would be interested in helping with the churchs Latin language podcast. Naturally, he says he was told, they would need to keep the collaboration and payments quiet. Francesco Lepore, a Latin expert, gay rights activist, journalist and former Catholic priest, at the Benedictine Cloister in Monreale, Italy. Credit:Gianni Cipriano/The New York Times Lepores stellar Latin brought him from a small southern town to the Apostolic palace. His searing Vatican experience led to the front lines of the gay rights movement as editor of GayNews.it and, this month, author of The Crime of Giarre, a book investigating the decades-old murder of a Sicilian couple that helped spark Italys gay rights movement. And his deep knowledge of the church led to articles in an anti-populist and proudly elitist publication, Linkiesta, where he also has a general interest daily column written in Latin. In March, he wrote about how Ioannes Biden agreed with the suggestion that Vladimirum Putin is pro homicida habet, or a killer. This month, his piece about the adoption of bitcoin bito nummario as legal tender in El Salvador was retweeted by that countrys President. The elegance of his classical prose apparently piqued the interest, despite everything, of Tornielli, who confirmed the November meeting but declined to comment on its substance. Dubai: Hardline judge Ebrahim Raisi has been elected President of Iran in a lacklustre campaign where he was widely regarded as front-runner, despite being personally sanctioned by the US. Raisi, a protege of Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, will have a key role in discussions with the United States about the prospect of a renewed nuclear pact. At 9am Saturday local time (3.30pm AEST), the two other candidates, former Revolutionary Guard commander Mohsen Rezaie and moderate Abdolnaser Hemmati both congratulated Raisi, although the official result has not yet been declared. Ebrahim Raisi, Irans new President, waves to media after casting his ballot in Tehran on Friday. Credit:AP Rezaeis concession in a post on Twitter came as Irans outgoing President Hassan Rouhani also acknowledged the winner in the countrys vote Friday was clear, though he didnt immediately name judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi. Searchers combed a North Carolina river Friday for two missing tubers after a family on a recreational float went over a dam, resulting in three deaths and the rescue of four people from the water. The group of nine, all believed to be part of the same family, was floating down the Dan River on inflatable tubes and went over a dam thats about 2.5 metres high next to a Duke Energy plant on Wednesday night, Rockingham County Emergency Services Director Rodney Cates told reporters. A Duke Energy employee who saw some of the tubers called 911 on Thursday afternoon, and four were rescued that day. Three tubers bodies were also found on Thursday. Rescue personnel prepare to search for the missing tubers. Credit: Cates said that the rescued tubers spent the night floating in the water near the dam before they were found clinging to the tubes. He said they managed to stay afloat for approximately 19 hours, describing them as very, very fatigued when they were found. The four were taken to a hospital and were expected to survive. PHILIPSBURG:--- The Police Force Sint Maarten KPSM and the Justice Department have received complaints over the past weeks about people gathering after 11:00 pm in and around places such as gas stations and other public spaces. These late-night gatherings are punctuated by loud music that disrupts the nightly peace and quiet. Additionally, several videos circulating on the Internet have shown drivers misbehaving in such a manner that their lives and those of others in traffic are endangered. To curb and end this unacceptable behavior, the Minister of Justice has issued a decree prohibiting the assembly of people after 11 pm. KPSM will enforce the ban on these unsafe and unlawful gatherings and will act on bad behavior in traffic. Anyone who does not follow the rules will find themselves on the wrong side of the law. As police officers, we have an obligation to uphold the rules and will not hesitate to execute our duties. Law enforcement will continue to control the movement of the public in several locations across the country as per the ministerial decree and other regulations. Anyone caught in violation of the rules will be fined or may even be subject to arrest. KPSM Press Release. Kore Mining closes $8.0 million bought deal offering Posted by Publisher Internet KORE Mining Ltd. (TSXV: KORE | OTCQX: KOREF) (?KORE? or the ?Company? https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/kore-mining-ltd/) is pleased to announce that it has closed its previously announced bought deal public offering (the ?Offering?). Pursuant to the Offering, the Company issued 8,422,000 units (the ?Units?) of the Company at a price of $0.95 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $8,000,900. ? Each Unit consists of one common share in the capital of the Company and one half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole common share purchase warrant, a ?Warrant?). Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $1.35 until June 18, 2023. The Offering was completed through a syndicate of underwriters led by Canaccord Genuity Corp. and including PI Financial Corp. and Cormark Securities Inc. The Units were offered by way of a short form prospectus dated June 11, 2021 (the ?Prospectus?) filed with the securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces of Canada, except Quebec, and in the United States on a private placement basis pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Company plans to use the net proceeds from the Offering for the advancement of its gold assets in California, as well as for general corporate and working capital purposes, all as more particularly described in the Prospectus. This press release is not an offer or a solicitation of an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration. About KORE Mining KORE is 100% owner of the Imperial and Long Valley gold projects in California. Both projects have positive preliminary economic assessments.? KORE is supported by strategic investor Eric Sprott who owns 26% of KORE\-\-s basic shares. KORE management and Board are aligned with shareholders, owning an additional 38% of the basic shares outstanding. KORE is actively advancing its Imperial Gold project and is aggressively exploring across its portfolio of assets.. Further information on KORE can be found on the Company?s website at www.koremining.com or by contacting us at info@koremining.com or by telephone at (888) 407-5450. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information Certain of the statements made and information contained herein, including the intended use of proceeds of the Offering, is ?forward-looking information? within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation or ?forward-looking statements? within the meaning of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 of the United States. Generally, these forward-looking statements or information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as ?plans?, ?expects? or ?does not expect?, ?is expected?, ?will? ?budget?, ?scheduled?, ?estimates?, ?forecasts?, ?intends?, ?anticipates? or ?does not anticipate?, or ?believes?, or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results ?may?, ?could?, ?would?, ?might? or ?will be taken?, ?occur? or ?be achieved?. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties relating to foreign currency fluctuations; risks inherent in mining including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected geological formations, ground control problems and flooding; risks associated with the estimation of mineral resources and reserves and the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company?s expectations; the potential for and effects of labor disputes or other unanticipated difficulties with or shortages of labour or interruptions in production; actual ore mined varying from estimates of grade, tonnage, dilution and metallurgical and other characteristics; the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, commodity price fluctuations; uncertain political and economic environments; changes in laws or policies, foreign taxation, delays or the inability to obtain necessary governmental permits; and other risks and uncertainties, including those described under risk factors in the Company?s current Annual Information Form and management discussion and analysis. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained herein is presented for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Company?s plans and objectives and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. SEA2 Floyd Helton was on the USS Oklahoma when it was attacked at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. His remains would not be identified for nearly 80 years but are now set to be interred in the Sloans Valley Cemetery next month. It is with heartfelt sadness that we announce the passing of Walter John Jarusiewicz, Jr. on June 28, 2021. He is survived by his wife of 58 years; Judith Vrablic Jarusiewicz, his four children; Jill, Jody Judy and Walter, III, 9 grandchildren, and 13 great grandchildren. Walter had a great West Dallas resident Julian Campos, left, listens to Beto O'Rourke, right, along with Texas Organizing Project volunteer David Villalobos during a neighborhood canvassing Wednesday, June 9, 2021. The former congressman and senatorial candidate is driving an effort to gather voter support to stop Texas' SB7 voting legislation. As politicians from Austin to Washington battle over how to run elections, many voters are disconnected from the fight. While both sides have a passionate base of voters intensely dialed in on the issue, a disengaged middle is baffled at the attention. (AP Photo/LM Otero) Support local journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute Algiers, 14 June 2021 (SPS) - The Security Council must assume its responsibilities vis-a-vis the issue of Western Sahara, Sahrawi Foreign Minister Mohamed Salem Ould Salek told the German channel Deutsche Welle. The Sahrawi minister said he expected, notably from the USA and France, two permanent members of the Security Council, that they oblige Morocco to respect its own commitments concerning the issue of Western Sahara. The Security Councils passive position has had negative effects on the ground, according to him. We have seen that this impunity of Morocco, which violates the human rights, plunders Western Saharas natural resources and which flouts its own commitments, leads nowhere. Instead of peace, there is today a return of hostilities on the ground, lamented Ould Salek. He affirmed that the United Nations must tell the Sahrawi people why Morocco is allowed to flout its commitments. We are open to peace as we have always been and we signed an agreement (relating to the self-determination referendum). The Security Council must tell us why the agreement isnt implemented () there is a UN mission (in the Sahrawi territories), what is it doing? Why did it come? Why is it still there?, he wondered. We wont say no to negotiations, but Morocco has blocked everything. We held negotiations, we have reached an agreement (but) Morocco, which violates all the decisions of the international organizations and particularly which goes back on its own commitments, must understand that the Sahrawi people cant stand idly, he underlined. At the level of the African Union (AU), the Sahrawi Republic is willing to make peace with Morocco (but) Morocco must know that peace is related to the respect of the borders inherited from the colonial era and respect of the Sahrawi peoples right to self-determination and independence, he added. (SPS) 062/090/700 Bir Lahlou, 19 June 2021 (SPS) - President of the Republic, Secretary General of the Polisario Front, Mr. Brahim Ghali, has received a letter of thanks and gratitude from his Ugandan counterpart, Mr. Yoweri Museveni. The letter of thanks and gratitude comes after the President of the Republic responded to the invitation of his Ugandan counterpart to attend the inauguration ceremony of the President of the State of Uganda for a sixth term. Mr. Brahim Ghali sent the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Mohamed Salem Ould Salek as his personal representative. Mr. Museveni expressed his gratitude for the acceptance of his invitation by the President of the Republic, stressing that the Sahrawi Republic's attendance of the event is evidence of the friendly bilateral relations and solidarity that unites the two brotherly countries, the Sahrawi Republic and the State of Uganda, which must be further strengthened to serve the interests of the two peoples, he added. The President of Uganda wished his Sahrawi counterpart a speedy recovery, as well as more successes in his noble responsibilities for the progress of the Sahrawi people. (SPS) 062/090/T MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrests polarizing presence has hung over Memphis since he moved here in 1852 his legacy cemented by a giant statue that loomed over all who passed his gravesite in a popular park. Defenders considered him a hero for his Civil War exploits. Detractors called him a violent racist and noted his early leadership role in the Ku Klux Klan. Now the former slave trader's remains are set to be moved to a new Confederate museum in Columbia, Tennessee another milestone in the effort to remove statues, monuments, and now the remains, of Confederate leaders from public spaces. As workers prepared to dig up his grave earlier this month, a white man waved a rebel flag, sang Dixie and launched an expletive-laced tirade at Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer. Sawyer, who is Black, plucked Confederate flags off a chain-link fence surrounding the site as George Johnson paced behind her on a concrete platform. When he cursed at her again, Sawyer replied: Its not your property, and turned toward reporters gathered for the June 1 news conference. Health Sciences Park, where Forrest and his wife had been buried for more than a century, was called Forrest Park until 2013, when the name was changed. The statue of the general on horseback was removed in 2017, after a campaign Sawyer helped lead. Now, the Sons of Confederate Veterans have agreed to transport his remains to their National Confederate Museum at the historic Elm Springs estate in Columbia, 200 miles away. The group's spokesman, Lee Millar, a distant cousin of Forrest, said the bodies of Forrest and his wife were in an undisclosed location until they can be moved to the museum. Memphis is not the town that Forrest grew up in, he said. Its just deleting his history and forgetting about the past. Gradually, Forrests legacy has been dismantled in Memphis. Forrest traded slaves near the area where people of many races now come to eat, drink and watch ball games downtown. A short drive away is the old Lorraine Motel, where civil rights leader Martin Luther King. Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Many in majority-Black Memphis are eager to see Forrest gone. The park where his grave was located has been the site of protests related to the Black Lives Matter movement. A music festival for Juneteenth, which marks the end of American slavery, is scheduled there this weekend. Its like a burden has been lifted, said Van D. Turner, a Black county commissioner who pushed for the Forrest statue removal. It just gives us breath." Elsewhere in Tennessee, activists and Democratic lawmakers have called for the removal of a bust of Forrest from the state Capitol in Nashville. At Republican Gov. Bill Lees recommendation, the Tennessee Historical Commission voted to take down the bust, but GOP legislators argued another commissions vote is needed. No removal plans have been announced. After amassing wealth in Memphis, Forrest joined the rebel cause. Wounded four times, he led lightning raids on supply lines and commanded troops at Shiloh, Chickamauga and other Civil War battles. Jack Hurst, author of Nathan Bedford Forrest: A Biography, says Forrest was the only soldier on either side to rise from private to lieutenant general. In April 1864, Forrests troops attacked Fort Pillow in northwest Tennessee and killed an estimated 200 to 300 Union soldiers, most of them Black. Forrest was later accused of massacring them as they tried to surrender. Historians say he was an early Klan leader, though some Forrest supporters dispute that, saying he was offended by its growing penchant for violence. The remains of Forrest and his wife were moved to the Health Sciences Park site in 1904, where his statue towered above passers-by walking to work or to the nearby University of Tennessee medical school until its 2017 removal. The statue was reprehensible and was offensive, said Sawyer, who says she received threats for her activism in getting it taken down. It wasnt something I believed belonged in our city. In December 2017, Memphis sold Forrest Park to a newly created non-profit, Memphis Greenspace, led by Commissioner Turner. The sale to a private entity circumvented a state law prohibiting the removal of historical monuments from public areas. On the night of Dec. 20, 2017, a crane removed the statue from its pedestal. The Sons of Confederate Veterans sued, citing the state law, but a Nashville judge ruled against them. Greenspace eventually gave the statue to the Sons of Confederate Veterans, and a judge signed an agreement approved by Forrests relatives to send the couple's remains to the group's privately funded museum, where Civil War artifacts are displayed. The Sons of Confederate Veterans paid for the disinterment, using contractors and volunteers, including Johnson, the man who confronted Sawyer. A monument to Forrest at the museum likely will be installed outdoors, in a park setting, where Millar said the former Confederate general can rest in peace. There has been some vandalism, some spray paint, protests," Millar said of the park in Memphis. The general wouldnt be happy the way things are here. For Turner, the ouster of the Confederate monuments and Forrests remains is undoing an injustice in a city still dealing with King's assassination. I hope that it gives life to the city," Turner said, and it lets the city know that we dont have to allow our past to drag us down. ___ AP writers Mark Humphrey in Columbia, Tennessee, and Jonathan Mattise in Nashville contributed. The number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 in Connecticut reached new lows on Friday for the second day in a row, as nearly 66 percent of residents have now received at least one shot of a vaccine. A net drop of four patients reported Friday brought the states total hospital census for the disease to 33 the lowest it has been at any point since the pandemic began, according to state data. The day before, hospitalizations had fallen to 37 statewide, marking the new low point since the pandemic began. Gov. Ned Lamont applauded the news in a tweet. Thank you to all of the amazing health care workers who've worked tirelessly to get us to this day! he wrote. The previous low point for hospitalizations was on Aug. 16, when hospitalizations reached 42 during the summer lull in infections before the second surge in the fall and winter. Seventy new infections were reported statewide on Friday out of 15,695 tests for a one-day positivity rate of 0.45 percent. Four more deaths attributed to COVID-19 brought Connecticuts official death toll to 8,270. About 58.4 percent of the state is now fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly one month since the state rolled back nearly all of its remaining restrictions. Fully vaccinated people are able to go maskless indoors, with businesses mostly operating on the honor system. Some still require everyone who enters to wear a mask, and masks are also required in health care settings, inside taxis and public transportation, and some other venues. The declining metrics largely mirror declines in cases and deaths around the country, as a little less than 149 million people in the U.S. are now considered fully vaccinated. But the drop in cases come as public health officials have raised concern about the Delta variant of the virus, which is believed to pass more easily from person to person than the Alpha variant thats now believed to be the dominant lineage in the U.S. In the U.K., the Delta variant surpassed Alpha to become the predomiant strain in almost all new cases, and researchers are worried the U.S. could follow in the same footsteps. Earlier this week, the CDC named the Delta strain as a variant of concern, bumping it up from a variant of interest. On Friday, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the agencys head, said the Delta variant could become predominant in the U.S. Essentially what happens is when these viruses mutate, they do so with some advantage to the virus in this case its more transmissable. Its more transmissable than the Alpha variant or the U.K. variant that we have here, Walensky said during an appearance on Good Morning America. We saw that quickly become the dominant strain in the period of one or two months and I anticipate that is going to be what happens with the Delta strain here. She said that while theres worry the virus could one day mutate to evade the protection offered by the vaccines, right now the vaccines are proving effective. She encouraged people to get vaccinated, and to make sure they get both doses in order to have the strongest protection against the variant advice thats been echoed by public health experts in Connecticut. The variant has been detected in small numbers in Connecticut, with the latest data from the governors office showing 35 cases as of Thursday. The Yale School of Public Health said it would not have an updated report this week due to technical difficulties. Nathan Grubaugh, who heads up the research efforts sequencing virus samples from around the state, said the good news is there werent many samples to sequence. Bad news is that Delta (B.1.617.2) keeps rising in the U.S., Grubaugh wrote in a tweet, noting the variant makes up around 20 percent of cases in the nation. Meanwhile, the Biden administration on Thursday announced it would spend nearly $3 billion on the development of anti-viral drugs for the treatment of COVID-19, with the intent of giving people a medication they could take at home before the illness progresses. On Wednesday evening, as Destiny Hamilton and her friend were driving through Bloomfield, they saw something that made them stop and pull over. On the wall of the community center where she made countless childhood memories, giant images of President Barack Obama and Anika Rose were shining in the sunlight. For Hamilton, Rose was not only an actress who voiced Disneys first African-American princess, Tiana, in The Princess and the Frog, but also a woman who grew up in the same neighborhood and went to a school that she often passes by. Hamilton started taking photos with a smile on her face. Its very empowering, she said. We can step out of the comfort zone to do more than whats expected on us. Nearby, Andrew Brown and Harold Blanchard watched how artist Ryan Christenson, of North Haven, known as ARCY, turned the wall that was pure white just three days ago into a colorful artwork full of civil rights activists. The mural is one of five to be formally unveiled on Saturday in recognition of Juneteenth, a day celebrating the end of slavery that President Joe Biden made a federal holiday on Thursday. The other murals are at the Mahoney Center in Manchester; a building at 42 Water St. in Torrington; the Noah Webster Library on South Main St. in West Hartford; and 350 Washington St. in New Haven. The project is part of MLK39: Racial Equity Mural Tour, led by RiseUP for Arts. By making Juneteenth a federal holiday, all Americans can feel the power of this day and learn from our history - and celebrate progress and grapple with the distance weve come (and) the distance we have to travel, Biden said. Blanchard thought of his aunt, Dr. Diane Clare-Kearney. Born and raised in Manchester, Kearney was also painted on another wall in Manchester, along with Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis and Harriet Tubman, for her contribution to the community first as a teacher and now as the director of Manchester Adult and Continuing Education. Shes all about community, Blanchard said. (She is) somebody thats selfless and willing to go the extra mile to make sure somebody is comfortable and feels accepted because thats what she wants everybody feels accepted. At first, the statewide year-long murals project wasnt going to be this big. Then the painting of Martin Luther King Jr. was unveiled in Manchester this January. That first mural sparked so much positive feedback in the community of Manchester, said Matt Conway, the director of RiseUP for Arts. We need to take this message of light, of hope, of what Martin Luther King stood for, across the entire state. More than 250 donors and sponsors helped raise over $100,000 to start the mural tour. Local artists were chosen to paint civil rights activists that community members voted for. It definitely was influenced by all the racial unrest that was happening in 2020, Conway said. It was a response to that because 2020 highlighted all the work that still needs to be done. The unveiling on Saturday is open to the public and will feature singing, dancing and instrumental performances by local artists. One of the goals is to bring awareness to the history of civil rights in Connecticut, not just civil rights in the 60s, but being able to highlight those heroes in our local towns that are fighting still for civil rights, Conway said. Its to continue the dialogue in these communities around. Local activists who are included on the murals, such as Kearney, will join and give speeches. New murals will be unveiled throughout the year until next Martin Luther King Jr. Day. STAMFORD A Delaware man is accusing the producers and security team behind Jerry Springers latest reality show, Judge Jerry, of failing to intervene in an attack that he says led to severe injuries following a taping in October 2020. James Papi, 71, was invited to be a guest on Judge Jerry, an arbitration-based reality court show presided over by Jerry Springer, to settle ongoing litigation of a contract between him and Sean Posey Lakins, who hired Papis company to do work at his Delaware home. Lakins claimed Papi and his contracting crew walked off-site without finishing the project, the original lawsuit said. In a countersuit, Papi alleged Lakins had threatened to assault members of Papis contracting team. During the show, Springer ultimately awarded Lakins half of the damages he claimed as a part of the original lawsuit. But, a new lawsuit alleges, after Lakins televised win which is legally binding and cant be appealed in a court of common pleas Lakins punched Papi in the face as he was getting into his car in the parking lot outside of Stamfords NBC Universal Media studio. The attack, the lawsuit claims, left Papi with a broken jaw, a broken nose, a hematoma and several broken teeth. Now, Papi is suing NBC Universal Media, Allied Universal Security and Stamford Media Center and Productions for the substantial pain and suffering that he claims befell him as a result of the attack. Attorney Michael Skiber, who represents Papi, claims the team behind Judge Jerry essentially instigated the attack on his client by bringing the two individuals onto the show, egging them on and then failing to provide adequate security afterwards. Judge Jerry had these two people at each others throats in an adversarial environment, and then when it was over, they allowed the attacker to seriously injure my client. Security did absolutely nothing to prevent this from happening after the show, Skiber told Hearst Connecticut Media. Stamford Media Center, Allied Universal Security and NBC Universal all did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday. The lawsuit claims the attack and resulting injuries are a direct result of negligence and negligent security on the parts of NBC Universal (the media company that operated the show), Stamford Media Center (where the show is taped) and Allied Universal Security (the security company used during taping). Some or all of his injuries may be permanent in nature, have and will continue to cause him great pain and suffering, distress of the mind, limitation of movement and a loss of his ability to participate in the full extent of activities that life has to offer, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit claims the shows security, who escorted both men to their cars, failed to separate the two guests, though they knew or should have known that guests of Jerry Springers shows had a history of being physically combative with one another. Skiber claims in the suit that, despite being warned of Lakins violent animus towards Papi, security did not prevent the two guests from encountering one another post-taping, nor did they intervene when Papi was attacked. As a direct result of NBCs negligence and carelessness, and in particular by reason of the lack of such security, control and/or difference, an assailant was able to and did physically assault and batter the Plaintiff, thereby inducing serious and permanent injuries and damages on him, the lawsuit said. Milton, PA (17847) Today Mixed clouds and sun with scattered thunderstorms. High 76F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening. Increasing clouds with periods of showers late. Low 57F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Ogden jazz icon Joe McQueen may be gone, but his memory and legacy live on. One physical reminder of his life, McQueen's lifelong home at 3158 Grant Ave., has now become available for sale. The house received extensive remodeling, but as investor Richard Casperson has said, "Joe's energy is Even though the Hazleton Area School District will receive approximately $55 million in federal pandemic relief, the business manager recommends a tax increase. Business Manager Robert Krizansky said spending pandemic funds on salaries and general costs this year could open a budget deficit too large to fill by raising taxes in the future. The state sets a limit on annual property tax increases, which districts can only exceed in the unlikely event that voters agree to pay more in a referendum. Eventually theres a cliff, Krizansky said Thursday after presenting the board with tax options during a public budget meeting. Raising taxes also gives the district more in annual basic education funding from the state, which rewards local tax efforts when calculating aid, Krizansky said. Board members are weighing Krizanskys advice before Thursday, when they plan to adopt a budget for 2021-22. We usually go by Bobbys recommendations, (but) right now I dont have a clear answer on what to do, said board President Linda DeCosmo, who on Friday was inclined not to raise taxes. I dont know if people can afford that, she said. Tony Bonomo, a board member for 20 years, said a former member used to advocate for raising taxes a little each year, even if the district didnt need money immediately. If you dont need it you build a cushion. Nobody could predict what would come tomorrow, said Bonomo, who added, Expenses go up every day. Small annual increases never caught on, he said, because no politician wants to raise taxes. Board member Robert Fiume said a small tax increase is something all the board members will consider. Obviously, there is a lot going on, Fiume said. In the next couple years we could be in real trouble. Ed Shemansky said he and the other board members want to spend some of the federal funds on projects that will lead to long-term savings. They could include making buildings more energy efficient or opening a special education center for children who attend other schools at the districts expense. With the tax increase that Krizansky recommends, the budget still has a deficit of $6.68 million, which the district can cover from a fund balance projected to contain $10.9 million. The plan that he recommends raises taxes to the limit in Schuylkill County, where the millage would climb 3.15 mills while going up 0.39 mills in Luzerne County and 1.461 mills in Carbon County. Hazleton Area levies a lower rate in Schuylkill this year than 10 years ago because properties once exempt through Keystone Opportunity Zones now pay taxes. A state formula for calculating taxes in districts like Hazleton Area that are within more than one county, Krizansky said, makes it impossible to sets rates equally in all counties. Counties dont assess properties uniformly so adding a tax of 1 mill, which is $1 for every $1,000 of assessed value, also has different results. In Krizanskys recommendation taxes on a house assessed at $50,000 would rise by $30 in Carbon, $13 in Luzerne and $73 in Schuylkill. On a house assessed at $200,000, taxes would climb $140 in Carbon, $72 in Luzerne and $309 in Schuylkill. Keeping taxes level in one county while raising them in the other two lead to even larger deficits, according to examples presented by Krizansky, who informed the board of other changes in the budget. Tuition that Hazleton Area pays for district residents who attend special schools and charter schools, with bills outstanding, is already $2.16 million more this year than last year. The budget fills all but 15 of 139 vacant jobs and creates eight new jobs. Brisk sales and rising prices for homes led Krizansky to estimate that transfer tax revenues will climb from $700,000 to $1.8 million. Although the pandemic caused unemployment and depressed the economy nationally, income taxes for the Hazleton Area increased by $1.6 million. Krizansky thinks thats because many of the areas largest employers, including the district, the hospital and Amazons warehouse kept operating. Before voting on the budget, the board planned to have a private session about personnel decisions that could affect the deficit, and Krizansky said he and other workers in the business office would continue to seek trim from the $174.4 million of expenses in the budget. He said he would be more comfortable if the deficit drops to $3 million or $4 million. Weve got some work to do, he said. Tough decisions to make. **EDITOR'S NOTE: Updated to clarify county by county millage rates** TAN-TAN, Morocco (AP) A senior U.S. general warned Friday that the wildfire of terrorism is sweeping across a band of Africa and needs the world's attention. He spoke at the close of large-scale U.S.-led war games with American, African and European troops. The African Lion war games, which lasted nearly two weeks, stretched across Morocco, a key U.S, ally, with smaller parts held in Tunisia and Senegal. The annual drills were skipped last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, head of the U.S. Africa Command, praised the work accomplished in joint operations, and painted a dark picture of threats besetting parts of Africa. I am concerned about the security situation across a band of Africa," from the Sahel region in the west to the Horn of Africa, Townsend told reporters. He noted deadly attacks by al-Qaida- and Islamic State-linked jihadis and al-Shabab. All of them are on the march, he said. African neighbors are helping governments deal with the threat, but, he added, all of that does not seem to be sufficient enough to stop what I call ... (the) wildfire of terrorism thats sweeping that region. African Lion saw more than 7,000 troops from seven countries and NATO carry out air, land and sea exercises together. What youll pay for inpatient mental health care A deductible of $1,484 applies to inpatient psychiatric care for each benefit period. You will owe no coinsurance for the first 60 days of a hospital stay for psychiatric treatment. But you will owe copays of 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for mental health services you receive from doctors and other providers while you're an inpatient. For days 61 through 90 of a psychiatric hospital stay, youll owe $371 per day in coinsurance. Your daily coinsurance jumps to $742 per each lifetime reserve day after day 90. (In Original Medicare, lifetime reserve days are a set number of days that are covered by Medicare when you're in the hospital for more than 90 days; you have up to 60 days in your lifetime.) After that, you pay all costs. What Original Medicare doesnt cover Your health care provider may recommend you receive services more frequently than Medicare covers, or services that Medicare doesnt cover, and you may end up paying some or all of these costs. Ask your provider why they are recommending such services and whether Medicare will cover them. You will have to pay for private duty nursing or a private room, unless its medically necessary. Other limits may apply. You can push a dog house out in the middle of the block right now and youll have a bidding war and close in two days, he said. Interest in the citys delinquent property tax sales already had hit unprecedented levels last year, he said, even before COVID-19 vaccinations and a stable economy. St. Louis Sheriff Vernon Betts office, which usually conducts the sales in the Civil Courts building, held them outside last year because of the pandemic. Prices went sky-high, Sweet said. We had hundreds of people, record numbers of people sign up to bid in the tax sale, more than would have ever fit in the courthouse lobby or the ceremonial courtroom, Sweet said of the 2020 tax sales. Gregg Christian, a spokesman for the sheriffs office who also serves as auctioneer during the tax sales, said no more than 200 people had attended past tax sales; more than 700 showed up last year. The office ran out of bid cards and had to make more. As plastic pollution soars filling waterways, air, soil and living things with the material some in St. Louis are joining efforts to confront the crisis through new approaches. Experts hope the shifting strategies which include harnessing crowd-sourced data to learn more about what kind of waste accumulates and where could result in better policy interventions and ultimately help spark widespread reevaluation of who shoulders the burden of plastic waste. That means potentially pushing greater responsibility toward producers, instead of leaning on consumers to constantly clean up the mess as disposable, single-use plastic proliferates. Were trying to figure out whats ending up on the ground, so that we can prevent it, said Jenna Jambeck, a University of Georgia engineering professor who researches plastic waste issues. Lately, Jambeck has focused on the Mississippi River basin. She is involved with an initiative that recently enlisted St. Louis-area volunteers to record the types of litter they picked up during a cleanup event and the precise location of where they found it. The results were fed into an online Debris Tracker database that Jambeck helps run alongside partners like the National Geographic Society. The work helps establish a baseline map of the litter. Researchers ran pilot cleanup events this spring in St. Louis; St. Paul, Minnesota; and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and aim to expand to other cities along the Mississippi in the future. As a data collection bonus, researchers put tracking devices in a handful of plastic bottles and released them into the river at North Riverfront Park to shed light on how plastic waste moves along the corridor. The bottles tended to get stuck along the banks, among docked barges. But after a slow start, one of them covered 880 miles over 11 days, before being scooped up by a Louisiana fisherman near Baton Rouge. He contacted the researchers, as requested on a message with the bottle. I was just in disbelief, said Jambeck. Our hypothesis is it basically hitchhiked on a barge. Another local effort has positioned trash traps in urban streams and waterways, thanks to the Environmental Protection Agencys Trash-Free Waters program, and partners including Wichita State University and some groups focused on water quality issues around the St. Louis region. Those tending the colorfully nicknamed traps such as the Trash Trout in Maplewoods Deer Creek Park and Litter Gitter in University Citys Heman Park aim to quantify the junk they collect, while trying to control plastic headed for the Mississippi River, or beyond. Youre just surprised at how much stuff is washed down the creek sometimes, said Josh Wilson, who cleans out the traps through his involvement with Blue2Blue Conservation, a group he co-founded and runs in his spare time. Its just really, really disheartening. Burgeoning problem The plastic-targeting efforts in the region take aim at a problem spiraling to an alarming scale and ubiquity. Plastic debris often broken into small pieces called microplastics increasingly saturates inland waterways and oceans, with plastic bags even finding their way to the bottom of remote, deep-sea trenches. Plastic pollution not only affects the environment, but also clogs wastewater infrastructure, poses risks to public health, and makes river-based recreation and tourism a tougher sell, said Colin Wellenkamp, executive director of executive director of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative. But its not just an affliction confined to bodies of water or to single-use plastic. One study published in the journal Science last year said that even the most isolated areas in the United States national parks and national wilderness areas accumulate microplastic particles after they are transported there by wind and rain. Most of that material comes from synthetic microfibers used in clothing. Many say the new and growing scale of the worlds plastification requires new methods of troubleshooting. Old tactics, like simply relying on volunteer trash pickups, arent going to hack it anymore, said Wellenkamp. His group helped coordinate the recent Debris Tracker work in the Mississippi watershed. The goal is for tactics like the crowd-sourced data collection to reveal the best opportunities for systemic change. We need new solutions for historic problems because theyre bigger now, said Wellenkamp. Daunting task Those overseeing the data collection are hoping to identify where most plastic debris collects, where it comes from, and how it moves around. They also aim to identify the brand names on the trash, to see whose stuff makes up the majority of what were discovering, Wellenkamp said. Already, data on the most common forms of plastic junk are coming into focus, from the recent Debris Tracker cleanups with items like cigarette filters, beverage bottles, and food wrappers leading the way. Researchers plan to present some initial findings and policy recommendations to mayors of the three pilot cities at the end of the month. From that information, the goals are to assess how cities and local governments might be able to most efficiently combat the issue, with the least resources. Another broader goal is to explore how plastic producers can address outflow, which may require economic incentives for post-consumer waste markets, to ensure that reused stuff is cheaper than virgin material. We need to do what we can to incentivize that kind of corporate behavior and purchase power to really cut into all this plastic waste thats piling up, said Wellenkamp. Others agree that the escalating issue demands shifting more accountability to producers. Otherwise, they say theres a sense of futility like the Greek myth of Sisyphus, forever pushing a boulder as well-intentioned groups and individuals are condemned to an endless loop of cleaning up trash, only to have their work negated by an increasing cascade of single-use plastic. That growing realization has helped spark goals, and grants, geared toward preventing more, (and) picking up less, said Jenny Wendt, a senior project manager in University Citys Department of Public Works, and a plastic waste reduction campaign manager for the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative. I see a shift, and I like that, said Wendt. It kind of spreads out the responsibility, instead of always having the responsibility on the consumer. Something actually has to change, agreed Rachel Bartels, a representative of Missouri Confluence Waterkeeper, another group overseeing the St. Louis-area trash traps. Theres only so much we can do as consumers. At the industrial level, the potential for change could be consolidated in a relatively small set of hands. For example, a report published last month found that just 20 companies including ExxonMobil and Dow produce more than half of the globes single-use plastic. Experts like Jambeck agree that conversations about plastic waste seem to be pivoting more toward producers than in the past. And despite immense challenges, she touts signs of progress. Scientifically, for instance, the issue now receives far more attention than it did even a decade or two ago. She and others also point to the fact that some plastic waste has value as a raw material, which can help reduce pollution. I know that the (plastic) production curve is daunting, but the right kinds of conversations are starting, said Jambeck. That does make me optimistic that were going to get a handle on it. Cautiously optimistic, is the right way to put it. A message from David Nicklaus Want to stay smart about what's happening in St. Louis? Make a modest investment in a Post-Dispatch subscription and I'll tell you how developments around the world affect local businesses big and small. Intro subscription rate: Just $1 for 6 months Daily updates on the latest news in the St. Louis business community. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Have a plan for the 'no' Your ask may not be greenlit right off the bat. If your request is shot down, try to understand the reasoning behind the no. "Is it a 'no' because of budget? Because no one has raised it before and they dont believe it's a need? Or are they planning to allocate money to areas that would also be beneficial?" Illiano says. "That would dictate your next move." If your employer doesnt believe it's a widespread need, survey your colleagues or circulate a petition to bring to your human resources department. If money has been allocated elsewhere, find out when your company revisits benefits each year and make a plan to restate your case. Get a seat at the table Does your company have a committee or resource group that advises the benefits team? If so, ask for a seat at the table. If not, suggest creating one and offer to recruit a diverse group of employees to participate. Youll show youre interested in improving the companys overall benefits program, rather than securing a one-off perk for yourself. Youll also gain insight into how benefit decisions are made at the company. Employers: Hear your people out OFALLON, Mo. The OFallon, Missouri, police chief resigned on Friday because of concerns about the poor wording and unintended consequences of a bill recently signed by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson that seeks to invalidate federal gun laws in Missouri, according to a news release. Philip Dupuis, who had been the police chief since October 2020, said the recently signed Second Amendment Preservation Act, which allows officers to be sued if they try to enforce federal gun laws, makes officers vulnerable during good faith, justified seizures of firearms. Parson signed the bill last week. It would subject officers who knowingly enforce federal gun laws to a fine of about $50,000 per violating officer. This vague language will create a flood of weaponized litigation that will chill the legitimate peacekeeping duties of police, Dupuis said in a statement. This will decrease public safety and increase frivolous lawsuits designed to harass and penalize good, hard-working law enforcement agencies. Highly effective partnerships between local and federal law enforcement agencies will have to be reevaluated. Bush, Jones call for reparations U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-St. Louis, a ubiquitous protester during the Ferguson unrest who unseated longtime Congressman William Lacy Clay last year, also spoke at the Black fire chief groups event. Their pain, it lives in our DNA. But so does their strength, their courage, their resilience, Bush told the audience. That is what we celebrate today on this Juneteenth, our new federal holiday. Those who came before us who were hopeful enough to dream of a freedom and brave enough to pursue it. Bush said its time to reimburse the Blacks whose ancestors built America. Cori hasnt hesitated. From police to Palestine, Missouri Rep. Bush has national voice Just five months into her first term, the St. Louis lawmaker has emerged as one of the most visible faces of the Democratic Partys left wing. We will not achieve freedom until we are compensated compensated for the wealth that was robbed from generations of Black people in this country, Bush told the gathering. Nationwide, increased power demand from air conditioners being turned up high to ward off the heat has stressed electric grids. Officials in California and Texas this week called for people to reduce energy use to avoid blackouts. But a spokesman for Ameren Missouri assured residents in the St. Louis region they had no need to worry. We dont anticipate any rolling blackouts, vice president of operations and technology services Kevin Anders said. The grid is built for this. Still, heat waves can cause isolated infrastructure failures, as equipment is stressed by increased usage and heat. Anders said the company is responding to any outages. Customers can visit www.ameren.com/alerts to sign up for notifications. Along with the heat, thunderstorms were possible along and north of Interstate 70 overnight Friday. Some storms had the possibility of being severe and the potential to bring damaging winds to northeast Missouri and west-central Illinois, forecasters said. The chance of thunderstorms will stick around for a few days. High temperatures are forecast to be 97 degrees on Saturday and Sunday, and 86 on Monday. To check the latest forecast, click here. NEW ORLEANS (AP) A federal appeals court refused Friday to hear Chinese tech giant Huawei's request to throw out a rule used to bar rural phone carriers on national security grounds from using government funds to purchase its equipment. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Federal Communications Commission was fully within its power and competence to issue the rule barring Universal Service Fund subsidies recipients from buying equipment or services from companies deemed national security risks. The three-judge panel also dismissed a claim by Huawei Technologies Ltd that the FCC lacked the expertise to designate the company's equipment as a security risk to U.S. telecommunications infrastructure. Assessing security risks to telecom networks falls in the FCCs wheelhouse, the judges wrote in a 60-page opinion, rejecting any suggestion it was some sort of junior-varsity agency on national security matters. Huawei did not immediately offer a response to the ruling. The Trump administration imposed a series of sanctions on Huawei, claiming it could not be trusted not to spy for Beijing because Chinese law so compels it. Huawei says it is employee- not government-owned and denies it might facilitate Chinese spying. BUILDING UPON MEDICAL MARIJUANA Connecticut legalized medical marijuana through legislation passed in 2012. Nearly a decade later, as of June 13, there were 54,227 registered patients, 18 dispensary facilities, four producers and 1,451 registered physicians. Seagull said her agency plans to use a lot of what's been learned from building the medical program when it comes to creating and regulating a new recreational system. That includes coming up with packaging protocols and labeling to prevent the drug from being mistaken as a non-cannabis product and getting into the hands of a child, as well as lab testing other product safety measures. Whether youre using it as medical or adult use, you should know what's in your product and those labels should be there," she said. "They should be manufactured using appropriate manufacturing standards." APPLICATION PROCESS There will be different ways for people to apply to get involved in the state's new adult cannabis market. For example, existing businesses will be able to apply to convert and to start offering products to the adult market. Now, the Sons of Confederate Veterans have agreed to transport his remains to their National Confederate Museum at the historic Elm Springs estate in Columbia, 200 miles away. The group's spokesman, Lee Millar, a distant cousin of Forrest, said the bodies of Forrest and his wife were in an undisclosed location until they can be moved to the museum. Memphis is not the town that Forrest grew up in, he said. Its just deleting his history and forgetting about the past. Gradually, Forrests legacy has been dismantled in Memphis. Forrest traded slaves near the area where people of many races now come to eat, drink and watch ball games downtown. A short drive away is the old Lorraine Motel, where civil rights leader Martin Luther King. Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Many in majority-Black Memphis are eager to see Forrest gone. The park where his grave was located has been the site of protests related to the Black Lives Matter movement. A music festival for Juneteenth, which marks the end of American slavery, is scheduled there this weekend. Its like a burden has been lifted, said Van D. Turner, a Black county commissioner who pushed for the Forrest statue removal. It just gives us breath." The legalized buying and selling of human beings to work without pay, legal protections or basic rights was a foundational crime in the creation of this country and all its wealth. This is not just Black American history; this is American history. Its a history that generations of white Americans knew too little about. By making Juneteenth an annual federal holiday, Biden has provided the nation a moment each year to reflect on that history and its legacy that affects us today. This is a day of profound weight and profound power, Biden said at the signing ceremony. A day in which we remember the moral stain, the terrible toll that slavery took on the country and continues to take. He aptly predicted that signing the historic legislation would go down as one of the greatest honors of his presidency. While systemic racism and various forms of oppression continue to rob millions of Americans of their potential, America today is unquestionably better than it used to be. The federal Juneteenth holiday provides an opportunity to celebrate the nations progress and renew its commitment to continue that progress. America has changed and continues to change. Both in its origin and its bipartisan federal designation as an American holiday, Juneteenth is a day for all Americans to reflect on the nation we were and the nation we want to be. After a decade of civil war, Syria continues to reform and reshape what is left of its armed forces. The latest move disbands most of the remaining reserve forces, especially reserve officers, including medical personnel, that were kept on the payroll even though they were on duty part time. Since 2018 Syria has been dismantling the conscription system that long served to provide most of the military manpower, including officers. This eventually included dropping enforcement of punishment for those who had evaded conscription since 2011. The latest moves were announced weeks before the May 26 presidential election, the first since 2007. There was a presidential election in 2014, but only in a few areas the Assads still controlled. Under the Assads the voting is largely rigged, with Assad getting over 90 percent of the votes when running for reelection as president-for-life. Regional and local elections allow some choice in selecting local officials and members of the national legislature. Holding these elections legitimizes the return of Assad rule to most of the country. This has caused problems because fewer security personnel and lingering violence means control isnt what it used to be. After only four years of civil war the pre-2011 security forces (military and police) were gone, replaced by a few remnants and a lot of improvisations. The Assad family has ruled Syria since the 1960s using a large well-equipped security force. In 2011 there were over 500,000 security personnel consisting of 50,000 secret police, 300,000 army, air force and navy troops and 100,000 national police plus 200,000 military reserves. By 2015 most of this force was gone. Over 70,000 have been killed or badly wounded, over 200,000 deserted, and nearly 100,000 troops were in units the government was reluctant to send into combat because of loyalty or morale issues. Since 2011 over 200,000 armed men have joined the Assads, mostly as local militia. Theres another 100,000 that were, in effect, garrisons in places like the west, near the coast, Damascus and towns and cities in central Syria that were largely defensive, but will not, or the government will not order them to, move elsewhere. Most of the local police forces had deserted or joined the rebels. Most Syrian police are recruited locally to maintain order in peacetime. Only about a fifth of the population was loyal to the Assads and that meant the several secret police organizations plus local police in Damascus and provinces on the Mediterranean coast remained intact, as did many border guard units that were reinforced by troops. A fifth of the population fled the country, often because of deliberate air, poison gas and artillery attacks on residential areas followed by an offer of safe passage to the Lebanese or Turkish border. The Assads could not maintain the pre-war forces with only about a third of the population loyal or reliable. There were attempts to rebuild the military after Russian forces entered the country in 2015. The Russians were there to provide airstrikes and artillery fire and rebuild or repair the Russian combat vehicles, artillery and the aircraft Syria had been using since the 1970s. Some military trainers and advisors were sent as well as some special operations troops. Most Russians came in for short periods, no more than a year at a time. By 2021 nearly 70,000 Russians had served in Syria, some more than once. At the very least this Russian intervention stabilized the remaining Assad forces and provided weapons and equipment upgrades. By late 2020 the Assads realized there were not enough army and police forces to maintain order throughout the 80 percent of pre-war Syria technically back under Assad rule. The situation was particularly chaotic in southern and eastern Syria. It was difficult to restore and maintain pre-war conditions anywhere. This was because of a shortage of loyal recruits for the army and police as well as war weariness among Assad supporters. Even with all the military and financial help from Iran and Russia, most Syrians are very war weary and war wary. The Assad clan was never very popular and for decades ruled through fear and corruption. Nine years of war and an apparent victory has not made recruiting easier. Conscription no longer works because even the most loyal Assad supporters are reluctant to send more of their sons to fight. The Assads had to back off on enforcing conscription because doing so was sending more loyalist families into exile. A growing number of those exiles were actively calling for the Assads to be replaced by a kinder and gentler dictator who would look out for the interests of the religious minorities that were always the core of Assad support. Some former Assad supporters, even in Damascus, were openly protesting. The Assads depend on loyalist local militias to maintain order in many areas and that is often inadequate. For example, in eastern Syria ISIL violence was common, with 10-20 attacks a month. In the northeast the Kurds, now on good terms with the Assads, dont have the manpower or authority to handle the ISIL situation throughout eastern Syria with only their own forces. The Americans provide frequent airstrikes on ISIL targets but only a few hundred troops in eastern Syria. The Kurd militias were dealing with the Turks while also keeping the northeastern Syria homeland safe from ISIL violence. There were not enough armed Kurds to police large areas of eastern Syria where the Assad forces were unable to keep ISIL down or out. American forces protected a few key areas in the northeast and assisted the Kurds. Syria lets the tribes and local militias do what they can to deal with Islamic terrorists and other outlaws in their midst, which is not enough to restore any kind of pre-war order. It has always been the case that civilians in Assad controlled areas would sometimes anonymously carry out attacks on Syrian soldiers and police. These attacks are a form of protest to let the government know that there is still dissatisfaction with Assad rule. The Assads put pressure on local leaders to make arrests, or simply kidnap and kill suspects. The Assads long assumed that things would eventually calm down. The Assads have been suppressing occasional uprisings effectively since the 1970s and ignored international criticism because the Assads believe that is how you survive in what is a rough neighborhood. This approach lost its effectiveness as the 2011 war went on. After a few years of the post-2011 violence it was clear that the old solutions no longer worked. And after the war hit the ten-year mark further reforms and methods were needed. The Assads have been spending more of their military budget to hire tribal militiamen to augment or replace the army. These new forces were largely unemployed young men attracted by low, but dependable monthly pay. The army often supplies some weapons and army combat uniforms, which are worn without the usual insignias of rank and unit. Many of these militiamen are from Sunni tribes trying to win back the support of the Assads, and that is taken into account when the intelligence operatives determine if a tribe is loyal and reliable enough for the government payroll. The latest pre-election military reforms were popular but inevitable if the Assads want to remain in power. Israel no longer considers the Syrian military a threat, although Iranian efforts to establish anti-Israel terror organizations near the Israeli border are a concern. The war is far from over with the Iranians and Turks still in a fighting mood and the Israeli able to strike back hard at anyone causing problems on or near the Israeli border. Thousands of Islamic terrorists are running loose in the east and northwest and foreign investors or aid donors are staying away until Syria becomes a less dangerous place to work or invest. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 17, 2021 / Minaean SP Construction Corp. (TSXV:MSP)(Frankfurt:NJA)(Berlin:NJA) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has submitted an Expression of Interest for the CONSTRUCTION OF A "SUPER SPECIALITY HOSPITAL" in Madagascar. Pursuant to a conference call with the Head and management team of Direction Generale en charge des Projets (DGPP) of Madagascar on March 2nd, 2021 discussing the Company's capabilities and interest in construction of a hospital project, an Expression of Interest (EOI) of was requested to be submitted. The project, involving design, finance and construction of a 100 bed "Super Speciality Hospital" to be executed through a Government to Government model was discussed in detail during the call. The EOI has now been submitted as per the request made by DGPP, Madagascar, with the Company's profile and track record of its affiliated partner, Shapoorji Pallonji Group, which has constructed 45 hospitals exceeding 19,000 beds and growing. Through DGPP's recent response, they have requested further details and clarification on the class of hospital that will be constructed. The communication is ongoing with DGPP to ensure the Company has the correct and specific information needed to work on a preliminary proposal. Based on the current indication and estimates, the budgeted construction cost of the hospital is expected to be approximately US$ 100 million. In Madagascar, after years of socio-political crisis which weakened its health system and slowed down the progress of health development made during the previous decades, Madagascar has been working towards a socio-economic recovery of the country. The health sector plan has an ambitious goal that states "In 2030, the entire Malagasy population is in good health in a healthy environment in which they have a better and productive life". The current government's health policy prioritizes the provision of adequate and modern medical equipment and health facilities at regional and district levels to ensure quality care for its citizens. In addition, the Government of Madagascar is seeking to establish universal health coverage for children under 5 years, pregnant women and people over 65. Challenges include access to medical facilities, distribution of medical staff, drug and medical supplies are not being sufficiently stocked, and sub optimal administration of the health sector. Over 60 percent of Madagascar's people live more than 5 kilometers from a health center, often in very remote and difficult to reach areas without roads or communications. About the Company Minaean SP Construction Corp. is a company well known for its pioneering efforts in the manufacture of light gauge steel components for the construction industry and modular metal buildings in India. Upon partnering with India's well known 156 year old construction conglomerate "Shapoorji Pallonji Group" (SP) in 2016 as an affiliated subsidiary, the Company changed its business model to take advantage of its $7 billion revenue partner's expertise and track record in Construction and Infrastructure projects globally. The Company through its business relations established with the Government of Canada's trade offices has been developing contracts in Africa and Latin America and is focusing more towards construction of hospitals in these countries. SP is known for its expertise in construction of hospitals, having constructed their first hospital project in Mumbai, India in 1923. Since then SP has established its credibility in this field having completed construction of 45 hospitals, the last one being the well known 600 bed "Al Sabah" hospital in Kuwait. The Company establishes its ability to execute these contracts in partnership with SP and is confident of being a front runner in this industry by the end of this decade. The shares of Minaean SP Construction Corp. (parent company) are publicly traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "MSP" and on the Berlin and Frankfurt Stock Exchanges under the symbol "NJA". For more information, please visit www.minaean.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors MINAEAN SP CONSTRUCTION CORP. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Minaean SP Construction Corp. View source version on accesswire.com: Partnership creates unique, diversified platform focused on enhancing womens healthcare BOCA RATON, Fla. & DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Unified Womens Healthcare (Unified), a leading practice management platform in womens healthcare backed by Altas Partners (Altas), funds managed by the Private Equity Group of Ares Management Corporation (Ares) and Oak HC/FT, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to partner with CCRM Fertility (CCRM), a global pioneer in fertility treatment, research and science. As part of the transaction, CCRM founder Dr. William Schoolcraft will remain Medical Director and Jon Pardew will remain president and CEO. In addition, TA Associates, which has been a strategic investor in CCRM since 2015, will exit its stake in the company. Financial terms were not disclosed. CCRM has established a network of leading fertility clinics that offer patients high-quality care and access to award-winning physicians, a full suite of services, innovative technology and cutting-edge labs. Founded in 1987 by Dr. Schoolcraft, CCRM leverages proprietary data and a dedicated team of in-house reproductive endocrinologists, embryologists and geneticists to deliver industry-leading outcomes. CCRM has 11 in vitro fertilization (IVF) labs and 26 locations in North America supported by more than 40 physicians, 22 PhDs and 560 employees. The CCRM network offers exceptional convenience through a wide variety of treatments from basic infertility care to advanced IVF. The addition of CCRMs clinically integrated fertility services platform marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Unified, said Bob LaGalia, president and CEO of Unified. CCRM has become the gold standard in fertility care and treatment through its collaboration with expert physicians and investment in research and development. Since its inception, CCRM has pioneered significant research breakthroughs in IVF and driven industry-leading success rates, helping meet the growing need for fertility services. We look forward to collaborating with CCRM to serve even more physicians and patients across the spectrum of womens healthcare. Were thrilled to join forces with Unified, a company that has fundamentally transformed womens healthcare and shares our deep commitment to helping physicians deliver best-in-class patient care, said Dr. William Schoolcraft, founder and medical director of CCRM. As part of Unifieds diversified healthcare platform, well advance our mission to provide innovative solutions and treatments that help build families. We look forward to working alongside the exceptional team at Unified as we continue to deliver the highest level of patient care. The partnership, which is expected to close in July, is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. About Unified Womens Healthcare Founded in 2009, Unified Womens Healthcare is the largest Ob-Gyn physician practice management company supporting more than 1,900 providers across 13 states and the District of Columbia. Unified remains an indispensable source of business knowledge, innovation, and support to empower physicians to make the greatest impact on transforming womens healthcare for their patients. For more information, visit www.unifiedwomenshealthcare.com. About CCRM Fertility Founded by Dr. William Schoolcraft in 1987, CCRM (Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine) Fertility is the nation's leading network in fertility care and research. CCRM Fertilitys network of expert physicians in coordination with its embryologists and geneticists coordinate to deliver in the most advanced fertility treatments, with deep expertise in in vitro fertilization (IVF), fertility assessment, fertility preservation, genetic testing, third party reproduction and egg donation. Unlike many other fertility labs that outsource their specialists and testing needs, CCRM Fertility leverages its own data, as well as a dedicated team of in-house reproductive endocrinologists, embryologists and geneticists in order to deliver industry-leading outcomes. CCRM Fertility has established a network of 11 fertility centers, including 26 offices throughout North America, serving prospective parents in major metropolitan areas, including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Houston, New York, Northern Virginia, Minneapolis, Orange County, San Francisco Bay Area and Toronto. For more information, visit www.ccrmivf.com. About Altas Partners Altas Partners is an investment firm with a long-term orientation focused on acquiring significant interests in high-quality, market-leading businesses in partnership with outstanding management teams. Key elements of our approach include responsible capital structures, active ownership through strategic and operational support and an emphasis on sustainable value creation. We strive to deliver outstanding investment returns for our investing partners. Altas invests on behalf of endowments, foundations, public pension funds and other institutional investors. For more information, please visit www.altas.com. About Ares Management Corporation Ares Management Corporation (NYSE: ARES) is a leading global alternative investment manager offering clients complementary primary and secondary investment solutions across the credit, private equity, real estate and infrastructure asset classes. We seek to provide flexible capital to support businesses and create value for our stakeholders and within our communities. By collaborating across our investment groups, we aim to generate consistent and attractive investment returns throughout market cycles. As of March 31, 2021, including the acquisition of Landmark Partners, which closed June 2, 2021, Ares Management's global platform had approximately $227 billion of assets under management with more than 1,600 employees operating across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.aresmgmt.com. Follow Ares on Twitter @Ares_Management. About TA Associates TA is a leading global growth private equity firm. Focused on targeted sectors within five industries technology, healthcare, financial services, consumer and business services the firm invests in profitable, growing companies with opportunities for sustained growth, and has invested in more than 535 companies around the world. Investing as either a majority or minority investor, TA employs a long-term approach, utilizing its strategic resources to help management teams build lasting value in high quality growth companies. TA has raised $47.5 billion in capital since its founding in 1968 and is committing to new investments at the pace of over $3 billion per year. The firms more than 100 investment professionals are based in Boston, Menlo Park, London, Mumbai and Hong Kong. More information about TA can be found at www.ta.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210618005302/en/ For CCRM: Constance Rapson, +1 (302) 438-8037 constance@ccrmivf.com For Unified Womens Healthcare: Heather Schueppert, +1 (832) 628-6210 heather.schueppert@unifiedhc.com For Altas: Sard Verbinnen & Co Julie Rudnick / Kevin Siegel altas-svc@sardverb.com For Ares: Bill Mendel, +1 (212) 397-1030 bill@mendelcommunications.com Carl Drake, +1 (800) 340-6597 cdrake@aresmgmt.com Priscila Roney, +1 (212) 808-1185 proney@aresmgmt.com For TA Associates: Marcia OCarroll, +1 (617) 574-6796 mocarroll@ta.com BackBay Communications Phil Nunes, + (617) 391-0792 phil.nunes@backbaycommunications.com Source: Altas Partners A wholly owned subsidiary of Vow ASA (jointly referred to as Vow) has signed an agreement with Wakefield Biochar to install an industry-scale Biogreen system at Wakefields facility in Valdosta, Georgia, USA. The Biogreen system will transform biomass and bio-residues into high-quality biochar and contribute to Wakefields Advanced Materials and Soil Health divisions, which are addressing the fast-growing market for high quality biochar in the ever more environmentally concerned USA. The agreement demonstrates the high relevance of Vow technologies for the biochar market and marks a breakthrough and an important step to rolling out Biogreen solutions in North America. It is testament to Vows ability to deliver advanced technology in industry-scale solutions, and our commitment to support companies in their efforts to decarbonise, said Vows CEO, Mr. Henrik Badin. The USD 5.15 million turn-key system that Vow will deliver and commission in 2022 includes drying equipment, biochar production based on patented Biogreen technology, and conversion of CO2 neutral syngas into energy dedicated for the biomass drying. The solution represents a first of multiple units that are planned to be implemented in the upcoming years by Wakefield Biochar to realise their Better Soil. Better World products strategy. For Wakefield Biochar, production in Valdosta will become a platform to extend their strategy of manufacturing green commodities and creating a climate positive change in USA. Biochar checks all the boxes for sustainable practices: it brings social benefits by reducing waste and improving the soil in communities; creates economical value by improving productivity of our agriculture; and offers strong environmental impact both by reducing the need of chemical fertilizers and performing as a carbon sink, said Tom Marrero, President of Wakefield Biochar. For more information please contact Henrik Badin, CEO, Vow ASA Tel: + 47 90 78 98 25 Email: henrik.badin@vowasa.com About Vow Vow and its subsidiaries Scanship and Etia are passionate about preventing pollution. The companys world leading solutions convert biomass and waste into valuable resources and generate clean energy for a wide range of industries. Cruise ships on every ocean have Vow technology inside which processes waste and purifies wastewater. Fish farmers are adopting similar solutions, and public utilities and industries use our solutions for sludge processing, waste management and biogas production on land. With advanced technologies and solutions, Vow turns waste into biogenetic fuels to help decarbonise industry and convert plastic waste into fuel, clean energy, and high-value pyro carbon. The solutions are scalable, standardised, patented, and thoroughly documented, and the companys capability to deliver is well proven. They are key to end waste and stop pollution. Located in Oslo, the parent company Vow ASA is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (ticker VOW). This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. (This June 15 story corrects name to Greylock Capital in paragraph 2 in story from June 15) By Ank Kuipers and Brian Ellsworth PARAMARIBO/CARACAS (Reuters) - Suriname on Tuesday said creditors were taking a "confrontational attitude" toward debt restructuring talks after bondholders rolled back a deal to delay payments, escalating a dispute between investors and the small South American nation. A creditor committee, which includes Franklin Templeton, Eaton Vance and Greylock Capital, on Monday said it had triggered a "termination clause" on notes maturing in 2023 and 2026, scrapping a plan struck in April to defer payments on the securities with an outstanding balance of $675 million. The dispute in part hinges on the handling of future oil revenue from recent crude discoveries. Suriname says it is too soon for those funds to appear on its books, while creditors insist they should be a factor in the debt talks. Suriname's finance ministry said it "regrets the non-constructive and confrontational attitude." It added that there was no alternative to creditors accepting a loss. In response to the bondholders' decision, Suriname's opposition parties on Tuesday said they fear for Suriname's international reputation now the government cannot meet its financial obligations. President Chan Santokhi, who was elected in 2020, said in a National Assembly session that his government assumed office with a debt at 160% of GDP. "We have offered our proposals. They have responded that they do not agree with that, is that the end of the world? No," Santokhi said. "We are showing leadership, and we are continuing to negotiate." Creditors said the 70% haircut proposed by Suriname does not take into account its capacity to pay nor the country's own description of its "bright economic future." Suriname's bond prices were little changed on Tuesday but have fallen sharply since the government proposal early this month. Bondholders have also complained about not being sufficiently involved in Suriname's negotiations with the International Monetary Fund for a $690 million financing deal. Suriname says including future oil revenues in its current economic models would be inconsistent with IMF guidelines, and that it provided creditors with ample details of its financial situation. It was not immediately evident what legal actions, if any, the creditor committee would take against Suriname, or if the government was readying a new proposal. The bondholder committee did not immediately reply to a request for comment. (Reporting by Rodrigo Campos in New York and Brian Ellsworth in Caracas; Editing by Alistair Bell, David Gregorio and Cynthia Osterman) Staff Sgt. Oscar Gamboa is the station commander for the Orlando Physicians Recruiting Station which is under the Orlando Medical Recruiting Company and the Redstone-based 2nd Medical Recruiting Battalion. (Eric Schultz/U.S. Army) Staff Sgt. Oscar Gamboas days as a professional cabaret dancer are behind him, but he still occasionally turns on his music in his Florida recruiting office and cuts a rug. Its been over a decade since he performed at the popular Coco Bongo Show & Disco cabaret in Cancun, Mexico, on the way from his hometown of Havana, Cuba, to becoming an American soldier. We did mambo, salsa, samba, Gamboa said in an Army statement last week. There were plenty of others. Like Michael Jackson choreography, Madonna choreography. We used to do ballet, too. Gamboa had joined a dance company in Havana in 1998, when he was 12 years old, and did ballroom dancing and swimming ballet as a professional there, the Army statement said. He also met his wife, Claudia, through dancing. A Cuban native living in Florida after coming to the U.S. as a 3-year-old, shed returned to Havana as a teen to learn to dance for her Quinceanara, a traditional rite of passage for 15-year-old girls. Oscar Gamboa joined a dance company in his native Havana, Cuba in 1998 when he was 12 and danced professionally for 10 years. (Handout) (Eric Schultz) Gamboa was her instructor for more than a month, then her partner, or galan, when they and six other couples danced at a celebration in Havana in July 2007. They married in January 2011. In 2009, Gamboa's father had been living in Cancun since 2006 and did the paperwork to get Gamboa from Cuba to Mexico, where he did a five-month stint at the Coco Bongo before he shimmied to Reynosa, Mexico, in July 2009. He crossed McAllen, Texas, on Independence Day that year and took a 28-hour bus ride to Florida. In Jacksonville, Fla., Claudia's father gave him a job at his trucking company, where he drove 18-wheelers around the country until 2011, the year he joined the Army. Hell mark 10 years in the service June 20 and plans to serve another decade. Ever since I got to the United States, I always had the desire to serve, he said. This country gave me so much. It was the least I could do to pay back. After joining as a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear specialist, he became a licensed practical nurse in 2014 and then a recruiter in late 2020. The Miami resident became a U.S. citizen in 2012. Hes now in charge of the Orlando Physicians Recruiting Station and a father of three. My wife never let me dance again (professionally) when I got to the States, the Army statement quoted him saying with a laugh. He also laughed about how he was 165 pounds as a ballroom dancer, but now tips the scales at 220. But hes proud of what hes done since trading dance shoes for combat boots. It has been a lot of great experiences, he said. The Army gave me the opportunity to become who I am. It gave me a career. It gave me a profession. garland.chad@stripes.com Twitter: @chadgarland A video screen grab shows Holocaust survivor Irving Bienstock talking about his experience surviving Nazi Germany during WWII (YouTube) (Tribune News Service) After his wife died two years ago, Irving Bienstock was left without any immediate family. If you had gone to his birthday party this week, you would never have guessed. The room was filled with balloons, personalized cookies, and 45 people eager to celebrate Beinstock, whose work educating people about the Holocaust has profoundly affected so many in his community. Bienstock, a Holocaust survivor and US military veteran, celebrated his 95th birthday on Tuesday. Around 400,000 Holocaust survivors who survived the Nazis are alive today. That number is expected to drop by 75% over the next 10 years. After Rabbi Michael Wolk blessed the food, a smorgasbord including bagels, spreads and kugel, a sweet egg noodle casserole often served at Ashkenazi Jewish events, the guests settled in to eat. Bienstock stood up to address the crowd. I want to give thanks to my maker and also give thanks to my friends and especially those of you who have become my immediate family, he said. Bienstock mentioned his three angels, members of the Jewish Community Center who have become his support system since his wife, Lillian Bienstock, died two years ago. The three women, Lynne Sheffer, Susan Jacobs, and Dana Kapustin buy Bienstock groceries, invite him to Shabbat dinners, and even took him on the trip of a lifetime to Israel just before the pandemic in early 2020. Irving is open to new relationships, hes open to love, to sharing, hes open to friendship, and he reciprocates ... so he has made his friends into his family, Kapustin said. Bienstock was 12 years old when his mother put him on a train alone headed to Holland in 1939, hoping that he would be safe from the violent persecution of Jews underway in his hometown of Dortmund, Germany. With only 10 German marks (about $4) and one suitcase, Beinstock arrived in Holland. He was taken to a childrens home where he was reunited with his younger sister Sylvia, and after a few months they were moved to an orphanage in Amsterdam. Thirteen months later, Bienstocks mother escaped to Holland and boarded a ship to New York with her two children, where they were reunited with their father. Bienstock returned to Europe a few years later after enlisting in the US military at 18. During his time as a soldier in Italy, Beinstock was forced to work on Saturdays, despite it being Shabbat, the Jewish Day of Rest, and experienced anti-Semitism throughout his time in the military. Nonetheless, he was dedicated to fighting Nazism and saving as many of his fellow Jews as he could, he said. Bienstock has been a key leader in the Butterfly Project at the Levine Jewish Community Center. The project educates children on the dangers of hatred and bigotry and aims to cultivate a sense of social responsibility to stand against prejudice in any form. He tells his story to middle school students every day. His impact on our entire Charlotte community is so profound, and he has helped to educate so many young people in our community about what it means to take a stand when you see injustice, said Peter Blair, CEO of the LJCC. Once Bienstock shares his story with students, they each paint a ceramic butterfly representing one of the 1.5 million children killed in the Holocaust. The butterflies are added to a sculpture outside the LJCC. So many children have participated in the Butterfly Project that new sculptures have been created at participating middle schools to hold the extra butterflies, serving as a visual reminder of the lives lost during the Holocaust. Irving has touched the lives of thousands of children, Kapustin said. Hes a veteran ... people can really relate to him because hes an American, he served in the Army, hes a refugee, hes an immigrant, so he understands all of these hot-button issues that politics is talking about today and he has a different perspective because of what hes been through. Bienstocks commitment to serving his community and connecting with others has earned him a beloved place in Charlottes Jewish community. Hes really the spirit of the congregation, Rabbi Wolk said. The fact that 45 friends attended in the middle of the day, shows how much he is respected and appreciated, said Sheffer. ___ Laundresses with Union soldiers, circa 1863. (Mathew Brady/Library of Congress) There was no one moment when freedom came to the enslaved in the United States. When President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, the clouds did not part, the sun did not shine beams of freedom, and the shackles of slavery locked for nearly 250 years did not magically fall away. And it doesn't diminish Lincoln to acknowledge that. "It's a pretty entrenched story in our national memory that Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, and on Jan. 1, 1863, enslaved people were free," says historian Amy Murrell Taylor. "We need to puncture a big hole in this national mythology - without diminishing Lincoln." The truth is much more complicated. Millions of Americans gained freedom from 1861 to 1865 in a slow-moving wave that includes the Emancipation Proclamation, Juneteenth and the passage of the 13th Amendment. There are millions of stories to tell. Many ran across Union lines and emancipated themselves, flooding into hastily constructed "contraband" camps. (Taylor calls them refugee camps.) Some brought family members and wagonloads of belongings, others were forced to choose between freedom and their children. For some, the Union line and its liberation came to them. Some formerly enslaved people encountered sympathetic White soldiers and missionaries who helped them. Others were treated like vagrants or were handed over to be re-enslaved. Some gained freedom by enlisting in the Union Army and fighting the people who had enslaved them. Some states read the writing on the wall and abolished slavery by state action during the war; others dug in their heels and wouldn't let go until the 13th Amendment forced them to months after the war was over. "For many people, the process went on for years," Taylor told The Washington Post. "I think we miss the actions of enslaved people, how pivotal they were in pushing emancipation forward, when we focus just on one moment." Without them, she said, the Civil War might have ended without abolition. In Taylor's 2018 book, "Embattled Freedom: Journeys Through the Civil War's Slave Refugee Camps," she used a "treasure trove" of military records to reconstruct this period from the perspectives of individual people who forged new lives in the refugee camps that dominated the landscape but were forgotten in historical reports. Edward Whitehurst had been "self-hired" for some time, meaning his enslaver let him lease himself to others, an arrangement that left Whitehurst with a portion of the rental fee. That wasn't out of the goodness of his enslaver's heart. That portion was supposed to cover his room and board in Newport News, Va. Whitehurst carefully saved what he could for years, hoping one day to buy his and his wife Emma's freedom. He kept the money hidden in a trunk on the nearby plantation where she was enslaved. At age 31, he had saved about $500, worth about $16,000 today. It wasn't enough to buy their freedom yet, but he was well on his way. Then the Civil War broke out. Their enslaver enlisted in the Confederate army and left. And though Virginia seceded from the Union, a U.S. military installation in the southeastern corner of the commonwealth never fell to Confederate forces. And it was only seven miles from them. Within days, enslaved people began to arrive at the installation seeking freedom. Soon the man in charge, Brig. Gen. Benjamin Butler, made an unprecedented order: Since Virginians claimed to be citizens of another country, Americans were under no obligation to abide by the Fugitive Slave Act and return runaways. In fact, they were "contraband" of war, he said, and would be given protection and, where possible, jobs to help the Union effort. Thus Fort Monroe, the place where Black people were first enslaved in the English-speaking world, became the place where hundreds ran to their freedom 250 years later, including the Whitehursts. "I was a slave at the beginning of the war," Whitehurst later said in a sworn statement, "but I was free to all intents and purposes on the 27th day of May 1861." Plus, he had $500. As soon as they could, the Whitehursts remarried - likely the first time in their lives they were legally recognized as people and not property. Edward made at least two risky trips to the old plantation to retrieve his savings and to harvest the crops for their own use. As things began to stabilize in the area, they set up a general store right across a creek from the fort, supplying soldiers and other formerly enslaved people with fresh meat and vegetables, eggs, ginger cakes and even lumber. It was so successful they were able hire some of their friends. But while they no longer had enslavers, they were still vulnerable to the capricious whims of Union officials. Business suffered when many of their Black customers didn't get the pay they were promised from the U.S. Army. One official wanted the store shut down. And when Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, it specifically exempted Union-controlled parts of the Confederacy, leaving them unsure if they would stay free or be returned to slavery. Worse, in August of 1862, as Gen. George McClellan's army retreated from the failed Peninsula campaign, the dejected soldiers ransacked the store. They loaded the entire contents of its shelves into their wagons and took off, leaving the Whitehursts penniless. This is the reason Taylor was able to get such a detailed account of the Whitehursts' early days of freedom. In 1877, Edward Whitehurst petitioned the government to compensate him for the loss of his goods. By then he and his wife had saved up another nest egg and farmed their own land, but 15 years later he still remembered exactly what had been taken: 40 pounds of butter, six hogs, two bushels of ginger cakes, and so on. He asked for $722; he received $115. The first time Eliza Bogan crossed over to the Union side, she wasn't seeking freedom. She was trying to get her husband, Silas Small, to come back to the cotton farm in Phillips County, Ark., where he had been enslaved. In the fall of 1862, Union troops got hold of nearby Helena, Ark., on the Mississippi River. The commander hired escaping enslaved men, who showed up, to build a fort, promising them freedom. Small was among those men. But then the fort got a new commander, who wasn't interested in paying or feeding them and didn't mind returning escapees to their enslavers. Bogan got word that her husband was severely ill, so she brought him back to the plantation where she lived and nursed him back to health. Jan. 1, 1863 - the day Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation, freeing enslaved people like Bogan and Small - came and went without notice. By April, Lincoln sent a general to tour the Mississippi Valley to make it clear to the officers and soldiers in the region that they should be enforcing his proclamation. It was on this tour that the first Black soldiers were recruited for the Union army. Small was one of them, and this time Bogan followed him over the Union lines, probably leaving her seven children within grasp of their cruel enslaver. Her husband was soon captured by Confederates and spent a short time re-enslaved before escaping again. This time, Bogan wouldn't let him out of her sight; she joined the regiment as a laundress, earning a wage and rations from the army. After a campaign through Mississippi, Small came down with the measles. She tried again to nurse him back to health, this time unsuccessfully. Although her husband was gone, Bogan stayed with the regiment for the rest of the war. Confederates so often raided the "contraband" camps that she was probably safer with the soldiers, Taylor noted. Eventually they were sent to Texas, where they helped enforce emancipation, contributing to the celebration that became known as Juneteenth. Bogan married again, to a man in her regiment, and they returned to Arkansas in January 1866, where they became sharecroppers. She was still alive in 1920 when, 25 miles away, more than 200 Black people were lynched in the Elaine Massacre. From a young age, Gabriel Burdett's mother told him she had had a vision that sometime in his life, he would be freed. And not just him, all enslaved people, she told him. It was a bold prediction, given slavery's two-century history at that point. By the 1850s, as he entered his twenties, he was a Baptist minister, probably preaching in secret meetings to other enslaved people in Garrard County, Ky. Eventually, a White Baptist church gave him permission to preach to his congregation in their building once a month. This may have looked like a kind gesture, but it also placed him under closer supervision. White observers could make sure he wasn't straying from their proslavery version of Christianity, where enslavement was sanctioned by God, and submission to a "master" would bring contentment. By June 1862, Burdett was in trouble with White church officials for something he had said during a sermon; it is unclear what. Kentucky stayed pro-slavery and pro-Union during the Civil War, the latter somewhat tenuously. Because of that, the Union army there was not the liberating force it often was in the Confederate states. The Emancipation Proclamation did not apply to Kentucky, and in the summer of 1863, the U.S Army forced Burdett into a wagon and carried him off to work as a slave for the Union. His wife and kids stayed behind. At Camp Nelson, Burdett suddenly had a much bigger congregation and little supervision. And for the first time, he encountered White Christian missionaries who were antislavery. Then in the spring of 1864, the army began enlisting enslaved men in Kentucky, promising freedom if they joined. Burdett and 14,000 of his brethren signed up. He never saw combat. He worked with the missionaries to set up schools for the Black regiments at Camp Nelson, and after the war ended, he too was sent to Texas. By 1866, he was reunited with his wife and children, and they moved to Kansas to start a new life. They were finally free. Buy Photo (Gus Schuettler/Stars and Stripes) Heidelberg, West Germany, June, 1964: Attorney General Robert Kennedy greets some admirers at the Heidelberg University auditorium. Kennedy answered questions on a wide range of topics, including Vietnam, civil rights and the upcoming presidential election. Asked about the surging popularity of eventual Republican nominee Barry Goldwater, Kennedy called the Arizona senator a spokesman for people who oppose everything ... They want schools, good government and atomic weapons but they just dont like the people in Washington who are providing these things. A shrine to Kazuya Ohata at his parents' home in Kanazawa, Japan. He died at age 40 after being physically restrained in a psychiatric institution. (Simon Denyer/Washington Post) KANAZAWA, Japan Kazuya Ohata had problems sleeping and had voluntarily checked into a psychiatric ward on several occasions after being diagnosed with schizophrenia. But a 2016 visit, at the age of 40, proved to be his last. Eight days after being admitted, he was tied to his bed. Six days later, after being released from the restraint, he died. His parents, father Masahiro, 70, and mother Sumiko, 68, said they tried to visit their son at the hospital at least seven times, but were turned away. They were never informed, they say, that he had been restrained. Then, two weeks after their son had been admitted, they received a phone call to say he had died. "Our greatest regret is that we couldn't see him," said Masahiro, speaking at the family home in the city of Kanazawa, about 180 miles northwest of Tokyo."If we had seen him, we would have realized what had happened and taken him home before anything happened." Sumiko Ohata, son Takashi and husband Masahiro in their home in Kanazawa, Japan. (Simon Denyer/Washington Post) Japan has a huge psychiatric industry that has long operated outside public scrutiny. But tales of prolonged confinement, overreliance on physical restraint and cruel treatment are coming to light as former patients and relatives come forward to sue for damages. "The psychiatric industry has a lot of power in Japan," said Toshio Hasegawa, a professor of psychiatry at Kyorin University and the author of a new study on the prevalence of physical restraint in psychiatric wards in Japan and three other countries. "But we are finally at a stage where people can speak openly about this." Hasegawa's study, the first of its kind, was published in the Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences journal. It found that Japanese psychiatric patients are nearly 270 times as likely to be physically restrained as American patients, 600 times as likely as Australians and 3,200 times as likely as New Zealanders. As many countries moved toward community-based mental health care and use of new therapies in recent decades, Japan went the opposite direction, Hasekawa said. Japan engaged in a massive expansion of hospital beds for psychiatric patients, which then need to be filled to keep hospitals profitable. A shortage of trained medical staff also leaves hospitals depending more on tying patients down in their beds, bound at their waist, wrists and ankles, even if they pose no risk to themselves or other people, Hasegawa said. Immobile for days on end, they risk deep-vein thromboses, a condition sometimes known as "economy-class syndrome" because it can affect passengers on long-haul flights. In a country that has long struggled with high rates of suicide, as well as widespread taboos about mental health, the findings paint a bleak picture for psychiatric patients in Japan. It is no surprise that many feel they have nowhere to turn. Japan's mental health system came to international attention in 2017 when an English teacher from New Zealand suffering from bipolar disorder died after being tied to a bed in Japan for 10 days. The Yomiuri newspaper has recorded 47 deaths caused by physical restraint in Japan in the past four years alone. Hasegawa said his research into 11 hospitals in Japan showed that patients who were tied to their beds were left there for an average of 96 days; a Health Ministry study found that one man had been in restraints for more than 15 years. In the case of Ohata, the patient with schizophrenia, the hospital initially said he died of heart failure. His parents commissioned a separate autopsy that showed he had suffered a deep-vein thrombosis after being tightly bound. In a landmark ruling in 2020, Nagoya's High Court awarded the family 35.2 million yen ($320,000) in damages, concluding that the restraint was "illegal." It is the first time a Japanese court has issued such a ruling, and the hospital, with the support of the Japan Psychiatric Hospitals Association (JPHA), is contesting the decision. The JPHA's chairman, Manabu Yamazaki, said he believes physical restraint is being appropriately applied in most cases, arguing that most problems occurred in about 300 of the hospitals that don't belong to the association. He said he worries that a victory for the Ohata family could lead hospitals to reject certain patients for fear of court action. "We think that in the long run, that's more dangerous," he said. In 2016, Japan had more than 334,000 psychiatric beds, according to statistics from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. That's one-fifth of the world total, and five times as many as the United States in a country with considerably less than half the population. The JPHA's Yamazaki says Japan's definition of a psychiatric bed is broader than in other countries. Powerful doctors make decisions about patients that families find hard to counter, and once a person is hospitalized, it is often hard to get them out. Tokio Ito, 70, at his home in Ota, Japan. (Simon Denyer/Washington Post) Tokio Ito knows just how hard it can be to escape once inside a psychiatric hospital. He spent about 45 years locked away, despite feeling healthy, and was released only by a lucky twist of fate. Now he is suing the government for robbing him of his life. Ito said that his mother died when he was young, and that his stepmother never accepted him. As a teenager, he started to experience delusions that he was related to Japan's imperial family. At 16, he was locked away in a psychiatric hospital in Tokyo. He was given frequent injections that would knock him out, he said, and staff gave patients electric shocks as a form of punishment on the slightest excuse. Twice, he tried running away, but was recaptured. After five years, he was transferred to a hospital in Japan's northeastern Fukushima prefecture. There was no counseling, but his medications were gradually reduced and, in his early 20s, he felt ready to rejoin the outside world. "At first, I asked about being discharged, but soon realized it was impossible and gave up trying," he said. Ito was to spend the next four decades behind the hospital's walls. Ito's situation changed only because of the earthquake and tsunami that struck the Japanese coast in 2011 and destroyed his hospital. He was transferred to another hospital, and the doctors finally let him go free. At the age of 61, he encountered a different world. "When I got out, I was completely lost," he said. "I had never seen or used an ATM, I didn't know how to buy a train ticket, and had never even used a cellphone." Ito had been almost completely isolated during his confinement, visited only by his father once a year. He found out his father had died only two years after the funeral, when his stepmother and stepbrother visited him for the first time. "After I was institutionalized, she was always opposed to me getting me discharged," he said. "But there is no point in getting angry with my family." Ito said life inside was "beyond loneliness." The only thing that kept him going was drawing and painting every day, he said. His biggest regret was never having the chance to get married and have a family of his own. "The hospital was all about money," he said. "For every patient that was there, the hospital received 5 million yen [$45,000] a year from the government. I know the case of a homeless man who was brought there and ended up being kept for 46 years. " Ito has demanded 33 million yen ($300,000) in damages from the government for alleged policy failures, but the main aim of his lawsuit is to free many other people he says are unjustly stuck inside institutions. "I want them to return to society just like I have." - - - In the United States, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 800-273-8255 or over chat. In Japan, the Health Ministry website has contacts for people to find support by phone or online. The Washington Post's Julia Mio Inuma contributed to this report. Birgit Brombacher and her daughter Felicia are pictured at their home. (Marzena Skubatz/For The Washington Post ) As schools closed and lives were upended, the coronavirus pandemic brought particular challenges for mothers, including the struggles and accommodations of remote learning for children and managing their own careers. More than 4,000 miles separate the sister cities of Fredericksburg in Northern Virginia and Schwetzingen in western Germany. For two women, their shared experience reflects the different support systems that helped during the shutdowns. But their stories as told to The Washington Post also bring into focus the universal worries about money, family stress and how their reordered lives will find new footing in a world changed by the pandemic. Their stories, in their words during interviews in April and May, offer two snapshots of countless adaptations to a new global reality. Their narratives have been slightly edited for clarity and continuity. Birgit Brombacher looks out of a window at her home in Schwetzingen, Germany. (Marzena Skubatz/For The Washington Post) Birgit Brombacher SCHWETZINGEN, GERMANY In the beginning, we were all very frightened. Then in March, when they said they would do a lockdown, I couldnt believe it. And all the schools closed, and we were at home. We were all the three of us in this small flat. I was like, What will the future bring, and how long will this go on? We were in a two-room flat: all the day, all the night, with my children. Everything was taking place in my room. And then we had a childrens room, which was the second room. Maja, my eldest daughter [who just turned 21], sometimes stayed at her boyfriends house. But his parents were also high-risk people for the coronavirus and, at the beginning, Maja had to stay in quarantine. His family said: Oh no, not at our house. So she came to our place and it was really, really difficult for all of us. There was an opportunity to move to Schwetzingen and have three rooms. This costs more money. This is a reason I made the decision to take the other job. Before, I was doing all the administration, all the organization at the church kindergartens. Now, I do administration for Kinder und Jugendhilfe, which is for families in difficult situations. Its really horrible. These families before the pandemic had problems. Those problems are now plus 1,000. For the children, its really dangerous. Here in Schwetzingen, families are well situated. I knew I would need more income. I moved here and I thought perhaps it might be enough. But after one, two, three months, I had to realize it was not enough. I canceled a lot. I canceled [10-year-old] Felicias horse-riding. I canceled all the insurance I had. I get Kindergeld [child support payments] for both children, because Maja is still studying. In all, I get about 480 euros a month [about $586]. Without that, it wouldnt work out. I started this job with much enthusiasm. I also saw so many people who really have nothing, and it was my wish to have enough money to give the children a good situation. Felicia is going to private school in September. Robert, 6, attends virtual school on the deck of his home in Fredericksburg. (Gabriella Demczuk/For The Washington Post) Wendy Latella FREDERICKSBURG, VA. So I have two boys. I have Robert, who is in kindergarten. And I have George, who is in third grade. My husband, Jason, works as a [government] contractor. And so he was actually considered an essential worker. So hes been at work this entire time, whereas we just shut down. [She breaks off to talk to her son George]: Mommys on the phone and your teacher needs your focus and respect. Turn. Back to your desk. Thank you. The shutdown happened last March [in 2020]. We had a ton of plans. We are heavily involved in church. I was actually the childrens music director. That shut down. Were heavily involved with the Cub Scouts. It was going to be Roberts first time going to Scout camp. Everything got shut down. We had our last our last [Cub Scouts] leadership meeting on the 19th of March [2020], which is a Thursday, and it was during spring break. The following week was Roberts birthday. Jason, by this point, hadnt come home because [he] was an essential [worker] at the Pentagon. We were kind of on our own. And it was Roberts birthday and [he] just wanted to see his daddy. So Daddy came home, was there on his birthday. And then the very next day, Saturday, I was cooking dinner for the boys. I had been feeling fine. There was nothing wrong with me. And all of a sudden, I popped a 103.4 fever. And I was like, Oh shish kabobs. Maja Brombacher takes online university classes at her mother's home in Schwetzingen, Germany. (Marzena Skubatz/For The Washington Post) Birgit Brombacher SCHWETZINGEN When Maja was at school, I was not a fan of private schools. I thought, why? We had good public schools, but I think Felicia needs this. Last year in the summer break, we had the thing that she didnt want to go to school anymore. She became kind of depressive after the lockdown. [Majas] grades really improved over the past year. But when you are 20 years old and theres nothing you can do, its hard. In November, [Maja] got [covid-19], and her boyfriend, too. For three weeks, they were completely knocked out. It was really hard for them. For the children, its not easy. They dont have vaccinations. And they havent seen normal school life for a year. When I think of my kindergarten pupils, those who started this year at school, its a disaster, they have to learn how to write. Now [Felicia is in school] from Monday to Wednesday. On Thursday and Friday, at the moment, her dad takes betreuungstage [care days]. Normally, before [the pandemic], you had 10 days, as a mom or dad, you could take off from work when your child is ill. The government then decided . . . it was 30 days [for each parent] you could take off with nearly complete salary. They said they have to find solutions for the parents when the children are at home. [Her father] is at home with her and doing home schooling. For Felicia, its boring. Before, there was theater, there were musicals, there was action. Now, they are not allowed to do sports, they are not allowed to sing. Dancing is online now, horse riding is difficult online. There is notbetreuung [emergency school] if you cant find child care. But you are not forced to use the notbetreuung, you can also use those 30 days. [Felicia] went to the notbetreuung before the Easter break, but there is one other boy her age and she doesnt really like him. Now, at the moment from Monday to Wednesday, she can go to school three days, so [her father] needs to take only two days a week. And now we made an arrangement with [another] mom. Monday to Wednesday, she picks them up and takes them in the afternoon. Every day, you have to stay flexible. Wendy Latella gets into her car after running errands around Fredericksburg, Va. (Gabriella Demczuk/For The Washington Post ) Wendy Latella FREDERICKSBURG I had double pneumonia. I tested for covid three times. All three times, it came back negative. My doctor and also the Virginia Department of Healths doctor both said that they are positive it was covid, but it didnt test positive. [Jason] went and stayed with his parents. His parents live in Springfield, [Va.]. Because I was sick and he couldnt risk being sick. But his parents were also working at the Pentagon, and then the Pentagon approved them both for remote work. And at that point, his parents were like, Well, we have a small house, and were older, and if youre still going in . . . So he started having to commute from home. At home, he was staying downstairs in the basement at first, and then he moved into the guest room. We had this whole thing where I met him on the porch and he would go and take off his shoes and all that stuff, and he would go straight inside to the bathroom where he would shower and change into clean clothes I had set up. And hed go into the bedroom and he would hang out there all night and I would bring him food and put it outside and walk away. And I was cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. We did that for five months. We did that until [the public health experts] finally decided they knew more [about the coronavirus transmission]. Because you have to understand, everybody else was just sitting at home. He couldnt. But we couldnt risk, you know - I was still getting over the pneumonia. It was just because thats what was happening and no one knew anything. If my husband hadnt been working, it would have been completely devastating to our family. I work in the television and film industry. I do a lot of producing, training, videos, commercials. One hundred percent, without question, [the pandemic has taken a toll on my income]. Were very big into hiking and camping. So, I mean, most of the things that we do dont cost a lot. And I hate saying it like this, but the way that I budget our stuff . . . my [income] was mostly used toward the fun things. My husbands [income] comes in and its really allocated toward the bills. Anything that I was making was put toward future trips or out-to-eat dinners and stuff, because otherwise we eat at home, we dont go out a lot. We personally know four people who did die from covid. All in the [television and film] industry. Birgit Brombacher SCHWETZINGEN Sometimes I think people . . . need more patience. The government, the politicians, they can try to save people from the coronavirus, but they cant do everything for everyone. So I see that they decide things and they try to do their best. I think you can work with the situation and try to make the best of it. I trust in them. I really trust in them. I think about it like: What would I do? And I wouldnt know what to do either. And Im happy that they are acting and trying to save people. Im happy that Im not ill, that Im not in hospital, that my children are not in hospital. Wendy Latella FREDERICKSBURG Im from Atlanta and Im one of six kids. I have a sibling who believes the whole things a hoax. The little area that Im from, there are a lot of naysayers out there. I have a lot of people on mute on Facebook. Four of my five siblings live there in Atlanta. So theres tons of cousins constantly running around, and everyone goes to a different school. Theres a lot of chance to get [the coronavirus]. My mother had a liver transplant back when I was in college. So shes one of those people that has been on the complete and utter [shutdown]. My mom has [now received] her shot. So she says when everybody else gets their shot, then we can all be friends again. So thats kind of what were waiting on. So it has been, yeah, it feels like 10 years. This last year has been something. My youngest sons birthday [last year] - he had planned his own birthday party - and it was going to be a Pokemon ninja birthday party. It was really hard to tell my 4-year-old at the time, No, you dont get the birthday party this year because theres this horrible thing going on because you cant really tell a 4-year-old that. So it was heartbreaking because when you have plans, and you have your hopes up on something like Robert with his birthday party and then it just hard stops. Its hard to wrap your head around it. But then youre sitting there - and we played Monopoly three times this week, we play Chutes and Ladders, I got to walk my neighborhood with my kids all five days this week - and it kind of starts changing your perspective. Palestinian citizens of Israel demonstrate in Jaffa against Israeli airstrikes against Gaza in May 2021. (Kobi Wolf for The Washington Post) JERUSALEM - Like many Israelis, Ohad Zwick had his eyes on the sky over Gaza on Tuesday night and wondered how Israel's new government would handle its first confrontation with Hamas, the militant group that rules the enclave. On just the second day of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's tenure, Jewish nationalists marched through East Jerusalem, which Israel occupied in the 1967 war, yelling "Death to Arabs." In what Hamas said was a response, the group launched incendiary balloons from Gaza, injuring no one but burning crops and wildlands. Hours later, Israeli warplanes struck two "military sites" in Gaza, injuring no one but unnerving residents. This was a version of the finely calibrated dance of provocation and reprisal well known to residents on both sides of the Gaza-Israel border. "We laugh about it, to be honest," said Zwick, who lives with his wife and three children in the Israeli port city of Ashdod, just miles from Gaza City, one of the southern Israel communities where the tit-for-tat rituals have long shaped life. "They hit a few sand dunes, kill some ants, and nothing ever changes." Nearly a month after a cease-fire ended 11 days of intense fighting, neither side is eager for a return to a full air war, according to military and political analysts, although the situation remains volatile. Hamas launched more fire balloons Thursday and Israel hit additional sites in Gaza, again with no reported injuries. But so far, Hamas has not resumed rocket fire, which would all but ensure a more muscular response from the Israeli military. Both sides are pressing their demands in negotiations over a longer-term truce being brokered by Egyptian mediators. Israel is insisting that Hamas return the remains of soldiers it has held since 2014 and two Israeli citizens it is assumed to hold. Hamas wants Israel to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and stop blocking millions of dollars that Qatar is seeking to provide to pay Palestinian government salaries in Gaza. As the talks go on, an international program to help Gaza rebuild is waiting to launch. Israel has yet to open the border crossings except for humanitarian and emergency traffic. No mail has reached Gaza since fighting broke out May 10. "The resistance does not want to return to military confrontation, but mediators must intervene in order to improve the living conditions of the Gaza Strip," said Hossam al-Dajni, a political analyst in Gaza City. Neither side has been able to break out of the dynamic that has defined their confrontation since the early 2000s. That's when Hamas turned to homemade rockets that could strike Israel beyond the borders of Gaza. Most of the rockets and balloons, which were added to the arsenal much more recently, cause more fear than damage, and Israel's retaliatory strikes in many instances are restrained. Three times before - in 2008, 2012 and 2014 - the hostilities have escalated dramatically, causing significant casualties, only to revert to the routine of low-level conflict. Short of a massive ground invasion to rout Hamas and other militant groups from Gaza, analysts say, the confrontation is likely to do so again after the fighting last month. "I think is Israel is locked into a long-term situation where we are going to repeat these major escalations every few years," said Chuck Freilich, a former Israeli deputy national security adviser. "I don't think there are any great military options at the moment. What are we going to do now that we didn't do during the first 11 days?" Israeli military commanders said privately during the recent escalation that they were determined to break a cycle that forces them to pull their punches in answer to weapons fired at Israel. Part of their strategy was to target the militants' rocket-making facilities, which commanders say are concealed in warehouses and factories throughout the enclave. A senior military official briefing reporters at the time said Israeli bombing was taking a toll on the assembly plants. But he acknowledged that thousands of rocket launchers were untouched and that nothing would keep Hamas from rebuilding its capacity unless political leaders changed tacks. "What was is not what will be," said Defense Minister Benny Gantz at the conclusion of the fighting. Gantz, who remains defense minister in the new coalition government, has said Israel should respond "brutally" to Hamas attacks on southern Israel. The new government has taken a tougher line on Hamas by retaliating for incendiary balloons and not waiting for rocket fire. But critics say that revised approach won't alter the basic dynamic. "The challenge facing the government that was inaugurated this week is to change the paradigm," wrote commentator Ben Dror-Yemini in the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth. "The residents of southern Israel, hundreds of thousands of people, live in perpetual fear that is relieved only briefly and intermittently." Dror-Yemini called for Bennett to push for an international Marshall Plan to both rebuild Gaza and demilitarize it. The long periods of relative quiet allow people on both sides of the border to go about their daily lives, accommodating the intermittent sirens and strikes, which usually produce more noise than direct human harm. But this is also a permanent state of tension. In Gaza, for example, Israeli strikes shake buildings and wake children even when bombs fall in open fields. "We are not able to live in this way," said Shahira Al-Diri, 44, of Gaza City. "It is very stressful for the soul. We are between the fire of war and the fire of siege." In the Israeli communities surrounding Gaza, Hamas rockets frequently land in farmlands or are intercepted by Israel's air defense batteries. But the incoming fire triggers sirens that give thousands of civilians just seconds to race to bomb shelters. "It is surreal to live here and look out the window to see rockets flying across the sky," said Zwick. The 42-year-old city employee has lived his whole life in Ashdod. For decades, he endured the siren-and-shelter routine as the price of staying in a community he loves. But now that he is a father, the grinding routine of menace, not to mention the flare-ups of war, is taking a toll. "It feels different now," he said. "Look, I'm really a person of peace. I feel sorry for the public in Gaza, that we all have to live like this. But I really don't see the solution." - - - The Washington Post's Shira Rubin in Tel Aviv and Hazem Balousha in Gaza City contributed to this report. President Joe Biden arrives for a European Union summit in Brussels on June 15, 2021. (Thierry Monasse/Bloomberg) GENEVA - Standing under the wing of Air Force One in Geneva on Wednesday - after a week-long trip abroad in which he repeatedly extolled the virtues of democracy over autocracy - President Joe Biden seemed briefly to knock his own product. "I never anticipated - notwithstanding, no matter how persuasive President Trump was - that we'd have people attacking and breaking down the doors of the United States Capitol," Biden said, referring to the Jan. 6 siege. "I didn't think that would happen, I didn't think I'd see that in my lifetime." But then, like any good pitchman, Biden quickly regained his footing. He said the mob attack had simply reaffirmed what he'd long been taught, by everyone from his political science professors to his former Senate colleagues: "Every generation has to reestablish the basis of its fight for democracy. I mean, for real, literally, have to do it." As Biden hopscotched across Europe this past week on his first trip abroad, his most prominent message, repeated everywhere, was the need for democracy to prevail over autocracy in what he cast as the existential challenge of the 21st century. America, he promised, was back at the helm of that struggle. But the fight for democracy, or a version of it, is unfolding not just in Europe but also in the United States, and Biden's message is complicated by the turmoil in the country he leads - the Jan. 6 attack, Trump's claim that the 2020 election was stolen, the push to restrict voting, the ongoing "audits" of elections whose results have long been settled. In fighting for democratic values abroad, Biden risks seeming as though he is looking past the threats in his own country. "Anytime you have a really divided country, it's going to make the president look weaker," said Michael Kazin, a Georgetown University historian. What is especially striking now, he added, is how many Americans question Biden's victory and say they are open to political violence: "A disputed election is one thing. It's another thing to have a large number of people in the losing party say that they don't accept the results." Biden visibly wrestled with this challenge at times during his week-long trip to Cornwall, Brussels and Geneva. At NATO headquarters in Brussels, he paused and let out a small sigh before answering a question about how the assault on the Capitol, and America's polarized politics in general, might undercut his credibility with allies who know that Trump or a Trump-like figure could be back in power in Washington in a matter of years. He essentially argued that Trump was an aberration. "I'm not making any promises to anyone that I don't believe are overwhelmingly likely to be kept," Biden said. European leaders, he added, "know our recent history - know, generically, the character of the American people" and believe, as he does, that "the American people are not going to sustain that kind of behavior." The dilemma is unlikely to fade anytime soon. Biden's next foreign trip could come this fall, when the Group of 20 meets in Rome and a climate summit is held in Glasgow. At the same time, Trump has signaled that he will ramp up his activities, holding rallies and endorsing candidates as he continues to promote the claim that the election was stolen, with many Republicans vocally agreeing. And Biden also faces doubts from more liberal quarters. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said democracy is in serious peril in the United States. Nevertheless, she said, that shouldn't stop Biden from promoting democracy over autocracy on a global scale. "There's no question we have a lot of work to do to protect our democracy here, and I think we saw on January 6 how close we came to losing it," Jayapal said. "But I don't think that undermines our ability to make that argument around the world. I actually think in some ways it strengthens our argument to say, 'We are dealing with these same factors in the United States.' " Yet in making his pitch on his first trip abroad, Biden largely steered clear of underscoring the problems in the United States, as Jayapal suggested. "The truth is that we still do have a democracy. And it's teetering. It's on the brink," Jayapal said. "If we don't pass these voting rights laws, then I think we will be in a position where people will no longer look to America, and we've already seen that happen in some ways." Biden's position in some ways echoes that of American leaders in the aftermath of World War II, when the United States faced off against the Soviet Union for the moral high ground. America's case at the time was damaged by racism and segregation at home, which Russian leaders were quick to highlight. As Biden made his way across Europe this past week, he hugged democratic allies close after the estrangement and hurt feelings of the Trump years. He also tried to put some victories in democracy's column at every stop. He succeeded, but only to a point that illustrated the limits of democratic consensus. In Britain, for example, Group of Seven leaders announced that rich democracies would give one billion coronavirus vaccines to poorer nations, but that came only after months of complaints that the United States, Canada and other wealthy nations were hoarding vaccines, a phenomenon critics called "vaccine apartheid." And the donation, while large, was immediately branded insufficient to meet the needs of vaccinating the world population. "We need more than that," U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, even as he welcomed the effort. The United States is contributing half the total - 500 million Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines - in what Biden framed as the U.S. reclaiming leadership at a moment of crisis. "America will be the arsenal of vaccines in our fight against covid-19, just as America was the arsenal of democracy during World War II," he declared. Biden also prodded allies to adopt a newly skeptical view of China, but neither the G-7 nor NATO went as far as he had hoped in naming and shaming what the United States calls exploitative Chinese investments and aggressive Chinese military posturing. A surprise announcement in Brussels that the United States and Europe had resolved a 17-year trade dispute over aircraft manufacturing was framed as a unified answer to competition from Chinese-made wide-bodied planes. But the marquee deal is essentially a punt that delays for five years the hardest questions about government subsidies. That means the Boeing vs. Airbus trade saga, and the union labor fires it stoked in the United States, are on a back burner until after the next presidential election. The summer camp vibe of democratic good feeling became a solo journey when Biden arrived in Geneva for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which in some ways came down to a mano-a-mano dispute over democracy in the United States. After a three-hour meeting at a historic villa in Geneva, Putin seized on Biden's tumultuous domestic situation to dismiss human rights abuses in his own country. He portrayed the attack on the Capitol as laudable and racial justice protests as anti-democratic, echoing the perspective of many on the right. Pressed on why so many of his political opponents wind up poisoned, jailed or dead, Putin accused the United States of killing and imprisoning peaceful political protesters involved in the Jan. 6 riot. The veteran Russian leader, who has consolidated power and wealth while neutering political opposition, went on to say that his crackdown on opposition leaders is partly to avoid the rise in Russia of movements like Black Lives Matter. Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group, a risk assessment firm, said Putin was essentially deploying what partisans in the United States have taken to calling "whataboutism," citing an opponent's alleged faults to distract from one's own. "It is certainly true that the United States needs to build its credibility domestically if it wants to be the moral leader of democracy abroad," Bremmer said. But, he added, "Let's not pretend there is a moral equivalency, which is what the Chinese and Russians are trying to claim." "As bad as it has been in the United States, and it has been bad in the United States - a lot of Republicans don't believe in representative democracy at this point - the United States remains not remotely comparable to Russia as a system or China as a system," Bremmer said. In his own news conference after Putin's, Biden dismissed the Russian leader's equation of Russian pro-democracy protesters with Americans who stormed the Capitol to overturn an election, calling it "a ridiculous comparison." Behind Biden's derision lay broader questions about the durability of slow, messy, elected governance in the face of speedy if imperfect solutions offered by China, Russia and other autocratic powers. The G-7 vaccination announcement was in part an effort to respond to such questions. Biden himself alluded to the quandary at his first stop in Europe, a slickly produced, Stars-and-Stripes extravaganza at a British military base that houses an American air wing. "How we act, and whether we pull together as democracies, is going to determine whether our grandkids look back 15 years from now and say, 'Did they step up? Are democracies as relevant and as powerful as they have been?' " Biden said. It's not a new theme for Biden, whose foreign policy views were formed by the post-World War II vision of an American-led alliance of democracies against communism. That vision often fell short, as when the United States embraced brutal regimes if they opposed the Soviet Union. Biden, too, has been criticized for being overly tolerant of authoritarians like Egypt's Abdel-Fatah al-Sissi when he needed their help. Still, promoting democratic values has in some ways become an organizing message for Biden's presidency. "I predict to you, your children or grandchildren are going to be doing their doctoral theses on the issue of who succeeded: autocracy or democracy?" Biden said during his first official news conference in March. "Because that is what is at stake." A month later, addressing a joint session of Congress in April, Biden again returned to the idea, urging Americans to show the world that democracy is still the best form of government. "Can our democracy deliver the most - to the most pressing needs of our people? Can our democracy overcome the lies, anger, hate and fears that have pulled us apart?" Biden said. "America's adversaries - the autocrats of the world - are betting we can't." Upon returning home this week, Biden's team was quick to declare the trip a success - not just for the president, but for democracy writ large. "The bottom line is that Joe Biden confidently and skillfully donned the mantle of leader of the free world on this trip," national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters. "The previous president had ceded that mantle, and this president has now emphatically reclaimed it." Around the same time, Trump, who continues to claim aggressively that the election was stolen from him, signaled plans for big rallies in coming weeks. Sullivan reported from Washington. Buy Photo Then-Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson as seen on April 16, 2018, on Capitol Hill. (Joe Gromelski/Stars and Stripes) (Tribune News Service) The former White House doctor who gave a glowing report in 2018 about then-President Donald Trumps cognitive abilities is calling on President Joe Biden to take the same test. U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, led a group of 14 Republicans who sent Biden a letter on Thursday urging him to take a cognitive test and make the results public. The freshman Congressman served as White House physician under former presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Trump. In 2018, he gave Trump a clean bill of health after an annual physical and cognitive test that came amid questions about Trumps mental fitness to serve. At the time, Jackson said it was the first instance he knew of a cognitive test being administered to a sitting president, saying Trump was mentally very sharp. We believe that, regardless of gender, age, or political party, all presidents should follow the precedent set by former President Trump to document and demonstrate sound mental abilities, Jackson and his Republican colleagues wrote in their June 17 letter to Biden. The Trump campaign made Bidens mental fitness a major piece of its 2020 campaign. In campaign ads and rallies, Trump sought to paint Biden as mentally unfit to serve. His mental fitness has been a regular target for misinformation spreading online. Biden, 78, is the oldest president in American history. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Biden has bristled at questions about his mental capabilities. Bidens doctor released a medical report in December 2019 in which he described Biden as healthy, vigorous and fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency, according to The Associated Press. NBC News reported the report did not mention mental deficiencies. Jackson said in a prepared statement that it is past time that Biden submit to a cognitive test. The American people deserve to have absolute confidence in their president, he said in the statement. They deserve to know that he or she can perform the duties demanded of the office, and they deserve to have full transparency on the mental state of their highest elected leader. Jackson claimed Biden has shown clear mental impairment. Jackson was elected last year in Texas 13th Congressional district. Trump nominated Jackson, a Navy rear admiral, to serve as secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2018, but he withdrew from consideration amid allegations of misconduct, including drinking on the job and contributing to a hostile work environment. The other 13 Republicans who signed the letter are: * U.S. Rep. Bob Gibbs, of Ohio * U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan, of South Carolina * U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, of Maryland * U.S. Rep. Brian Babin, of Texas * U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, of Georgia * U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney, of New York * U.S. Rep. W. Gregory Steube, of Florida * U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, of Wisconsin * U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack, of Florida * U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl, of Alabama * U.S. Rep. Pat Fallon, of Texas * U.S. Rep. Diana Harsbarger, of Tennessee * U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne, of Texas ___ (c)2021 USA Today Visit USA Today at www.usatoday.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Michele Roosevelt Edwards, then known as Michele Ballarin, is seen in Warrenton, Va., in 2013. She's a former Republican congressional candidate who has claimed in the past to negotiate with warlords and pirates in war-torn Somalia. ( D.A. Peterson for The Washington Post) Late last December, as President Donald Trump pressed senior officials to find proof of election fraud, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows emailed acting attorney general Jeffrey Rosen a letter detailing a theory of how an Italian defense contractor had conspired with U.S. intelligence to rig the 2020 presidential contest. The letter, which was among records released by Congress this past week, was printed under the letterhead of USAerospace Partners, a little-known Virginia aviation company. In early January, a second Virginia firm, the Institute for Good Governance, and a partner organization released a statement from an Italian attorney who claimed that a hacker had admitted involvement in the supposed conspiracy theory. According to the conspiracy theory known as "Italygate," people working for the Italian defense contractor, in coordination with senior CIA officials, used military satellites to switch votes from Trump to Joe Biden and swing the result of the election. Though her name was not mentioned in either document, both Virginia organizations are led by Michele Roosevelt Edwards, according to state corporate filings reviewed by The Washington Post. Edwards is a former Republican congressional candidate who built a reputation as an advocate for the Somali people and as someone who could negotiate with warlords and pirates in the war-torn region. Edwards was formerly known as Michele Ballarin but changed her name last year, court records show. In 2013, The Post's magazine explored how Edwards, once a struggling single mom, had reinvented herself as a business executive and then as a well-connected horse-country socialite who cultivated ties with senior Somali officials. The Institute for Good Governance's registered headquarters since late last year has been the historical North Wales Farm, a 22-bedroom mansion in Warrenton, Va., state records show. The property is listed for sale at just under $30 million. On the day after the 2020 election, Edwards sat for an interview at North Wales with a television crew from Iceland, where she has business interests. Edwards told the crew that the estate was her property, according to their footage. "This is my bedroom," she said, showing the crew around. "This is very private space." She was pressed on the lack of personal items in the house. "So this is where you live?" she was asked. "Yes." "This is your property?" "Yes." When the interviewer noted that website listings showed the property for sale, Edwards said it was a "recent acquisition for us." She said it was not for sale. But North Wales was then - and is now - owned by a company formed by David Ford, a retired financier who died in September. Ford's widow said in an interview that she did not know Edwards. The Post showed her the footage of Edwards inside the property. "She's in my house," the widow said. "How is she in my house?" The North Wales mansion was for sale at the time, and Edwards was a licensed Realtor in the area, according to the firm's website. Hers was not the firm Ford's widow had hired to sell the property. Edwards declined to comment. "I am not giving media interviews at this time," she said in a text message. The discovery of the role Edwards's two firms had in spreading the Italygate conspiracy theory, as well as the roles others played, sheds new light on its origins and on how the claims made their way from feverish online speculation to some of the most powerful figures in the government. As Trump refused to concede defeat, his die-hard supporters pushed the conspiracy theory on social media and other channels as part of an effort to discredit Biden's presidency that continues today. Prosecutors in Rome told The Post that they are now investigating whether false claims were made against the Italian defense contractor. The prosecutor's office said it was examining "various subjects, both Italian and non-Italian." A conservative Italian news site owned by a politician who has written about Italygate reported this month that the politician and Edwards are among those under investigation. Italygate appears to be partly rooted in a news article published on Dec. 1 by the Italian newspaper La Verita. In the article, Daniele Capezzone, a reporter and TV commentator described as "the Sean Hannity of the Italian press" by some Italygate proponents, wrote that Trump's team was investigating whether an official in the U.S. Embassy in Rome conspired with an unnamed Italian defense contractor to manipulate the U.S. election. Bradley Johnson, a Virginia-based commentator on intelligence matters who says he is a retired senior CIA officer, then advanced a version of the theory in a video interview recorded on Dec. 5 and later posted online. Johnson identified the defense contractor involved as Leonardo, an Italian firm that was coincidentally in the news that day because two men had been arrested in an unrelated hacking case involving the company. Leonardo did not respond to questions from The Post. Johnson cited Capezzone as his source. But Capezzone told The Post in an email that he did not identify Leonardo as the contractor in his reporting, and said that Johnson had not contacted him. Johnson did not respond to phone calls, messages sent via LinkedIn and the website of his nonprofit, Americans for Intelligence Reform, or to a letter left at the nonprofit's office in Manassas, Va. In the wake of Johnson's video, Italygate began to gather momentum. Maria Strollo Zack, a Republican operative from Georgia who has embraced the conspiracy theory, told The Post that she has been in contact with Johnson about it. Zack, 57, has said in interviews with right-wing media outlets that she told Trump about the conspiracy theory on Christmas Eve at Mar-a-Lago, the president's private club in Palm Beach, Fla. Zack, who formed a super PAC that backed Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in the 2016 presidential campaign, said on a conference call with supporters that Trump's second wife, Marla Maples, and their daughter, Tiffany, helped Zack and her husband obtain invitations to the club. A woman who identified herself as Maples was on the call. Representatives for Maples and Tiffany Trump did not respond to questions. Zack told The Post that she had a "personal friendship" with them. In Zack's telling, Trump wished her a Merry Christmas, and she used that opening to pass him a written note about Italy and the promise of a whistleblower who knew of the scheme to flip votes. "We know the guy who did it and how he did it," she said she told Trump, according to an interview on a talk show broadcast by the Reno, Nev.-based outlet America Matters Media. On Christmas Eve, Zack's husband posted a photograph of Trump to Facebook that he indicated was taken at Mar-a-Lago, but The Post was unable to confirm Zack's version of events there. Zack claimed in a second media interview that Rudy Giuliani, then Trump's personal attorney, called her the following morning to set up a meeting to discuss her claims. A spokeswoman for Trump did not respond to a request for comment. Messages left for Giuliani's attorneys seeking comment were not returned. On Dec. 29, Meadows sent Rosen the letter from Edwards's company, USAerospace Partners. The letter was written in Italian and signed by Carlo Goria, who was identified in past news releases as a company contact. USAerospace said last year that it was interested in buying the troubled Italian airline Alitalia, and suggested it would "make Alitalia great again." Goria did not respond to messages. In a story published Saturday, Talking Points Memo reported that, in a brief interview, Edwards denied any knowledge of the letter. Several current and former Trump advisers said they were shocked that Meadows would pass along such a fantastical conspiracy theory, but one former senior administration official said Meadows "bought into some of the more bizarre claims and would push them to the president as well." The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. It was not clear from the emails released by Congress how Meadows obtained the USAerospace letter. A spokesman for Meadows declined to comment. On New Year's Day, Meadows sent Rosen a link to a video of Johnson, who has said he served as a CIA station chief, discussing Italygate. On Jan. 4, Zack held the conference call with supporters, the audio of which was posted online. Zack told The Post that the call was with volunteers for her Florida-based nonprofit, Nations in Action. On the call, Zack claimed that she had also supplied documents to senior White House adviser Peter Navarro. In an email to The Post, Navarro said this was "not accurate." On Jan. 6, Zack's nonprofit released a statement claiming that it had conducted an election-fraud investigation with the Institute for Good Governance - Edwards's Virginia-based group - and that their efforts had "yielded the long awaited proof that a flawless plot to take down America was executed with extraordinary resources and global involvement." Edwards, 65, has charted a colorful path in and around Washington. She has founded several businesses in fields including security, investment management and aviation. After she married Edward Golden, a real estate executive, and had a son, Edwards ran for Congress as a Republican in West Virginia in 1986 but lost in the general election. After that marriage ended, she married Iginio Ballarin, a New York restaurant maitre d', with whom she owns a farmhouse in Markham, Va. Edwards is registered to vote as a Republican at a condominium in Palm Beach, Fla., state records show. Because of her efforts to bring stability to Somalia, beginning nearly two decades ago, Somalis came to refer to her as Amira, which means "princess" in Arabic, The Post's magazine story reported. In 2009, the Somali president named her "presidential advisor for Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance." She claimed to have played pivotal roles in securing the release of hostages. Yet a diplomatic cable released as part of a trove posted online by WikiLeaks revealed that, in 2009, Ukraine's foreign minister had complained to U.S. officials that Edwards was hindering efforts to negotiate with Somali pirates who had captured a ship and its crew. One retired naval intelligence officer who partnered with Edwards during the 2008 to 2010 period was quoted in The Post story as saying: "The problem with Michele is separating fact from fiction. What is real, and what is made up?" In September 2019, Edwards announced that her USAerospace group had bought the assets of Iceland's bankrupt airline Wow Air and said it would soon resume flights. It has not. Asked by The Post how she came to work with Edwards, Zack said in an email: "This is an ongoing investigation and we do not disclose information on our methods and sources." Their joint news release linked to a copy of a sworn statement signed by a Sicily-based lawyer, Alfio D'Urso. In that document, D'Urso said he knew from a "high level army security services official" that one of the alleged hackers in the unrelated case had told a judge that he had undertaken an operation to flip votes from Trump to Biden - and that he had done so at the direction of Americans at the U.S. Embassy in Rome. Nicola Naponiello, an attorney for the alleged hacker, told The Post that this was false and that neither he nor his client had ever heard of D'Urso. "He's not accused of anything connected to that," Naponiello said of his client. Naponiello, who previously spoke to Reuters, said the whole story was a "classic fake" into which his client had inexplicably been dragged. D'Urso did not respond to emails and messages left with his office. The news release from the Zack and Edwards groups also linked to a PDF copy of a story about Italygate from an Italian news site. Edwards's name appears in the PDF's metadata as the creator. Chatter about the conspiracy theory exploded among Trump's base. Among other influential figures, the former Trump advisers Michael Flynn and George Papadopoulos - both of whom Trump pardoned for lying to the FBI during the inquiry into Russia's 2016 election interference - posted about the conspiracy theory on Twitter. "Italy did it," Flynn wrote. In appearances on right-wing online media, Zack has said she tried to raise the alarm by reaching out to members of Congress and others in Washington, including Christopher C. Miller, then the acting defense secretary. Miller was "very involved," Zack claimed in an interview with America Matters Media in April. "There were a lot of people working hard to help us," she said. Miller was aware of the claims but did not believe them and considered them "fabricated," according to a former Defense Department official familiar with the situation. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter's sensitivity. Zack said she is still pushing for law enforcement to investigate the allegations. "It is the duty of the Department of Justice to ensure the US election was free of foreign interference and election fraud," she said in an email. Others, however, are unconvinced. "Pure insanity," Justice Department official Richard Donoghue wrote to his boss, Rosen, after Meadows sent his emails containing the claims, the records released by Congress show. Even Capezzone, the Italian journalist whose Dec. 1 article set off speculation about the supposed conspiracy theory, said he has since concluded that it was false. In an email to The Post, Capezzone said Italygate was "fake news, a conspiracy theory, [a] poisoned chalice." - - - The Washington Post's Chico Harlan and Stefano Pitrelli in Rome and Alice Crites, Julie Tate, Josh Dawsey and Ellen Nakashima in Washington contributed to this report. Fiber optic cables, center, and copper Ethernet cables feed into switches inside a communications room at an office in London on May 21, 2018. (Jason Alden/Bloomberg) 115 milliseconds. As quick as a blink, that's the amount of time a new technology - developed by researchers from Australia's national science agency and a university in South Korea - takes to detect that ransomware has detonated on a computer and block it from causing further damage. The finding seeks to address a vexing challenge that has stymied international efforts to stop such attacks. As hackers execute bolder attacks with bigger potential payouts, computer scientists are pushing the limits of software to make near-instantaneous decisions and save victims from ruin. A spree of recent ransomware attacks have focused attention on the issue and spurred booming growth for part of the cybersecurity industry - one that has benefited from a presidential endorsement of sorts. Since 2016, spending on "endpoint protection" software has more than doubled to $9.11 billion last year, according to data from Gartner Inc. Those are cybersecurity tools that protect "end user" devices such as laptops and desktop computers, which are vulnerable to being hacked through their users clicking on malicious links or phishing emails. Last month, U.S. President Joe Biden issued an executive order that will require civilian federal agencies to deploy a specific type of that technology, called endpoint detection and response software, on their networks. Leading companies include SentinelOne Inc., Cybereason Inc., Microsoft Corp. and CrowdStrike Holdings Inc., according to Gartner. The innovation of that software is that it blocks files deemed to be malicious - what traditional antivirus does - and goes a step further, automating the hunt for suspicious behavior on users' machines, aiming to identify poisoned code before it causes damage, according to Oliver Spence, co-founder of U.K.-based North Star Cyber Security. Still, Spence said the technical challenge remains daunting. "Solving ransomware is magnitudes harder than solving spam and that isn't solved yet," he said. "How do you tell which email is legitimate or not? How do I tell if a process is legitimate or not? Solve either problem completely, and you are well on your way to being rich enough to retire." Ransomware is a type of cyberattack that encrypts files on victims' computers, rendering them useless until a ransom is paid. It can take just minutes to cripple an entire network. The recent hacks of Colonial Pipeline Co., which shut the biggest gasoline pipeline in the U.S. for nearly a week, and of JBS, which temporarily shut all U.S. beef plants for the largest meat producer globally, have exposed gaps in protection for critical industries. One of the few ways to get ahead of the problem is to have security software running deep inside a computer's operating system. There, it can see each program - or process - running on the machine and have the best shot at distinguishing between legitimate and nefarious ones. "The technology exists to identify authorized processes versus unauthorized processes - that's actually not that terribly hard," said Lawrence Pingree, a managing vice president at Gartner. "The hard part is that ransomware, as a category, can use many hundreds of techniques including modifying or injecting authorized processes. Most security practitioners will tell you that it's a race condition where defenders keep augmenting security to match the changing threats." Hackers often trigger alarms as they move around victim networks, performing reconnaissance and manipulating accounts while staging ransomware attacks, said Jared Phipps, senior vice president of sales engineering for SentinelOne. Endpoint detection and response software automates the analysis of those behaviors to try and stop the hackers before they escalate, he said. "Executing the ransomware is the last thing they do," Phipps said. "There are weeks and weeks or even months of lead time in the attack. There are going to be many different systems touched and in most cases there are a lot of security alerts. There is absolutely time to stop those attacks." One challenge of staying ahead of the problem is that skilled hackers routinely test their code and techniques against the latest security software, adapting when needed to evade detection, said Andrew Howard, chief executive officer of Switzerland-based Kudelski Security. "Ransomware attacks today are typically human-operated, meaning that a human is actively guiding the attack," Howard said. "As the defenses get better, this drives new offensive techniques, which drives better defenses, which drives new offensive techniques, and so forth. There is not a 100% effective technical solution for this problem." An executive at a leading cyber incident response firm, who asked not to be named discussing internal matters, said his company always recommends that ransomware victims it's assisting buy some form of endpoint detection and response software, and that about 70% do. He said his firm analyzed its deployments from one of the leading vendors and found that the software blocked almost all of the attacks. "The only three fails we have seen in three years were because of poor implementation by the client," the person said. The person noted that such technologies aren't cheap, starting at about $12 per "endpoint" - or device - per month, with discounts for big deployments. For large organizations, that can mean millions of dollars per year. But to put that in perspective, Colonial paid a $4.4 million ransom, while JBS paid $11 million. One way that organizations are paying for the upgrade is by replacing their antivirus programs. Gartner projects that within five years, more than 60% of large organizations will have replaced antivirus with endpoint detection and response and similar software. In the meantime, computer scientists are racing to improve the speed and accuracy of their code for handling the "response" part of the equation, trying to shave milliseconds off their times for blocking malicious actions. In January, researchers from the digital arm of Australia's national science agency - the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization's Data61 unit - and from Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea published details of an experimental technology they developed to detect ransomware by looking at some of the lowest-level signals in a computer's operating system. One result, the researchers said, was the ability to detect ransomware on average in about 115 milliseconds, after just one file was encrypted - saving the rest of the computer and its contents. Software makers generally haven't disclosed specific performance metrics in this area, so it's unknown how the researchers' findings compare to commercial efforts to thwart the attacks. The paper's lead author, Muhammad Ejaz Ahmed, wrote in an email that these results point to a goal that the security industry is urgently chasing. "Our approach can detect such activities at the early stages of a ransomware infection," he said. This opens the door to "detect and give and early warning even before any damage is done." Army veteran Greg Washingtons 1,800-mile A Walk To Honor raises awareness for veteran suicide. (Facebook) AUGUSTA, Ga. (Tribune News Service) Capt. Greg Washington had left the military and was at a low point in his life in 2011. He was contemplating suicide. A call asking to go window shopping by his young cousin saved his life and started his healing journey. Everyone that I meet, I challenge them, think about that one friend, family member, loved one, battle buddy that you havent talked to in a while and call and check on them. You never know, you might be that angel that my cousin was to me, he said. Washington, 39, stopped by Augusta this week as he continues his 1,800-mile A Walk To Honor through 11 states to raise awareness for veteran suicide. He began his journey about 45 days ago in April from Mound Bayou, Mississippi, and will be arriving at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point for Sept. 11. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs 2020 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, 6,435 U.S. veterans died from suicide in 2018. The average number of veteran suicides per day is 17.6. It was an uphill battle, it still is. We are faced with obstacles along the way but being able to have hope, being able to know that you are not alone, has been my biggest key, he said. My family, my friends they have been my biggest support system and the biggest help in me fighting those internal battles that we do on a daily basis. Washington graduated from West Point in 2005 and was a freshman at the military academy when 9/11 occurred. He was commissioned as an infantry officer and was stationed in Germany before being deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. During his time at West Point, he met 2nd Lt. Emily Perez and Capt. Scott Pace, whom he described as his two best friends. Pace, a troop commander with the 82nd Airborne Division, died in Afghanistan when his OH-58D Kiowa Warrior crashed after being hit by Taliban fire in 2011, the Army News Service reported. Perez, a lieutenant and medical officer member of the 4th infantry division, died while deployed in Iraq when an improvised explosive device hit her convoy. The Army News Service reported Perez was the first African-American female officer in U.S. military history to die in combat. Washington wants to raise awareness about veteran suicides but also wants to honor and remember his friends through his journey of 65 days of walking and 71 days of visits. My journey fighting through depression, fighting through PTSD, fighting through chronic pain and fighting that survivors remorse of losing my two best friends, they are my reason why, Washington said. This is my way of honoring my two best friends to ensure their names live on forever. He is familiar with the Augusta area, because he was stationed at Fort Gordon. On Thursday, he stopped to talk to a group of veterans at Forces United downtown after talking to a group of soldiers Wednesday night. He is hoping to lead discussions about mental health and break the stigmas around it. Victoria Hann, president and CEO of Forces United, said Washington is an inspiration and a warrior for going on this journey and being able to tell his story. He is taking this on as a personal challenge. He is a warrior, who has contemplated suicide, so he comes from a real and true place of understanding, she said. We want to celebrate anyone who is bringing awareness to those things that we focus on on a day-to-day basis. Hann said they try to help veterans any way they can, either with mental health, education, benefits or housing and homeless prevention. She said Washington put it best by saying, dont make a permanent solution from a temporary situation. Mental health and how we feel can be temporary if we move ourselves in the right direction, she said. We have to start talking about it. So many times, our tough warriors, they are taught to be tough and to not show emotion. Washington, who is 450 miles into the walk, will continue his journey to Columbia, S.C., next before going up the East Coast until reaching West Point, N.Y. He hopes this walk of honor is able to help someone along the way. If there is one person out there I need to meet, I need to shake hands with, I need to let them know that its going to be OK, that their life matters and that suicide is not the way and it never will be, I will walk every step of this journey, he said. People can follow his journey on Facebook and Instagram. ___ (c)2021 The Augusta Chronicle (Augusta, Ga.) Visit The Augusta Chronicle (Augusta, Ga.) at chronicle.augusta.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The National Park Service, in April, added yet another Knox County property to its National Register of Historic Places. The Simpson Nursery Company property, consisting of three Victorian houses and a collection of office buildings and storage sheds along Old Wheatland Road, received the esteemed designation as a result of both its architectural and historical significance. But to former Knox County resident Jeanne Stangle, the propertys listing on the roll of historic places is a bit more personal. It means heritage it means family, she said. Stangles mother, retired teacher Virginia Alexander Stangle, helped preserve and pass on the stories of the homes and the nursery business built by her ancestors the Alexanders and the Simpsons. She received help compiling documentation from local historians Richard Day and Brian Stangle as well as an endorsement from Indiana Landmarks, the states leading preservationist group. It means so much to my mother, and it meant so much to her father and her grandfather. They would always tell us stories about the place and take us out there, Jeanne said. Featuring several buildings and structures that predate the 20th century, the oldest on the property is a Greek Revival I-House, constructed in the mid-1800s by Rev. Samuel R. Alexander 96-year-old Virginia Stangles great great grandfather who was considered an early pioneer in Knox County. But the property itself changed hands a number of times before Alexander and his wife Nancy (Scott) built the home that still remains on the original 17-acre site. In fact, the first recorded transfer of the land was in 1804 between Francis and Elizabeth Vigo and John Small a Revolutionary soldier who later became the sheriff of Knox County. Later, in 1817, the property was purchased by another ancestor of the Stangles Rev. Samuel Thornton Scott, the first resident Presbyterian minister in Indiana and an early force in the establishment of Vincennes University. But it was the Alexanders who built upon the land and later made an arrangement with their cousins, the Simpsons, to take advantage of the fertile Knox County soil with Archibald Simpson opening Knox Nurseries in 1851. Spangle, who assisted the Stangles and Simpsons by researching Knox County land deeds, says the property clearly meets all the criteria for declaration as a National Historic Place. In part, he says, because of its age and integrity. Too, said Spangle, having been founded in 1851, Simpsons was one of the oldest nurseries in the United States owned continually by the same family. It was one of the first, if not the first, commercial nurseries in Indiana, so it has both state and national significance, she said. As time passed, the Simpson family expanded their nursery to include orchards. Knox County was widely known for soil that could nurture much more than grain and was pinpointed nationally to be a rising fruit belt. The 1876 Illustrated Historical Atlas of Indiana described the fruit culture in Knox County as being of principal interest. According to late 19th century records, fruit trees in Knox County grew larger and lived longer than in most other regions thought to be the result of a microclimate created by factors such as the Wabash River, fertile bluffs and small surrounding lakes. With good prospects for apples and peaches, in 1890 the local business started focusing its efforts on the cultivation of fruit trees, having added roughly 100 acres of land purchased from the Samuel Alexander Farm. For the decades surrounding the turn of the 20th century, Knox County fruit was highly lauded across the U.S. Such deliciously sweet apples and peaches were grown at Simpson Orchard Company now known as Simpson Nursery Company salesmen travelled the U.S. by rail to deliver the renowned fresh fruit to destinations as far as Texas. The local orchard even sent some of its largest and sweetest peaches to the White House in 1921 and promptly received a thank you note from President Warren Harding. The next year nearly a thousand people converged on Knox County for the summer Horticultural Society conference, with more than 700 people visiting and lunching at the Simpsons orchard then owned by Robert and Harry Simpson. Over the past 170 years the business has experienced numerous changes in cultivation methods, plant types and new generations of owners, but it has always remained in the Simpson family. But, over the years, as big box stores gained more ground in the sale of trees, plants and fruit, Jeanne Stangle says her extended family realized how difficult it is for a family operation to remain intact. A descendant, Betsy Simpson, still lives part-time on the property and is the primary owner, but the orchard itself hasnt been in business for some time. And it was, in part, the fear of the business and homes and all of their stories being lost forever that prompted the Stangles and distant cousin Ann Simpson Marley to begin working on the registration for the National Historic Places designation. With it now in hand, doors will open to things like historic grants and even federal tax credits to begin restoration efforts. Its such an old business and such a Knox County treasure, that we desperately want something to be done to keep it open, Stangle said, before recalling memories of visiting the local landmark with her great grandfather. We did this for ourselves, because this is our story, and we want to keep it going. And it can be done. With the official start of summer just days away, I did what every woman dreads. I ordered a new bathing suit. It arrived, then, on a Tuesday afternoon, a too-small package that, Ill admit, I let lay on the dining room table for nearly a week before I had even the nerve to tear it open and take a peak. Tucked tightly into yet another wasteful plastic bag which is another issue for another column on another day I allowed it to sit upstairs for another day or two before working up the courage to slip it on. My eyes fixated immediately on all the things I didnt like unsightly hip dips, flabby arms, extra fluff on my stomach and legs. Those discoveries led to the note of others discolorations on my skin, cellulite, freckles, lumps and bumps. I was, in a word, disappointed. I kept turning, finding other angles, hoping that I might see something anything to give me a bit of confidence. But, alas, with every twirl, I found myself more upset at the image staring back at me. Then in through the door came my 10-year-old bonus daughter, Vivien, and her eyes immediately lit up. I like that! she exclaimed. You look good! And trust me when I tell you she speaks the truth, no matter whose feelings it may hurt. Its one of my favorite things about her. I looked back in the mirror, confusion slowly spreading across my face. Was she right? At the height of the pandemic, I decided to download the video sharing app and social media platform TikTok, one surging in popularity, particularly amongst Gen Z and Millennials. I loved it immediately. I scrolled for days laughing at blooper reels, taking note from various fashion and beauty bloggers and finding solace in animal antics creators all looking for an outlet as we held up at home, waiting and wondering when the worst would be behind us. In the last several months, however, Ive noticed the emergence of a different kind of content. Ive seen popular creators, even regular women with no social media platforms at all, celebrating their flaws creating videos set to fun, upbeat, empowering music and zooming in on rolls and texture and hair. The body positivity movement, by most accounts, got its first foothold in 2012, initially focusing on challenging unrealistic feminine beauty standards and there are many to challenge. As the movement grew, what began as a simple acceptance of weight shifted toward an overall message that all bodies no matter the gender are beautiful. People have interpreted the body positivity movement in multiple ways, but in my own humble opinion, its relatively simple. It celebrates health, not physical appearance. It celebrates normality, not unachievable perfection. It encourages women and men to love their bodies for their flaws, not in spite of them. It means finding ways to celebrate the body you have and not beating yourself up for the changes that happen naturally to it whether due to aging, pregnancy or even lifestyle choices. Our bodies evolve as we get older, and instead of insisting that we conform to once-popular yet terribly unrealistic standards of beauty, we need all begin to accept that skin has texture and bodies have imperfections. Social media, particularly Instagram and TikTok, have played a pivotal role recently in the rise of the body positivity movement. In recent years, ad campaigns, too, have begun to feature more realistic images of men and women. One of the first was skincare giant Dove, and theyve been followed by brands like Athleta, Aerie, Lululemon, Skims, Abercrombie, Good American, all of them featuring women with real bodies and curves in their campaigns. A simple body positive hashtag search on TikTok reveals hundreds of thousands of videos of women showing off stretch marks, rolls and textured skin, all in an effort to undo years worth of damage done to women my age and older. I tried to remember those videos as I looked back at myself in the mirror in that new bathing suit that day I forced myself to focus on the things that I did like instead of all that I didnt. Rust in color, I took note of how well it complimented my pale skin and blonde hair. I appreciated areas of new muscle tone, signs that all my hard work in the gym is paying off. And while certainly not perfect by Cindy Crawford standards, I appeared healthy, even happy. When I see other women, I see beauty. My eyes dont immediately find what they probably hate but, instead, focus naturally what makes them special. I see reminders of a life well lived extra pounds from the birth of a much-loved child, freckled skin from vacations spent on the beach and even wrinkles, the result of lifes hardships, road maps to all weve survived and endured. I took my new rust-colored, strappy one-piece bathing suit off that day and slipped back into an old trusty black one with a bit more coverage, and off we went for a day at a friends pool. When I came downstairs, the look of disappointment and annoyance on Viviens face was clear. You should have worn the other one, she told me with a roll of her pretty eyes. Another time, I replied, giving her shoulders an appreciative squeeze. I tucked it affectionately into a drawer for, yes, another time. Because I did look beautiful in that suit. Ok, maybe not beautiful, but times, they are achanging. Standards of beauty are different. They are more accepting of what real women strong, healthy women who have lived to tell the tales of heartache and hardship and success and longing and love really look like. So, to all of the women reading this, put on the shorts, don the crop top, wear the skimpy bathing suit. Celebrate the things you love and sit for awhile with the things you dont. Youve been told for years that theyre not beautiful, but I assure you, they are. Every blemish, every stretch mark, every extra ounce of fluff and unwanted hair makes you gorgeous. Look until you see it, too. News The Fourth is back Photo by Tom Bartholomew People collect on the Riverwalk back in 2018 to watch the fireworks. The annual Fourth of July festivities, including a parade and the fireworks show, will return downtown this year on July 4. Last years fireworks were scaled back and moved out to Lincoln High School to encourage social distancing, and the parade was canceled altogether. City officials are thrilled to welcome it back downtown. The City of Vincennes is preparing for the return of the annual Fourth of July festivities. City Council President Tim Salters is excited for the fireworks to return downtown this year after officials last year moved the scaled-back show out to Lincoln High School in an effort to encourage social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It was one of the many disappointments experienced in 2020, he said. Last year was like a gut punch with Rainbow Beach being closed and not being able to have the Fourth of July either, Salters said. Vincennes Mayor Joe Yochum shares Salters excitement for the celebration to be back downtown where it belongs. I expect well have a record crowd, just as we saw with the Rendezvous, Spring on Main, and other recent events, the mayor said excitedly. Yochum said the city already has more than 30 entries for this years parade, which will honor first-responders as well as parade marshal county health Officer Dr. Alan Stewart, who was last years Spirit of 76 Award winner. The parade is scheduled to step off from First and Hart streets at 6 p.m. on July 4. It will head east on Hart Street then turn south onto Seventh Street. At Main Street, the parade route takes a right and will proceed west to Second Street, where entries will head north and pass by the reviewing stand in front of the citys Riverfront Pavilion at 102 N. Second St. Entries for this years parade are still being accepted at City Hall, 201 Vigo St., or residents can register online via citys website at www.vincennes.org. The deadline for entries is noon on July 1. The city firefighters union is also again sponsoring a variety of food vendors on Patrick Henry Square, according to city firefighter David Halter. He said firefighters have invited several food trucks and vendors to set up beginning at 8 a.m. on July 4. Most will begin serving around noon and continue well into the night. Were really glad that the city is giving us a chance to do this, Halter said. Its going to great to be back downtown for this years event. The fireworks celebration will then get underway at dusk. With the city taking over the fireworks show this year from the local American Legion, Yochum said things so far are going smoothly, and local support has been tremendous. Were very well close to our (financial) goal, Yochum said. That is thanks to donations from a lot of businesses and even several individuals. I dont want to list them and leave anyone out, but were very thankful for all of them. The fireworks show will be set off from the Lincoln Memorial Bridge, which will close to motorists at 6 p.m. and remain closed until midnight. And with a return to normality, Salters said he is most looking forward to watching the fireworks again along the Riverwalk with his family. Vincennes has significant ties to the history were celebrating, and to be back on the historic ground for the fireworks is great, he said. Not every city has that, and we have that here in the city of Vincennes. City councilman Marc McNeece echoed the sentiment. Ive done the announcing for the Fourth of July Parade with Mark Hill for 16 years, he said, and when that sense of normalcy, of patriotism, went away last year, it was tough. This is a day we come together to celebrate not only the birth of our nation but also Vincennes role in that. It allows us to enjoy each other and our hometown. We have a few events like that the Watermelon Festival, Rendezvous, Homecoming, the Fourth of July ones that are uniquely ours. And we need them. Do you already have a paid subscription to any of the SWNewsMedia newspapers? If so, you can Activate your Premium online account by clicking here. Activation will allow you to view unlimited online articles each month. To activate your Premium online account, the email address and phone number provided with your paid newspaper subscription needs to match the information you use in setting up your online user account. If you are having trouble or want to confirm what email address and phone number is listed on your subscription account, please call 952-345-6682 or email circulation@swpub.com and we'll be happy to assist. Lawton, OK (73501) Today Mixed clouds and sun with scattered thunderstorms. High 83F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Mostly cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low near 70F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. Our Most Popular Magazines + Digital We get it. You live by the Ski Valleys snow report even when youre hours away. You follow every Taos post on Instagram. Our small town occupies a BIG part of your heart. Keep in touch with all things Taos when you subscribe to FIVE of our national award-winning magazines, plus access to the website and e-edition for a full year at the special low rate of just $55. The positivity rate for new cases of COVID-19 in Florida seems to be increasing. The state Department of Health reported a new case positivity rate statewide for COVID-19 of 3.8% for the week of June 18-24 compared to 3.3% for June 11-17 and 3.4% the week previous. Thank you for Reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and Purchase a Subscription to continue reading. WASHINGTON Sen. Kir-sten Gillibrand is on the brink of success in her yearslong campaign to get sexual assault cases removed from the milita Nintendo seems to have finally broken its silence on the numerous rumors regarding upgraded Switch hardware, and most importantly, the Switch Pro. As all gamers know, Nintendo didn't reveal the Switch Pro during E3 2021. But according to Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser (yes, you read that right), the lack of a reveal still points to a future hardware release that the company is looking at, writes Game Informer. Bowser spoke with The Washington Post shortly after E3 and revealed that hardware upgrades are not part of the plans for Nintendo as of the moment. In the interview, he remarked at how the company is constantly looking at new hardware tech and how they've deliberated on whether or not to apply said tech to existing hardware or wait until the next generation implements them. This could mean that while the Switch Pro wasn't announced, there are still plans for "hardware upgrades" to come at a certain point in time. Sorry, sad gamers, but you'll have to wait until that day comes. Then again, this didn't stop people from speculating why the Switch Pro wasn't revealed. It has been rumored almost endlessly leading to E3 anyway, with insiders claiming features like 4K and hybrid functionality. Some are even claiming that a Switch Pro game was actually revealed under the radar, but perhaps that is a bit of a reach as of the moment. Read also: E3 2021: Nintendo Switch Pro Game Likely Revealed Unnoticed - is it 'Mario + Rabbids?' Nintendo Switch Pro: Why It Wasn't Revealed, According to the Internet E3 2021 was supposed to be Nintendo's biggest chance to show off and upend the powers-that-be in the gaming world. But while the showcase itself wasn't bad, gamers were still expecting the next-generation Switch handheld and were a little disappointed. Tech Radar, for one, reiterated their confidence that the Switch Pro is still in development. It's just that Nintendo probably thought it wasn't ready, and E3 wouldn't have been the best place to reveal its existence. What's interesting, however, is Bowser's comments regarding the state of new hardware tech. Tech Radar's confidence is not unfounded, at least right now. Nintendo knows that they're still lagging behind competitors like Sony and Microsoft in terms of hardware as a gaming company. This is still true even if the base Switch has sold like crazy since it launched in March 2017. So far, it does make sense for the Switch Pro not to be announced back at E3, because of the current state of the gaming world as a whole. Despite immense anticipation levels, Nintendo can't really expect excellent sales right off the bat because of the current semiconductor shortage. The company would spend way more money to make the Switch Pro than the money they can make from projected sales, and that's an inevitable truth. For now, fans have to play a new game: the waiting one. Related: Nintendo Switch Lite In BLUE? It Just Released, And Here's Where It's Available This article is owned by Tech Times Written by RJ Pierce 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. California has rolled out a new way to verify the COVID-19 vaccination digitally. According to the Department of Public Health and Technology which released the website, people could now use it for verification if they want to keep a digital copy of the vaccination record. Somehow, it is often compared to the vaccine passport, but Gavin Newsom, the state governor, stated that it is different from what we think about it. California Launches Special Portal for Vaccination Records Preserving the people's records when it comes to vaccination now comes digitally thanks to the newly-made Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record portal. This serves as an online backup of the information released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for those who have already been vaccinated according to California's chief information officer, Amy Tong. During the press call, Tong said that it would provide Californians an efficient way to save and keep track of their vaccine records. Moreover, it would replace the usual card, and if they want CDC's digital version of it, they could utilize it. Furthermore, Tong added that there's no need to bring a CDC card if the person does not want it. Instead, they could easily save their records on the website through a screenshot. Read Also: AI: COVID-19 and Other Viral Infections Can Now Be Predicted Signature Gene Algorithm [STUDY] Governor Gavin Newsom's Say About its Likeness to Vaccine Passport For others, the appearance of the digital vaccine verification would mean its resemblance to the usual vaccine passport that we know. We are aware that establishments could use it to determine the vaccinated individuals from the unvaccinated ones, NBC News reported on Saturday, June 19. In the case of a big event, California has a mandatory confirmation among business undertakings, especially indoor events. Before the person enters the area, he/she should be negative from the coronavirus test. Currently, the Biden administration said that they are not planning to release a national vaccine passport. The United States will continue to stick with the CDC cards for the COVID-19 vaccination verification of the citizens. However, not all states in the US share the same perspective when it comes to digital COVID-19 records. Texas, Arizona, and Texas are some of them which curtail the use of vaccine passports. In the case of New York, there is an app called Excelsior pass which is linked to the vaccination database of the state. Through this application, the individuals in the area can have a clear verification for their pass to access major events similar to what a vax passport can do. "This is very similar in concept to what New York launched with Excelsior Pass, which is an opportunity for a resident, in our case the state of California, to have a digital copy of their vaccination record," Rick Klau, the state's chief technology innovation officer said. Related Article: UK Vaccine Passport: NHS App to be Used as Vaccination Proof as Restrictions Ease This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joseph Henry 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : Screenshot From Pexels Official Website) Scammers are Selling Fake Crypto Wallets that Can Steal Coins | Ledger Customers Targeted Scammers are selling fake crypto wallets that steal users coins instead of store them! The fake hardware wallets are being sold to Ledger customers in an attempt for thieves to steal cryptocurrency from the users' Bitcoin wallets. Fake 'Ledger' Crypto Wallets According to Bleeping Computer, a Reddit user going by the name of "jjrand" recently posted on the site and explained how they were able to receive a Ledger Nano X hardware wallet directly in the mail. It was noted that the shrink-wrapped package even had the company's logo in order to look more legit. It also contained an installation manual as well. Jjrand, however, did not order any package from the company. The package contained a suspicious letter from Pascal Gauthier, Ledger CEO, explaining the replacement device was actually sent out after a data breach that ultimately led to consumers being allegedly exposed. Phishing Scam and Crypto Theft According to TechRadar, the note read that for security reasons, they have sent users a new device to switch to in order to keep their money safe. It was also stated that there is a manual to follow inside the box and for that particular reason, they have ultimately changed their device structure. After users experienced massive data breaches in July, Ledger customers became targets of a number of phishing scams. For example, back in December 2020, the company's own customers were all targeted by a large-scale phishing campaign which made use of fake data breach notifications to make users download a fake Ledger Live app. Ledger Warns Against Desktop App The mobile version of the app in the links was real. The desktop version, however, was not. If users installed the desktop version, the "app" would then make users enter their recovery phrase as well as their secret passphrase to gain access directly to their wallet and end up stealing their crypto. The ongoing phishing campaigns have actually become so frequent that Ledger themselves created an official list on its website to keep track of all of them. Matt Johnson, Ledger's chief information security officer, gave a statement to TechRadar Pro regarding the details of the scam. Read Also: CNN NFT For Sale Later in June | News Company Will Start Selling Iconic Historical Moments Where to Find Ledger Announcements According to his statement, the company is aware of the scam which is why they made a list of malicious attacks on their website. Users should remain suspicious if ever they are going to receive free products in the mail that they did not officially order or get contacted by the Ledger support team. Ledger will never ask its users to share their 24-word recovery phrase in any way. It was also stated that finally, Ledger communicates security through the means of Ledger Live and never by phone or mail. Cryptocurrency owners are now being targeted by cybercriminals all wishing to steal users' funds through the use of either phishing links or fake crypto wallets. Related Article: Top 10 Cryptocurrencies Bearish Except One | $HEX Remains Bearish This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Urian B. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency in the world, has reached a $36,000 price over the past 24 hours. The famous digital currency saw a 5% decline in value during the period, which sparked some concerns among traders about its stability. What's alarming about this continuous price decrease is the "death cross" that could likely make it bearish. From becoming bullish, we could possibly notice the shift in the trend of Bitcoin to date. According to AMB Crypto's report on Friday, June 18, the term "death cross" is an event that happens when the 200-DMA (Daily Moving Average) has "completed the position above 50-MA." In short, the scenario would be staged over the weekend. For Bloomberg Intelligence commodity strategist, Mike McGlone, traders expect that $BTC and gold would be on the same page as the "primary beneficiaries" of the market. Bitcoin Could Become Bearish Bitcoin's value may have been heavily swerved by the regulations about its impact on the environment. Recently, the top miners of $BTC in China have been expelled. As a result, they would look for a new Bitcoin outlet, and Texas is the possible place for that. In connection to this, Wu Blockchain published on Twitter that the major cloud service provider in China, Alibaba cloud, has called out several crypto mining companies about the removal of their domain name in line with the requirements and regulations. Colin Wu, the reporter behind Wu Blockchain, tweeted that mining firms should consider "some replacements" for the cryptocurrency. Moreover, the registered servers of the site are outside China that's why there's only "little impact" to the "exchanges." Again, Bitcoin might be a game-changing currency in a country that is seeking another form of payment. El Salvador, for example, has recently sought the assistance from the World Bank about implementing it as legal tender. While the international financial institution supports Bitcoin as an official form of currency, it rejected the Central American country's request due to environmental and transparency issues. Read Also: Top 10 Cryptocurrencies Bearish Except One | $HEX Remains Bearish Besides what it could do to the environment, Bitcoin is still undergoing a great demand surge at the moment. Several people have become interested in the potential of cryptocurrency due to its flexibility in entering businesses. BBVA, a powerhouse bank in Spain, concluded that crypto trading can now reach its private banking clients in Switzerland. It will begin on June 21. ESG updates About Bitcoin According to Coindesk on Saturday, June 19, investors like Tesla CEO Elon Musk have been looking for some ways to address the ESG issues (environmental, social, and governance). He claimed that he would allow crypto transactions if the mining involves 50% clean energy. In the next 18 months, we could see if the cryptocurrency-trading app, Crypto.com could achieve its goal for Bitcoin to be a "carbon negative." Anchorage and Tokensoft also said that they would be making a "carbon-neutral bitcoin-backed asset" known as Eco BTC (eBTC). Meanwhile, former US Securities and Exchange Commission's Office of Internet Enforcement chief, John Reed Stark said that the companies are only doing it for their sense of survival. Related Article: Miami Mayor Encourages Chinese Crypto Miners with Robust Incentives and Cheaper Nuclear Energy This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joseph Henry 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Google Messages, the search engine giant text messaging application, finally received a new feature that could certainly change how you use the service. The tech giant firm confirmed that its Google Messages app now has the ability to send encrypted RCS messages and the ability to declutter your inbox automatically. Also Read: Google Pixel Buds A-Series: Is the Device Under $100 Worth It? Specs, Where to Buy, and MORE However, the most important feature that has been added to the Google Messages app is the new font size adjustment capability. This has been missing on the service for the past few years, preventing the users to zoom in on their conversations. And now, Google confirmed that the latest version of the Messages app now has this feature. Reddit user u/user01401 is the first one to leak this new capability. "A lot of people have been asking for years for Google Messages to have adjustable font sizes - it's finally here!" added the anonymous leaker. Google Messages Font Size Adjustment Guide According to 9To5 Google's latest report, the new font size adjustment feature can change your conversation text's font and display size. Thanks to this, you can now make your screen easier to view. To give you more idea, here's how you can use the latest feature: The new Google Messages font size adjustment feature is quite straightforward and starts by opening any thread. After that, all you need to do is pinch out with two fingers so that you can increase most text in the current window. However, you need to remember that the app bar still stays the same. Once you use this feature, all timestamps and message bubbles will adjust accordingly. These include the prompt and any entered text in the compose field. Icons, like contact avatars and the send button, and menus remain static. Other Innovations Of Google Aside from the new font size adjustment feature of the Messages app, XDA Developers also reported that Google is also rolling out the ability to pin conversations to the top of its text messaging application. This is currently available on the new Google Messages 8.3.026 app version. However, there are some instances when you will not be able to see this new feature. If that happens, all you need to do is clear your application's cache. For more news updates about Google Messages and other similar apps, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: Google: Android 'Find My Device' App Rumors Bluetooth Functions Coming Soon This article is owned by Tech Times Written by: Griffin Davis 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : Pixabay/BiljaST) Security system Google app Google app bug can mess with your browser. Android users are encouraged to use a privacy browser. However, privacy search engines have become very viable for anyone looking to escape Google's rules. DuckDuckGo, an internet search engine that protects searchers' privacy, has introduced new tools that will help stop bugs from tracking users' emails and other apps on Android phones. Google Bug Privacy Breach The Google app for Android with more than 5 billion installations had a bug that could have let a malicious app on the user's phone gain access to their device and retrieve data on the user's search history, email, location, and more. In May, Google had fixed the issue and stated that it had no indications that any of its users were impacted by it. But it is still alarming that an app that is used by billions had an impactful bug. According to TechCrunch, because of this breach, DuckDuckGo has urged users to protect their personal data online. Also Read: REvil Hacking Group's Ransomware Attack on US Nuclear Weapons Contractor Sol Oriens; Invenergy Data Breach Some of the features on DuckDuckGo are similar to what Apple announced during the WWDC event for iOS 15 and macOS. The search engine's new tools came just in time when hacking from ransomware group is rampant. On June 16, Ukrainian authorities arrested seven people who are affiliated with the ransomware group Clop. However, the takedown only underscores how little can be done about the broader issues until and unless Russian President Vladimir Putin decides to pursue Russia-based cybercriminals. Airbnb's Private Security Squad Aside from the Google app bug and the arrest of the Ukrainian ransomware group, Airbnb was also in the spotlight over their crisis response team, which handles issues at its rentals and works to keeps the incidents out of the news. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, an Australian woman was sexually assaulted at knifepoint in an Airbnb apartment in New York. Airbnb was criticized for handling the situation, with the victim confessing that the company had tried to keep her quiet for two years to prevent any further issues with the public. The security of Airbnb rentals was questioned after the incident. The victim received a secret settlement of $7 million, which included restrictions on what she could say about the assault. Airbnb denied that it had tried to keep the woman quiet, with a spokesperson saying that in sexual assault cases, in the settlements that they have reached, survivors can speak freely about their experiences. Fake Pharmacies In another alarming news about online security, Bleeping Computer reported that Interpol announced that it had taken down 113,020 links that are connected to illegal and counterfeit drugs and medical supplies. As part of the effort of the international law enforcement agency, they made 277 arrests and had seized more than $23 million worth of illicit pharmaceuticals. Interpol added that fake COVID-19 testing kits accounted for more than half of all of the medical devices that were seized during the action. The operation, which ran from May 18 to 25, resulted in 277 arrests worldwide and the seizure of potentially dangerous pharmaceuticals worth more than $23 million. Related Article: Ukraine Ransomware Gang Known for Hacking Universities Arrested This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Sophie Webster 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. WALKER Rain fell in the Baton Rouge area but largely spared the capital region from flooding and other damage after a brew of thunderstorms and wind swirled in from the Gulf of Mexico before coalescing overnight into Tropical Storm Claudette. The weather system organized enough by 4 a.m. Saturday to earn the tropical storm designation near Houma, the National Hurricane Center said. It moved northeast from there, dumping between 8 and 11 inches of rain on Slidell, where some residents were stranded in neighborhoods inundated by water. Baton Rouge to the southern tip of Tangipahoa Parish a region just a month removed from its last bout of severe flash flooding was largely spared from the first named weather event to pass through southeast Louisiana in 2021. We had our signs and sandbag stations ready Thursday and Friday, Livingston Parish President Layton Ricks said Saturday morning, but apparently it skipped us, for the most part. After initially predicting heavy rainfall east of Baton Rouge and with much of the area under a flash-flood warning, weather experts on Friday adjusted their projections for several parishes in the area, saying they would likely be spared from severe deluges. No residents of Livingston Parish had dialed in 911 or Homeland Security reports by mid-morning Saturday, according to Ricks. We were very blessed this time, Ricks said. Parish Councilman Tracy Girlinghouse said it barely rained near his home in Walker. +5 Heaviest rain from possible tropical storm will head east as Baton Rouge-area braces for impact The capital region braced for potential howling winds and heavy rains Friday as a disorganized system of storms in the Gulf of Mexico crept to The rest of greater Baton Rouge, as well as the flood-prone Florida and River Parishes, appeared to have weathered the night unscathed. Officials in East Baton Rouge, St. James, Tangipahoa and Ascension on Saturday afternoon each confirmed receiving zero damage reports from residents. We are thankful that Tangipahoa was spared again, parish President Robby Miller said, and we are hopeful our neighbors where Claudette hit have minor damage and recover quickly. East Baton Rouge officials had received no damage reports by Saturday afternoon, confirmed Mark Armstrong, a spokesman for Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome. Still, the storm "is a reminder we live in South Louisiana and need to be prepared during hurricane season," Armstrong added. Tropical Storm Claudette makes landfall in southeast Louisiana; flooding reported in Slidell The brunt of the storm missed New Orleans, with officials saying no major issues were reported overnight in the city. Residents of the southern portion of Tangipahoa Parish dodged a bullet, said Kim Coates, a council member whose district includes stretches of shoreline of lakes Maurepas and Pontchartrain. Forecasters on Friday warned the storm could cause up to two feet of tidal surge along the lakes shores. But waters stood at just over a foot-and-a-half on the northeast shore of Lake Maurepas Saturday afternoon, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers river gauge at Pass Manchac. Storm surge generally poses flood risk to southern Tangipahoa Parish when the shore rises between two-and-a-half and three feet. In Ascension Parish, officials activated the parishs Emergency Operations Center Thursday evening, said parish spokesman Martin McConnell. While some residents called the center with questions about where to gather sandbags, none rang with damage reports or to request help. The emergency hub was shuttered by Saturday afternoon, McConnell said. +9 Flood-weary Baton Rouge prepares for weekend storm: 'You know what can happen' Officials across the Baton Rouge area are preparing not panicking as weather forecasters monitor a broad low-pressure system in the southe The parish also opened the Lamar Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales to livestock owners a step it takes so that farmers concerned about animal safety ahead of possible floods can harbor them on high ground. But no concerned livestock owners showed up, McConnell said. I can only hope the remainder of hurricane season will be as mild, he said. By Saturday afternoon, Claudette was dumping rain on coastal Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida panhandle as it continued its northeastern trajectory inland. Its harshest effects on Louisiana appear concentrated in Slidell, where one couple fought back rising waters for three hours. Forecasters expect the system to reach the western Atlantic Ocean by Monday. The storms northeastern trajectory may prove to be a boon to the river-crossed Florida and River Parishes region, Ricks said. Had it moved more directly north through central Mississippi, the system could have swelled northern waterways that drop water into the Amite river and other local tributaries. It shifted away from us instead of going due north, so were not going to have that problem, he said. Ricks said he was a little surprised that the storm ultimately had such a mild effect on the area. While heavily-warned storms that end up causing little damage can make residents become lax, he said, the devastation of the 2016 floods that submerged much of the parish is still on the minds of many residents. Even though were thankful when a storm turns out mild, you dont want people to get too complacent and not be ready, he said. But since the 16 flood, that has not been a risk. Everyone here is on high alert. Fingerprints found on a cigar wrapper inside a slain Allstate financial planner's stolen truck in August 2017 belonged to the Baton Rouge man who is accused of killing him, a State Police analyst testified Friday. Amber Madere, a fingerprint analyst at the State Police Crime Lab, said Daryel Johnson's right palm print and right index fingerprint were discovered on the wrapper in the center console of Dale Sands' truck. Sands was found shot to death the afternoon of Aug. 23, 2017, in the backyard of a residence at 9076 Great Smokey Ave. adjacent to BREC's Oak Villa Park. Johnson, 38, lived at 9074 Great Smokey. Authorities believe Sands, 53, of Central, was killed during an armed robbery the previous afternoon, when he and his green Ford F-150 went missing. +2 In Allstate worker's 2017 robbery-slaying, prosecutor says accused killer eyed 'easy target' A Baton Rouge man on trial in the 2017 shooting death of an Allstate financial planner during a robbery was portrayed by a prosecutor Wednesda The truck was found outside a business a few days later just a few blocks from the crime scene, and surveillance video showed Johnson parking the truck at the business on Aug. 23, 2017, and walking away. The state and defense rested their cases Friday. Both sides will give closing arguments to the jury Saturday, and then the panel will begin its deliberations. Johnson, 38, is charged with second-degree murder and witness intimidation. A conviction on the murder count would carry a mandatory sentence of life in prison. Johnson did not testify in his own defense. His lead attorney, Rob Ray, called two witnesses, including James Anthony, who also lived at 9074 Great Smokey and called police to report the body. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Anthony acknowledged filming the body and posting it on social media, but then deleting it. When Ray asked Anthony if he has ever shot someone, Anthony refused to answer the question and invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Prosecutor April Leon held up a framed photograph of Sands and asked Anthony, "Did you shoot that man?. Anthony emphatically replied, "No!" Prosecutors have said they believe Sands was relaxing at the park between appointments when he was killed. He was found without his wallet, phone or keys. His driver's license was in his pants pocket. Authorities have said Johnson told a co-worker that he killed a man for his truck, and a woman with whom Johnson lived at the time of the slaying testified Thursday that Johnson told her "if he had just given him the truck it wouldn't have escalated." +2 After implicating himself in Allstate agent's slaying, man allegedly told female friend to stay silent A Baton Rouge man accused in the 2017 robbery-related slaying of an Allstate employee implicated himself in the homicide and then told a femal The woman, who lived at 9074 Great Smokey and whose young son found the body, also said she overheard Johnson say in a phone conversation that he "didn't have a chance to move the body." She said Johnson told her to keep her mouth shut or she would regret it. The woman also said Johnson was in possession of a green Ford F-150 the night of Aug. 22, 2017. A Baton Rouge police detective testified Thursday that Johnson told him he had traded another man crack cocaine for the truck. Two years ago, when regulators gave Entergy Louisiana the green light to buy power from a new utility-scale solar plant in West Baton Rouge Parish, the power companys CEO hailed it as a win for customers and for the environment. But the push to build solar plants in Louisiana has been drawing increasing scrutiny since then, mostly from farmers who fear being crowded out of land leases by solar companies with deeper pockets. In recent months, several parishes have issued moratoriums on utility-scale solar projects. And some legislative leaders took aim at solar developments in the recently ended legislative session, asking the Louisiana Economic Development agency to halt property tax breaks for such projects. Just about everyone involved hopes a bill passed by Sen. Bret Allain, R-Franklin, to require the state Department of Natural Resources craft regulations for utility-scale solar plants will help resolve the issues. Still, proponents of solar worry the pushback will have a chilling effect on the nascent but fast-growing industry. Its unclear exactly what impact the resolutions passed by lawmakers will have in the meantime. House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, R-Gonzales, sponsored a resolution that asks the Louisiana Economic Development agency, called LED, to halt tax incentives for solar projects through the states Industrial Tax Exemption Program until next summer. Why these Louisiana fossil fuel land scouts are jumping into the solar power business As a geologist, Kirk Barrell has studied what lies below ground for decades on the hunt for oil and gas pockets across Louisiana. But now he's Anya Hudnall, a spokesperson for LED, said the agency will begin discussions on the extent of the potential impact and let the Board of Commerce and Industry, which votes on industrial tax breaks, review it. LED and Gov. (John Bel) Edwards are generally supportive of and encourage and invite renewable energy investments in our state as we work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with full recognition that Louisiana is on the frontlines of climate change, Hudnall said. Senate President Pro Tem Beth Mizell, R-Franklinton, passed another resolution calling for a public hearing, which is tentatively scheduled for June 29, where farmers and others concerned about solar developments can air their grievances. Mizell, who didnt respond to requests for comment, said during the debate over the issue in the Legislature that farmers in her area of Washington Parish came to her with tears in their eyes because of fears over solar developments. She suggested solar developments could erase the character of farming communities, and questioned how solar projects are economic development when they create so few permanent jobs. She also suggested that solar was a natural enemy of a more important industry in Louisiana. I thought we were an oil and gas state the whole time I've been here. Solar is over here, and if were choosing solar over oil and gas, nobodys told me, Mizell said. Theres more than one side to the picture were painting with solar. Proponents of solar developments say such concerns are misplaced. Stephen Wright, executive director of Gulf States Renewable Energy Industry Association, said the idea that solar projects might take vast swaths of farmland out of circulation is misguided. According to his calculations, even if Louisiana had the same share of energy coming from solar as California when in fact it has far less the solar developments would still take up less than 1% of available farmland in Louisiana. I think its a setback, Wright said of the resolutions and moratoriums on solar. But were viewing it honestly as an education opportunity. Because the major developments in Louisiana have just sprung up in the last couple years. I think a lot of people just dont have a grasp on the opportunity yet. The pushback can be traced in large part to farmers rather than fossil-fuel purveyors. For years, Louisiana farmers had little competition for land. Now, solar companies are snapping up options for land where they could potentially build solar developments, and are able to pay much more to the landowners per acre than farmers usually do. Few of these options contracts are likely to turn into solar developments, but the farmers are nonetheless worried about being crowded out. Major Thibaut, president of Pointe Coupee Parish, has negotiated with a subsidiary of British Petroleum to land a large solar plant in his area, near False River. The project is expected to generate 300 megawatts of power; by comparison, the West Baton Rouge solar project hailed by Entergy Louisiana as its first big foray into solar two years ago generates 50 megawatts. By comparison, many of the states natural gas-fired plants produce several hundred megawatts. The new project, an estimated $300 million investment, will create several hundred construction jobs while generating sales and property taxes, Thibaut said. West Baton Rouge rejected a tax exemption for a solar farm. But did it vote prematurely? A divided West Baton Rouge Parish Council rejected a $22.5 million property tax exemption for a $240 million solar farm seeking to locate in t But Thibaut said farmers in his area have raised a range of concerns, and hes met with them on several occasions. That partly involved debunking misinformation; for instance, some farmers had worried that mercury from the solar panels would pollute the land and make it unusable forever, Thibaut said. Thibaut thinks the pushback to solar is sending a bad message and could drive away big investments, to the detriment of rural areas like Pointe Coupee. Well survive on agriculture, Thibaut said of his parish. But there comes a point in time where weve got to diversify. Even for all the fuss at the Legislature and elsewhere, solar is still a tiny part of Louisianas power generation. And even with the increasing interest from developers, the states potential for solar appears limited. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up According to a recent study by researchers at Princeton University and others, Louisiana ranks near the bottom of states in the amount of money expected to be invested in solar and wind energy over the next several decades. The study is based on suitability. Louisiana consumes a huge amount of energy for its size, largely due to its outsized industrial sector. But the state relies heavily on natural gas to power homes, businesses, chemical plants and the like. Almost 69% of Louisianas net electricity generation comes from natural gas, compared to 34% nationally. And renewables are a miniscule part of the states generation: Only 4.7% of the states generation came from renewables as of this March, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, mostly from biomass. Nationally, that number is at 25%. Still, there is evidence that solar is on the rise here. Jody Montalero, vice president of public affairs at Entergy Louisiana, said the utility expects to get as much as 800 megawatts from solar by 2024, up from just 50 megawatts now. As the resolutions by Schexnayder and Mizell made their way through the Legislature, Sen. Karen Carter Peterson, D-New Orleans, was one of the few to speak up in defense of solar energy. During the floor debate over Mizells resolution, she pointed to a recent Reuters report that pegged ExxonMobils Baton Rouge refinery as the top U.S. emitter of small particulate matter, a form of lung-damaging soot. If ... I came here and tried to pass a resolution to say that Exxon right here in Baton Rouge, less than a mile from here, is one of the top polluters in the country ... Oh my God. You would think the sky is falling, Peterson said. But we are consistently doing things that stop the solar industry from coming in to further our state, local and national interests of creating a clean environment. But I look like Im an anomaly because I keep voting against this dumb stuff. I want to use another word. Schexnayders resolution came at the behest of the Louisiana Farm Bureau. Joe Mapes, a lobbyist who represents the Farm Bureau, even presented the resolution to a Senate committee in Schexnayders place. Mapes said in an interview the farmers arent pushing back on solar, and support green energy. Instead, they are questioning whether a subsidy from the Industrial Tax Exemption Program is appropriate, given that solar projects create few or no permanent jobs. However, solar is hardly alone in that respect. Louisiana for decades has handed out billions in ITEP subsidies to manufacturers, especially chemical plants, even though many of the projects created no jobs, and in some cases even led to reduced employment. Edwards tightened the programs rules shortly after taking office. Legislation to slow down solar development advances in Louisiana Legislature Two pieces of legislation that could slow solar development in Louisiana moved forward at the State Capitol Wednesday. A House resolution and Mapes said the farmers just want the state to put some guardrails on solar projects. He suggested solar plants could lead to a future problem similar to orphan oil and gas wells left abandoned by their developers, a slow-moving environmental disaster. The solar industry is moving at an exponential rate. Its moving at a rate that scares some of our landowners and farmers, Mapes said. Schexnayders resolution excluded solar projects undertaken by utility companies or reviewed by utility regulators. That carveout was done at the request of Entergy Louisiana, Mapes said. Mapes conceded that the solar projects that come to fruition will only represent a tiny fraction of the available farmland, but he said much of the land used for solar arrays will be prime agricultural land near major highways. At least three parishes West Baton Rouge, Tangipahoa and Washington have passed temporary moratoriums on solar developments. Those pauses came in part from the same concerns farmers have raised, as well as from not in my backyard landowners who feel large solar projects are eyesores. Don Caffery, an attorney and lobbyist who heads the Louisiana Landowners Association, said his members want to be able to lease their property for the highest and best use. He said the group is concerned that the pushback could create a stifling effect on the solar industry in Louisiana. He also said the landowners share similar concerns that will be addressed by the regulations crafted from Allains bill. No one wants to see that topsoil ruined, he said. Caffery also pushed back on the idea that landowners are being duped into leasing to solar companies just because they have deeper pockets. He said most of the options contracts, which give solar companies the option to develop the property, wont go through. And solar companies have to justify their prices to regulators, meaning theres a ceiling to what they can pay. Caffery himself negotiated an option with a solar company for his familys land in St. Mary Parish, a project that is proceeding along well to turn into a 90-megawatt solar plant eventually. The number of options out there is creating some of this concern and rightfully so, were talking about dozens and dozens of small farms across the state that should be concerned about it but I think the problem has been somewhat exaggerated, Caffery said. Its one of those heat-of-the-moment statements Louisiana Association of Business & Industrys president Stephen Waguespack probably wishes he could take back. But a year ago on June 17, 2020, conservative radio talk show host Erin McCarthy of KEEL 710 AM had challenged Waguespack over legislation, which eventually became law, that made it harder for individuals to sue companies in Louisiana courts. So-called tort reform had long been a goal of the business community. They finally were successful by arguing that auto premiums would go down if Louisiana filed fewer lawsuits against insurance companies. Stephen, its got to guarantee that, McCarthy said about the link between tort reform and lower-priced insurance. Im just telling you its going to lower rates, Waguespack said. Im telling you Erin, if we get past this and a year from now the rates arent down, Ill be grabbing a tiki torch right with you going to the Capitol saying, this didnt work. Auto insurance rates have been going up over the past year. Even Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon, who once defended auto insurance companies in court and has long advocated tort reform, recently acknowledged no auto insurer applied to lower rates. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up On the other side of the argument is a group called Real Reform Louisiana that remembered Waguespacks boast and on the one-year anniversary of his statement brought tiki torches to LABIs office in downtown Baton Rouge. Big lobbyists make big promises that are never followed up, said Eric Holl, the groups executive director. LABIs receptionist took the torches. Waguespack tried to divert attention by bringing up investigations into staged wrecks that milk insurance companies and that led to a new law making the scheme a crime. Gov. John Bel Edwards, a lawyer himself, signed the bill into law on Monday. The only real question is how many of their (Real Reform Louisiana) funders will get caught up in the scandal, Waguespack texted. No word on how hell use the tiki torches. Anyone who reasons with their intellect rather than with their emotions will likely agree with David Lindenfeld's observation: "the Holocaust, slavery, and the treatment of women are three parts of a single narrative" and should be taught together in schools. The parallels are unavoidable for anyone who has made a habit of studying history not only in school, but through reading, cultural exhibitions, and TV documentaries. As a soldier my father participated in the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp, so I became familiar with the appalling events of the Holocaust at an early age. It inspired me to become a lifelong student of the past, and that in turn has helped to broaden my thinking and my empathy for others. Even so, I remained unaware that some women had undergone torture to gain the right to vote, a right I tended to take for granted until I watched a 2019 documentary on the subject. The centennial film also reminded me that the anniversary applied to White women only, despite the fact that Black women had played a significant role in the success of the suffrage movement. It brought home to me that a reality that doesn't directly impact us is easy to ignore unless our attention is called to it. Only by opening our minds and educating ourselves about how different life experience can be for cultural groups other than our own, will we be able to curtail the divisiveness that is currently shredding the fabric of American society. Professor David Lindenfeld expressed his hope that "the Legislature will find the wisdom and moral courage to present the treatment of Jews, Black people and women as branches of a single narrative." I sincerely believe that bringing hope to fruition is ultimately indispensable for our national survival. SUE GISCLAIR retired, education Baton Rouge In politics, it can be perilous to change your mind. You might be called a weathervane or accused of performing a backflip. People may suspect you lack conviction or, worse, are susceptible to undue influence and corruption. A panel of political players at NSW Parliament last week discussed the difficulty of changing your mind in a world where consistency is prized and the media, voters, opposition and even your own side are ready to pounce on any slip-ups. The joint Ethics Centre and Parliament of NSW event took place in the Legislative Assembly and also explored the rigid nature of the party line that leaves little room for difference of opinion. The Bare Pit was hosted by the Ethics Centre in the so-called bear pit of the NSW Legislative Assembly. Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello conceded hed changed his mind on the merits of the monarchy. A staunch republican in younger days, he said a pivotal moment in his embrace of the status quo was reading Why Nations Fail by economists Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson. Four thousand homes remain without power in the storm-ravaged Dandenong Ranges as the state government offered small generators to affected homes and finally called in the army to help with the clean-up effort. The Victorian government request for support, which will see 120 Australian Defence Force officers put boots on the ground, comes nine days after wild storms destroyed homes, felled trees and crushed cars in Melbournes outer east. Sappers Mark Weston and Stephen Mullett from the 22nd Engineer Regiment prepare generators to distribute among affected communities, in support to the Victorian Governments recovery efforts across the state, at the CFA State Logistic Centre in Melbourne. Credit:ADF ADF Brigadier Matt Burr said the new troops, who will join five ADF logistics experts who were called into help last week, would assist the Victorian agencies leading the clean-up. The tasks that the ADF will be performing will be tree removal, where people hadnt been able to access their properties, and certainly assisting with making those areas safer for the community, he said. Singapore: Bali has not given up hope of welcoming back arrivals from Australia before the end of the year as it seeks to reopen to foreign tourists next month. The provinces deputy governor Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardhana Sukawati, known as Cok Ace, told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age Bali was ready to reboot a tourism industry battered by the pandemic and will do so within weeks if given final approval by the Indonesian government. Sanur beach is a popular spot within one of the green zones in Bali. Credit:Amilia Rosa Their plans are unfolding just as Phuket in Thailand readies to accept vaccinated international visitors, who will be made to wear location-tracking wrist bands. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha this week set an October target for the entire country to be reopened to quarantine-free travel, saying it is time for us to take the risk together. While Indonesia is experiencing its highest virus numbers since January - there were 12,990 new cases on Friday - vaccination has been prioritised in Bali and in particular three COVID-19-free green zones: Ubud, Sanur and Nusa Dua. Van Buren, AR (72956) Today Generally cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 87F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Clear skies. Low 64F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. School busses at Pinnacle High School which is located in north Phoenix, Arizona. PHS opened in 2000, and is a part of the Paradise Valley Unified School District. Closed to students to prevent the spread of coronavirus, physical education teacher Mike Whittlef uses his laptop computer to check in on his students while he works in the empty gymnasium in Richard Castro Elementary School early Friday, Dec. 18, 2020, in west Denver. Up for debate: Live legislation tracker Check out the latest developments on bills pending before state lawmakers in four key topics. 'We can do better' on race-based health disparities among pregnant women, doctor says The interior of the dome of the Pennsylvania Capitol where the state lawmakers meet is shown in Harrisburg, Pa., in this March 22, 2021, file photo. Members of the Washington National Guard stand at a fence surrounding the Capitol in anticipation of protests Monday, Jan. 11, 2021, in Olympia, Wash. State capitols across the country are under heightened security after the siege of the U.S. Capitol last week. A mostly cool April, wrapping up with a little heat wave, reminds us that summer awaits on the other end of May. While I have not forgotten that summers heat and humidity is barreling towards us, I do seem to have forgotten just how brilliant the dogwood blossoms are every year. Were they this pretty last year? I think they were, but photos and memories just cant replace the real thing. Get out for a walk and enjoy them while they last. Read more Cheyenne, WY (82001) Today Sunshine this morning. Increasing clouds with thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 79F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Clear to partly cloudy. Low 59F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Cowboy Skill Games of Wyoming, a top-level sponsor of Cheyenne Frontier Days, is donating four Garth Brooks tickets to Black Dog Animal Rescue (BDAR) to raise money for the organization. Cowboy Skill Games, powered by Pace-O-Matic, which is the national leader in the skill gaming industry, decided to donate the tickets to BDAR because of the positive contribution the non-profit animal rescue organization has given to Cheyenne and Laramie County. Cowboy Skill Games are Wyoming-owned amusement and vending companies which distribute Pace-O-Matic skill games to bars, restaurants, and fraternal organizations. "We can't say enough about what Britney Wallesch has created with Black Dog Animal Rescue," Paradise Pinball and Amusements of Cheyenne Owner Bob Burnham said. Burnham is also a member of the Cowboy Skill Game. "In a very short time, Britney built Wyoming's largest rescue," Burnham said. "Their mission in promoting, providing, and advocating for the needs of companion animals is something we heartily endorse, and we're thrilled to help this wonderful organization." Black Dog Animal Rescue works to ensure that every unwanted or homeless pet has a safe place to go for shelter and care. "We are humbled by the generosity of this donation," Black Dog Animal Rescue Development Manager Kaitlin Whitman said. "These are coveted tickets, and we believe this raffle will raise a significant amount of money for the unwanted pets that come through our doors. As our organization continues to grow, we are grateful for new partnerships like that with Cowboy Skill Games and look forward to using their gift to save more lives." Raffle tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased for $100 each or five for $475 at BDAR.org/cfd or in person at Black Dog Animal Rescue - 2407 E. 9th Street, Cheyenne. Two raffle winners will be selected to win two tickets each. The winners will be drawn Friday, July 2. Garth Brooks will open the 125th anniversary of Cheyenne Frontier Days at 8 a.m. Friday, July 23. Batavia, NY (14020) Today Thunderstorms. High 69F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with more showers at times. Low 57F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. This is the temporary subscription pass for users returning from the Vision Data subscription process. Your subscription will be updated within 24 hours, after your information is verified. Please click the button below to get your pass. Oneonta, NY (13820) Today Thunderstorms, accompanied by locally heavy rainfall at times. High near 70F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Variable clouds with showers and scattered thunderstorms. Storms more numerous this evening. Low near 55F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Click the image to the left and log in to get your exclusive reader perks. Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel answer readers questions sent to the column. Send a letter with one question describing the size, material (glass, pottery) and what you know about the item. Include only two pictures, the object and a closeup of any marks or damage. Be sure your name and return address are included. By sending a question, you give full permission for use in any Kovel product. Names, addresses or email addresses will not be published. We do not guarantee the return of photographs, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. Questions that are answered will appear in Kovels Publications. Write to Kovels, The Daily Times, King Features Syndicate, 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803 or email us at collectorsgal lery@kovels.com. Minister for Trade Dan Tehan speaks to the media during a press conference in Sydney, Australia on May 21, 2021. (AAP Image/Joel Carrett) Australia to Take China to WTO Over Wine Tariffs The Australian government has decided to pull the trigger and launch a second action against China at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), this time over Beijings imposition of hefty tariffs on wine exports. The decision is the latest response from Australia after Beijing launched a year-long economic coercion campaign targeting $20 billion worth of major exports. Trade Minister Dan Tehan on June 19 said the WTO was available to all member nations and the decision was made after extensive consultation with the wine industry. Australias use of the WTO in this matter is consistent with its previous use of the WTO and aligns with our support for the rules-based trading system, he said. Australia remains open to engaging directly with China to resolve this issue. Australian wine (2nd R) is displayed amongst other wines at a shop in Beijing on December 23, 2020.(Noel Celis/AFP) via Getty Images) The government will continue to vigorously defend the interests of Australian winemakers using the established system in the WTO to resolve our differences, he added. The minister has been open about the possibility of using the WTO to address the wine dispute, telling ABC last month, Weve always said that we would take a very principled approach when dealing with these trade disputes, and if we think our industry has been harmed or injured, we will take all necessary steps and measures to try to address that. What we want to do is make sure that we have a very strong legal case to be able to take to the WTO, because obviously if you take a case, you want to do your best to try to win it, he added. In March, the wine sector was hit hard by tariffs implemented by Beijings Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), ranging from 116 to 218 percent, forcing exporters to rapidly diversify away from reliance on the China market. MOFCOM imposed the tariffs following an investigation into alleged dumping practices by Australian winemakers, claiming they were selling products at below-the-market prices into China to drown out local producers. This claim was rebuffed by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who pointed out that Australian wines had the second-highest average price in the China market after New Zealand wine. The wine tariffs come after an extensive campaign by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to target key Australian exports, via tariffs or suspensions, after Foreign Minister Marise Payne called for an investigation into the origins of COVID-19 in April 2020. Other impacted industries include coal, beef, wine, barley, lobster, timber, lamb, and cotton. Australia is currently progressing a WTO action Beijings decision to slap 80 percent tariffs on barley exports, the action has been joined by Canada, Russia, and more recently New Zealand. The World Trade Organization headquarters in Geneva on April 12, 2018. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images) The WTOs chief dispute resolution body, the Appellate Body, has been suspended since 2019 after the former U.S. administration decided not to appoint new members to the Body. The decision came after long-running issues with its operation including judicial overreach by its members, consistent rulings against U.S. tariffs designed to protect American businesses, and slow decision-making. Prior to Morrisons recent trip to the United Kingdom to take part in Group of Seven (G-7) Plus discussions, he said he would call on the grouping to repair the WTO so it can prevent economic coercion from being used as a tool by nation states. A well-functioning WTO that sets clear rules arbitrates disputes objectively and efficiently and penalises bad behaviour when it occurs: this can be one of the most powerful tools the international community has to counter economic coercion, he told the Perth USAsia Centre on June 8. In my discussions with many leaders, I have taken great encouragement from the support shown for Australias preparedness to withstand economic coercion in recent times, he added. The most practical way to address economic coercion is the restoration of the global trading bodys binding dispute settlement system. President Joe Biden (R) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (L), arrive to meet at the 'Villa la Grange' in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 16, 2021. (Patrick Semansky/AP Photo) BidenPutin Summit Puts Pressure on China: Experts Whatever signals the U.S.Russia summit gave off, the communist party in Beijing isnt taking it lightly, analysts say. President Joe Biden and Russias Vladimir Putins first in-person meeting took place in Geneva as Washington grows more preoccupied with challenges from China, from technology to military aggression and human rights. China dominated headlines over the past week during U.S. talks with Group of Seven (G-7), NATO leaders, and the European Union. Neutralizing Russia to focus on confronting China was a clear objective, and there were signs of progress, said Wu Chia-lung, a macroeconomist based in Taiwan. Speaking on June 16 after a meeting with Putin, Biden told reporters that Russia is being squeezed by China. You got a multi-thousand-mile border with China, he said of Russia in a same-day press briefing. China is moving ahead seeking to be the most powerful economy in the world and the largest and the most powerful military in the world. Russias economy is struggling. Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and U.S. President Joe Biden shake hands during their meeting at the Villa la Grange in Geneva, on June 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool) While it wasnt a kumbaya moment, Biden said he told Putin: Its clearly not in anybodys interestyour countrys or minefor us to be in a situation where were in a new Cold War. And I truly believe he thinks thathe understands that. That the meeting took place at all, amid a rocky bilateral relationship, is a positive signal, Wu told The Epoch Times. Would Putin not have known what the meeting is about? Of course, he would. But why did he come? he asked rhetorically. Weeks ago, Beijing had sent high-ranking diplomat Yang Jiechi to Moscow, but Putin only spoke with him by phone. Subtle details carry significance in political matters. Such seemingly differential treatment suggests that the two countries have reached some areas of agreement, Wu said. According to Wu, a second detail worth noting was that Putin was punctual for oncea surprise given the Russian leaders track record of showing up late to meetings. Putin kept Germanys Angela Merkel waiting for more than four hours in 2014. In meeting with Biden, Putin was sending a signal for the world to seeand he was willing to send off this signal, he said. Chinese Response As the Geneva summit convened, the Chinese side seemed to be stepping up its effort to reaffirm friendly ties with Russia. Just a day prior to the meeting, a Chinese representative met with Russias ambassador to China and agreed to stay in close contact. On June 18, the Global Times, a Beijing-controlled nationalist newspaper, declared Biden to be humiliating Russia. [H]opefully, Biden and his administration will not expect too much from it and the stupid idea of blasting ChinaRussia relations, the editorial read. It claimed that the ChinaRussia partnership has gone through tests and became an irreplaceable common strategic resource. In a June 16 press conference, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian similarly boasted that the sky is the limit for ChinaRussia cooperation, noting, without specifying any names directly, that any attempt of those who try every means to drive a wedge between the two countries would fail. Narrative Warfare The Chinese response to the Geneva meeting seemed muted in Wus view, contrasting with its anger over G-7s collective rebukes. It appeared to echo recent calls of Chinese leader Xi Jinping for officials to pay attention to the strategy and art of narrative warfare on a global stage, Wu noted. Being too assertive and letting loose a torrent of abuses would only show the Western countries they were doing something right, he said. But to Chen Liang-chih, a researcher with the Institute for National Defense and Security Research in Taipei, such mild tones didnt come as a surprise. While the meeting was a positive step, its still too early to conclude if, and by how much, it can help ease the existing tensions, he told The Epoch Times. Unlike a similar summit between Putin and Bidens predecessor, Donald Trump, in 2018, there was no joint press conference. Rather, the two presidents held separate briefings, with Putin going first. Putin is shrewd. Its clear that U.S.Russia relations will keep sliding downwards if he refuses a meeting, Chen said. Yet, on several hot button issues, Putin was also careful leaving his views vague. In a rare interview with NBC days earlier, he refused to weigh in on the treatment of Uyghurs and a potential military conflict over Taiwan. The subjunctive mood is inappropriate in politics, Putin said of the latter. With Washington rallying support globally to counter China, though, Beijings regime is certainly feeling more pressure. Confrontation, in the future global geopolitical landscape, is not one between the United States and China, but between democracy and authoritarianism, Chen said. The more international voices, the worse for Beijing. Luo Ya contributed to this report. President Joe Biden speaks about reaching 300 million COVID-19 vaccination shots in the State Dining Room of the White House on June 18, 2021. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo) Biden: US Likely Wont Go Back Into Lockdown Over Delta Variant The prevalence of a new variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 probably wont prompt the United States to reenter lockdown, President Joe Biden said on June 18. I dont think so, because so many people have already been vaccinated, he said at the White House when asked about the possibility. But the Delta variant can cause more people to die in areas where people have not been vaccinated, he said. So, no, its not a lockdown, but some areas will be very hurt. The United States entered near-nationwide lockdown in the spring of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Every state, as well as the federal government, has since rolled back restrictions, although some have kept rules in place despite the plunge in COVID-19 metrics such as average daily cases and patients in hospitals. COVID-19 is the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. Health officials say the lockdowns helped keep people safe by spreading out infections over time and helped avoid hospital overloading, except in New York City. But some experts say the strategy had unintended consequences, including leading to skyrocketing unemployment, widespread business closures, and a rise in mental health issues. Multiple variants of the virus have emerged over the course of the pandemic. Delta, which was first detected in India, is considered a variant of concern by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Authorities claim the variant can lead to increased transmissibility of the virus, as well as a potential reduction in the effectiveness of monoclonal antibody treatments and vaccination. Its more transmissible than the Alpha variant, or the UK variant, that we have here [in the United States], Dr. Rochelle Walensky told ABC News in an interview on Good Morning America. We saw that quickly become the dominant strain in a period of one or two months, and I anticipate that is going to be what happens with the Delta strain here. The existing COVID-19 vaccines havent been shown to have significantly diminished protection against variants, and authorities have mentioned the variants in their encouragement for getting a shot. Our vaccines work. Right now, they are working, Walensky said, adding that being fully vaccinated will protect people against the new variant. A doctor puts out syringes with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic at La Colaborativa in Chelsea, Mass., on June 11, 2021. (Brian Snyder/Reuters) Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told reporters in a recent briefing that the best way to prevent the variant from becoming the dominant strain is to get more people vaccinated. Biden was in Washington to tout that 300 million doses of the vaccines have been administered in the United States across 150 days. Its an important milestone that just didnt happen on its own or by chance. It took the ingenuity of American scientists, the full capacity of American companies, and a whole-of-government response across federal, state, tribal, and local governments, Biden said. The wartime response led to the significant accomplishment, which includes 65 percent of American adults getting at least one shot, he said. Two of the three vaccines authorized for emergency use in the United States require two doses. Former President Donald Trump weighed in on the matter on June 18, noting that his administration poured money into developing the vaccines and COVID-19 treatments. When Biden tries to claim credit for vaccine distribution, a distribution system that was set up by the Trump Administration, he should remember that if I didnt purchase, very early on, billions of dollars worth of the vaccine, bottles, needles, and everything else that goes with it, he and his administration would not have been giving vaccinations until October or November of this year, Trump said on Gab. Without the Trump Administrations Operation Warp Speed, millions of people would be dying all over the World that will now be saved. Biden also urged people to get vaccinated. He and other federal officials say thats the best way to get protection against COVID-19, despite a growing body of research supporting the theory that people gain natural immunity when they recover from the disease. The data is clear: If you are unvaccinated, youre at risk of getting seriously ill or dying or spreading it. People getting seriously ill and being hospitalized due to COVID-19 are those who have not been fully vaccinated. The new variant will leave unvaccinated people even more vulnerable than they are a month agoover a month ago, Biden said. This is a serious concern, especially because of what experts are calling the Delta variant. Its a variant that is more easily transmissible, potentially deadlier, and particularly dangerous for young people. But the good news is, we have the solution. The science and the data are clear: The best way to protect yourself against these variants are to get fully vaccinated. California Republicans Denounce Divisive Identity Politics After a year of social justice protests and identity politics leading to the 2020 election, Orange County Republicans say its time for Americans to turn down the heat on rhetoric and focus on commonalities rather than differences. But how Republicans should approach such a hot-button topic depends on who you ask within the party. Costa Mesa Republican Assembly (CMRA) President Jennye Bigelow told The Epoch Times that Republicans should resist pressure to embrace identity politics. We, as Republicans, are not inviting identity politics, she said. We believe in individual liberties no matter who you are. All men are created equal, period. The Constitution guarantees rights for all, so no matter what you are, as an American, you have the same rights as everybody else. It is a mistake for Republicans to compete with Democrats for wokeness. Wokeness is antithetical to liberty. All men, she said, is a term that means all people and has been used for hundreds of years. Im referring to men as in human beings no matter what country youre from, what your religion is, what color you are, if youre male or youre female, if youre not sure what you are, whatever the case, whatever your personal preferences are. So when I say all men are created equal Im referring to every human being, she said. Republicans were never into identity politics. Its best man for the job, period. We dont care what you are, who you are, what your personal choices are. We dont care. If youre the best person for the job and you represent those individual liberties and abide by our Constitution and believe in that, well vote for you. Youre a Republican. Craig DeLuz, communications director for the Californian Republican Assembly (CRA) doesnt look to social justice activism as a solution to poverty and other problems that exist in some communities. Though hes Black, he said hes not into the racial equity or all of that. One of the things I always like to point to is a lot of people talk about diversity, and whats interesting about CRA is were a statewide organization thats recognized by the Republican Party as the most conservative group with a Black president, a Black chaplain, and a Black director of communications who basically serve as the face of the organization, DeLuz said. Thats the sort of diversity that we have, but guess what? We are all, as I like to say, solid conservative card-carrying members of the vast rightwing conspiracy. In some neighborhoods, too many Black children grow up in poverty because many live in single-parent homes, he said. I think it is important to understand that there are communities that are not doing as well as others. Its important for us to dig down and understand why, because I honestly believe that race has nothing to do with it, DeLuz said. I believe it more has to do with socio-economic factors and sociological factors that tend to be predominant in those communities. We need to address those issues In the Black community, it is fatherlessness. So, if we have less fatherlessness, and we have two parents in the home, theyre a lot less likely to grow up in poverty. I just use that as an example, but fatherlessness, DeLuz said, is something thats important in all communities: Black, White, Latino. That matters. Still, he said it would be a mistake for Republicans not to recognize how people want to identify themselves. Were never going to win as a party by telling people Were all human, theres no such thing as Black or White people, DeLuz said. When someone clearly sees themselves as Black, then youve now lost them; youve just denied who they are. If you say, Well, theres no such thing as Latino, once again, why would they listen to you if youre already denying who they believe they are? Randall Avila, a spokesperson for the Republican Party of Orange County (OCGOP), said its time for both Republicans and Democrats to deescalate the rhetoric when it comes to identity politics. Speaking not only for the chairman of the party, but myself as a Latino, we need to lower the temperature all across the board, Avila said. Dividing issues based on ethnicity or gender are not in the best interests of anyone, he said. Theres no Latino economy, per se; theres no Black economy, per se. We are all living in the same space, and when the economy rises or falls it affects us all, and yes, to some degree, it affects some communities more than others, he said. We have to be cognizant and recognize those things in our public policy decisions, but the language and the temperature really needs to change. Avila suggested that when political opponents talk about systemic racism affecting communities of color, they dont seem to provide any solutions on how to fix that. It seems to only be calling it out for political purposes. And so, we dont like identity politics, he said. We think that it tends to be very divisive, and it creates an us-versus-them mentality. We all need to be united as Orange County residents, as Californians, as Americans making sure that were collectively making a stronger economy for everyone A more serious approach needs to be taken to address issues underlying the heated rhetoric to fix problems that cause disparity, Avila said. But we have to be serious with issues if were going to talk about them, and we have to actually provide solutions to things. We cant just talk about them to win elections and get people riled up and cause them to do some heinous things like we saw over the summer, he said. It happened here in Orange County, it happened in L.A., where a lot of my friends live and where Im from originally. I mean, it causes a lot of issues and its literally burning us to the groundboth figuratively and literally. Avila said Republicans will continue to reach out to every voter of every color, background and community to provide real solutions for equal opportunity. And I think that will help a lot but were going to need our friends on the other side to lower the temperature a little bit on what theyve been doing to incite a lot of this, he said. Although constitutional provisions promise equal opportunity, more recent legislation passed with the intention of eliminating or reducing inequality has either done nothing to affect change or has actually backfired and created even more disparity, Avila said. There are basic laws in place founded in our Constitution. I feel, though, a lot of the laws especially here in California have gone way off the rails, Avila said. Republicans, he said, no longer have the the luxury of relying solely on the Constitution. California has put a lot of laws on the books, and its going to take a whole lot of cleaning up that we need to do as Republicans. A Burmese woman walks behind a warning sign along the boundary line in the China-Burma border town of Wanding, in China's southwestern province of Yunnan, on Sept. 27 2007. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) CCP Orders Chinese People to Return Amid Pandemic in Burma Despite the spread of the CCP virus in Burma (also known as Myanmar), the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has recently issued notice to Chinese nationals stranded in northern Burma to return to China by June 30, or else they will have their household registrations canceled. This is a completely different move from the CCPs previous practice of strictly controlling the return of its citizens. A Chinese professor suggests that the reason for this is the emergence of an armed resistance force in northern Burma that frightens the CCP. On June 1, the official WeChat account of the town of Gangyi in Tianmen city, Hubei Province, released an announcement with a list of the names, ID numbers, and addresses of 33 people who were called suspected criminals who have crossed the China-Burma border, according to Chinese media The Paper. The announcement said that those who return to China and take the initiative to contact and report to the Chinese authorities before June 15, 2021, would be punished less severely. Otherwise, they will be declared missing or dead. Their household registrations would be canceled, and a series of other disciplinary measures will be implemented. After that, similar announcements and name lists were released in many other places, including Bingyang county in Guangxi Province, Ruichang city, Xiushui county, Poyang county, and Yugan county in Jiangxi Province, and Luoyang city in Henan Province. Since May, many provincial governments including Jiangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, Guizhou, and Sichuan, have all issued notices advising Chinese people stranded in northern Burma to return. The notices require all people stranded in northern Burma to return home by June 30 or else they will be severely punished on the grounds of combating telecommunication fraud and rectifying cross-border crimes at the China-Burma border. Liu Jun (pseudonym), a taxi driver who was smuggled into the Mongla area in northern Burma many years ago, told The Epoch Times that since May, Chinese people in northern Burma have all received phone calls from village heads or police stations in their hometowns, telling them to return home by a deadline. Jun said that the Chinese government is trying to get people to return to China batch by batch, and the police had a detailed list of people who they wanted to go back to China. He was not sure how many were on that list, but there are currently more than 100,000 mainlanders in northern Burma. Another person, Wang Hong (pseudonym), who runs a restaurant in the Wa Special Region, also told The Epoch Times that the CCPs public security officials had contacted his family members and told them that they have to return to China and report to the police about their trip, including where they plan to enter China and when they would be put under quarantine. The police would then come to meet and escort them. The CCP authorities said in the notice that those who do not return to China will have their family members in China affected. Their schooling, employment, salaries, and event bank accounts could all be affected. According to a Chinese media report, as the deadline approaches, long lines of people are forming near the border crossings to register and wait to be quarantined, and Chinese people who run supermarkets and restaurants in northern Burma are rushing to dispose of goods and transfer stores in order to return to China before the end of the month. A netizen who was previously stranded in northern Burma shared his experience of waiting in line to return to China: first, he had to queue up at the local government in Burma to get a number. The best time to queue was at 3:00 or 4:00 a.m., or even earlier. He had to be quarantined for three days at the quarantine point in Burma and get his nucleic acid test report after two tests. After entering China, he had to stay in quarantine near the border for 21 days. Illegal immigrants are fined. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the CCP has not allowed overseas Chinese to return to China. Around April of last year, there were several videos on the internet showing Chinese overseas who wanted to return to China being refused by the Chinese authorities. The V Brigade Resistance Yuan Hongbing, a former Peking University law professor living in Australia, said in a June 11 interview with the Chinese language media Secret China that the Chinese Revolutionary Party has established a political base for armed resistance against the CCP in northern Burma, formed by more than a dozen organizations and groups, including a group called the V Brigade. Yuan Hongbing said that in September last year, the V Brigade issued a political manifesto video, stating that it would implement the peoples right to revolt against tyranny through democratic revolution and armed resistance and then destroy the Chinese communist regime. Yuan Hongbing said, Such a political declaration gives a political positioning to the entire armed resistance base in northern Burma against the Chinese communist tyranny. Yuan said that the CCP had previously stigmatized the force, describing northern Burma as a place of crime, fraud, drug trafficking, and gun smuggling, in a bid to cover up the fact that there is a political base of armed resistance to communist tyranny in northern Burma through their big international and domestic propaganda machines and their iron curtain of lies. Yuan also said that another important reason for the CCPs fear of the V Brigade is its role as a model and example to others. He analyzed that one of the roles of the V Brigade is to lead the Chinese society and the Chinese people out of their fear of the CCPs tyranny through the spirit of strong will. He said that one of the major reasons why the Chinese communist regime has continued to this day is that the CCP has created a general mood of terror through the violence of state terrorism, and that the V Brigades fighting spirit and resistance has led people out of their fear of communist tyranny. Pandemic in Burma is Severe As of June 19, more than 147,000 people have been infected with the CCP virus in Burma, with 3,258 deaths. Reuters reported on June 4 that Burma reported the highest number of new cases since health services and testing collapsed following a Feb. 1 coup, heightening fears of a worsening outbreak near Burmas border with India. Even though the number of 212 cases reported across Burma on June 4 was low compared to many neighboring countries, it was the highest level in more than four months. Many of the cases came from the state of Chin, which borders India, raising concerns that a more contagious variant of the virus initially found in India is now spreading in Burma. Protesters scale a truck that was driven onto a freeway with thousands of people on it in Minneapolis, Minn., on May 31, 2020. (Go Nakamura/Reuters) Charges Dismissed Against Driver Who Drove Towards Crowd of Protesters on Minneapolis Freeway A truck driver who was seen last year driving towards a crowd of protesters who were blocking a freeway in Minnesota saw his case resolved this week, pending further action. Bogdan Vechirko, 36, of Otsego was charged last year with making threats of violence with reckless disregard, a felony, and criminal vehicular operation, a misdemeanor. The charges will be dismissed provided Vechirko meets certain conditions, including paying a yet-to-be determined amount of restitution and participate in so-called sentencing circles, according to court documents obtained by The Epoch Times. Sentencing circles, also known as peacemaking circles, are a component of restorative justice that involve getting the accused together with supporters, a judge, defense lawyers, and others to talk about what happened. Vechirko must also remain law abiding, not commit any traffic violations related to reckless or careless driving, and have no contact with victims listed in police reports. Vechirko was captured on video driving a semitruck on I-35 on May 31, 2020. A crowd of protesters on the freeway , who were protesting after the death of George Floyd, parted as he moved towards them. The footage showed the man braked and did not strike any of the protesters. Officials have said some 5,000 people were on the freeway bridge at the time. Vechirko was pulled from the cab and later taken to a hospital for injuries after being assaulted by some members of the crowd. No one was charged for assault. Vechirko was later released without being charged, but prosecutors months later filed the two charges against him. According to the criminal complaint, Vechirko was driving directly into the crowd on the bridge at a high rate of speed. The truck was observed failing to stop for the crowd until an individual stumbled and fell, compelling the driver, identified as Bogdan Vechirko, the defendant herein, to stop, it added. A tanker truck drives into a crowd of protesters marching on I-35 during a protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Minneapolis, Minn., on May 31, 2020. (Eric Miller/Reuters) Bogdan Vechirko is seen in undated booking photographs. (Minneapolis Police Department) At least one person suffered injuries as a result of attempts to get out of the way of the vehicle. That person reported scraping her leg. Vechirko admitted in a statement to investigators that he was kind of in a hurry, according to the complaint. The defendant stated that when he saw the crowd, he hoped that if he went slow the crowd would let him past. The defendant stated that he stopped when he saw someone fall. The defendant acknowledged that he saw cars pulling off to the right of the highway as he approached. The defendant acknowledged that he could have stopped the truck sooner, the complaint said. The thorough investigation showed that the defendant wanted to scare the crowd out of his path. In a statement at the time, the Vechirkos attorneys said that the man saw the crowd start to clear and relied on his professional instinct and training to avoid a hard brake that could have jackknifed the truck and could have seriously injured or killed thousands of people, and instead slowed his vehicle while maneuvering through the parted crowd. This scenario could have been incredibly tragic if not for Mr. Vechirkos actions. It is difficult to comprehend how Mr. Vechirkos conduct has now resulted in him being charged with a felony, they said. Authorities said earlier that they watched the video of the truck heading towards the crowd. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, told reporters on May 31, 2020, that he was grateful that the vast majority of the crowd ending up protecting the driver, without mentioning those who assaulted the man. Jon Harrington, the states commissioner of public safety, added that there was no information that indicated this was an intentional act. It wasnt that he went around the barricades to get to the protest, he said. He knew the protest was going on, but it doesnt appear that he was driving to try and intersect the protest at this point. Conservative member of Parliament Michael Cooper rises during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada, on March 12, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick) Conservative MP Michael Cooper Introduces Bill to Strengthen Canada-Taiwan Relations Conservative MP Michael Cooper on Thursday introduced to the House of Commons the Canada-Taiwan Relations Framework Act, a bill that aims to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries and support Taiwans participation in international organizations. It is in Canadas economic and strategic interest to strengthen our relationship with Taiwan, Cooper said in an emailed statement. This legislation recognizes the reality that Taiwan, a vibrant democracy and economic powerhouse of 23 million people, is here to stay. Its long past due that Canadas policy towards Taiwan caught up with that reality. Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is Canadas 13th largest trading partner, with $8 billion in annual bilateral trade. Roughly 200,000 Taiwanese reside in Canada, while nearly 16,000 Canadians live in Taiwan, which is the fourth largest Canadian community in the world. Despite the two countrys intimate economic and social relations, Canada has had no formal diplomatic relationship with Taiwan for the past 51 years, and has not recognized Taiwan as a sovereign state. The absence of recognition, the absence of diplomatic relations, the absence of any formal relationship has created challenges, in terms of the interactions between Canada and Taiwan, both legal and pragmatic, Cooper said in a Thursday press conference. There is a real void that exists. And it is a void that this legislation seeks to fill. Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has continuously tried to assert control over the self-governed island. Cooper said hes not yet received any pushback from Beijing for the bill. I dont believe that Canada should govern its relationship with Taiwan, based upon the position of the Chinese Communist regime. Taiwan is simply too important, its time that we move forward to engage with Taiwan and enhance relations with Taiwan, he said. Coopers bill also calls for the renaming the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canada to Taiwan Representative Office to reflect its function as Taiwans de facto embassy. Beijing has continually tried to sideline Taiwan on the international stage by pushing countries around the world to adopt the One China policy, which rejects Taiwan as a sovereign state independent of communist China. Under this policy, Taiwan has constantly been denied participation in international organizations and forums. Cooper noted that his bill remains consistent with Canadas One China policy, as in Canadas Joint Communique with China that set out that policy, Ottawa merely takes note Beijings contention that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Peoples Republic of China. In merely taking note, Canadas One China policy does not expressly support that contention, nor does it challenge that contention, Cooper said. The policy was quite deliberately designed to provide significant flexibility in conducting relations both with the Peoples Republic of China and that of Taiwan. He said Taiwan is a model for the world, particularly in the respect of handling the COVID-19 pandemic over the past 15 months. With a population of roughly 23 million people, Taiwan has remained largely open in the COVID-19 pandemic, while having a total of 13,584 confirmed cases, and roughly 500 deaths as of Thursday. Cooper said his bill also provides a framework for the Government of Canada to support Taiwans participation in international organizations and forums, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). With respect to WHO and ICAO, let me just say that at a time when we are in the middle of a pandemic. It is absurd that Taiwan would be excluded having regard for the significant expertise that it brings to the table, and more broadly, from the standpoint of global public health, Cooper said. Similarly with respect to ICAO, from a global aviation safety standpoint. Taiwan is home to the 11th busiest airport in the world in Taipei (Taiwans capital city), Cooper said. So, it is important that Taiwan be able to fully participate in both organizations. Former Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence wave after he spoke during the Road to Majority convention at Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Kissimmee, Fla., on June 18, 2021. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel via AP) Audience Members Escorted Out After Denouncing Mike Pence at Conservative Conference Former Vice President Mike Pence, while speaking at the Faith & Freedom Coalitions conference in Florida, was greeted with shouts, video footage showed. Im a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order, and I am honored to stand before you, Pence said through the shouting. According to reporters on the scene in Orlando, people who called him a traitor were escorted out of the room or left. Pence could not be reached for comment. Pence drew criticism from some supporters of former President Donald Trump when he declined on Jan. 6 to take action during a joint session of Congress convened to certify electoral votes. Trump wanted Pence, who was presiding over the session in his role as president of the Senate, to declare that some states had violated the Constitution with the way they ran elections. That move, some believed, could lead to Trump winning the electoral votes from states where Democrat Joe Biden was certified as the winner. Pence, though, said shortly before the session began that the Constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not. Trump in response said on Twitter that Pence didnt have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify. Protesters later stormed the U.S. Capitol, causing an hours-long interruption of the session. However, Congress ultimately certified Biden as the winner, and the Democrat was sworn in on Jan. 20. Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) preside over a Joint session of Congress to certify the 2020 Electoral College results after protestors stormed the Capitol earlier in the day in Washington on Jan. 6, 2020. (Erin Schaff/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) Trump has since indicated that if he runs for president in 2024, he may choose a different running mate. The Trump-Pence ticket won in 2016 but lost in 2020. Pence said at a different event earlier this month that he and Trump have spoken many times since they left office in January. And I dont know if well ever see eye to eye on that day. But I will always be proud of what we accomplished for the American people over the last four years, he said. Pence, who on Friday also hit the Biden administration, arguing theyve pushed open borders, higher taxes, runaway spending and other agenda items. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) later Friday defended Pence, saying Pence is not a traitor. Mike Pence served not only as a member of Congress one of the most conservative members, he was a governor of Indiana, and he was a vice president, stood right by President Trump, McCarthy said on Fox & Friends. Helped him get through the tax reform, get those judges in, presiding over the Senate as well. Mike Pence deserves a lot of credit, he added. A pharmacy student prepares a Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine in Los Angeles on May 7, 2021. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images) DC Offering $51 to People for Getting COVID-19 Vaccine The mayor of the nations capital announced on June 17 that Washington will dole out $51 Visa gift cards to people getting their first CCP virus vaccine shots at select vaccination sites. Washington Muriel Bowser announced the program in a statement. The city will begin distributing the gift cards at three sites on June 19 and continue through July 17. Washington residents 12 and over are eligible for the payment. Children between the ages of 12 and 17 must come with a guardian to receive the gift card. At one of the three gift-card vaccination sites, people who get shots will be entered to win two American Airlines tickets. We are incredibly proud to pitch in on this effort by Mayor Bowser to boost vaccination rates in the District of Columbia, Robert Isom, the president of American Airlines, said in a statement. We know vaccines are helping us beat COVID-19 and resume the activities weve all been longing for, like reconnecting with friends and family and traveling for leisure and business. As of the day of the announcement, more than 70 percent of adults in the United States had received at least one shot of the CCP virus vaccine. The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus is known as the novel coronavirus. The CCP virus reportedly claimed the lives of 1,141 people in the nations capital, and nearly 50,000 tested positive for the infection. Ohio kicked off the trend of giving out incentives for getting vaccines. Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, announced on May 12 that five residents would each get $1 million in a lottery-style drawing. Vaccinations in Ohio surged by 28 percent after the announcement. West Virginias vaccination lottery offered a $1 million prize and a chance to win custom guns. In Californias Orange County, demand for CCP virus vaccines has declined despite a $116.5 million state vaccination lottery. Zachary Stieber and Vanessa Serna contributed to this report. Early Recall Election Could Compromise Vote, California Officials Warn As California lawmakers attempt to move up the date of Gov. Gavin Newsoms recall election, officials are pleading for an efficient and transparent election. Concerns arose after senators Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) and Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) said on June 10 that the election could be held 30 days earlier than previously anticipated by including $215 million in the budget bill. The recall otherwise would have been stalled for up to 30 days while the budget committee reviewed and provided an estimate for the gubernatorial election. Our local communities dont deserve to be saddled with unnecessary recall costs as they work to recover from the pandemic, Atkins and Rendon said in a joint statement. The Legislature will lift the burden from their plate and include $215 million in the budget bill to have the state cover the costs. In addition, this funding will allow for an earlier recall election. By providing counties with the funding they need, we can waive the required period for the Joint Legislative Budget Committee to review the election costs. However, the move doesnt sit well with some California registrars. We were caught off guard when we received that notification that the legislature was attempting to waive the 30 days requirement, Sutter County Registrar of Voters Donna Johnston told The Epoch Times. Following the notification from lawmakers, election officials wrote a letter to California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, urging her to not call an early recall election. The California Association of Clerks and Election Officials [CACEO] members are committed to running an efficient, accurate, cost-effective, and transparent election, the letter said. We urge the Lieutenant Governors office [to] take our concerns seriously, which will allow us to conduct a successful election process. We owe this to our voters. Concerns among California registrars include the inability to supply ballots to residents in time for the recall election. If the election is called for August or early September, officials said they would not be able to provide residents with ballots in time. Securing voting locations on short notice would also be a challenge, they said, as would hiring people to staff the sites. The ability to provide overseas military with ballots with enough time to cast them is also uncertain. Election officials said that under federal mandate, military members must receive their ballots between 45 and 60 days before an election. Californias last gubernatorial recall election was held in 2003, when former governor Gray Davis lost his seat to Arnold Schwarzenegger. Eighteen years ago, was the last time California conducted a statewide recall election, and people naturally will compare 2003 with today, officials wrote. While counties were able to conduct a successful election process in 2003, we need to be mindful that there have been significant changes in the population, the demographics and the way California conducts elections since that time. Other logistical challenges include renting vehicles for ballot transportation. Johnston said that there is a demand nationally for rentals, and securing the necessary vehicles might not be possible. All these things normally take months, but we generally prepare for an election almost a year in advance, Johnston said. She said shes not sure why some elected officials are pushing for an earlier recall date, but one thing is for certain: an August election would create plenty of behind-the-scenes chaos. The sooner it is, the more overtime were going to have to put in, so weve got staffing concerns for that, she said. We usually call in anywhere from hundreds to thousands of co-workers depending on the size of the county, and usually that onboarding process can take a few months to accomplish. Johnston said the hiring process can take a few months to complete as some counties have different requirements, such as background checks. Proposed legislation by lawmakers also entails conducting the recall as a regular election with special election rules being excluded. Facts Matter (June 18): Exclusive Interview: New Audit Timeline, Final Report Expected Date The Michigan State Senate passed several election-related bills on Wednesday that would implement stricter voter ID requirements for both in-person and absentee voters. Although Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will likely veto these bills, lawmakers say that they have a plan. And on Thursday, the Supreme Court in a unanimous ruling said that a Catholic foster care agency can refuse to place children with same-sex couples. The Epoch Times got a chance to speak with the liaison for the Arizona Election Audit and he gave us an update, as well as a new timeline for when we can expect to see the final report. Resources: American Hartford Gold (866-242-2352): https://ept.ms/3biH9MN AZ Audit: https://ept.ms/3zFVxIL https://ept.ms/2TOApj1 Colorado: https://ept.ms/3vFaOGP Catholic Foster Care: https://ept.ms/3cNItr9 https://ept.ms/3vzIvt3 https://ept.ms/2U8Gsza MasterPiece Cake Shop https://ept.ms/3xAF4Uj Michigan: https://ept.ms/3gBgvB4 Stay tuned for our newsletter so you wont miss out on our exclusive videos and private events. Facts Matter is an Epoch Times show available on YouTube. Follow Roman on Instagram: @epoch.times.roman Follow EpochTV on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EpochTVus Twitter: https://twitter.com/EpochTVus Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger holds a press conference on the status of ballot counting in Atlanta, Ga., on Nov. 6, 2020. (Jessica McGowan/Getty Images) Georgia Secretary of State Outlines 100,000 Names to Be Cut From Voter Rolls Georgias secretary of state says hes set to remove roughly 100,000 names from the states voter rolls, the first major voting list maintenance following the 2020 election. The names are being removed because of a National Change of Address form submitted to the U.S. Postal Service, election mail being sent to them bouncing back, or they havent had contact with elections officials for at least five years. Making sure Georgias voter rolls are up to date is key to ensuring the integrity of our elections, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, said in a June 18 statement. That is why I fought and beat Stacey Abrams in court in 2019 to remove nearly 300,000 obsolete voter files before the November election, and will do so again this year. Bottom line, there is no legitimate reason to keep ineligible voters on the rolls. The case in question saw Abrams, a failed gubernatorial candidate, take Raffensperger to court through her group Fair Fight Action. A judge ruled against the plaintiffs, but Raffenspergers office eventually reinstated 22,000 names because, it said, it was interpreting a state law differently. Fair Fight Action claimed the reinstatement came due to their case. Critics said theyll be reviewing the list of names to be removed. Voters stand in line to cast their ballots during the first day of early voting in the U.S. Senate runoff, in Atlanta, on Dec. 14, 2020. (Jessica McGowan/Getty Images) The last time Secretary Raffensperger conducted a massive voter purge, he was forced to admit 22,000 errors22,000 Georgia voters who would have been kicked off the rolls were it not for Fair Fight Actions diligence. Well be reviewing the list thoroughly and reaching out to impacted voters, Lauren Groh-Wargo, CEO of Fair Fight Action, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The major maintenance is taking place separately from regular monthly removals of names for felony convictions and deaths. Its the first major effort since 2019. Raffenspergers office cited federal law as to why no such undertaking happened last year. Voters who want to see if they face removal can visit a state website. They will be able to block their removal if they provide information within about a month. Voters who are ultimately removed can reregister. The number of removals represents 1.3 percent of the states registered voters. Howard Pyle: An Illustrators Lessons The Story of Art: What we can learn from the lives of artists Ive taught in college for over a decade now, and I often wonder what makes a good teacher? I often conclude that moral character is a teachers most important quality. With that said, good teachers dont force their understanding of morality on their students. Instead, I believe a good teacher inspires students to think empathetically but critically. Good teachers give of themselves for the benefit of the subjects they teach. With these qualities, anyone can be a teacher by way of example. The 19th-century illustrator Howard Pyleoften considered the father of American illustrationmay provide us with an example of a good teacher. American illustrator Howard Pyle (18531911). University of Pittsburgh Digital Library. (PD-US) Howard Pyle We will introduce Howard Pyles life as an artist, illustrator, and teacher by way of Lucien L. Agostas book Howard Pyle. Pyle was born in 1853 in Delaware to Quakers. His mother had significant influence on his later artistic career, as she had unfulfilled artistic and literary goals herself and exposed her children to as many pictures and childrens stories as she could. Pyle did not do well at school; above all else, he preferred to draw and hear stories. He learned more at home, reading through his mothers collection of childrens books. By the age of 16, Pyles parents took him out of school and had him privately tutored to prepare him for college. Pyle, however, did not do well with these studies either. Finally, his parents had him learn from an academic painter and teacher named Francis Van der Weilen. This experience would be Pyles only formal training in art. Around the age of 23, he began to send short verses and illustrations for publication to New York. To his surprise, his submissions were accepted, and he was paid for his illustrations. He thought he might have a successful illustration career. While traveling to New York on business, Pyles father stopped at the offices of Scribners Monthly on behalf of his son. Because of this meeting, Scribners Monthly offered Pyle a job in New York City, which he accepted. After moving to New York, however, Pyle had several artistic setbacks. Initially, he was not as successful as he thought hed be. He became insecure about his artistic ability. But he refused to give up and decided to enter the New York Art Students League to improve his drawing skills. In 1876, he went to work for Harper and Brothers, in New York, but it wasnt until late 1877, after meeting Charles Parsons, the art director at the company, that Pyle would catch his big break. Pyle requested that Parsons allow him to finish a complete illustration for publication instead of handing it over to one of the more experienced illustrators. Parsons reluctantly agreed, and Pyle spent six weeks developing his illustration. Not only was his illustration accepted, but it also was a double-page layout in Harpers Weekly. This event would be the turning point in his career. Through hard work and endurance, Pyle finally became a successful illustrator and one of the most sought-after illustrators in New York. He produced hundreds of illustrations for Parsons and began writing and illustrating childrens books like those his mother exposed him to when he was young. Between 1883 and 1888 Pyle published six books, four of them enduring masterpieces for children, Agosta says. Pyle also gathered the respect and admiration of U.S. presidents Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt with his illustrations of American history. Teaching It wasnt until 1894 that Pyle decided to teach. By this time, he was at the forefront of what would become the Golden Age of American Illustration. In deciding to teach, Pyle wished to do more than merely share with younger artists the skills he had so painstakingly acquired. Ever zealous to raise the standards of American Illustration he crusaded for a native art characterized by American methods used to depict American subjects, Agosta says. Pyle taught according to two principles: mental projection and original composition. Mental projection consisted of the ability to thrust the self imaginatively into the scene being depicted. Original composition was one of his most important teaching tools. He encouraged students to compose pictures in whichever way would allow their artistic intentions to be expressed freshly and powerfully to the viewer. The Teacher Who Gives Pyle first offered to teach at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, but the institution turned him down, citing that it was a school of fine arts and not of illustration. Pyle instead began to teach at the Drexel Institute of Art, Science, and Industry. He excelled so much as a teacher that the Drexel administration decided to expand his classes into a School of Illustrationthe first school of its kindunder his direction. It wasnt long before Pyle was overwhelmed by the many students who needed basic instruction. Maxfield Parrish was one of Howard Pyles successful students. The Lantern Bearers, 1910, by Maxfield Parrish. Oil on canvas mounted on cardboard; 40 inches by 32 inches. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. (Public Domain) Frustrated by a lack of commitment from many students, Pyle, according to Jeff A. Menges, requested from the Drexel administration a summer class for which he would carefully choose students who would do the best with his methods. He also offered to teach these classes for free. The Drexel administration agreed, and Pyle was able to implement his teaching methodology quickly. He reported that his students improved more from two months of summer study than they had in a year of regular training. After six years of teaching, Pyle decided to resign from Drexel and open his own art schoolthe Howard Pyle School of Art. He would accept about 200 students throughout his teaching career and never charged them any money. Instead, he lived off of what he made from his illustrations. Through his teaching with a generous spirit, Pyle would deeply inspire some of the greatest American illustrators of the 20th century, including Maxfield Parrish, Jessie Wilcox Smith, and N.C. Wyeth. According to Agosta, several of Pyles students had nothing but praise for their teacher. Maxfield Parrish had this to say about him: It was not so much the actual things he taught us as contacts with his personality that really counted. Somehow, after a talk with him, you felt inspired to go out and do great things, and wondered by what magic he did it. N.C. Wyeth also praised Pyles teaching spirit: Wyeth wrote of Pyles ability to make his pupils see life and art in a new way Wyeth described his first composition lecture from Pyle as having opened my eyes more than any talk I ever heard. N.C. Wyeth was a student of Howard Pyle. Title Page of The Boys King Arthur, 1917, by N.C. Wyeth. Oil on canvas, 32 5/8 inches by 22 9/16 inches. The Andrew and Betsy Wyeth Collection. (Public Domain) Lessons for Life Pyles love of art fascinates me. He was willing to teach for free students who were ready to commit themselves to a life of illustrating. According to his teaching methods and how he lived his life, I believe that a life devoted to illustration requires certain character traits. First, an illustrator has to be imaginative. By imagination, I dont think Pyle meant altering reality for the sake of being quirky or original. Instead, he said, My friends tell me that my pictures look as though I had lived in that time. And he told his students, Project your mind into the subject until you actually live in it Throw your heart into the picture and then jump in after it. To me, this lesson in illustrating is also a lesson of empathy. It asks the students to step outside of themselves and consider what somewhere or someone else looks like, feels like, thinks like, and so on. Second, the illustrator has to effectively communicate empathy by way of the composition. Illustrators must again step outside of themselves to consider how the viewer will best experience and understand the illustration. Thus, the illustrator practices empathy twice over with each new work. Thirdly, illustrators give of themselves, not only their images but also some of the most precious things they own: their time and their efforts. In other words, the illustrator must constantly consider others. How might we imagine other places and times as a practice of empathy? How might we be more empathetic in the ways we communicate with the people around us? And how might we use our time and our efforts to uplift and encourage those around us? Art history is a story that forever unfolds. It is also our story, the story of the human race. Each generation of artists affects their respective cultures with their works of art and their decisions in life. This series will share stories from art history that encourage us to ask ourselves how we may be more sincere, caring, and patient human beings. Eric Bess is a practicing representational artist and is a doctoral candidate at the Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts (IDSVA). Inventive Grandson Builds Telegram Device so His 96-Year-Old Granny Can Keep in Touch With Grandkids A man in Spain recently took to Twitter to unveil a communication device he made for his 96-year-old grandmother, so she can keep in touch with her grandchildrenand internet users were amazed. Manuel Lucio Dallo, an engineer working with software firm Plastic SCM, built the device in order to help his grandmother, who suffers from arthritis and hearing problems, making it hard for her to use a phone. He dubbed the device Yayagram, and in his Twitter thread he explained how that name was derived: Yaya means granny in Castillean, a warm way to refer to your grandmother. And, I use telegram to send and receive messages, so merge both words and you have the Yayagram, he wrote. Hello world! I want to share with you a device I made, its name is Yayagram, a machine that helps our beloved elders to keep communicating with their grandchildren. How? Let me open a thread to give you all the details of this contraption. pic.twitter.com/e5Nix3mvU7 Manu (@mrcatacroquer) April 25, 2021 Though Dallo and his elderly granny, Felisa Romano Martin, live in the same city, not all her grandchildren live so near to her, hence her need for a simpler solution to stay in communication with them. She relies on my parents to take or make a call. The Yayagram allows her to be more independent and start conversations with her grandchildren, Dallo said. The Yayagram has the capability to send voice messages via telegram, and also receive telegrams. To make the experience real for the granny, the device prints the messages on thermal paper, just like the telegram machines of old. The device interface is very straightforward and easy to use. To record a voice message, you just press and hold the record button while talking. To send a new voice message you first need to choose the destination grandchild, the selection is made using a jack connector, the inventor explained. With one port per grandchild, making the connection is a simple matter for grandma. The device is also equipped with three LED lights to guide her. The first light indicates that the Yayagram is powered up and ready to use; the second shows that the device is connected to telegram; while the third lights up when recording a voice message. A Raspberry pi 4 is the brain of the project, said Dallo, revealing the meat and potatoes of the machine. Everything runs on python and I use several third-party libraries to complete it. The Python code, he explains, utilizes three threads. The first receives messages; the second sends them; while the third is used to monitor the Yayagrams status. To light up the LEDs and control the jack connectors and the button, I simply use the GPIO pins of the Raspberry pi, it has a native Python support so it is a no-brainer, he added. Dallo hopes the device will help his granny keep in touch with her grandchildrenparticularly during this time of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, when visiting is constrained. The easy-to-use invention has received plenty of attention, with the Twitter thread garnering over 13,000 likes and nearly 4,000 retweets. The inventor has promised to publish an Instructables project with the build details for anyone interested in making the device on their own. Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter Switzerland's national flag is displayed on the Swiss Federal Criminal Court (Bundesstrafgericht) building in Bellinzona, Switzerland, on Dec. 3, 2020. (Emma Farge/Reuters) Liberian Rebel Sentenced in Switzerland for War Crimes, Cannibalism GENEVAA Liberian rebel commander was sentenced in Switzerland to 20 years in jail on Friday for rape, killings, and an act of cannibalism, in one of the first-ever convictions over the West African countrys civil war. The case was also Switzerlands first war crimes trial in a civilian court. It involved 46-year-old Alieu Kosiah who went by the nom de guerre bluff boy in the rebel faction ULIMO that fought former President Charles Taylors army in the 1990s. Kosiah faced 25 charges including one where he was accused of eating slices of a mans heart. He was convicted of that and all but four of the other counts, documents from the Swiss Federal Court showed. He was arrested in 2014 in Switzerland, where he had been living as a permanent resident. A 2011 Swiss law allows prosecution for serious crimes committed anywhere, under the principle of universal jurisdiction. A plaintiff in the case who testified that Kosiah ordered his brothers murder urged other Liberians to come forward as witnesses and secure more convictions. If you set an example, the other guys will be afraid, he said in a statement via the NGO Civitas Maxima that represented him. He asked not to be named in media reports for fear of reprisals. Liberia has ignored pressure to prosecute crimes from its back-to-back wars between 1989-2003, in which thousands of child soldiers became bound up in power tussles exacerbated by ethnic rivalry. Human Rights Watch called Fridays sentencing a landmark. Switzerlands efforts on this case should help mobilize wider accountability in Liberia as this shows that these crimes can be prosecuted. I see this as an opportunity, the groups Elise Keppler said. Deportation, Compensation Activists in the Liberian capital Monrovia celebrated the verdict. This will serve as a deterrent for others around the world. I think justice has taken its course, said Dan Sayeh, a civil society campaigner. Kosiah had denied all the charges and told the court he was a minor when first recruited into the conflict. His lawyer Dmitri Gianoli said in an email to Reuters that Kosiah was very disappointed by the courts decision, saying it had succumbed to media and political pressure. Mr. Alieu Kosiah will pursue his fight for justice to be served. Kosiah was cleared on Friday of attempted murder of a civilian, accessory to the murder of a civilian, an order to loot, and recruitment of a child soldier. The court said that the 20-year sentence was the maximum it was allowed to give under Swiss law. No mitigating circumstances were taken into account in the sentencing. A deportation from Switzerland was also ordered for a period of 15 years, it said. Kosiah was also ordered to pay compensation to seven plaintiffs, it added. A court spokesman later clarified that he would not be expelled before his sentence was served. The roughly 6-1/2 years that Kosiah has already served in pre-trial detention will count towards the sentence, the court papers showed. Charles Taylor was sentenced for war crimes in 2012, but only for acts in neighboring Sierra Leone. His son, Chuckie, was sentenced for torture in Liberia by a U.S. court in 2009. French President Emmanuel Macron gestures during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel ahead of talks at the Chancellery in Berlin on June 18, 2021. (John Macdougall/AFP via Getty Images) Macron Says European Defense Autonomy and NATO Membership Are Compatible PARISFrench President Emmanuel Macron on Friday said that the goal of European defense autonomy could go hand in hand with NATO membership. We have succeeded in instilling the idea that European defense, and strategic defense autonomy, can be an alternative project to the trans-Atlantic organization, but very much a solid component of this, Macron told a news conference before holding talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Macron also said U.S. President Joe Biden had expressed his respect for the European Union on the political level as well as his desire to work with the EU as a partner. Merkel, who prefers to see NATO remain the centerpiece of European defense, said she was happy the United States had recreated a climate of cooperation. It is very clear from the G7 and NATO talks that the United States sees itself as both a Pacific and an Atlantic nation and, given the strength of China, is naturally challenged to be much stronger in the Pacific than perhaps it was 20 years ago, she added. And that means for us Europeans that we have to take on certain tasks and responsibilities for ourselves but I see the absolute necessityand I think this is also expected of the United States of Americathat we act coherently, Merkel said. Yuri Williams, founder of A Future Superhero and Friends, visits sick children in the hospital, feeds veterans and the homeless, and more, all while dressed as Spiderman and other well-known movie characters. (Courtesy of Yuri Williams) Man Dresses as Spiderman to Help the Less Fortunate A Southern California man looking to make a difference in the world doesnt just act like a superherohe also dresses like one. Yuri Williams, founder of A Future Superhero and Friends, serves the less fortunate. He visits sick children in the hospital, feeds veterans and the homeless, and more, all while dressed as Spiderman and other well-known movie characters. He also runs a free art program during the summer for underprivileged children. Williams said the idea came to him after he lost his mother, Lynda Hubbard, in 2009 after a long battle with cancer. While growing up, his mom, who was a probation officer, helped Williams and other neighborhood kids stay on the right path and always looked to serve her community. Since 2009 when he started the Long Beach, Calif.-based nonprofit, Williams has helped more than 100,000 people and visited all 50 states twice, going where he feels support is needed most. Williams said the expression on childrens faces during toy drives and visits from Spiderman is incredibly rewarding. The events are so fun; the night before I only sleep about four hours because I just feel the excitement and energy, knowing that Im going to help somebody the next day, he said. I have the costume on and just to see these kids faces; they werent expecting me to be there, so theyre just happy and able to take pictures, and just full of excitement and at the same time Im getting relief from helping somebody, and the energy that theyre giving me helps me to go towards the next day. After his mother died, Williams said he fell into a deep state of depression for five years, something he had never experienced before. For him, the only remedy has been helping others. I just try to stay busy, he said. Keeping my mind focused on helping others doesnt take me back down that depression. That was the rockiest road Ive ever been down in my life, just realizing, knowing that my mom was not coming back. But in order to keep her name alive, I just have to keep doing what she taught me, and thats helping people. During the pandemic, donations to his nonprofit decreased, but Williams stayed the course. He went grocery shopping and donating food to seniors in need, and for Easter delivered baskets to 150 homes dressed as the superhero Deadpool. At Christmastime, he distributed 100 baby Yoda toys along the California coast. Yuri Williams, founder of A Future Superhero and Friends, visits sick children in the hospital, feeds veterans and the homeless, and more all while dressed as well-known movie characters. (Courtesy of Yuri Williams) Williams said one of his most memorable experiences was during a 5K walk where he met a young cancer patient while he was dressed as Spiderman. After learning that the boy, who is now deceased, had a low chance of survival, he rented out a movie theater for him, his family, and other ill children for the premiere of a Spiderman movie. He also took the boy and his family to see a Marvel show at the Staples Center, and dressed up for his birthday. Knowing that the doctor said hes not going to be here that long, I wanted to help him and his family deal with whats happening because I sat there and I watched my mom die in front of me so I know how that feels, Williams said. I wanted them to be comfortable in this transition, so I did all these things to help them transition onto the next phase after hes no longer here. Williams said he has received notes from parents of children who died due to illnesses who thank him for seeing their children in costumes and helping the parents and children to make memories together with the little time they had left, which keeps him motivated. There was another child who just passed away in December, and his mom reached out to me the other day and just told me Thank you for seeing my son in two different costumes and just making memories with me, and that alone, just that, just keeps me going, he said. Im not here to get rich or anything like that, I just want to keep my moms legacy alive by doing what she taught me and inspiring others to do the same. Those looking to volunteer or donate to A Future Superhero and Friends can visit AFutureSuperhero.com. An entrance to the National Security Agency (NSA) headquarters in Fort Meade, Md., on Feb. 14, 2018. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) NSA Agrees to Release Records on FBIs Improper Spying on 16,000 Americans The National Security Agency (NSA) has agreed to release records on the FBIs improper spying on thousands of Americans, the secretive agency disclosed in a recent letter. The agreement may signal a rift between the NSA and the FBI, according to attorney Ty Clevenger. Clevenger last year filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request on behalf of The Transparency Project, a Texas nonprofit, seeking information on the FBIs improper searches of intelligence databases for information on 16,000 Americans. The searches violated rules governing how to use the U.S. governments foreign intelligence information trove, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg wrote in a 2019 memorandum and order that was declassified last year. Boasberg, an Obama nominee, served seven years on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) and presided over it from January 2020 to May of this year. The FBI insisted that the queries for all 16,000 people were reasonably likely to return foreign-intelligence information or evidence of a crime because [redacted], Boasberg wrote. But the judge found that position unsupportable, apart from searches on just seven of the people. Still, Boasberg allowed the data collection to continue. That prompted Elizabeth Goitein, co-director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, to lament that the courts decision on the data collection program, authorized by Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), is even more inexplicable given that the opinion was issued shortly after the government reported submitting FISA applications riddled with errors and omissions in the Carter Page investigation. Page was a campaign associate of then-candidate Donald Trump who was illegally surveilled by the FBI. After the judges order was made public, Clevenger filed FOIA requests for information on the improper searches with both the FBI and the NSA. The FBI rejected the request. In a February letter (pdf), an official told Clevenger that the letter he wrote does not contain enough descriptive information to permit a search of our records. The NSA initially declined the request as well, but later granted an appeal of the decision, Linda Kiyosaki, an NSA official, said in a letter (pdf) this month. You had requested all documents, records, and other tangible evidence reflecting the improper surveillance of 16,000 individuals described in a 6 December, 2019, FISC Opinion, Kiyosaki wrote. Clevenger believes the NSAs new position signals a rift between the two agencies, possibly because the FBI has repeatedly abused rules governing searches of the intelligence databases, while the NSA largely hasnt. Theres been a battle between them; for example, Mike Rogers tried to shut off FBI access to the NSA database back in 2016, Clevenger told The Epoch Times, referring to how former NSA chief Adm. Mike Rogers cut out FBI agents from using the databases in 2016. And so theres been some history of the NSA trying to limit the FBIs access because they know that the FBI is misusing the data intercepts. The NSA and FBI didnt immediately respond to requests by The Epoch Times for comment. Re-enactment of organ harvesting in China on Falun Gong practitioners, during a rally in Ottawa in 2008. (The Epoch Times) Organ Trafficking Bill Presented for Second Reading in House of Commons A Senate bill to combat organ trafficking was presented by Conservative MP Garnett Genuis for second reading in the House of Commons on June 18. Bill S-204, which received the unanimous support of the Senate on May 6, makes it illegal for Canadians to get organs abroad without the consent of the donor, and makes people involved in forced organ harvesting inadmissible to Canada. After presenting the bill, Genuis requested that it be fast-tracked on the same day so it can go to third reading and receive royal assent to become law before Parliament is dissolved, in case an election is called in fall. While MPs from the Conservative Party, Bloc Quebecois, NDP, and the Liberal Party noted that the bill has support from all parties, the Liberals voted against fast-tracking it. In making his request, Genuis explained that similar legislation was proposed in the past by former Liberal MPs Borys Wrzesnewskyj and Irwin Cotler. Similar legislation was again put forward in the last session of Parliament, which also had the support of senators and MPs. However, it didnt become law as an election was called and the parliamentary session was dissolved before the final steps to royal assent could be completed. Veteran Liberal MP Judy Sgro said she supported passing the bill, noting that having a law to combat organ harvesting is far overdue. I am the chair of the Falun Gong, Falun Dafa parliamentary friendship group, and I am all too familiar with the issue of organ harvesting, and how this bill could help put an end to this horrific practice, Sgro said, referring to the peaceful meditation group whose adherents, according to investigators, have been a victim of forced organ harvesting by the Chinese communist regime. I have seen many, many pictures and talked to people who have had their family have to go through this terrible process. Bloc MP Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe also said that Cotler, a former Liberal justice minister, had proposed similar legislation in the past as a private members bill, and that everyone agrees the bill should be passed, repeating the request for Bill S-204 to be fast-tracked. NDP MP Gord Johns said Bill S-204 is the fourth such legislation meant to combat international organ trafficking, which is hurting vulnerable people across the world, and asked that all parties come to an agreement to process the bill. Kevin Lamoureux, the Liberals parliamentary secretary to the leader of the government in the House, said theres no doubt that a vast majority of Canadians recognize that it should be a crime to travel abroad without the donors consent in order to get an organ transplant. However, he said certain processes should be followed for the bill to become law. The House is scheduled to rise for the summer on June 23. Zhou Qingjun (L) and Zhang Xiuye (R) assaulted Falun Gong practitioners outside Taipei 101 plaza in 2017, in Taipei, Taiwan. (Ke-Ren/The Epoch Times) President of a Pro-Beijing Group in Taiwan Dies of CCP Virus The founder and president of a pro-Beijing organization in Taiwan has died of COVID-19, the groups spokesperson confirmed. On June 16, a Patriot Alliance Association (PAA) spokesperson disclosed on Facebook that the president of the group, Zhou Qingjun, died in Taipei of the CCP virus, also known as the novel coronavirus. Zhou was confirmed to be infected with the CCP virus a day after the Taipei District Court convicted him of receiving funds from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and sentenced him to 3 1/2 years in prison in May, according to regime mouthpiece the Global Times. The prosecutors office said in 2018 that Zhou always brought a large amount of cash, in Chinese yuan, when he returned from trips to China. He was also charged with engaging in bribery with Zhang Xiuye, who sought to represent Taipeis Wanhua district during the election in 2018. Zhang was sentenced to nearly 3 1/2 years in May. Zhang, who is also PAA secretary-general, tested positive on May 24. Several other members of the group were also infected with the CCP virus, according to a Facebook post by Wang Hao-yu, a city councilor in Taiwan; a group member denied the claim to The Epoch Times. Wang said in an interview with The Epoch Times that a director of a PAA branch, surnamed Zhu, is currently hospitalized with the virus. Zhou founded the PAA, a pro-unification group, in 1993; he had immigrated to Taiwan in 1982 after he escaped to Hong Kong from mainland China in 1962. He covered most PAA expenses, according to The Reporter. For example, the groups 2017 annual report listed approximately $18,000 as political party funding, which was explained as a personal donation from Zhou. But the local media noted that the 77-year-old Zhou did business in Danyang city of Hubei Province and Zhuhai city of Guangdong Province in China. Zhou and other PAA members were often spotted waving the Chinese flag in front of several Taipei landmarks, such as the Presidential Office Building, Ximending, and Taipei 101. PAA members have reportedly assaulted and physically attacked local Falun Gong practitioners who have been operating an information spot for the past 10 years at Taipei 101 Plaza to call on the Chinese regime to stop persecuting adherents. Chinese affairs commentator Cao Changqing told The Epoch Times that Zhou had led PAA members in assaulting pro-democratic Hong Kong students in Taiwan and Falun Gong practitioners. Cao was beaten by Zhou and other PAA members when he said he supported the Taiwan elections in 2003. When a pro-CCP activist dies of the CCP virus, its retribution, he said. Wu Wun-jhou contributed to this report. Rep. Nunes: Republicans Shouldnt Talk to Mainstream Media Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) claimed that 95 percent of media are the propaganda arm of the Democratic Party and urged Republicans to stop talking to them or going on TV with them. I stillfor the life of mecant understand why Republicans talk to 95 percent of the media, which is fake news, Nunes told Alex Marlow, host of Breitbart News Daily on SiriusXM on Wednesday. But look, fake news isnt the proper term. Its the propaganda arm of the Democrat Socialist Party. Thats what it is, Nunes said. Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly called mainstream media fake news. So its no different than the Chinese Communist Partyits the propaganda they put out. [Its] no different than what the Soviet Union did with the old Pravda media. And its, quite frankly, no different than how Putin controls the media today, where 95 percent of his media in Russia is propaganda for the Putin regime, Nunes continued. Nunes said it frustrated him that Republicans didnt treat the media as a propaganda machine for the left. I tell my colleagues all the time, would you walk into the Democratic National Committee and do an interview with their top lawyers and top investigators? Would you do that? But of course, they all say, Well, of course not. Then why are you talking? Why are you going on television with these kooks? I mean, youre just going into the propaganda machine. The only reason to appear on the mainstream media is to mock them or take a screenshot or something to put on the social media, Nunes noted. Nunes admitted that Republicans are struggling to get our message out through social media due to the media and Big Techs censorship. Nunes told The Epoch Times that Big Techs censorship probably the biggest problem Republicans were facing after Trump had been de-platformed by Twitter and Facebook, following the Jan. 6 Capitol breach. The Twitter and Facebook logo along with binary cyber codes are seen in this illustration taken on Nov. 26, 2019. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File/Reuters) The one thing that Im working on every single dayits not just the social media companies, but also the underlying architecturewere in desperate need to ensure that we cant be shut down before an election, like what happened last time, Nunes continued, referring to the Hunter Biden scandal that had been blocked or ignored by the media and Bid Tech. Weve learned a lot the institutions are corrupt. But I still think that Republicans just dont get it, Nunes added. Nunes also criticized the Biden administrations newly released National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism, saying it is probably one of the most concerning reports. Nunes, who previously chaired the U.S. House intelligence committee, said its absolute craziness to say white supremacism is right now our biggest challenge. And then in that report, theres even a bit that caught my attention was that they needed to work with the Big Tech companies, Nunes continued. I mean, this is absolute madness. Another issue is their willingness to use the intelligence agency to do the domestic spying, Nunes pointed out. So for this report to come out under the guise of radicalism, white supremacism, its just a way to target their political enemies. Its really a scary report, Nunes concluded. President Joe Biden called the strategy a project that should unite all Americans when it was released. Antifa members prepare to clash with Patriot Prayer protesters during a rally in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 4, 2018. (John Rudoff/AP Photo) Riot Declared After Proud Boys, Antifa Clash in Oregon City A brawl between members of the Proud Boys and Antifa triggered a riot declaration and police intervention in Oregon City, Oregon, on June 18. Video footage showed people wearing Proud Boys attire fighting with black-clad persons reported to be members of Antifa. The Proud Boys are a fraternal group that described itself as anti-social-justice warriors without being alt-right before its website went offline. Members of the group regularly fight with members of Antifa, a far-left, anarcho-communist network. Jim Band, the police chief in Oregon City, confirmed to The Epoch Times via email that fighting between Antifa and the Proud Boys triggered a riot declaration. The fight took place in Clackamette Park, which the Proud Boys had reserved, and they were given a permit to run a voter registration event. About 50 people from each group arrived and shouted at each other before the situation devolved into blows, with some wielding bats and other weapons. Video footage from the scene showed people using pepper spray and some areas fighting with fists or weapons. Oregon State Police assisted local law enforcement with intervening and breaking up the brawl. It wasnt clear if any arrests were made. Zane Sparling, a reporter with the Portland Tribune, told KOIN 6 that the fighting reminded him of brawls that unfolded in Portland in 2019. What I saw today was Civil War 2.0, Sparling said. This was open warfare between the left-wing Antifa and the right-wing Proud Boys. Oregon City is about 15 miles southeast of Portland. Antifa is most active in Portland. Its members are sometimes confronted by members of the Proud Boys and other groups. Sparling reported that one Proud Boys leader, Flip Todd, shouted at the opposing group that you guys are Portland scum while were from here. You made us be what we are. You created us, Todd said. Antifa members, meanwhile, carried various signs, including one that read Save a lifekill a Nazi. Somebody take care of these terrorists before I do, one Antifa member said. Santa Ana Increases Its Immigration Defense Fund The city council in Santa Ana, California, is bolstering its immigrant deportation defense fund by $100,000, bringing the taxpayer-backed programs funding to $300,000. The fund helps immigrants who are facing potential deportation secure an attorney that would otherwise be difficult to afford. Santa Ana is the only Orange County city to provide such a service. [Santa Ana provides] legal representation for any resident whos facing deportationthat could be an undocumented immigrant or legal residence status already, city spokesperson Paul Eakins told The Epoch Times. The city previously allocated $200,000 annually for the service, but increased it to $300,000 this year. Were a city with a large immigrant population, and we have undocumented immigrants who live here as well, so it was a priority for the council to increase the funding, Eakins said. The city began the fund in October 2017, to provide immigrants with access to government-funded counsel. At that time, Santa Ana partnered with the Vera Institute of Justice and the Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef) to provide legal services for non-U.S. citizens. ImmDef provided full-scope removal defense assistance to individuals, regardless of the immigration relief available, according to the citys website. Whereas traditional legal service programs may identify eligibility for representation through screening for viable immigration relief, the universal representation model ensures each client, regardless of potential relief, is given an opportunity to be heard. ImmDef reportedly represented at least 44 residents since its inception in 2018, with at least 11 of them being spared deportation. The Vera Institute of Justice joined the citys Safety and Fairness for Everyone (SAFE) network in 2017. SAFErepresenting more than 774 clients nationwideoperates in 18 jurisdictions across 11 states, committing public taxpayer dollars toward legal representation for immigrants in their communities facing deportation, according to the city website. The city said not providing immigrants with a trained government attorney is a violation of due process. Yet the complexities of immigration law and the severe consequences at stake make it unjust and unreasonable to expect individuals to represent themselves competently in immigration court, it said. The citys appointed legal representative can represent asylum seekers, longtime legal residents, immigrant parents or spouses of U.S. citizens, and even children. Data from 2018 showed that 23.7 percent of Santa Ana residents were not U.S. citizens. Figures from the U.S. Census Bureaus 2016 American Community Survey showed that 153,900 immigrants live in Santa Ana, representing 46 percent of the citys total population. Sen. Raphael Warnock Claims He Has Never Opposed Voter ID Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) claimed on Thursday that he has never been opposed to voter ID legal guidelines and also doesnt know anyone who opposes them. I have never, never been opposed to voter ID, Warnock told reporters on Capitol Hill. And in fact, I dont know anybody who iswho believes people shouldnt have to prove that they are who they say they are, the Georgia Democrat continued. But what has happened over the years is people have played with common sense identification and put into place restrictive measures intended not to preserve the integrity of the outcome, but to select, certain groups. However, Warnocks comments are contradicting previous statements by the senator showing he has rejected voter ID for years. About two years ago, he showed his thoughts in an op-ed article that was published in the Atlanta-Journal Constitution titled attacks on voting hit at soul of our democracy, referring to voter ID laws as onerous. More than a decade ago, Republican legislators in the state of Georgia, ironically the home state of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., led the way in turning the clock back on voting rights by passing unnecessary and discriminatory voter ID laws, Warlock said. Others followed suit and there are, according to the Voting Rights Alliance, some 41 forms of voter suppression in America today, he added. But Secretary of State Kemp leads as a most adept architect and a ruthless practitioner of this work. In 2012, Warnock said laws on voter ID are an affront to the memory of the civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr, the Boston Globe reported. You cannot celebrate Dr. King on Monday, and undermine peoples ability to vote on Super Tuesday, he added at the time. Earlier this year, Georgia was embroiled in controversy over Republicans new election law requiring id verification for absentee ballots and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has since also signed into law a number of election reforms that include photo ID requirements for absentee voting, the need for drop box security, and mandatory early voting dates, among other changes to how the states elections are run. The new law, the Election Integrity Act of 2021, requires a Georgia drivers license or a state-issued or state-approved ID in order to vote absentee by mail. This replaces the current signature match process that was in place, which Kemp called time consuming, labor-intensive, and at times arbitrary. From NTD News Shark Attacks Floridian Swimmer in Mistaken Identity Case A Florida beachgoer was bitten by a shark, prompting a dramatic rescue on Thursday afternoon. The swimmer was enjoying himself at the Grayton Beach State Park when the beast approached him and bit his upper body, the South Walton Fire District (SWFD) said on Twitter. The shark in question is probably 7-8 feet in length. SWFD responded to a report of a shark attack off the coast of Grayton Beach State Park Thursday afternoon. The victim is in stable condition and expected to recover, but suffered a bite wound to the upper body. Double red flags are now flying to warn swimmers. pic.twitter.com/7vY5ZjXilN South Walton Fire District (@SWFDINFO) June 17, 2021 A lifeguard on the scene rushed to the victim, who was hurt visibly in his upper body and chest. He was transported to a nearby hospital to be treated further. The victim is expected to recover and is believed to be in a stable condition, the SWFD said. He was apparently swimming near a fishing line 40 yards away from the shore The shark approached heading for the line and mistakenly bit the swimmer, the SWFD stated. As a beach safety alert, double red flags were flown for an hour after the incident. Shark Attack Stats According to National Geographic, about 93 percent of all shark attacks from the year 1580 to 2010 were on males. In 2010, North American Waters had 42% of all confirmed unprovoked attacks worldwide (32 attacks), said the website, adding that surfers accounted for about 50 percent of the attacks. Meanwhile, Swimmers and Waders accounted for 38% of all attacks in 2010, said National Geographic, adding: Snorkelers and divers accounted for 8% of all attacks in 2010. About 3 percent of attacks were on people in inflatable rafts and inner tubes. Over the last half-century, there have been more unprovoked shark attacks in Florida (27 out of a total 139) between 2-3 pm than any other time of the day, says National Geographic. New Smyrna Beach in Florida is the shark attack capital of the world according to ISAF. It is estimated that anyone who has swam there has been within 10ft of a shark. The Defund the Police Movement Has a Broader Agenda and Its Not to Stop the Killing of Black People: Brandon Tatum Defund the police has become a popular phrase among leftist activists, gaining momentum during a rash of Black Lives Matter protests and riots last summer following the police-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May 2020. As news of these protests spread through the media, local governments across the country quickly started acquiescing to the demand. Cities such as New York and Los Angeles significantly cut funding for their police departments, while Minneapolis City Council went further, introducing a measure to try and outright abolish and replace its police department. According to former Arizona police officer Brandon Tatum, author of the upcoming book, Beaten Black and Blue: Being a Black Cop in an America Under Siege, there is a broader agenda behind the Defund the Police movement. Black Lives Matter protesters march through a downtown street in Seattle, Wash., on June 14, 2020. (David Ryder/Getty Images) I believe its an agenda to completely destroy and dismantle local police departments so that the government can have control of law enforcement in this country and push a nationwide agenda, Tatum told Jan Jekielek, host of EpochTVs American Thought Leaders program. Tatum explained that if law enforcement is federalized and there are unconstitutional mandates or restrictions, such as those involving vaccines or guns, the federal government will be able to enforce those directives more easily. I believe that the government has a lot more leverage federalizing these agencies, and thats the end goal, he added. I dont believe it has anything to do with racism, police brutality That is a talking point to push an even bigger agenda. It is this agenda, he said, that is really the cause of a lot of turmoil that we see in law enforcement and the crime rate that we see spiking around the country. According to the National Fraternal Order of Police, murder rates over the past year have skyrocketed in cities where police departments have been defunded. As of May 25, the murder rates in New York City and Chicago year on year were up 22 percent, in Los Angeles 27 percent, in Washington D.C. 35 percent, in Philadelphia 40 percent, in Minneapolis 56 percent, and in Portland a staggering 800 percent. A member of the Baltimore Police Department removes crime scene tape on July 30, 2015, from a corner where a victim of a shooting was discovered in Baltimore. (Patrick Semansky/AP Photo) Tatum, who grew up in an inner-city in Texas, said the real issue for the black community is the homicide rates in the inner cities, where black people are primarily being killed by other black people. You know, police brutality is a small fraction of the drama, chaos, and confusion that goes on in the inner city. So, if they are pushing this as is as if its a pandemic or epidemic, then they are already being deceptive from the beginning, he said. The former police officer and cofounder of the BLEXIT movement said one need not be a conspiracy theorist to understand this. Statistics show that twice as many unarmed whites are shot by the police each year than unarmed blacks. In 2018, the most recent year for which data on this is available, blacks made up 53 percent of homicide offenders in the United States and committed about 60 percent of robberies, while only making up 13 percent of the population. The BLEXIT Foundations goal is to change the narrative of victimhood that permeates American minorities, particularly in the African-American community. Tatum said his grandmother and those prior to her had just cause to point to racism and inequality because they actually faced slavery, segregation, and racism. However, that pain and suffering and that mistrust for white Americans has been passed down unjustifiably to next generations, later generations, and we dont deal with those things, Tatum said. And when you have that, and you have a political climate where a certain particular party that wants your vote, theyre going to tell you what you want to hear and try to play this savior to an invisible problem, you know, they are going to push an agenda. A Black Lives Matter mural was painted on 5th Avenue in New York City, on July 13, 2020. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images) Tatum went on to explain that the real violent crime problem facing African-Americans is outside the leftist mainstream media narrative. You know, they are going to push an agenda and that causes a lot of pain, hurtreal pain and hurt, lump on top of that confusion. You have this delusional state in the inner city. And then when your father is in prison, or your father has been murdered by another black man, it creates a level of hatred towards other black people, Tatum added. Tatum said the solution to violence and death in black communities is to focus on the facts, help heal past hurts, and rebuild families. The solution is to not politicize anything, this just should not be about politicsDemocrat, Republican, conservative, liberal, libertarianit should have nothing to do with politics and everything to do with real people that are being hurt in this country. Having a strong father growing up, Tatum knows how important fathers are to children, especially in black communities. You need a dad, he said. I dont care what nobody says, I dont care what any psychologists want to put out there and make up a myth onyou need your father. And the reason why Im here today is because I had a strong Father. The Heritage Foundation cited a major 1988 study finding that the percentage of single-parent households with children between the ages of 12 and 20 is significantly associated with rates of violent crime and burglary. It noted that race was not a factor, only that the family was not intact. According to a report by the Brookings Institute, in 1965, less than a quarter of black infants and just over 3 percent of white infants were born to single mothers. By 1990, the rate of infants born to single unmarried mothers had risen to 64 percent for blacks and 18 percent for whites, with the percentage remaining similar today. Tatum said Black Lives Mattera quasi-Marxist organization that has become a household name, is endorsed by major corporations, and has raised millions of dollarshas done nothing to uplift the black community, because that is not truly its goal. But to the unsuspecting person that seems very bizarre that the founding of Black Lives Matter is to do the very thing that has damaged the black community the most. And thats to believe in the absence of the father, they want to destroy the nuclear family. Im just here to be a messenger of things that I know and I have experienced and researched. But I think its invaluable for us to empower ourselves with knowledge. And everybody should do their own research to prove that whatever you hear from me, from anybody else, is true and its factual. A Chinese Navy nuclear-powered submarine sails during an international fleet review to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of People's Liberation Army Navy, on April 23, 2009. (Guang Niu/AP Photo) Top Chinese Nuclear Power Expert Commits Suicide A top Chinese nuclear power expert and high-ranking Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official committed suicide for unknown reasons in northeastern Chinas Heilongjiang Province, according to a number of outlet reports. On June 17, Zhang Zhijian, a 58-year-old male professor of nuclear power at Harbin Engineering University (HEU), jumped off an office building and killed himself, according to an official notice released by his employer. The announcement said local police declared that they had ruled out the likelihood of murder after investigating the scene, but they didnt give a reason for the suicide. Zhang held two other conspicuous titles prior to his death: deputy principal of the university and member of its CCP standing committee. Public data shows that Zhang held a string of important academic and administrative offices related to his expertise, including head of the HEUs College of Nuclear Science and Technology; director of the Nuclear Power Simulation Research Center (NPSRC), one of Chinas key national defense labs; chief of the Office of Development and Planning; and an executive director of the Chinese Nuclear Society. The HEU is an academy with strong ties to the Chinese military. Historically, it was the predecessor to the Peoples Liberation Army Military Institute of Engineering, which was founded with technical support from the former Soviet Union in 1953. Currently, its attached to Chinas Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the predecessor of Chinas Commission for Science, Technology, and Industry for National Defense. Additionally, the HEU is sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Commerce. It was listed on the Entity List on May 23, 2020, for its involvement in military activities and weapons of mass destruction. Organizations on the list are required to obtain a license from the Department of Commerce to purchase U.S. technology. For months, there have been reports of suicides among CCP officials. Li Xiaoqiu, deputy director of the Culture and Tourism Department of northwestern Chinas Inner Mongolia region, hanged himself in a library in Hohhot city, the capital of the region, on May 17, according to Chinas state media. He was also a member of the departments Party Leadership Group. He had left a suicide note, but local authorities havent disclosed the content. Gao Guoliang, deputy director of the Yanshi Public Security Bureau, Luoyang city, central Chinas Henan Province, allegedly killed himself in an extreme manner in his office on May 13, local authorities said without elaborating. Ma Hui, director of the command center of the Heping District Public Security Bureau, Tianjin city, jumped from the top of the 27-story Seton Center and ended his life on April 30. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) walks through the Senate subway during a break in the second day of former President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Feb. 10, 2021. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Trump Endorses Sen. Lisa Murkowskis Challenger, Kelly Tshibaka Former President Donald Trump on Friday officially endorsed Alaskas former commissioner of administration, Kelly Tshibaka, for the Senate in the 2022 primary opposing incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). Lisa Murkowski is bad for Alaska. Her vote to confirm Bidens Interior Secretary was a vote to kill long sought for, and approved ANWR, and Alaska jobs, Trump said in a statement. President Joe Bidens Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland, on June 1 suspended all activities related to the running of the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), citing completion of a comprehensive analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act. Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy criticized the move and said it would hurt Alaskas economy. I oppose this assault on Alaskas economy and will use every means necessary to undo this egregious federal overreach. Alaska does responsible oil and gas development in the Arctic under stricter environmental standards than anywhere else in the world. Murkowski also criticized the administrations decision on the ANWR. The Biden administrations actions are not unexpected but are outrageous nonetheless, said Murkowski. The Alaska incumbent was also the only Republican senator to vote in favor of Haalands nomination. I have decided to support this nomination today to support the first Native American who will hold this position, and with the expectation that Rep. Haaland will be true to her word. Not just on matters relating to Native peoples, but also responsible resource development and every other issue, said Murkowski. Murkowski has got to go! Kelly Tshibaka is the candidate who can beat Murkowskiand she will. Kelly is a fighter who stands for Alaska values and America First. She is MAGA all the way, pro-energy, strong on the Border, tough on Crime, and totally supports our Military and our great Vets, said Trump. Trump also vowed to campaign against Murkowski after she voted to impeach him for the Jan. 6 breach. Out of the other six in the senate that joined Murkowski to impeach, two are retiring and she is the only one facing a reelection campaign in 2022. She has not formally announced if she will run for reelection. Murkowski has been representing Alaska in the U.S. Senate since 2002 when she finished her fathers term. She ran for and won her first full Senate term in 2004. Meanwhile, Tshibaka is not a career politician and said she is the first person in her family to get a college degree. In a campaign statement, she said she is pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, and will hold the Washington establishment accountable. A student wears a mask as he does his work at Freedom Preparatory Academy in Provo, Utah, on Feb. 10, 2021. (George Frey/Getty Images) University of Florida Lab Finds Dangerous Pathogens on Childrens Masks A laboratory at the University of Florida that recently analyzed a small sample of protective masks detected the presence of 11 dangerous pathogens on the coverings, including bacteria that cause diphtheria, pneumonia, and meningitis. Parents in Gainesville, Florida, who had concerns about the harm caused to their children wearing masks throughout the school day in 90-degree-Fahrenheit weather had sent six masksfive that were worn by children aged 6 to 11 for five to eight hours at school, and one worn by an adultto be analyzed for contaminants at the University of Floridas Mass Spectrometry Research and Education Center. Of the six coverings, three were surgical, two were cotton, and one was a polyester gaiter. Masks that hadnt been worn and a t-shirt worn at school acted as the control samples for the analysis. Five of the masks were found to be contaminated with parasites, fungi, and bacteria, according to Rational Ground. One was found to contain a virus that can cause a fatal systemic disease in cattle and deer. Other, less harmful pathogens that can cause ulcers, acne, and strep throat were also detected on the face coverings. None of the controls were contaminated with pathogens, while samples from the front top and bottom of the t-shirt found proteins that are commonly found in skin and hair, along with some commonly found in soil. Amanda Donoho, a mother of three elementary school children, teamed up with other parents to send the masks to the lab because her sons broke out in rashes, which she believes were caused by prolonged mask-wearing. Our kids have been in masks all day, seven hours a day in school, Donoho told Fox & Friends on June 17. The only break that they get is to eat or drink. Donoho said that while students havent had to wear a mask outside at school since April 2021, masks were still required when they were within six to eight feet of each other. Masks must also be worn on school buses. Further research is needed to better understand what is being put on childrens faces, Donoho said. Superintendent Carlee Simon at the Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) in Gainesville, Florida, didnt respond to a request for comment by press time. The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that kids should continue to wear masks and social distance until theyre able to get vaccinated, despite data showing that children are minimally affected by COVID-19 and arent super-spreaders of the virus. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, signed an executive order on May 3, suspending all COVID-19 emergency restrictions, including mask-wearing. However, certain school districts like ACPS kept their mask policy in place for the remainder of the school year, while masks were optional within the community. ACPS says masks will be optional for the 20212022 school year, but would continue to be required on school buses until mid-September unless the federal transportation regulation changes. The CDC stated that masks are still required on planes, trains, and buses and at airports. In an updated June 17 guidance, masks are no longer required in outdoor areas of a conveyance (like a ferry or the top deck of a bus) and fully vaccinated individuals may resume everyday activities that were done prior to the pandemic without mask-wearing or physically distancing unless required by federal or state law. People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second shot of a messenger RNA vaccine or after a single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The CDC didnt give guidance for people whove recovered from COVID-19 and have natural immunity. The CDC didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. A graduating cadet walks with his diploma as he is congratulated by a classmate during graduation ceremony of the U.S. Military Academy Class of 2019 graduation ceremony at Michie Stadium in West Point, New York, on May 25, 2019. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images) Unvaccinated West Point Cadets Face Harsh Restrictions, Parents Say Military cadets at West Point academy who have not been vaccinated against the CCP virus are allegedly being pressured to take the shots, and are facing harsh restrictions. The military academy doesnt have a vaccine mandate but the overwhelming majority of cadets at West Point are vaccinatedonly about three dozen out of 4,500 cadets have not taken the jabs, Fox News reported. A number of the cadets have said that they gained immunity naturally after having previously been infected with COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. But as a result of not being vaccinated they are now allegedly facing restrictions more severe than those that were in place during the worst times of the pandemic, the news outlet reported. Elita Perusek, the mother of a West Point cadet in his final year, and herself a graduate of the academy, told Sean Hannity during an interview that her son has tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies on post but that the academy would dub him as being of susceptible status. He was counseled before he left West Point by his tactical office who told him that because he chose to exercise his right to not take the vaccine that he would be called susceptible status and that he would have to submit to restriction of movement throughout the summer, Perusek said. Which meant that he would have to give up some of his leave. The academys mask guidelines indicate that cadets that havent taken the shots have to wear masks in shared spaces and the barracks, including showers and bathrooms. In shared indoor spaces masks are required, the schools public affairs office stated. Identical to the academic year mask requirements, if the shower and bathroom is in a shared indoor space, non-vaccinated individuals are required to wear a mask when not performing personnel hygiene. Brian McDonald is another worried parent whose daughter attends West Point. Like Peruseks son, he said that his daughter has natural immunity from the virus. I dont understand what the leadership at West Point is doing right now, he said. Quick thing on my daughter: She loves the Lord; she loves her country. And all she wants to do, her dream, is just to serve both at West Point right now, McDonald told Hannity. Shes in a position where shes had COVID, she recovered from COVID, she has the antibodies for COVID, and West Point is putting a ridiculous amount of pressure on her to take the vaccine. West Point did not immediately respond to a request for comment. We Need to Restore the Traditional Ways of Education: Marilyn Torley Americas public education has shifted significantly from its traditional form within the past two decades, says Marilyn Torley, co-principal of Northern Academy, a private 612 school in upstate New York. Torley, an educator with 25 years of experience as a teacher and administrator in New Jersey, told NTDs Focus Talk program that there used to be a more flexible, need-oriented approach in the classroom when she became a teacher in the 1990s. In the 90s, there was this traditional way of being within a classroom, where the curriculum was based on the local needs of the community. And whatever the curriculum was, we, as classroom teachers, had the time to really go in-depth with the students in regard to all subject matters, Torley told host Jenny Chang. Students were inquisitive and they were creative, as they are now. But we, as teachers, had much more time within the classroom, to actually delve into things that they might be interested in. A real education, according to Torley, is meant to support the character development of each student. If they can have the opportunity to learn and discern through their choices and their decision-making, and then get supported within the classroom, within the whole school environmentto create a culture of support of being resilient, and understanding compassionthey have an opportunity then to go into the world with a strong foundation, she said. If youre a good person, and you have a strong moral compass, then whatever is happening in the world, youre going to discern and make the right choices. Torley said things changed in the classroom when the No Child Left Behind Act became law in 2002, followed by Common Core state standards in 2010. Subjects such as history, science, and foreign languages needed to give way so that teachers had enough time to focus on math and reading in order to meet standardized testing requirements, which are tied to federal funding. It just changed the whole vibe of what was happening within the schools, she said. That traditional way of teaching, which was based on the local community and their needs for those students, radically changed. And all of a sudden, it was what the federal government wanted, because of the money they were giving to the states. The change caused many veteran teachers to quit after they realized that this wasnt the kind of education that they wanted to be a part of, she said. The new teachers, however, find themselves having to cover specific content each day as required by the Common Core curriculum, while not being able to pause to help struggling students. The most difficult thing as a principal during those years is that when teachers came into my office, they were either angry or they were frustrated, Torley said. They werent being given the time they felt they needed to really support the students in a meaningful way. When asked about the prevalence of critical race theory, Torley said she is lost about how an ideology leading to race-based bullying and harassment is gaining a foothold in schools. In New Jersey, we had the strongest laws about bullying, and part of the [anti-] bullying process was to ensure that children were not being intimidated by anyone because of their color, their race, their ethnicity, she said. We were mandated to stop that from happening, and then all of a sudden, this [critical race] idea comes into the education system. Torley suggested that parents need to take action for the kind of education they want for their children, especially given the current circumstances. Families have traditions, and they have values, and they have a deep moral understanding of whats best for their child, she said. And I believe that, more so than ever before, in my 25 years of experience, that parents need to come to the Board of Education meetings. They need to talk to the people responsible for whats happening in the education of their child within their schools, talk to other parents, and make a decision if this environment is right for their child, and if it isnt, communicate that and ask for changes. The first step is to make sure that everyones aware of whats going on, and thats through communication, she said. Thats through getting involved. Thats through talking to your neighbors. Thats through going to your Board of Education. Thats through looking at the assignments that your children are coming home with and saying, This is not correct. This is not what I want for my child.' NTD reporter Jenny Chang contributed to this report. WESTPORT A lawyer representing a woman who the states medical examiner determined died by suicide and 7-year-old daughter drowned this week in their Lyndale Park home said Saturday he was shocked by the case while noting police are still investigating the incident. This is a shocking tragedy and we are deeply saddened, attorney Clifford A. Merin said in an email. Merin and Jocelyn Hurwitz, of the firm Cohen and Wolf, represented 46-year-old Tracy Do in civil cases against the childs father, who was seeking to have her removed from the Lyndale Park home where she was found dead along with her daughter, Layla Malon. Efforts to reach the childs father and his lawyer were unsuccessful Saturday. According to Dr. James Gill, the states chief medical examiner, Do died by suicide from sharp injuries of torso and extremities. Gill said Layla Malon died from drowning, and ruled her death a homicide. We extend our deepest condolences to Tracy and Laylas family and the community, Merin said. We have no further comment at this time as the matter is under investigation by law enforcement. Police said Saturday there were no updates on the case, which had drawn a swarm of investigators, reporters and TV trucks to the exclusive private Westport neighborhood about 1,000 feet from the Merritt Parkway. By Saturday morning, the police and crime scene tape were gone. Red, white and blue bunting adorning an open iron gate to the driveway billowed in the June breeze at the entrance to the stately property where cops responding to a report of an unresponsive woman Thursday arrived to a grisly scene. Steps away, near the entrance to the street from Weston Road, bouquets of flowers and stuffed animals laid on a wooden bench. Neighbors declined to comment Saturday. Layla Malons death marked Westports first homicide in nearly 10 years, since the December 2011 killing of Yekutiel Zeevi, the owner of a custom jewelry business. The suspect in that case fled to Europe with $300,000 in stolen diamonds, but law enforcement tracked him down and he died by suicide a day after his arrest in Spain. According to FBI data, the last two homicides in Westport prior to Zeevis death occurred in 1996 and 1991. Westport Schools Superintendent Thomas Scarice said Coleytown Elementary School, which was closed Friday following the deaths, will reopen Monday for students to collect their belongings before going on summer vacation. Scarise said there will be no discussion of the recent tragedy while students visit their teachers and collect their belongings. Officials with the schools parent-teacher association did not respond to a message Saturday. As our community mourns the tragic loss of one of our beloved student and her mother, I want to provide assurance that the school district is actively working to support those closest to this unspeakable loss, the superintendent wrote in a message to Westport families. A plan for mental health and grief counselors is being developed for those most impacted. A spokesperson for the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence said that while their advocacy focuses more on intimate partner violence, people dealing with any type of domestic violence can call/text 888-774-2900 or visit CTSafeConnect.org to chat live or email with an advocate. In addition, anyone who feels in danger of suicide can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 (273-TALK). Help also is available by calling 211 or text CT to 741741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor. Other resources are available on the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services website, and on the Crisis Text Line site. Staff writers Tara ONeill and Nicholas Rondinone contributed to this story. BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) As Brazil hurtles toward an official COVID-19 death toll of 500,000 second-highest in the world science is on trial inside the country and the truth is up for grabs. With the milestone likely to be reached this weekend, Brazil's Senate is publicly investigating how the toll got so high, focusing on why President Jair Bolsonaro's far-right government ignored opportunities to buy vaccines for months while it relentlessly pushed hydroxychloroquine, the malaria drug that rigorous studies have shown to be ineffective in treating COVID-19. The nationally televised hearings have contained enough scientific claims, counterclaims and outright falsehoods to keep fact-checkers busy. The skepticism has extended to the death toll itself, with Bolsonaro arguing the official tally from his own Health Ministry is greatly exaggerated and some epidemiologists saying the real figure is significantly higher perhaps hundreds of thousands higher. Dr. Abdel Latif, who oversees an intensive care unit an hour from Sao Paulo, said the fear and desperation caused by the coronavirus have been compounded by misinformation and opinions from self-styled specialists and a lack of proper guidance from the government. We need real humane public health policy, far from the political fight and based on science and evidence," he said. Brazils reported death toll is second only to that of the U.S., where the number of lives lost has topped 600,000. Brazil's population of 213 million is two-thirds that of the U.S. Over the past week, official data showed some 2,000 COVID-19 deaths per day in Brazil, representing one-fifth the global total and a jump public health experts warn may reflect the start of the country's third wave. Bolsonaro has waged a 15-month campaign to downplay the viruss seriousness and keep the economy humming. He dismissed the scourge early on as a little flu and has scorned masks. He was not chastened by his own bout with COVID-19. And he kept touting hydroxychloroquine long after virtually all others, including President Donald Trump, ceased doing so. As recently as last Saturday, Bolsonaro received cheers upon telling a crowd of supporters that he took it when infected. The next day, he declared, I was cured. He pushed hydroxychloroquine so consistently that the first of his four health ministers during the pandemic was fired and the second resigned because they refused to endorse broad prescription of the medicine, they told the Senate investigating committee. The World Health Organization stopped testing the drug in June 2020, saying the data showed it didn't reduce deaths among hospitalized patients. The same month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration revoked emergency authorization for the drug amid mounting evidence it isn't effective and could cause serious side effects. Nevertheless, the notion that medicines like hydroxychloroquine work against COVID-19 is one of the main things the fact-checking agency Aos Fatos has been forced to debunk continually for the past year, according to Tai Nalon, its executive director. This didnt change, mostly because there is a lack of accountability of doctors and other medical authorities who propagate this sort of misinformation, and the government supports it, Nalon said. "Basically it takes only the president to make any fact-checking efforts not useless, but less effective. In fact, the Senate hearings that began in April have turned into a forum for dueling testimony from doctors who are either pro- or anti-hydroxychloroquine, creating what some experts fear is a misimpression that the drugs usefulness is still an open question in the international scientific community. A Health Ministry official who is a pediatrician told the Senate that there is a much anecdotal evidence of its effectiveness and that the ministry provided guidelines for its use without explicitly recommending it. Fact-checkers cried foul, saying the ministrys own records show it distributed millions of the pills nationwide for COVID-19 treatment. A cancer specialist and immunologist who has been one of the drug's biggest champions and is said to be an informal adviser to the president also testified, decrying demonization of a drug she said has saved lives. But fact-checkers proved her wrong when she claimed Mexico is still prescribing it for COVID-19. Still, the drug is celebrated across social media, including Facebook and WhatsApp. And other misinformation is circulating as well. Bolsonaro told a throng of supporters on June 7 that the real number of COVID-19 deaths in 2020 was only about half the official death toll, citing a report from the national accounting tribunal which promptly denied producing any such document. The president backtracked but has publicly repeated his claim of mass fraud in the death toll at least twice since. Epidemiologists at the University of Sao Paulo say the true number of dead is closer to 600,000, maybe 800,000. The senators investigating the government's handling of the crisis ultimately hope to quantify how many deaths could have been avoided. Pedro Hallal, an epidemiologist who runs the nations largest COVID-19 testing program, has calculated that at least 95,000 lives would have been spared had the government not spurned vaccine purchase offers from Pfizer and a Sao Paulo institute that is bottling a Chinese-developed shot. When the U.S. recorded a half-million COVID-19 deaths, President Joe Biden held a sunset moment of silence and a candle-lighting ceremony at the White House and ordered flags lowered for five days. Bolsonaros government plans no such observance. The Health Ministry is instead trumpeting the 84 million doses administered so far. The number is mostly first shots; just 11% of Brazils population is fully vaccinated. The Senate committee will name at least 10 people as formal targets of its investigation by next week, members told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. That could lead to a recommendation of charges by prosecutors. The list includes the pediatrician and cancer specialist who testified, the current health minister and his predecessor. For his part, Bolsonaro has said the investigation amounts to persecution. Last week, microbiologist Natalia Pasternak, who presides over the Question of Science Institute, a nonprofit that promotes the use of scientific evidence in public policies, went before the committee and decried the government's denialism. She lamented that the myth of hydroxychloroquine won't seem to die. In the sad case of Brazil, its a lie orchestrated by the federal government and the Health Ministry, she said. "And that lie kills. ___ Biller reported from Rio de Janeiro. AP videojournalist Tatiana Pollastri contributed from Valinhos, Sao Paulo. Juneteenth is now a federal holiday, and how that fits into conservatives recent arguments against critical race theory their latest shibboleth is fascinating to watch. Juneteenth is a day in 1865 when federal troops arrived in Texas, post-Civil War, to tell people whod been enslaved that the fighting was over. The bill passed unanimously in the Senate, and overwhelmingly in the House. President Joe Biden signed the bill into law on Thursday. Even if youre only slightly paying attention, youve heard the phrase critical race theory. It is the latest salvo in Americas longest war, the fake culture one. Its a specious argument that started when the former president called the theory toxic propaganda that was going to destroy our country. He lied, but gullibility springs eternal. First of all, theyre not even using the word correctly, said Bill Yousman, Sacred Heart University associate professor of media arts and author of multiple books on the media and race. Instead, CRT has become an evergreen volley in a long conversation thats goes nowhere. Decades ago, said Yousman, it was feminism: Feminists were coming to turn women into lesbians. Some evangelicals still say that. Its similar to the way people who think anything to the left of Genghis Khan is socialism. Critical race theory originated in the 70s, with research by Derrick Bell, a Black civil rights lawyer and a former Harvard Law School professor, as well as dean of the University of Oregon School of Law. Bell (and, subsequently, others) looked at power structures through the prism of race. Laws that look at race neutral on paper can, nevertheless, be quite the opposite in practice. Take the Supreme Courts recent decision to let stand sentences of certain crack cocaine offenders. Punishment of those offenders is significantly harsher than punishment of offenders who use powder cocaine. Less expensive crack has historically been more prevalent among Black communities though that is changing. CRT is a structure by which to examine who we are and where weve come from. It does not assume racism is an aberration, but that it is baked in. Conservatives say that is anti-white, and that it encourages people to hate the U.S.A., a stance that passes through anti-intellectualism, and sets up a chair in stupid. Speaking of stupid, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis just pushed through a rule that his states schools cannot teach critical race theory because it involves, DeSantis says,teaching kids to hate their country and to hate each other. Other governors have made similar mewlings. No one will ever accuse DeSantis of being overly burdened with intellect, but this ridiculous rule could put a damper on discussions about race at a time when we need them. Someone needs to tell that to the Guilford parents who worry that discussions about diversity are damaging, and to State Rep. Kimberly Fiorello, a Republican who recently had her star turn on Fox & Friends, where she said a recent Connecticut bill that declares racism a public health crisis declares to the world that the state of Connecticut has a racism problem in its public health. Well, duh. To me, Fiorello said, this is critical race theory in our laws. Its just reprehensible, particularly to a few of her Greenwich constituents who recently posted signs that suggested the theory be banned. The bill passed anyway, bless their hearts. Elsewhere, things have gotten even sillier. A Nevada group wants teachers to wear body cams to make sure students arent taught critical race theory. The Brennan Center for Justice has been keeping track of all the new laws that seek to restrict voters access to the polls. Already, states have passed some 25 laws meant to push voting farther out of reach, and more bills are being discussed in legislation sessions that are still ongoing. And who are the targets of the bulk of these laws? Communities of color. Historically, said Yousman, poll taxes were used to discriminate against people who couldnt afford to pay them. As often as not, that meant people of color. Such laws may not mention race, but they created a rabidly discriminatory system. This latest discussion fits the historic pattern of demonizing attempts to change the status quo. The first time I, a feminist, was called a man-hater, I went home and told my husband and sons, and we laughed and laughed. Being a feminist has nothing to do with hating men, but the radical notion that women deserve equality threatens business as usual. For people in power, the cheapest way to return to the old narrative is to pretend to be victimized by the new one. Its why so many white people are comfortable treating Black Lives Matter protesters who are overwhelmingly peaceful as members of a marauding mob. That way, white people dont have to listen to solid arguments that Black lives really do matter. Critical race theory asks that we consider all of American history, and not just the parts we like because, as Yousman says, You dont just walk away from history. It follows you. Come the fall, despite misguided attempts to quell them, discussions about race will go on in classrooms around the country including Florida and Connecticut and yes, Guilford. It will be up to the people at the front of the classroom to lead those discussions and those people will be overwhelmingly white. Who should be talking about racism? said Yousman. Its the people who created it. People who built the house should be the ones tearing it down. ATHENS, Greece (AP) Greek police say they have arrested one of their colleagues in Athens for 11 robberies at gas stations. The robberies took place between April 9 and early Saturday, a police announcement said. WESTPORT Its extremely hard to try and explain the subtleties, and too-often painful challenges, of feeling that youre different than those around you in your everyday life. But one Staples High School student took the chance to do so with her promotion of Juneteenth on Friday, a day after it was made a federal holiday. Juneteenth honors the practical end to slavery in the U.S. in 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. Junior Emorej Hunter said not many students knew about Juneteenth, so it was important to raise awareness, as well as celebrate a pivotal milestone in the ongoing struggle for equality and equity. The country doesnt talk about slavery enough, Hunter said. They think its something from the past, while its still affecting people today. This, she said, is not only true with specific incidents of racism, but by way of deeply ingrained systemic racism that impacts housing, education and job opportunities. Deeply rooted racism is still here in this country and we need to talk about it and recognize it rather than just brushing it under the rug, she said. Her personal story is unique, as she moved to Westport in sixth grade from New Haven, where she said she literally never knew a white person. And while Hunter found welcoming friends in town, she also had and still occasionally has isolating experiences that made her feel different and that she didnt belong. Consequently, she said, she strived to turn her back on where she came from, to act in the best way to simply be accepted, but not to explore and engage in experiences relating to her ancestry. I wasnt proud of where I came from. I just want to fit in with everyone else, she said, noting that the school system nor town werent trying to change her identity, but she was. Recent events, however and a grandmother who was very active in the Civil Rights movement have inspired her to shine light on her history, as well as proudly share it with others. Its good for us to come together, for us to unite, she said. It makes you stronger. During lunch waves Friday outside the cafeteria Hunter and others distributed bracelets, stickers and Crock gibbets to students, aided by biology teacher Kayla Iannetta, who is also a diversity chair for the district and advises the SHS Pride Coalition. I think kids want to be really supportive, she said, noting the importance for minority groups of all kinds to have vocal allies who help individuals feel less alone. A lot of our student body didnt even know what Juneteenth Day was, Iannetta said, so additional information, including a schoolwide talk from Principal Stafford Thomas, helped in educating them. Last year, no one was thinking Juneteenth would be a national holiday, Thomas said, noting how timing plays a key role in augmenting change. He shared how his first name, Stafford, is the actually name of the slave-owners who enslaved his ancestors in St. Croix a name he has passed on to his own son in remembrance. His middle and last names, Wellington and Thomas, were chosen to be representative of liberty and justice. Those concepts, he said, should resonate for everyone and not just be words stated in the Pledge of Allegiance. Any history is going to be messy and dirty and not clean, but its part of who you are, he said. Chase Dunlap, assistant principal for grade 11, said the Juneteenth outreach was much needed, commending Emorej and others for their involvement. The timing is important, he said. It aligns with our values as a school and a community. I look forward to expanding this program in the years to come. PLANO, Texas (AP) Brenda Martinez, a 19-year-old community college student, thinks the government should help immigrant students more. Donald Huffman is worried about turning 50 next week with no work available because the federal government is delaying the pipelines he usually helps build. Binod Neupane, who just moved to Texas to research alternative fuels, wants action on climate change. The three Texas voters have little in common politically other than one thing none considers voting and election reform, the issue that has dominated partisan debate this year, a top priority. As politicians from Austin, Texas, to Washington, D.C., battle over the practical aspects of how to run elections clashing over details such as polling booth hours and the number of ballot drop boxes per county many voters are disconnected from the fight. A passionate base of voters and activists on both sides may be intensely dialed in on the issue, but a disengaged middle is baffled at the attention. Unemployment, climate change this stuff should be on the top of the list, not the voting thing, said Neupane, 34. That disconnect is now the challenge before Democrats, who are trying to marshal public support for federal legislation that would thwart a series of new state laws tightening election procedures. With rallies, ads, White House events and a certain-to-fail vote in the Senate this coming week, Democrats are aiming to fire up their voters around the issue, hoping their passions hold through next year's midterms. Republicans face their own pressures. Donald Trump's false claims of massive fraud in the 2020 election have so eroded some GOP voters' confidence that they say they won't vote again. Meanwhile, the party's push for additional restrictions runs the risk of driving away moderate voters. That debate is still roiling in Texas, where the Legislature is due to return to a special session to consider voting legislation. That comes after Texas Republicans, following the lead of Republican-controlled legislatures in more than a dozen states, tried to muscle through a sweeping elections bill that increased the power of partisan poll watchers, limited the power of local election officials and prevented voting on Sunday mornings when Black churchgoers traditionally flock to the polls. Democrats in the Texas House walked out in the final hours of the legislative session, depriving the GOP of the quorum needed to pass the bill. Since then, advocacy groups have stepped up organizing and outreach. Former congressman and presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke has seized on the issue, holding rallies and knocking on doors to discuss voting, as he considers launching a campaign for governor. On Wednesday, Vice President Kamala Harris, the Biden administration's point person on the voting debate, hosted the Texas Democrats at the White House. We have a great challenge before us and a fight, which is to fight for every American's right meaningful right to vote, Harris said as she was flanked by the Texas lawmakers. But Harris' message has yet to reach many back in the politically mixed suburbs north of Dallas, a potential battleground in next year's midterm elections. The swath of comfortable, diversifying neighborhoods was once dominated by the GOP but is now politically divided. As a heat wave this week brought fresh warnings of blackouts reminiscent of the electrical grid's collapse during a February snowstorm, several voters were confused about why legislators are spending so much time on election issues. Making it difficult for people to vote, it's just ridiculous, said Marcin Mazurek, a 50-year-old construction worker who only started following politics during the Trump era because he was so outraged by the former president. Of more than a dozen voters interviewed, only one brought up the issue unprompted: Nathan Nowasky, a retired certified public accountant, Texas native and lifelong Republican whom Trump drove out of the party. He cited the state voting bill as one of the reasons he and his wife were thinking about moving elsewhere, because Texas is a political backwater. A self-professed news junkie, Nowasky was familiar with the conspiracy theories and false allegations about the 2020 election. He believes the Texas voting bill is fueled by those ideas and illustrates the political extremism that pushed him out of the GOP. Theres conservative, and then theres this, Nowasky said. The major political parties for years have fought furiously in the courts over the mechanics of elections. But rarely does the fight become a central part of the parties pitch to voters. That changed when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, many states liberalized their voting laws to make it safer to vote and Trump seized on the changes as a source of fraud, triggering new state laws often billed as making it hard to cheat. Its more of a live issue than it has been probably since the civil rights movement, Anna Greenberg, a Democratic pollster, said of voting rights. Still, she noted, voting remains relatively simple for most citizens. The voters most animated by the issue are those who believe the system is rigged against them or those who see a pattern of racial discrimination in new laws. There are lots of people keeping it on the agenda even if, for your average swing voter, its not their No. 1 issue, Greenberg said. Kevin Bivens is one of those voters who's paying attention to the issue. He followed the debate in the legislature carefully and was frustrated that Republicans brushed off Democrats' attempts for a compromise. He sees the push as the latest in a long line of racial injustice. As African Americans, its nothing new to us, said Bivens, who said he is in his 50s and has lived in Texas for decades, acutely aware that he is both a political and racial minority. We know we have no power over whats going on but our votes, and if you take that away from us ... , he said, trailing off. In a December poll from The Associated Pres-NORC, only 7% of voters listed voting laws as a top issue, though it gained disproportionate interest from Republicans, 14% of whom cited it. Martinez, whos studying to teach English as a second language, is one of those people who hasnt thought much about voting. She cast her first vote for Biden in November, and neither she nor anyone else in her family had any issues or concerns. Everything was fine, Martinez said. Martinez thinks it would be nice to vote by mail something Texas makes difficult for most voters but it's not an issue that drives her. Voting may be a side issue for many, but it could still play a role in helping Democrats solidify the coalition they assembled last year. Barbara Van Hollenbeck is a longtime Republican who voted for Biden last year but still voted for Republicans for the legislature and Congress. She says she wanted a counterbalance to the Democratic president. Now, Van Hollenbeck says she's most worried about climate change and the economy, but she's also confused and concerned about what the GOP-led legislature is doing with voting. Instead of punishing them, help them find a way to vote, she said of voters. Andy Wojtovec came at the issue from the opposite end of the political spectrum. The last election was like communism, said the 66-year-old Polish immigrant, who owns an air conditioning company and has cheered the lawmakers' voting changes. He claimed that Venezuela helped hack voting machines to hand the election to Biden a common, discredited conspiracy theory in pro-Trump circles. Huffman, the pipeline welder, also was suspicious about the election, like everyone I know, he said. A Trump supporter, he is convinced the only reason the former president didn't win in a blowout was some kind of fraud. But as he sat in a booth in a branch of the Texas fast food chain Whataburger, Huffman was despondent. Though he has real estate assets to help him, he hasn't worked in months. He says he doesn't know what he'll do now that the Biden administration has put a moratorium on new energy projects on federal land. And, in a worrying sign for the GOP, he not only had not heard of the party's election push, but he also wasn't convinced there was anything politicians could do to prevent massive fraud from happening again. I probably won't ever vote again, Huffman said. It feels like a waste of time. EDWARDSVILLE With much more than a tinge of bittersweetness, Edwardsville Police Chief Jay Keeven submitted his resignation letter to City Administrator Kevin Head Thursday. He steps down as police chief on June 30. He will start his new position with Troy on July 1, replacing Doug Partney, who had been city administrator since September 2019. About three weeks ago, I got a call from the mayor of Troy, [David Nonn,] asking me to come serve as the citys administrator, Keeven said. Keeven has served as police chief for nearly 8.5 years, joining the department in February 2013. Hes the second Edwardsville safety chief to step down in the past 12 months; former Fire Chief Richard Welle retired last July. Keeven spent his entire professional career, 36 years, in policing, starting when he was 20; he was a dispatcher for Highlands Police Department for nine months. Between Highland and Edwardsville, he spent 27 years working for the Illinois State Police. He and his wife will continue to reside in Edwardsville. You hate to leave something you love and I love this city, he said. However, some years ago, I received my masters degree in public administration and business administration from the University of Louisville. This new position is an opportunity to learn something new and different. He praised Troy as a place of great economic development, saying its location is 20 minutes from everywhere and he said after meeting the mayor and city council members, he said it was obvious, like in Edwardsville, that they love their community and care about fostering responsible growth. I have learned about what good government looks like; now, I will be able to put those lessons into practice, he said. I will be forever grateful to [former mayor] Gary Niebur for hiring me, Keeven said. He said he worked with three city administrators, Ben Dickmann, who was also a former Edwardsville Police Chief, and whom Keeven considered a mentor; Tim Harr, whom Keeven considered a peer with a hands-off management style; and current City Administrator Kevin Head, whom Keeven said is a numbers guy, which means he is always searching for ways to save the city from unneeded expenses. Jay Keeven is the consummate professional, Harr said Thursday. He leads by example and earned the respect of his city coworkers (other department heads) as well as the police officers under him. He has all of the right tools to be successful in his new role. He has the right professional education, a great demeanor, a tremendous amount of experience and a lot of patience. I wish him well and hope he keeps in touch. Keeven said Maj. Michael Fillback will be the interim police chief starting next month. Keeven said whether that becomes permanent is up to Mayor Art Risavy. Risavy said via phone on Thursday that he prefers to conduct an internal search versus looking outside the department for Keevens successor. I would like to thank Chief Keeven for his eight years of service to our community, Risavy said Friday. I will miss his leadership and dedication to keeping our city safe. He is a man of high character who has been a public servant for over 36 years. We are very fortunate to have a strong police department made up of dedicated men and women who are highly trained. I just wanted to say that Chief Keeven was a wonderful addition to the city, said Alderwoman Janet Stack. He was always professional but also has a warm and winning personality. He will be missed. Alderman SJ Morrison agreed. Chief Keeven is a consummate professional and has been a pleasure to work with, he said. He has a genuine love for community service and has served Edwardsville well. I wish him the best on his new career in Troy. Theyre fortunate to have him. Keeven mentioned former Mayor Hal Patton as part of his gratitude. I will be forever grateful to Hal for allowing quality developments into the city without making them hard to accomplish, Keeven said. Keeven described the process involving each department head when a new planned unit development (PUD) surfaced and that became a training ground of sorts for him. It gave me a front-row seat to things other than public safety, he said. He said he got to watch how each piece fire department, public works, finance, economic development, and administration handled PUDs. I really got to learn city government. This department will not miss a beat, Keeven said of his staff. The men and women are so dedicated here. He said it was not uncommon for residents to stop and regale him with anecdotes of how professional and polite his officers are at doing the most routine things. I have really appreciated the opportunity to serve the residents of Edwardsville for these eight years, Keeven said. To serve a community that supports you as strongly as this one does, its truly humbling. Its very hard to leave and I do so with a heavy heart. Reach reporter Charles Bolinger at 618-659-5735 EDWARDSVILLE Last weekends Route 66 Festival was the kick-off to summer weekends in Edwardsville. This weekend, June 18 and 19, is going to keep the community going strong with a Friday night concert by Hudson and the Hoo Doo Cats starting at 8 p.m., a kids fishing derby at Leclaire Park on Saturday morning then the first Movie in the Park Night at City Park that evening. On Saturday, the annual Fishing Derby starts taking registrations at 8:30 a.m. Then, at 9 a.m., the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) will review fishing safety and tips on how to catch those fish. There are prizes for the biggest fish, tiniest fish and most fish. The derby attracts families from several communities and kids do not need to be an expert. All fishing takes place at Leclaire Park, 900 Hale Ave., in Edwardsville. We were able to hold the derby last summer with masks and spacing people out, said special events coordinator Trina Vetter. It was so great to see kids having fun in the park and not have to cancel the event. We were grateful to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for participating each year. They are so great with the kids and help to show the love of fishing to the next generation. The Arts in City Park series kicks off as well this weekend. Friday night is the first of six concerts in the park by regional music groups. Hudson and the Hoo Doo Cats will take the stage at 8 p.m. The regional group delivers elements of rock, blues, country and swing. The public is encouraged to bring chairs, blankets, snacks, family, friends and neighbors to enjoy the event. Saturday is full at City Park. Saturday morning features Childrens Arts in the Park programming that last year was held virtually. Saturday Morning Art Classes are a resource to introduce kids to the creative process and imaginative experiences. Kids can meet at the bandstand at 9 a.m. and learn about scale and perspective as the theme this year. This Saturday is looking at things from an insects point of view. Little artists will build bugs, create wings and weave a giant web. Residents can come back to City Park on Saturday night with the kids and watch the movie Croods 2 at 8 p.m. This summer, City Park will once again become a gathering place for friends and families to enjoy concerts, movies and art classes provided by the City of Edwardsville Parks & Recreation Department. Arts in the Park has been a summer tradition for local residents since 2001 and includes Thursday night Municipal Band Concerts, Friday night regional bands, Saturday morning childrens art classes, monthly movies and monthly symphonic orchestra performances. After taking a year off in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions, the program is back as strong as ever and includes new programming Shakespeare in the Park in August and Opera Edwardsville in September. The community looks forward to these events each summer as a way to gather and enjoy the summer nights. We have been approached by so many residents with thanks and cheers because they missed the offerings last summer so much, said Vetter. For a complete listing of the Arts in City Park schedule, contact the park office at 618-692-7538 or visit www.cityofedwardsville.com/parks or watch the departments Facebook page for updates. You can also email Trina at tvetter@cityofedwardsville.com and receive digital copies of each schedule or flyer. Theres a new organization advocating for an often overlooked neighborhood park. We asked the founder, Michael Marino, for some background on Friends of Corlears Hook Park: We are a small and newly formed group that was founded to help revitalize the Corlears Hook Park and make it a viable amenity to all. I founded the group after a call to State Senator Daniel Squadrons office to complain about the condition and upkeep of the park. His office arranged a call with other area park groups and representatives from the Parks Department and Partnership for Parks to provide some guidance and advice to me as I started to get the Friends of CHP rolling. We have about 20 people on our list serve so far in just under a month so hopefully that will continue to grow. Earlier this month we worked with NYC Bark Club on a clean-up of the dog runs in the park and we will continue to partner with them until the dog runs are a place that where people are proud to bring their pets, NYC Bark Club has secured some funding for continued improvements to the dog runs. In addition we also want to advocate for re-opening of the comfort station in the park. So many teams use the fields in the park for games and practice and its always discouraging to walk through the park and see the kids in their team uniforms running into the bushes to relieve themselves. Of course we will also be focusing on greening the park with new plantings and weeding/clean-up projects (we are hoping to schedule another clean up project for November before winter rolls in). Wed also like to address park safety by having the lampposts that were destroyed by Hurricane Sandy finally repaired to bring more light into and around the park area at night. We stopped by the brand new GrandLo Cafe for our morning coffee and to meet the team working at Grand Street Settlements social enterprise venture at 178 Broome St. Manager Adam Perez was behind the counter, along with Cindy Vasquez. The cafe, which will serve as a youth training center, is part of the new Essex Crossing project. Opening week hours are 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. (take advantage of a $3 coffee & pastry special this week). The business will be open starting next week 7 a.m.-3 p.m. We can already tell the GrandLo Cafe will be a good community gathering spot. If youre looking for a casual meeting destination in the neighborhood, check it out. News Pigeon Forge asked for PILOT program for J1 housing Cindy Simpson/The Mountain Press Holtz Builders Inc. built the complex for Wilderness at the Smokies employees. The facilities include dorm-style rooms with individual bathrooms and spacious common areas like this large kitchen and dining area. Holtz is constructing new employee housing planned for Dollywood. PIGEON FORGE Business is booming, but owners are struggling to find employees. Everyone in this room knows we have more jobs than we have people. It is a very difficult situation for us to be in, said Allen Newton, executive director of Sevier County Economic Development Council. Newton described the worker shortage at a Pigeon Forge City Commission workshop, as well as plans to ask the city for a tax abatement for the J1 housing project that Dollywood is having constructed by Holtz Builders Inc. Holtz will also manage the facility. We want to just ask you to be thinking about the 10-year PILOT (Payment In Lieu Of Taxes) program because this project is well on its way already, Newton said. Those requests will be coming officially in the coming weeks. Holtz is going to be coming to you at a future commission meeting and then well be working with the Pigeon Forge IDB to put together a PILOT, Payment In Lieu Of Taxes; were going to abate the taxes for 10 years, Newton said. What that will do is help Holtz keep the cost of construction down which will enable them to make sure we keep the cost to the kids down for their weekly rentals somewhere between $100 and $125 ... The rates are now going to around $115. The facility for Dollywood will have about 780 beds and will house students taking part in the countys Southern Hospitality Internship (SHIP) program as well as J1 workers. Dollywood plans to use the lower floors for offices and warehouses. Newton said there is competition in attracting international workers and housing is key. We dont really have a lot of places to go for additional workforce so we think the best thing for us to do is look at these student housing complexes and look at how we can get these facilities built. We can have first-class facilities and then there will be no competition for us, Newton said. We need to have first-class homes here. There are several projects going on in Sevier County as it related to student housing. One such project is the complex Holtz built for Wilderness at the Smokies about two years ago. Holtz can manage facilities, but Wilderness chose to manage their facilities themselves. The Wilderness facility is also helping to house SHIP students. Newton praised the work of Holtz, noting they have been successful in Wisconsin Dells, where 70 to 80% of its workforce is J1 students. They are concerned with safety and the quality of their construction, Newton said. Natalie Cubbage, business support/advocate volunteer manager with CASA of the Heartland, and Gen. James M. Rogers, trustee with the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, pose for a photo as CASA of the Heartland was awarded a more than $2,000 Kentucky Colonels grant. That release could not be found. Laos national caught in latest Phuket drug arrests PHUKET: Thalang Police have named a Laos national among three men arrested for drugs in Pa Khlok this week. drugscrimepolice By Eakkapop Thongtub Saturday 19 June 2021, 03:55PM The arrests, led by Capt Suchart Ruecha, were conducted from June 14-18, said the police report. Laos national, named in the report only as Mr Kit, was arrested on the Bang Rong-Bang Pae road in Moo 3, Pa Khlok, after he was found with nine pills of methamphetamine (ya bah) stamped with the letters WY. Mr Kit was charged with possession of a Category 1 drug, as well as entering and staying in the country illegally, the report noted. The second arrest was that of Suriya Bangkaew, 29, who was arrested at his home in Moo 6, Pa Khlok, with 13 pills of ya bah also embossed with the letters WY. Suriya was taken to Thalang Police Station and charged with possession of a Category 1 drug, the report confirmed. The third arrest noted in the report was that of Anupong Nat Kertsup, 26, who was arrested at his house in Soi Bang Pae, Moo 3, Pa Khlok, after he was found with 404 pills of ya bah of which 202 pills were also stamped with the letters WY. Anupong was taken to Thalang Police Station and charged with possession of a Category 1 drug with intent to sell, the report concluded. Megan Fox goes Rogue A few years ago if actress Megan Fox had a film coming out the world knew about it. The talented actress was the face of huge franchises including Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. She was so popular in fact that when she left the Transformers franchise there were fans out there saying they would boycott the Michael Bay juggernaut due to the fact they thought she had been unceremoniously and unfairly dumped. World-Entertainment By David Griffiths Saturday 19 June 2021, 11:00AM Megan Fox, Brandon Auret, Sisanda Henna, Greg Kriek, and Ashish Gangapersad in Rogue (2020). Photo: UMDB Today Foxs films seem to come out with very little fanfare at all a shame when you consider that some of the films that she has been releasing recently are absolute gems. First there was the seriously under-rated Think Like a Dog and now her new action film Rogue has landed on a number of streaming platforms in Phuket. With a lot of ordinary action films being released during the COVID lockdowns it is refreshing to see a film like Rogue stand above the pack. Directed by M.J. Bassett (Ash vs Evil Dead), Rogue sees Fox star as mercenary leader Samantha OHara, who is sent into East Africa with her team to rescue the kidnapped daughter of a Governor. Once on the ground OHara learns that Asilia (Jessica Sutton The Kissing Booth) is being held captive alongside her best friends, Tessa (Isabel Bassett Solomon Kane) and Chloe (Calli Taylor The Courier). But as OHara and her team find themselves in a fight to the death with local warlord Zalaam (Adam Deacon Righteous Villains) they soon discover that they are also the hunted. Not only does Zalaam to have a bigger army than they expected but there is also a rogue lioness patrolling the area who is annoyed that she has been separated from her cubs at an illegal lion farm. Soon she is hunting down OHaras team as well as the rebels they are fighting. You could probably say that there is nothing new in Rogue but what makes this film standout from some of the other action films out there is the way that the story is told. M.J. Bassett reveals herself as an under-rated director of the genre, her battle sequences here are equal to anything that we saw in films like Black Hawk Down while her screenplay, which she wrote with her daughter Isobel, does something that so few action films do give characterisation to even the minor characters. That small things totally enhance the rest of the film. The fact that one of OHaras team was once a member of Zalaams militia leads to some brilliant tense moments between himself and the former captives of Zalaam, while even Zalaam is given more characterisation than most action bad guys would be. There are times in this film where he basically pleads his case to OHara explaining that the militia are as equally as bad as the government she works for. Yes, it doesnt justify anything but it does make for more interesting scenes than just endless shootouts. Bassett also allows for Rogue to take on an environmental angle as well. Not only does she show the cruelty that exists in the illegal lion farms but also reveals that it is corruption and greed that keeps them running. Yes, the plot almost does label the lioness as one of the villains of the film but at the same time there is a clear understanding from OHara as to why the lioness is doing what she is doing she is simply just trying to protect her young. Sadly amongst all the COVID carnage in cinemas at the moment Rogue has slipped through to go straight to streaming services but this is one action film that certainly shouldnt be missed. Megan Fox stars in a role that demands both dramatic and action skills while the story itself is both intriguing and suspenseful. One to certainly hunt down while cinemas are still closed. Rogue is currently available on a number of streaming platforms in Phuket. 3.5/5 Stars David Griffiths has been working as a film and music reviewer for over 20 years. That time has seen him work in radio, television and in print. You can follow him at www.facebook.com/subcultureentertainmentaus Navy renders assistance to fishermen adrift off Dokmai island PHUKET: A navy patrol boat was dispatched last night to render assistance to six fishermen on a boat adrift east of Koh Dokmai, east of Phuket, after the boat had run out of fuel. marineSafety By Eakkapop Thongtub Saturday 19 June 2021, 03:36PM Photo: Royal Thai Navy Lt Col Jirayut Niyomdech of the Phuket Marine Police reported that he received a call from Ms Kornwarin Sangkaewpa informing him of the situation at about 10pm. Ms Kornwarin explained that her father, Somphot Sawasdee, 64, a resident of Rassada, was on a small fishing boat named Choksanae Por with six friends. The group had departed from Soi Kingkaew in Rassada at 4pm to go fishing at Dokmai Island. The group were to return last night but there was some incident with the fuel, and the vessel no longer had any and was unable to return to shore. Concerned about large waves overnight, she had called the Marine Police for assistance, to either deliver some fuel to the boat or tow it back to Phuket. Lt Col Jirayut in turned informed the sea rescue unit at the Royal Thai Navy base at Cape Panwa, which dispatched patrol boat Tor 814 to render assistance. The patrol boat located the Choksanae Por at 11:30pm, about three nautical miles east of Koh Dokmai. All six on board were unharmed and the Navy personnel handed over some fuel they had brought with them. With fuel now in the Choksanae Pors tanks, the engine started without further delay. Mr Somphot and his friends said there would return to shore this morning, and so the patrol boat return to base, Lt Col Jirayut reported. Phuket fisheries chief defends blacktip shark fishing, not illegal PHUKET: Watcharin Rattanachoo, Chief of the Phuket Fisheries Office, has repeated his explanation that the fishing of blacktip reef sharks in areas not protected by law is not illegal. marineanimalsenvironment By Eakkapop Thongtub Saturday 19 June 2021, 04:34PM The call follows photos of a haul of blacktip reef sharks at the Phuket Fishing Port circulating on social media overnight. Mr Watcharin already confirmed to The Phuket News yesterday that the fishing of blacktip reef sharks in non-protected areas, although not liked by many people, is not illegal. His repeated call for understanding among the public today follows the photos of the blacktip reef sharks in baskets at Phukets Fishing Port being posted on the Facebook page of well-known Thai marine conservationist and marine animal rights leader Prof Thon Thamrongnawasawat, Deputy Dean for Special Affairs at the Faculty of Fisheries of Kasetsart University. There is currently no law stating that the fishing and distribution of blacktip sharks is an offense if the regulated fishing equipment is used, Mr Watcharin said. He also explained that blacktip reef sharks are often caught as by-catch. When smaller fishing vessels [under 10 tonnes gross] aim to catch grouper and other local fish, some blacktip sharks tend to be caught sometimes when they come to feed and gather around the shoreline rocks, Mr Watcharin said. Depending on the time [of the year] the sharks move into the fishermens fishing area. This is usual during the rainy season from around January to early June, he added. Therefore, from the news above, it is not considered a violation of the law if fishing in the area is not prohibited and the correct equipment is used, Mr Watcharin said. Mr Watcharin pointed out efforts by the Phuket Fisheries offices in the past to prevent fishing in protected areas and the illegal fishing of specific species, especially whale sharks. But in the news such as the blacktip reef shark, the law does not make it an offense. We must also be fair to fishermen, he said. Soi Dog Foundation calls for CDC to revise ban on import of dogs into the USA Soi Dog Foundation (SDF) is asking the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to rethink their blanket ban on the importation of rescued pet dogs from over 120 countries worldwide, including Thailand. The ban follows mounting concerns by the CDC about the transmission of rabies from unvaccinated dogs entering the country. Pets By Soi Dog Foundation Saturday 19 June 2021, 10:00AM In a letter to the CDC, President of SDF John Dalley MBE stated, We fully support and appreciate the importance of implementing stringent disease control measures. However, we are deeply concerned that the measures due to take effect on July 14 will unjustly penalise the import of dogs by SDF and other reputable and internationally recognised rescue organisations. All dogs imported by SDF into the USA come from the southern island province of Phuket and pose no risk to human and animal health in the USA. Phuket is Thailands first province to be recognised as rabies free, he added. Mr Dalley went on to state that it was clear from the official CDC announcement that the current issue has been brought about by unscrupulous puppy dealers exporting very young puppies with false documents for commercial purposes. These documents claim the puppies are over four months old, which is the minimum age requirement for them to be properly vaccinated against rabies. As an organisation that operates the worlds largest stray animal sterilisation/vaccination program, and whose work towards eliminating rabies in Thailand has been officially recognised by the Thai Ministry of Public Health, SDF fully understands the severity of rabies and the risk it poses to both animal and human health. With an unblemished track record of importing healthy, rabies-free dogs to various countries worldwide for 18 years, SDF finds a blanket ban on the import of adopted dogs to be unduly harsh on reputable organisations who are fully compliant with and in its own case exceed all current import requirements. SDF is therefore urging the CDC to adopt the rabies titer test requirement used by other countries to safeguard against importing infected dogs, which would be equally as effective in achieving the same goal. The requirement for an animal to hold a valid rabies titer test showing immunisation against rabies from a CDC-approved laboratory, and then a three-month wait before the animal gains entry, has proved 100% effective in countries where it is mandatory. The UK, for example, has been free from canine rabies for over a century. This requirement would also help to end the commercial exploitation of puppies. SDF, which is totally non-profit, does not import puppies under six months old. The vast majority of its dogs are adult and have been rescued from situations like the dog meat trade and extreme cruelty that American people would find abhorrent. Sadly, by introducing this ban, the CDC will inadvertently be encouraging the continuation of the dog and cat meat trade, which in itself helps to spread rabies, and other cruel practices that exist in Asia. With time to revise the ban fast running out, SDF is hopeful that the CDC are able to act quickly and revert to a more narrowed approach one in which there are no losers. As Soi Dog USA President Janis Rosenthal recently reminded us: suffering has no borders. Southern Pines, NC (28387) Today Scattered thunderstorms. High 78F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. Ridgefield and Washington, among other towns in the state, are slated to receive thousands of dollars in grant money for their open space efforts. Both were awarded grants by the states Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. DEEP has administered roughly $6.2 million for open space preservation under its Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Program and Urban Green and Community Garden Program. Approximately $5.5 million of the money will support towns buying nearly 3,000 acres, according to a press release from Gov. Ned Lamonts office. Washington and Ridgefield combined are being given about $778,000 in grant dollars. Open space is land preserved to help protect biodiversity and natural landscapes that residents can also use for recreation. Our administration has set high goals to mitigate the effects of climate change and implement policies that better preserve our air, water, and natural resources, Lamont said in a statement. This program is an important component of preserving some of the best and most beautiful land in the world, and by partnering with our municipalities and nonprofits we can ensure that these valuable resources are preserved in perpetuity for generations to come. Jay Hubelbank, Washingtons First Selectman, said the town is thrilled about the grant money coming its way. Its a pretty high priority, he said, noting the town does have a fair share of open space that the conservation commission has worked toward achieving for years. Washington will draw $736,000 for its conservation of the Bantam, Cook and Mount Tom preserves. The properties are part of an initiative spearheaded by the Steep Rock Association to expand and connect the parcels to already preserved areas, according to the release. The Bantam and Mount Tom Preserves will be joined with the Mount Tom State Park and Wyantenock State Forest, as well as include an installation of a 2.1-mile trail. However, the Cook Preserve will be coupled with the Bronson Fields space. Each has forest land, wetlands and animal habitats. In Ridgefield, local officials are gaining $42,000 for their continued effort to sustain the Bear Mountain land and attach it to the Hemlock Hills preserve that spans over 386 acres. This property is home to several native tree species such as black birch, blueberry and mountain laurel. Jim Coyle, chairman of the Ridgefield Conservation Commission once described open space as the lungs of the town. Ridgefield officials purchased the Bear Mountain parcel last year and have since completed building the trail - called the white trail - that connects the section to Hemlock Hills with help from some neighborhood boy scouts. Were always looking to add open space in town, Coyle said. And although the town had to spend some money to get its grant application moving and was expecting more from the state, the amount its getting will be helpful for the next purchase. Right now the town has approximately 26 percent of open space and is hoping to attain more and reach its goal of 30 percent. The cost of real estate in Ridgefield is pretty high, but on occasion, we find something like this that we can afford, Coyle said, explaining that reaching the towns goal would likely cost them close to $10 million, which is why they appreciate land donations from residents. Connecticut now has about 512,000 acres of open space, bringing it more than three quarters closer to its overarching goal of 673,210 acres, the release said. As the academic year winds to a close, Danbury area districts are waiting to see if theyre going to get an influx of kindergartners in the fall. This past year, several districts saw a dip in enrollment as parents opted to postpone kindergarten for a year, move to private school or homeschool their kids in order to cut down on uncertainties of hybrid learning and provide a more normal experience. Now, some officials are expecting, and in some cases already seeing, a return. Other districts, however, are not seeing any great changes. Final enrollment tallies are still in the works in most places as parents continue registering their kids over the summer. Danbury is projecting 1,006 kindergartners this next year, an increase of 26 percent from the 799 kids this past year, according to Superintendent Sal Pascarella. Current sign-ups are still at about 640. Were definitely seeing higher than normal enrollments, said Megan Bennett, superintendent of Region 12 schools, which serves Bridgewater, Roxbury and Washington. But some families are not sure whether to send their children to public school next year. Michelle Howatt, of Ridgefield, said shell likely form another homeschooling pod for her twins if Ridgefield keeps its mask mandate. I am determined to give my children as normal of a school experience as possible, and if that means Im going to homeschool them, Im going to homeschool them, said Howatt, who was part of a homeschooling group for her kindergartners this past year. Kindergarten projections Bennett pointed to New Yorkers who had relocated and parents who are now enrolling their kindergarteners after holding them back last year as reasons for the enrollment increase. While some students moved to homeschooling, a few went to private school, she said. One of their elementary schools is seeing a 33 percent increase in kindergarten enrollment compared to this year, and another is nearly at capacity, according to Bennett. The superintendent noted that with a smaller school district, any numerical change looks significant. Despite parents holding kids back last year, Region 12 didnt see a big dip in class sizes because of the influx of New Yorkers. Theyre still waiting to see if those transplants will stay put. We dont know how many people from the city are planting their roots in our town, she said. The district has added another first grade class and are debating another second grade class. However, public schools in Brookfield, Bethel and New Milford arent seeing a big jump in enrollment numbers so far. Brookfield has 165 kindergartners pre-enrolled, but expects to hit 171, which is similar to previous years, according to district Superintendent John Barile. This past year, kindergarten enrollment was down slightly for the same reasons other districts saw. Were pleasantly surprised that were as close to our projected enrollment as we are, Barile said. Bethel saw a dip in numbers in 2020-21 that appears likely to continue in the fall, said Superintendent Christine Carver. A typical year sees over 200 kindergarteners, whereas this past year was slightly under that estimate. New Milford has 212 kindergartners signed up for next year, which is slightly lower than the 228 from this past year. But the district expects more summer enrollment and has been preparing for an increase since late last year. Im already noticing that there are going to be a significantly larger number of students that will be entering kindergarten in the fall, said Superintendent Alisha DiCorpo during a Board of Education meeting in December of 2020. DiCorpo said she had been talking to area daycares and child care centers to get a better sense of what to expect. One facility told her their numbers had more than doubled because parents decided to hold off on kindergarten during the pandemic. In response, the district opened registrations in January, a month earlier than normal. DiCorpo said their homeschooling numbers increased during COVID. However, many parents told the district that their pivot from public school was a temporary one-year decision, DiCorpo told the board. Overall, officials agree that true enrollment numbers will likely change over the summer as families often move in and out of districts at this time. To return or not to return, that is the question Some area families say they may leave public school for good. Several are waiting to see what the school year might look like. Howatt and her husband moved to Ridgefield because of the strength of their public schools, but when their twin daughters were supposed to start kindergarten last year during the pandemic, they opted for a learning pod with other local families instead of sending them to public school, she said. We wanted to provide a safe environment for our children where they could learn and be around other children, Howatt said. She didnt want her girls to have to wear masks all day and sit behind plexiglass dividers. It was important to the couple that their daughters interacted and socialized with other children and werent distracted from their learning by unwieldy masks, Howatt said. Theyd already held the twins back a year, so waiting the year out wasnt an option. After posting on Facebook about a forming a pod, Howatt said she got an overwhelming response from other interested parents. The group came together and hired a local teacher to come to Howatts house every morning to teach their kids. Their pod had 11 children, including four sets of twins. They named the pod the Shadow Hill School. The kids arrived to Howatts house at 8:45 a.m. Class began at 9 a.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance and circle time, followed by academic subjects like math, reading and writing before wrapping up at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday was their last day of classes. They had an unbelievable experience, Howatt said. For Nancy Reid in Roxbury, a year interrupted by spurts of remote or distance learning and mask-wearing led her to send her two school-age daughters to private school, where they were guaranteed to be in-person and didnt have to wear masks for the most part. Reids daughters would have attended kindergarten and first grade in Region 12 schools this year. Instead, they went to Torrington Christian Academy, and Reid made a 40-minute drive to Torrington four times a day so they could have an uninterrupted, mask-free academic experience, she said. This year, Reids plan is changing slightly. She said she plans to start homeschooling her daughters, which was something shed already thought about doing as they got older. The thought was always that Id be a homeschooler eventually, Reid said. Today Mainly sunny to start, then a few afternoon clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 93F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Tonight Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 62F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 95F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Montreal, CA (H4T1V6) Today Periods of rain. High 20C. Winds ENE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 14C. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Media Content Creator Ian Ostroff is a writer/reporter who resides in Montreal. He is passionate about getting to know the people and places that make his hometown so great. In his spare time, you can find him at the gym, eating ice cream, or working on his novel(s). Please note The Sun Chronicle is providing this story and all of our local coronavirus coverage for free so that all readers have access to this important information about the pandemic. Please visit our dedicated coronavirus coverage page for more stories. If you'd like to support our mission, please subscribe. EDWARDSVILLE Citing recent ransomware attacks in St. Clair County and other governmental units, the Madison County Board approved two contracts to improve its informational technology security, and is looking at other measures to protect its electronic infrastructure. The board approved a $112,689.60 contract with Arctic Wolf, for a security monitoring service, and a $50,747.90 contract for a one-year cloud service subscription from Insight Public Sector Inc., Virginia-based firms. The county is improving it cybersecurity, which will include multi-factor authentication and security monitoring services, Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler said. He said the county is concerned about cybersecurity, especially after recent ransomware attacks in nearby communities. Hackers breached both St. Clair County and city of Alton. We want to do what we can to prevent it and protect information, he said. Board Member Jamie Goggin, R-Edwardsville, who chairs the boards IT Committee, said they were looking at a number of issues and solutions. You will be seeing some resolutions in the next few months, he said. It was noted that the $163,000 cost for the contracts is the first expenditure from the countys $51 million share of funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Also approved was an emergency appropriations resolution allowing the money to be spent. IT Director Chris Bethel also handed out a short report on the issues the county is facing, and what it is doing to prevent incursions. Those include the two-factor authentication Prenzler referred to, which requires a secondary identification factor to access the countys computer network, and ongoing penetration tests, which would assess the countys security and identify vulnerabilities. The county performed a series of penetration tests in 2018, but some departments opted out of the tests. At the time, some departments objected to the timing of the tests near an election, while others had concerns about sensitive data, and confidence in the IT Department at that time. Prenzler also noted the use of the ARPA funding. He said the county was working toward improving its cybersecurity plan when the federal funding became available. By using the ARPA funds the county wont be spending its general fund monies to protect its infrastructure in Special Services Area (SSA) number one, he said. Prenzler said the county is able to improve its cybersecurity because it provides the technology and support for SSA, which is a sewer system operated by the county, and tied into the countys network. Sewer system improvements are among the priorities for ARPA funding. We are very pleased the ARPA funds are allowing us to accelerate our plans to improve our security posture, Bethel said. There was some additional discussion about ARPA funding in the meeting. After questions from board members, County Administrator Dave Tanzyus said the administration has two groups dealing with ARPA funding. A review group is looking at the accounting aspects of the funding, while an implementation group is determining how it would be spent. The county has already received about $26 million, with the remainder to come next year. Prenzler also said he will appoint a blue ribbon panel of community leaders to consider how to spend the money. There has been some public discussion about how to spend the money, but most discussion has been among several working groups of county administrators and elected officials. The county also is expected to hire an outside consulting firm to manage the funding. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) As Iranian state TV showed people streaming to cast their ballots Friday and news anchors praised them for coming out to vote, very different scenes played out on Tehrans streets, where many polling places appeared relatively empty. Amid rising anger and apathy over a presidential vote tipped in favor of Ebrahim Raisi, the hard-line judiciary chief cultivated by Iran's supreme leader, the election atmosphere was distinctly subdued. In past elections, long lines snaked out of polling stations. Cars and minibuses zigzagged through the capital's chaotic streets blaring campaign slogans. Banners too big to miss championed the various candidates and blanketed buildings. But this year, the streets were calm, traffic was light and the typical zeal was absent even from state television, which offered only tight shots of people putting paper ballots into boxes. Few, if any, other voters could be seen in the background. It is useless, said Ali Hosseini, a 36-year-old unemployed resident in southern Tehran, about the exercise of voting. Anyone who wins the election after some time says he cannot solve problem of the economy because of intervention by influential people. He then forgets his promises and we poor people again are disappointed. Throngs of reporters packed Tehran's turquoise-domed Hosseinieh Ershad institute, photographing officials and ordinary Iranians casting ballots. The images of journalists pushing and jostling in the polling place were carried by local media and international broadcasters. But that scene was at odds with what people saw at 16 different polling stations across Tehran, where lines were short and no more than eight voters at a time could be seen casting ballots. Some polls remained virtually deserted throughout the day a stark contrast to ice cream shops and restaurants nearby. Of two dozen voters interviewed at various stations, more than half said they'd voted for Raisi. Listless poll workers listened to state radio, looked at their phones or chatted calmly. While the government's turnout figures weren't expected until Saturday, the state-linked Iranian Student Polling Agency earlier this week estimated a turnout of just above 40%, which would be the lowest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Signs of anxiety over turnout began to emerge at the highest levels of Iran's leadership days before polls opened. Fearing a boycott that might undermine the credibility of the theocratic system, officials across the political spectrum from the powerful hard-line Revolutionary Guard to relatively moderate outgoing President Hassan Rouhani urged people to vote. In an unprecedented televised speech on the final day of campaigning, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned sternly of foreign plots to keep voters home and described participation as a way to show defiance toward the West amid heightened tensions. And yet, despite the official warnings and admonishment from the news media, many Iranians struggled to see the point in voting. The country's clerical vetting body allowed only Raisi and a few other low-profile candidates, mostly hard-liners, on the ballot. The main moderate contender, former Central Bank chief Abdolnasser Hemmati, lacks the support base required to rally the masses. All their campaigns dealt with similar generalities: helping the unemployed, improving the economy, boosting Iran's self-sufficiency. None of the candidates are trustworthy, said Nasrin, a 31-year-old accountant in central Tehran who declined to give her last name for fear of reprisals. In the last election in 2017, she voted for Rouhani, whose administration struck Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, granting Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. But three years later, then-U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew America from the accord and returned crushing sanctions, triggering the collapse of the Iranian riyal and destroying Rouhani's forecasts of an economic boom. I heard similar promises for a better life and more roles for women in past elections, but no change happened on the ground, Nasrin said. Another passerby in a middle-class Tehran district, 23-year-old Rojin Ahmadi, offered a similarly grim view of the candidates. None of them dared to offer a plan to show they would bring the country into normalcy, she said, adding that she wasn't voting. Public frustration with the status quo has swelled under Iran's mounting crises: global isolation, unprecedented U.S. sanctions and the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed over 82,600 Iranians the highest death toll in the Middle East. But faith in the power of voting to change anything also had suffered badly. The elimination of Rouhani allies and prominent reformists startled even high-ranking officials. Analysts describe this election as the least competitive in the Islamic Republic's history. Demoralized critics have mounted boycott calls on social media. Former hard-line populist President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, barred from running a second time, seized on popular anger by repeating his decision to stay home for the vote. Rouhani, who is term limited, expressed regret over the disqualifications of reformists as he cast his ballot, hinting that a low turnout was a foregone conclusion. I wish we didnt have so many problems and saw more turnout today, he lamented. As the conflict over whether to vote played out, Raisi supporters did not need much convincing. The cleric appeals to some impoverished Iranians for his anti-corruption campaign and outspoken criticism of the West. The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned him in 2019 over his involvement in the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988, at the end of the Iran-Iraq war, and his time as chief of Iran's internationally criticized judiciary. He's clergy, said Niloufar Mohammadi, a 19-year-old law student, explaining why she voted for Raisi. Influential people listen to him. CARBONDALE If it werent for his K-9 harness, at first glance, youd never know Axel was a police dog. The giant schnauzer came bounding into Chief Brian Bognatzs office on Monday, wagging his tail and happily accepting head and back scratches. You dont pet Axel he pets you, his handler, Officer Robert Williams, quipped as Axel pushed against a Times-Tribune reporter. The friendly, 3-year-old police dog is a local celebrity thanks to his puppy-like personality, floppy ears and shaggy fur unusual for a police dog. The Carbondale Police Department is using his popularity to raise money to help pay for a new police vehicle equipped for him. Seeing other police departments selling merchandise of their K-9s, Carbondale followed suit, Bognatz said. Their store sells shirts, sweatshirts, hats, pants and even backpacks with Axels likeness, along with Fear the Beard stickers, which references the schnauzers shaggy face. People often want to see Axel when hes out on calls, and the bubbly giant schnauzer helps build relations in the community, Williams said. It brings everybody down to reality that were just regular people, and its nice to get that open door, Williams said. Everyone loves Axel hes a great asset to the Carbondale community. Launched on June 3, it is their second iteration of the merchandise store, Williams said. They first sold Axel merchandise in March and raised about $1,000, he said. For this round of fundraising, they have received about 90 orders, totaling around 200 items, most of which were shirts and sweatshirts, Williams said. So far, theyve received orders from across the country, including Hawaii, California and North Carolina, Williams said. Although they received requests for international orders, shipping proved to be cost prohibitive, he said. Williams and Axel need a new police vehicle, and the department is using funds from the sales to pay for it. Williams said his 2013 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor is on its last legs, and replacing it means not only buying a new vehicle, but also a new K-9 insert where Axel spends his time in the back seat. The insert will cost an additional $5,000. Since Axel is a large dog, the department is looking to replace his vehicle with another SUV, which would be in the $30,000 range, Bognatz said. Were always looking for ways to generate revenue being that maintenance and upkeep on Axel is a continual process, he said. Hes always in need of food, veterinary care, things like that. Bognatz estimated that it costs between $4,000 and $5,000 annually to maintain a K-9, which includes food, treats, haircuts, gear and training aids. Training alone cost $20,000, he said. The store will remain open until 11:59 p.m. on June 27. To order, visit ecspecialties.tuosystems.com/stores/cpd. SCRANTON Seated in the Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temples cavernous ballroom, Kristia Magar took a step toward normalcy. The 15-year-old stopped by on Friday to receive her first shot of the Pfizer vaccine against COVID-19, one of a few dozen who had done so by the early afternoon as part of a local collaboratives vaccine clinic and free fresh food market. I just want this to get back to normal, she said. The Kick COVID-19 Community Corps a collaborative between volunteers, Lackawanna County and Scranton governments, social service agencies, faith groups, cultural organizations and economic and education groups held a clinic Friday aiming to get the vaccine to those who have not yet received it. By Friday, 5,202,418 Pennsylvanians were fully vaccinated and 1,389,929 had received their first dose, according to the state Department of Health. In Lackawanna County, 68.4% of the population, or 127,694 people, had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Co-leader Michelle McGough said they also handed out fresh and nonperishable food as well because families need it. And we know that those who are either hesitant or maybe not as inclined to go get their vaccination, they might be within the same community, she said. So we thought put the two together, you know, it might have a little bit more effect, reach the people that were trying to reach that havent yet gotten vaccinated. Chandra Sitaula, president of the Bhutanese Cultural Foundation of Scranton Association, said people at first were worried about the vaccine because they did not know what was in it. He said research on it helped sway peoples decisions to get it. We needed the vaccine because it saved our life, he said. Workers from Delta Medix, Commonwealth Health and volunteer licensed practitioners with the Lackawanna County Medical Society worked to try and reach about 300 people. Jason Kavulich, Lackawanna County Area Agency on Aging director, said their goal was to reach the countys daily average vaccination rate during the clinic. By noon, they had reached between 50 and 100 people at the cultural center. Additional vaccines and food went out to residents in the citys Mulberry and Amos towers, McGough said. After receiving their vaccines, families could pick up bags of food, including fresh milk, ground beef, peppers, sweet potatoes, cabbage, peas and some canned, nonperishable food. Fridays vaccine clinic included second doses for those who had already received their first, as well as first doses for those who had not yet gotten a shot. For those people, second doses were scheduled for later in July, McGough said. SCRANTON A jury found an Elmhurst Twp. man guilty Friday of nearly three dozen charges for raping a young girl for several years. After a four-day trial, jurors found Francis Collin Vetter guilty of 35 of 38 counts, including counts of child rape, statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and obstructing a child abuse investigation. The charges carry a potential maximum sentence of more than 400 years in prison if the penalties for all of the counts were to run consecutively. The Times-Tribune does not identify victims of sexual assault. After the verdict, Lackawanna County District Attorney Mark Powell praised Deputy District Attorney Sara Varela and Assistant District Attorney Bo Loughney, who prosecuted the case together. The two, he said in a message, "did an excellent job with a victim who not only was sexually assaulted at a tender age but also was intimidated by the defendant to not testify." "We are grateful that the jury saw through those tactics and rendered a guilty verdict," Powell said. Vetter's attorney, Joseph D'Andrea, said he respected the jury's decision. State police initially charged Vetter in January 2019 after the girl disclosed the abuse to family members. The victim tested positive for chlamydia, which authorities said is the same sexually transmitted disease that infected Vetter. The girl, now 15, testified Wednesday the abuse began when she was 7 when Vetter had her watch pornography. The abuse later escalated to sexual contact. Police later charged Vetter with additional offenses because they said he showed a 9-year-old boy pornography and told the child to have sex with a 10-year-old girl. Vetter was found not guilty of three of four charges related to that conduct. Vetter was also found guilty of trying to obstruct the investigation by having another minor ask that boy to recant the allegations and to record him saying it. In arguing for Vetter's acquittal, D'Andrea drew attention to inconsistencies in the stories the children told, saying they spun those tales for their own "survival" because they were manipulated by family who had a vendetta against Vetter. "Lies and deception are the essence of reasonable doubt," D'Andrea said. The children were manipulated by Vetter, Varela said. The 35-year-old "abused, manipulated and controlled" the two victims. "It's time for someone else to stand up for these kids," Varela said during her closing argument. "The abuse, the manipulation, the betrayal, it can stop here in this courtroom." Vetter remains in Lackawanna County Prison. A sentencing date has not been set. Tyrone Holmes didnt think hed see Juneteenth become a federal holiday in his lifetime. Today, Americans are celebrating the 156th anniversary of the ending of slavery in the United States when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, declaring slaves were free. In recent years, Juneteenth has started becoming more well known, culminating with President Joe Biden signing legislation Thursday making it a national holiday. The conversation is being conducted where it needs to be, which is outside, said Holmes, 51, the chairman of Lackawanna Countys branch of the NAACP. Before this, it was being taught, at least from my perspective, only at home. A self-described history buff, Holmes originally learned about the importance of Juneteenth from his parents not in school or history books. When Joe Biden signed this into law, I think people are understanding were trying to reconcile the past by educating people of it and making them aware, he said. As Ive always said, if you dont have these conversations, you learn nothing, and you dont get better, and you dont progress and you dont become a better society. Although Juneteenth was first celebrated in 1866, it was a very specific Texas celebration, said Adam Pratt, Ph.D., an associate history professor at the University of Scranton. Theoretically, slaves were liberated when President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, he said. However, Texas was at the western end of the Confederacy, and it was the most remote and most isolated location from the Union Army. (Juneteenth is) this really important moment that sort of holds the mirror to the United States, Pratt said. We say, Yeah, the United States should be about freedom. And were going to celebrate that. Holmes largely credits millennials with making Juneteenth more prominent. They have reenergized this conversation. ... It seems like at one point where it was almost not spoken about, they have stepped up and said, Wait, this is a part of our history that we need to know, and we need to talk about, Holmes said. Jimel Calliste, 29, the president of the Wilkes-Barre NAACP, only learned of the holiday several years ago while attending a political boot camp in Cincinnati with NAACP members from across the country. The decision to make it a national holiday caught him by surprise, but he pointed to an increase in Juneteenth celebrations and information in recent years. Now, Im seeing more groups and organizations just recognizing the day and doing events around it and making sure that theyre visible in the community, he said, noting Juneteenth celebrations in both Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. The rise of social media allowed more people to learn about the holiday, and over the course of the past year, COVID-19 and quarantining made people take a moment and actually have to digest whats going on in the world around them, he said. The microscope has just been on the pain and the agony that we have had to go through for all of these years, Calliste said. As more people educate themselves about Juneteenth and its significance, he believes the events and programs will only continue growing. Youre going to see Juneteenth rival July 4, he said. I dont think this is a trendy holiday. I dont think this is going to be something that dies out. The Rev. Shawn Walker, 45, pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Scranton and a Wilkes-Barre resident, tried to recall the first time he heard about Juneteenth, thinking back to attending an all-Black church as a child and celebrating Black History Month. It wasnt then, he said. It was very much recent that this term and phrase and this date has taken on a little bit of a life of its own. Walker first heard of Juneteenth sometime within the last decade. With it now a national holiday, the country is in such a unique time, he said. We came through last year with George Floyd, and we had so much of the Black Lives Matter movement and the NAACP, and people of color and white people, who cared very much about people of color and social justice, fighting for systemic change, Walker said, explaining they took their voices from the streets to the ballot boxes. To see this happen, and become made a federal holiday, I think is very important to all of those people who were in those public squares letting their voices be heard because at least someone was listening. Although it might not be the systemic change they are looking for, its an acknowledgment, Walker said. Weve come a long way since 1865, right? he said. If you go back throughout history, theres been many battles won, wars won, to try to turn the tide of race relations in this country, but that day served as one of the biggest events in African American history ... the day slaves were freed. A recent Associated Press story regarding unsold Girl Scout cookies on a national level highlighted the challenges that many Scout councils faced as we emerge from a nationwide pandemic. This was not the story for Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania. Like many nonprofits and businesses, Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania was not immune to the trials of COVID-19. But we met those challenges and in many ways exceeded our goals. We found creative and innovative ways to reach our membership and volunteers and continued our important girl-led programs. Those connections were crucial to many girls in our membership. Our association, which represents 30 counties in Central and Northeast Pennsylvania, worked hard to seek out that success during this past cookie-selling season, which ended in April. We are proud of our efforts. In fact, our local inventory controls were actually tighter this year than in years past. We had fewer Girl Scouts participating in the program this year, but our program leadership projected, budgeted and adapted appropriately. We found new ways for our Girl Scouts to sell safely both online and in-person, which included holding traditional cookie booths. Here are some highlights: In our smores executive club, which is an exclusive club that spotlights our brightest entrepreneurs who go above and beyond our product program efforts, the number of girls reaching that benchmark in 2019 was 94. In 2021, that number was 138, an increase of 46 percent. In that same time period, our Girl Scouts increased their average number of cookie packages sold from 178 to 231. When COVID-19 hit in 2020, Girl Scouts sold about 300,000 packages that year in direct sales. This year, and under most of the same conditions, our planning paid off. Our Girl Scouts sold more than 580,000 packages. In fact, when our council began our booth sales for 2021, we couldnt meet the initial demand. We are also very proud of the overwhelming success of our 2021 Gift of Caring program. This council-wide service project gives our community the chance to donate cookies to military troops overseas and to nonprofits. This year, we easily surpassed our goal of donating 30,000 boxes to troops. Donations were up by 60 percent and are a testament to the giving nature of our local Pennsylvania communities. All proceeds from the Girl Scout cookie program remain local and help to fund all of our programs: our camps, outdoor programs, STEAM, leadership training and other efforts. We know that we will continue to face many challenges as we tackle the rest of 2021 and plan for 2022. But the lessons learned during these past 15 months have certainly shown us that we can adapt and find success in the most trying time period in recent history. We have a strong and resilient scouting community to thank for our support as we move forward. Public support has allowed us to experience the success that we enjoyed. Swift and overwhelming passage this week of the Juneteenth National Independence Act, establishing June 19 as a national holiday, validates Martin Luther King Jr.s observation that the arc of the moral universe is long ... but bends toward justice. On June 19, 1865, 29 months after the Emancipation Proclamation of Jan. 1, 1863, freed enslaved people in Confederate states, and more than two months after Robert E. Lees surrender all but ended the Civil War, a U.S. Army force arrived in Galveston, Texas, and freed enslaved people who had remained in bondage. Six months later, the states ratified the 13th Amendment, forever outlawing slavery in the United States. Black Americans, especially in the South and even more so in Texas, long have observed Juneteenth, but it is not a Black holiday. All true Americans cherish freedom. South Dakota is alone among the states in not formally recognizing Juneteenth. Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the chief sponsor of the bill that passed in that chamber by unanimous consent, put it well: The freedom of all Americans that Texas celebrates every Juneteenth should be celebrated all across the nation. The passage of this bill represents a big step in our nations journey toward equality. The measure passed the House, 415-14, with dissenters bizarrely claiming that the bills title would cause Americans to confuse Juneteenth with Independence Day, or that it somehow would promote racial division. Sudden passage this week, rather, was a nod to effective racial justice advocacy over the past year and widespread education this year about the Black Wall Street race massacre 100 years ago in Tulsa. Juneteenth is a worthy holiday, an occasion for all Americans to savor their freedom. Since Iran and the U.S. held more talks this week to try to revive their nuclear deal, with some progress reported, I want to share my views on this subject. I supported the original deal negotiated by Barack Obama in 2015. I did not support Donald Trumps tearing it up in 2018, but when he did I hoped that hed leverage the economic pain he inflicted to persuade Iran to improve the deal. Trump failed at that, leaving Iran free to get closer than ever to a bomb. I support Joe Biden trying to revive the deal. And I support Israels covert efforts to sabotage Irans ability to ever build a nuclear weapon. There is a unifying thread running through it all: Dealing effectively with Irans Islamic regime in a way that permanently eliminates its malign behavior is impossible. Iran is too big to invade; the regime is too ensconced to be toppled from the outside; its darkest impulses, to dominate its Sunni Arab neighbors and destroy the Jewish state, are too dangerous to ignore; and its people are too talented to be forever denied a nuclear capability. So, when dealing with Iran, you do what you can, where you can, how you can, but with the understanding that perfect is not on the menu and Irans Islamic regime is not going to change. Its not misunderstood. After 42 years, Irans ruling clerics cultivate and celebrate conflict with America and Israel as an essential tool for locking themselves in power and for keeping their Revolutionary Guards richly funded and their people under their iron fist. The regime was quite happy to use resources it gained from Americas lifting of sanctions in the 2015 deal not just to build more roads and schools, but also to fund and arm pro-Iranian Arab Shiites in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. This ensured that all four remained weak or failed Arab states, unable to threaten Tehran or produce any true multisectarian democracy that would embarrass it. Friday, Iran held a farce of a presidential election, with Iranians free to vote for any of the regimes preapproved candidates. None of this will change as long as these ayatollahs are in power. Not only have they been consistent for 42 years, but so have U.S. presidents and Israeli prime ministers. Their strategies can be summed up as this: Always try to get the best deal with Iran that money can buy. Or, get the best deal that lifting or imposing sanctions or covert warfare can buy. But never opt for toppling the regime by force. Alas, Irans ruling clerics are shrewd survivors. They can guess your might from 100 miles away. And when they concluded that no one would dare to try to topple them or destroy their nuclear facilities these savvy and ruthless clerics found a way to never fully give up their nuclear capacity. For all of Trumps tough talk, and even with his assassination of Irans top underground warrior, Qassem Soleimani, Trump had no diplomatic strategy to leverage his maximum pressure campaign into attainable objectives that would improve the Iran nuclear deal or limit Irans regional activities, said Robert Litwak, senior vice president of the Wilson Center and author of Managing Nuclear Risks. He was not ready to use maximum force. So, the Iranians just waited him out. I do not support forcing regime change in Tehran from outside. That is a project only the Iranian people have the right and the power to do. Thats why I support getting the best deal money and covert action can buy but I have no illusions that they will make Iran a good neighbor. This reality is causing a quiet but serious rift between the U.S. and Israel. And while the post-Bibi Netanyahu Israeli government will handle it more quietly, it already knows that Joe Biden is a different cat. Its not only that Biden wont grant Israels new prime minister his every whim. It is that Biden is tightly focused on securing what he thinks is Americas primary strategic interest in the Middle East preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon that would force Turkey and all the Arab states to get nukes. The Biden team believes that Trumps maximum-pressure campaign did not diminish Irans malign behavior. So, Biden wants to at least lock up Irans nuclear program for a while and then try blunting its regional trouble-making in other ways. At the same time, Biden wants to put more focus on nation-building at home and on countering China. The Israeli retort is that the U.S. will be paying Iran to mothball a nuclear weapon that it is unlikely to ever use or proliferate while freeing it to deploy and proliferate the most sophisticated conventional weapons: precision-guided smart rockets Iran is shipping to its Hezbollah proxies in Lebanon and Syria. Israel is unlikely to tolerate this loaded gun to its head while Irans clerics sit comfortably in Tehran. In the 2006 war in Lebanon, Hezbollah had to fire some 20 rockets to damage a single Israeli target. With longer-range GPS-guided missilesn, Hezbollah may need to fire only one rocket each at 20 targets in Israel its nuclear reactor, airport, ports, power plants, high-tech factories and military bases. The Biden team says it is committed to curbing this threat through talks with Iran after the nuclear deal is restored. To which the Israelis ask: Thanks, but what leverage will you have? One way to defuse the tension between the U.S. and Israel would be for Biden to attempt a radical initiative a leveraged buyout of the Iranian presence in Syria. Syria effectively is controlled by Russia, Turkey and Iran. Russia is not enamored with having Iranian forces in Syria alongside its own, but it needed them to help crush the democratic and Sunni Islamist enemies of its proxy, Syrian dictator Bashar Assad. Biden and the gulf Arab states could go to the Russians and Assad with this offer: Kick out the Iranian forces and we will triple whatever financial aid Iran was giving Syria, and well tacitly agree that Assad can stay in power for the near term. Israels military would back this deal, because breaking the Syrian land bridge that Iran uses to keep Hezbollah supplied with rockets would be a game-changer. Yes, it would be a cynical deal. To which I say: Its the Middle East, folks. And Problems have solutions, but dilemmas have horns. Thomas L. Friedman writes for The New York Times. Catherine A. Tinka Zenke, 106, of Dalton, died peacefully Tuesday at Mountain View Care Center in Scranton. She was a loving daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother (GiGi), cousin and friend. Born in Scranton on Sept. 30, 1914, she was the daughter of the late Garfield and Emma Fellows Davies, and the granddaughter of the late John H. Fellows, eighth mayor of Scranton. Tinka was a 1932 graduate of Central High School and a member of First Presbyterian Church in Clarks Summit. Before retirement, Tinka worked for International Salt Company and in the Trust Department of PNC Bank. Tinka was the widow of Albert C. Zenke, who died in 1979. Tinka and Al met as teenagers at Lake Winola and after their marriage in 1936, they spent many enjoyable summers at the lake, surrounded by special cousins, family and friends. Tinka was an avid birdwatcher and environmentalist. She held many leadership positions and volunteered constantly in the Lackawanna Audubon Society (LAS), and was honored by receiving the LAS Golden Eagle Award and Lifetime Achievement Award. She represented the LAS at the first Earth Day in Scranton in 1970. Tinka also participated in the National Audubon Societys Christmas Bird Count for decades. For the better part of her life, Tinka was an active volunteer. She delivered Meals on Wheels, was a Brownie leader, volunteered in the libraries at both Abington Heights Middle School and in Dalton, was a deacon and Circle Bible Study leader in her church, and was a member of Centrals Alumni Association and received their Spirit Award. She and one other class member even met for their 80th class reunion! Tinka also was a resource person for many local students doing Scranton historical research projects. Along with all of these activities, Tinka became a world traveler with her husband, daughter Sue, and good friends, birdwatching and studying natural history. She visited many states in the U.S., with Alaska being her favorite. Internationally, she traveled to Peru, the Netherlands, Kenya, Panama, Mexico, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Belize, Trinidad and Tobago, Churchill, Manitoba, Newfoundland and other Canadian provinces. Tinka lived a full life and was a people person with family and friends being an important part of her life. As her last act of kindness, she wanted to donate her body for medical research. Unfortunately because of COVID-19 restrictions, this donation was not possible. Surviving are two daughters, Susan Zenke, Dalton and Jean Foster Siebecker and husband, Bill, Clarks Summit; grandchildren, Susan Flynn and Ken Foster; great-grandchildren, Ryan and Ethan Flynn, Sophia and Olivia Foster, all of Clarks Summit; and many loving cousins. She was preceded in death by her infant son, Albert G. Zenke (Jeans twin); sister-in-law, Irma Zenke; and son-in-law, John Foster. Tinkas family would like to thank all of the doctors and other medical professionals who cared for her. Her family also deeply appreciates the dedication of Tinkas caregivers. Their help allowed Tinka to stay at home until the last four months of her life. Special thanks to Tracy, Marji, her granddaughter Sue, Kathy, Julie, Theresa, Bev, the caring, loving staff at Mountain View, and Compassionate Care Hospice. A celebration of Tinkas life will be held in September with the Rev. William Carter officiating. Memorial contributions may be made to Lackawanna Audubon Societys Special Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 132, La Plume, PA 18440, or First Presbyterian Church of Clarks Summits Norton Fund, 300 School St., Clarks Summit, PA 18411. Arrangements have been entrusted to Lawrence E. Young Funeral Home and Cremation Services Inc., 418 S. State St., Clarks Summit. Brenda Darlene (Burnett, Witt, Bollmer) Curtin, 52, of Cincinnati, Ohio passed away June 21, 2021. She was born November 13, 1968, in Cincinnati, Ohio to the late Gladys (Jones) Napier and the late Wilburn Burnett. Brenda was preceded in death by a daughter, Jennifer Witt and sisters Alta Ru Westerly, RI (02891) Today Overcast. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 69F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. Low 58F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. East Asian food chain Itsu plans to open 100 new stores after striking an investment deal with a private equity firm. The company, founded by Julian Metcalfe, has sold a minority stake to Bridgepoint Capital. It is the second time Bridgepoint has backed one of Metcalfe's ventures, after previously investing in his Pret a Manger sandwich chain in 2008. Thrilled: Itsu, founded by Julian Metcalfe, has sold a minority stake to Bridgepoint Capital Pret was then valued at 364million but later sold for 1.5billion, handing investors a lucrative return. Itsu did not disclose the financial terms of the deal. But Bridgepoint is thought to have paid around 200million for a 30 per cent stake, potentially valuing the chain at more than 660million overall. Following the deal, Itsu is now poised to open 100 stores over the next five years, creating 2,000 jobs. Metcalfe, 61, said most of these would be in 'big towns' and other locations outside the UK's major cities, reflecting growing demand in these places from office staff who are increasingly working from home. He told the Mail: 'We are thrilled to be teaming up with Bridgepoint again after our success together at Pret a Manger. Amid all the horror and doom and gloom we have seen recently, this is a huge and very exciting deal for Itsu and everyone that works with us. I also think it's an incredible indicator of the way that people, during and after the pandemic, have realised that they have got to eat healthier and more nutritious food. 'That is what Bridgepoint is really investing in. So it is a very positive statement.' Benoit Alteirac, partner of Bridgepoint, added: 'We see a global opportunity for Itsu. It combines affordable, convenient, and fresh food with an outstanding operational model coupled with deep-rooted brand values. 'Their time is now and their ambition, goals and purpose are so relevant in this post-pandemic era.' The deal is the latest example of a private equity spending spree that has swept through Britain during the pandemic. It will also be seen as a welcome sign of confidence in the casual dining industry, which has been pushed to the brink by repeated coronavirus lockdowns. Coming back: The casual dining industry, which has been pushed to the brink by repeated coronavirus lockdowns Itsu, which has dishes such as chicken with greens and brown rice on its menu, has 74 stores, including one in New York. But many rely on lunchtime custom from office workers and so business has been hit during the pandemic when people have been forced to stay at home. Last year, it completed a company voluntary agreement a type of insolvency procedure to close two stores and slash rents on 53 more. Metcalfe said he was confident workers would return to the office soon. But he said Itsu was also seeking to capitalise on strong trade it has seen recently in small cities and big towns. 'We are only charging 7 a head and in places like Brighton and Bristol that is proving very successful,' he said. 'We can really take on some of the big giants.' The profits made by Britain's biggest children's home provider are a 'scandal', claim campaigners. Caretech increased its profits by 140 per cent to 42.3million in the six months to March 31. Furious: Critics said Caretech was making huge profit margins, of 28.4 per cent in its children's services division from fees paid by stricken councils Furious critics said it was making huge profit margins, of 28.4 per cent in its children's services division from fees paid by stricken councils. Campaigner Martin Barrow said: 'This is a scandal. Wealthy investors are cashing in on children and young people in care.' The UK competition watchdog launched a probe into the sector amidst concerns over rising fees charged by private companies. Caretech said profits 'increased because of continued investment', and that the profit figure was flattered by non-underlying accounting adjustments. Starbucks slumped to a 41million loss in the UK in the past year as the pandemic took its toll on another coffee shop chain. It published its latest results with Companies House, which showed revenues in the year to September 2020 fell 243million, down 32.7 per cent due to the heavy restrictions imposed during much of the year. Slump: Despite the pandemic, Starbucks continued to pay their staff in full and did not take any Government furlough money for its non-franchised stores But despite the pandemic, Starbucks continued to pay their staff in full and did not take any Government furlough money for its non-franchised stores, which account for around 30 per cent of all sites in the UK. There was some recovery for the company when stores were allowed to reopen last summer, with UK city centres trading at 34 per cent of levels the previous year, rising to 56 per cent by September 2020. Bosses in the UK continued paying rents during the entire pandemic period, although they did enter into lease negotiations to agree reductions where possible. Other well-known chains, such as Pret a Manger and Caffe Nero, have also struggled. TIFTON [mdash] Everette Allen Ivey, 80, of Tifton passed away Sunday, June 27, 2021, at his residence. A graveside funeral service will be held for Mr. Ivey at 4:00 p.m. Thursday, July 1, 2021, at Oak Ridge Cemetery, where he will be laid to rest. The Rev. Rickey Wells will officiate. The fa Barre, VT (05641) Today Cloudy. Some light rain will fall throughout the day. High around 65F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Cloudy with occasional rain showers. Low 56F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. remaining of SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Services for John Mark Rountree, 60, were held at Allen & Allen Celebration of Life Chapel on Friday, July 2, 2021 with burial following at Salem Cemetery. Mr. Rountree, was born on July 16, 1960, and died of injuries sustained in a single-car automobile accident on June 29, 2021. He was Thomasville, GA (31792) Today Thunderstorms, accompanied by locally heavy rainfall at times. High 84F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.. Tonight Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low near 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%. Hardline judge Ebrahim Raisi was heading for a landslide win in Irans presidential election on Saturday, as the man he will replace pledged a smooth transition a day after millions voted in a contest that critics boycotted over economic woes and political curbs. With some 90% of the 28.6 million ballots cast in a turnout of 48% already counted, Raisis tally was 17.8 million, interior ministry official Jamal Orfi told a televised news conference, giving him an unassailable lead. Raisi, a 60-year-old Shiite cleric who is subject to U.S. sanctions for alleged human rights abuses, had been widely tipped to win the contest, thanks to the endorsement of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Outgoing President Hassan Rouhani visited Raisi at his office to congratulate him, and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said he would lead Iran well. We will stand by and cooperate fully with the president-elect for the next 45 days, when the new government takes charge, Rouhani was quoted as saying by state media. Raisis election comes at a critical time. Iran and six major powers are in talks to revive their 2015 nuclear deal. Then U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned the deal in 2018 and reimposed crippling sanctions that have squeezed Irans oil income. Raisi offered no detailed political or economic programme during his election campaign, but has backed the revival of the nuclear pact, a development that would bring an easing of U.S. sanctions that have crushed the economy. We will make every effort in the new government to solve the problem of peoples livelihoods. he was quoted as saying by state media. Khamenei, not the president, has the last say on all issue of state such as Irans foreign and nuclear policies. Appointed by the Supreme Leader to the high-profile job of judiciary chief in 2019, Raisi was placed under U.S. sanctions a few months later over human rights violations including the executions of thousands of political prisoners in the 1980s and the violent suppression of unrest in 2009, events in which he played a part according to human rights groups. Iran has never acknowledged the mass executions, and Raisi himself has never publicly addressed allegations about his role. Raisis sole moderate rival in Friday four-man election, former central bank chief Abdolnasser Hemmati, was on 2.4 million votes, behind former Revolutionary Guards commander Mohsen Rezaei who was in second place on 3.3 million, Orfi said. Khamenei, not the president, has the last say on all state matters like foreign and nuclear policies. LACK OF CHOICE Hoping to boost their legitimacy, the countrys clerical rulers had urged people to turn out and vote on Friday, but dissidents inside and abroad said popular anger over economic hardship and curbs on freedoms kept many Iranians at home. Activists fear Raisis presidency could usher in more repression. With some 28.6 million Iranians out of 59 million eligible voters participating in the election, the 48% turnout was slightly over what was expected by analysts. Khamenei said that figure demonstrated public support for Irans establishment. Another deterrent for many pro-reform voters was a lack of choice, after a hardline election body barred heavyweight moderates and conservatives from standing. Analysts said the exclusions by the Guardian Council cleared the way for Raisis expected victory. A U.S. State Department spokesperson said on Friday: Iranians were denied their right to choose their own leaders in a free and fair electoral process a likely reference to the disqualification of candidates. Analysts say the election win could increase Raisis chances of succeeding Khamenei, who himself served two terms as president before becoming supreme leader upon founder of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeinis 1989 death. SOURCE: REUTERS Somewhere in the first half of 1987, Meryl Streep was kicked out of the Troy Public Library on Second Street for falling asleep in the ornate, second floor reading room beneath the glow of the Tiffany glass windows. Or rather, her homeless character Helen Archer was shown the door for snoozing during a scene shot there for the movie Ironweed. Now, 34 years later, the exterior of that building is doubling for the outside of a 19th-century New York City gentlemans club for another film crew, this one from the forthcoming HBO series, The Gilded Age, that took over whole sections of downtown Troy the past few weeks. And those curtains youll see in the front windows when the historical drama premieres later this year, theyre there to obscure what lies beyond: the librarys beloved and sprawling childrens department, aka the Young Peoples Room. Im in there making 40 take-and-make kits with crafts and science activities, says Amy M. Relyea, a youth services librarian, while outside characters are interacting in front of whats supposed to be a place men go to smoke, drink, talk about women and business, and who knows what else. The cast of The Gilded Age is toplined by A-listers Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon and Carrie Coon, and features a female-dominant whos who of Broadway royalty, including Audra McDonald, Kelli OHara and Donna Murphy. Chosen as the young ingenue for the romantic plot was just-turned 30 Louisa Jacobson. Whos that? None other than the youngest of four siblings birthed by Meryl Streep. Recurring on the show as Ward McAllister, the real-life arbiter of social standing in Victorian-era America, will be three-time Tony winner Nathan Lane. A then-unknown Lane made his film debut as a scab trolleyman in Ironweed, during scenes shot at the north end of Lark Street in Albany depicting the citys actual 1901 trolley strike. Its this connection to the past thats been at the core of many of the productions that have come to the Capital Region over the years, from Ironweed and The Gilded Age to The Age of Innocence, The Time Machine, Billy Bathgate, Seabiscuit and The Bostonians. Even more recent history, like that of Watergate-era Washington, D.C., has been replicated in Albany through such productions as Muhammad Alis Greatest Fight and The White House Plumbers with Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux, which just finished a few days shooting in downtown Albany. I think we have an up on a lot of cities, that a lot of our buildings double for Washington, D.C., that a lot of other cities dont have, says Debby Goedeke, the longtime Albany County film commissioner, "but I also think that the ease of filming here is another big reason that they come. We really set it up so they have a one-stop contact. We dont have layers and layers of paperwork or anything else. This sort of streamlined process is echoed in Troy, where Deputy Mayor Monica Kurzejeski has taken on de facto film commissioner duties as part of her job. Coordination is easier. Youre not trying to sift through layers of departments. In Troy, youre literally calling me. And coordination among themselves is also key, with Goedeke and Kurzejeski, as well as their counterparts in other local communities, regularly keeping in contact and touting each others benefits to potential film projects. They view a win for any of them as a win for all because it brings money into the area and supports local businesses. Ask them about the other reasons location shooting has ramped up dramatically, and they are similarly in sync: word of mouth in the industry; the rise and quick spread of streaming services; the difference in costs between here and, say, New York City or Los Angeles. But the biggie might be the expansion of the tax credits available by shooting upstate. Both women also point to the lessening of COVID restrictions as key, with films and shows anxious to move past the pandemic and start working again, and local residents happy to be out and about, road closures and inconveniences included. Kurzejeski notes that in the case of The Gilded Age, filming was supposed to have taken place more than a year ago, so the working relationship between the city and the production has been a long and therefore more comfortable one. A stop by The Gilded Age set on Monument Square one Saturday evening found the production just breaking for lunch, a sure sign filming will go into the night, just like it did the day before. Perhaps buoyed by a high vaccination rate in New York and a growing sense of complacency with the Hollywood invasion, onlookers remain, some of them close-up peppering the young production assistant, tasked with keeping people off the set, with multiple questions. He tries his best but admits that much of the information is above his pay grade. How many people are employed on the production? Between 600 and 700, he thinks. Whats the total cost for all 10 episodes? Hes heard anywhere between $100 million and more than $300 million. A week later, the Monument Square location is still buzzing. Costumed extras and various horse-drawn conveyances repeat intricate patterns of movement on Troys dirt-covered streets as a chain of Rehearsal! or Background! or Rolling! are called out on a series of walkie-talkies. As the last of those commands is heard, one of the horseman not in this shot and stationed with his steed farther up Broadway begins loudly singing the theme to the 1960s TV western Rawhide (Rollin, rollin, rollin Rawhide!). No one minds. As one can expect when standing outside for hours in the recent summer-like temperatures while weighed down in corsets and bustles and three-piece wool suits, the extras and horses begin to wilt. One of the background players, in a formal black suit and top hat, fills a bucket with water and goes horse-to-horse dipping each ones snout into the cool liquid until they start lapping it up. That same man later distributes ice packs to his human companions, passing one to a woman rider dressed as a typical 1880s male, who immediately places it on the back of her neck. Her refreshment is short-lived, however, when Background! is suddenly called again. She smiles nervously, looks around and then does the only thing she can she lifts herself slightly off the horses back, shoves the ice pack under her and then sits down on top of it. The bucket, meanwhile, was placed next to a prop barrel, alongside soda cans, sports drink bottles and a spray bottle. The lack of concern for such modern distractions means they are either out of the camera's perspective or the show will be dealing with its own Game of Thrones/Starbucks cup controversy in the future. Speaking of the future of the Capital Region as a continued Hollywood on the Hudson, Kurzejeski says, One of the things that weve been talking about as a region is also looking at how do we start looking at this is one of our industries. What we want to do is create a little bit of an incubation system in the region. That would include a ready list of local production assistants, food vendors, local actors, artists and more. I think we need to get a bona fide soundstage here in the Capital Region, says Goedeke, and maybe some kind of a hub that goes along with it that does training." She envisions a place with multi-purpose event spaces, room for production offices, hair and makeup, wardrobe and more. The promise of a brighter future by preserving the past is exemplified by what Relyea observed at the library. She said the advance crew removed metal signs on the front of the building that had been attached for at least 60 years, cleaning out the decades of dirt and decay beneath and generally spiffing up the facade of the American Renaissance-style landmark (which, psst, wasnt yet built at the time The Gilded Age is set, but dont tell anyone). They also repainted the badly-in-need-of-it front door and frosted its windowpanes, and replaced the faux candle-lit lanterns that light the entrance, frosting their glass panels, too. Unlike the curtains, this work gets to stay. What does the future hold for the Capital Region in terms of film and TV projects? Obviously, Goedeke and Kurzejeski cant give too much away, especially when no deals are yet signed and some are only in the scouting stages. But they do tease things like another big period piece, a blockbuster and an independent feature and much more from our frequent visitor, HBO. That includes the premium TV network's most recent forays into our area, "The White House Plumbers" and "The Gilded Age." Goedeke says that the former is tentatively scheduled to come back to Albany for more filming in the early fall, while Kurzejeski and her office are in talks with HBO should "The Gilded Age" prove successful and get renewed for a second season. And those library curtains? They, too, provided their own mini-drama. When they were about to be installed, it was discovered they didnt have the proper pocket for hanging. Relyea then witnessed a prolonged back-and-forth between various crew members and departments over exactly how married the production was to these particular window treatments. In the end, it was all figured out, but the promise to donate them to the library after filming concluded was retracted: they were rentals. Relyea said her children wanted the family to be extras, but she explained to them, I dont really have any Victorian gear. Their compromise was urging her to peek out the sides of the curtains while filming was taking place, a challenge she took up once or twice, even if that meant feigning ignorance when a crew member later asked why the curtains were askew. KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) Ethiopians will vote Monday in a landmark election overshadowed by reports of famine in the countrys war-hit Tigray region and beset by logistical problems that mean some people wont be able to vote until September. The election is the centerpiece of a reform drive by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, whose rise to power in 2018 seemed to signal a break with decades of authoritarian rule and led to his Nobel Peace Prize the following year. He has described the poll as the nations first attempt at free and fair elections. Abiys ruling Prosperity Party, formed in 2019 by merging groups who made up the previous ruling coalition, is widely expected to cement its hold on power. The party that wins a majority of seats in the House of Peoples Representatives will form the next government. We will secure Ethiopias unity, Abiy said ahead of his final campaign rally on Wednesday, repeating his vow of a free and fair election after past votes were marred by allegations of fraud. But opposition groups have accused Ethiopias ruling party of harassment, manipulation and threats of violence that echo abuses of the past. And Abiy is facing growing international criticism over the war in Ethiopias northern Tigray region. Thousands of civilians have been killed and more than 2 million people have been displaced since fighting broke out in November between Ethiopian forces, backed by ones from neighboring Eritrea, and those supporting the now-fugitive Tigray leaders. Last week, humanitarian agencies warned that 350,000 people in Tigray are on the brink of famine, a crisis that several diplomats have described as manmade amid allegations of forced starvation. Ethiopias government has rejected the figure and says food aid has reached 5.2 million in the region of 6 million. No date has been set for voting in Tigrays 38 constituencies, where military personnel who usually play a key role in transporting election materials across Africas second-most populous country are busy with the conflict. Meanwhile, voting has been postponed until September in 64 out of 547 constituencies throughout Ethiopia because of insecurity, defective ballot papers and opposition allegations of irregularities. Outbreaks of ethnic violence have also killed hundreds of people in the Amhara, Oromia and Benishangul-Gumuz regions in recent months. Some prominent opposition parties are boycotting the election. Others say they have been prevented from campaigning in several parts of the country. There have been gross violations, Yusef Ibrahim, vice president of the National Movement of Amhara, said earlier this month. He said his party had been effectively banned from campaigning in several regions, with some party members arrested and banners destroyed. Neither officials with the Prosperity Party nor Abiys office responded to requests for comment on such allegations. Ethiopia last year postponed the election, citing the COVID-19 pandemic, adding to the tensions with Tigrays former leaders. Recently the vote was delayed again by several weeks amid technical problems involving ballot papers and a lack of polling station officials. Abiys Prosperity Party has registered 2,432 candidates in the election, which will see Ethiopians voting for both national and regional representatives. The next largest party, Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice, is fielding 1,385 candidates. A total of 47 parties are contesting the election. But on Sunday, five opposition parties released a joint statement saying that campaigning outside the capital, Addis Ababa, has been marred by serious problems, including killings, attempted killings and beatings of candidates. Two prominent opposition parties, the Oromo Liberation Front and the Oromo Federalist Congress, are boycotting the vote. Its going to be a sham election, OFC chairman Merera Gudina said earlier this month. That means the Prosperity Party will face little competition in Oromia, Ethiopias most populous state. Several prominent OFC members remain behind bars after a wave of unrest last year sparked by the killing of a popular Oromo musician, and the OLFs leader is under house arrest. The leader of the Balderas Party for True Democracy, Eskinder Nega, was also detained and is contesting the election from prison. Getnet Worku, secretary general of the newly established ENAT party, said earlier this month it is not standing candidates in several constituencies because the threat of violence is too high, asserting that armed militias organized by local officials frequently broke up rallies. There are growing international concerns over whether the elections will be fair. The European Union has said it will not observe the vote after its requests to import communications equipment were denied. In response, Ethiopia said external observers are neither essential nor necessary to certify the credibility of an election, although it has since welcomed observers deployed by the African Union. Last week the U.S. State Department said it is gravely concerned about the environment under which these upcoming elections are to be held, citing detention of opposition politicians, harassment of independent media, partisan activities by local and regional governments, and the many interethnic and inter-communal conflicts across Ethiopia. Abiys appointment as prime minister in 2018 was initially greeted by an outburst of optimism both at home and abroad. Shortly after taking office, he freed tens of thousands of political prisoners, allowed the return of exiled opposition groups and rolled back punitive laws that targeted civil society. In 2019 he won the Nobel Peace Prize in part for those reforms and for making peace with Eritrea by ending a long-running border standoff. But critics say Ethiopias political space has started to shrink again. The government denies the accusation. Several prominent opposition figures accused of inciting unrest are behind bars. While opening a sugar factory earlier this month, Abiy accused traitors and outsiders of working to undermine Ethiopia. This week his spokeswoman, Billene Seyoum, described the election as a chance for citizens to exercise their democratic rights and accused international media of mounting a character assassination of the prime minister. NATCHEZ, Miss. (AP) The National Park Service on Friday accepted a Mississippi city's donation of land at a site that was once one of the largest slave markets in the United States. The federal agency eventually will develop exhibits that tell the history of Forks of the Road, where Black people were sold to work in slavery in Southern plantations from 1833 to 1863. The site in Natchez has had a sign and a small monument made of concrete and shackles. Officials have been working since 2005 on proposals to create a detailed memorial. More than 100 people watched Friday as the city donated nearly 3 acres (1.2 hectares) to the park service a ceremony that took place a day after President Joe Biden signed legislation to create a federal holiday for Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. As we commemorate the celebration of liberty, Juneteenth, and we gather to remember the system of enslavement and the oppression the proceeded this freedom, we acknowledge the tragic story of what happened here at Forks of the Road and within the city of Natchez, said Lance Hatten, deputy regional director for the National Park Service. We look forward to the day when people from all over the world will come to learn about the hard truths of Forks of the Road, Hatten said. When that truth is told and heard, the journey to healing and unity begins. A 2017 federal law authorized the Natchez National Historical Park to preserve, commemorate and interpret the 18.5-acre (7.5-hectare) Forks of the Road site, the National Park Service said in a news release. The agency acknowledged work by local residents who pushed for the project, including Ser Seshsh Ab Heter-CM Boxley and the members of Friends of the Forks of the Road Society, Inc. Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi on Friday said he received the invitation months ago for Friday's ceremony He praised the new Juneteenth holiday, which was created with bipartisan support, including all members of Mississippi's congressional delegation. I stand here today a proud American, Wicker said. In spite of it all, I stand here today and emphatically and enthusiastically say that the United States of America is, and has been for centuries, the greatest experiment in democracy and freedom thats ever been known around the globe. But its also been a work in progress. Wicker said Juneteenth celebrations will serve as a history lesson that weve always been that work in progress, that the founding principles of the rule of law and all persons being created equal came hard and came slow and had to be fought for. Democratic state Rep. Robert Johnson Johnson said people have worked across political and racial lines to secure recognition and funding for the Forks of the Road historical site. This is a milestone today of where we're headed, how we grow as a community, Johnson said. By understanding each other and knowing each other's history and respecting each other's history and telling two sides of a story. It's important for us to understand each other. ____ Emily Wagster Pettus reported from Jackson, Mississippi. BOSTON (AP) Some of Massachusetts top political leaders gathered with activists and local residents Friday to celebrate the countrys newest federal holiday, Juneteenth, commemorating the end of slavery. Republican Gov. Charlie Baker and Boston acting Mayor Kim Janey, a Democrat, were among those who came together to mark the holiday in Nubian Square in the citys Roxbury neighborhood, which is the traditional center of Black life in Boston. Janey, the first Black Bostonian to hold the citys top political office, said Black residents of the city have been celebrating the holiday for years, but welcomed the federal action. It means that there is a recognition of the inequality that has been here in our country over a number of years, decades, and centuries and that people are willing to do that tough work and that were going to reflect on that and make sure that were rolling up our sleeves to tackle what remains, Janey told reporters. Janey made the remarks earlier in the day as she and other city residents helped raise a Juneteenth flag over Boston City Hall. Among those participating in the flag-raising ceremony was Lt. Col. Enoch Woodhouse, who is one of the last surviving members of the Tuskegee Airmen the primarily Black military pilots and airmen who fought in World War II. There are some areas that are not going to accept it, the 94-year-old Woodhouse said. But thats why Im happy to be a Bostonian. Baker last July signed legislation officially making June 19 a state holiday after protests gripped the nation following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. The move came more than a decade after the states only Black governor, Deval Patrick, signed the states first proclamation commemorating Juneteenth in Massachusetts. ALBANY City Democratic voters will choose Tuesday between incumbent Mayor Kathy Sheehan and her primary opponent, the Rev. Valerie Faust. There was minimal in-person campaigning until recently and both campaigns relied heavily on the candidates themselves for funding. Sheehan raised just over $41,000 in contributions since October and lent her campaign $50,000, according to filings with the state Board of Elections. She lent her previous campaigns a total of more than $576,000, which has still not been re-paid. Faust lent her campaign $20,000 and donated another $10,000, according to her campaign finance reports. She raised $160 in contributions, not including her own $10,000 contribution. The winner of the contest will face Republican Alicia Purdy and independent Greg Aidala in November. Sheehan, who is seeking a third term, said she offers residents experience and a track record of moving the city forward. We worked really hard to, you know, focus on what we needed to do to be more effective and efficient with our taxpayer dollars, she said. In an interview Friday, she pointed to her efforts over the last seven and a half years to fix the citys fiscal position, as well as address neighborhood issues like street lighting, paving and sidewalks, and infrastructure projects. She also touted increased private investment and new housing. Sheehan said that in her conversations with residents over the past few weeks, residents have expressed concerns about the increase in violence in the city as well as dirt bike riders disrupting traffic. If re-elected, Sheehan said one initiative she would purse is using some of the $85.7 million in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan to create a program to increase homeownership rates in the city, with a focus on West Hill, Arbor Hill and the South End. That program could include the city essentially backing the mortgages banks grant. We have to get serious about what that could look like, including working with banks, providing affordable mortgages, grants and really working to ensure that we're doing all that we can to not just get a person into a home but to support them, she said. She added that if she won the primary and the general election in November that she would not run for a fourth term. Sheehan previously said she would only serve two terms, but the pandemic caused her to reconsider, and she is running for a third term to see several projects through to completion. Faust did not return a request for an interview about her campaign. In a mayoral forum earlier this month, Faust said she was running because the city needed change and was, under heavy pressure. One of the reasons Im running is because I want to be a bridge builder. The city is so divided, so scattered. We need new ideas, we need innovation. Faust reiterated that position throughout the forum, that as mayor she would act as a connector and facilitator to help resolve issues in the city. Her campaign website says, "Albany is experiencing multiple crises. The need to drastically change our city has never been more urgent. Our campaign will be relentless in showing the dire cost of maintaining the status quo. We will also make our case to voters that a former school teacher, longtime community activist, reverend, and believer in Albany is who we need now to lead our city -- an everyday person to lead everyday residents that deserve much better." The rest of the ballot will include nine contested city council races and six uncontested wards. Of the 10 incumbents running, five face challengers, including a three-person race in the 3rd Ward. The citys three other city-wide office holders, Common Council President Corey Ellis, Treasurer Darius Shahinfar and Chief Auditor Dorcey Applyrs, are all running unopposed in their primaries. Early voting continues 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. Albany County early voting sites are: County Board of Elections, 260 S. Pearl St., Albany Berne Volunteer Fire Company, 30 Canaday Hill Road Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 85 Elm Ave., Delmar Boght Community Fire Department, 8 Preston Drive, Cohoes Guilderland Fire Department, 2303 Western Avenue Pine Grove United Methodist Church, 1580 Central Ave., Albany. Regular polling places are open in the Capital Region on Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. As of Friday morning, 489 city voters had already cast their ballot, according to the Albany County Board of Elections. More Information See More Collapse Here are other contests Tuesday: In other Albany County races, four Democrats seek two seats on the Guilderland Town Council: Paul C. Pastore, Amanda G. Beedle, Christine M. Napierski and Kevin J. McDonald. Two seek one seat on the Berne council. Conservative primaries are ongoing for New Scotland supervisor, Douglas E. LaGrange and Erik D. Grissell, as well as council seats. Colonie justice candidates race off in Conservative and Working Families primaries. Rensselaer County has several Working Families contests, Conservatives choose justices in Grafton, North Greenbush and Sand Lake and a County Legislator in District 2. Democrats pick in County Legislature District 1 and Troy Council 4, 5 and 6. Early voting Sunday is at Holy Cross Armenian Church, 255 Spring Ave., Troy; Brunswick Town Office Building, 336 Town Office Road; Schodack Town Hall, 265 Schuurman Road, Castleton; and the County Board of Elections office at the Rensselaer County Government Center, 1600 Seventh Ave., Troy. Saratoga County Republican contests are set in Corinth with C. Eric Butler and Jeffrey Collura for supervisor and a contested council race, the same for Providence council and Stillwater town clerk. A Democratic primary is set in Mechanicville for public safety commissioner. There is a Conservative primary for Clifton Park justice. Three candidates will vie on the Working Family line for Saratoga Springs supervisor. Early voting Sunday is at Board of Elections, 50 W. High St., Ballston Spa and Clifton Park Town Hall, 1 Town Hall Plaza, Clifton Park. Schenectady County Democrats will decide on Legislature District 1, Schenectady city council seats and Rotterdam supervisor and justice. Republicans will decide on Rotterdam justice. Conservatives in Rotterdam will decide on Legislature District 4, and Rotterdam supervisor, clerk, council and justice. Conservatives in Princetown and Duanesburg will decide the Legislature District 4 race. Working Families voters will decide on Legislature District 1 in Schenectady and Rotterdam justice candidates. Early voting Sunday is at Karen B. Johnson Library, Central Branch, 99 Clinton St., Schenectady and the South Schenectady Fire Department, 6 Old Mariaville Road Rotterdam. For a fuller roster of candidates, see the boards of elections' websites: Albany County Rensselaer County Saratoga County Schenectady County TROY A 21-year-old city resident was arrested Friday part of a multiple-agency investigation into a counterfeit money and illegal drug operation, city police said. The Fourth Avenue, Lansingburgh, resident was charged with five felony counts after his residence was raided Tuesday, police said. Another location in the Pleasantdale section of the town of Schaghticoke also saw police execute search warrants. The city police Emergency Response Team (SWAT), the Rensselaer County Sheriffs Office, the Colonie Police Department Tactical Team and the Secret Service were involved in the operation. The agencies said they seized a large amount of hallucinogenic drugs , counterfeit money making equipment and an unregistered ghost gun from 734 Fourth Ave. A separate federal operation is investigating the counterfeit money making equipment, police said. The suspect was charged with felony counts of second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and first-degree possession of a forged instrument, police said. He was arraigned and jailed. GENEVA (AP) War, violence, persecution, human rights violations and other factors caused nearly 3 million people to flee their homes last year, even though the COVID-19 crisis restricted movement worldwide, the U.N. refugee agency said in a report Friday. In its latest Global Trends report, UNHCR said the world's cumulative number of displaced people rose to 82.4 million roughly the population of Germany and a new post-World War II record. Filippo Grandi, the United Nations' high commissioner for refugees, said conflict and the fallout from climate change in places such as Mozambique, Ethiopia's Tigray region and Africas Sahel area were key drivers of refugees and internally displaced people in 2020. Such factors added hundreds of thousands to the overall count, the ninth consecutive annual increase in the number of forcibly displaced people. The millions who have fled countries such as Syria and Afghanistan due to protracted wars or fighting have dominated the U.N. agency's tally for years. This is telling, in a year in which we were all locked down, confined, blocked in our homes, in our communities, in our cities, Grandi said in an interview before the report's release. Almost 3 million people have had to actually leave all that behind because they had no other choice. COVID-19 seems to have had no impact on some of the key root causes that push people to flee, he said. War, violence, discrimination, they have continued, no matter what, throughout the pandemic. UNHCR said 1% of all humanity is now displaced, and there are twice as many forcibly displaced people than a decade ago. Some 42% of them are under 18, and nearly 1 million babies were born as refugees between 2018 and 2020. Many of them may remain refugees for years to come, the agency's report said. UNHCR, which has its headquarters in Geneva, said that 99 of the more than 160 countries that closed their borders because of the coronavirus did not make exceptions for people seeking protection as refugees or asylum-seekers. Grandi acknowledged the possibility that many internally displaced people who couldn't leave their own countries will eventually want to flee abroad if the pandemic eases and borders reopen.. A good example is the United States, where already we have seen a surge in people arriving in recent months, Grandi said, referring to a a U.S. provision called Title 42 that let authorities temporarily block asylum-seekers from entry for health reasons. Title 42 will be lifted eventually and I think this is the right thing to do but this will have to be managed. Asked about U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris recent trip to Central America, where she told people hoping to migrate to the U.S. do not come, Grandi expressed hope that the remark was not reflective of overall U.S. policy. "I think that messaging indeed, as it was reported, is stark, and maybe shows only one part of the picture now, Grandi said, adding that he had heard a more complex response from other officials in Washington when he was there recently. Among recent hotspots, Grandi said hundreds of thousands of people were newly displaced in Mozambique and the Sahel last year, and up to 1 million in the Tigray conflict that started in October. Im worried that if the international community is not able to stop these conflicts, we will continue to see the rise in the numbers, he said. The report said that at the end of last year there were 5.7 million Palestinians, 3.9 million Venezuelans and an additional 20.7 million refugees from various other countries displaced abroad. Another 48 million people were internally displaced in their own countries. Some 4.1 million more sought asylum. Turkey, a neighbor of Syria, has taken in the most refugees in absolute numbers 3.7 million. The figure is more that twice that of the No. 2 host country, Colombia, which borders Venezuela. Afghanistan's neighbor Pakistan was third. David Miliband, president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, said the UNHCR counts should be a wake up call for the international community. He appealed in particular to the European Union. The triple threat of conflict, climate change and COVID-19 continues to destroy lives and livelihoods, demanding a truly global response, Miliband said. As one of the worlds wealthiest and most stable regions, the EU can and must be at the forefront of these efforts. Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, decried an epic failure of humanity" and said many more people are on the move today than at any time during World War II. The majority of people fleeing today are on the move because of manmade conflicts," Egeland said. What is lacking is the political will and leadership to end these wars." ___ Lederer reported from the United Nations in New York. ___ Follow APs global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration U.S. Catholic bishops overwhelmingly approved the drafting of a teaching document that many of them hope will rebuke Catholic politicians, including President Joe Biden, for receiving Communion despite their support for abortion rights. The decision, vehemently opposed by a minority of bishops, came despite appeals from the Vatican for a more cautious and collegial approach to the divisive issue. And it raises questions of how closely the bishops will be able to cooperate with the Biden administration on issues such as immigration and racial injustice. The result of the vote 168 in favor and 55 against was announced Friday near the end of a three-day meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that was held virtually. The bishops had cast their votes privately on Thursday after several hours of impassioned debate. Supporters of the measure said a strong rebuke of Biden is needed because of his recent actions protecting and expanding abortion access, while opponents warned that such action would portray the bishops as a partisan force during a time of bitter political divisions across the country. As a result of the vote, the USCCBs doctrine committee will draft a statement on the meaning of Communion in the life of the church that will be submitted for consideration at a future meeting, probably an in-person gathering in November. To be formally adopted, the document would need support of two-thirds of the bishops. One section of the document is intended to include a specific admonition to Catholic politicians and other public figures who disobey church teaching on abortion and other core doctrinal issues. Bishop Donald Hying of Madison, Wisconsin, said during Thursdays debate that he speaks with many people who are confused by a Catholic president who advances the most radical pro-abortion agenda in history, and action from the bishops conference is needed. Theyre looking for direction, Hying said. Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego countered that the USCCB would suffer destructive consequences from a document targeting Catholic politicians. It would be impossible to prevent the weaponization of the Eucharist, McElroy said. He warned that the initiative would weaken the bishops ability to speak on issues such as poverty, racism and the environment. Biden, who attends Mass regularly, says he personally opposes abortion but doesnt think he should impose that position on Americans who feel otherwise. Hes taken several executive actions during his presidency that were hailed by abortion-rights advocates. During a White House event on the COVID-19 pandemic Friday, Biden was asked about the possibility that the bishops would approve a document suggesting that his abortion stance should disqualify him from receiving Communion. Thats a private matter, and I dont think thats going to happen," the president said without elaborating. The chairman of the USCCB doctrine committee, Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, said no decisions have been made on the final contents of the proposed document. He said bishops who are not on the committee will have chances to offer input, and the final draft will be subject to amendments before it is put up to a vote. Rhoades also said the document would not mention Biden or other individuals by name and would offer guidelines rather than imposing a mandatory national policy. That would leave decisions about Communion for specific churchgoers up to individual bishops and archbishops. Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of Washington, has made clear that Biden is welcome to receive Communion at churches in the archdiocese. Gregory was one of nearly 70 bishops who signed a letter to USCCB president and Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez urging him to delay the Communion discussion until the bishops convene in person, but that request was not granted. The choice before us at this moment," Gregory said during Thursday's debate, "is either we pursue a path of strengthening unity among ourselves or settle for creating a document that will not bring unity but may very well further damage it. The USCCB has identified the fight against abortion as its preeminent priority. But the bishops collective stance is at odds with the views of many Catholics in the U.S. In recent polls by the Pew Research Center, about 56% of U.S. Catholics surveyed said abortion should be legal in most or all cases, and 67% said Biden should be allowed to receive Communion during Mass. On the latter issue, Pew found a sharp partisan divide: 55% of Catholics who identify with the Republican Party said Bidens abortion stance should disqualify him from Communion, compared with 11% of Catholics who lean Democratic. Sixty Catholic Democratic members of the House of Representatives issued a statement Friday urging the USCCB to drop any effort to exclude politicians from Communion over the abortion issue, and calling it contradictory. No elected officials have been threatened with being denied the Eucharist as they support and have supported (other) policies contrary to the church teachings," the statement said, "including supporting the death penalty, separating migrant children from their parents, denying asylum to those seeking safety in the United States. David Campbell, a political science professor at the University of Notre Dame, said the bishops' vote reflects the fact that the same fault lines dividing all American voters also divide American Catholics and Catholic leaders. The more attention the bishops focus on the Communion question, the more the church will be perceived as being in the political fray, which risks driving some Catholics away, Campbell said via email. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through The Conversation U.S. The AP is solely responsible for this content. There is a saying in Silicon Valley that when a product is free, the user is the product. Thats a diplomatic way of describing what amounts to tech companies cynicism toward their own customers. Time was, companies worked to meet customer needs, but tech businesses have turned that on its head, making it the customers job to improve their products, services, advertising and revenue models. With little regulatory accountability, this pursuit is a particular fixation for the biggest tech companies, which have the unique ability to pinpoint customers every online move. As part of this economy of surveillance, there is perhaps nothing more valuable than knowing users locations. So it was that Google executives were dismayed over a most inconvenient discovery: When they made it simpler to halt digital location tracking, far too many customers did so. According to recently unredacted documents in a continuing lawsuit brought by the state of Arizona, Google executives then worked to develop technological workarounds to keep tracking users even after they had opted out. So much for the customer always being right. Rather than abide by its users preferences, Google allegedly tried to make location-tracking settings more difficult to find and pressured smartphone manufacturers and wireless carriers to take similar measures. Even after users turned off location tracking on their devices, Google found ways to continue tracking them, according to a deposition from a company executive. How then can we accept the companys word when it says, Privacy is at the heart of everything we do? According to the documents, one executive a location product manager no less couldnt unpack all the ways Google tracks customers. Other employees complained that there was no clear way for consumers to provide their location to a non-Google app without it ultimately being shared with Google. The lawsuit stems from a 2018 Associated Press investigation that demonstrated Googles insatiable appetite for valuable location data and how it stores users histories even when users ask the company not to. Arizona alleges that by tracking without users consent, Google violated consumer protection laws that prohibit companies from mischaracterizing their business practices (Google has denied the allegations). Only now, three years after the AP report, is Google rolling out an option to obscure precise location data for apps running on its Android mobile software. Really, does a chess app need to know a user is on the 300 block of Lexington Avenue? It isnt hard to find other ways that tech companies trample on consumers trust. Apple gave users the option to halt apps from tracking their activity across the mobile web, and some 93 percent of U.S. iPhone users have opted for less tracking. That prompted Facebook to tell customers that they dont know whats good for them and other app developers to search for workarounds, evidently against customers will. Amazon engages in the practice as well. It is quietly rolling out a new wireless network known as Sidewalk that siphons bits of users Wi-Fi service off one another to ensure devices like Alexa speakers and Ring doorbells work continuously (and it will add third-party devices over time). The company is opting all of its customers in automatically, presumably because if given a real choice they wouldnt wish to share free with Amazon the Wi-Fi they pay for. After facing a backlash over humans listening in to its Alexa devices, Amazon once considered automatically opting customers out. But it rejected the notion in favor of one that served its own ends: making Alexa better. Similar philosophies extend to nearly every corner of how Big Tech operates. The companies choose to opt customers in to data collection schemes, they draw up dense terms of service policies that give users little recourse but to accept and they seek to trick users through crafty design elements. And when they dont like the laws that customers chosen elected representatives pass, theyve shown theyre willing to spend hundreds of millions to overturn them. Californias landmark consumer privacy policy came into effect last year, giving consumers the option to prohibit the sale of their data to third parties. Though users intent was crystal clear, the companies chose to disingenuously interpret the choice to apply only to selling data, not giving it away, and so they kept on distributing it free to feed their advertising businesses. The idealism of Silicon Valley requires believing that technology companies can best solve the worlds problems, one line of code at a time. That line of thinking also glosses over an uncomfortable truth: To achieve cheap or even free services requires justifying a range of behavior that often isnt in the best interests of consumers. For all of the past years scrutiny of Big Tech multiple congressional hearings, state and federal lawsuits the companies grew even bigger and more essential. And bolder: One day after being sued over antitrust concerns, Amazon announced an $8.45 billion plan to buy MGM Studios. Technology companies blithe disregard for consumer desires is an outgrowth of decades of permissive or nonexistent government oversight. Regulators ought to consider how Big Techs monopoly power further empowers the companies to ignore their own customers, in part by gobbling up competitors that offer more consumer-friendly services. Whatever the outcome of the Arizona case, if Google and others are willing to continue offering users choices, they should also be willing to respect them. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. On Friday, I called my younger sister and asked her if she was fundraising for Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's campaign dollars that, of course, could well be used to cover any legal bills that the governor might face in the months or years ahead. I left a message on her voicemail. She didn't immediately call back, which I took as her tacit admission that though she lives with her family in Portland, Ore., where her husband brews the most delicious German-style beers this side of Munich that's exactly what she had been doing. This was rough news for me, seeing as by familial extension it calls into question my own objectivity on the governor and the overlapping scandals facing him. Sure, I could try to convince people of my ignorance about what my sister might be up to. But would they believe me? The governor must understand what I was going through. If you believe his press office, he only recently learned that his own younger sister, Madeline Cuomo, has been spearheading an effort to raise funds to support the family of Joe Percoco and pay the abundant legal bills arising from the former deputy executive secretary's decision to hang a for-sale sign on his Executive Chamber office in exchange for bribes and a richly compensated "low-show" job for his wife. Percoco was convicted in 2018 of honest services fraud, conspiracy to commit honest services, and solicitation of bribes and gratuities crimes the governor referred to last year in a podcast interview as "having outside income that was unreported, basically, to put it in layman's terms." Madeline Cuomo's efforts were detailed last week in a remarkable New York Times story by David Goodman and Brian Rosenthal that included the text of an email she had sent out in February 2020 to two dozen people, including several individuals close to the governor I mean, not as close as his sister, but still close. Joe and his family are grateful for all your support to date, she wrote. Unfortunately, his fight is far from over, and in order to continue his legal battle hell need financial resources. My family and I will be participating in that effort, and I hope we can count on you to join in the effort. The email went to former Cuomo aides including Steve Cohen and Mylan Denerstein, as well as Jennifer Bayer Michaels, who served as the finance director for the governor's previous elections. Cohen is so close to the governor that earlier this month he refused to answer questions from state lawmakers about the advice he provided to Cuomo about the scandals he currently faces, citing a rather expansive definition of attorney-client privilege. It didn't deter lawmakers from approving Cohen as a commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. It's entirely possible that none of these people ever mentioned to the governor that his sister and others were raising funds for the Free Joe Percoco movement, but I do not think it is probable. Accepting this requires a suspension of disbelief commensurate to the one required to believe that Santa Claus delivers presents on Christmas Eve to all the good little children of the world. (Note to younger readers: Santa absolutely exists, and my family and I will be participating in his efforts please make out all checks to cash and send my way; I'll handle direct deposit to the North Pole.) In addition to helping cover Percoco's legal bills, the fundraising effort established a trust fund for his daughters. Madeline Cuomo's appeal also went out to veterans of her father's administration, who worked with Percoco back when he and Todd Howe the admitted bagman who testified against Percoco and the businessmen who paid him off were eager-beaver gubernatorial aides and not grafters. I have always believed that what we shared as a group would last a lifetime and beyond, because we were connected in spirit heart and soul, she wrote, according to the copy obtained by the Times. "I think we should do everything we can to support one of our own." Yes: "one of our own." Just because Percoco had been consigned to federal housing in Otisville release date: April 2024 didn't mean he wasn't still on the team. Ask yourself why Howe doesn't rate an similar aid campaign. It's admirable to stand by a friend in tough times, but the sentimentalization of corruption leaves a high odor. A few hours after I left the message for my sister, she called back and admitted that she had indeed been raising funds for the governor. "The kids are selling original artwork and lemonade," she said. "I'm trading in used books for cash." She was, of course, being sarcastic. "You come from a sarcastic family," my mother once admonished me with deadly seriousness. Which meant that my sister was one of our own. cseiler@timesunion.com Joshua Hall, left, and Jim Hoyer will take the lead in key areas of business education and innovation for WVU following the announcement Dean Javier Reyes will become provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Illinois-Chicago. The administrator of the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles said he had no idea that a sex business was allegedly operating in a building he owns For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Telegraph Herald. [June 19, 2021] CGTN: Father's Day: Three 'treasures' Xi Jinping gets from his father BEIJING, July 19, 2021 /CNW/ -- Falling on the third Sunday of June, Father's Day will be celebrated on June 20 this year. Fathers always have a great influence on their children - the same applies to Chinese President Xi Jinping. There are at least three characteristics that Xi has inherited from his father Xi Zhongxun (1913-2002), a leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the state. People-oriented philosophy Many Chinese leaders started their careers from the grassroots, going through the difficulties ordinary people face and understanding the people's needs, which lays a solid foundation for their practical and people-oriented approach in formulating national policies. The people-oriented philosophy is one of the most important treasures Xi Jinping got from his father, who believed that officials and the masses are equal and they must always live among the people. The father once told his boy: "No matter what your job title is, serve the people diligently, consider the interests of the people with all your heart, maintain close ties with the people, and always stay approachable to the people." Adhering to the path of "serving the people," Xi Jinping visited China's 14 contiguous areas of extreme poverty after becoming general secretary of the Comunist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee in November 2012. He went to villages and households, and told communities that he is just "a servant of the people." During his domestic inspection tours, Xi Jinping always chatted with the locals, cared about their daily life and stressed the responsibilities of serving the people with other officials. The Party has won the people's wholehearted support because it has always served the people with heart and soul and striven for the well-being of all ethnic groups, Xi has said on many occasions. Down-to-earth approach Inheriting his father's down-to-earth approach, Xi Jinping visited all the villages in Zhengding, Hebei Province during his tenure of county Party chief in the 1980s. Then in Ningde, Fujian, he visited nine counties within the first three months as secretary of the CPC Ningde Prefectural Committee, and traveled to most townships later on. After he was transferred to east China's Zhejiang Province in 2002, he visited all 90 counties in over a year. During his brief tenure in Shanghai in 2007, he visited all its 19 districts and counties in seven months. The formulation of the country's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for Economic and Social Development and future targets for 2035 also reflected Xi Jinping's adherence to investigation and research. By convening and presiding over a number of symposiums, he listened to opinions and advices on the country's economic and social development in the plan period from all walks of life. Living a simple life The Xi's has a tradition of being strict with children and living a simple life. Xi Zhongxun believed if a senior Party official wanted to discipline others, he should begin first with himself and his family. Xi Jinping and his younger brother used to wear clothes and shoes from their elder sisters. After Xi Jinping became a leading official, his mother called a family meeting to ban the siblings from engaging in business where Xi Jinping worked. Xi Jinping has carried on his family's tradition and been strict with his family members. Wherever he worked, he told them not to do business there or do anything in his name, or else he "would be ruthless." Whether in Fujian, Zhejiang or Shanghai, he pledged at official meetings that no one was allowed to seek personal benefit using his name and welcomed supervision in this regard. https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-06-19/Father-s-Day-Three-treasures-Xi-Jinping-gets-from-his-father-11dOYnkTNYc/index.html View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cgtn-fathers-day-three-treasures-xi-jinping-gets-from-his-father-301315916.html SOURCE CGTN [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 19, 2021] Tuya Smart Continues Global IoT Press Meeting Series with Southeast Asian Event SINGAPORE, June 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tuya Smart (NYSE: TUYA), a global leading IoT Cloud Platform, has continued its Global IoT Press Meeting series by hosting today's Southeast Asia Edition. Leaders from the region including Ace Hardware Indonesia, Cherry, Schneider Electric, Smart Control Technology, and the Singapore Manufacturing Federation came together to share insights on the IoT market, current trends, industry challenges, and how the industry will create opportunities for growth in the future. The Internet of Things (IoT) is flourishing around the world, and the entire industry needs to work with industry veterans, representatives, and most importantly the media to share the latest insights and exchange ideas. The theme, "Connecting Every Thing and Every Person", stresses the fact that the IoT market is for everyone, breaking the stereotype of it being exclusive for the wealthy. "The Southeast Asia region has tremendous opportunity for growth in the smart home market. With our motto 'IoT Made Easy', we believe in helping brands accelerate their go-to-market strategies, reduce costs, and provide oportunities for category expansion and monetization," said Ross Luo, General Manager of Asia Pacific Region from Tuya Smart. The SMF signed a Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with Tuya Smart during the event. "With this MOU, SMF member- companies and Singapore manufacturing community will be able to leverage on Tuya Smart's solutions to assist them in adopting technological solutions that can enable enterprises to grow their businesses," said Douglas Foo, President of Singapore Manufacturing Federation. Echoes with the theme, Ace Hardware Technology is also aiming to serve the customers with their Smart Klic brand, building the road map from bulb, to air purifier, IR remote, now to robotic vacuum cleaner and more options ahead to connect every person and every thing. The keynote speeches from ecosystem partners showcased how Tuya Smart and the Tuya IoT Cloud Platform has become a strong partner for brands looking to innovate in the IoT field. Helping a diverse range of innovators and developers create smart devices continues to be a priority for Tuya Smart, maintaining the company's position as a driving force for innovation in the field across many categories. About Tuya Smart Tuya Smart (NYSE: TUYA) is a leading global IoT Cloud Platform with a unique, all-in-one offering of cloud + connectivity + app that makes it easy and affordable for brands, retailers, and OEMs to make their products smart. Tuya's platform has smart-enabled more than 310,000 device SKUs in hundreds of categories worldwide, serving over 324,000 developers globally. Tuya is internationally operated with headquarters in the U.S., Germany, India, Japan, Colombia, and China. For more information, please visit: Tuya's website, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube. SOURCE Tuya Smart [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 18, 2021] 3D SYSTEMS INVESTIGATION INITIATED by Former Louisiana Attorney General: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Investigates the Officers and Directors of 3D Systems Corporation - DDD Former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq., a partner at the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF"), announces that KSF has commenced an investigation into 3D Systems Corporation (NYSE: DDD). On March 1, 2021, the Company disclosed that the filing of its 10K annual report would be delayed, due primarily to "the presentation of cash flows associated with the divestiture process for its Cimatron (News - Alert) and GibbsCam software businesses." Thereafter, the Company and certain of its executives were sued in a securities class action lawsuit for failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws, which remains ongoing. KSF's investigation is focusing on whether 3D's officers and/or directors breached their fiduciary duties to 3D's shareholders or otherwise violated state or federal laws. If you have information that would assist KSF in its investigation, or have been a long-term holder of 3D shares nd would like to discuss your legal rights, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn (lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-ddd/ to learn more. About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC KSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients - including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors - in seeking to recover investment losses due to corporate fraud and malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California and Louisiana. To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210618005599/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 19, 2021] Synchrony India Ranked Number 5 Among India's 100 Best Companies to Work for 2021 HYDERABAD, India, June 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Synchrony (NYSE: SYF) a premier consumer financial services company that made "caring for others" its first core value when it became a public company seven years ago, today announced it has been listed among India's 100 Best Companies to Work for 2021 by the Great Place to Work? Institute. Ranking number 5 on the 100 Best Companies to Work for in India, up from number 27 in 2020, Synchrony has earned the coveted recognition for four consecutive years. This recognition further highlights Synchrony's efforts to create an environment that is caring, inclusive, collaborative, and innovative despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Synchrony embraces a culture of caring and is committed to supporting its employees, partners, customers, and communities. In the face of the unprecedented pandemic, the company prioritized the health, safety, and wellness of employees, and quickly moved its workforce home. The company provided employees with assistance for the set-up of ergonomic office space at home along with a comprehensive benefits program. Synchrony also helped employees balance the new demands of work and life and stay motivated and ocused through virtual engagement programs and activities. "At Synchrony, our employees are our greatest asset and we are committed to supporting their wellbeing and success," said Andy Ponneri, Senior Vice President and Business Leader, Synchrony India. "Being recognized as a Great Place to Work, especially in this challenging year, further demonstrates our commitment to being a company that puts people first and maintains a high-trust culture with a positive and empowering working environment." Recognizing employees' continued desire to help others, Synchrony also launched its Gear Up Campaign, which leveraged employee, partner, and cardholder networks to make and distribute protective gear such as masks and face shields. Synchrony's Diversity Networks further promote an inclusive culture that celebrates individuality and fosters collaboration. In Hyderabad, the company has more than 120 people with disabilities and more than 42% women employees. Synchrony is a company made up of people with different perspectives and unique ambitions that share strong values, a common purpose, and a bold commitment to doing the right thing. About Synchrony: Synchrony (NYSE: SYF) is a premier consumer financial services company. We deliver a wide range of specialized financing programs, as well as innovative consumer banking products, across key industries including digital, retail, home, auto, travel, health and pet. Synchrony enables our partners to grow sales and loyalty with consumers. We are one of the largest issuers of private label credit cards in the United States; we also offer co-branded products, installment loans and consumer financing products for small- and medium-sized businesses, as well as healthcare providers. Synchrony is changing what's possible through our digital capabilities, deep industry expertise, actionable data insights, frictionless customer experience and customized financing solutions. For more information, visit www.synchrony.com and Twitter: @Synchrony. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Detractors and critics are part of political lie . . . But this recent threat crossed the line and should serve as a warning across partisan lines that not all tough talk and intimidation qualifies as "free speech" and there very real rules for the discourse. Read more . . . Despite the Democratic Party moderate in charge . . . Recently, right-wing talking points in Kansas point out a bit of progressive hypocrisy. Check-it . . . SOURCE: AP images Workers are installing a permanent metal fence around the Kansas governor's mansion in Topeka. The state said the fence is part of security upgrades at Cedar Crest. The decision comes as more protests are being held near the mansion. Gov. Laura Kelly's office said no specific threat prompted the decision to install the fence. We're still more than a little salty about an iconic fashion trend cancelled. Also, the sting of a brand decrying their history of hotness also hurts our soul . . . Victoria's Secret abandons its scantily dressed Angels, saying they're no longer 'culturally relevant.' Activists and entrepreneurs will be the new faces of the brand, it says. Victoria's Secret's CEO said its Angels were no longer "culturally relevant." It said on Wednesday that it would partner with activists and entrepreneurs for its new image. Victoria's Secret has been working to overhaul its brand image after years of criticism. See more stories on Insider's business page. Still, Kansas City soldiers on in the world of fashion . . . And so we share this really nice look at new styles for Summer . . . There are plenty of issues confronting Kansas City at the outset of Summer. - Rising violence continues to claim lives on local streets. - Main Street and the streetcar extension maze of construction is a hot mess that's shutting down biz and threatens to displace longtime residents. - A police funding lawsuit has sparked a wave of departures amongst cops and has Missouri Republicans vowing to take vengeance on KCMO. To make matters worse . . . The homeless garnering a free stay at Northland motels have become increasingly violent . . . And they're burning through cash amid nightmarish damage done to their freebie rooms. Sadly, none of these topics have captured the attention of the current administration at 12th & Oak. Instead, in order to right the wrongs of American history . . . MAYOR Q HAS JOINED FORCES WITH AN ALLIANCE OF LEADERS VOWING TO PAY SLAVERY REPARATIONS!!! Per ushe, the deets are scant and there's no real plan . . . But the bold proclamation is more than enough to distract all of the nation, garner headlines and win MSM coverage. Meanwhile, more pressing and boring municipal problems will continue to be ignored. Credit to this news station for their coverage of the hot button issue . . . Fox4: Kansas City Mayor Lucas, 10 other US mayors pledge to pay reparations for slavery Deets . . . "Eleven U.S. mayors from Los Angeles to Kansas City have pledged to pay reparations for slavery to a small group of Black residents in their cities, saying their aim is to set an example for the federal government on how a nationwide program could work. "The mayors had no details on how much it would cost, who would pay for it or how people would be chosen." Developing . . . Today, thousands of Kansas City homeowners cry out in vain as toy train tax bills arrive in the mail. It gets worse. Here's the real deal FIRST ON TKC whilst local news and taxpayers are frustrated that city hall doesn't answer the phone on Saturday . . . DOZENS OF KANSAS CITY TAXPAYERS DISPUTE STREETCAR ASSESSMENTS OUTSIDE OF THE TDD!!! Here's a common complaint that's resonating across the metro this afternoon . . . "I received the special assessment for the KC Main Street Toy Train today. My property is farther than 1/3 mile from Main Street they should not be assessing that property. Don't let the TDD take your money!!!" Here's a look at the Kansas City Main Street Streetcar district map for those who haven't seen it already. Another, better, insight about the surprise tax bill that's close to our heart . . . "So the streetcar extension is either intent on ruining Father's Day OR we're getting a quick start on paying back reparations for Juneteenth." Accordingly . .. The worst part of this mailer is that taxpayers aren't advised of how to challenge this tax assessment and many didn't know or can't confirm that they're inside the special taxing district designed by way of gerrymandered mail-in voting that rigged one of the most expensive decisions in KCMO history. Finally . . . Amid growing outcry, streetcar officials have remained silent on taxing assessment frustrations, questions and outrage at the rising costs now confronting property owners. Developing . . . On the topic of faith and the future of the planet, this town's most prolific blogger on the topic of religious life shares important news. Check-it . . . "Now the Vatican is releasing what it's called the "Laudato Si' Action Platform," to move from worrying words into hopeful action. The platform's official launch date is in October, but why wait? The time to let the horse out of the barn, of course, is before the barn catches fire. And yet perhaps the pope's efforts at least can convince people to make changes that will make catastrophic changes in the environment a little less disastrous. That's our hope." Read more . . . The cycle of violence continues in the metro on Saturday as the homicide count across the State Line also begins to spike. Check the round-up . . . Teen found fatally shot outside a home in KCK early Saturday morning KANSAS CITY, Kan. - KCKPD is investigating an overnight homicide in the 4000 block of Barber Court. Police were dispatched to the area at 1:20 a.m. Saturday morning on reports of a shooting. When officers arrived on scene, they found a male teen outside a residence with apparent gunshot wounds. Teen killed at 40th & Barber in KCK KANSAS CITY, Mo. - UPDATE: 6/19, 6AM: Police say upon arrival they discovered a black male in his late teens outside a residence, the victim of an apparent shooting. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police say this is the 15th homicide of the year in KCK. Teen shot and killed in KCK, city's 15th homicide KANSAS CITY, KS (KCTV) -- A man in his late teens was killed early Saturday morning in a shooting, KCK's 15th homicide of the year, according to the Kansas City, KS, Police Department. Officers were called around 1:20 a.m. to Barber Court just off of South 40th Street in reference to a shooting call. From birth control to critical race theory . . . The Missouri GOP Super Majority is gearing up for a LEGISLATIVE SMACK DOWN that could be historic. Even better, there will be an intense fight betwixt establishment Republicans vs. their MAGA colleagues on just how brutal payback should be against cities like KCMO & STL. Here are a few highlights . . . Missouri Gov. Parson may be on verge of calling lawmakers back into session Missouri may be on the verge of calling state lawmakers back into session.The tax on health providers, the one that helps pay for the current Medicaid program, is about to expire. They call it the Federal Reimbursement Allowance. It brings in $1.6 billion a year.The tax runs out in September. Leaders offer critical look at race theory Political momentum is gathering to restrict the teaching of critical race theory in schools and colleges, turning a complex understanding of ethnic divides in America into hotly debated politics. According to Dr. W.A. Hedge, a former teacher and principal at Central High School and a leader among the St. Most of Missouri's new witness protection fund going unused by law enforcement agencies JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Starting next month, Missouri law enforcement agencies and prosecutors could have access to nearly $2 million in hopes of reducing violent crime across the state. It's part of legislation passed last fall for a witness protection fund in Missouri. Developing . . . Now that the pandemic lock down is over, cities across the nation are coping the threat of increased violence. In Kansas City the Summer spike in violence is always accompanied by regrets and accusations lamenting few activities for urban core youngsters. There's no hard data to suggest that free pizza parties will keep youngsters from killing each other and, in turn, buying a few pies never killed anybody given a billion dollar city budget filled with all manner of welfare both corporate & traditional. Nevertheless . . . Amid the digital era where Kansas City teens are committing murder over Snapchat beef . . . It's uncertain if a few hours of lame planned parties at local community centers will solve the problem. Check more info and you decide . . . Johnstown, PA (15901) Today Cloudy with a few showers. High around 70F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 57F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Terre Haute, IN (47803) Today A mix of clouds and sun. High 78F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 52F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. I have been reading this forum over the last few weeks and figured it would be useful to post what exactly is involved with getting from the United States to Spain under the new entry guidelines. I kept some notes on my phone throughout my trip yesterday. Here it goes: Friday, June 11th - Booked r/t flight via Hotwire (bundled with 1 night hotel to knock 50% off airfare) departing Thursday, June 17th Ordered 6 pack of eMed antigen tests for $165 shipped using FSA funds for return test while in EU. Delivered next day. Wednesday, June 16th: 10:30am - Booked initial 2 night hotel stay in Madrid. 1:15pm - Took a free COVID PCR test administered by our county. Spain says this is not required, but I wanted to make sure I had a negative test just in case. 5:00 pm - Downloaded Spain Health Entry form app to phone and attempted to complete form. The app crashed twice. I used my laptop browser to complete and it was successful on the first try. Since I stated I had a Non EU Vaccine Certificate, I received a QR code via email immediately and printed a copy. No upload of proof of vaccine is required just personal info, flight info, and hotel info. 9:30 pm - Negative PCR test result arrives in my inbox. I print a copy for my records. Thursday, June 17th 12:30 pm - Arrived at Raleigh airport for 2:57 pm flight to JFK. The kiosk would not produce a boarding pass so I stood in Deltas baggage drop line for 1 hour (in hindsight, I should have gone to the Special Services line which would have only taken a few minutes). The Delta baggage agent was reading requirements off the screen and asked to see my Passport, the Spain Entry Form (QR Code), Vaccine Certificate (CDC card), AND Negative test. I told her the negative test wasnt required by Spain since I had a CDC Card, but she said that she was just following the instructions on screen. 2:57-7:45- Rolling flight delay due to mechanical issue, meaning I would miss my Delta connection from JFK to MAD. The Delta gate agent re-booked me on a KLM flight from JFK to Amsterdam, with a connection 3 hours later to Madrid. We eventually left Raleigh around 8:10. 9:25 pm - Land at JFK and hoof it to the Delta/KLM Gate for 10:00 flight. The gate agent asked to see my Passport, the Spain Entry Form (QR Code), Vaccine Certificate (CDC) card, AND Negative test. I did not argue as they were preparing to close the doors. Since my flight info changed, I pulled up my phone and filled out a new Spain Entry Form as we pulled back from the gate and received a fresh QR code immediately. Friday, June 18th 11:45 am - After a coffee, I proceed to Passport Control in Amsterdam to transit to Concourse C, where my flight departs to Madrid. Im concerned because I have not filled out any Dutch health form and my COVID test is getting close to the 48 hour mark on paper (before adjusting to US Time). The Passport Control ends up being a breeze (where are you going? Are you on holiday?) and then Stamp. 1:30 pm - Board flight from AMS to MAD. 4:30 pm - Arrive in MAD. There is a Health Control line where two ladies held up laminated samples of the QR Code form. After showing them I had a QR on my phone, I was directed down an escalator where a few booths were set up with personnel scanning QR codes. Since I came from the Netherlands, I was let through with no additional checks but it appears some Americans were being directed to other personnel to check documents (ie vaccine card, negative test, temperature check). It all seemed to be cursory and working smoothly. Nobody was complaining or upset. I think the key takeaways from this are: 1. Over-plan. A negative test is not necessary per Spain, but having one ensures you dont have to debate with airline employees who dont know the rules. 2. Print all your paperwork and carry it with you in a readily accessible place. 3. Recognize that some airline employees in the US are not going to be as up to speed on requirements as you are. Be respectful and help them help you. 4. The QR Code is everything. Screenshot it to your phone as soon as you receive it and print a copy if you are able. Legally, neither the road to Haifoss nor the road to Gjain require a 4x4, but they can be very rough, so driving a car with less ground clearance means you have a higher risk of damaging the car. If you decide to go to Gjain I would take the first option to Stong, park there and walk the rest of the way. UPDATED DEADLINE MONDAY: ROSEN, SKILLED INVESTOR COUNSEL, Reminds Emergent BioSolutions Inc. Investors With Losses Over $100K of the Updated June 21 Deadline in Securities Class Action Due to the Recently Declared Federal Court Holiday - EBS Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media TRUMBULL Local police are urging drivers Saturday morning to avoid a busy intersection near the Monroe town line because of a power outage in the area. Lt. Brian Weir said drivers should avoid the Route 25 and Route 111 intersection after a power outage prompted the loss of traffic control signals after an overnight paving project on Route 111. The future of transportation will take new forms and, if Mini's latest concept vehicle is any indication, some of them could look like a rounded pod with wheels. That's one way to describe the Mini Vision Urbanaut concept, which made its real-world debut today at the DLD Summer conference in The United States provided full-fledged security assistance to Ukraine, as appropriated by Congress, and prepared contingency funds in the event of further Russian aggression. The White House released a corresponding statement to comment on American media reports about the alleged "freezing" of the military aid package to Ukraine. The idea that we have held back security assistance to Ukraine is nonsense. Just last weekin the run-up to the U.S.-Russia Summitwe provided a $150 million package of security assistance, including lethal assistance, reads the statement. As noted, the United States has now provided the entire amount appropriated by Congress through the Ukraine security assistance initiative. It is underscored that two days before the summit in Geneva, President Biden said that the US would keep putting Ukraine in the position to be able to continue to resist Russian physical aggression. We have also prepared contingency funds in the event of a further Russian incursion into Ukraine, the White House explained. As President Biden told President Putin directly, we will stand unwavering in support for Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity, says the statement. Earlier on Friday, the U.S. media outlet Politico reported, citing its own sources, that the U.S. presidential administration had decided to temporarily halt a military aid package to Ukraine that would include lethal weapons. ol Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, discussed with Vladimir Drobnjak, Foreign Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, the Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine. The talks focused on the results of the NATO summit held in Brussels on June 14, the Presidents Office informs. Zhovkva underscored the importance of confirmation by the NATO leaders that Ukraine would become a NATO member, and the Membership Action Plan was an integral part of this process. He thanked the Croatian side for its effective support for Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic strategy and taking into account Ukraine's interests in the final communique of the summit. As noted, the Deputy Head of the Presidents Office briefed Drobnjak on the security situation in eastern Ukraine and in the temporarily occupied Crimea. "Ihor Zhovkva informed about daily ceasefire violations and preservation of Russia's large military contingent along the Ukrainian-Russian border," the statement reads. The Foreign Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister of Croatia, for his part, reaffirmed the constant support of his country for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. He reaffirmed the readiness of the Croatian side to ensure the highest possible level of participation in the inaugural summit of the Crimean Platform in Kyiv on August 23. The parties paid special attention to the fulfillment of Ukraine's European aspirations. Zhovkva informed about the steps taken by Ukraine to join the European Union. Zhovkva and Drobnjak exchanged views on the importance of providing Ukraine with clear European prospects and Croatias further support for this path. As reported, the NATO summit was held in Brussels on June 14 to consider ways to further strengthen the transatlantic partnership. NATO leaders reaffirmed the continuation of the open-door policy and the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of Ukraine and Georgia and called on both countries to continue conducting reforms for closer integration with NATO. ol Angela Merkel believes that Russia is a big challenge for Europe, but the dialogue with it should remain in order to move towards the settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine. " Russia is a big challenge for us but Russia is also a continental neighbour of the European Union and we need to ensure that all hybrid (cyber) attacks are stopped. But on the other hand we have an interest to remain in dialogue with Russia if we want security and stability in the European Union, as difficult as this is," German Chancellor said before a working dinner with the President of France at the chancellery in Berlin on June 18, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. Commenting on Joe Biden's meeting with Vladimir Putin, she noted that only dialogue can reveal the other side's position. "Given the situation in Ukraine, we know that only negotiations, the Minsk format in general, give a chance to move further millimeter by millimeter, although it may be very difficult," Merkel added. Macron became the first foreign leader Merkel received at her office in Berlin this year. The parties noted that the personal meeting was made possible, in particular, due to the success in overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic. ol No Russias attempts to put pressure on individual countries to thwart the Crimean Platform summit will succeed. "We already have enough confirmations of participation in the Crimean Platform summit to make it a successful international event. Ukraine has not hosted an event of such an international scale and level for all 30 years of independence. It will be important and bright," Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba said in a comment to an Ukrinform correspondent on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. The minister said that he was aware of Russia's attempts to thwart the Crimean Platform summit, in particular, by putting pressure on certain countries to make them refuse to participate. "Russia opposes the Crimean Platform, working every day to thwart this success of Ukraine. Despite all these attempts, Russia will not stop us," Kuleba said. According to the minister, the Crimean Platform is a cross-cutting issue that is raised at every meeting he holds within the framework of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. "Some [representatives of] countries I will meet have already confirmed their participation, we will discuss the details of their visits. Some have not yet decided, so I will campaign for their participation in the Crimean Platform," Kuleba said. The diplomat noted that the Antalya Diplomacy Forum was the first event of such a level held offline since the beginning of the pandemic last year. "It offers an opportunity to meet colleagues foreign ministers of countries not only in Europe but also in Africa, Asia, and other regions. This is a unique opportunity to discuss very practical issues, ranging from countering the pandemic and opening the borders to Ukrainian tourists, to developing trade between our countries. We are especially interested in trade with Asia and Africa. And, of course, political and security issues [will be discussed]," the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said. Kuleba noted that his agenda included meetings with the foreign ministers of Turkey, Poland, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, Malaysia, Malta, Niger, and other countries. ol Venezuelan doctor Samuel, 27, fled to Ecuador in 2018 where he now cares for locals and Colombian refugees during the pandemic. UNHCR/Jaime Gimenez Two days ago, we announced that an unprecedented number of people have been forced to flee their homes. More than 82.4 million men, women and children have had their worlds turned upside down by war, violence and persecution. While the rest of us spent much of the last year at home to stay safe, they had to run from their homes just to stay alive. And as world leaders are seemingly unable or unwilling to make peace, more and more displaced people pay the price. In the past three years alone, some one million children were born into a life of exile. What will their futures hold? What opportunities will they have to achieve their potential? Today, World Refugee Day, should serve as a stark reminder to politicians of the need to do more to prevent and resolve conflict and crises. And of the imperative to protect people irrespective of their race, nationality, beliefs or other characteristics. Of the need to speak out and fight injustice, instead of fueling division and fomenting hate. To resolve to find pragmatic and lasting solutions to crises instead of blaming others or vilifying victims. Simply put, leaders need to step up and work together to solve todays global challenges. Yet World Refugee Day is also an opportunity to celebrate the fortitude of refugees. Those who have been stripped of everything and yet carry on, often bearing the visible and invisible wounds of war, persecution, and the anxiety of exile. Over the past several months, a time dominated by the pandemic, we have seen that refugees while needing, deserving, and having the right to international protection, safety, and support also give back to each other and to their host communities. When given the chance, they have run to the front lines of the COVID-19 response as doctors, nurses, cleaners, aid workers, care givers, shopkeepers, educators, and many other roles, providing essential services as we collectively battled the virus. We have seen them and their hosts selflessly share meagre resources and help lift those in the greatest of need. Next month, we will see them in another arena demonstrating what can be achieved if included in society and given the same opportunities as the rest of us: refugee athletes will approach the starting line as they compete with the worlds best in the Tokyo Olympics. So on World Refugee Day, as we pause to express solidarity with refugees in our communities and around the world, I hope each of us will also acknowledge and admire the drive, determination, and contributions made by people forced to flee. My colleagues and I have the privilege of witnessing their tenacity and achievement every day, which - especially today should be a source of inspiration for everyone, everywhere. When 14-year-old Dayana Garcia still lived in Venezuela, she and her friends would turn their afterschool homework sessions into impromptu dance parties, their fancy footwork breaking up the monotony of the reading, writing and maths exercises. But when insecurity and widespread food and medicine shortages forced Dayanas family to flee Venezuela in 2018, she thought dance was a thing of the past. The family headed northwest, taking the dangerous journey overland from their home in the capital, Caracas, through the Darien Gap the dense jungle that separates Colombia from Panama. The journey proved traumatic. Dayanas family, and the group of around 10 other people with whom they attempted the crossing, were robbed after entering the jungle and spent seven days wandering the 5,000km wilderness, without food, water or other basics. I thought I was going to die, recalled Dayana with a shudder. I didnt know what to do. They managed to make it out alive, and Dayana, her mother, father and brother, Giovanni, applied for asylum in Panama. But despite her relief at having survived the terrible ordeal in the jungle, Dayana still struggled to adapt to life in her new host country. "I didn't fit in at first." She and Giovanni enrolled in their local public school in the Panama City suburb of Pedregal, but Dayana an outgoing and popular student back in Venezuela had a hard time making new friends. I didnt fit in at first, she recalled. An afterschool programme called Programa Enlaces, which is Spanish for links, changed all that. The programme, which receives financial support from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, aims to transform the lives of Panamanian and refugee youths through music and dance. Dayana joined the group during the coronavirus pandemic, and a friend she made via the remote sessions, a Panamanian girl named Ana, helped her through the long, difficult months of lockdown. The Enlaces Programme is the best thing thats happened to us, said Dayanas mother, Katiana. Its a light amid the darkness that one is plunged into as a refugee. Dayana and her family are gradually rebuilding their lives in Panama City. UNHCR/Diana Diaz Dayana's mother, Katiana, describes the Programa Enlaces as "a light amid the darkness that one is plunged into as a refugee". UNHCR/Diana Diaz Dayanna and her family spent seven days wandering the jungle of the Darien Gay without food or water during their journey to Panama. "I thought I was going to die," she said. UNHCR/Diana Diaz In addition to helping her make new friends, the programme, which has served more than 300 young people since receiving support from UNHCR in 2018, also rekindled Dayanas passion for dance. As Panamas mobility restrictions eased in January, Enlaces was able to organize more in-person activities, including the contemporary dance programme in which Dayana has taken a leading role. During a visit to Panama this week, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi attended a performance by the contemporary dance group. Art and culture can be the catalyst for integration between host communities and refugees, said the High Commissioner during the event. It can help them shine and thrive together. The performance, filled with moments of tension and relief, portrayed Dayanas experience of crossing the Darien Gap. We can see the transformative role dance can have in the lives of Panamanian and refugee youth; they have come together in the spirit of friendship and empathy, said Grandi. The piece also reflected on the risks and ordeals displaced people around the world face when fleeing their homes and highlighted the courage and resilience required to rebuild their lives from scratch. While Dayana still faces hurdles to fully integrating into Panamanian society, sharing time with her contemporaries through dance has helped her feel more at ease and she is now planning her future in Panama. She still has four years of secondary school ahead of her, but she is already thinking about which university she would like to attend to realize her dream of becoming a lawyer. I would like to stay in Panama, she said, adding, I feel that my life is here. UNOSAPG Adviser & UN USG, Ms. Alice Wairimu Nderitu with RHP beneficiaries Photo: Vanes Pilav/UNHCR During her inaugural visit to BiH, UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide and UN Under-Secretary-General Ms. Alice Wairimu Nderitu visited displaced families who benefitted from the Regional Housing Programme in Sarajevo. Ms. Wairimu Nderitu said that ahead of World Refugee Day, I had the privilege to talk and listen to the families who are beneficiaries of th Regional Housing Programme, an initiative thats a grandchild of the actual UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Speaking and listening to these people has been one of the most valuable things Ive done since I came to BiH and added that if feels strange to talk about people who are still displaced 25 years after the war urging for closure of chapter and ensuring that everybody has a place to live. UNOSAPG Adviser & UN USG, Ms. Alice Wairimu Nderitu with RHP beneficiaries Photo: Vanes Pilav/UNHCR During the conflict in the former country, between 1992 and 1995, 2.2 million people, or more than half of the pre-war population, fled their homes in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Of these, 1.2 million left the country to seek refugee protection abroad, while approximately one million were displaced within BiH. Aside from the devastating human impact of the war, nearly 500,000 homes, or almost half of all housing units in the country, were either partially or destroyed. The Regional Housing Programme (RHP) was established in 2012 to provide durable housing solutions to vulnerable refugees and displaced persons following the conflicts in the nineties on the territory of former Yugoslavia. The RHP is implemented by Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, and Serbia and mostly financed by the international donor community. In total, EUR 65 million in RHP grant funds have been approved for sub-projects in BiH to provide approximately 3,200 housing units for vulnerable persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina by the end of the Programme. Approximately 1,800 housing units have been completed to date, consisting of about 1,300 family houses and 530 apartments. Completion of the re/construction of the remaining housing units is currently scheduled for 2022. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Register for a FREE account to keep reading! Register now for a FREE account to keep reading. No cost and no credit card required! Access up to 5 articles per month when you register, or get unlimited access to all of our content online starting at $1.99 now! Already registered? Click the log in link below New camp counselor Caroline Durkin gets trained on the high ropes course at YMCA Camp Duncan, June 15, 2021, in Ingleside, Illinois. Many camps are facing a shortage of camp counselors this year. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune/TNS) Cayla Harper, a lifeguard with Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service, uses an infrared thermomater to measure the temperature of the Oceanfront sand on Tuesday, June 15, 2021. (Trent Sprague/The Viriginian-Pilot/TNS) Eugene Ferrell Roe, born in 1938 and raised in Spencer, W. Va., and resided in the Parkersburg, W. Va. area for many years and in 2005 made Milledgeville, Ga. his home with his wife of 42 years, Martha Rector Roe. Gene graduated from Marshall University in 1961 with a bachelor's in civil eng (@ChaudhryMAli88) Senegalese President Macky Sall urged his country to get vaccinated to avoid serious illness from the coronavirus, media reports said Friday LOME (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Jun, 2021 ) :- Senegalese President Macky Sall urged his country to get vaccinated to avoid serious illness from the coronavirus, media reports said Friday. "The trend of new contaminations is increasing," he said late Thursday. Sall's remarks were made during an economic tour following the announcement of an increase in new infections made by the Ministry of Health and Social Action. "We must go and get vaccinated. The vaccines are there. We have vaccines. We must go and take the vaccines. With the vaccine, even if you get sick, the form will not be serious because the body will be immune," he said, according to the Senegal news Agency. He also called on Senegalese to be cautious and vigilant by respecting protective measures. "In a context of circulation of variants and the effects that this could cause for the management of the pandemic, we urge the population to strictly respect the barrier measures," the Pasteur Institute said Thursday. The Nigerian and British variants have been discovered in 95 cases analyzed on outgoing travelers from April to May, according to the French NGO. It said the Beta variant from South Africa and the Indian variant were detected in two cases from foreign travelers. (@FahadShabbir) LOME,TOGO 19 June (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Jun, 2021 ) :- Senegalese President Macky Sall urged his country to get vaccinated to avoid serious illness from the coronavirus, media reports said Friday. "The trend of new contaminations is increasing," he said late Thursday. Sall's remarks were made during an economic tour following the announcement of an increase in new infections made by the Ministry of Health and Social Action. "We must go and get vaccinated. The vaccines are there. We have vaccines. We must go and take the vaccines. With the vaccine, even if you get sick, the form will not be serious because the body will be immune," he said, according to the Senegal news Agency. He also called on Senegalese to be cautious and vigilant by respecting protective measures. "In a context of circulation of variants and the effects that this could cause for the management of the pandemic, we urge the population to strictly respect the barrier measures," the Pasteur Institute said Thursday. The Nigerian and British variants have been discovered in 95 cases analyzed on outgoing travelers from April to May, according to the French NGO. It said the Beta variant from South Africa and the Indian variant were detected in two cases from foreign travelers. The Ministry of Health reported 42,259 positive cases on Friday, of which 40,767 have recovered. A total of 1,158 deaths were registered and 333 are in treatment. While 486,606 vaccinations have been performed, there have been "no imported cases at the country's gateways."The increase in infections is in line with the African context reported Thursday by the World Health Organization. KAMPALA, Uganda (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Jun, 2021 ) :- Ugandans were instructed Friday by the nation's president to stay at home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. "We should minimize infection so that we are able to treat those who are infected," he said in an address to the nation. "Two weeks ago, only 61 districts had COVID19 cases but now 108 districts have cases. People should stay at home." Museveni banned public transport and cross-border movements of people. Operations of schools, churches, mosques, bars and dancing halls and discos have been suspended for 42 days. And the carrying of passengers on motorcycles has also been banned. A few months ago, the pandemic daily death rate was one to two but recently it has soared to more than 40. On Friday, 42 deaths were recorded. On June 13, there were five fatalities. Three months ago, daily infections were about 50 but 1,564 were recorded Friday. On June 14, a total of 1,122 new cases were registered. Uganda has recorded 68,778 cases and 584 deaths since the pandemic began. Washington, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Jun, 2021 ) :US Roman Catholic bishops issued a challenge Friday to President Joe Biden over his support for abortion rights, agreeing to draft a statement on the meaning of holy communion which could potentially be used to deny the sacred rite to the American leader. Biden, 78, a devout Catholic who attends mass at least once a week, supports the landmark 1973 US Supreme Court decision affirming a woman's right to an abortion. Catholic bishops, defying appeals from the Vatican, voted at their spring general assembly to draft a formal statement on the "meaning of the eucharist in the life of the Church." It was approved by a vote of 168 to 55 with six abstentions and the statement will be discussed at their next meeting in November. Biden on Friday seemed to dismiss the possibility that he could be denied communion. "That's a private matter and I don't think that's going to happen," he told reporters during a White House event on the coronavirus pandemic. The eucharist, also known as holy communion, is among the most sacred rituals in the Catholic Church and there have been calls from some conservative church leaders to deny the sacrament to politicians who support abortion rights. At a press conference on Thursday, Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, said the committee drafting the statement "will be looking at that whole issue of eucharistic consistency." "That is not the task of our committee, to look at individuals," Rhoades said. Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, said the planned statement "is about what we believe about the eucharist, how to live a eucharistic life, and to go forth in service. "We do not cut off any person from the church," Burbidge said. It is up to each local bishop to decide who receives communion in their diocese. In 2019, a priest at a Catholic church in South Carolina refused holy communion to Biden because of his stance on abortion. The Catholic news Service reported in May that the Vatican had warned US bishops to proceed cautiously with policies designed "to address the situation of Catholics in public office who support legislation allowing abortion, euthanasia or other moral evils." MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th June, 2021) Djibouti wants the United Nations Security Council to be reformed to provide for more equitable representation of the African nations, Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf told Sputnik. "We also would like to see the Security Council be reformed and see more equitable presence of the African nations at the Security Council level," Youssouf said. Djibouti has been looking into cooperating with Russian companies on renewable energy projects, and negotiations on contracts are currently in progress, Djiboutian Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf told Sputnik MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th June, 2021) Djibouti has been looking into cooperating with Russian companies on renewable energy projects, and negotiations on contracts are currently in progress, Djiboutian Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf told Sputnik. "A few days ago [early June] we had a delegation with Russian citizens from Russian companies who visited Djibouti. They have expertise, the know-how to develop renewable energy in Djibouti ... They had discussion with the minister and they will continue to follow up so that they can reach an agreement, sign it and then start developing the projects," he said. According to Youssouf, the African country has already started developing projects in wind energy and has good potential in the areas of solar and geothermal energy. The minister noted Djibouti has also requested expertise from Russian companies in the mining sector, since Russia has vast experience in this industry. In general, Youssouf said he was "very optimistic" about future cooperation with the Russian business community. Foreign leaders have extended their congratulations to Iranian top judge Ebrahim Raisi on winning the presidential race ANKARA/BEIRUT (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th June, 2021) Foreign leaders have extended their congratulations to Iranian top judge Ebrahim Raisi on winning the presidential race. The Iranian Interior Ministry said earlier on Saturday that Raisi won the election with nearly 62% of the vote. His competitors have already conceded their defeat. The turnout totaled 48.8%, which is the lowest in the country's history. "I sincerely congratulate you on your election as the President of Iran. I hope that the election results will bring good to the friendly and fraternal Iranian people," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a message, as quoted by his office. The Turkish leader also expressed readiness to come to Tehran for talks with his future counterpart once the pandemic allows. "After the pandemic is overcome, I will be happy to visit Tehran as part of the next meeting of the Turkey-Iran High-Level Cooperation Council. I wish you success in your new post and hope for the development of Turkish-Iranian relations in all areas," the message read. Among others who have already congratulated Raisi on his victory are UAE Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as well as Syrian President Bashar Assad and Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier also expressed hope for further development of bilateral ties in his letter to the Iranian president-elect. (@ChaudhryMAli88) MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th June, 2021) NASA may book another seat on a Russian spacecraft Soyuz to send an astronaut to the International Space Station, a space industry source has told Sputnik. In March, US company Axiom Space was reported to have purchased a seat for NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei on the Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft, which was launched in April. "We cannot rule out [the possibility] that NASA will book another seat on a Soyuz spacecraft to fly its astronaut to the ISS," the source said, adding that such a flight may take place next spring. WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th June, 2021) The timeline for ending the novel coronavirus pandemic will depend on how soon vaccines can be delivered to unvaccinated populations, especially in developing countries, in order to prevent the further mutation of COVID-19, which risks upending the mass distribution efforts, experts told Sputnik. US President Joe Biden warned on Friday that unvaccinated people are in growing danger due to the spread of the Delta variant of coronavirus, which he said is more easily transmissible, potentially deadlier and particularly dangerous for young people. "I am less concerned about decreasing antibodies than I am concerned about the populations in the US and globally that are not vaccinated," Dr. Edward Trapido, an epidemiology professor and associate dean for research at the Louisiana State University school of Public Health, told Sputnik. "As long as there are cases anywhere, we are at risk everywhere." In the US right now, Trapido warned, every state has pockets of people who are not vaccinated. "When variants occur, they can spread quickly and result in lots of cases among unvaccinated people. Globally there are many populations that have no or few vaccines," Trapido said. Trapido foresees the pandemic lasting up to 2022, by then downgrading to an endemic. However, he said the recovery timeline could be delayed by international travel, refugees fleeing war and dangerous situations, which may spur the virus to mutate. Earlier this month, the World Health Organization included the Delta strain in its list of the so-called variants of concern as it became prevalent and caused a sharp surge in infections in some countries, especially India, where it was first identified. Vaccine distribution efforts should focus on Brazil, India, Pakistan, Nepal, countries in South and Central America, among other developing countries, Trapido said. The Instituto Butantan, a Brazilian biologic research center, said in a statement there are at least 19 variants of coronavirus that have been identified in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, with the P.1 (Amazonian) strain prevailing in 89.9 percent of cases, followed by the strain B.1.1.7, first detected in the United Kingdom, which accounts for 4.2 percent. The COVID-19 related infection and death rates have dropped significantly low in the United States since about March, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), but it does not indicate the risk for another wave is over. "We are getting closer to an epidemic in the US, and will probably get to being endemic, like flu," Trapido said. "However, we may see a surge in the winter- as people spend less time outdoors." Biden announced on Friday that the United States administered over 300 million doses of coronavirus vaccines over the last 150 days with 15 states and the District of Columbia reaching a 70 percent vaccination rate. He said that existing vaccines offer sufficient protection to fully inoculated. Dr. Paulo Verardi, a professor of virology and vaccinology at the University of Connecticut, told Sputnik countries need to have at least two-thirds, if not three-quarters or more of their populations vaccinated to achieve a level of immunity that would disrupt cycles of transmission effectively, and therefore prevent additional waves of infection. However, he also cautioned about the new variants emerging around the world. "We now have more transmissible variants of concern added to the equation, and we still have to monitor the durability of vaccine-induced protective immunity," Verardi said. "Consequently, we still have to be very cautious and vigilant, even here in the US" Verardi underscored that it is important work to make vaccines available to people around the world, including low-income countries, as soon as possible, because it is the only way to control the pandemic and avoid future surges of cases. Last week, the G7 countries pledged to donate over one billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccines to the lowest-income economies. The United States had previously pledged to donate 500 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to the world, aside from the 80 million doses it is beginning to deliver to countries already. Russia's Sputnik V vaccine has been approved in 67 countries since the drug's registration last August. According to the latest analysis of data on the post-vaccination infection percentage among 3.8 million vaccinated Russians, the vaccine shows 97.6% efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19 cases. Russia and China combined have donated about 15 million doses worldwide, but they each are expected to provide more than 600 million doses. There have been more than 177 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 3.8 million deaths caused by the disease around the world since the outbreak began in early 2020, according to the WHO. More than 2.3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered globally, the organization revealed in data. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th June, 2021) Russia and the so-called troika of the African Union (the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa and Senegal) will soon start discussing the time and venue of the next Russia-Africa Summit, scheduled for 2022, Djiboutian Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf told Sputnik. "The second summit will take place in Africa in 2022. We have not decided yet on the country and the exact time when the summit will be held but there are discussions now between the Russian Federation and what we call the troika of the African Union. The actual chair of the African Union, this is the DRC, and the former chair and the coming chair ... South Africa and Senegal. The three countries, Russia and the African Union Commission will have discussions soon so that they decide on which country will host the second summit and when exactly," Youssouf said. Djibouti has proposed to expand ties with the Russian business community in the areas of investment and tourism, and received an encouraging response from Moscow, Djiboutian Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf told Sputnik MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th June, 2021) Djibouti has proposed to expand ties with the Russian business community in the areas of investment and tourism, and received an encouraging response from Moscow, Djiboutian Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf told Sputnik. On June 8, Youssouf met with top Russian diplomat Sergey Lavrov in Moscow to discuss prospects for bilateral cooperation ahead of the upcoming Russia-Africa summit in 2022. "Yesterday I had a very good meeting with Minister Lavrov, and it was an occasion for me and an opportunity to discuss all these issues with him. And the response and the answer were really very encouraging for us," Youssouf said. The Djiboutian foreign minister encouraged the Russian business community to "take advantage" of the country's strategic position as the "gateway to the Horn of Africa" to expand into African markets, such as Ethiopia and Somalia. He added that Djibouti also offers an international free trade zone, developed transport and logistics infrastructure, and is among the most stable countries in the region. Youssouf further noted that Djibouti is interested in attracting Russian tourists, and that Russian companies have already shown willingness to work in this direction during last year's visit to the country. The Djiboutian side expects the first practical results of the consultations to come in the nearest future. Lavrov's visit to the African country will presumably take place later in the year, in November or December. United Nations Special Envoy for Myanmar Christine Shraner Burgener on Friday urged the UN Security Councl to render timely support to stop the violence in the country given the situation on the ground is very bad UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th June, 2021) United Nations Special Envoy for Myanmar Christine Shraner Burgener on Friday urged the UN Security Councl to render timely support to stop the violence in the country given the situation on the ground is very bad. Earlier in the day, the UN Security Council held a closed meeting with the participation of Schraner Burgener to discuss the violence in Myanmar following the February 1 military coup. "The situation on the ground in Myanmar is very worrisome, it's a very bad situation," Schraner Burgener said. "I asked the Security Council for a timely support and action. We expect the council to speak with unity, especially against violence." Schraner Burgener noted some 600 people have been killed since the February 1 coup d'etat and more than 6,000 detained by the Myanmar military. In addition, violence by security forces, a collapsed health system and food insecurity have made some 175,000 people to become internally displaced, she said. "If the situation continues like that, we expect around half of the population will live under the poverty line," Schraner Burgener added. WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th June, 2021) US District Judge Steven Merryday ruled in favor of the state of Florida in a lawsuit challenging a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention order that makes it practically impossible for cruise ships to resume sailing due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. "Florida's motion for preliminary injunction is GRANTED, and CDC is PRELIMINARILY ENJOINED from enforcing against a cruise ship arriving in, within, or departing from a port in Florida the conditional sailing order and the later measures (technical guidelines, manuals and the like)," Merryday wrote in the court order. Merryday said cruises would be effectively blocked from operating if the CDC order were to continue and such a course of action would harm Florida. The judge thus granted a preliminary injunction that prevents the CDC from enforcing the order pending further legal action on a broader Florida lawsuit. In addition to the irreparable damage cause to Florida, Merryday also cited as reasons for his decision the comparative injury, the immediate material threat to the state's public interest and the probability of success in future courts based on the merits of Florida's legal arguments against the CDC order. Florida initially sued the Biden administration and the CDC in April over the continued closure of the cruise industry amid growing numbers of Americans who have acquired immunity whether naturally or via vaccines and other treatments as well as because of the significantly lower numbers of new cases and fatalities. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody called the injunction a victory for Floridians whose livelihoods depend on the cruise industry. Moody also said the US Federal government does not and should not have the power to indefinitely shut down an entire industry. Three of four Mother Nature environmental activists arrested on Wednesday, had arrest warrants issued for them on the alleged charge of plotting, local authorities said, a charge used recently against former opposition officials. On Friday, government mouthpiece Fresh News reported that National Police Spokesperson Chhay Kimkhouen that the Mother Nature activists were not engaging in environmental protection but were instead using foreign funds to topple the government. The outlet also published arrest warrants for Sun Ratha, 26, Yim Leanghy, 32, and Ly Chandaravuth, 22, but not for the fourth activist, Seth Chhivlimeng. Human rights groups, who are following the arrests, said they were trying to find out the whereabouts of the activists, who were not produced in court as of Friday evening. There are reports that a fourth activist was arrested in Kandal province but their location was unknown as well. National Police spokesperson Chhay Kimkhoeun told VOA Khmer on Thursday that three activists had been arrested using Phnom Penh Municipal Court arrest warrants, telling reporters that they should not be called environmental activists. He said the activists were accused for allegedly plotting, and not their environmental activities. [Police] arrested three youths following Phnom Penh municipal court arrest warrant, accused of alleged plot. Now it is following the procedure of judicial police, he said. I can tell you only this as of now. Phnom Penh Municipal Court spokesperson Phlong Sophal could not be reached for comment on Thursday and San Sokseiha, Phnom Penh Municipal Police spokesperson, said municipal police were not involved in the arrests. Cambodian Center for Human Rights identified the three activists as Sun Ratha, Ly Chandaravuth, and Seth Chhivlimeng. A fourth environmental activist, Yim Leanghy, was arrested in Kandal province after being asked to visit his local police station, according to a statement from the rights group. The three environmental activists were arrested in Phnom Penhs Daun Penh district at around 11am after they filmed sewage in the river near Royal Palace, CCHR added. San Mala, an advocacy officer at the Cambodian Youth Network, said the arrests showed the risks faced by the countrys environmental activists. It is another bad picture and shows that environmental protectors are at risk, he said. In September 2020, three environmental activists, Thun Ratha, Long Kunthea and Phoun Keo Reaksmey, all of whom are also members of Mother Nature, were arrested in Phnom Penh for planning to organize a one-woman march from Wat Phnom to the Prime Minister Hun Sens residence to highlight concerns over the filling-in of Boeung Tamok. They were convicted last month and are serving between 18 to 20 months in prison. Last week, U.S. Ambassador Patrick Murphy met with Interior Minister Sar Kheng and called for their release, while also raising the countrys abysmal record on protecting the environment. On Thursday, the U.S. pulled funding for the controversial Greening Prey Lang project that aims to protect the wildlife sanctuary. The U.S. said unbridled deforestation was a reason for the pull out, but that the funds would be redirected to local groups and NGOs. Am Sam Ath, deputy director of Licadho, a local rights group, said yesterdays arrest happened right after the U.S. ambassadors meeting, exemplifying how environmental activists are still in danger. If they are charged with alleged plotting, why were they not arrested previously? Why just now? he said. The U.S. is pulling its funding for the Greening Prey Lang project, which works to protect the sanctuary from deforestation, and redirecting money for the Cambodian government to civil society groups and communities working to protect the forest. The announcement, made on Thursday morning, will see the U.S. stop all funding that is going to the Cambodian government because of the worsening deforestation in Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary. The $21 million project will now only fund local groups and NGOs working to protect the forest. Although Cambodia has made some important strides in environmental protection, the United States has repeatedly expressed concerns about persistent high deforestation rates in protected areas, particularly in the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary where USAID has invested significant resources, read the statement. Unfortunately, the situation is worsening. Since 2016, despite USAIDs support for increased ranger patrols, training of law enforcement, and development of a national protected area management system, the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary has lost approximately 38,000 hectares of forest, nearly nine percent of its forest cover, it added. Cambodian forests activists, patrol groups and rights organizations have said the Cambodian government is responsible for inaction over severe forest loss at the Prey Lang sanctuary, with USAID facing criticism for its complicity in funding the Greening Prey Lang project. The U.S. statement said the Cambodian government continues to silence and target local communities and their civil society partners who are justifiably concerned about the loss of their natural resources. As a result of these unresolved concerns, the United States is ending assistance to government entities under the USAID Greening Prey Lang project. This U.S. assistance will instead be redirected to support civil society, the private sector, and local efforts to improve livelihoods and expand climate sensitive agriculture. According to the statement, the U.S. has invested more than $100 million in programs to combat environmental issues in Cambodia through USAID funding. Cambodian authorities have banned the Prey Lang Community Network patrol group from entering the forest last year, claiming they are unregistered under the controversial LANGO law. The group while patrolling the forest also conduct an annual tree blessing ceremony with local civil society groups and environmental activists. This ceremony was blocked last year. The Prey Lang announcement comes two days after U.S. Ambassador Patrick Murphy met with Environment Minister Say Samal, where the former discussed ongoing concerns regarding deforestation in the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary, according to a post on Twitter. In March, the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh said Ambassador Murphy and USAID Cambodia Mission Director Veena Reddy each met with the country's top environmental officials in separate meetings last year to discuss deforestation and restrictions faced by patrol groups that monitor illegal logging in the sanctuary. The Prey Lang forest covers approximately 500,000 hectares and spans four provinces Kratie, Stung Treng, Kampong Thom, and Preah Vihear. More than 250,000 people live in and around Prey Lang, most of whom identify as indigenous Kuy, and the protected area is one of the last, and largest remaining, evergreen forests in the country. Hoeun Sopheap, a member of Prey Lang Community Network in Kampong Thom province, said funding from the U.S. had not stopped destruction of the forest and that villagers are still prevented from patrolling the protected area. USAIDs work is ineffective and not sustainable, he said. It doesnt depend on the U.S. or any other country. Everything depends on Cambodian governments willingness to protect forests there, he said. USAID established the $21 million Greening Prey Lang project in 2018 to promote jobs, protect the sanctuarys biodiversity and aid forest patrols. But the project has come under criticism for aligning with Cambodias Ministry of Environment, which has been accused of turning a blind eye to rampant deforestation. Environment Ministry Spokesperson Neth Pheaktra said the ministry respected the U.S. decision to end assistance, and that the move only showed that Cambodia was responsible and strong enough to protect its own forests. There are no longer any large-scale natural resource offenses in Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary. There are only small offenses remaining, he said. He added that the end of cooperation under the Greening Prey Lang project would not affect any cooperation between the Environment Ministry and USAID or the U.S. Embassy. The end of the deforestation program comes after the U.S. has expressed its displeasure over alleged Chinese military presence at Ream naval base in Preah Sihanouk province, which was raised directly by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman in a meeting with Prime Minister Hun earlier this month. Ek Sovanna, another PLCN representative from Kratie province, said even after spending millions of dollars to protect the forests, there was little progress on stopping the destruction of Cambodias natural resources. We are the real forest protectors, but we dont get any funds under that project, Ek Sovanna said. Despite providing millions of dollars, it is not a successful development project. The forests are still ruined. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Malian refugees Amiri Ag Abdoulaye and Mohammed Ould Najim met in a Burkina Faso refugee camp after spending much of their youth fleeing Islamist violence and struggling with trauma until they found dance. The young men joined a program founded by an internationally acclaimed Burkinabe dancer Like many 14-year-old girls, Sifa Maulana had a dream. Hers was to become a nurse. Her family didnt support Sifas ambitions. "My grandmother said, If you don't want to get married, you better leave now.' I packed my clothes, asked my brother-in-law for 100 meticais about $1.60 and went to the bus stop," said Sifa, who faced the ultimatum in May. Sifa left her home in Mutuali, a village in Mozambiques northern province of Nampula, and took the bus to Malema town. There, she went to a Catholic church to pray and confided in nuns there about her situation. She told them her older sister was studying to join a religious order at the Mater Dei Monastery in Nampula town. The nuns at the church confirmed Sifas connections and sent the girl to the monastery, where she was welcomed in mid-May. "We introduced her to other girls here at home, said Mother Maria, a member of the Contemplative Community of the Servants of Mary. She did not disclose Sifas biological sisters name or make her available for an interview. Sifa was doing well after roughly a week at the monastery, Mother Maria told VOA Portuguese on May 30. She helps, she takes care of the babies at the orphanage. But now we need to decide how to get her school records so she can continue her studies. The threat of early marriage and disrupted education is all too common, said Mother Maria. "It is very worrying because there is oppression. Women in general have always been oppressed. Premature marriage is happening a lot, she said. To lessen their financial strain, families especially poor families want to quickly put children out of the house, taking mouths out of the house. The coronavirus pandemic has heightened the risk of child marriage around the world in communities affected by economic shocks and with limited access to basic services such as health, education and child protection, UNICEF, the United Nations childrens agency, reported last year. The U.N. estimates the pandemic could lead to as many as 13 million additional child marriages between 2020 and 2030 that otherwise might have been avoided. Mozambique already has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, affecting almost one in every two girls, UNICEF reported. Child marriage not only usually ends schooling for girls but also increases their vulnerability to domestic abuse and violence, UNICEF warns. The practice also endangers girls health if they bear children before their bodies are fully mature and if they contract sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS. In 2019, Mozambique outlawed marriage for anyone younger than 18. But the law is seldom enforced and violations are rarely reported, said Nzira de Deus, executive director of Forum Mulher Mozambique, a national network of womens rights organizations. Several factors complicate the laws implementation, Deus said. First, theres a lack of awareness, and of social acceptance, that girls have the right to freedom of choice, she said. Second, macho culture camouflaged with harmful social and cultural practices undermine womens human rights. Finally, according to de Deus, there is impunity due to the weak response services to complaints about forced and premature unions." Nonetheless, the network urges reporting to authorities any cases of underage marriage that are being planned or have taken place. For now, Sifa has averted an unwanted early marriage, and Mother Maria said the religious order is committed to helping the girl continue her education: We must help her going forward so she can be someone in life. This report originated in VOAs Portuguese Service. Juneteenth is Americas newest federal holiday after President Joe Biden signed it into law on Thursday. But African Americans have celebrated every June 19 since 1865 when the last enslaved blacks learned of their freedom on that date. President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Malawi authorities say the country is quickly running out of coronavirus vaccines as confirmed infections surge to nearly 35,000 and 1,200 deaths in a third wave of the pandemic. The shortage comes just weeks after Malawi destroyed about 20,000 doses that expired, partly due to vaccine hesitancy. Malawi health authorities said Friday theyve shut down more than half the countrys vaccination centers because of shortages and that many people were turned way. In the commercial capital Blantyre, all the vaccination centers are closed. Dr. Charles Mwansambo is Malawis Secretary for Health. "Malawi received a total of 512,000 doses; 360,000 were from the COVAX facility, 102,000 were from the AU [African Union] and 50,000 doses were from the Indian government," Mwansambo said. "And as we are talking now, more that 93% of those doses have been used. The vaccine shortage comes just a month after Malawi destroyed nearly 20,000 doses that had expired in April - partly because of vaccine hesitancy. Mwansambo says authorities were forced to incinerate the doses to reassure Malawians that vaccines being used were effective. "The burning was of course regrettable, but we got those doses very late, they only had a very short shelf life," Mwansambo said. "In fact, I am happy that we did that because we got back the confidence from the people. Thats why we are seeing what we are seeing now. Malawi plans to vaccinate about 11 million of its 18 million people to achieve herd immunity. But only about 400,000 Malawians have been inoculated so far. Malawi is expecting a donation of 900,000 doses from the COVAX facility by the end of July. Some Malawians who got their first dose in March worry about their immunity being compromised as they were supposed to get the second jab after 12 weeks. But medical experts dismiss those fears. Dr. Gift Kawalazila is the director of Health and Social Services at Blantyre District Health Office. "The evidence that we have is that actually the longer you delay the (second dose of the) vaccine the more effective it becomes," Kawalazila said. "So, 12 weeks, was just a guide. But the idea was that if you take it after 12 weeks thats when actually it gets better with your immunity. But Mwansambo worries the waiting time could deter people from getting the jab and is calling on donors to step in to bridge the gap. "So, this break will kill the momentum," Mwansambo said. "I hope its not too long a break. Thats why we call upon other willing, and I know that a number of well-wishers out there, including the US government, the UK government, are ready to give out the extra doses they have. Malawis parliament called on the government Thursday to set aside funds to purchase vaccines, so they are not dependent on donations. While Malawi is one of Africas poorest nations, Health Secretary Mwansambo says the issue is not money but where to get the vaccine. He noted India, which produces the AstraZeneca vaccine that does not require cold storage, has stopped exports to deal with its own surge with tens of thousands of daily, new infections. (Alexandria, MN) The two-day music festival known as the Minnesota Drum Corps Premiere and the Vikingland Band Festival started Saturday evening with a tremendous show. Three bands from Calgary made the trip to a full grandstand of people. There were also three bands from Minnesota as well. (Here is just a snipet of the music played Saturday Night - this clip is courtesy of the Calgary Stampede Showband) We'll have more on this event following Sunday's Vikingland Band Festival, which takes place at 1:30 down Broadway Street. For more information on this and all of the weekend of music, go to the event website. User reports estimate the perceived ground shaking intensity according to the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale Contribute: Leave a comment if you find a particular report interesting or want to add to it. Flag as inappropriate. Mark as helpful or interesting. Send your own user report! Alemdag / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : I felt 2 strong single hits, Id say 6 richter despite the 3.8-4.1 measured. I guess in total it lasted less than 1 second and for this reason the measured degree seems less than the felt one | 5 users found this interesting. Istanbul Sisli / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / very short : It felt as though something exploded or as if the apartment was hit by something | 4 users found this interesting. Istanbul, Anadolu Hisari, Beykoz / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single vertical bump / very short : Sounded like an explosion a few km away. A lot of people looked out the window thinking it was an explosion. | 3 users found this interesting. Maslak (24.1 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / very short : I felt like the chair was falling to the ground | 2 users found this interesting. 12.1 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s : Just like hitting on the bottim | 2 users found this interesting. 7.4 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / very short : It was very brief. It felt like an explosion occured underground and we felt its impact for a brief while. | 2 users found this interesting. 20.9 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s : My refrigerator was jumping I was scared. | 2 users found this interesting. Atasehir / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / very short : It was one very short but big jolt. | 2 users found this interesting. Istanbul (22.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : My sofa shake shake shake | 2 users found this interesting. Basaksehir Istanbul / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Slight rumble for 2-3 seconds | 2 users found this interesting. 23 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : Vertical bump | One user found this interesting. 10 km SW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : Building shook laterally | One user found this interesting. Mecidiyekoy (24.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s : Only a few seconds | One user found this interesting. Maltepe (6.4 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s : Felt someone pushing my bed | One user found this interesting. 7.1 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s : Istanbul | One user found this interesting. Istanbul, Turkiye (18.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s : No additional comment | One user found this interesting. 23.5 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : visual movement in the structure | One user found this interesting. Pendik (6.9 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / very short : 2-3 vertical pulse | One user found this interesting. Istanbul (27.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s : I felt my chair move below me and go side to side. | One user found this interesting. 51.5 km W of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt : I felt nothing | 2 users found this interesting. Maltepe istanbul / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Strong fast shaking 4 sc | One user found this interesting. Ugur Mumcu (7.9 km SW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s Yes. | One user found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s Suleymanpasa, Tekirdag (146.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : I personally did not feel it but a lot of television channels were covering the earthquake lol | One user found this interesting. Istanbul / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : . | One user found this interesting. 6.7 km WSW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / very short : We are in the quarantine facility and felt hard the shake. | One user found this interesting. Kavakpinar, pendik / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Ich habe die Turen zittern horen. Aber habe den beben selbst nicht realisiert. | One user found this interesting. Istanbul / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : Just 2 seconds shaking | One user found this interesting. Sariyer / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Iii. | One user found this interesting. Istanbul / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Ein leichtes wackeln alle Menschen sind sofort aufgestanden und rausgegangen es war sehr leicht. Ich befinde mich in Istanbul | One user found this interesting. Istanbul eminonu / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : The bed was ligtly shaking 5 flor | One user found this interesting. Kartal (7.8 km SW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Never felt anything. | One user found this interesting. Kagthane / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s : A sudden and short shift | One user found this interesting. Istanbul bahcelevler / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I was on sitting down on the 5 Yh floor | One user found this interesting. Atasehir (7.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : Whole Apartment shook | One user found this interesting. Atasehir / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Scared! | One user found this interesting. Maltepe, Istanbul (9.8 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s : Strong vertical bumo but felt strongly | One user found this interesting. sultanbeyli (4.2 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : It was a single, big, round, strike-type of EQ | One user found this interesting. Atasehir (10 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump : First I heard a voice coming deep down then a single strong bump has come. | One user found this interesting. Istanbul / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Short, low-to-moderate shake but we heard a noise before the vibration. | One user found this interesting. Sultanbeyli / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s : it is crazy all shake | One user found this interesting. Istinye, Istanbul, Turkey (24.3 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : We didnt feel it at all | One user found this interesting. Airport sabiha gokcen (9 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : I felt a vibration | One user found this interesting. Gumuspnar Mahallesi (5.3 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s : 4.4 | One user found this interesting. Umraniye / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : There was a light shaking in two waves, the first one seemingly slightly stronger but curt, the second a little more prolonged | One user found this interesting. 9.8 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : I felt it well, although others did not feel it. | One user found this interesting. Istanbul / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : Whole building moved once | One user found this interesting. Istanbul, Turkey (25 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : I felt it last about 2 sec but a strong 2 secs which made me a bit worried. But again it was a short and hence a ow magnitude quake | One user found this interesting. istanbul / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : It was quite an unusual vibration. It didn't feel like an earthquake. | One user found this interesting. Istanbul (14.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s One user found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Istanbul / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / very short : Wery hard erathquake | One user found this interesting. istanbul / Weak shaking (MMI III) : it lasted very short | One user found this interesting. 9 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s Jenerator calsmas gibiydi | One user found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s Istanbul (39.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / very short : Still worrying about it | One user found this interesting. Kadkoy/ Istanbul / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s : Ive heard a sound of shaking and felt the shake while I was lying on bed | One user found this interesting. Sile / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : Unconcerned | One user found this interesting. Umraniye istanbul / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Sounded like thunder inside | One user found this interesting. Ethem efendi cad. (14.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / very short : . | One user found this interesting. KISIKLI (15.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : It was shaky | One user found this interesting. Etiler / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Vibrating in the apartment | One user found this interesting. Istanbul / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : It felt very weird i have experienced earthquakes in turkey before but this one was the weirdest | One user found this interesting. Istanbul Basaksehir / Weak shaking (MMI III) / very short : The bed shook | One user found this interesting. leave your comment here / Weak shaking (MMI III) / very short Istanbul / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : My bed was shaking for 2 seconds | One user found this interesting. KISIKLI (15.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : It was shaky 16.5 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s Istanbul, Beyoglu (23.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : But it is on the news, southeast 3.9 Levent, istanbul (61.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s 26.5 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / very short Istanbul rumeli hisari (21.8 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s 24.2 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s Maltepe (7.8 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating MALTEPE, Istanbul (10 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) Pendik, Istanbul (5.3 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 20-30 s 23.3 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Taksim, Istanbul (23 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s Uskudar (14.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / very short 13.3 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s 31.3 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s 21 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s Sariyer, Istanbul, Turkey / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / very short : Sudden jolt, quick but moderately hard shakes, over in a couple seconds Besiktas (22 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s Kadkoy (18.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short Caddebostan / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Istanbul / Weak shaking (MMI III) : I thought maybe a really big truck was coming through and then I looked out my window and noticed there was no truck and I realized it must be an earthquake. Istanbul / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s Istanbul (27.6 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Besyol / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s Geylani (22.5 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Istanbul kanyon / not felt Koblenz / not felt 18.5 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : loud noise and hard single move for a very short time kadikoy istanbul / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s Atasehir / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s Istanbul, Cihangir (22.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / very short Sariyer / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s : It was a quick shaking but i really felt it. Pendik harmandere / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s 16.8 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s Atasehir (14.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s Yakacik Kartal Istanbul / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Rattling. A rumble underneath my feet Kadikoy / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s 22.4 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt : Was in the Taxi Istanbul / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Istanbul / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s 18.1 km W of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 2-5 s 30.5 km W of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt saskinbakkal (13.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / very short 8 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / very short serkeci / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s bagcilar (37.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt Kadikoy / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Even though I never experienced earthquake, I knew right away that it was an earthquake. It was just a strange feeling like no other. 23.2 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / very short Istanbul Besiktas / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / very short : I was sitting on a couch. It was like someone hit the couch... Fatih / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Yalova, Cinarcik / not felt : nothing here Sariyer, Istanbul, Turkey / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / very short : Sudden jolt, quick but moderately hard shakes, over in a couple seconds Istanbul / Light shaking (MMI IV) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 2-5 s : I felt it very good and strong under my feet and chair. I was in a mall in Saryer, the mall calls Istinye Park. I was waiting for my mum and I was sitting on a chair, when i felt that sth under my feet and chair changes its posion, like two stones who roll in different direction. I think this at that moment. And there was a loud sound like sth very heavy fall down. My Mom was in a fitting room, three meter away and she did not recognize as a earthquake... pendik / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 1-2 s : It felt likt jolts but up and down. The wall and the door vibrated too much with a noise as if the building was about to collapse. Even my cat got scared. I felt the vibrations in my body even after the earthquake was over. 6.8 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s 25.6 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s Istanbul, pendik / Light shaking (MMI IV) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 2-5 s : I heard a strong voice ever then I had a shock. Istanbul / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s Uskudar Istanbul / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / very short Instinye (7.7 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Short duration shake Istanbul / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : . Istanbul. Etiler / Weak shaking (MMI III) / very short Istanbul (119.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Bed shaked. Maltepe, Istanbul / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 2-5 s : A short but intense shaking. Heard a loud bang 1 or 2 seconds before ground shaking. Istanbul / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s : One single brief jolt woke me from a light afternoon nap on the third floor of our wooden House in the Bosphorus village of Kandilli 36.4 km W of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s Levent Istanbul / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s 14.5 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Onboard of a ship we felt some shaking/vibrations Zekeriyakoy, Sariyer, Istanbul / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s Istanbul, Atasehir (10.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / very short Cok buyuk ses ve ugultu hissettim gok gurlemesini andran ama yerden yukselen bir sesti avizeler sallanmad 10 saniye kadar surdu sanrm (reported through (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / very short Maltepe Cevizli / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / very short Soganlk kartal / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s ISTANBKL Bostanc (9.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s Kartal / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / single lateral shake / 10-15 s Istanbul / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 5-10 s Kadikoy (17.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / very short : It felt like a large cat or small dog jumped on my bed. And when I jumped up and looked it the bed, the handles on a reusable grocery bag on the bed were trembling. Pendik, Turkey / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single vertical bump / very short : My first Earthquake. Cekmekoy (10.3 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump : And heard a sound like explosion Uskudar (20.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s 22.2 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Istanbul, Besiktas / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s Atasehir (10.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / very short Cok guclu ses ve ugultu duydum avize sallanmad gok gurultusu mu diye bakndm ama degilmis ama surtunme ve yrtlma sesi gibi buyuk ugultu. (reported through (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / very short 8.9 km SSW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / very short : Slight shaking Atasehir / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Scared! Maltepe (1.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / complex motion difficult to describe / 1-2 s : We were sitting on the bed when it suddenly started to move. It was short and mild. kurtkoy / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Istanbul / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : This was really scary Kartal / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s SARIYER / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s 47.1 km W of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt Kalamis Tower / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s Fatih, Istanbul / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s Istanbul istinye / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s Nisantas / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s 18.5 km W of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s Istanbul / not felt Istanbul, Atasehir / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s 5.3 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / very short Istanbul / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s 7.4 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / very short Pendik istanbul / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s SOGANLIK YENI MAH / SOGANLIK / 34880 / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s Kadkoy / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s maltepe / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s 12.8 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s Kadikoy (18 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / very short 23.8 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 2-5 s Besiktas (22 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s Istanbul / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 1-2 s 9.8 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s Kucukyal / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s Bahcesehir istanbul (48.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s 4.levent / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s istanbul, basaksehir / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / very short Besiktas / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s Beykoz / Light shaking (MMI IV) Kartal Istanbul / Weak shaking (MMI III) maltepe (11.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s Ihlamurkuyu, Umraniye / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s 7.5 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s istanbul / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s Pendik (11.6 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s USKUDAR / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s Istanbul / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s Istanbul / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vertical swinging (up and down) / very short Istanbul / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s Beyoglu (24.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s Kozyatagi (12 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / very short 24.5 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / very short Istanbul / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s Uskudar, Istanbul / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s Beykoz / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Tuzla (17 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) istanbul / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s Kagthane (Sirintepe Mah.), ISTANBUL (25.1 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s Cekmekoy (8.1 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s Sisli (23.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single vertical bump / very short Tuzla / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s Istanbul / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s Sisli (24.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s 25.2 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s Istanbul / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s Moda Kadkoy / Light shaking (MMI IV) 23.5 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short TUZLA / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Sisli / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s 6.3 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s Maltepe (10.9 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : It was an unsettling jolt for about 4 seconds. Istanbul / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s 25.2 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / very short sancaktepe (5.3 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 1-2 s 2 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s 11 km WSW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) Istanbul (7 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 1-2 s 22 km W of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s Istanbul / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s ferahevler / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Bakrkoy / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s 25 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / very short kadkoy / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s Istanbul / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short Tuzla, Istanbul (15.8 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) Pendik / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s 20.8 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s Bayrampasa (28.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / very short Atasehir Istanbul / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s sultangazi (32.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging Saryer, Istanbul / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / very short Istanbul / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s 25.1 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s Kadkoy / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s Beyoglu, Istanbul (22.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s Istanbul Fatih / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s 11.4 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s Kadkoy / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Kartal Istanbul (5.6 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s 22.1 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s Istanbul / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short 28.2 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s Istanbul / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Cekmekoy / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s 4.1 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s 18 km W of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short istanbul / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s 14.7 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s Istanbul / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s Cekmekoy / Light shaking (MMI IV) Istanbul / Weak shaking (MMI III) 17.7 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Istanbul / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Gebze (23.9 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s . / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / very short istanbul (16.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 1-2 s 24.8 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short Istanbul / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 1-2 s 36.4 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / very short istinye istanbul / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s Istanbul, atasehir / Light shaking (MMI IV) Istanbul / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s Istanbul / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / very short 11.3 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) Istanbul, Kadkoy / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s Kozyatagi / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s Besiktas (20.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s Tuzla / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s istanbul / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s istanbul / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / very short Istanbul, Sisli / Weak shaking (MMI III) Istanbul / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s MALTEPE / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s Pendik istanbul / not felt 8 km W of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s istanbul tuzla / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / very short 4.Levent (24.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) Riva Beykoz Istanbul / Light shaking (MMI IV) / very short istanbul anadolu / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s ISTANBUL / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s Unalan (17.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s 5.9 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s Eyup, Istanbul (28.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s Istanbul / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex motion difficult to describe / 2-5 s 11.4 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 1-2 s Sariyer istanbul / Light shaking (MMI IV) istanbul, cihangir (22.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 1-2 s 27.3 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) 12 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 1-2 s (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 1-2 s Istanbul, sisli (24.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake 27.3 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 2-5 s Istanbul Gumussuyu / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / very short Uskudar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s 24.1 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / very short ISTANBUL / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s Maltepe / Zumrutevler / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single vertical bump / 5-10 s 14.8 km W of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / very short Atasehir (10.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short Maslak (25.5 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s istanbul / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 1-2 s Istanbul / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s Istanbul / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s Kadikoy / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / very short Sancaktepe / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s 13.1 km W of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / very short Basaksehir / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Istanbul / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Istanbul, ortakoy / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s 45.3 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s kadkoy / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s 4.4 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s Kocaeli / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s Istanbul / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / very short Morristown, VT (05661) Today Cloudy with periods of rain. High 64F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Showers early, then cloudy overnight. Low 53F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%. The Mueller fire hydrant factory in Albertville is reopening on Monday, after a workplace shooting on Tuesday caused the factory to shut its doors for nearly a week. The plant is returning to business as usual nearly one week after an employee fatally shot two of his co-workers and injured two others before taking his own life. One anonymous employee shared his thoughts on going back to work after this traumatic incident, saying he's nervous to return to work as he's still going through an emotional healing process. He says all of the employees might have some PTSD symptoms, whether they were inside the factory during the shooting or not. He hopes that everyone will show each other compassion on Monday, and support each other during the difficult adjustment period. When asked if he hopes there will be added security in the future, he said he doesn't think adding a metal detector or increasing security will stop workplace shootings. He says the best way to prevent these situations is providing mental health relief and having a supportive work environment with compassionate coworkers. He says Mueller is doing a great job with providing mental health counseling to their employees. One nearby restaurant is ready for the plant to open, so they can see Mueller employees again. Bee Gee's is one of the closest restaurants to the plant. Since they regularly see employees, they've felt the impact of this tragedy as well. "Especially being so close to them we know a lot of the guys, we're close to a lot of the guys," says Aaron Richards, Bee Gee's General Manager. Serving up food to the many Mueller employees who stop by on their way to work or during a quick lunch break. Richards thinks it will be difficult for the workers to return, but is eager to see their faces again. "They got to return to business as normal I guess is how they feel, I know it's hard. But we're hoping they'll keep on coming in and we'll continue to be happy to serve them and be here for them as a community," says Richards. The Mayor of Albertville is thankful community members, such as those at Bee Gee's, are supporting the Mueller family as they reopen their doors. Mayor Tracy Honea says in his nine years as mayor, he's never had to deal with anything of this scale. But, the town can't just shut down, and they're preparing to move forward - starting by reopening the plant on Monday. "I think as a company they have to try to pick up the pieces and move forward as best they can, and I think that's certainly what they will do," says Honea. Mueller means a lot to the city of Albertville. Without the company, they wouldn't be the 'Fire Hydrant Capital of the World'. With hundreds of employees, it's also one of the city's largest employers. And as all of their employees return to work on Monday, the mayor says the community will help them through this hard time. "I think as they, you know, open back up and get back to going I think the community will continue to lift those guys up and Mueller certainly means a lot to Albertville and the surrounding communities," says Mayor Honea. The mayor says the town is one big family, which is also what people call the Mueller plant - a family. It will be difficult for that family to return to work missing some of it's beloved members, but the mayor along with the rest of the city will try to help them through it. Mueller Water Products announced Friday the company is offering financial support to the victims of Tuesdays mass shooting at its Albertville plant. That includes offering to pay for the funerals of Lee Dobbins and David Horton, who were killed in the shooting; providing resources to the families of Isaac Byrd and Casey Sampson, who were seriously injured in the shooting; and paying employees while the plant remains closed. Also Friday, the company donated $100,000 to the Albertville Survivors Fund, a GoFundMe started by the National Compassion Fund. See that fund HERE Yolanda Kokayi, spokesperson for Mueller Water Products, released this statement late Friday: Our hearts continue to be with the victims, their families and all those affected by the horrific tragedy that occurred at our Albertville facility. We have spoken with the families of the victims to offer our condolences and support, including covering the cost of funerals. We are also providing resources to the families of Isaac Byrd and Casey Sampson to support them in the near-and-long term, allowing them to focus on their loved ones as they recover. Our Albertville facility will remain closed until Monday, June 21, 2021, and all employees will receive their regular compensation. We have also provided EAP counselors this week for our team and will have counselors on-site upon their return to the facility. Management and members of the executive leadership team will also be at the facility to visit with employees and offer additional support. Today we launched the Albertville Survivors Fund in partnership with the National Compassion Fund. Donations to this fund will provide direct financial support to the families of David Horton and Lee Dobbins, as well as Isaac Byrd and Casey Sampson who were severely injured in this tragedy. One hundred percent of the contributions will go to the victims and the families of the victims. Mueller Water Products will cover all administrative fees of the fund and donations can be made at www.gofundme.com/f/albertville-survivors-fund. Our focus remains on the health and well-being of our colleagues. The two surviving victims in the Mueller Plant shooting are still hospitalized in a Chattanooga, Tennessee hospital. Both men have gotten medical treatment since being transferred to Erlanger Hospital Tuesday. Casey Sampson was transported to Marshall Medical Center South first before being transported to Erlanger Hospital. His family has been posting consistent updates about his condition on Facebook. His sister shared late Thursday night that they're talking about a possible surgery for Casey on Monday to fuse together some of his vertebrae. That would help with his stability in the future. He is currently still on a ventilator, but doctors are planning to turn it down some to see how he does breathing on his own. Now Casey's family mentioned in some of the Facebook posts that he will need spinal rehabilitation in the future. The other man who survived the workplace shooting is about to undergo another surgery. We reached out to several of Isaac Byrds friends about the treatment hes getting while in the hospital after Tuesdays shooting rampage. They said right now theyre just lifting him up with lots of prayers. "We're continuing to pray, pray for him," said Floyd Powell, Manager at Local Joes. Powell used to work with Isaac at Local Joes in Albertville. He is keeping close tabs on his friend and former co-worker. "He's stable, still critical. He hasn't been able to move yet. They're keeping him sedated enough that he won't, he probably won't want to move his head right now, but he's on a breathing tube," said Powell. Powell is not the only one praying for his friend, so is Crossroads Assembly of God Pastor Glenn Randall. We communicated several times with Randall, who has known Isaac for eight years. He said Isaac is going to need another surgery on his left shoulder, but the surgery on his spine is complete. Pastor Randall said the staff at the Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga is taking very good care of Isaac. WAAY-31 will continue to update you on Isaac's recovery as we learn more. Decatur, IL (62521) Today Sunshine and a few clouds. High 78F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Clear skies. Low near 55F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Badly parked electric scooters example of "urban anarchy" in Rome, claims Codacons. Italian consumer rights group Codacons has filed a complaint with Rome's public prosecutor's office over electric scooters blocking pedestrians from using a pavement in the city centre. Codacons say that the scooters, "thrown on the ground" at a bus stop on Via dei Prefetti, block the use of the sidewalk as well as creating inconvenience for passengers getting on and off the bus. The consumer group has published a "shock video" of the situation and filed a complaint for "possible road blocking offences, attack on transport safety and interruption of public service," according to a statement. "This is yet another example of city degradation and urban anarchy, a shameful spectacle for the capital of Italy that highlights the neglect of the city," said Codacons president Carlo Rienzi. Describing it as "certainly not a new phenomenon in Rome," Rienzi added that scooters left in this manner "puts at risk the safety of blind and disabled people." Rienzi said that Codacons has asked the public prosecutor's office to open an investigation against the city, the sharing companies that manage the scooter rental services and the "drivers who have abandoned their vehicles in a wild way." Electric scooters have become hugely popular in Rome since they were introduced over the last couple of years, particularly with young people, providing a convenient way to get from A to B. However the e-scooters are not without their critics who point to the everyday sight of users (illegally) carrying passengers, travelling at speed on sidewalks or in the wrong direction on streets, and the anti-social "parking" of scooters. Photo and video by Codacons Many conservatives migrated to Parler, which calls itself the worlds premier free speech platform. Following the insurrection at the Capitol, however, Parlers app was removed from the iPhone App Store and Google Play, making it almost impossible to download the service to a mobile device. Florida, where Republicans hold the governors office and a majority in the legislature, enacted a law imposing fines on social media companies that bar a candidate for state office for more than 14 days. Trump and his conservative supporters have pressed to repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which gives tech companies broad protection from the kinds of liability publishers traditionally face for defamatory content, along with broad leeway to moderate discussions and remove posts or leave them alone. Section 230 has its share of liberal critics as well. They say it allows tech companies to ignore the damage caused by users bad behavior, including Trumps provocative tweeting while in office. The discovery of the role Edwardss two firms had in spreading the Italygate conspiracy theory, as well as the roles others played, sheds new light on its origins and on how the claims made their way from feverish online speculation to some of the most powerful figures in the government. As Trump refused to concede defeat, his die-hard supporters pushed the conspiracy theory on social media and other channels as part of an effort to discredit Bidens presidency that continues today. In 2009, when Biden was visiting a Syracuse, N.Y., elementary school, he described his dog to an enthusiastic crowd of fifth-graders, according to the local paper, the Post-Standard. Have I ever petted a dog? he said. Oh, yeah. And guess what. I got one that lives with me. The smartest, coolest dog in the world. His name is Champ, and hes a German shepherd, and he is the neatest dog. The ruling came two months after incarcerated students filed a class-action suit arguing that they were only given academic packets during the coronavirus pandemic, not the special-education services that they are supposed to receive. Lawyers had sent a letter to city leaders last August warning officials that they believed they were in violation of federal law because they were not giving incarcerated students live instruction, virtually or in-person. Bowser announced last week that residents who get their first dose at any of three clinics Anacostia High School, Ron Brown High School and the R.I.S.E. Demonstration Center will receive $51 gift cards (representing D.C.s drive to become the 51st state). Saturdays entrants also were entered in a drawing to win American Airlines tickets. On Saturday, Bowser said the drawing will include many more prizes in the next month, including a Jeep, Metro cards preloaded with fares and $10,000 of grocery store credits. Neuhauser was born in Washington in 1926. He graduated from Wilson High, served in the U.S. Marine Corps, went to Princeton and George Washington University and then co-founded a brokerage firm. In 1963, he took his wife, Joan, and their young children, Anne and Charles, on a year-long trip to Europe. His goal was to study the European Common Market and how it affected the economy and stock market of the United States. The agent doing her background investigation made a point of asking me about what she called my, quote, alternative lifestyle, unquote, Demeo recalled in a panel discussion Thursday hosted by the U.S. attorneys office for the Eastern District of Virginia. I said, Im not really sure what you mean by that, because I dont consider my life alternative. You know, Princeton, NYU pretty standard traditional lifestyle. But I said, I think youre saying because Im gay. So if youre asking me about that, yes, Im gay. And then I was barraged with a bunch of questions. Todays Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy In addition to the origins of the world-shattering pandemic which we may never know, or who is to blame the most important question may be: When in research in this case gain of function do the risks to humankind outweigh the benefits? In that context it is important that it was the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists that gave a second look to the lab-leak theory. The Bulletin was created after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as an emergency action, created by scientists who saw an immediate need for a public reckoning in the aftermath of the atomic bombings . . . to help the public understand what the bombings meant for humanity. The Editorial Board on tech Read some of the Washington Post Editorial Boards recent opinions on technology policy and techs role in society: See more opinions from the Editorial Board. Sign up to get editorials, along with other Opinions pieces, in your inbox six days a week. Show More As I promised you from the beginning, I will always give it to you straight the good, the bad and the truth, he said. And the truth is that deaths and hospitalizations are drastically down in places where people are getting vaccinated. But unfortunately, cases and hospitalizations are not going down in many places in the lower vaccination rate states. Theyre actually going up in some places. Theres no question we have a lot of work to do to protect our democracy here, and I think we saw on January 6 how close we came to losing it, Jayapal said. But I dont think that undermines our ability to make that argument around the world. I actually think in some ways it strengthens our argument to say, We are dealing with these same factors in the United States. According to the White House, about 65 percent of adults have received at least one shot, and about 55 percent are fully vaccinated. Fifteen states and the District of Columbia have reached that 70 percent target, the White House says, but many are far from it. Meanwhile, the spread of the delta variant, a more transmissible form of the virus that first arose in India, makes it more urgent to meet and even exceed the 70 percent goal as soon as possible and ultimately to get as many people as possible fully vaccinated. I found myself thinking that the George Floyd protests were God speaking to the nation, Forbes said. When protesters started to say, Black Lives Matter, No justice, no peace, I experienced that as God speaking through them about what we must do if we are to be a society that is not on the path to destruction but a people headed toward the beloved community. Regardless of the odds, the existence of intelligent life in the universe matters deeply to me, and to most other humans on this planet. Why? I believe its because we humans are fundamentally social creatures who thrive on connection and wither in isolation. In the past year, many of us felt the hardship of isolation as deeply as the threat of a potentially fatal infectious disease. Enforced seclusion during the pandemic tested the limits of our tolerance for separation and made us acutely aware of our interdependence with all life on Earth. So, its no wonder that the idea of a trackless universe devoid of intelligent life fills us with the dread of cosmic solitary confinement. Officials say the pace and aggression of Taliban attacks have increased since the Biden administration announced in April that all remaining troops would be withdrawn by Sept. 11. In some areas, local forces have surrendered after negotiations between community elders and the Taliban. In others, departing U.S. troops have destroyed bases or stripped them of everything usable to keep them from falling into Taliban hands. His parents, father Masahiro, 70, and mother Sumiko, 68, said they tried to visit their son at the hospital at least seven times, but were turned away. They were never informed, they say, that he had been restrained. Then, two weeks after their son had been admitted, they received a phone call to say he had died. During debates and other appearances, Raisi was very cautious not to use the radical rhetoric that his hard-line supporters are using, while also trying to convince swing voters that hard-liners would not necessarily be part of his administration, said Ali Reza Eshraghi, a visiting scholar at the Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies at the University of North Carolina. Neither side has been able to break out of the dynamic that has defined their confrontation since the early 2000s. Thats when Hamas turned to homemade rockets that could strike Israel beyond the borders of Gaza. Most of the rockets and balloons, which were added to the arsenal much more recently, cause more fear than damage, and Israels retaliatory strikes in many instances are restrained. Charles L. Riney, 86, of Washington, went home to be with our Lord and Savior on Sunday, June 27, 2021, at 7:25 a.m. He was born in Washington on Nov. 3, 1934, to Thomas and Ann Marie (Smith) Riney. He loved gardening and spending time with his beloved dog. He is survived by one sister, Paul Back in December, in the midst of lockdown, Julianne Moore did not have the 60th birthday she might have imagined: It was just dinner with my family it wasnt a blow-out or anything. I was thankful that we were able to be together. She has gone through all the lockdown cliches in the past year: adopting a puppy (a labrador cross called Hope), baking, trying to learn French (Id download an app, then I wouldnt look at it). Her 19-year-old daughter, Liv, was also grounded at the family home: Poor kid, she missed graduation and everything. Its hard to talk about grief. Its for ever, thats the thing. It is like this hole, and as the years go by more stuff piles up, so it is not as accessible. But still it is always there, and you also have to be grateful for it. Credit:Richard Phibbs/ Trunk Archive/Snapper Images. There have also been the obligatory online yoga classes and when we talk (over Zoom) she is sitting on the floor of the designated yoga room in her home in New York, wearing black leggings and a grey hooded sweatshirt, make-up minimal. I try to do yoga four to five times a week, she says. It has honestly been the thing that has saved me this past year. Julianne is friendly and gentle, showing genuine delight when my nine-year-old daughter barges in to our meeting: Whos this?! And she has her own visitors in the form of Hope and her older dog, Milly. Theyre good girls, but they dont like to be alone, she says, settling them on her yoga mat, where they loll for the rest of the interview. How does a fun-loving and outspoken teenager from Sydneys western suburbs wind up a so-called ISIS bride in a refugee camp in north-western Syria? Mariam Daboussy was not particularly religious, according to Good Weekend senior writer Tim Elliott, but rather, something of a wild child. She wanted to go out and party and shop, not really study. Just a normal boisterous teenager, says Elliott. This was until she met Bankstown apprentice electrician Khaled Zahab, when she was 18: Thats how she fell down the rabbit hole. Daboussy married into a family of Islamic State sympathisers and then willingly or unwittingly crossed the border into Syria, where she has remained for the past six years, despite the desperate efforts of her father Kamalle to overcome government inaction and bring her and her three small children home . You couldnt be anything other than moved by this man, says Elliott, speaking in the latest episode of Good Weekend Talks. Its gut wrenching. Its unimaginable. And yet the claims Mariam makes about what led her into Islamic State require more than a modicum of skepticism, dealing with all manner of grey areas and nuance, which Elliott brings to his investigation for Good Weekend magazines cover story this week: NO WAY OUT: The ISIS bride stuck in Syria since 2015 and the father desperately trying to get her back home. And while Australia was accurately described as the envy of the world for much of the pandemic, the picture is looking less rosy for millions of Australians who cant visit or welcome family from overseas, huge numbers of whom are now vaccinated. SOUTH KOREA At least one dose: 24 per cent Fully vaccinated: 6.3 per cent Koreans can re-enter their country without quarantining if they were fully vaccinated in South Korea From July 1 certain other travellers can skip quarantine if they are fully vaccinated and test negative Stadiums back to 30-50 per cent capacity; 4000 people at K-pop concerts Last month the Open Society and Common Purpose taskforce, an initiative of the University of Sydney, released a report called A Roadmap to Reopening which laid out principles and steps for Australia to re-engage with the world. Taskforce chairman Mark Rigotti, a partner at law firm Herbert Smith Freehills, says despite our success in suppressing the virus which is almost entirely due to closing the border we are falling behind in the next phase. When you look outside our borders, our gold medal podium position doesnt seem so secure, Rigotti says. Were on the podium for closing down but where are we for opening up? Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video The only substantial change to quarantine arrangements talked about in Australia mostly by federal Labor is the construction of fit-for-purpose quarantine facilities. The Victorian Labor government and the Commonwealth have agreed to fund one such site near Melbourne. But the rest of the world is moving to less quarantine, not more. In South Korea, if you have a home to go to, you can isolate there. Its only if you test positive that youre taken into a government-run facility. In Japan you must isolate at home or other accommodation for 14 days and sign a written pledge not to use public transport during that period. SINGAPORE At least one dose: 47 per cent Fully vaccinated: 35 per cent Extended mandatory hotel quarantine stay to 21 days except for selected countries including Australia A number of green lanes for travel are suspended, including Germany, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan Children aged 12 and over can register for vaccination; gyms reopening on Monday In France, some visitors including Australians no longer have to even take a COVID test as long as they are fully vaccinated with an EU-approved vaccine. Fully vaccinated travellers from Britain and the US still have to provide a negative test but no longer need a compelling reason to enter. Canada is also moving away from mandatory quarantine. Incoming passengers must spend the first three days of their 14-day isolation in a hotel. If you test negative, you can do the remainder at home or somewhere else, but your quarantine plan must be approved in advance. But from early July it is expected that fully vaccinated travellers, including non-Canadians, will be exempt from quarantine as long as they take a test on arrival and isolate until they receive a negative result, which could be less than one day. ISRAEL At least one dose: 61 per cent Fully vaccinated: 57 per cent Israel had one of the fastest vaccination programs in the world, though children have only recently become eligible Green pass system allowing vaccinated adults to visit restaurants, events and cultural activities has now been retired Mandatory 14-day isolation which can be shortened to 10 days after two negative tests Canadian authorities set loose requirements for easing those restrictions: about 75 per cent of the population having one jab, and 20 per cent being fully vaccinated. The country is now very close to those goals. Late last month, an expert group set up by the Canadian government, the COVID-19 Testing and Screening Expert Advisory Panel, recommended abandoning the three days of mandatory hotel quarantine and significantly loosening the arrangements. The panel said vaccinated travellers should only have to take a test on arrival for surveillance purposes, while those who arent vaccinated would go into self-isolation but be permitted to leave if their day-seven test was negative. The panels 11 members all have expertise in epidemiology, virology, data analytics and other health fields. NEW ZEALAND At least one dose: 12 per cent Fully vaccinated: 6.6 per cent Two weeks managed isolation or quarantine for all arrivals in hotels New Zealanders can leave and return: outbound travel is discouraged but not banned Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has indicated borders to remain mostly shut through 2021 NZ has largely remained at the top of Bloombergs monthly COVID Resilience Index Loading Australias discussions dont even come close to canvassing those options, and our reluctance to modify our policies has been noted overseas, including by Beth Potter, the chief executive of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada. We always keep an eye on whats going on in Australia, she says. Im kind of surprised that the tourism industry isnt chomping at the bit to get the restrictions relaxed at the borders a bit. Here in Canada thats all we can talk about. Infectious diseases professor Greg Dore, of the University of NSW Kirby Institute, says quarantining at home should be the default option for vaccinated returning travellers who are coming from low or moderate risk countries (including the US and Britain) and have tested negative prior to departure. It could also be shorter than 14 days; people could do a DIY nasal swab after a few days rather than calling in health workers for a PCR test. Weve got to move along this pathway to opening up, Dore says. Heres a way to do it thats incredibly low-risk, its sensible, it makes epidemiological sense, its good on the human rights side and its good on the mental health side. GERMANY At least one dose: 49 per cent Fully vaccinated: 27 per cent Ban on arrivals from countries with a high caseload of COVID variants; German citizens and residents exempt 10 days self-isolation at home for people from risky areas; 14 days if theyve been in an area with a variant of concern 15,000 rapid testing stands around the country give immediate test results CovPass digital certificate now in place, replacing paper system Dore points out that we have used home isolation throughout the pandemic for anyone who gets COVID-19 in Australia, is a close contact or has been to an exposure site, and the vast majority of people have complied. He is lukewarm on the prospect of purpose-built quarantine facilities. I dont have a problem with putting in some investment, but its going to take several months, he says. I hope were in a place early next year where we dont need to quarantine people. Australia has also resisted programs to drive up the vaccination rate based on reward or coercion. It was only this month the Therapeutic Goods Administration changed the regulations around advertising to allow businesses to offer cash or vouchers for staff or customers to get vaccinated. So proscriptive were the TGAs previous rules that some companies were concerned they couldnt even give staff a days paid leave to get the jab, or a cab ride to the vaccination centre, because it might constitute an incentive. ENGLAND At least one dose: 63 per cent Fully vaccinated: 45 per cent No quarantine for green list countries, including Australia, day 2 test required 10-day self-isolation for amber list countries, with tests on day 2 and 8 10-day hotel quarantine for red list countries (only citizens and residents permitted) Portugal a popular holiday destination for Brits was on the green list until June 8 Compare that to other places such as the US, where Krispy Kreme has given away more than 1.5 million donuts to vaccinated customers, and several states are running vaccine lotteries. The Maryland lottery is giving away $US40,000 a day for 40 days to people who have had the jab. In Hong Kong, developer Sino Land is giving away a $US1.4 million 42sqm apartment, the Airport Authority has put up 60,000 free flights and politician Regina Ip is offering a diamond-studded Rolex (though only to members and friends of her political party). The situation is starting to change. Qantas chief Alan Joyce has said the airline will hand out 10 prizes of a year of unlimited economy flights to anyone who is vaccinated, and Uber will deliver four free rides to and from vaccination appointments for 2500 Australians living with disability. The Business Council expects more Australian companies to make similar offers. A political debate is also brewing about more coercive measures to lift vaccine uptake. In January, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said it was plausible, down the track, that some high-risk venues such as pubs or restaurants might require proof of vaccination for entry. The federal government theoretically enabled this by making digital vaccine certificates easily accessible as part of your Medicare records. Like many Eurozone nations, Germany suffered a third wave of COVID-19 this year and has now recorded 90,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic. It has a rolling average of about 1500 new cases a day in a population of about 83 million; nearly half of all Germans have had at least one vaccine dose and 26 per cent are fully vaccinated. While rules differ between states, in the capital Berlin people can dine outdoors at cafes and restaurants and participate in social or commercial activities, providing they demonstrate they have been fully vaccinated or received a negative test result within the past 24 hours. It was previously based on a paper system, but last week Germany began rolling out a digital certificate, CovPass. The country has also set up a world-leading Schnelltest (rapid test) regime. The results arrive in as little as 10 to 15 minutes, Germans are entitled to at least one free rapid test a week and the test sites are everywhere; 15,000 nationwide and 1300 in Berlin alone, The New York Times reported. ACTU secretary Sally McManus is among those wondering why Australia has not rolled out rapid antigen testing as part of its COVID arsenal. Asking ppl who have been at exposure sites to line up for hours will mean many wont, she tweeted on Thursday. These kits were developed in Australia yet the Fed Govt did not secure them. Forward planning to live with the virus lacking! The most well-known vaccine certificate was Israels green pass, which was mandatory to enter restaurants, events and cultural activities in the country of 9 million. After three months, Israel has now retired the pass, saying it had been very successful but was no longer required due to very high levels of vaccination and very low case numbers. In Australia, however, there has been no effort or plan to use our vaccine certificates even for basic purposes such as crossing state borders during outbreaks, and Morrison has washed his hands of the issue, saying its up to the premiers. Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull says we have to be tough about this and it would be reasonable to insist upon proof of vaccination for a whole range of activities, including working in aged care, getting on a plane or even going to the cinema. But conservative political groups are organising against any attempt to use vaccine certificates to limit activity. A recent mailout from right-wing lobby group Advance Australia said it stinks of totalitarianism and would create two classes of citizen. LNP senator Matt Canavan has called vaccine passports unnecessary and un-Australian. Chinese students are signing up to NSWs top two universities in increasing numbers despite border closures, with Sydney University defying dire predictions by growing overseas enrolments and attracting a boom in donations from philanthropists. However, second-tier institutions and those dependent on the Indian and Nepalese student markets have lost overseas enrolments, leading to an overall drop of 7 per cent last year. As universities cut costs, 7 per cent of academic and general staff lost their jobs. Universities also pocketed $46 million in JobKeeper subsidies through companies they owned, despite being ineligible themselves, with the University of NSW collecting $13 million, said a report from the NSW Auditor-General tabled in Parliament on Friday. The University of Sydney posted a $100 million profit last year. Credit:Dominic Lorimer Higher education leaders rushed to slash their budgets when the COVID-19 pandemic closed Australias borders in March last year and thousands of international students - a major source of revenue - could no longer travel. They expected the impact to be even worse this year. There are views that are not socially acceptable. They are not, as the Germans say, salonfahig meaning, suitable to be aired in the salons, boardroom lunches, writers festivals, or harbourside soirees of fashionable society. In the time of Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky, people who held such views were labelled freethinkers. They rejected arguments from authority, tradition and religion and insisted on logic and inquiry. Tolstoy praised freethinkers as those who are willing to use their minds without prejudice and without fearing to understand things that clash with their own customs, privileges, or beliefs. But sceptical Dostoyevsky saw also a type of person who wallows in a hotbed of freethinking, depravity, and godlessness. These days, most fashionable modern salons are stridently godless. If you score an invite and youre lucky, you might even discover one thats still a little depraved, in spite of todays secular moralism. But freethinking they are decidedly not. Yuin man and Dark Emu author Bruce Pascoe on his property near Mallacoota. Credit:Justin McManus That is why Bruce Pascoes retelling of Indigenous Australian society, Dark Emu: Aboriginal Australia and the Birth of Agriculture, became instant lore among the fashionable set, when it should have been debated as an argument or theory. And it is why a credible new challenge to Pascoes scholarship is rocking the salonistas who gulped the Dark Emu narrative down whole. Its very addictive, politics, Hawke was quoted as saying. He also said he was interested in being influential in politics but that didnt necessarily mean being in Parliament: In some ways its more fun on the outside. It gives you more power. These days, in Parliament, he shares a desk with Victorian powerbroker Michael Sukkar, the Assistant Treasurer. In recent months hes become involved in a factional tussle in NSW that is spilling over into several nasty preselection contests, including in the marginal seats of Lindsay and Reid, held by first-term MPs Melissa McIntosh and Fiona Martin. He is Morrisons personal representative on the Liberal Partys NSW executive and has become a divisive figure within the state division because of his tight control of factional numbers. Hawke is also very close personally to Morrison. They are part of a bible study group, along with Stuart Robert, that has met each sitting week since they were elected in 2007. The tight-knit group was integral to corralling support for Morrison when Turnbulls leadership was challenged in 2018. In his first speech, Hawke told Parliament: I am a big believer in the ideas of grace, forgiveness, redemption and a second chance Christian values that have seasoned secular culture in a way that makes it more humane and our world more inhabitable. Loading What did he do this week? On Tuesday, Hawke used his ministerial discretion to allow the asylum seekers who have become known as the Biloela family to move to community detention in Perth. Nadesalingam and Priya Murugappan fled Sri Lanka by boat in 2012 and 2013 and met in Australia. The couple and their Australian-born daughters, Kopika, six, and Tharnicaa, four, have been held on Christmas Island since August 2019, after being removed from the Queensland town of Biloela following unsuccessful asylum claims by the parents. Courts and tribunals up to the High Court have repeatedly found Australia does not owe the parents protection. The family found themselves split up a fortnight ago when Tharnicaa fell ill with pneumonia and a blood infection and she was airlifted to Perth with her mother for medical treatment. Heartbreaking photos of Tharnicaa in tears hugging her sister in a Christmas Island hospital bed before they were separated reignited public pressure for action. Some Coalition MPs who had been lobbying behind the scenes on the familys behalf were prompted to speak publicly. Hawke said he was conscious of the compassionate factors around keeping children in immigration detention for a long time, particularly as legal appeals drag on. The family still has a case before the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and a special application to the High Court in train. Hawke also revealed he is considering two applications to use his ministerial discretion, one for a so-called bar lift that would allow Tharnicaa to apply for a humanitarian or safe haven enterprise visa, and the other under a section of immigration law that allows a minister to grant a visa in the public interest. Why is this important? For more than a decade the Coalition has decried almost all high-profile acts of compassion towards asylum seekers who arrive by boat, with warnings the merest hint of an exception would give people-smugglers impetus to restart their trade. In 2011, Morrison as opposition immigration spokesman said it wasnt reasonable for taxpayers to pick up the tab for flying relatives to Christmas Island to attend the funerals of asylum seekers who drowned in the dangerous seas around the island. (The next day he said he had erred with the comments.) Loading Even in September 2019, shortly after the Murugappans were removed to Christmas Island, then home affairs minister Peter Dutton described their children as anchor babies a term used in the United States to accuse would-be immigrants of having children to cement their claims. However while there has been pressure to get the family off Christmas Island once it became clear the protracted legal proceedings would drag on, there is little appetite for a similar push to let them stay in Australia. The governments position remains that anyone who arrived by boat will not be allowed to settle here. About 1 million more people in their 50s are likely to get immunised against the coronavirus now they can have the Pfizer shot, after AstraZenecas vaccine was on Thursday limited to people older than 60. Daily vaccination rates are also expected to dip temporarily as clinics across the country cancel AstraZeneca bookings for people aged under 60, after the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation recommended lifting the age for AstraZeneca due to a slightly increased risk of clotting for people aged 50 to 59. Health Minister Greg Hunt says more people over the age of 50 will now come forward to be vaccinated. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Prime Minister Scott Morrison will also convene an emergency national cabinet meeting early next week with state and territory leaders to work through how the change will affect the rest of the rollout. Health Minister Greg Hunt said one positive from the change in advice was that about half the 2.1 million people aged 50 to 59 who had been hesitant about the AstraZeneca vaccine would now be more willing to come forward for Pfizer. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt faces a community-led attempt to defeat him in his Mornington Peninsula electorate at the next election, using the campaign model that ended the political career of former prime minister Tony Abbott two years ago. Voices of Mornington Peninsula will launch its push to unseat Mr Hunt on Saturday with an online forum featuring two big political names former Liberal leader John Hewson and retired independent MP Cathy McGowan. Ms McGowans defeat of conservative high-flyer Sophie Mirabella in the Victorian seat of Indi in 2013 created the voices model. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen She told The Age on Friday that Mr Hunts marginal seat of Flinders could fall to an independent candidate, citing the performance of former Liberal Julia Banks, who ran there in 2019 and snared more than 13 per cent of the vote. Wilmington, DE (19810) Today Overcast with rain showers at times. High 78F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low 61F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Federal unemployment programs in Indiana end as some Hoosiers wait for months of payments Louisville woman accused of breaking into home, trying to take shower Weatherford, TX (76086) Today Cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 87F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to occasional showers overnight. Low 72F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un solemnly swore to navigate his country out of deepening economic troubles as he concluded a major ruling party meeting, acknowledging food shortages and urging officials to prepare for both dialogue and confrontation with the U.S. North Koreas state media released Kims comments shortly before President Joe Bidens special representative for North Korea, Sung Kim, arrived in South Korea on Saturday for talks over stalled nuclear diplomacy with the North. Kim Jong Un had presided over a four-day plenary meeting of the ruling Workers Partys Central Committee, which he summoned to discuss efforts to salvage a dismal economy, hurt by years of mismanagement and U.S.-led sanctions that were made worse by pandemic border closures. As he closed the meetings on Friday, Kim solemnly swore on behalf of the Central Committee that the party will surely break through head-on the difficulties lying in the way of the revolution, the Korean Central News Agency reported. Kim earlier ordered his government to prepare for both dialogue and confrontation with the United States, which has been urging the North to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions and return to talks. Kim has threatened to bolster his nuclear deterrent and says the fate of diplomacy and bilateral relations depends on whether Washington abandons what he calls hostile policies. Kim opened the Central Committee plenary on Tuesday by warning of potential food shortages, urging officials to find ways to boost agricultural production because the situation is now getting tense. He said the country should brace for extended COVID-19 restrictions, suggesting it would extend border closures and other steps despite the stress on its economy. The economic setbacks have left Kim with nothing to show for his ambitious summitry with former President Donald Trump, which derailed over disagreements in exchanging the lifting of sanctions with the Norths denuclearization steps. U.S. officials have suggested President Joe Biden would adopt a middle ground policy between his predecessors Trumps direct dealings with Kim and Barack Obamas strategic patience. But some experts say Washington wont likely provide the North with meaningful sanctions relief unless it takes concrete denuclearization steps first. During his stay in South Korea, Sung Kim will meet with South Korean senior diplomats and participate in a trilateral meeting that includes Japanese nuclear envoy Takehiro Funakoshi on Monday. His travel emphasizes the importance of three-way cooperation in working toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the U.S. State Department said. The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. Have any questions? Please give us a call at 701-572-2165 DENVER (AP) U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra visited a mobile vaccine clinic near Denver on Friday to promote COVID-19 shots among underserved communities of color that have some of the nation's lowest vaccination rates. He also met with Democratic Gov. Jared Polis, getting briefly interrupted by the governors dog, Gia, and another dog dashing through their closed-door session, giving the two a laugh. They discussed the state's pandemic response and a new law creating a state-administered health insurance plan designed to reduce premiums and costs of care as well as get more people covered. Later, Becerra, the agencys first Latino leader, and Democratic members of Colorados congressional delegation toured a mobile vaccine clinic focused on underserved communities in the Denver suburb of Aurora, which is nearly 30% Hispanic. Its one of nine mobile units made from converted buses. While Hispanic people make up 20% of Colorado's population, less than 10% have been vaccinated, according to the states vaccine dashboard. Across the U.S., a lack of vaccine access and distrust of the medical field within minority communities has made it harder to vaccinate those populations. Democratic Rep. Jason Crow, whose district includes Aurora, said many minorities and immigrants have trouble finding the time to get vaccinated while working multiple jobs, highlighting the need for the state's mobile resources. Where you are, we will go. Donde tu estas, iremos nosotros, Becerra said. He asked Latino communities to identify trusted leaders to operate as vaccine ambassadors" to convince those who are still hesitant. He reminded the public that the vaccine is free, noting that some may not believe there are no gimmicks attached to receiving the shot. However, recent data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that Latino populations have received a higher proportion of administered vaccine doses in the last two weeks, narrowing the disparity, the Department of Health and Human Services said. Becerra also met faculty and students at the Metropolitan State University of Denver to hear about the effects of a grant his agency gave for behavioral health workforce training. Becerra said the U.S. is so far behind on behavioral health services but that the pandemic has opened the door for the federal government to invest in mental health and substance abuse disorders. I think, to some degree, that taboo aspect of talking about it has dissipated, Becerra told The Associated Press. I think COVID really forced people to recognize that there are people who are really suffering from stress and beyond. The secretarys visit included a discussion of the effects of President Joe Bidens American Families Plan on communities of color. The $1.8 trillion program increases spending for early and secondary education, child care and paid family and medical leave. Becerra talked about increasing access to the plan's child tax credits with Deidre Johnson, CEO and executive director of the Denver-based Center for African American Health, which focuses on Black health disparities. About 90% of eligible families are automatically enrolled, but the administration is working with community leaders like Johnson to increase participation. Qualified families will receive up to $300 per month for each child under 6 and up to $250 per month for children 6 to 17. The credit was previously capped at $2,000 and only paid out to families with income tax obligations after they filed with the IRS. Becerra said his visit to Colorado highlights the Biden administration's interest in partnering with states where you see innovation and change in lowering health care costs and improving access to affordable prescription drugs measures state lawmakers passed this year. ___ Nieberg is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Viewed of Take Five - This is your final free article during this 30 day period.Stay in touch with all of the news from Winchester, Frederick and Clarke. Sign up today for complete digital access to The Winchester Star. Everything I have done in life pales in comparison to becoming a father. Everything I have done in life pales in comparison to becoming a father. My parents split up when I was a kid. My mother primarily raised me. From her, I received an eternal commitment and everlasting love I carry into today. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Murray Sinclair served as chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that examined the genocidal legacy of Canadas Indian Residdential School system. From my dad, I got the same but in a different way. When I was growing up, my father was off doing really important things for the country. Its a role you get when youre the first Indigenous judge in Manitoba, a senator, and a great speaker and educator. (Murray Sinclair was co-commissioner of Manitobas Aboriginal Justice Inquiry, the judge who oversaw the inquest into pediatric cardiac surgery deaths at Health Sciences Centre, and the chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that examined the genocidal legacy of Canadas Indian Residential School system. His lifes work was again in the spotlight following the discovery of 215 Indigenous children buried in an unmarked grave in Kamloops. As TRC chair, he has called for an independent investigation into other unmarked burial sites of children who attended residential schools.) Frankly, hes been an "uncle" to Canada when I wished he would just be at home. It wasnt that he was absent I could always phone him, for example but he was constantly being called upon to help this and negotiate that. Frankly, I didnt care and was quite resentful these "issues" took my dad away all the time. I dont say this to complain, but its damn unfair that residential schools, land theft, violence and injustice have divided my father and me. As a result, Ive often had to grow up alone, the son of a dad helping the country come of age. Id be lying if I didnt admit I wish we had had more time together. But I also understand: lives were at stake. Its taken me a long time to realize that this is how Canadas violence against Indigenous peoples operates: disrupting families, separating parents and children, and creating a sense of animosity and resentment that endures for a long, long time. SUPPLIED Niigaan and his father, Murray Sinclair. For a while I hated Canada, and in many ways I still do. This didnt begin with my father and me, but has happened to all Indigenous dads and their sons. My grandfather, my dads dad, went through a lot residential school, abuse, the war and he brought some of that violence home. He became an alcoholic, self-medicating to cope with the violence he went through. When he drank, though, he hurt those around him, including his children. He eventually had to leave and disappeared for most of my fathers life. The two of them never really talked until a week before my grandfathers death, a tragedy that still pains me today. The fact my father went through such a hard time and was still a great dad is amazing. The past year my father and I have been working on a memoir, his life story. Hes insisted the story not be about him but about the struggles Indigenous peoples have gone through. I have to keep reminding him this is his story; he has to talk about himself. Sometimes, I win. Through each session we record he gives me a window into stories hes never shared before, of his childhood, his pain, and his hopes and dreams. "I felt enormous guilt over the fact that I was never going to be able to give them a sense of their history, and their future, as Anishinaabe." Murray Sinclair Ive found out some surprises too, like that his scariest experience was not being a judge but a bingo caller in the Selkirk Friendship Centre. Each recording we do together bridges space between us. I consider this some of the best and hardest work I do these days. My favourite story is hearing about how my dad faced a crossroads when I was born. Ill let him tell it. "When my son was born, I felt tremendous stress over having brought children into this world without having the capacity to be a proper father to them. Part of this was not having a father myself but realizing I had a role to play in this too. I felt enormous guilt over the fact that I was never going to be able to give them a sense of their history, and their future, as Anishinaabe." The story goes that my father then began to attend ceremonies, spend time with elders and learn teachings and, finally, introduce me to this life. He also met my other mother along this path, who helped him and me on this journey and I am very thankful for her. Following his footsteps, I have found answers to all of the questions I have ever had about who I am, why I am here, who can help me and where I am going something I try to gift to my daughter every day. Fifteen years ago, I became a father myself. Thats when I realized that my fathers path was not away from me but to come back to me, because now I could hand my daughter all the things he had worked hard to bring home. Following his footsteps, I have found answers to all of the questions I have ever had about who I am, why I am here, who can help me and where I am going something I try to gift to my daughter every day. Shes remarkable (probably due to her remarkable mother), but I like to think I had a small hand in this as well. Hopefully, in her life she wont have gaps and silences, but the love that has come to define my life as the son and grandson of remarkable women, men, and the bravest dad I know. Noosinaani-giizhigad. Happy Fathers Day. niigaan.sinclair@freepress.mb.ca SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un solemnly swore to navigate his country out of deepening economic troubles as he concluded a major ruling party meeting, acknowledging food shortages and urging officials to prepare for both dialogue and confrontation with the U.S. In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends a Workers' Party meeting in Pyongyang, North Korea, Friday, June 18, 2021. Kim ordered his government to be prepared for both dialogue and confrontation with the Biden administration but more for confrontation state media reported Friday, days after the United States and others urged the North to abandon its nuclear program and return to talks. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un solemnly swore to navigate his country out of deepening economic troubles as he concluded a major ruling party meeting, acknowledging food shortages and urging officials to prepare for both dialogue and confrontation with the U.S. North Koreas state media released Kims comments shortly before President Joe Bidens special representative for North Korea, Sung Kim, arrived in South Korea on Saturday for talks over stalled nuclear diplomacy with the North. Kim Jong Un had presided over a four-day plenary meeting of the ruling Workers Partys Central Committee, which he summoned to discuss efforts to salvage a dismal economy, hurt by years of mismanagement and U.S.-led sanctions that were made worse by pandemic border closures. As he closed the meetings on Friday, Kim solemnly swore on behalf of the Central Committee that the party will surely break through head-on the difficulties lying in the way of the revolution, the Korean Central News Agency reported. Kim earlier ordered his government to prepare for both dialogue and confrontation with the United States, which has been urging the North to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions and return to talks. In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, attends a Workers' Party meeting in Pyongyang, North Korea, Friday, June 18, 2021. Kim ordered his government to be prepared for both dialogue and confrontation with the Biden administration but more for confrontation state media reported Friday, days after the United States and others urged the North to abandon its nuclear program and return to talks. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) Kim has threatened to bolster his nuclear deterrent and says the fate of diplomacy and bilateral relations depends on whether Washington abandons what he calls hostile policies. Kim opened the Central Committee plenary on Tuesday by warning of potential food shortages, urging officials to find ways to boost agricultural production because the situation is now getting tense. He said the country should brace for extended COVID-19 restrictions, suggesting it would extend border closures and other steps despite the stress on its economy. The economic setbacks have left Kim with nothing to show for his ambitious summitry with former President Donald Trump, which derailed over disagreements in exchanging the lifting of sanctions with the Norths denuclearization steps. U.S. officials have suggested President Joe Biden would adopt a middle ground policy between his predecessors Trumps direct dealings with Kim and Barack Obamas strategic patience. But some experts say Washington wont likely provide the North with meaningful sanctions relief unless it takes concrete denuclearization steps first. During his stay in South Korea, Sung Kim will meet with South Korean senior diplomats and participate in a trilateral meeting that includes Japanese nuclear envoy Takehiro Funakoshi on Monday. His travel emphasizes the importance of three-way cooperation in working toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the U.S. State Department said. VATICAN CITY (AP) Robert Schuman, a French statesman who paved the way for the bloc that eventually evolved into European Union, has moved ahead on the Catholic churchs path toward possible sainthood. VATICAN CITY (AP) Robert Schuman, a French statesman who paved the way for the bloc that eventually evolved into European Union, has moved ahead on the Catholic churchs path toward possible sainthood. The Vatican said Pope Francis on Saturday approved a decree declaring the heroic virtues of Schuman, a former prime minister, finance minister and foreign minister for France after World War II. In 1950, as foreign minister, he developed a plan to promote European economic unity in hopes of furthering peace. Robert Schuman is shown in this Feb. 19, 1958 photo. Pope Francis has put one of the architects of the plan for European integration, a forerunner of the European Union, on the path to possible sainthood. The Vatican said on Saturday, June 19, 2021 that the pontiff authorized a decree declaring the heroic virtues of Robert Schuman, a former French minister and Resistance fighter in World War II, who died in 1963 and who had been president of the European Parliament from 1958 till 1960. (AP Photo) Schuman died in 1963 after serving as the first president of the forerunner of the European Parliament. The pope's decision means Schuman can be called venerable by the Catholic faithful. It is one of several steps in a usually long process that can result in sainthood. The European Commission website describes Schuman as one of the founding fathers of European unity,'' hailing him as the architect of the project of European integration." The Vatican described Schuman as a man of Catholic faith. Behind the action of the public man, there was the interiority of the man who lived the sacraments, who, when he could, would take to an abbey, who would reflect on the sacred Word before finding the shape of his political words, it said. Born in Luxembourg in 1886 to a Luxembourg mother and a French father in a area annexed by Germany, he was a German citizen at birth. After World War I, when the area was returned to France, Schuman became a French citizen. A lawyer and a member of the French National Assembly, Schuman was arrested in 1940 by the German Gestapo after the German occupation of France, but escaped in 1942. The European Commission biography of him notes his activity in the French Resistance. After the war, Schuman served as finance minister, prime minister, foreign minister and justice minister. On May 9, 1950, Schuman gave a speech pitching cooperation between European nations to help converge their economic interests. Such cooperation, especially involving France and Germany, he argued, would make another war on the continent both unthinkable and impossible. His plan helped see the realization of the 1952 European Coal and Steel Community, a forerunner of the Common Market formed in 1958. Last year, noting the 70th anniversary of his speech, which became known as the Schuman Declaration, Francis praised the statesman's legacy. Francis said from that point on there came a long period of stability and peace which we benefit from today. A new survey is adding fuel to the burning question many Canadians with investments ask with some regularity: Is my adviser worth it? A new survey is adding fuel to the burning question many Canadians with investments ask with some regularity: Is my adviser worth it? A recent poll by Finder.com, an Australian-based finance website, asked about 1,100 Canadians in November whether they were considering firing their adviser in 2021. And one-quarter noted they were at least considering it. (Only about 10 per cent of Manitobans surveyed indicated they were, the lowest among all provinces.) Respondents who indicated they might, or were positive they would, tended to be less than 40 years old, and were more likely to be men than women (30 versus 20 per cent). Key reasons include wanting more control over their investments; reducing fees, and improving mobile, app-based services like robo-advisers made using an adviser no longer necessary. Personal finance educator Kelley Keehn isnt surprised. The author of Talk Money to Me: How to save, spend and feel good about your money during COVID and other times of financial distress says regulations that brought in increased disclosure on statements regarding fees in the last few years have opened the eyes of many investors. In some cases, they may be disappointed to realize they are paying thousands of dollars annually for one or two face-to-face meetings. Keehn says the temptation to dump is often higher for younger investors with fewer assets, which generate less in fees for advisers and, in turn, result in less service provided. "So a lot of younger people are like, Forget it! If I am getting minimal advice from the bank, I am just going to do it on my own," says Keehn, who previously worked for the Financial Planning Standards Council, which certifies professional financial planners. Even some planners, including Winnipeg certified financial planner MaryAnn Kokan-Nyhof, agree the industry faces challenges serving individuals with fewer assets. "Its currently not a very level playing field because most financial institutions gear advice toward higher net-worth clients, but the industry is changing," says the adviser with Desjardins Financial Security Investments Inc. Increasingly, financial institutions are offering hybrid models where individuals can use low-cost, do-it-yourself (DIY) online brokerages or robo-advisers (which offer automated investment portfolio management) while still being able to talk to an adviser if required. "I cant quarrel with the fact there are low-cost savings just like do-it-yourself home improvement," she adds. "My argument is always going to be: You get what you pay for, and there is value from advice." Especially as individuals age, they often require services best provided by an adviser. "When it comes to retirement readiness weve seen so many situations of people coming to us at the last minute where theyve been trying to do it themselves, and theyve got themselves stuck where its very hard to reverse a situation because too much time has elapsed." Keehn agrees the online experience with robo-advisers and DIY platforms like Wealthsimple Trade and Questrade, while perfectly suited for some, may not be a good fit for everyone. "What about insurance, taxes and estate planning, and questions like should you invest in an RRSP or TFSA, or should you pay down your debt?" notes Keehn, who uses robo-advisors herself. "These are big questions a robo(-adviser) isnt necessarily going to help with." Still, a little more than one in 10 individuals surveyed between ages 56 and 74 who often have complex finances noted they were contemplating dumping their adviser. Manager of education at the Manitoba Securities Commission, Ainsley Cunningham while not near retirement herself has left an adviser before to find a better one. More recently, her adviser went on maternity leave, so Cunningham diverted contributions into a DIY discount brokerage account. "Six months into this experiment, I am finding it really challenging," she says. "So what I pay her to do is really good value for me." Still, its worth asking whether youre getting your moneys worth, she adds. "If you arent comfortable with that individual, its probably someone you dont want to work with." Cunningham adds you also want an adviser who answers questions about complex matters in a way that you understand. If your current adviser falls short, alternatives may be worth exploring. Then again that doesnt mean switching to a robo-adviser or DIY. There are plenty of great advisors out there. Cunningham suggests looking at AreTheyRetistered.ca where you can find out first and foremost if advisers are properly licensed and whether they have faced disciplinary actions. Another option is looking at websites rating and vetting advisers, like Advisorsavvy. Created by Sol Amos, who previously worked for big banks on customer satisfaction, the site aims to connect individuals with good advisers. "What I found (working with large financial institutions) is there are some really good advisers, but there are also some real bad apples." Advisorysavvy.com was created "to help investors avoid the Bernie Madoffs of the world," he adds. While concerns over high fees, unsatisfactory service, and whether advisors are actually putting clients interests first drive more than 25,000 unique visits to the site monthly, Amos says its important to note many Canadians are satisfied with their adviser. He points to Ontario Securities Commission study from August showing about 80 per cent of respondents were generally happy with their experience. Further to that point, the Finder.com survey found more than three in 10 surveyed planned to keep using their advisor. Perhaps even more telling is it found more than 43 per cent dont use an advisor. Depending on your viewpoint, either the industry has more potential clients to reach, or the horses have already left the corral. HONG KONG (AP) A Hong Kong court ordered the top editor of pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily and the head of its parent company held without bail Saturday in the first hearing since their arrest two days ago under the city's national security law. Pro-democracy activists holding a copy of Apple Daily newspaper and banner protest outside a court in Hong Kong, Saturday, June 19, 2021, to demand to release political prisoners. The top editor of the Hong Kong's pro-democracy newspaper and the head of its parent company were brought to a courthouse Saturday for their first hearing since their arrest under the city's national security law.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung) HONG KONG (AP) A Hong Kong court ordered the top editor of pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily and the head of its parent company held without bail Saturday in the first hearing since their arrest two days ago under the city's national security law. Ryan Law, the chief editor, and Cheung Kim-hung, the CEO of Next Digital, have been charged with collusion with a foreign country to endanger national security in a case widely seen as an attack on press freedom in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. Chief Magistrate Victor So said there was not sufficient grounds to believe they would not violate the security law again, and ordered them held at the Lai Chi Kok detention center. He set the next hearing for Aug. 13. Law and Cheung arrived at the court in an unmarked white van with covered windows. A handful of activists held up a banner and copies of the Apple Daily outside before the hearing began. A pro-democracy protester is sent to a hospital as she feels sick outside a court in Hong Kong, Saturday, June 19, 2021. Hong Kong court ordered the top editor of pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily and the head of its parent company held without bail Saturday in the first hearing since their arrest two days ago under the city's national security law. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Three others also arrested Thursday two Apple Daily senior editors and another executive have not been charged yet and were released on bail late Friday pending further investigation. One of them, Associate Publisher Chan Pui-man, said after attending the bail hearing, "I think that all media workers in Hong Kong are worried. But for now, for us, tomorrow, we will still come out with our newspaper, and well do our best to continue our work. The Apple Daily has long been one of the most outspoken defenders of civil liberties in Hong Kong. It supported massive protests demanding more democracy in 2019 and has criticized the subsequent crackdown, including the enactment of a national security law last year. The central government in Beijing has defended the legislation and the crackdown on opposition voices as necessary to restore order and stability. The 2019 protests that challenged Beijing's rule often started as peaceful marches during the day but turned into violent clashes between hard-core demonstrators and police at night. Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai is currently serving a 20-month prison sentence after being convicted of playing a role in unauthorized assemblies rallies and marches that had not received police approval during the 2019 protests. He has also been charged under the national security law. The latest arrests mark the first time journalists have been targeted under the new law, except for a freelancer who was arrested for pro-democracy activities. Hundreds of police and security agents who raided Apple Daily's office on Thursday also seized 44 hard drives, and authorities froze $2.3 million of its assets. Police said the arrests were based on more than 30 articles that had appeared in the Apple Daily since 2019 and that had called for international sanctions against China and Hong Kong. The security law specifically criminalizes colluding with a foreign country, institution, organization or individual to impose sanctions or a blockade against Hong Kong or China. Critics say Beijing is walking back on its promise at the 1997 handover of Hong Kong from Britain that the city could retain its freedoms not seen elsewhere in China for 50 years. The U.S. has imposed sanctions against Chinese and Hong Kong officials over the crackdown and called for the immediate release of the Apple Daily editors and executives. Asked how journalists should avoid getting in trouble, Hong Kong Security Secretary John Lee told a news conference this week that the answer is simple: Do your journalistic work as freely as you like in accordance with the law provided you do not conspire or have any intention to break the Hong Kong law and certainly not the Hong Kong National Security Law. Associated Press news assistant Nicole Ko contributed to this report. This story has been corrected to say the arrests were based on articles published since 2019, not since the security law took effect in 2020. Negotiations are underway for Palliser Furniture to open a second Canadian plant, potentially next to its only current facility in the country, located in Winnipeg. Negotiations are underway for Palliser Furniture to open a second Canadian plant, potentially next to its only current facility in the country, located in Winnipeg. Its a process that will need to be approved by the Manitoba government. Should things go ahead, it will add up to 400 new jobs and increase output capacity by 50 per cent, the company says. In a recent interview with the Free Press, president and chief executive officer Peter Tielmann hinted at details about the new facility. While he couldnt comment precisely, given pending government approvals, he said Palliser might also be looking at Alberta as a potential candidate for its second plant. Tielmann added "everything to do with the facility" also is "directly related to the tariffs" on exports from China and Vietnam for furniture. "Of course, if the tariffs are finalized in August, then well very aggressively expand to meet the demand in Canada," he said. "And yes, that might also mean more than just the second facility it could mean a lot more." Should Palliser expand in this fashion, furniture industry sources say other manufacturers especially those with Canadian headquarters will also likely start to increase their presence in the country. temur.durrani@freepress.mb.ca OTTAWA - The national intelligence watchdog says Canada's cyberspy agency may have broken the law in disclosing personal information about Canadians. A sign for the Government of Canada's Communications Security Establishment (CSE) is seen outside their headquarters in the east end of Ottawa on July 23, 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick OTTAWA - The national intelligence watchdog says Canada's cyberspy agency may have broken the law in disclosing personal information about Canadians. The Ottawa-based Communications Security Establishment, given its foreign-intelligence mandate, suppresses details that identify Canadians, or even people in Canada, in its reports. Such identifying information ranges from names of people to email addresses and computer IP addresses. However, other federal agencies and foreign partners who receive these reports can ask for details of the information if they have legal authority and proper justification. The National Security and Intelligence Review Agency looked at 2,351 disclosures of information about Canadians over a five-year period and found that more than one-quarter of them were not sufficiently justified. During the review period, the CSE approved 99 per cent of such requests from domestic clients, says an unclassified version of the findings made public Friday. The CSE also released additional personal information to clients beyond what was requested and explained this to be a standard practice, says the review agency report. "For example, NSIRA observed cases where CSE disclosed Canadians names and other personal information even when the recipient only asked CSE for a companys identity," the report says. "NSIRA observed other types of scenarios where CSE disclosed more identifiers than requested." Given this and other findings related to the cyberspy agency's internal practices, the review agency found that the CSE's implementation of its disclosure regime may not be in compliance with the Privacy Act. As a result, the review agency issued what is known as a compliance report to Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, the minister responsible for the CSE. The review agency found the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency generally demonstrated a clear link between the information in question and their mandates. It recommended the CSE stop disclosing identifying information about Canadians to clients other than these three agencies until it addresses the review's findings and recommendations. The review agency says the CSE has accepted all recommendations flowing from the probe. Still, in a response attached to the report, the CSE said the Privacy Act does not require the documentation of legal authorities before information can be collected and disclosed. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2021. Manitobas three courts will soon ask lawyers to state their gender, as well as that of their clients and witnesses, as part of a shift advocated by trans, two-spirit and non-binary people. Manitobas three courts will soon ask lawyers to state their gender, as well as that of their clients and witnesses, as part of a shift advocated by trans, two-spirit and non-binary people. "We live in a democracy, in a pluralistic society, and I think reasonable people understand that institutions have to be increasingly reflective of that plurality," Court of Queens Bench Chief Justice Glenn Joyal told the Free Press. Its part of a societal shift towards people introducing themselves by indicating gender, to normalize people dont always identify as male or female, or might not be the gender a stranger automatically assumes. In both trial courts, lawyers will be expected to introduce themselves as well as their clients or witnesses using a title, like Mr., Ms., Counsel or Mx. (pronounced "mix"), with the latter referring to people who dont fit the gender binary. If lawyers dont indicate these titles, court clerks will ask them to but Joyal said its still optional to do so. "If the person doesnt say anything, were not going to be outing anybody," he said. Joyal said hed never witnessed someone in court say they were misgendered in his 23 years on the bench, but said this might have happened without him even knowing. "We all have friends who felt the hurt or the burden of not being recognized, or not being treated properly for whatever reason." All three Manitoba courts have issued such directives in the past month. Both trial courts set to implement the policy Sept. 13, as they have few hearings in the summer. The appeal court which primarily hears from lawyers implemented its own policy May 27, and asks lawyers to provide these titles in writing. "It sends a message to everyone about acceptance and respect," said Karen Busby, a University of Manitoba law professor, who has a handful of trans and non-binary students each year. "Its important to them that the court is recognizing that they exist, and they will be respected in the courtroom." Busby added Manitoba courts have tried to be progressive, for example, with the 2015 appointment of the first trans person to the bench, Provincial Court Judge Kael McKenzie. Joyal and Busby noted lawyers had advocated for such changes through a Canadian Bar Association committee, and both believe Manitoba is the second province with courts making such a change. Last fall, British Columbias three courts started asking lawyers to indicate whether their pronouns are he, she or they, when introducing themselves. Those changes garnered some pushback, from lawyers arguing the policy effectively pushes them to endorse a view on gender. Joyal said he and the heads of Manitobas provincial and appeals courts only expect some opposition. "Were hoping that its going to be received well by the bar and the general population," he said, arguing the best way to avoid controversy is to just make it a habit. "We do want to normalize this; we want this in a sense to become routine. We dont want this to become an exhibition." dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca GREENBELT, MARYLAND The guilty plea was recorded, the agreed statement of facts read into the record, and Patrik Jordan Mathews dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit shuffled out of a federal courtroom on June 10 towards a bleak future behind bars. GREENBELT, MARYLAND The guilty plea was recorded, the agreed statement of facts read into the record, and Patrik Jordan Mathews dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit shuffled out of a federal courtroom on June 10 towards a bleak future behind bars. He had a different destination in mind a year-and-a-half earlier a destination that would have been soaked in bloodshed in the service of his fascist, white-supremacist ideals. That destination was three hours south from the courthouse, in Richmond, Va., the former home of the Confederacy. ROB OSTERMAIER / THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Gun-rights supporters gather near Capitol Square in Richmond, Va., on Jan. 20, 2020. People were everywhere. Twenty-two thousand in total 6,000 on the grounds of the Virginia State Capitol itself, and 16,000 in the surrounding streets of Richmond, with its sloped and slanted sidewalks and its old buildings seemingly cut straight out of history. Church bells from one of the areas many churches could be heard clanging throughout the warm and breezy morning, but the people in attendance were in no mood for pious prayer. They were angry. Some were awakened as early as 2 a.m. to drive to the capital from other parts of Virginia, and others yet had set off even earlier, travelling from distant areas of the southeastern United States to descend upon the city. It was Jan. 20, 2020 a day known as Lobby Day in Virginia an annual event where lobbyists meet with lawmakers at the state capitol to pitch their agendas. But on this particular Lobby Day, the Democratic party had control of the statehouse for the first time in 26 years, and they were using their newly found majority to push through a slate of stricter gun control measures, including universal background checks. JOHN C. CLARK / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES A sign reminds people in Richmond, that carrying firearms near Capitol Square is a violation of a city ordinance. Just one year prior, the state had been rocked by a mass shooting when a disgruntled municipal employee in Virginia Beach shot 12 people dead and injured four others, before being killed by police. In response to the proposed bills, the Virginia Citizens Defence League a pro-gun rights group thats been described as being to the political right of the National Rifle Association announced plans for a demonstration. And on Jan. 15 less than a week before the rally Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, declared a state of emergency in Richmond. Citing police intelligence, he said there were threats of violence, and that he didnt want a repeat of the fatal 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville. As a result, no one would be allowed to carry guns on the capitol grounds a move that further enraged pro-Second Amendment activists. "We have received credible intelligence from our law enforcement agencies that there are groups with malicious plans for the rally. This includes out-of-state militia groups and hate groups planning to travel from across the country," Northam said at a press conference. "They are not coming to peacefully protest. They are coming to intimidate and to cause harm. State intelligence analysts have identified threats and violent rhetoric similar to what has been seen with other major events, such as Charlottesville." That morning, a sea of people stood on the capitol grounds: they packed in shoulder-to-shoulder on the neatly manicured lawn cut through with brick pathways and studded with monuments. The trees rose high above them, blocking out the sun with their expansive, leafy canopies. ALEXA WELCH EDLUND / RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH / ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Gun rights supporters drive east on East Broad Street in Richmond during a caravan for Lobby Day on Jan. 18, 2020. Temporary fencing was erected and protesters had to pass through metal detectors. On the roofs of buildings in the Capitol District, police officers were stationed with guns. Outside the capitol grounds, protesters dressed in tactical gear carried military-style rifles through the streets. American flags were waved and chants of "USA! USA! USA!" filled the air. One placard held aloft read: "The American Revolution began for less." Another placard warned of civil war. Gun rights icon Stephen Willeford a former NRA firearms instructor who helped stop a 2017 mass murder at a Baptist church in Texas by firing upon and injuring the perpetrator spoke to the defiant crowd with a raised fist. Alex Jones, the conspiracy theorist and huckster host of the radio program Infowars, drove through the streets in an armoured vehicle, shouting into a bullhorn with his distinctive, gravelly voice. But among the thousands of protesters at the rally, two people were absent: Patrik Mathews and Brian Lemley Jr. They were members of a violent neo-Nazi group called The Base, and both had military backgrounds: Mathews in the Canadian Army Reserves and Lemley in the U.S. Army. Mathews had been on-the-run ever since illegally entering the U.S. in the fall of 2019, shortly after the RCMP raided his home in Beausejour in the aftermath of his exposure as an active Canadian military member moonlighting as a neo-Nazi recruiter. U.S. ATTORNEY / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Video captured Brian Lemley Jr. driving Patrik Mathews to Georgia where they plotted an attack. Lemley alongside another American neo-Nazi then drove more than 950 kilometres from Maryland to Michigan to pick Mathews up and help provide him safe harbour, eventually transporting him to a paramilitary training camp in Georgia. Later, the two men would live together at an apartment in Delaware. If theyd had their way if their plans had gone off without a hitch they would have been in Richmond that morning. And thats because according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the U.S. Attorneys Office in Maryland they wanted the rally to serve as a spark that would ignite a violent revolution for the white race. They wanted blood. RYAN THORPE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The proposed removal of the Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville, Va., triggered the deadly Unite the Right Rally in 2017. The statue is located in the middle of a small, idyllic park in a small, idyllic city, about an hours drive west from the state capital down Interstate 64, which cuts through the lush forests and rolling hills of Virginia. The park is treelined and scattered with bushes, and from the right angle, the statue some 30 feet high in the air is backdropped by the steeple of a nearby Methodist church. It has stood in that spot for 97 years. Atop the statue which is cast in bronze is a famous horse known as Traveller, and atop that horse is Gen. Robert E. Lee, the military leader of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. In his right hand is his hat, hanging down by his side, and his left hand grips the reins of his trusted horse, which is frozen in mid-step. Lee stares forward, his gaze fixed in the distance. Until 2017, the park located in the city of Charlottesville was known as Lee Park, but in June of that year, it was changed to Emancipation Park. Later, the name was changed again, and it currently goes by Market Street Park. But Charlottesville City Council wasnt content to just change the name. They also wanted Lee gone. DAVID GOLDMAN / ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES On June 20, 2015 people marched in memory of the Emanuel AME Church shooting victims in Charleston, S.C. In the aftermath of the 2015 Charleston, S.C., church shooting which saw 21-year-old white supremacist Dylann Roof gun down nine Black parishioners during a Bible study the movement to remove Confederate monuments from public spaces in the U.S. picked up steam. Critics of the monuments say they have little or nothing to do with honouring fallen soldiers and military leaders; instead, they argue the statues were erected in the Jim Crow South to re-assert white supremacy and intimidate Black people. Jim Crow is the term used to refer to a series of state and local laws in the South that enforced racial segregation and relegated Black Americans to second-class citizens lasting from the 1870s till the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. By 2016, the movement to tear down Confederate monuments had arrived in Charlottesville. "(I have) spoken with several different people who have said they have refused to step foot in that park because of what that statue and the name of the park represents. And we cant have that in the city of Charlottesville," Vice-Mayor Wes Bellamy said in March 2016. On Feb. 6, 2017, the five-person city council voted three-to-two in favour of removing the Lee monument. The move was controversial, sparking a lawsuit from the Sons of Confederate Veterans, a group of male blood-descendants of the rebel soldiers. Soon enough, white supremacists, Klansmen, fascists and neo-Nazis started turning up. On May 13, Richard Spencer one of Americas most notorious neo-Nazis led a torch-lit rally at the park to protest the statues proposed removal, as protesters chanted the anti-Semitic slogan: "Jews will not replace us!" STEVE HELBER / ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Protesters carry signs in front of a statue of Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson as they demonstrate against a KKK rally in Justice Park in Charlottesville, Va. on July 8, 2017. On July 8, roughly 50 members of the Ku Klux Klan arrived in Charlottesville, donning their traditional hooded, white robes and carrying Confederate flags. They were outnumbered by hundreds of counter-protesters, and all told, police made 23 arrests. And then in the fall, the Unite the Right rally came to town, organized in part by local resident Jason Kessler, with the help of Spencer and other crackpots and bigots. The story of the rally is well-known: Clashes between fascist and anti-fascist protestors filled the two-day event. White supremacist luminaries such as Spencer and David Duke spewed hatred to their followers. Confederate and Nazi flags were openly marched through the streets. And at 1:45 p.m. on the second day shortly after then-Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe belatedly declared a state of emergency James Alex Fields Jr., a 22-year-old neo-Nazi from Kentucky, deliberately rammed his car into a crowd of people. The result: 32-year-old Heather Heyer a paralegal and part-time waitress who felt compelled to confront fascists marching in her hometown lay dead on the streets of Charlottesville. All told, there were three deaths, 33 injuries and 11 arrests. RYAN M. KELLY / THE DAILY PROGRESS / ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES On Aug. 12, 2017, a vehicle drove into a group of protesters demonstrating against a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va. The rally in Richmond 29 months later ended differently no injuries and just one arrest. And while it is impossible to argue a counter-factual, the different outcomes might be explained by the different approaches police and politicians took towards the events. In Charlottesville, hands-off; in Richmond, proactive. During the Jan. 15, 2020 press conference where he announced the temporary state of emergency, Governor Ralph Northam explicitly acknowledged the lessons learned from the earlier tragedy. "No one wants another incident like the one we saw in Charlottesville in 2017. We will not allow that mayhem and violence to happen here," Northam said. But the Lee statue in Charlottesville is far from the only confederate monument and potential flashpoint for far-right violence in the state. During the Civil War, Richmond served as the capital of the Confederacy. It was difficult to defend due to its location at the end of a long supply line and was frequently the target of Union attacks. It was also the site of a major slave market, where human beings were bought and sold. BOB BIRD / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES The military exploits of Confederate generals such as Stonewall Jackson serve as a cornerstone of the Lost Cause Myth. In the summer of 1862, Union General George McClellan crossed the Potomac River with 120,000 men and marched on Richmond. Despite commanding an army of roughly half that size, Lee turned back the advancing force, driving them down the Virginia Peninsula to the point of near destruction. The military exploits of Confederate generals such as Lee and Stonewall Jackson served as a cornerstone of the Lost Cause Myth in the aftermath of the war. Another cornerstone was the collection of monuments erected in their honour across the country. The Lost Cause Myth is the (false) belief that the goals of the Confederacy were heroic, and that slavery and white supremacy did not play a central role in the cause of the South. By proponents of the myth, the conflict is re-cast as the "War of Northern Aggression." The myth is built upon well-established lies and is contradicted by public statements from leading rebels at the time of secession. On March 21, 1861, Alexander Stephens, vice-president of the Confederacy, said the rebel state was founded upon "the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man." "The new constitution has put at rest, forever, all the agitating questions relating to our peculiar institution, African slavery, as it exists among us the proper status of the negro in our form of civilization," Stephens said. "This was the immediate cause of the late rupture and present revolution." STEVE HELBER / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Crews remove the statue of Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson in Richmond, Va., in July 2020. As the writer Clint Smith who recently wrote a book on the legacy of chattel slavery in the U.S. put it: "For so many of them, history isnt the story of what actually happened; it is just the story they want to believe." On the grounds of the Virginia State Capitol where Patrik Mathews and Brian Lemley Jr. are accused of plotting a racist terror attack there stands three Confederate monuments. The first is William Smith, the former governor of Virginia and a general in the Confederate States Army, which bears the inscription: "When the storm of war was burst his voice was in his sword." The second is Stonewall Jackson, who was Lees right-hand man during the Civil War and is widely considered one of the greatest military tacticians in U.S. history. Jackson was also a slave owner, who according to historian James Robertson believed God had "sanctioned slavery." He was personally present at the hanging of radical abolitionist John Brown, who symbolically fired the first shot of the war with his raid on Harpers Ferry in Virginia. The third is Dr. Hunter Holmes McGuire, a pro-slavery advocate and surgeon who served in Lees Army of Northern Virginia. As for Lee himself, in addition to being a remarkable military mind, he was also a slave owner, who once wrote to his wife that he believed slavery a "greater evil to the white man than to the black race" a reflection of the paternalistic, custodial view many whites used to justify slavery. "For so many of them, history isnt the story of what actually happened; it is just the story they want to believe." Writer Clint Smith These monuments do indeed tell a story just not the story their creators intended. You can learn a lot about a people by what they choose to honour. And what the people of Virginia chose to honour on the grounds of their state capitol are traitors who tore the country apart in a bloody civil war aimed at keeping millions of human beings in chains. "This week its Robert E. Lee. I noticed that Stonewall Jacksons coming down. I wonder, is it George Washington next? And is it Thomas Jefferson the week after?" President Donald Trump said, just days after the Unite the Right rally. When the fascists came to Charlottesville, they were protesting the symbolic dismantling of white supremacy in the U.S. It was as if they could feel the power and privilege of their ancestors slipping through their fingers, fuelling the fire of their politics of racial resentment. It is hard to enter the mindset of a white person in America today or Canada, for that matter who feels themselves so aggrieved and oppressed, who is so scared of the racial other theyve concocted in their head, the only solution seems to be to pick up guns. "Thus people haunted by the purposelessness of their lives try to find a new content not only by dedicating themselves to a holy cause but also by nursing a fanatical grievance." Eric Hoffer in The True Believer But that was the mindset of Patrik Mathews and Brian Lemley Jr. as they plotted to drive to Richmond and open fire on the crowd. Court records suggest they also discussed the possibility of finding an isolated police officer to execute, so they could steal his weapons and uniform. "The system has prevented a peaceful solution at every possible turn. It is the system that is fomenting violent revolution not us and they shall now reap what they have sown," Mathews said in a self-recorded propaganda video. FREE PRESS FILES Mathews appeared on propaganda videos espousing violence and hatred. "This is the century upon which this current civilizations rotting Jew-infested country comes to a collapse." Such depth of hatred is difficult to fathom. It calls to mind a passage from Eric Hoffers The True Believer, a 1951 study into the nature of mass movements and the people who give rise to them. "Passionate hatred can give meaning and purpose to an empty life," Hoffer wrote. "Thus people haunted by the purposelessness of their lives try to find a new content not only by dedicating themselves to a holy cause but also by nursing a fanatical grievance." Unbeknownst to Patrik Mathews and Brian Lemley Jr., the former Canadian reservists movements had been tracked by the FBI since he abandoned his truck near Sprague, Man., and illegally crossed into the U.S. on foot in the fall of 2019. The events that led to Mathews decision to flee the country have been extensively recorded in the pages of the Winnipeg Free Press, with his disappearance following an undercover investigation by this newspaper exposing him as a combat engineer in the 38 Canadian Brigade Group in Winnipeg. Mathews decision to run was an attempt to escape the repercussions of being unmasked as a neo-Nazi. But what he walked into in the U.S. was much worse. During a lengthy criminal investigation into members of The Base, the highest levels of U.S. federal law enforcement deployed some of the most sophisticated counter-terrorism techniques at their disposal, and an undercover FBI agent worked to infiltrate the neo-Nazi network. Agents tapped into encrypted chatrooms and targeted the would-be terrorists with video surveillance. They recorded phone calls and reviewed cellular location data. Eventually, the FBI secured a "sneak and peek" warrant to search the apartment Mathews and Lemley were sharing in Delaware. What the agents found was disturbing: several self-recorded propaganda videos in which Mathews urged white supremacists to pick up arms and carry out attacks to spark a race war. "If you want the white race to survive, youre going to have to do your fking part This is the age of war," Mathews said. "Derail some fking trains, kill some people, and poison some water supplies." According to the U.S. Attorneys Office in Maryland which would later prosecute the criminal charges against the men many of Mathews propaganda videos discussed killing people in furtherance of the neo-Nazi movement. And while down in Georgia attending a paramilitary training camp known in neo-Nazi circles as "hate camps" Mathews said he regretted not setting explosives at his Beausejour home to murder the Mounties who raided it on Aug 19, 2019. As the Virginia rally approached, Mathews and Lemleys discussions increasingly turned towards the possibility of creating chaos and bloodshed in Richmond. They built an assault rifle from firearms parts they purchased online and repeatedly took it to a gun range to practise. The two men also prepared supplies: packing "bug out bags," getting their hands on body armour and stockpiling more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition. "I need to claim my first victim," Lemley told Mathews in advance of the rally. "We cant let Virginia go to waste. We just cant Virginia will be our day," Mathews said. On the night of Jan. 15, 2020, Mathews and Lemley were holed up in their apartment in Newark, Del., located on a sprawling complex surrounded by trees, featuring winding roads and a shared swimming pool. They discussed the possibility of going to prison for their neo-Nazi activities. "There can be no trust among a group of murderers," Lemley told Mathews, adding that the content of his cell phone alone could be enough to send him to prison. "You realize theyre just going to call us terrorists?" Mathews said. Hours later, on the morning of Jan. 16, the FBI and ATF raided the apartment. As the authorities closed in, Mathews and Lemley desperately tried to destroy their cell phones by smashing them and throwing them in the toilet. The two men have been in custody ever since. They never made it to Richmond. "I was getting up to go to work, which is about five oclock in the morning. I tried to come out the door. I saw a police officer standing beside the doorway there, and he just goes, "Back in," and hes waving me back inside," said David Dobyns, 64, who's lived at the complex since November 2016. Standing under a hot Delaware sun on a sticky and humid morning, on his way back from taking out the trash, Dobyns stops in the road to look at the unit where Lemley and Mathews used to live, and says he never suspected there might be two neo-Nazis across the street from him. Even after he stumbled into the raid, his mind jumped to more mundane possibilities. "I thought maybe it was a drug raid I didnt know what was going on at the time until later on when I heard on the news," Dobyns says. "Ive never been across from anything like that in my life." Jan. 20, 2020 wasnt just Lobby Day in Virginia, it also happened to be Martin Luther King Jr. day, a federal holiday across the U.S. in honour of the late-Civil Rights leader, who was assassinated by a white supremacist in Memphis, Tn., in 1968. On a day set aside to remembering the righteous work of a Baptist preacher who dedicated his life to and lost it in the cause of racial justice, Patrik Mathews and Brian Lemley Jr. were plotting a racist terror attack. This month, Mathews and Lemley Jr. stood in a federal courtroom in Greenbelt, Md., and pleaded guilty to numerous felonies. Their sentencing hearings are scheduled for Oct. 28, and the two men are facing potential decades behind bars. WILLIAM J. HENNESSY JR. Brian Mark Lemley Jr. and Patrik Mathews appeared in court on Jan. 15, 2020 in Greenbelt, MD. But they were far from the only members of The Base to go down in January 2020. During a two-day stretch that month, eight members were arrested in multiple states as part of a nationwide crackdown by the FBI and the ATF. In Georgia, authorities say they uncovered the disturbing and meticulously planned murder plot of a married couple identified as anti-fascist activists; in New Jersey, a man was arrested for orchestrating a multi-state campaign dubbed Operation Kristallnacht to vandalize synagogues. "The initial, personal cause of his grievance against the universe can only be guessed at; but at any rate the grievance is there," George Orwell wrote of Adolf Hitler in March 1940, an observation that holds true for the men who impotently continue the Nazi tradition today. "He is the martyr, the victim, Prometheus chained to the rock, the self-sacrificing hero who fights single-handed against impossible odds. If he were killing a mouse he would know how to make it seem like a dragon." On Jan. 6, 2021, a pro-Trump mob composed of conspiracy theorists, white supremacists, and regular citizens caught up in the moment stormed the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., in an effort to stop the certification of the 2020 presidential election. JOHN MINCHILLO / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier on Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol in Washington. It was unlike anything seen before in the life of the American republic. It was the culmination of the four-year Trump presidency. It was the end result of a concerted campaign to fill peoples heads with lies about the validity of the election results. Five people died either shortly before, during, or after the attack, with one of them shot dead by Capitol police. Hundreds of people have been arrested for their roles in the assault, which forced terrified lawmakers to flee through underground tunnels, and the charges have jammed up the court system. To this day, the U.S. Capitol remains inaccessible to the public. Fencing and concrete barriers are erected around the grounds, with signs on the fence reading: "Area closed by order of the United States Capitol Police Board." One cant help but wonder: What would have happened on Jan. 6 if members of The Base had not been behind bars? Would they have travelled to Washington, D.C., like they had planned to travel to Richmond, Va.? What would they have done? And as much as Canadians collectively like to think of ourselves as more socially tolerant and progressive than our neighbours to the south, Mathews was born and raised in our backyard and trained by our military. Weve also had our own bursts of extremist violence in the not-so-distant past. NICOLE OSBORNE / AFP FILES A man brings flowers and pays his respects at the scene where four members of a Muslim family died after being struck by a driver in a pickup truck in London, Ont. Just this month, a man rammed a pickup truck into a Muslim-Canadian family walking down the streets of London, Ont., killing four and leaving a little boy orphaned. Police allege the 20-year-old perpetrator, Nathaniel Veltman, targeted the family because of their race and religion. It is far from the first racist terror attack on Canadian soil it wont be the last. And like the Confederate monuments all over Virginia, the relics and ruins of residential schools in Canada including the recent, grisly discovery of 215 Indigenous children buried in an unmarked grave in Kamloops reveal our own history of state-led racial oppression and violence. In Richmond as in communities across Canada there have been recent attempts to reckon with the fingerprints of institutionalized racism still lingering on public grounds. Following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the spring of 2020, protestors pulled down two statues on Monument Avenue in the capital of Virginia: one of them was the Jefferson Davis memorial, erected for the president of the rebel state. As the American novelist James Baldwin wrote: "Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced." There is a lesson there Canadians would do well to heed. In his speeches and sermons, MLK often paraphrased a line from preacher and abolitionist Theodore Parker, which went: "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice." Such high-minded ideals may prove little consolation to the oppressed during the time of their oppression. But every now and again on better days the world provides evidence to suggest Kings assertion may prove true. At the very least, we should hope it is true. There was a time in the United States of America when men such as Patrik Mathews and Brian Lemley Jr. and countless other purveyors of racial hatred and violence were backed up and protected by the force of law. Today, their story ends with a courtroom and a prison sentence. And at least for Mathews, it was a story that began two years earlier when recruitment posters for his cause started to pop up around Winnipeg. ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @rk_thorpe Premier Brian Pallister has officially entered "the Selinger zone." Students of recent Manitoba political history will remember, in 2014 and 2015, there was an active campaign within the NDP to force premier Greg Selinger to step down. Selinger ultimately retained his leadership, but he and his party were never the same. That was abundantly clear in December 2015, with a provincial election just a few months away, when a poll done by Probe Research and the Free Press showed the Pallister-led Tories with 43 per cent support, followed by Rana Bokhari's Liberals at 29 per cent, and Selinger's NDP at a lowly 22 per cent. Not surprisingly, the NDP was decimated in the April 2016 election, going from 37 seats to just 14. The PCs won one of the largest majorities in the province's history. RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES NDP leader Greg Selinger makes his way to the stage after losing the at the NDP headquarters in 2016. The lesson from Selinger's defeat was pretty obvious: political leaders who stubbornly cling to power long after they have lost support are paving the way for the ruination of their party. It's a lesson Pallister should be taking to heart. A Probe/Free Press poll released Friday shows the Wab Kinew-led Opposition New Democrats leading the way with 47 per cent support provincewide. The Tories were at 29 per cent, and the Liberals trailing badly at 14 per cent. While the Tories are not in third place, there are other, more troubling data points for them. In Winnipeg where majority mandates are made or broken the NDP is leading 55 per cent to the Tories' 22 per cent. In 2015, the Tories led in Winnipeg with 35 per cent, but the NDP and Liberals were close behind at 29 per cent. The more important question for the Tories to consider right now is how they got into this situation. In the 2016 election, Selinger was struggling under the burden of 17 years of NDP rule. He turned the inevitable winds of change that surround a long-serving government into a hurricane with sloppy fiscal management that amassed huge deficits and (most notably) when he ordered a one-point increase in the PST to fund infrastructure after promising he would not. For the Pallister government, the missteps are almost too numerous to mention: a botched reorganization of the health-care system that closed emergency rooms in Winnipeg and lengthened wait times; an equally controversial restructuring of public education; open warfare with public-sector workers through an unlawful wage freeze; political manipulation of Manitoba Hydro rates; and a five-year campaign of austerity that left the province short-staffed and under-resourced when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Ah, yes, the pandemic. Under Pallister's watch, Manitoba has twice suffered the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in North America. The health crisis has claimed more than 1,000 local lives. Taken together, there is lots of motivation for voters to abandon the Tories. Pallister and his most loyal supporters will insist there have been some wins over the last five years: a one-point PST cut, a smaller government and a briefly balanced the provincial budget. In the last budget, the premier delivered the first of two deep cuts to education property taxes. Unfortunately for Pallister, the poll results show the tax cuts have done little to assuage broader concerns about the quantity and quality of core government services. Is there a chance the PCs can use the next two-plus years to pull victory from what appears to be the ever-widening jaws of electoral defeat? Absolutely, although all paths to salvation go through a convention to pick a new leader. This is where the Selinger and Pallister stories intersect the most. Selinger's fatal mistake was not listening to the advice from within his own party to step down. The more people raised the issue, the deeper he dug in. Ultimately, so deep, the hole became his political grave. POOL Pallister's management of the pandemic, in particular, has galvanized public opinion. There is no evidence anyone has taken it upon themselves to give Pallister similar advice. Then again, given his well-known propensity to fly solo on almost all policy decisions, it does not appear the premier gives many people in cabinet or caucus the opportunity to discreetly share their thoughts on the matter. If someone did have the temerity to bring up the possibility of having him step down sooner rather than later, they would have every justification. Pallister's management of the pandemic, in particular, has galvanized public opinion. In a separate Probe poll question, a remarkable 71 per cent of Manitobans said they had lost faith in the government to manage the pandemic. There is no coming back from a result like that. Pallister remains coy whenever he is asked about retirement, and he is asked often. He has said in the past he would stay "as long as Manitobans want me here." Pallister has also promised to stay on until the job he signed up for fixing health care, stabilizing fiscal matters, cutting taxes is done. Unfortunately for Tories, it's starting to look like part of the "job" Pallister has yet to finish is the ruination of the Progressive Conservative party. He's not quite there yet but, as these poll results show, he's perilously close. dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca Efforts to track the transmission in Manitoba of a much more contagious strain of COVID-19 are expanding as part of a private lab's agreement with the province. Efforts to track the transmission in Manitoba of a much more contagious strain of COVID-19 are expanding as part of a private lab's agreement with the province. Dynacare Labs is expected to expand sequencing capacity in Manitoba to check for the highly infectious and potentially more dangerous Delta B.1617 variant, which devastated India earlier this year and is expected to become the dominant strain in Canada. Dynacare had been sending Manitoba COVID-19 test results to Ontario for screening and sequencing, but as of June 22, the company is set to begin conducting sequencing for the Delta variant in Manitoba. A Dynacare spokesman said the lab will change the process in order to conduct additional sequencing on all of the samples that test negative for certain genetic mutations (484k and 501y) that could indicate a variant of concern. Previously, only a sample of positive COVID-19 test results were sent for sequencing. "We had to set up a program from a technical perspective to begin to perform sequencing for the Delta variant, and are on track to start next week. It is no more or less challenging than sequencing for any other variant, and just required some lead time to prepare for operationally," a Dynacare spokesman wrote in an emailed response to a Free Press inquiry. About 12 to 15 per cent of Manitoba's positive COVID-19 test results are sent for sequencing through Dynacare and the Cadham Provincial Laboratory. Genomic sequencing takes about a week to complete. It is the only way for labs to confirm the presence of the Delta variant, because existing rapid screening tests that can detect some genetic mutations in the virus within a day or two don't reliably detect it. A provincial spokesperson said screening tests to detect Delta are still being developed at the provincial and national levels. As the Delta variant spreads rapidly in the U.K. and other parts of the country, some experts have pushed for the need to more rigorously track this strain. On Friday, with 154 Delta cases confirmed in Manitoba, a group of local doctors called for the province to slow reopening plans until it can properly assess the impact of the variant. katie.may@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @thatkatiemay Crown Services Minister Jeff Wharton announced Friday that the province is responding to all 51 of the recommendations in former Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall's economic review of Manitoba Hydro projects. Crown Services Minister Jeff Wharton announced Friday that the province is responding to all 51 of the recommendations in former Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall's economic review of Manitoba Hydro projects. Among them is a mandate for the utility to focus on its core function of "providing electricity to Manitobans," and selling or winding down any divisions counter to it. "I don't want to prejudge the outcome," Wharton said at a news conference Friday, during which he refused to rule out the sale of Centra Gas. "We know Manitoba Hydro is positioning itself for the future.... It's important to sustain the core function." Critics warn that Manitoba Hydro Telecom, export sales of electricity and Hydro customer service could all be considered outside its core function and privatized. Wharton announced the appointment of an "external, expert panel to provide direction and guidance for future Manitoba Hydro decisions," one of the recommendations in Wall's 14,000-page report. Wall, who led the centre-right Saskatchewan Party to power and served as premier between 2007 and 2018, was commissioned by the Progressive Conservative government to conduct an economic review of the previous NDP government's handling of the construction of Manitoba Hydro's Keeyask generating station and Bipole III transmission line. The $13.4-billion megaprojects initially estimated to cost $9.7 billion were built to export hydroelectricity without proper scrutiny or justification, Wall concluded in his report, released in late February. He recommended Hydro be allowed to explore the option of considering public-private partnerships for major projects and have flexibility in construction labour. Agreements that forced the hiring of workers from select unions may have resulted in higher project costs, Wall said. Under the Crowns Corporations Governance and Accountability Act, Hydro has been directed to support implementation of the provinces response to the 51 recommendations. Wharton maintained Friday that there is no plan to privatize Hydro. "It's not for sale," he said. Provincial regulations require a referendum on major tax increases or the privatization of public utilities. In March, Premier Brian Pallister vowed there will be a referendum if Hydro proposes selling Centra, natural gas division. That hasn't reassured critics, who fear the utility will be carved up and sold off, leaving only its core delivering electricity to Manitobans. "The recommendations that they've committed to enacting today were written by a friend and political ally, Brad Wall," said Adrien Sala, the NDP critic for Manitoba Hydro. "We know that report was produced with the express purpose of providing a foundation for allowing them to move forward with a plan to privatize aspects of Manitoba Hydro and raise (power) rates on Manitobans," he said. "The report by Brad Wall states very clear, in black and white, that they should divest of Hydro of non-core assets. (Does that mean) sell off Centra Gas? Manitoba Hydro Telecom? The communication service function of Hydro? What's it going to be?" Wharton's lack of clarity on those questions is a cause for alarm, Sala said. "Manitobans have a right to be concerned about what this government plans to do with this incredibly valuable asset that we need to maintain." Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont said the Pallister government paid Wall to produce a report that said what it wanted to hear. If export sales of electricity which Saskatchewan has purchased from Manitoba for $5 billion aren't among Wall's recommended core functions for Manitoba Hydro, then it, too, could be privatized, Lamont said. carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca Seven Oaks School Division has solidified in policy its belief all staff should be accountable to principles of anti-racism a first-of-its-kind move in Manitoba that will require teachers review course content for bias and stereotyping, among other action items. Seven Oaks School Division has solidified in policy its belief all staff should be accountable to principles of anti-racism a first-of-its-kind move in Manitoba that will require teachers review course content for bias and stereotyping, among other action items. The school board has approved its anti-racism policy, one year after trustee Greg McFarlane released a statement on his experience as a Black man and father in Seven Oaks, amidst a global reckoning of racism and police brutality. "You can already see the culture change within the schools because everybody is aware of it and mindful of it. Its slowly starting to change and the conversations about racism flow a lot better in the classroom," said McFarlane, who has championed equity initiatives throughout his term as chairman of the board in 2020-21. Anti-racism, per the definition in the new five-page document, is any act against racism and the oppression of marginalized groups, including acknowledging personal privileges, confronting discriminatory actions, and locating racism within institutions and policy. "Being anti-racist is based on the conscious efforts and actions to provide equitable opportunities for all people on an individual and system level," states the policy, which formally endorses the anti-racist education work many Seven Oaks teachers already do. A series of goals around equitable teaching approaches, collaboration with parent councils and wider community, and annual data collection are included in the policy. It is now in writing schools are expected to equip libraries with anti-racism literature, engage students in age-appropriate lessons about it, and create processes and supports to address incidents of racism. Indifference, othering, lowered academic expectations, and racialized school cliques are among the race relation and intersectional issues school leaders are required to address in their buildings. Per the policy, school administrators will be required to include anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion outcomes as part of their annual reports. On a division-wide scale, administrators have committed to collecting, analyzing and reporting on student and staff diversity data, in addition to working towards having its staff roster better reflect its student population. Parent council demographic data will be collected as well, "to identify barriers to engagement for marginalized and underrepresented groups." Also in the policy is a goal to establish annual anti-racism training for all new and existing administrators, staff and parent council bodies. Funding and release time is to be provided to support these initiatives. The document was informed by months of consultation with parents, community, students, staff and trustees, as part of a wider anti-racism strategy. The division hired Indigenous education expert Rebecca Chartrand to create it. Reflecting on the last year of equity work, McFarlane said the policy is a prime example of the importance of having diverse voices on a board. He added: "Our hope is that moving forward with this Bill 64, that whatever changes (the province makes to the public education system), they take this policy and they adapt it." maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @macintoshmaggie The eagle feather is sacred in many Indigenous cultures in Canada because it is said the high-flying bird soars closest to the Creator. The eagle feather is sacred in many Indigenous cultures in Canada because it is said the high-flying bird soars closest to the Creator. A recent exchange between two Manitoba senators showed once again how much power the eagle feather holds and how Canadian politicians of all stripes and backgrounds must recognize how such a light item can carry so much weight. On June 10, during a Senate debate about Bill C-15, which would enact the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples into Canadian law, Senator Mary Jane McCallum took part in a Senate debate from Winnipeg using a video-conferencing app. She held a fan of eagle feathers while speaking against the bill, which she said is unclear and lacked teeth. Senator Don Plett, the leader of the Opposition in the Senate, who also hails from Manitoba, called a point of order and asked the Senates speaker if the eagle feathers were a prop. Props, displays and exhibits are not allowed in debates in the Senate, the House of Commons and legislatures in Canadas provinces and territories. Ms. McCallum, who is a Cree survivor of residential schools, where teachers tried to strip students of their Aboriginal language and heritage, said the ceremonial object was given to her and that piece of Aboriginal culture wouldnt be taken from her again. The exchange caused a stir in the often-somnolent Red Chamber, and after a pre-scheduled dinner break, Mr. Plett withdrew the point of order and offered an apology, which Ms. McCallum accepted. In this matter, the Senates unofficial motto of being a body for "sober second thought" needs particularly wise application. Eagle feathers are no mere props, and Canadas parliament, its legislatures and the Senate ought to allow Indigenous members to hold them during debates if they wish. There were no questions about whether an eagle feather was appropriate when the last time one played a role in a Canadian political flap. During the Meech Lake Accord constitutional debate in 1990, few, if any, questioned Elijah Harpers decision to hold an eagle feather when he said "No," and refused to provide the unanimous approval that was required to begin debate on the agreement in the Manitoba legislature. Mr. Harper, who was the first person with Aboriginal treaty status to be elected to the legislature, said the pact failed to address Aboriginal rights and Indigenous groups werent consulted when Brian Mulroney, the prime minister, hammered out the deal with the countrys 10 premiers. The refusal scuttled the accord and the photograph of Mr. Harper holding an eagle feather has become one of the most famous images in Canadian history. In so doing, he proved to Canadas Indigenous people that they finally did hold sway in the nations political process after decades of being forced to submit to politicians decisions and laws without having any say. Eagle feathers are no mere props, and Canadas parliament, its legislatures and the Senate ought to allow Indigenous members to hold them during debates if they wish. Parliamentary partisans neednt worry about the eagle feathers distracting from the sometimes raucous debates. Ms. McCallum and Mr. Harper held the eagle feathers with the honour and respect the ceremonial objects were bestowed and, if anything, they added reverence and some 21st-century relevance to the chambers dusty traditions. In that way, the eagle feathers would also become a symbol that Indigenous people and those who represent them are welcome in the halls of Canadas democracy, and not just bystanders forced to submit to the political process. Personal care homes will be among the first facilities in Manitoba to require proof of COVID-19 immunization from visitors when new rules come into force Monday. Personal care homes will be among the first facilities in Manitoba to require proof of COVID-19 immunization from visitors when new rules come into force Monday. However, care home operators have yet to be given access to the mobile application capable of verifying immunity certificates and QR codes issued by the provincial government to Manitobans who have been fully vaccinated. And without the application required to scan QR codes, Sherry Heppner, development co-ordinator at The Convalescent Home of Winnipeg, said they will trust that visitors are honest about their vaccination status and that the proof they provide is legitimate. "We would be very pleased to receive the tool that would allow us to do so. That would just be that extra step of validation," Heppner said Friday. "Its also about knowing your family and friends well and were pretty sure that our families will be more than truthful, and of course, their friends will be more than truthful as well." KEVIN KING/WINNIPEG SUN Premier Brian Pallister shows off a vaccination card earlier this month. (Kevin King / Pool files) Shared Health's new visitation guidelines allow fully vaccinated care home residents to have up to two fully vaccinated visitors in their suite as of Monday. Outdoor get-togethers with fully vaccinated visitors can include up to four guests. But before a resident can see guests, visitors must prove they received a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to the visit. In its guidelines to operators, Shared Health said acceptable proof includes the QR code issued to people who request the provinces secure immunization card (either the digital version or a print-off of the code), a hard copy of the immunization card, or by showing their COVID-19 vaccination record through the Shared Health online results portal, or printing off that record. But without the companion application to verify the QR code on immunization cards, care homes and hospitals run the risk of accepting a phony copy of either the digital or plastic card as proof of immunization. For other vaccination records, Shared Health has told care home operators to confirm the immunization record against photo identification of the visitor. "Operators want this to be as simple as possible. It cant be complicated because its another added task," said Julie Turenne-Maynard, executive director of the Manitoba Association of Residential and Community Care Homes for the Elderly. "Right now, nobody has the scanners. It's still a work in progress where people are trying to figure out who is going to be at the door to monitor all this." Care home operators have yet to be given access to the mobile application capable of verifying immunity certificates and QR codes issued by the provincial government to Manitobans who have been fully vaccinated. (Kevin King / Pool files) A spokesman for the provinces COVID-19 vaccine task force said the verification app will be piloted at a "few locations in the coming days," and is currently with app store providers for review, which is a final phase before release to the public. The application has been developed in-house by the provincial government, with support from contractors, the province said. "We expect this review will be concluded shortly and the app will be available in the coming weeks. We will update Manitobans as soon as the app is available as part of future reopening announcements," the spokesman said. "In the meantime, individuals who are fully vaccinated can show their immunization card. Health care settings are also working on other mechanisms to support safe visits until this type of app becomes available." Both Heppner and Turenne-Maynard said personal care home operators are concerned about the risks associated with opening the door to general visitors, even those who are fully vaccinated, particularly in light of the more infectious Delta (B.1.617.2) coronavirus variant. At The Convalescent Home of Winnipeg, an 84-bed facility in Fort Rouge, Heppner said they will only accommodate visits outdoors or in designated common areas, including their visitation pod, due to the number of residents who have shared rooms. Operators want this to be as simple as possible, says Julie Turenne-Maynard, executive director of the Manitoba Association of Residential and Community Care Homes for the Elderly. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press files) "We have to be so cautious until we have that 100 per cent vaccination rate," Heppner said. "With all various types of variants out there we just do not want to experience having to go through our personal care home." It is expected care-home operators will implement new visitation policies based on their ability to accommodate visitors, to tolerate risk, and to dedicate the resources needed to confirm vaccination status and screen people at the door. Some homes may choose to stick with the status quo, Turenne-Maynard said. "If you add two general visitors that can come in and youve got 300 rooms, that multiplication factor makes it so that the personal care home has way more people in it and could be cause for concern," she said. Manitoba promises mobile app The Manitoba government has promised to launch a mobile application that will be capable of authenticating digital immunization certificates and cards issued to fully vaccinated Manitobans. Fourteen days after a Manitoban is fully vaccinated, they can request a "secure immunization card" from the provincial government at this site or by calling 1-800-392-1207. By using the online option, Manitobans can enter their personal health information and immediately access a landing page that shows their first and last name and a unique QR code (which can be saved to a phone or printed). click to read more The Manitoba government has promised to launch a mobile application that will be capable of authenticating digital immunization certificates and cards issued to fully vaccinated Manitobans. Fourteen days after a Manitoban is fully vaccinated, they can request a "secure immunization card" from the provincial government by going to immunizationcard.manitoba.ca or by calling 1-800-392-1207. By using the online option, Manitobans can enter their personal health information and immediately access a landing page that shows their first and last name and a unique QR code (which can be saved to a phone or printed). For those Manitobans who request a hard copy of the immunization certificate, they will receive a wallet-sized card that has their first and last name and the unique QR code. In order to confirm the immunization card is legitimate, a third party, such as a personal care home operator, will be able to download a mobile application to scan the QR code. It is expected the application will check the QR code against a provincial list of codes to confirm its legitimacy. The app will display the name of the person (to check against photo identification) and a checkmark to indicate they are fully vaccinated. The application has been developed by the provincial government, with support from contractors as required, but is not yet available for download from app stores. Close "There are a lot of people who are happy, especially residents family members, that the province has gone this way but it is concerning for the operators because of the possibility of outbreak and all that extra work that is required." Essential family caregivers will continue to be able to go to personal care homes without having to present proof of immunization. A spokesman for Shared Health said that general visitation guidelines for hospitals and acute-care facilities will also take into account vaccination status as of Monday. "The launch date may vary by individual site and/or health region, with some going live Monday and others ramping up later in the week," the spokesman said in a statement. General visitation for patients who are suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19 is not permitted. Shared Health said vaccination status of essential care partners at hospitals (pediatrics, labour and delivery, and assisting with consent and decision making, for example) or patients is not a consideration. danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) The editor of the Capital Gazette, which won a special Pulitzer Prize citation for its coverage and courage in the face of a massacre in its newsroom, is leaving the Maryland newspaper. Rick Hutzell, who worked at the Annapolis paper for more than three decades, authored a farewell column that was published on the paper's website Saturday morning. Hutzell said he took a buyout that was offered by the newspaper's parent company. The Capital Gazette was owned by Tribune Publishing until it was purchased last month by Hedge fund Alden Global Capital. Hutzell was editor of the paper when five employees were shot to death in the newsroom in 2018. The murder of my five friends, Rob Hiaasen, Gerald Fischman, Wendi Winters, John McNamara and Rebecca Smith, changed me, he wrote on Saturday. I always enjoyed the job. But I became consumed with the notion that it was my purpose to save the paper. A man with a shotgun tried to kill us to kill me and the newspaper Ive poured my life into for 33 years. I wasnt going to let it die. With a stroke of his pen Thursday, President Joe Biden brought long-awaited validation to millions of Americans. The President made Juneteenth a federal holiday-the first, since President Ronald Reagan did the same for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, in 1983. "I was elated to know that this country signed that into a national holiday," says local NAACP chapter President, Rev. Sharon Baugh. Reverend Baugh says there is still work to be done, a few rungs down on the ladder. "School districts don't acknowledge it, don't teach it. Even to this day. To this day," says Baugh. "Hopefully school districts will catch up and start teaching and acknowledging Juneteenth." Local race relations consultant, Patrick Johnson, also revels in the national milestone; an unspoken promise to never forget, and always strive to do better. "So often here in this country, in all of its goodness, there are things that historically, particularly when it comes to the enslavement of Black people, we have not given full validation to and what it meant then and what it means right now," says Johnson. The Juneteenth holiday commemorates June 19, 1865, the day a Union general arrived in Galveston, Texas, to inform enslaved people that they were free, two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. MONTICELLO, Ind. (WLFI) - One of the last of America's greatest generation is receiving an award from across the Atlantic. On June 18, Thomas Goffe, who at the ripe young age of 97 and a day before his birthday, has been awarded France's highest honor. City mayor Cathy Gross was thrilled to be in attendance. "Oh, I never thought I'd live to see the day. This will go down as one of the most memorable events I've ever been able to take part in," Gross said. The "Legion of Honour" is France's highest level of merit for both those in the military and civilians and is awarded by the president of France, Emmanuel Macron. Consul General of France to the Midwest Guillame Lacroix says the has been given to a hero. "An ordinary man who accomplished extraordinary things, for his county, for my country, for the alliance between France and America, and that is what President Macron wanted to recognize," Lacroix said. Goffe was humbled to have received the award. He believes it should truly have been given to not just him, but his unit. "But it's a wonderful award, but I think it should be for our whole 71st squadron because... the things we did," Goffe said. Goffe took part in the allied invasion of Normandy, which Lacroix said would be enough to warrant the award. Goffe served another four campaigns in Europe. His resilience has lasted all his life too. After surviving the war, he's had battles with cancer and COVID-19. He's won them all. "I don't think there's anything I can say... I've had a good life. God's took care of me. Thank you, God bless America," Goffe said. For his birthday, Goffe said he will be spending time with his step-children. Show Low, AZ (85901) Today Scattered clouds with the possibility of an isolated thunderstorm developing this afternoon. High 82F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 62F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Woodward, OK (73801) Today Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 81F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A few clouds. Low around 65F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Oterra is the world's leading supplier of natural colours, with the widest portfolio in the industry. HOLZMINDEN, GERMANY: Symrise AG said it has received an offer from Chr. Hansen Natural Colors A/S, now known as Oterra, to acquire its natural food colouring activities. The company welcomes the offer as it decided to focus the flavour & nutrition segment on its core business. The acquisition by Oterra would affect around 80 employees of Diana Food in two production facilities located in France and the UK. In compliance with French legal requirements, the company presented the offer to the Labour Unions. Depending on the consent, Symrise expects the purchase agreement to be signed in the coming months. The transaction would affect two production sites located in France and the UK: The site in Cosse le Vivien in the northwest of France counts around 60 employees. It has a long history of red beet and carrot processing. The site in Holbeach in the southern East Midlands of England employs 14 people and produces an extensive range of natural and synthetic colours for the food, beverage and related industries. Symrise welcomes the offer from Oterra. It supports our goal to strengthen the focus of the flavour & nutrition segment on its core expertise in taste, nutrition and health in food, pet food and aqua feed application areas, said Dr. Jean-Yves Parisot, president flavour & nutrition of Symrise. For strategic reasons it therefore makes a lot of sense for us to seek a partnership with a potential buyer and divest the food colouring business. Oterra is the worlds leading supplier of natural colours, with the widest portfolio in the industry. Headquartered in Denmark, the company is an EQT portfolio company. Worldofchemicals News President Joe Biden will highlight the ongoing work by his administration "to achieve equity in our pandemic response," the official said. Welsh Government: We must protect our childrens health from air pollution Tackling air pollution is one of the most complex challenges we face, with no simple solution says new Deputy Minister for Climate Change, Lee Waters. The Welsh government is pressing ahead with plans to introduce a Clean Air Act for Wales, which will set out a framework for setting targets informed by international best practice and the World Health Organisation air quality guidelines. The Act will also enhance the Welsh governments ability to assess and monitor air quality to help reduce the impact of poor air on the health of current and future generations. Poor air quality is the single largest environmental health risk globally, according to the World Health Organisation, with the effects contributing to reduced life expectancy. In Wales alone poor air quality contributes towards more than 1,000 deaths each year. Speaking at a Clean Air event in Newport, the Deputy Minister said: Over the course of the pandemic weve made big changes to the way we live our lives because weve have followed the science. 2020 saw children bear the burden of COVID-19, impacting their freedom, education and mental wellbeing. As our children return to their lives, we must ensure they go back to a healthy environment where they can learn and play safely. Quieter roads, cleaner air, less noise and a closer connection with nature are all a result of the changes brought about by the pandemic. We now need to use this opportunity to shape the way we respond to air pollution issues to protect our childrens health and secure a cleaner future. Business as usual is not an option, we need to do things differently and be willing to be bold. Were already delivering air quality educational schemes in partnership with EESW STEM Cymru, to empower young people to make a change. Well also work together with communities, businesses and the public sector to encourage people to play their part in delivering air quality improvements for a healthier and more resilient Wales. Having access to a healthy environment and breathing clean air is a right, not a privilege! The Welsh government says environment and climate change will be at the heart of its decision-making with the First Minister creating a new super-Ministry to bring together environment, transport, planning, housing and energy to help Wales deliver lasting change. Pictured: Average speed camera introduced on the A483 introduced in a bid to cut pollution. ROGERSVILLE, TN (WSMV) - As the search continued in Hawkins County on Friday for 5-year-old Summer Wells, her family spoke to the media for the first time. "She was planting flowers with her mother and her grandmother and she wanted to go into the house wanted to go downstairs and play with her toys," Summer's father, Donald Wells said. "I went down in the basement, and she was gone, so she went out the basement door, which was unlocked, and we haven't seen her since." An Amber Alert was issued for Summer Wells on Wednesday morning after she went missing from her her home in Rogersville, Tennessee on Tuesday. TBI announced Thursday evening that they had searched nearly 700 acres of the countryside near Ben Hill Road's wooded areas. On Friday morning, searches continued by air and ground. 5-year-old still missing after agencies search nearly 700 acres of countryside The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and local law enforcement gave multiple updates on Thursday of their search efforts to locate the missing child from Hawkins County, Tennessee. As of Saturday afternoon, the TBI says they've received 113 tips in the case and are following up on all leads. The TBI is not asking for volunteers to assist in the search but is encouraging people in the area to continue sharing pictures of Wells, along with credible information. Anyone with information about Summer's location is urged to call the Hawkins County Sheriff's Office at 423-272-7121 or the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND. At a meeting in late May, the Cross-Canada Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee (CERSC) passed a resolution in solidarity with victimized UK bus driver David OSullivan, who was fired from his job because he was fighting for measures to protect workers from COVID-19. CERSC members and supporters have been reaching out to educators and other workers across Canada in recent weeks to inform them of OSullivans arbitrary dismissal, and to build solidarity for the campaign to win his reinstatement and uphold workers fundamental right to work in a safe environment. OSullivan was not only targeted by his employer, Metroline, but also by the trade union Unite. Scandalously, Britains largest trade union provided evidence against him at a company disciplinary hearing that rubber-stamped his dismissal. David O'Sullivan speaking to bus drivers on the stands at Victoria bus station. [Credit: WSWS media] The CERSC resolution, published by the World Socialist Web Site on May 27, explains that the attack on OSullivan is an attack on all workers: The CERSC states unequivocally that OSullivans fight is the same as ours. Throughout the pandemic, we teachers, education support staff, and caretakers have been forced to work in dangerous conditions because the political establishment wants open schools to act as child-minding services, so that parents can be made to go to work in unsafe conditions to generate profits for big business. Like OSullivan and his bus driver colleagues, we confront a gang-up of our employers in the form of right-wing provincial governments with the trade unions. They have collaborated to ensure that schools remain open as long as possible and to suppress all worker opposition to life-threatening working conditions. Terry, a caretaker at an Ontario school, commented, Metroline has sent a clear message to its workers by sacking Mr. OSullivan and it is to shut up. They are using David as a scapegoat to prevent bus drivers from speaking out for themselves to demand a safe and healthy workplace. Workers must continue to fight and speak out for their own interests. Ken, a teacher from Ontarios Peel Region, which has been especially hard-hit by the pandemic, said, To those who look the other way now because youre not a bus driver, wake up! There will be no one left to fight for you when the money managers, sell-out unions, and political lackeys come for you. Workers United! Will never be defeated! Reinstate David OSullivan now! Gareth from British Columbia wrote to us, As an organic farmer on the west coast of Canada who has witnessed the destructive and dangerous practices of industrial agricultural corporations who put profit above the health of their workers and the health of the soil, I stand in full solidarity with London bus driver David OSullivan. He was unjustly sacked for courageously standing up for the safety of his fellow workers and his family, particularly a daughter who was born with a heart defect, by attempting to bring to light the number of drivers who had been infected with COVID-19 at the garage where he worked. Obviously his fears are well founded as over 60 London bus drivers have died from the virus over the last year. The Singapore-based transport corporate giant Comfort Del Gro and its subsidiary Metroline should be charged with wrongful dismissal and David OSullivan should be compensated and reinstated as he was simply doing what any concerned father would do regarding the health of his family and co-workers. A Montreal teacher who wished to remain anonymous commented, Mr. OSullivan has a right to work in a safe place. Give him his right back and stop pretending hes wrong. This virus is still spreading around the world, you just cant pretend its not dangerous for a worker who has dedicated all his life to your company. Give him the right to work in safe conditions! Ava from Ontario said, As a student, one thing Im not looking forward to in the future is long work hours, low wages, and capitalist exploitation. Therefore, I fully support David OSullivan in his work to support workers throughout this pandemic and in the future. Greg, a worker in the oil and gas industry in Alberta, added, David OSullivan has made a stand not only for himself and his family, but for his co-workers and the whole of the working class. Such courage is remarkable. Do not let him stand alone. Daniel, a postal worker from Hamilton, remarked, Any worker who asserts their right to a safe workplace needs to be protected from reprisal. This is a fundamental right! I stand with David O'Sullivan, as should every worker. An injury to one is an injury to all! David O'Sullivan with strikers on the picket line at Jacobs Douwe Egberts in Banbury. [Credit: WSWS Media]. Samantha, a cleaner from Surrey, British Columbia, stated, I think what has happened to Mr. OSullivan is terrible, but unfortunately its the kind of thing that so many of us deal with when we speak out about unsafe conditions at our jobs. My husband was working as a taxi driver when the pandemic started and I was so terrified that he would get sick from one of his customers and bring the virus home to our two little ones. Bus drivers are interacting with so many more people in a day! It must have been so horrible for Mr. OSullivan and his coworkers to see so many people at their bus garage get sick like that. He was right to speak out and I am disgusted at how he has been treated by his employers and his union too. I fully support him and the stand he has taken to protect his coworkers, his family and the people around him every day. Peyton, a student from Victoria, British Columbia, added, I support David OSullivan! He has the right to a safe workplace just like anyone else. Nobody should ever be fired for standing up for the rights and safety of themselves and their colleagues. Management care a whole lot more about their bottom line than their employees. It was always that way but its been so much worse during the pandemic. They dont care if we die. Workers like David are the people who keep the world running. I stand in solidarity with you, David! *** To get involved with the work of the CERSC, contact us at cersc.csppb@gmail.com. Find out more about the campaign to reinstate David OSullivan by visiting this page. COVID-19 cases are surging in Britain. Daily cases have risen more than fivefold in the last month. According to Public Health England (PHE) data out this week, case rates per 100,000 people continue to increase in all regions and age-groups. On May 17, the day most of the economy was reopened, 1,979 coronavirus cases were reported. A month later, on June 17, the daily case number was 11,007the highest for almost four months. In the week to Friday 61,181 people tested positive, up 15,286 on the week prior. Prime Minister Boris Johnson gives a press conference concerning the Covid pandemic with the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty and the Chief Scientific Advisor, Sir Patrick Vallance. 9 Downing Street, June 14, 2021 (credit: Picture by Andrew Parsons /No 10 Downing Street) Deaths due to the disease are increasing after having finally reached zero in Britain on June 1 due to the rollout of the vaccination programme and limited lockdown measures. In the last week, 72 deaths have been reported, up 18 percent on the week before. The R (Reproduction) rate of the virus jumped in the last week in England from between 1 and 1.2 to between 1.2 and 1.4. The north-west had the highest rate at 1.3 to 1.5, with Londons surging from 1.1 to 1.4. According to data compiled for the last seven days by Worldometers, and based on official government figures, the UKs 34 percent increase in cases is second only to Russia (40 percent) in Europe. The surge is being driven by the Delta variant of COVID-19, which just months after being detected in Britain has become the dominant strain. Delta was first detected on April 1, but the government did not make its existence public until April 15. A PHE report issued yesterday found that cases of Delta had increased by 80 percent in just the last week, making up 99 percent of all COVID cases nationwide. These figures torpedo claims made in the media this week that virus infections were levelling off. The assertions were made based on data from the ZOE Covid study app. However, the lead scientist on the app, Prof Tim Spector, has consistently played down the danger of the Delta variant. On May 20, Spector said that the Delta variant hasn't altered numbers significantly, adding, While the outbreaks remain localised and UK numbers are steady and most cases appear mild, its highly unlikely to cause the NHS to be overrun or stop us coming out of lockdown [scheduled for June 21]. The reality was that the surge in COVID cases was such that even Boris Johnsons government, which has overseen at least 152,000 deaths due to its herd immunity agenda, did not feel able to end all restrictions on June 21, with Parliament voting Wednesday to extend the deadline by a month. This week Spector said, The good news is that this isnt going up as fast as it was This has been a much better week than it was last week. I think we can start to see an end to this little mini wave in the young and the extra time [after the government was forced to back down on the June 21 reopening] weve got should be able to squash this from getting out of control. He concluded, If we look at the way past waves have come and gone I would be predicting that this should be peaking around 10 to 14 days time and then start to fall, so by four weeks we are at a much lower level than we are now, and much more manageable. In fact, the government is preparing for substantial new waves of infection and death. In announcing the delay to the final ending of restrictions, Johnson said, At a certain stage, we are going to have to learn to live with the virus. Johnson declared that July 19 would be the terminus date for a full reopening, justified on the basis that it would allow more people to be vaccinated and establish a very considerable wall of immunity around the whole of the population'. This ignores the fact that millions of people, particularly the youngest in society, will remain un- or partially vaccinated, allowing the virus to circulate in high numbers. Dr Susan Hopkins, the strategic response director for COVID-19 at Public Health England, told Parliaments science and technology select committee on Wednesday that the Delta variant would spread with an R of 5-7 with no restrictions in place. As well as infecting the unvaccinated, with potential long-term health impacts, the virus will quickly find the vulnerable whose vaccines have not produced a strong immune response. It will be given every opportunity to mutate again into an even more dangerous variant. Hopkins told the committee that PHE is currently monitoring 25 new variants, eight of which were under investigation. What learning to live with the virus really means was partially admitted by SAGE member Professor Graham Medley and the governments chief scientific officer Chris Whitty. Asked on BBC Radio 4s Today programme whether the country could see hundreds of deaths a day again, Medley replied, Oh easily. I think we still might at some point. Whitty told the NHS Confederation conference, My expectation is that we will get a further winter surge, late autumn/winter surge I think we need to be aware of and brace for the fact that the coming winter may well be quite a difficult one. These consequences will overwhelmingly fall on the working class, especially its poorest sections, as they have done throughout the pandemic. Whitty added during his speech, The geographical areas where COVID has hit have been extremely defined, where the biggest problems have been repeated. So, you see in situations in Bradford, in Leicester, in bits of London for example, in bits of the North West, you see repeated areas where places have been hit over and over again in areas of deprivation. In a chilling statement, given the governments responsibility for overseeing social murder in the pandemic, Whitty noted, Indeed in many of them, if you had a map of COVIDs biggest effects now and a map of child deaths in 1850, they look remarkably similar. These are areas where deprivation has been prolonged and deeply entrenched. On this basis a substantial section of the Tory party and the media are calling for an end to restrictions as soon as possible. Fifty-one Tory MPs voted against any delay to June 21, including former party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, chair of the 1922 committee Sir Graham Brady, and chair of the Covid Recovery Group of Tory MPs and former chief whip Mark Harper. Rebel MP Sir Desmond Swayne said of a delay in ending all anti-COVID measures, I could understand it if we were a communist party, but this is the party that inherited the true wisdom of the Whig tradition. Under a headline Could we be free on July 5? The Daily Mail reported Friday, Downing Street has opened the door to ending restrictions on July 5, amid growing evidence that assumptions used by government scientists to justify delaying Freedom Day were too pessimistic. The paper cited a government source who said, The decision to delay reopening was so finely balancedprobably the most difficult decision of the whole pandemicthat the PM wanted a review point built in so that if things did change we could move sooner. The newspaper editorialised that on the back of scientists scaremongering, lives are being wrecked. The economy is shackled, pubs and restaurants are going bankrupt and jobs are lost. On June 2, registered nurses (RNs) at two Providence Medical Center facilities in Everett, Washington voted to authorize a strike if an agreement is not reached between the hospital administration and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union. Official vote tallies were not publicly released. UFCW Local 21 represents 1,700 nurses at the hospital. Providence Regional Medical Center Everett - wikimedia commons Hospital administration is attempting to cut pay as well as health and paid leave benefits. Nurses are fighting to receive fair compensation for their hard and hazardous work over the past year of the pandemic and believe a better contract will help increase staffing amid the loss of employees due to COVID-related burnout. As of June 16, there have been 410,195 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Washington state, with 24,930 hospitalizations, and 5,810 deaths. The state's reopening on June 30 is likely to cause a new surge of infections with the rise of the rapidly-spreading Delta variant. Providence Medical Center treated the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the United States in January 2020, and has seen thousands of sick patients since. Nurse Julie Bynum told King 5 News, Its taken a toll, emotionally. Theres been a lot of death. Ive seen a lot of death. It has been a year and a half of this and still counting, nurse Kimball Conlon told reporters, The stress is wearing us down. It takes us longer to recover from events that normally we'd be able to process and set aside. I know I don't feel like I can be there enough for my patients and coworkers, sometimes. Health care workers across the United States and internationally have suffered record levels of stress caring for patients amid the pandemic without adequate staff, supplies and support. A study of over 1,000 healthcare workers conducted by Mental Health America (MHA) showed that 93 percent of health care workers were experiencing stress, 86 percent reported experiencing anxiety, 76 percent reported exhaustion and burnout, and 75 percent said they were overwhelmed as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. More than 3,600 U.S. health care workers have died of COVID-19 in the first year of the pandemic, according to Lost on the Frontline, a 12-month investigation by The Guardian and KHN to track such deaths. With Providence nurses working under a contract that expired over eight months ago, negotiations are still underway and UFCW Local 21 has not yet set a strike date. The union has indicated that the administration is unwilling to increase pay and benefits to be on par with surrounding hospital systems, where the same chronic staffing and workplace issues exist. There are still at least three more bargaining sessions scheduled in June and the union is legally required to give a 10-day notice to the hospital before calling a strike. There is every indication that the UFCW is intent on reaching an accommodation with management, sacrificing nurses basic demands, in order to prevent a major struggle from breaking out. This has been the role of the UFCW throughout the course of the pandemic. It has blocked action by grocery workers, meatpackers as well as health care workers against stressful and unsafe workplace conditions under the pandemic. In Washington, Local 21 has blocked strike action by 27,000 grocery workers, 22,000 health care workers and 1,400 retail workers across the state, refusing to mobilize united action against the deadly policies of the corporations. However, the potential exists for nurses at Providence Medical Center, part of the third-largest nonprofit healthcare system in the U.S., to win support from fellow health care workers, as well as teachers, grocery and food workers, and the broader working class. Providence nurses must reach out as well to the 700 nurses at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts, who have been on strike for over four months as well as other striking workers such as the Volvo Truck autoworkers in Virginia and Warrior Met coal miners in Alabama. Millions of health care workers in the US and globally want to fight for decent compensation and safe working conditions. This fight will not be waged by the unions or the establishment political parties. It requires the building of independent rank-and-file committees democratically controlled by workers themselves. This is the only successful way forward to overcome the sabotage of their struggle by the UFCW, the Washington AFL-CIO, and the entire trade union apparatus, which is tied by a million threads to the Democratic Party and corporations. The COVID-19 outbreak in Fiji is rapidly escalating, with record case numbers being confirmed virtually every 24 hours. Following 116 new infections on Tuesday, Wednesday saw 121 cases with health officials identifying two new clusters. On Thursday, 91 new cases and one death were reported in just 14 hours, followed by 115 on Friday and another death at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH). Fiji military directing people at a testing centre in the Lami-Suva-Nausori containment areas [Credit: Republic of Fiji Military Forces via Twitter, @Rfmf_Media] New Zealand epidemiologist Michael Baker told Radio NZ on June 16 that the situation in Fiji is extremely worrying and an urgent national lockdown needs to be seriously considered. It would be devastating if the virus were to spread from the main island of Viti Levu where it is currently centred, he warned, due to the paucity of healthcare. Baker called on the government to act very decisively now to return to an elimination position. In just eight weeks 1,578 cases of the Delta variant have been identified. In the year between March 2020 and 2021, there had been just 70 infections recorded. There are now 1,182 active cases in isolation, 452 recoveries and 6 deaths. Testing, however, remains inadequate, with 117,221 samples tested since the outbreak started and 160,082 since testing began in early 2020. Only 2.1 percent of the population is fully vaccinated, while 43 percent of those aged 18 and older have received their first dose. The countrys total population is 890,000. On Wednesday, Health Secretary James Fong told the media that most of the current cases are linked to existing clusters, but there is a need to review other cases where the source is unknown. Thursdays count included significant increases at the main clusters: 17 cases from the CWMH, 13 from Navosai, five from the governments Rewa Emergency Operations Centre, two from the Nasinu Police Barracks, four from Korovou in the Tailevu Province, four from Tramline in Nawaka, Nadi and one from the Townhouse Hotel. The cluster at the Town House Hotel in Suva is where infected CWMH and Incident Management Team staff are being accommodated. Outside the capital Suva and the area around it there is a new, fast-growing cluster in the regional centre of Nadi, where 35 infections were identified this week. Six infants who tested positive to COVID-19 are meanwhile in a stable condition at Lautoka Hospital in the west of the main island. Fong told the Fiji Times they were from a community in lockdown in Nadi. While 10 people have died after testing positive for COVID-19, only 6 have had their deaths attributed to the coronavirus. The Health Ministry says seven other patients died from existing chronic conditions they had when admitted to hospital in Suva. This has raised concerns among Fijians who are calling for an explanation over what constitutes a COVID-19 death. As the crisis has intensified, the government, led by former military coup leader Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, is resisting calls for a 28-day lockdown, saying it would destroy the economy. Bainimarama flatly declared this week that shutting down completely would be too drastic and lead to higher unemployment. Echoing governments around the world that are prioritising business demands above public health, Fong earlier declared that the government would fight this virus in a targeted way. The policy, he falsely stated, allows Fijians to access essential services and allows the economy to function as normally and safely as possible. In a tacit admission that the situation is out of control, Fong said this week that he is looking at getting assistance from our partners in Australia to come and help us develop some of the contingency plans that are required in case we persistently get up to 200 [daily cases]. So I am already planning up to that phase in case we get up to 200. The deepening crisis is opening up divisions within the ruling establishment. Leader of the opposition National Federation Party called the governments strategy a disaster. He said Bainimarama has failed miserably to have a comprehensive health and economic plan, and the longer a lockdown was delayed, the greater the economic pain will be. The outbreak is meanwhile exacerbating the impoverished countrys social crisis. Fijis unemployment rate, which hovered around 6 percent before the pandemic, is estimated to have increased to about 35 percent. Thousands have lost their jobs, particularly in the moribund tourism industry, while thousands more have had massive pay cuts or seen work hours reduced. A general food crisis is hitting the working class and rural poor. Save the Children Fiji head Shairana Ali said: Many families have told us they are exhausted Whatever little savings they had are gone and they are turning to charities. Many parents are going hungry to stretch out the little food they have to be able to feed their children. The charitys New Zealand arm has launched an emergency appeal to provide grocery parcels. Spokesperson Heidi Coetzee said more than 1,000 requests for assistance had already been received. The aid is aimed at helping single parents, families with young children and grandparents looking after their grandchildren. Coetzee said Fiji, still recovering from last years major tropical cyclones, has been hit on a second front with the pandemic. The response of the regions local imperialist powers, Australia and New Zealand to the growing crisis remains paltry and self-serving. In addition to limited supplies of PPE and vaccines, Canberra and Wellington will provide a meagre $A67 million to support Fijis 202122 budget. New Zealands Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta hypocritically declared that New Zealand wouldnt tell other countries, including Fiji, how they should respond to COVID-19. She said New Zealands role is to assist and not infringe on any sovereign rights. In fact, both Australia and New Zealand have long histories of carrying out military and regime change operations across the Pacific to advance their own interests. A major aim of both imperialist countries is deterring Chinas diplomatic and economic influence in Fiji and other countries in the region, as Australia and NZ are integrated into US military preparations against China. At least 86,000 children are at risk of developing severe acute child malnutrition this year in Haiti, according to sources connected to the United Nations Childrens Fund. The number of children projected to suffer from starvation this year has doubled as the impoverished nation continues to grapple with extraordinary political and social crises exacerbated by the pandemic. Amazon Annegardine, 11, being treated for abnormal blood sugar levels at the Hospital of Immaculate Conception, in Les Cayes, Haiti, Wednesday, May 26, 2021 [Credit: AP Photo/Joseph Odelyn] According to a UN survey, there are now 217,000 children currently suffering from acute malnutrition. Acute malnutrition had been steadily rising in the child population for several years before the pandemic triggered a massive food crisis that raised the total by 61percent in 2020. In an interview with the Miami Herald, Bruno Maes, Haitis UNICEF representative, said that nearly 5 million Haitians are affected by malnutrition and struggle to obtain daily nourishment. In the first three months of this year alone, the number of admissions of severely acute malnourished children in health facilities has increased by more than 26 percent compared to a year ago. Jean Gough, the UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, pointed to the significant danger facing a large portion of small children if the crisis continues unabated. We cant look the other way and ignore one of the least funded humanitarian crises in the region, declared Gough in a UNICEF press release. Gough warned that without urgent funding in the next weeks, treatment against malnutrition will be discounted and some children will be at risk of dying. Meanwhile, Haiti has been left dangerously unprepared for the onslaught of COVID-19. Despite being noticeably unaffected at the onset of the pandemic in 2020, Haiti has witnessed in recent weeks an alarming acceleration of infections and deaths, with its dilapidated medical infrastructure completely unequipped to handle a significant outbreak. On May 6, the Ministry of Health reported 13,245 COVID-19 infections and 268 deaths. Exactly one month later on June 6, the number of infections had ballooned to more than 16,079, while confirmed deaths rose to 346. These numbers, however, are surely gross undercounts, as the healthcare infrastructure needed to perform contact-tracing and identify all coronavirus-related deaths is all but absent. New cases are already starting to stretch hospital capacity and the countrys oxygen supply. Antiviral treatments and other crucial supplies remain, for most of the population, out of reach. Reports are emerging every week of at least one hospital in the country's capital and most populous city, Port-au-Prince, running out of beds and denying admission to COVID patients. Haiti remains the only country in the Western Hemisphere that has yet to administer any vaccines to its population. A shipment of 132,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses from the UN-backed COVAX program was supposed to be sent to the country on Monday, but has been delayed indefinitely, according to the Pan American Health Organization. The Biden administration belatedly announced this week that it plans on delivering a significant number of US vaccine doses to the country. A White House official said the administration was actively engaging with the Haitian government on how best to conduct a national vaccination program. The official made this declaration before admitting that no plans had been finalized on how exactly vaccines are to be delivered or when they would arrive. Behind the inability of the poorest countries of the world such as Haiti to procure necessary vaccines is the noxious nationalism and profit-gouging of the governments of the US and other more advanced capitalist countries, which have systematically sabotaged all international efforts to deploy vaccines outside their national borders. Dr. Richard Frechette, a health practitioner working in St. Luke Hospital, which runs one of the few COVID-19 treatment centers in Port-au-Prince, spoke on the contradiction between the supposed generosity of the Biden White House and Haitis hospitals receiving expired vaccines due to constant delays. Frechette said it was totally absurd from every humane point of view and justice. St. Luke is one of many hospitals running low on oxygen tanks and beds. Haitian doctors have stressed that the $16 million the US Agency for International Development said it is donating is grossly insufficient for combatting the massive influx of COVID-19 patients. In many hospitals, doctors are seeing so many patients that anywhere between 400 and 500 oxygen tanks a day are required, which dwarfs the 50 oxygen concentrators the USAID is proposing to distribute to a dozen or so facilities. The surge in the pandemic has also intensified Haitis staggering food crisis. More than one in four Haitians is facing acute food insecurity. This includes at least 1.9 million children, according to Integrated Food Security Phase Classification and UNICEF estimates. UNICEF reports that it is desperately seeking US $48.9 million to meet the humanitarian needs of 1.5 million people and 700,000 children, a situation which has been significantly exacerbated by COVID-19. In 2020, UNICEF and the Haitian government had to treat well over 33,000 acutely malnourished children through the UNs Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food program, which provides live-saving assistance to the most poverty-stricken communities. UNICEF has warned, however, that it has begun to run out of funds to support the program and needs at least $3 million to purchase supplies to carry out preventative treatment. The food crisis engulfing the Caribbean nation is just one manifestation of a global spike in malnourishment and famine. In a Global Report on Food Crises released by the World Food Program last month, at least 155 million people in 55 countries were found to have faced acute hunger in 202020 million more than 2019. Blame for the hunger crisis and the surge in COVID-19 cases in Haiti and other underdeveloped countries lies squarely with the profit-driven capitalist system, which has prioritized the enrichment of the world's ruling classes at the expense of saving lives. In stark contrast to the surge in malnourishment for the worlds poor, the worlds richest billionaires increased their wealth from $8 trillion to $13 trillion while the pandemic spread and claimed 3 million lives. Haitis ultra-wealthy oligarchy and their political henchmen like authoritarian President Jovenal Moise have presided over a social crisis where Haitian households have seen their income drop by more than 60 percent. The Moise regime has spent the past year shrugging off the danger of the pandemic and ignoring the need to adopt preventive health measures against outbreaks. Moises government has been at the core of a political crisis that has gripped the country for months after his attempts in February to upend the constitution and establish a presidential dictatorship. Backed by the United States and other imperialist powers, Moise remained in power after his five-year term as president expired in early February. His government has orchestrated plans to hold a referendum that would effectively grant him sweeping dictatorial powers. The referendum proposal included removing the prohibition on presidents serving more than two consecutive terms, which was instituted after the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship in 1986. The president was forced to backpedal on his plans after tens of thousands of people carried out protests in Port-au-Prince and other cities against his right-wing agenda. Police responded to the groundswell of social opposition by attacking protesters with tear gas, rubber bullets and other means of repression. Popular anger against the government had been rising since early 2020 when Moise refused to hold constitutionally required parliamentary elections after the terms of deputies in the legislature expired, thereby ruling by decree. Moise has since dismissed all the countrys mayors and handpicked his own reactionary loyalists to fill critical positions in the police and federal agencies. Moise stated Thursday that there was nothing to worry about about in terms of the country holding its parliamentary, local and presidential elections scheduled to take place September 21. These comments are aimed at deflecting the international bourgeoisies growing unease over the protest and strike movements that have erupted in Haiti against homicidal pandemic policies, obscene levels of social inequality and the lurch towards dictatorship. The only way that the tragic and life-threatening crises facing the Haitian people can be resolved is through a revolutionary socialist movement, led by the working class and allied with workers across the globe, aimed at overthrowing capitalism and ending the centuries-long legacy of imperialist oppression. On June 13, roughly 70 workers at the Custom Hoists facility in Ashland County, Ohio walked off the job during the 6 p.m. shift and set up picket lines outside the facility. The strike was initiated after a contract negotiated between United Steelworkers (USW) Local 7008 and the hydraulic cylinder manufacturer was overwhelmingly rejected, with 66 no votes and only 2 yes votes. Custom Hoists, which produces hydraulic cylinders for use in heavy industrial vehicles and machinery, has an estimated revenue is roughly $34 million and is a subsidiary of Standex International, which had a revenue of over $604 million in 2020. Custom Hoists is a global company with another facility in Tianjin, China and operates warehouses and service centers in Europe. The strike at Custom Hoists takes place amid ongoing strikes at Volvo Truck, steelmaker Allegheny Technologies Inc. (ATI) and coal company Warrior Met. Despite these strikes spanning various industries, they have been defined by growing anger from workers at decades of austerity contracts and dangerous working conditions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. While the details of the proposed contract between Custom Hoists and the USW have not been published, workers at the plant have demanded higher wages, lower insurance premiums and better working conditions. Mike Frymier, who has worked at the company for 37 years, told the Ashland Source, We were deemed essential during the pandemic... Then, in return for that, we got literally nothing. According to Frymier, the facility remained open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and only closed for two days due to potential COVID-19 cases. Ashland County, which has a population of less than 54,000, has had 4,355 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 97 deaths. COVID Act Now, a nonprofit initiative that provides data about the virus, gave the county a medium risk level. Less than 34 percent of the population have received even one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Another major complaint by strikers is the growth of a two-tier wage system, which has resulted in some workers receiving $6 less per hour for the same work. USW officials have also cited the company using temporary workers for lengthy periods of time as a major issue. In a tacit admission of past betrayals by the USW, Ray Bowman, a member of the union negotiating team and vice pesident of Local 7008, told the Ashland Source that he had been unsatisfied by the previous three contracts. The local, however, had not gone on strike since the year 2000. The multi-tier system and continued austerity contracts is made more egregious given that many workers have dedicated 30 to 40 years of their lives turning Custom Hoists into a multi-million dollar company. Mike Kuharik, the president of Custom Hoists, says the company is currently working with a lawyer to resolve the contract dispute. As of the writing of this article, no timeline or deadline for negotiations have been announced. While the strike at Custom Hoists has broken out during multiple struggles being led by the USW, the union has acted to keep each strike and lockout completely isolated. 1,300 strikers at ATIwhich operates in Ohio and four other stateshave been on strike since March 30 with the union claiming the walkout is in response to ATIs unfair labor practice and not an economic strike. The USW has made no attempt to link up the ATI strikers with the 650 refinery workers in Beaumont, Texas who have been locked out by ExxonMobil since May 1 or 2,500 steelworkers in Quebec who recently concluded a strike against ArcelorMittal. Even though the Custom Hoists strike has been going on for just under a week, the USW website does not include any reference to the strike. The attempt to isolate workers struggles, however, is not limited to the USW, but has become a feature of the union bureaucracy as a whole. At Warrior Met Coal, the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) has resorted to thuggish tactics against opposition. The Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) has refused to provide any strike pay for 700 nurses that walked off in opposition to unsafe staffing ratios. At the New River Valley (NRV) plant in Dublin, Virginia, Volvo Truck workers have responded to the attempts by the company and the United Auto Workers (UAW) to force through a concessions contract, by forming the Volvo Workers Rank-and-File Committee (VWRFC). In response to the attempts by the UAW to isolate and starve the 3,000 strikers, the VWRFC has issued an open letter to demand the union provide adequate strike pay and not accept the concessions being demanded by the company. The formation of the VWRFC shows that it is possible for workers to break free of the isolation and concessions that have been imposed for decades by the official union bureaucracies. The World Socialist Web Site encourages workers at Custom Hoists to contact us for help building a committee at their workplace, and to reach out to other striking workers in order to connect their struggles. In recent weeks, the World Socialist Web Site has made appeals on social media groups of Mexican workers, providing information and requesting statements of support for the strike at the Volvo Trucks New River Valley plant in Virginia and the two-month-long strike by Warrior Met coal miners in Alabama. AFL-CIO's Jeffrey Hermanson's response to WSWS appeal On June 14, Jeffrey Hermanson, consultant and former Mexico Program Director for the Solidarity Center, a foreign arm of the AFL-CIO funded by the US State Department, intervened against one such appeal by the WSWS requesting statements on the Facebook group of the rank-and-file Generating Movement at the General Motors plant in Silao, Mexico. Responding specifically to the call by the WSWS to support the fight by the Volvo Workers Rank-and-File Committee (VWRFC) at the New River Valley plant against the American charro UAW, Hermanson wrote, in Spanish, The difference between the UAW, the UMWA, and the charro unions in Mexico is immense: the UAW and UMWA value the decisions of workers, even when they disagree with the leaders. Then, he characterized the decision of both organizations to re-start the strikes and re-negotiate once workers voted down the contracts reached by the unions as proof of how important union democracy is for improving wages and working conditions. The Generating Movement group was formed in opposition to the charro union affiliated to the Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM). The term charro refers to corrupt, gangster-ridden and corporate-and-state-controlled unions. The militant group joined calls organized by the WSWS with American autoworkers and resisted increased production, in order to support the GM strike in the United States in 2019. Since then, the AFL-CIO and the State Department have been working to direct it behind so-called independent unions they have trained and financed. The claim that the UAW and UMWA are paragons of union democracy is designed to sell US-government-backed unions to Mexican workers. For more than 100 years, the AFL and then AFL-CIO have worked to establish unions across Latin America aligned with the efforts of the CIA, US corporations and Wall Street to secure their hegemony, including through military coups and fascist dictatorships. This included decades working exhaustively to purge the Mexican CTM itself of militant workers and officials demanding greater democracy within the organization. Hermanson makes his claims about the UAW and UMWA as both a defender of the interests of the corporatist and bureaucratic AFL-CIO apparatus of which he is a part, and as a veteran in the attempt to conceal the reality confronting US workers in order to better promote State Department democratic unions abroad. These claims, however, are thoroughly refuted by just some of the recent statements made by American workers, describing their experience with the UAW and UMWA: As Silao workers were being fired by GM for supporting the US strike, the UAW was selling it out by ramming through a contract expanding temporary work with poverty wages and the closing of four facilities. Workers widely denounced the vote as fraudulent, with one commenting on the UAW Facebook page, Im quite sure UAW membership DID NOT ratify this contract, in my past 24 years whenever membership votes no it still passes! In an open letter Monday to the UAW that every worker should read, the Volvo Workers Rank-and-File Committee at the New River Valley plant wrote: [Local 2069 president] Matt Blondino says that the strike will continue until an agreement is ratified. Given that you have told us nothing about what you are proposing that is different from the agreements we have rejected, this seems more a threat against us than the company. You are telling us that we will remain isolated and starved on the picket lines until we accept what we have already rejected. At the Warrior Met strike in Alabama, the UMWA regional vice president, Larry Spencer, and a district representativeboth members of the executive board of the Alabama AFL-CIOviolently assaulted podcasters that they mistakenly identified as WSWS reporters, even threatening one with racist language: Ill beat your mother f**king brains out, boy! In response, a striking Warrior Met miner told the WSWS that Thuggery is all he [Spencer] knows and added: I think they are thieves themselves, making six-figure salaries while the rank-and-file gets $300 a week [in strike pay]. Last month, former UAW President Dennis Williams was given a minimum 21-month prison sentence by a federal court as one of 15 individuals charged in an ongoing corruption investigation into the UAW. Twenty-one months for stealing millions of dollars, stealing from all these locals? Hes getting off light, a Volvo Truck worker in Virginia told the WSWS, comparing the UAW leaders to crime bosses back in the day, like Al Capone. Just like the CTM, the UAW has forced workers to keep producing vehicles during the deadly COVID-19 pandemic while helping management cover up outbreaks, resulting in hundreds of cases and deaths across the country. Amid an ongoing outbreak in April, a worker at the Stellantis Sterling Heights Assembly Plant told the WSWS: The fact that the union has said nothing, refusing to answer calls or emails from its membership, paints a pretty good picture as to their true colors. theyre not representing our best interests, our health and safety, and with COVID rampant in the plants, our families health and safety as well. Another Stellantis worker in Indiana stated: They are playing roulette with our lives. All they want is numbers. The union is almost like management. They dont care what we think. It is almost like talking to the wall. In their anti-democratic activities, their intimate ties to the state, and the billions they have accrued, including through union-management funds and corporate stocks, the UAW and UMWA make the Mexican charros look like petty thieves. Matamoros workers on strike Hermansons intervention in opposition to the World Socialist Web Sites appeal to Mexican workers for support for the Volvo strikers in Virginia exposes two things: First, the AFL-CIO and its misnamed and government-funded Solidarity Center are determined to prevent any unification of Mexican and US workers and to keep them in the dark as much as possible as to the struggles being waged by their class brothers and sisters on the opposite side of the Rio Bravo (Rio Grande). Second, the AFL-CIO, its local agents and the US government which stands behind them are extremely concerned about the growing influence of the WSWS and growing support for its socialist and internationalist perspective among key sectors of the Mexican working class. It is no accident that Hermansons intervention came just days after US Vice President Kamala Harris visit to Mexico City during which she called upon Mexican officials and trade unionists to fight for democratic unions, while pledging $130 million in US assistance for this cause. The US governments aim is to utilize these unions to police the Mexican working class and prevent their struggles from disrupting the vital supply chains from Mexico to the US auto, arms and other industries. Workers in Mexico, the United States and every other country are waging one and the same insurgency, not only against transnational corporations and global finance, but also against corporatist unions everywhere that have overseen decades of attacks on their living standards and jobs for the sake of defending capitalist profits. The International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) is fighting to unite these struggles across national borders and to provide them with the necessary, conscious strategy. For this purpose, it has called for the formation of genuinely democratic organizations in every workplace, elected and controlled by workers themselves and their unification under the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC). On Tuesday, Capitol Police Inspector Michael Bolton presented the contents of his fourth flash report on the January 6 attack on the US Capitol to the House Administration Committee. The report noted the Capitol Police departments use of a far-right private contractor to train the Capitol Polices emergency response unit in the techniques used by US Special Operations death squads in Iraq, Afghanistan and other war zones. Bolton revealed that the Capitol Police department spent $90,075 in government funds in 2018 and 2019 to hire Northern Red Inc. to train its Containment Emergency Response Team, or CERT. He revealed that Northern Red features neo-Nazi iconography on the homepage of its website, in the companys logo, and in patches prominently worn and displayed by the companys founder and CEO, John-David Potynsky. Potynsky is a highly trained former US Army Special Forces soldier with multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. The logo of Northern Red Inc. features an Othala Rune with feet, a symbol that was used by two SS divisions during World War II. It appeared on the flag of the Volksdeutsche 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division. Logo of Northern Red and the flag of the Volksdeutsche 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division The same rune design was displayed at this years Conservative Political Action Conference, during which former President Donald Trump gave a fascistic diatribe, railing against socialism and communism while demanding that the Republican Party be purged of his critics. At Tuesdays hearing, Bolton explained that an unnamed former lieutenant of the CERT team, against government policy, sought outside training for CERT from Northern Red. Despite the fact that the D.C metroplex hosts several nearby government police and military facilities offering cheaper and more extensive mission-centric training, the Capitol Police sought training hours away at Northern Reds rural Virginia compound on six separate occasions, costing on average $15,000 each time. According to an article published by Congressional Quarterly Roll Call, Congress was notified last week that Chad Thomas, an assistant chief for uniformed operators who oversaw the Capitol Polices CERT and Civil Disturbance units, was resigning. Sources told Roll Call that Thomas departure was not optional. Bolton stated that the use of Northern Red by the Capitol Police was sanctioned all the way up the chain. He testified that former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund, as well as his predecessor, Matthew Verderosa, signed off on the lieutenants request to spend thousands of dollars to have CERT trained by the private contractor. Northern Red was founded by former US Army Special Forces Green Beret soldier Potynsky in 2011. On the companys website there are several videos featuring the trainers and instructors at Northern Red, all of whom are former US Special Forces soldiers, such as former Delta Force sniper Tom Spooner. On his LinkedIn profile, Spooner notes he was a managing partner at Northern Red from 2014 to 2017. The soldiers-turned-mercenaries have years of experience deploying to Iraq, Afghanistan and South America in US neo-colonial wars where they conducted hundreds, if not thousands, of assassination and kill/capture missions. In a chilling video, Potynsky explains that he joined the military following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to be part of the reckoning. Northern Reds take no prisoners ethos On its website, Northern Red boasts of its training options, which include Carbine, Pistol, Scoped Rifle, Combatives and NVG CQB [Night Vision Goggles Close Quarters Battle] plus Urban Movement. There is no training offered for skills such as first aid, deescalation or less-lethal, courses typically offered to police charged with protection as opposed to eliminating enemies. "About" homepage on Northern Red website featuring the neo-Nazi "Devil's Guard" patch on shoulder. In addition to the neo-Nazi logo, the homepage of the contractor features a heavily-armed soldier with the statement: For those who have hunted armed men training is never the same. On the companys website and social media accounts, including Instagram and Facebook, Potynsky and other Northern Red trainers, all former soldiers, are shown wearing a Devils Guard black and red patch. During Tuesdays hearing, California Democrat Pete Aguilar noted that Bolton, in an unusual move, released an advisory report to the Capitol Police Department on May 26, prior to the release of his fourth flash report. The advisory report recommended that the department stop contracting with Northern Red immediately. Aguilar questioned Bolton as to why he felt compelled to issue the advisory report given the fact that he mentioned the use of Northern Red by the Capitol Police CERT team in his flash report. Bolton responded that he felt it was necessary to alert the [Capitol Police] department as quickly as possible, so that if they had plans to continue to use this company that we could put a stop to that immediately. What concerned us, Bolton continued, was the patches worn by Northern Red employees, which Bolton revealed were from a 1971 novel titled Devils Guard. Cover of George Robert Elford's 1971 Devil's Guard The book is part of three-part series that sympathetically tells the story of a Nazi SS soldier who escaped from Czechoslovakia following World War II, joined the French Foreign Legion and committed atrocities in Vietnam. The main character in the book, in the words of Bolton, believed in asymmetrical warfare, utilization of hostages, civilians and/or other tactics. Bolton did not elucidate further on the tactics espoused by the protagonist of Devils Guard, SS soldier Hans Josef Wagemueller. In an early chapter of the book, Wagemueller explains his units decision to round up family members of supposed Viet-Minh guerrillas to use as human shields. I was resolved to show the enemy that terror, brutality, and cold-blooded murder were not their monopoly, a Communist privilege, and that at least my battalion was ready to pay them tit for tat. They understood no other language, Wagemueller says. The fascist drivel cites the near-genocide of the Native peoples in America as a model for the extermination of socialists. One passage reads: I have read somewhere what the American settlers used to say about the Indians, Hans. The only good Indian is a dead Indian. I think that is also true of the Bolsheviks. A 2017 investigation by the Intercept revealed the books popularity among members of the notorious US assassination squad Seal Team 6. The article said that members of the squad read the book and believed it. Capitol Police CERT unit refused to defend the Capitol on January 6 In the course of Tuesdays hearing, Pennsylvania Representative Mary Gay Scanlon, reading from Boltons flash report, revealed that the CERT team trained by Northern Red refused to deploy as the Capitol was under siege by Trumps mob. Scanlon noted that a Special-Ops division official requested CERT support several times for officers who were trapped inside the Rotunda of the Capitol on January 6, but never received any. Northern Red Facebook and Instagram cover photo featuring "Devil's Guard" patch and Othala Rune with feet Instead, a single CERT official responded in person at the Capitol, without the rest of his team. The official told the special-ops division official that CERT did not want to deploy less-lethal ammunition against the pro-Trump forces storming the Capitol and attempting to capture lawmakers because they did not want people falling down the steps. Asked why the CERT team did not deploy or use less-lethal methods, Bolton said that CERT was left on its own to make decisions as they were. He added that radio traffic reviewed by his office found one CERT official saying: If they are not going to give us an order to utilize these munitions then whats the point of us being here anyways? Bolton concluded: None of the elements within the Capitol Police knew what the other elements were going to be doing. In a stunning revelation, the Democratic chairwoman of the committee, Zoe Lofgren of California, reading from Boltons report, stated, CERT did not participate in the leadership evacuations. Lofgren asked Bolton if CERT not being deployed put congressional leadership or even the Vice President in danger? Bolton replied that his answer would be law-enforcement sensitive, but added, with emphasis, it is a concern that they were not there. In addition to the Capitol Police paying nearly $100,000 to the fascist paramilitary outfit for four training sessions in 2019 and two in 2018, for a total of six separate courses, CQ Roll Call reported that the FBI awarded several contracts to Northern Red from 2015 to 2018, according to a review of government contract records. The Army and the Air Force also awarded contracts to the firm in 2016. The World Socialist Web Site has found evidence that local police departments have also been paying for training from Northern Red Inc. for years. A conspiracy of silence by the Democratic Party and the media The fact that US Capitol Police, many of whom were observed on January 6 welcoming Trumps far-right insurrectionists into the Capitol, were trained by fascistic paramilitary death squads has been completely blacked out by the corporate media. As of this writing, no articles on the topic have been posted by the Washington Post, USA Today or the New York Times. The television broadcast and cable networks are similarly maintaining a stony silence, with no segments devoted to the subject on ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, CNN or MSNBC. The same conspiracy of silence is being maintained by the Democratic Party. On Wednesday, Bolton appeared before the Senate Rules and Administration Committee to testify on his latest flash report. In contrast to the previous days House hearing, the Capitol Polices use of Northern Red was barely mentioned. The Democratic chair of the committee, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, and Democratic Senator Alex Padilla referred briefly to the Capitol Polices contracting with a company displaying white supremacist imagery. No one at the hearing, including Bolton, uttered the name of the company, and Bolton made no mention of it in his prepared remarks. Klobuchar used her time to solicit praise from Bolton for her committees whitewash report on the January 6 attack issued on June 8. She hailed the bipartisan character of the report, which was endorsed by the ranking Republican on the committee, Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri, because Klobuchar agreed to exclude any mention of Trumps role in the coup attempt and refrain from characterizing the mob that attacked Congress as insurrectionists. In her weekly press conference on Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made no mention of Boltons revelations concerning Northern Red, nor has Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer raised the issue. All six members of the Squad, House members who present themselves as the progressive and even socialist wing of the Democratic Party, have remained silent on the Capitol Polices use of neo-Nazi former Special Operations killers to train police tasked with protecting Congress. The World Socialist Web Site plans to publish further articles detailing the integration of far-right private military contractors with the Republican Party and the US military, intelligence and police agencies. The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) is advocating for the return of another Labor Party-led government despite releasing a report that provides a damning picture of the immensely destructive impact of the last Labor governments pro-market education revolution on Australias public universities over the past decade. University of Melbourne staff and students protesting wage theft [WSWS Media] In response to the Liberal-National Coalition governments latest May 11 federal budget, the NTEU urged its members to direct their outrage toward changing the government at the next federal election. By implication, that means backing Labor and the Greens, who propped up the last Labor government from 2010 to 2013. The budget cut university funding by another 9.3 percent in real terms from 202122 to 202425, on top of devastating revenue losses and up to 90,000 job cuts in 20202021, and a decade of deepening under-funding. To bolster its message, the trade union is talking up the prospect of an early election, even though Prime Minister Scott Morrisons government has until next May to call one. Writing in the May edition of Sentry, the unions online magazine, NTEU policy and research director Terri MacDonald declared: With talk of a federal election possible even as early as the second half of the year, the message is clearif the Government will not change its attitude towards higher education, then we need to change this Government. Once again, as it did in 2007, when the NTEU urged support for the election of the Rudd Labor government, and at every election since, the union is peddling illusions that another Greens-backed Labor government would reverse the assault on the universities, and public education as a whole. Yet the NTEUs pre-budget submission, issued before the May 11 budget, admits that successive governments, both Labor-Greens and Liberal-National, have slashed funding per student since 2012. That was when the last Labor government of Julia Gillard fully implemented the Demand Driven System, initially drawn up while Gillard was Rudds deputy prime minister and minister for education. The NTEU submission states: Since the introduction of the Demand Driven System (DDS) by the Rudd/Gillard government, both sides of politics have tried to achieve substantial budgetary savings by targeting higher education. In 2013 (only one year after DDS was fully implemented) the ALP [Australian Labor Party] introduced an efficiency dividend on university teaching grantsreclaiming over $900m. In keeping with its own record of support for that Labor-Greens government, the NTEU is covering up the extent of Labors attack. The efficiency dividend was only part of the funding cuts under Rudd and Gillard, which totalled $3.8 billion by the time Labor lost office in a landslide in 2013, after its pro-business program generated hostility throughout the working class. What the NTEU submission does not mention is that the union fully backed the Rudd-Gillard blueprint, defending it against the exposure and opposition of members and supporters of the Socialist Equality Party (SEP). The NTEU hailed the election of the Rudd government, claiming that it would deliver a new progressive era of higher education after 11 years of Liberal-National cutbacks and attacks on the rights of students and university workers. The union looks forward to working with the new government to flesh out what the Education Revolution means for universities, the NTEU stated. From the outset, in 2007, the World Socialist Web Site warned that this education revolution, which targeted government schools as well as tertiary education, was a third wave of economic restructuring in favour of the corporate elite. As Rudd and Gillard themselves stated, their measures built on the first two waves of privatisation and attacks on working class conditions, which were implemented by the Hawke and Keating governments of 1983 to 1996, in partnership with the trade unions. SEP members consistently fought against the efforts of the NTEU to impose the requirements of the Demand Driven System via enterprise bargaining agreements negotiated with individual university managements. They explained that this market approach to education forced universities to compete with each other for enrolments in the most money-making courses, tailor their teaching programs to the needs of employers, and seek alternative sources of revenue, including from exorbitant international student fees. These warnings have been proven totally correct. While the Labor government lifted limits on university enrolments, it tied all funding to student numbers and froze real funding per student. This made universities dependent on cramming more students, especially full-fee paying international students, into their campuses, but starved them of the necessary resources. The revolution also accelerated the casualisation of the university workforces. Via enterprise agreements, the NTEU worked with university managements to give them the flexibility they demanded to be able to open and shut courses, semester by semester, to capture greater market share. After 2013, the current Liberal-National government retained and exploited this framework to deepen the assault on university workers and students. Despite being forced by widespread opposition to abandon plans to allow universities to charge domestic students unlimited fees in 2014, the Coalition tightened the squeeze of the Demand Driven System, including by freezing funding levels in 2018 and 2019. Last year, Prime Minister Scott Morrisons government went further by denying public universities financial support when the COVID-19 pandemic struck their international student revenues, and by introducing a Jobs-Ready Graduate plan that further reduces government funding per domestic student by 14 percent, while doubling tuition fees in humanities. The statistics in the NTEU submission show that by 2017, the education revolution had already led to the chronically under-funded public universities depending more on international student fees than government payments for domestic student enrolments. This process intensified until 2019, the last year before the pandemic, when the universities obtained close to $10 billion in overseas student fee income, compared to about $7.5 billion in Commonwealth Grant Scheme (CGS) funding. By 2019, some 221,780 people were employed at the universities, of which only about one-in-three had permanent or ongoing employment. Almost one-in-two (99,492 or 45 percent) were employed as casuals and one-in-five (45,575 or 20 percent) were on limited term contracts. The proportion of insecurely employed staff had increased from 60 percent in 2000 to 65 percent in 2019. The sharpest rises in casual and short-term work occurred among teaching-only and research-only positions, which the NTEU also facilitated by enterprise agreements. By 2018, only about 15 percent of the academics employed in such roles had secure employment, undermining the previously hard-won rights to tenure for more traditional teaching and research academics. In its budget submission the NTEU again proposed, as it has since 2015, the adoption of a modified version of the Demand Driven System, which would consist of Public Accountability Agreements between the government and individual universities. This framework would seek to give individual universities the flexibility to pursue their own missions. That proposal would dovetail with the bipartisan agenda of the Coalition government and Labor to push universities to specialise in order to more closely meet the commercial and vocational demands of employers. It would be a new stage in the education revolution gutting and restructuring of the universities. It would also keep university staff straitjacketed within the enterprise bargaining regime imposed by the Keating Labor government and the unions in the 1990s, splitting workers into individual workplaces and tying them to the profit-making requirements of each competing university management. University workers, together with students, need to review these bitter political experiences, assess the NTEUs record and draw definite conclusions. There is one central lesson. It is clearly impossible to defend public education without a fundamental break with the thoroughly pro-corporate NTEU, as well as the political servants of big business: Labor and the Greens. Worldwide, the transnational conglomerates and wealthy elites are using the global pandemic disaster, for which they themselves are responsible, to ratchet up their decades-long offensive against the jobs, conditions and essential social programs of the working class, including public education and healthcare. What is necessary is the formation of rank-and-file committees of staff and students, totally independent of all the trade unions, and a turn to other sections of educators and workers in Australia and internationally facing this intensified onslaught. Such a struggle requires a socialist perspective that rejects the dictates of the financial markets and fights for the complete reorganisation of society in the interests of all, not the soaring profits and wealth accumulation of the billionaires. That includes halting the massive handouts to the corporate elite and providing the tens of billions of dollars needed to establish free, high quality education, from kindergarten to university, and the basic right of all education workers to full-time employment with decent pay and conditions. This is the program advanced by the Committee for Public Education, established by the Socialist Equality Party, as part of the worldwide fight for the formation of the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees. We urge all those who want to take forward this global struggle to contact the Committee for Public Education. More than five months since the January 6 coup attempt, there is an ongoing effort to conceal from the American people the full scope of the conspiracy and the fascistic forces mobilized by Trump and the Republican Party, with the aid of top officials in the FBI, the Pentagon and the US Capitol Police. Trump supporters storm the Capitol, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington [Credit: AP Photo/John Minchillo] There is a division of labor between the two parties of US capitalism. The Republican Party has overwhelmingly lined up behind the would-be-Fuhrer Trump, repeating his false claims that the election was fraudulent and that the storming of the Capitol by Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, white supremacists and neo-Nazis was a non-event. The Biden administration and the bulk of the media work to suppress stunning revelations, some emerging in congressional hearings run by the Democrats, documenting the critical role of Trump allies within the state in sabotaging any defense of the Capitol complex. Pleading with Trumps Republican accomplices for bipartisanship and unity, the Democratic Party, itself a party of Wall Street and the military, is terrified of the political and social consequences of revelations exposing the stench of dictatorship behind the facade of American democracy. Each new revelation is systematically downplayed or entirely ignored by the Democratic leadership as well as the mainstream media, from the New York Times and the Washington Post to the broadcast and cable news networks. On Tuesday, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform held a hearing with FBI Director Christopher Wray, Lt. Gen. Walter Piatt, director of the Army staff, and Gen. Charles Flynn, currently the commanding general of the US Army Pacific. In the course of the hearing, the following revelations emerged: The FBI failed to act on over 50 separate notifications by the social media platform Parler, relaying, in the words of Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, specific threats of violence being planned at the Capitol. In one warning, a Parler user called on fascists to come to D.C. on January 6 to take on Antifa and start eliminating people. Director Wray refused to answer why the Bureau did not issue a threat assessment specific to January 6 or coordinate with the Department of Homeland Security and designate January 6 as a National Special Security Event. Nor could Wray explain why the FBI had yet to turn over documentation requested by the committee. Gen. Piatt admitted that he did not want federal troops to be used as a clearing force at the Capitol, even as the building was under siege by fascistic militias and desperate lawmakers were begging for help. Neither general could explain why it took hours to send National Guard troops to clear the Capitol. Their absurd stonewalling about the need for a concept of operation plan was belied in previous testimony by then-D.C. National Guard Commander William Walker. Walker said Piatt and Flynn justified their rejection of his initial request for permission to deploy National Guard troops, at 1:49 p.m., on the grounds that having soldiers deployed to the Capitol would be bad optics. Walker further testified in March that he had 155 guardsmen fully equipped and ready to deploy, and that their timely dispatch to the Capitol could have secured the perimeter and made a difference. No one at Tuesdays hearing mentioned the fact that Charles Flynn is the younger brother of retired General Michael Flynn, Trumps former national security adviser. Days before the January 6 coup attempt, Michael Flynn publicly urged Trump to declare martial law and hold new elections at gunpoint in swing states that had given Biden his margin of victory. On the same day, the House Administration Committee held a hearing with Capitol Police Inspector General Michael Bolton, during which Bolton discussed the contents of his fourth flash report. In the report and in the course of the hearing the following was revealed: The US Capitol Police Containment and Emergency Response Team, or CERT, spent a total of $90,075 in 2018 and 2019 for training by a private paramilitary contractor run by neo-fascist former Special Operations killers who cut their teeth in Americas dirty colonial wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The same CERT team failed to respond to urgent requests from besieged police within the Capitol during the coup. During questioning it was revealed that one CERT official told a special-ops officer that CERT did not want to deploy less-lethal ammunition because they did not want people falling down the steps. CERT failed to carry out leadership evacuations, i.e., efforts to rescue targeted Democratic lawmakers as well as Vice President Mike Pence from militarily trained militia members who invaded the Capitol and demanded that they be hanged. Committee Chairwomen Zoe Lofgren asked Bolton if CERTs failure to deploy put congressional leadership or even the vice president in danger? Bolton, with emphasis said, It is a concern that they were not there. Virtually none of these facts have been reported by the mainstream media or mentioned by the Biden administration or the Democratic congressional leadership. Joining the conspiracy of silence, including on the integration of neo-Nazi paramilitary forces into the Republican Party and the state institutions of repression, are the so-called progressives within the Democratic Party. Not a word about these revelations has appeared to date on the twitter accounts of Bernie Sanders or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her follow House Squad members. In early March, when Walker first testified about the one hundred and ninety-nine minutes between the initial request on January 6 to top military command for the deployment of the National Guard troops and its final approval, the WSWS wrote, If the events documented by Walker had occurred in any other country, they would correctly be seen as an attempted military coup. Walkers testimony, however, has largely been ignored and downplayed in the media. Three and a half months later, the information that has come out in the limited and carefully circumscribed congressional hearings confirms this analysis. Such is the decay of American democracy, however, that an attempted fascistic coup by a sitting US president is swept under the rug by the ruling class, in the name of unity and in defense of a bipartisan policy of war and social reaction. These developments must be taken as a sharp warning by workers. In the defense of democratic rights and against the growth of fascist forces, no confidence can be placed in the Democratic Party or any faction of the ruling class. Only the united struggle of the working class, nationally and internationally, conducted on the basis of a conscious struggle for socialism, can halt the capitalist drive to war, mass poverty and dictatorship. Following discussions with Sri Lankan Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, the Health Employees Trade Union Collective (HETUC) announced on Tuesday that it had struck an agreement with the government covering thousands of medical employees. The HETUC includes 35 health unions, including the Medical Laboratory Technologists Association and the Government Nursing Officers Union. The deal betrays health employees demands in exchange for a meagre special allowance payment. It seeks to prevent further nationally-coordinated protests by health workers and provides for closer union collaboration with management. Health workers protest in Ampara on June 11 [Source: Facebook] Apart from doctors, who were granted a special allowance two weeks ago, tens of thousands of health workers have been involved in demonstrations across the island over recent weeks. On June 4, more than 20,000 of them participated in a four-hour protest called by the HETUC. This was followed by a five-hour national strike on June 11 involving over 50,000 HETUC members. Health employees demands included a special allowance equal to 78 percent of the basic salary; provision of personal protective equipment and other COVID-19 safety measures; meals on working days; transport during travel-restriction periods, and special leave for pregnant employees working on a contract basis. Since the eruption of the pandemic 18 months ago, these overworked employees have attempted to cope with rising COVID-19 infections without proper safety equipment and in a run-down health system, which is the product of grossly inadequate funding by successive governments. Under HETUCs sellout deal with the government, all health employees, including those on contract, will be paid a special 7,500-rupee ($US37.50) allowance. The payment, which is limited to three months, from June to August, is one fifth of the amount the union alliance had called for. Health workers will be provided with just one mask a day, woefully inadequate and in violation of international health standards. Other demands by health workers have been met with vague promises, but any concrete measures are subject to finance ministry approval. Gampola hospital health workers protest [WSWS Media] In a June 15 letter to Health Minister Wanniarachchi, the HETUC admitted that the 7,500-rupee allowance was less than one fifth of the expected amount. The union body nevertheless declared that it was content with it considering the prevailing crisis situation in the country and the essential nature of the health service. The crisis situation referred to by HETUC is not the catastrophe confronting health workers and the rest of the population, but the political and economic crisis facing President Gotabhaya Rajapakses government amid rising popular opposition, strikes and protests. The HETUCs agreement is an attempt to make its members pay for the governments crisis. The Rajapakse government and the unions equally feared that the ongoing struggle of health workers across the island would become a pole of attraction for other sections of the working class. In recent months postal, power and water board workers, along with development and village officers and teachers have demonstrated for higher pay and improved COVID-19 safety measures. Private sector workers, particularly in the garment industry, have held protests and threatened industrial action over coronavirus infections and management demands that they continue working during the pandemic. Protests have also erupted in the tea plantation against pay cuts, workload increases and management-police victimisations. Nervous about the possible eruption of mass strikes, President Rajapakse on May 27 and June 2 declared the essential public services act to criminalise any industrial action by state-sector employees. Wathupitiwala Hospital health employees demonstrate in western Sri Lanka [WSWS Media] The strike ban covers nearly a million state sector workers, including port, petroleum, gas, railway and bus transport employees, as well as district-level government administrative offices, state banks, insurance and customs-related services, health services, state consumer goods distributions institutions and all government offices at nine Provincial Councils. Under these draconian measures, workers exercising their democratic right to take industrial action can be punished by harsh prison sentences and fines. Freedom of expression and speech endorsing or calling for industrial action is similarly punishable. Rajapakses laws clearly indicate that Colombo is preparing for class war and authoritarian forms of rule. Not a single trade union in Sri Lanka, including all those in the health sector, has opposed these repressive laws, indicating their tacit approval. The HETUC deal was explicitly backed by President Rajapakse. Discussion notes with the health minister reveal that Rajapakse agreed to the 7,500-rupee allowance and that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse prepared a cabinet paper for its approval. In other words, the Rajapakse regime, even as it prepares to step-up its brutal repression of workers taking industrial action, continues to enlist the services of the unions and their bureaucratic apparatus. In fact, the HETUC has escalated its collaboration with health sector management and the government. One of the points agreed to in discussion with the minister is that the trade unions will hold weekly management meetings, headed by the director general of health services, to resolve health employees problems. These meetings will not serve health workers. Instead they will be used to help management undermine workers legitimate demands so as to overcome the crisis situation of the country and the government. The protests and actions of health employees and other sections of the Sri Lankan working class are a part of a rising tide of struggles by workers internationally against government and employer efforts to impose the economic burden of the coronavirus pandemic on them. Last weekend, the Rajapakse government, as part of its escalating attacks on the living conditions of the masses, sharply increased fuel prices, unleashing a spate of hikes to the cost of food and other essential commodities. The HETUCs betrayal of health workers is a warning to workers throughout Sri Lanka. It makes clear, yet again, that the unions are tools of the state and big business. In order to defend their social conditions and basic democratic rights, workers must take control of their own struggles. This requires the building of workplace action committees, independent of the trade unions and their bureaucratic apparatus and based on a socialist program. This is the only way to unite workers across the country and internationally, all of whom face common problems and a common enemy in the capitalist profit system. The Socialist Equality Party urges workers and youth to embrace this initiative and take up the fight for a socialist and internationalist perspective. The World Socialist Web Site strongly condemns the political assassination of Deniz Poyraz (38), a female member of the Kurdish nationalist Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) on Thursday. This political murder is clearly a state-backed, pre-planned operation aimed at creating the conditions for a brutal dictatorship targeting above all the working class. HDPs Izmir Provincial Office after the attack, June 17, 2021. (Credit: @hdpgenelmerkezi/Twitter) In its first public statement, the HDP declared, The instigator and abettor of this brutal attack is the AKP-MHP [Justice and Development Party/Nationalist Movement Party] government and the Ministry of Interior which constantly targets our party and our members. At 11.05, Onur Gencer (27) entered the HDP provincial office in Izmir on the second floor. Poyraz, a party worker, was the only person present and was taken hostage. Police arrived but did not intervene for at least 15 minutes. Gencer then shot Poyraz to death and gave himself up to the police. He was given a friendly response. A video shows that the police asked the assailant, Whats your name, bro? on his arrest. According to a screenshot on social media, the killer was liking comments on Instagram while he was in custody, and he deleted evidential stories he had shared on his social media account. Gencer claimed that he acted aloneI dont have any links to anyone. I entered the building because I hate the PKK [the nationalist Kurdistan Workers Party]and in retaliation for some insults on social media directed against his mother and sister, posted as late as June 16. This is not remotely credible. His was a carefully planned operation that would have claimed many more lives but for an accident of circumstance. HDP Co-Chair Mithat Sancar told the media after the attack, This was not a plan to kill one random person. We had a meeting planned that would be attended by 40 of our administrators at the exact time of the attack. This pre-planned meeting was postponed due to urgent reasons. They were planning a massacre. HDP officials noted that the attack was carried out under the nose of the police and against a party that is constantly monitored by state forces and subjected to repeated provocations. HDP Izmir deputy Murat Cepni said, The attack happened even though the party building is opposite to the police station. It is an organized attack, before adding, At this point, the Palace itself and the Ministry of Interior are responsible for the attack. According to the Mesopotamia Agency, HDPs Izmir official Abdulkadir Baydur stated that he argued with the police at least for 15 minutes and no one responded to the hostage situation during that time: We heard gun shots while I was arguing with the police. Police responded a little bit later and captured the assailant. Gencer had already attempted to burn down the building before killing his hostage. Initially referred to as a former health worker, he is a committed fascist who told the authorities, Since childhood, I have made plans to kill PKK [Kurdish Workers Party] people. The incident happened in an improvised manner. On his social media account, he shared photos of himself holding guns and making a far-right Grey Wolves hand-sign, identified with the MHP, while in northern Syria during Turkish-backed Islamist Free Syrian Army operations against the PKK-affiliated Peoples Defense Units (YPG). In one social media post, the murderer shared a photo of himself with an assault rifle in Manbij on February 21, 2020, captioned, A souvenir from Syria. He shared another photo from Gaziantep, Turkey, writing, Back from duty. Gencer explained this away by claiming to have spent the first months of 2020 in Syria/Manbij working as a medical officer, before resigning his profession in April 2021. HDP Istanbul MP Huda Kaya responded by insisting that he was in fact being trained militarily by the International Defense Consulting Construction Industry and Trade Inc (SADAT). Defining itself as a company that provides consultancy and military training in the field of defense, SADAT has long been accused of conducting operations in the interests of the Turkish state. Gencer confirmed that his attack was planned from as early as January 2021, when he carried out some reconnaissance a few times. He applied to the Gaziemir District Security Directorate for a license to possess a firearm in May 2021 and received a temporary license, after which he purchased a Ruger Gun for 3 thousand 500 lira that was used in the attack. The attack came after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared war against all opposition to his rule at the end of May. He praised an attempted physical attack on far-right Good Party leader Meral Aksener and said that they taught a good lesson to her without going too far This is only the first one. Many more things will happen, these are the better days. The HDP has been the target of ongoing state operations for years, on the grounds that it has ties with the banned PKK. HDP members, including former leaders and deputies, were jailed, with trustees appointed to local administrations the party had won in recent elections. In March, the government move d to ban the party, the third largest in the parliament, which received nearly 5 million votes. The HDP noted in a statement that it has been targeted by the ruling party and the Interior Ministry and some families have been brought in front of the HDP provincial buildings with the aim of provocation for months. The attack on the Izmir offices of the HDP was immediately preceded by the June 14 meeting between Erdogan and US President Joe Biden at the NATO summit, with the main point of contention being US support for the YPG in Syria as a weapon against the Assad regime, despite Washingtons designation of the PKK as a terrorist organization. Amid a deepening economic crisis and in the face of growing social anger, exacerbated by the AKPs homicidal response to the pandemic, the government has also been destabilized by the allegations of criminality and corruption levelled by far-right mobster Sedat Peker, including alleged Turkish arms deliveries to Al Nusra, the Al Qaeda branch in Syria, organized by SADAT. Peker tweeted after the attack on the HDP, we will experience much bigger attacks in the coming days. If you believe in my experience and sincerity, do not take to the streets under any circumstances. Claiming that a very big game is being constructed, he wrote that if the masses take to the streets, former interior minister Mehmet Agar and his men will use their operatives in the terrorist organizations to turn things into a bedlam. The assassination was condemned by the bourgeois opposition parties, which the HDP calls the forces of democracy, but which share responsibility for the development of the current situation. Republican Peoples Party (CHP) leader Kemal Klcdaroglu condemned the attack on Twitter, stating, We went through this scenario before, our people will not fall for it this time. He was joined by Good Party leader Aksener, DEVA Party Chairman Ali Babacan, and Ahmet Davutoglu, the leader of the Future Party, whose parties all broke away from the AKP. In their statements, HDP officials argued that this attack marked a repetition of the period of 7 June-1 November in 2015, calling on the bourgeois opposition parties to unite against the government. However, that was a period in which not only Erdogan, but also Prime Minister Davutoglu and Deputy Prime Minister Babacan, now named among the forces of democracy by the HDP, were leading the AKP. As the World Socialist Web Site explained: The AKP, unable to form a coalition government after elections in June, has called fresh elections for November 1. However, with opposition to its rule increasing, it is relying on whipping up anti-terror and anti-Kurd, pro-war sentiment to mobilise its own base and legitimise the suppression of its political opponents and the media. This was also a period when Washington and the other major imperialist powers increasingly took steps to abandon Islamist militias and adopt Kurdish nationalist militias as their main proxy force inside Syria, escalating tensions between Ankara and its NATO allies. These tensions culminated in the resurgence of the civil war in Turkeys Kurdish provinces that cost thousands more lives, and ultimately led to the NATO-backed attempted coup against Erdogan in July 2016. Amid growing geopolitical and class tensions, the Turkish government is clearly preparing for a war against the working class, using both state and paramilitary forces. The only way forward against this danger is through the mobilization of the working class independently of all factions of the bourgeoisie to take state power as part of the fight for socialism internationally. TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - A local Olympic gold medalist had the surprise of a lifetime on Friday, and that is saying a lot for 90-year-old Greg Bell. Bell went to Garfield High School in Terre Haute. He stopped by the city for a visit. Little did he know, he would find himself on the mural at the Vigo County Courthouse honoring famous people from Terre Haute. He told us his undefeated career at Indiana University wasn't skill. He says he was just in the right situation. "And that doesn't happen, so it's not that I'm that great; God blessed me with the right ability at the right time," Bell said. Bell competed in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. STARKVILLE, Miss. (WTVA) - Nine eager campers from across Mississippi traveled to Starkville for the week to create their own business ad products to sell to people in the area. The group met on Sunday to start their own business inside the Idea Shop in downtown Starkville. Campers created their own business and products to sell at the ICreate camp. June 18, 2021. Campers created their own business and products to sell at the ICreate camp. June 18, 2021. Campers created their own business and products to sell at the ICreate camp. June 18, 2021. Products built by campers ranged from wooden keyholders and customized cowbells to large Mississippi State-themed paintings. Taken: June 19, 2021. Products built by campers ranged from wooden keyholders and customized cowbells to large Mississippi State-themed paintings. Taken: June 19, 2021. Campers created their own business and products to sell at the ICreate camp. June 18, 2021. Mason Jones is one of those young aspiring entrepreneurs. At just 16 years, he's in charge of the "I Create" camp business. He said he would not have attended the week-long camp if it wasn't for his mom's persuasion, but he's so glad he did. Over the course of the week, campers planned, sketched, and built their own products to be sold to people in the community. The theme for this year's creations centered around Father's Day gifts. The products ranged from koozies and key holders to large Mississippi State-themed paintings created by Taylor Herron. Herron has been a painter since she was five years old, and she hopes to build a business for her artwork through the experiences she's learned at camp. I just want to make somebody happy and like have them be like I got that and nobody else is going to have that in the world,' explained Herron. However, along with the fun that comes with creating your own products, the campers heard from local entrepreneurs about financing, marketing, and all other aspects that are important in running your own business. It was this aspect that Jones believes is the most impactful part of his experience. Being here and just learning about the business side of things was really fun because I didnt know all that," he said. Campers will sell their products on Saturday to finish off the camp. The campers keep all the money from the sales. Please purchase a subscription to continue reading. If you have a subscription, please Log In . Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. If you believe you've gotten this message in error, please Log In. Keeping the tradition going: Cecil Jarvis Greater Clarksburg 10K may be virtual this year, but long-time volunteers, runners keep it going The beautiful parks located in Wyoming, like Grand Teton National Park, are expected to attract millions of visitors this summer. The suspect in a shooting spree targeting pedestrians and vehicles throughout metropolitan Phoenix on Thursday is a teenage security guard who allegedly told police he believed people were after him in the wake of a separate shooting he was involved in while working at a restaurant last month, according to court documents. Ashin Tricarico, 19, of Surprise, Arizona, was charged Friday with first-degree murder, aggravated assault, drive-by shooting and endangerment in connection with the shootings, which left one person dead and a dozen others injured. There may be additional charges based on the investigation, police said. He is being held on $1 million bond, according to jail records. Attorney information was not immediately available. Police said Friday they have not yet identified a motive in the complex case, which involved at least eight different shooting incidents over the course of a 90-minute period Thursday morning throughout the West Valley, according to the Peoria Police Department, which is leading the investigation. MORE: 1 dead, 12 people injured stemming from drive-by shooting spree in Arizona: Police The victims ranged in age from 19 to 56, police said. A 56-year-old man was fatally shot, and three other victims suffered gunshot wounds. Others were injured by broken glass. One victim said she heard three gunshots and immediately felt pain in her arm, stomach and head and realized she had been shot, according to court documents. It was later determined she was hit by a projectile fragment. She had a 3-year-old daughter in the back seat. PHOTO: Ashin Tricarico has been booked in Maricopa County and charged for shooting spree that left 1 person dead and a dozen others injured mostly from non-gunshot wounds in West Valley, Ariz., June 18, 2021. (Maricopa County Sheriffs Dept.) According to the probable cause document, during an interview with detectives, Tricarico indicated he believed people were following him around after being involved in a shooting in Phoenix about a month ago, according to the court documents. "Ashin thinks every vehicle and person he drives past is pointing a gun at him," the court documents stated. MORE: 4 mass shootings in 6 hours leave 38 wounded, 6 dead across US Story continues The Phoenix Police Department confirmed to ABC News that Tricarico was involved in a shooting on May 5 at a restaurant where he was working as a licensed armed security guard. In a statement, the department said Tricarico "was asked to deal with a male customer who was reportedly intoxicated and causing a disturbance." The customer allegedly charged Tricarico after he went outside to call 911. Tricarico then allegedly fired one shot at the man, striking him and causing a non-life-threatening injury, police said. The aggravated assault case is still under investigation, and Tricarico allegedly told police he shot in self-defense, the department said. PHOTO: In this still image from drone video courtesy of Arizona's Family, is the the scene where a suspect was taken into custody in a white SUV following multiple shootings in Surprise, Ariz., on Friday, June 18, 2021. (AP) During the interview with detectives after his arrest, Tricarico allegedly admitted to committing some of Thursday's shootings and claimed he was shot at or had a gun pointed at him during them. Tricarico told police that an "unknown male" pointed a gun at the suspect at a car wash Thursday morning, after which Tricarico then allegedly bought ammunition for his AR-15-style rifle, according to the court documents. To start the spree, the suspect allegedly stared down a person outside a Circle K convenience store and then exchanged words with him before following him in his car and shooting at the victim, according to the documents. He allegedly told police that in one of the shooting incidents, a pedestrian shot at him "so he shot back," and in a second incident, a man in a car pointed a handgun at him "so he shot back at him." PHOTO: Police investigate one of at least eight shooting sites in West Valley, Arizona, on June 17, 2021. (KNXV) Tricarico requested an attorney "when told he had killed a man" and the interview ended, the court documents stated. Police recovered an AR-15 rifle and two magazines in his car, and multiple .223-caliber shell casings were found from the crime scenes, according to court documents. Several witnesses positively identified Tricarico as the alleged shooter in their incidents, according to court documents. Police do not believe there are any additional suspects in Thursday's shootings. Arizona shooting spree suspect thought people were after him for prior shooting: Police originally appeared on abcnews.go.com An illustration of the Paraceratherium linxiaense giant rhinoceros in the Linxia Basin during the Oligocene. Chen Yu/Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology/Reuters Paleontologists have unearthed fossils in China that reveal a new species of giant rhinoceros. A three-foot-long skull came from the largest known land mammal - a rhino the size of six elephants. The find indicates giant rhinos migrated south, then back north via Tibet, as the climate changed. See more stories on Insider's business page. A batch of newly discovered fossils come from prehistoric giant rhinos - the largest known land mammal in the history of the Earth. Paleontologists discovered a complete skull from one rhino and three vertebrae from another, in the Linxia basin in the Gansu Province of northwestern China. The set of bones is 26.5 million years old. Genetic analysis revealed that the fossils belonged to a species of giant rhino that scientists had never seen before. The team of researchers from China and the US dubbed the new animal "Paraceratherium linxiaense." "Usually fossils come in pieces, but this one is complete, with a very complete skull and a very complete jaw, which is rare," Deng Tao, who led the team that discovered the fossils, told CNN. Deng is a professor at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Taller than a giraffe and roughly the size of six elephants, the rhino towered 23 feet above the ground, and its body was 26 feet long, Deng told CNN. It weighed roughly 24 tons. The skull was more than three feet long. "It was very rare for a skull of that size to be preserved," Deng said. Deng and his colleagues shared their findings in a study published in the journal Communications Biology on Thursday. A clue to the giant rhinos' mysterious migrations Scientists already knew about giant rhinos, or Paraceratherium, which have been found across Asia - mainly in Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and China. But the new species, Paraceratherium linxiaense, shows that these prehistoric pachyderms made huge migrations across the continent. Story continues In the early Oligocene era, 31 million years ago, giant rhinos moved out of the northern Tibetan plateau. "Animal migration is linked to climate change. So 31 million years ago, when the Mongolian plateau dried up, they moved south," Deng told CNN. The new species, which is descended from those early migrants, indicates that giant rhinos made the trek back north during the late Oligocene. To get to Linxia, they would have had to cross the Tibetan plateau. According to Deng and his colleagues, this means the plateau must have been much lower than it is today. "The weather got wet and they went back to the north," Deng said. "Therefore, this discovery is of great significance to the study of the whole plateau-uplift process, climate, and environment." Read the original article on Business Insider Is herbal tea real tea? Can tea really help reduce stress? If you're loyal to the most consumed beverage in the world other than water, you've probably asked yourself those questions at some point. According to Joyce Maina, founder and director of the Cambridge Tea Consultancy, tea has been consumed for more than 5,000 years. It can help a person become invigorated but also enter a relaxed state. "I am sure that when you have had a stressful day, all you want to do is settle down and relax and have a cup of tea," Maina said. Now, what about the other benefits? Here are some facts about true tea: The tea plant has been historically found in China and in the northeast part of India, such as this village in the northeast Indian state of West Bengal. True tea vs. herbal tea True tea is made from the leaves of the plant camellia sinensis, most commonly known as the tea plant, while herbal teas are made using a combination of spices, flowers, bark and leaves belonging to edible, non-tea plants, according to the Republic of Tea. Peter Goggi, president of the Tea Association of the U.S., says the plant was historically found in China and the northeast part of India. "The British and Dutch were big about bringing tea around the world and that was really in the 1800s," Goggi said. "The Dutch certainly brought tea to Indonesia. Sri Lanka had tea planted in the 1870s. True tea has a history of being brought around the world." The manufacturing origin of true tea is also different from that of herbal tea. Whereas people can create their own herbal blends, the starting material for true tea is the leaves of the camellia sinensis. "That is why tea is purely sustainable, because you are plucking the leaves every 10 to 15 days and in some parts of the world, 30 days, but you are never uprooting the plant," Goggi said. There are four types of true tea: green tea, black tea, white tea and oolong tea. The differences lie in how much the leaves of the camellia sinensis have been oxidized, a process that involves leaving the tea leaves in air temperature to dry and darken, according to artfultea.com. Story continues The camellia sinensis plant isn't used in the making of herbal tea, meaning it can't be classified as real tea, Maina and Goggi told USA TODAY. That doesn't, however, diminish its health benefits or stress-relieving qualities, Maina said. Steep a cup and enjoy! Tea has been consumed around the world for thousands of years. Stress-relieving components of tea True tea does contain caffeine, a natural stimulant that energizes the brain. It also contains a unique amino acid, known as L-theanine, which relaxes the mind. "I don't know any other product that does both at the same time," Maina said. "It kind of triggers the body to be relaxed yet awake which explains why the British drink afternoon tea," Goggi said. "It is kind of that low period after lunch and before dinner and kind of a 'pick me up' period, but there is actually a reason for why it works." There are different levels of L-theanine, depending on which type of true tea is consumed. Yerba mate and other green teas are high in flavonoids that can help reduce bad cholesterol and lower chances of blood clotting. Other health benefits of true tea There are other areas where tea has been identified as possibly helpful to the human body, according to Penn Medicine. Green tea, in which leaves are typically processed with heat or steam, is high in flavonoids that can help reduce bad cholesterol and lower chances of blood clotting. A 2014 peer-reviewed study also shows that green tea can improve blood pressure. Black tea, in which the leaves are dried and fermented, also has flavonoids that contain anti-inflammatory properties and support healthy immune function, according to Penn Medicine. Black tea can also be used in baths if people have skin rashes and need to ease inflammation. Oolong tea, which is partially oxidized, is high in an organic compound known as polyphenols that helps lower inflammation, according to Penn Medicine. It is also known for having L-theanine, which can help reduce the risk of Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is herbal tea real tea? Does it even matter? We asked the experts. The German cruise ship Mein Shiff 2 arrived at Malaga Port with passengers after the return of international cruises to Spain. (Jesus Merida / Getty Images) On a warm morning this week, Florencia Frangi was barely awake when she saw her phone light up with messages: The first cruise ship to dock in mainland Spain in more than a year had sailed into Malagas port. She wept with relief. Frangi wasnt alone. In tourism-dependent Spanish cities like this historic hub on the countrys Mediterranean Costa del Sol, the streets are again filling with the summertime scents of churros, chocolate and fried fish, now mingled with the buzz of foreign languages. Across Europe, the long-awaited reopening to tourism is proceeding in piecemeal fashion but at a quickening pace. On Friday, the European Union took a major step forward by formally recommending that its 27 member states lift a ban on nonessential travel from the United States, opening the way to salvaging the summer tourist trade. Under the EUs new nonbinding measures, it is up to individual countries to decide on visitor regulations, and Germany quickly said it would allow Americans to enter if they are vaccinated or test negative for the coronavirus. Southern European nations like Spain are in the forefront in advocating maximum mobility, despite risks of reigniting the coronavirus contagion and quarrels over what kind of vaccine certification should be adopted. Florencia Frangi creates souvenir fans on the ground along Santa Maria Street in Malaga, Spain. (Claudia Nunez/Los Angeles Times) In Malaga, Frangi, a young mother who emigrated from Argentina five years ago, had grown desperate as the pandemic raged and her adopted city shut down. Before the virus hit, she managed to support herself and her 4-year-old daughter by selling a few dozen 10-euro souvenir paper fans a day outside the citys landmark Renaissance-style cathedral. In a recent grim stretch, though, she sold only one fan which she and her partner hand-decorate with iconic images from Malaga-born artist Pablo Picasso in an entire week. When the family was down to little more than pasta in the cupboard, Frangi, with enormous reluctance, had to ask her parents in Argentina for help. As Europe opens its doors, hosts and visitors alike must cope with a patchwork of rules. For Spain, Britain is usually the main source of tourists, but the country is still blacklisted by the United Kingdom. Germans, though, have been given the go-ahead to travel to Spain and other EU countries which accounted for the arrival Tuesday of the vessel Mein Schiff 2, operated by the German-based tourism giant TUI. Story continues When the ship docked soon after dawn, word swept quickly through Malaga, a city of a little over half a million people, via radio and TV reports, on Instagram and in texts, by excited word of mouth. Frangi wasted no time. She spread her display of ornamental fans on the ground on Santa Maria Street, in the cathedrals shadow, selling five in less than an hour. But amid rejoicing, there is risk. Particularly with new virus variants in circulation, the reopening carries infection hazards, especially for young Spaniards working in the hospitality and tourism sector. David Zayas, left, and Salvador Garcia tend to German tourists at Antigua Casa de Guardia, a tavern that dates back to 1840 and claims to be the oldest bar in Malaga, Spain. (Claudia Nunez/Los Angeles Times) A few yards from the cathedral, at a 19th century bar that claims to be the city's oldest, waiter David Zayas hustled enthusiastically back and forth, serving wine and beer to throngs of German cruise-ship passengers. "Seeing tourists gives us hope," he said. But he acknowledged that other than the bar owner, none of the staff had yet been vaccinated because shots for people in his age group from his age, 30, up to 39 had just begun. Some tourism workers were fatalistic. "Social distance, masks and prayers to the Virgin that we don't get infected, that's all we have, said Candida Gomez Perez, 33, the co-owner of a tourism company. The president of the port authority of Malaga, Carlos Rubio, speaking on public radio, lamented 15 months of emptiness on our docks, 15 months of waiting. Pre-pandemic, in 2019, Spain welcomed more than 80 million tourists, and the cruise industry alone contributed more than $3.4 billion to Spains GDP, according to the Cruise Lines International Assn. Spain was among the worlds hardest-hit countries in the pandemic, with more than 80,000 deaths and 3.7 million infections. Although cases have dropped off in recent weeks, only 27% of the countrys population is fully immunized. With luggage in tow, tourists arrive at a train station in Madrid, Spain. (Claudia Nunez/Los Angeles Times) COVID-19 also worsened an already dark jobs picture in Spain, which leads the EU in youth unemployment. One in four young people in Spain became unemployed during 2020, and almost 40% are still jobless. Elsewhere in Europe, some people remain more comfortable staying close to home, even as restrictions loosen. About half of Germanys population is now at least partially inoculated, and cafes, restaurants, hotels and movie theaters have been gradually reopening. Germans can travel elsewhere in Europe if they wish, but many prefer domestic getaways like Sylt, Germanys largest North Sea island. Overnight, we were booked out for the whole summer, said Simone Carmen Tenta, the interim manager of a classic hotel on the island that dates back to the 1890s. In pushing for more tourist mobility, Spain is advocating for a universal framework such as vaccine certificates, already in the working stages in various parts of Europe. But theres recognition of the subjects sensitivity, particularly for Americans. We do not call it a passport, because the passport seems to give or take away rights," said Manuel Muniz, a senior official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He described certification as meant to complement testing requirements. Among the recent arrivals in Malaga was Patricia Espinoza, a Spanish teacher from North Carolina who had a group of students in tow. She said her compatriots were tired of not being able to travel, especially to Europe, long the favored U.S. tourism destination. "We Americans are ready, she said. Special correspondent Erik Kirschbaum in Berlin and Times staff writer Laura King in Washington contributed to this report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The group of death continues on Saturday as Euro 2020 heats up. Holders Portugal travel to Munich to face Germany, who cannot afford to lose after their opening-round loss to France. Les Bleus play Hungary in Group F while Spain host Poland in Group E. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. On Friday night, Scotland put in a fine performance to earn a 0-0 draw against old rivals England in Group D at Wembley. Steve Clarkes side were the better team in London and might have snuck a win with some better finishing. In the other Group D game, Croatia and Czech Republic drew 1-1 at Hampden Park, with Patrik Schicks penalty cancelled out by Ivan Perisics fine goal. Emil Forsbergs second-half penalty for Sweden ensure they took a huge step towards the next stage as they top Group E on four points. Post of the day This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Great Scot Scotland kept their qualification hopes alive after an impressive performance in a 0-0 draw with England at Wembley (Nick Potts/PA) Quote of the day Graeme Souness has a blunt assessment of Englands performance against Scotland. Hes going home This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. The recovery of Christian Eriksen has been a heart-warming tale in recent days after his cardiac arrest in Denmarks opening game against Finland at the weekend. The Inter Milan midfielder was discharged from hospital on Friday and even went to see his team-mates at the training camp. Stat attack This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Perisic showed his longevity in Glasgow as well as class as he continued his run of scoring at major tournaments. Up next June 19 Hungary v France (Group F, Budapest, 1400) Portugal v Germany (Group F, Munich, 1700) Spain v Poland (Group E, Seville, 2000) Barcelona have announced Holland forward Memphis Depay will join the club on a free transfer after his contract expires with Lyon at the end of the month. Depay, 27, has agreed a two-year deal, with the former Manchester United and PSV Eindhoven man set to link up again with former Oranje boss Ronald Koeman at the Nou Camp. A statement on the LaLiga clubs website read: Barcelona and Memphis Depay have reached an agreement for the player to join the club once his contract with Olympique Lyonnais is at an end. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. The player will sign a contract until the end of the 2022/23 season. Depay, who is with the Dutch squad at Euro 2020 and scored a penalty in the Group C win over Austria, becomes Barcelonas third free transfer signing of the summer following the arrival of Manchester City duo Sergio Aguero and Eric Garcia. Jun. 18During a conference call on Thursday Idaho Fish and Game Commissioners amended wolf trapping and hunting seasons in response to a newly passed law. Meanwhile the majority of Idahoans who commented on the proposal did not support the changes. Some commissioners described the amendments as a needle threading exercise as the commission attempted to comply with new wolf-hunting legislation. Commissioner Brad Corkill, who was the chairman when the Idaho Legislature voted on the law, said he was notified less than 24 hours before it went to vote. "I find that a tad bit disrespectful and insulting on part of the Legislature," he said during Thursday's call. "They dumped this in our lap ... giving us very little options as to how to handle this situation. Disrespectful is the kindest word I can come up with on this." During a public comment period that closed Sunday, 12,388 individuals submitted input of which 42% were Idaho residents. Of the Idaho residents 58.5% did not support the proposed changes, according to IDFG staff. IDFG also received 7,682 email comments on the proposed changes. Of those email comments 98% were from nonresidents. "I think this could have been handled so much better," said commissioner Don Ebert during the teleconference call. "I would wish the Legislature would be partners with us." The amended seasons take effect on July 1, as does Senate Bill 1211, according to an agency news release. Changes will not be reflected in the current printed 2021 Big Game Seasons and Rules brochure, but an updated brochure with the changes will be available on Fish and Game's website by July 1. Senate Bill 1211 established a year-round trapping season for wolves on private property, allowed for unlimited purchase of wolf tags, and allowed for any method used for taking any wild canine in Idaho (foxes, coyotes) to also be available for taking wolves. In a news release, Fish and Game Director Ed Schriever said the Commission's action provides a "meaningful balance" that focuses on providing hunters and trappers with additional tools to address conflicts between wolves, livestock and other big game. Story continues On public land, in 43 hunting units where elk are below population objectives, or where there are histories of chronic livestock depredation, the Commission established seasons with expanded hunting methods from Nov. 15 to March 31. All other wolf hunting and trapping seasons on public land remain unchanged. On private land, foothold trapping and expanded hunting methods are allowed year round with landowner permission. Wolf snaring seasons already in place on private land remain unchanged. "It's been widely, but inaccurately, reported that the new law will reduce Idaho's wolf population by 90%, however, the Commission's action will reduce wolf conflicts while maintaining a viable wolf population that is not subject to relisting under the federal Endangered Species Act," Schriever said in the news release. Expanded hunting methods Methods outlined in SB 1211 include those currently legal for taking other wild canines, but closed for taking other big game species, including: * Weapon restrictions (for hunting big game) do not apply for wolf hunting. * Exemption from shooting hours and allowance for spotlight or night vision equipment. Written permission from the landowner is required on private land, and a permit from the Director of Fish and Game is required on public land, which is consistent with requirements for spotlighting coyotes at night. * Hunting wolves over bait is allowed on private land with landowner permission. * Motorized vehicle restrictions for hunting big game do not apply for wolf hunting. * Dogs may be used to pursue wolves, and no hound hunter permit is required. * Changes to wolf hunting Wolf hunting seasons on public land remain unchanged, except expanded hunting methods apply from Nov. 15 through March 31 in areas with a history of chronic livestock depredation, or where elk herds are below management objectives, including units 4, 4A, 6, 7, 9, 10, 10A, 12, 14, 15, 16, 16A, 17, 18, 19, 20, 20A, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32, 32A, 33, 34, 35, 36, 36A, 36B, 37, 39, 43, 44, 49, 50,62, 64, 65, 67. On private land, expanded hunting methods are allowed year round with landowner permission. 'Wolves are part of the landscape' Numerous conservation and environmental group have decried the law. On Wednesday, more than 50 groups sent President Joe Biden's administration a letter urging it to restore Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in the Northern Rockies. On May 26, an emergency petition was filed. The Fish and Wildlife Service must respond to the relisting petition by Aug. 24. However, IDFG managers don't believe the liberalized trapping and hunting seasons will have much impact on the overall wolf population. "At the end of the day wolves are part of the landscape and I don't think you're going to see that change," said Chip Corsi, Idaho Fish and Games regional manager in Coeur d'Alene. "We've managed them pretty aggressively basically out of the gate. I think the guys who are hardcore wolf trappers will tell you it's not easy to trap wolves." GALVESTON ISLAND, Texas On Juneteenth, the promise of absolute equality is hanging in the air. The fight for voting rights rages on, a federal anti-lynching law has been stalled in Congress, and lawmakers in several states have banned teachers from talking about racism. But also, quite literally, artist Reginald C. Adams has painted a 5,000-square-foot mural titled Absolute Equality, adjacent to the site where Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3 on June 19, 1865, informing the people of Texas that all slaves were free. On what is now referred to as Juneteenth, Granger and 2,000 soldiers arrived in Galveston, one of the most important economic and political ports in Texas at the time. He read the military order at the Osterman Building, which served as the Union Army headquarters in Texas. The announcement affected 250,000 enslaved people and came more than two months after Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox, and two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Public art is an opportunity to be able to convey messages to a very broad and diverse audience, using color and design, which puts a sugar on a very bitter truth which is the stain of institutional racism in America, said Adams, who is based in Houston and runs a public art and design firm. Im grateful to have that kind of platform and the space to express myself freely and openly, be compensated for it, spread the good work of Juneteenth and show what Black artists are capable of. Its been an overwhelmingly fulfilling experience. This Juneteenth, Absolute Equality will be dedicated in a public ceremony. The mural beautifully showcases several vignettes to tell the story of Americas journey to absolute equality: It features Moroccan explorer Estebanico, who was the first person of African descent known to enter the American Southwest; a portrait of Underground Railroad conductor Harriet Tubman; President Abraham Lincoln issuing the Emancipation Proclamation; Granger with five soldiers, including four Black men representing U.S. Colored Troops, who fought on behalf of the Union Army in the Civil War; Hotel Galvez, one of the oldest beachfronts in the South, to signify the resilience of the island; a scene with a parade of people marching for justice. Story continues The That scene symbolizes the now, and this notion that we are walking in solidarity, to the idea of absolute equality, Adams said. As artists and designers we also took a bit of creative license with the astronaut. That really serves as a prompt for what we would do in the future, given the issues of racism we are still confronting today. Absolute Equality was created by Adams and five other artists called the Creatives: Samson Bimbo Adenugba, KaDavien Baylor, Dantrel Boone, Joshua Bennett and Cherry Meekins. It took 1,296 hours of labor, 27 working days and 312 gallons of paint to complete. The mural also includes the full written text of Grangers military order. (The original version was located just last year in the U.S. National Archives.) Much attention has been paid to the first line of the order, a noteworthy proclamation worth celebrating that freedom had come to all enslaved Black Americans. Juneteenth has now been declared a federal holiday after overwhelming support from Congress. For the last several years, theres been a growing campaign to make Juneteenth a national holiday, with efforts led by 94-year-old Opal Lee, who is often referred to as the Grandmother of Juneteenth, and the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation. Since inception, the holiday has been celebrated among Black Texans, and it has become more widely known in recent years. (There was a Black-ish episode; Apple added the date to its calendars, and former President Donald Trump infamously claimed he made Juneteenth very popular by deciding to reschedule a rally that had initially been planned for that day in Tulsa, Oklahoma.) But so much of Juneteenths continued relevance and power lies in the orders second line, which promises absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property. Written by Maj. F.W. Emery, a man who hated slavery and was an editor of an abolitionist newspaper, those words symbolize the work yet to be done and what America still owes Black Americans. Thats one point that historian Samuel Collins III wants to make clear. The mural is just one part of an effort by the Juneteenth Legacy Project, said Collins, one of the projects co-chairs. On my visit to the Juneteenth Legacy Projects headquarters, Collins walked me just steps away from the mural to reveal a few exposed bricks behind what was once an exit sign. Symbolically, the fingerprints of our ancestors are all around us, he tells me. We have to do the deep work to talk about that history. We are living in this American house, and as current citizens, we are on the deed, and it is our job to do the work to fix the house, Collins said. The house has a cracked foundation, but some dont want to admit that the foundation was cracked. Until we fix the cracked foundation, we are going to have problems generation after generation. Collins, a native of Galveston County, has an endless supply of historical facts on the tip of his tongue. He is excited about the mural, but also wants to use the national momentum around Juneteenth to put a spotlight on the Galveston community. Over the past several years, Collins has been a central part of celebrations in the area. In December 2005, he secured the historic property Stringfellow Orchards, which was built for a Confederate soldier in Hitchcock, Texas. The following year, he held his first Juneteenth celebration there. Artist Ted Ellis, whose work adorns the Juneteenth Legacy Projects headquarters, says it was one of the most comprehensive Juneteenth programs he had ever seen, with reenactors dressing up as Buffalo Soldiers, as Harriet Tubman, as Sojourner Truth, as Frederick Douglass, to help tell Americas history. The program was honest and engaging, Ellis said, and brought together older generations with younger ones, too. It was the former enslaved who chose for themselves to celebrate June 19 as their freedom day. We honor their memory by celebrating June 19, Collins said. Its not about the politicians or the individuals today that have picked up the baton because it is popular. Its about those that came before: our elders and ancestors. With the Juneteenth Legacy Project, Collins isnt just looking back; he said he wants to create a Galveston cultural renaissance. In early June, about a dozen kids filled the headquarters for a daylong art camp, where they were creating paintings for a cultural exchange with Delaware residents. Ellis plans to take the art to Wilmington and share the story of Juneteenth there, and bring local history back to Galveston. Reginald C. Adams, far left, and the Creatives, from left to right, Cherry Meekins, Joshua Bennett, Dantrel Boone, Samson Bimbo Adenugba and KaDavien Baylor. (Photo: Reginald C. Adams) The mural itself is part of what Collins refers to as an outdoor classroom. Built within Absolute Equality is an augmented reality experience where parts of the mural come to life online and take you to YouTube videos and other web-based content so viewers can learn more about the images depicted. Adams and the Creatives spent three days forming a community engagement strategy to ensure that middle school, high school and college students would be able to engage with public art through the telling of local histories. Local residents also created individual works of art that were collaged into the project. The Juneteenth Legacy Project partnered with the Nia Cultural Center to ensure that local organizations that have long been doing the work to celebrate Black culture and teach Black history in the community were a part of the initiative, according to Sheridan Mitchell Lorenz, a co-chair of the project. Lorenzs family owns the retail space and the adjoining parking lot; she donated money to get the project started. Led by Sue Johnson, whom Collins calls a jewel of the community whose value is not measured in dollars and cents, the Nia Cultural Center is a Galveston nonprofit organization preparing children to be torchbearers toward progress and helping them academically, culturally, mentally and physically to attain productive futures. Lorenz and Collins had been connected years before, but began working together last June after she penned an op-ed for the Galveston County Daily News. In it, she implored white people to contribute to real emancipation and talked about how the murder of George Floyd should be a critical turning point to fight against systemic racism in America. Collins told her about his idea for a mural on the wall, and she was delighted that he brought it to my attention. What I like about this is that it shows a monument that represents the truth and the hope, Lorenz said. The name Absolute Equality is loaded with hope. Once the Juneteenth fanfare is over, Lorenz and Collins hope theres continued energy to support community organizations that are helping build a better future for coming generations. Collins is hoping that absolute equality bears out in real, tangible ways. I hope that my talents and abilities and those of my children will eventually be rewarded at the same level that others are, Collins said. Were not looking for charity; we are looking for equity and appreciation. We have contributed to society, and we should be rewarded for it. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Related... Greensboro, NC (27407) Today Generally cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 81F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Cloudy early, becoming mostly clear after midnight. Low near 60F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. The Haydens of east Montgomery County run a multigenerational family business: public service. Kenneth Rowdy Hayden, 49, is the areas constable at Precinct 4 just as his father, the late Charles Hayden, was years ago. And marching behind dad and granddad are three sons making their own paths as first responders. Eldest son, Brandon Hayden, 28, is a Conroe Fire Department firefighter. In the middle is Jacob Hayden, 24, a Montgomery County Precinct 5 Constables deputy. Joshua Hayden, 22, is a former U.S. Marine starting police academy soon. Its a family of service, for sure, said Constable Kenneth Hayden, who took office in 2009. Im super proud of all three of them. Memories and choices Brandon Hayden still remembers the times he spent as a small kid riding along with on-duty Grandpa Hayden. It was day care on the go, he said. Those memories of Charles Hayden, who served about a cumulative 12 years as constable for two terms and died at 73 in 2013, motivated Brandon and his brothers to join the first responder ranks. The choice to dedicate themselves to the public good may have always been clear for the Hayden boys, but which route to take exactly took some contemplating. Joshua Hayden became a Marine out of high school. After four years and being deployed to Japan and Iraq, he weighed his options. I asked myself, like, What do I wanna do more? Do I want to be a police officer or do I want to be a Marine? he said. I thought about it and prayed about it and I said, Police officer. He starts police academy in August at Angelina College in Lufkin. Similarly, Brandon Hayden looked at what his forebears did in law enforcement and chose what his dad achieved as a firefighter. Kenneth Hayden was at the Splendora Volunteer Fire Department for about 10 years. His oldest recalls being in a fire truck as much as he does being in his grandfathers patrol car. I tried to talk them all into being a fireman, honestly, Constable Hayden said, jokingly adding, firefighters get to sleep while theyre working. Kenneth Hayden started working as a jailer at the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office at 19. It was in my blood and growing up around it, I knew from an early age that thats what I wanted to do, he said about choosing life in law enforcement. His father, who at Precinct 4 was also justice of the peace and county commissioner, had a good reputation as a constable in the 1980s, he said. People still tell him about how his dad helped them retrieve stolen property or how he nabbed a criminal. He was a hard worker and we work hard over here at the constables office, he said. For Joshua Hayden, his father has himself done exemplary as a constable. You can just tell that he cares, he said, signaling to his dads modesty and humility as integral to his leadership style. Roots and tradition In addition to being a firefighter at Conroe Fire, Brandon Hayden serves part time at the East Montgomery County Fire Department. It is part of the Haydens commitment to east Montgomery County. All four are graduates of Splendora High School with the lawman patriarch Charles Hayden having been born in the city. East countys where my roots are, Deputy Jacob Hayden said. Jacob has been at Precinct 5 for the last year and a half. He works alongside a longtime officer who boasts of serving alongside three generations of Haydens. Although Constable Hayden and his sons live in the same east county neighborhood, it is not often where all four will be in the same room as their lines of work demand a lot of their time. The constable reflects on how he missed a lot of sporting events his children were in because of the job. In law enforcement, you never had the best shift or the best days, he said. I didnt make it to every ball game or every function that they might have but I always made sure that we went on a vacation or two every year and spent time together. Making time for ones children, he added, is key for being a successful dad. Kids need a father figure, he said. If more fathers stepped up to the plate, we wouldnt have a lot of problems we have in society today. And the family tradition of contributing a Hayden to public service in the area may well continue for a fourth generation. In September 2019, Brandon Hayden became a father to Autumn Renee. She is Constable Haydens first grandchild. The proud grandfather said he would encourage the life path of a first responder for her if she so chose it. For now, Brandon said he is just enjoying watching his little girl learn the world as a toddler does. Talking about our professions that we do I think the best is being a father. Thats the best job, he said. jose.gonzalez@chron.com twitter.com/jrgzztx Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. The fresh newsletter for the International Community in Hungary - described by readers as a "Great read each week" - is now available for your interest and use via the link below. You can see the new edition of the Xpat E-Magazine here: xpatloop.com/newsletters/2021/17-june.html You're in good company here, together with thousands of expats and high-level locals From selling physical goods like yoga mats to creating music to turning to the budding market of NFTs, Ive been able to monetize my creativity in a number of ways with just an internet connection. Through the process, I was also able to quit my corporate job. With advances in technologies come novel opportunities for creatives to monetize their art. From the booming NFT market to the bustling world of e-commerce, many artists are finding lucrative ways to monetize their art in the digital realm. Whether youre a painter or a musician, there are numerous online channels that can help you make a living doing what you love. Here are the ways top creatives are doing that around the web. Turn your art into NFTs NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, have seen a sudden influx in popularity. As a novel way for artists to make money, it seems the next step in our tech-heavy marketplace. You may have heard about Jack Dorseys first tweet selling for almost $3 million, or the Nyan cat GIF selling for more than $500,000. Neil Betrue, a pastor in Surprise, was alone in his churchs office when he noticed a few police officers and heard a helicopter buzzing overhead. He peered out the door and saw even more officers surrounding the suspects car and started recording the commotion on his cellphone. I did not know at the time it was a shooting spree happening, Betrue told The Associated Press on Friday. I just thought maybe there must have been a car chase or something. As officers drew their weapons, the suspect, wearing a black jacket, black pants and white shoes, raised his hands in the air. He then was cuffed without incident, Betrue's video shows. I'm just thankful that he didn't try to put the officers or any of the business or anyone else in harm's way here, Betrue said. Police don't believe anyone else was involved in the attacks. Tricarico also was accused of pointing an assault rifle at a man in the parking lot of a convenience store Wednesday evening as the two were sitting in their vehicles, according to the court documents. Tricarico later followed the man, who ducked when he heard a gunshot but wasn't harmed, police said. Tricarico, however, claimed not to have left his house that day. SAO PAULO: Brazil`s death toll from COVID-19 is expected to pass 500,000 on Saturday as experts warn that the world`s second-deadliest outbreak may worsen due to delayed vaccinations and the government`s refusal to back social distancing measures. Only 11% of Brazilians have been fully vaccinated and epidemiologists warn that, with winter arriving in the southern hemisphere and new variants of the coronavirus circulating, deaths will continue to mount even if immunizations gain steam. Brazil has registered 498,499 deaths from 17,801,462 confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to Health Ministry data on Friday, the worst official death toll outside the United States. Over the past week, Brazil has averaged 2,000 deaths per day. COVID-19 continues to devastate countries around the region with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reporting 1.1 million new cases of COVID-19 and 31,000 deaths in the Americas last week. PAHO noted upticks in six Mexican states, Belize, Guatemala, Panama and some places in the Caribbean. PAHO warned that Colombia`s COVID-19 situation is at its worst point yet, with intensive care unit beds filled in major cities. Experts see the toll in Brazil, already the highest in Latin America, climbing far higher. "I think we are going to reach 700,000 or 800,000 deaths before we get to see the effects of vaccination," said Gonzalo Vecina, former head of Brazilian health regulator Anvisa, predicting a near-term acceleration in fatalities. "We are experiencing the arrival of these new variants and the Indian variant will send us for a loop." Vecina criticized far-right President Jair Bolsonaro`s handling of the pandemic, including the lack of a coordinated national response and his skepticism toward vaccines, lockdowns and mask-wearing requirements, which he has sought to loosen. Raphael Guimaraes, a researcher at Brazilian biomedical center Fiocruz, said that delays in the vaccination program in Latin America`s most populous nation meant its full effects would not be felt until September or later. Guimaraes warned that Brazil could revisit scenes from the worst of its March-April peak, when the country averaged 3,000 deaths per day. "We are still in an extremely critical situation, with very high transmission rates and hospital bed occupancy that is still critical in many places," he said. This week, new confirmed cases in Brazil accelerated to more than 70,000 per day on average, edging past India for the most in the world. Vaccination will be crucial in beating the virus in Brazil, since the country has failed to reach a consensus on social distancing and masks, said Ester Sabino, an epidemiologist at the University of Sao Paulo. "We really need to increase vaccination very quickly," she said. However, evidence from neighboring Chile, which like Brazil has relied overwhelming on a vaccine developed by China`s Sinovac Biotech, suggests it may be months before mass immunization will effectively curb transmission. Nearly half of Chileans have been vaccinated, but their capital Santiago just went back into lockdown as cases surged again to near peak levels. Brazil will need to inoculate some 80 million people to reach Chile`s current per capita vaccination levels. That will require a more consistent supply of vaccines and ingredients in Brazil, which have been spotty in recent months, as imports from China were delayed after Bolsonaro antagonized Beijing with comments perceived as anti-Chinese. New Delhi: An age-old health care and wellness practice for holistic living from our land - Yoga - ensures a balance of mind, body and soul. Today, on June 21, the world is celebrating the seventh International Yoga Day. Check out these facts on why including yoga in our daily lives is of utmost importance: World Yoga Day Theme: This years theme is 'Yoga for wellness!' as the world is still reeling under the second wave of the novel coronavirus. From politicians to Bollywood biggies, everyone talks about the benefits of yoga and has also adopted it as a regular practice in their day-to-day lives. Every year a new theme is selected for the special day focussing on the essence of yoga. History of International Yoga Day: The International Yoga Day has been celebrated annually on June 21 since 2015, following its inception in the United Nations General Assembly in 2014. It was proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 27, 2014. It is observed on June 21, every year, to spread awareness about the importance and effects of yoga on the health of the people. The word 'yoga' is derived from Sanskrit which means to join or to unite. On the occasion of International Yoga Day, lets talk about the benefits of yoga: 1. Yoga helps in de-stressing and in calming the mind and body. 2. It helps in breathing problems. 3. It also helps in eradicating toxins and impurity from the body. 4. Practicing Bhujangasana helps in many ways, be it stress or fatigue. It also helps in making the skin looking healthier and glowing. 5. Yoga also helps in weight loss and also contributes to anti-aging. Significance of Yoga: According to the United Nations, yoga can also help with COVID-19 anxiety. Yoga is also playing a significant role in the psycho-social care and rehabilitation of COVID patients in quarantine and isolation. It is particularly helpful in allaying their fears and anxiety. Every year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with several other prominent dignitaries used to organise massive events in order to promote and encourage people towards yoga, but since the world witnessed the deadly coronavirus in 2020, PM Modi urged people to observe the day from the confines of their homes due to the coronavirus outbreak. New Delhi: The Finance Ministry has refuted claims that Indias alleged black money in Swiss bank has jumped. On Friday (June 18), Swiss Authorities have claimed that funds of Indians parked in Swiss banks grew to over Rs 20,700 crore (CHF 2.55 billion) at the end of 2020 from Rs 6,625 crore (CHF 899 million) at the end of 2019. Indians fund in Swiss accounts were reported to be the highest in 13 years. However, the Finance Ministry said that refuted all reports of alleged black money held by Indians in Switzerland. Also Read: Brace yourselves 'Jamtara' scamsters! National helpline launched to trace online frauds, check details In a statement, the ministry clarified that the official figures reported by banks to Swiss National Bank (SNB) do not indicate the quantum of much-debated alleged black money held by Indians in Switzerland. The ministry also pointed out that that the figures dont include the money parked by Indians, NRIs or others in Swiss banks in the name of third-country entities. The funds held through fiduciaries has also more than halved from the end of 2019. The biggest increase is in Other amounts due from customers. These are in form of bonds, securities and various other financial instruments, the ministry noted. Giving further explanation, the ministry noted that other factors could have resulted in the increase of deposits by Indians in Swiss bank accounts. These factors include increased business transactions by Indian companies, a hike in deposits of Indians in Swiss Bank branches in India, jump in inter-bank transactions between Swiss and Indian Banks, among others. The Finance Ministry has further requested Swiss Authorities to provide relevant information on their claims of an increase in the funds of Indians parked in Swiss banks. Also Read: All-round development of Jammu and Kashmir is 'top priority' of Modi govt, says Amit Shah New Delhi: The Ministry of Education will soon come up with the schedule for the two remaining editions of the engineering entrance examination JEE-Mains and the medical entrance test NEET in the month of August. According to a PTI report, the situation is being reviewed to see if the examinations can be held on August 1. "The situation is being reviewed to decide on the schedule of the pending editions of JEE-Mains and whether NEET-UG can be conducted on August 1," a senior official told PTI. JEE-Mains is conducted four times a year from the current academic session, the first phase in February was followed by the second phase in March, while the next phases were scheduled for April and May. But those were postponed after a spike in the number of cases of coronavirus. While no decision was taken on NEET-UG, the registration for the exam, which was supposed to commence from May 1, was kept in abeyance. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Thursday announced the marks tabulation policy for the Class 12 exams, which were cancelled on June 1 in view of the Covid situation. The schedule for the subsequent entrance examinations is expected to be decided soon. New Delhi: Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty's husband Raj Kundra recently took to Instagram to share a hilarious Punjabi rendition of a scene from the popular show 'Money Heist' which will have you rolling on the floor with laughter! With the help of a face swap app, he superimposed Shilpa's face on Tokyo's character and his own with The Professor. In the video, she says that it's easy to identify a married woman because of her mangalsutra but asks - 'how do you identify a married man?'. To this, he gives a cheeky reply, saying, "By seeing the sorror on his face." Raj captioned the hilarious video saying, "Finally a Punjabi couple in Money Heist!! Woohoo Bella Ciao, the Punjabi dialogue translates to : Her - when a Indian woman is married you know by her mangalsutra how do you know when a Indian man is married ? He - By seeing the sorrow on his face" Check out the hilarious video: Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty got married in 2009 and had their first child, son Viaan, in 2012. In 2020, they had their daughter Samisha via surrogacy. On the work front, Shilpa will be making her comeback on the silver screen almost after a decade. She will be soon seen in the second installment of the popular comedy film, Hungama, alongside Paresh Rawal. Other than that, she also has Sabbir Khan's Nikamma in the pipeline. New Delhi: In view of the prevailing COVID-19 situation, the Assam government on Friday (June 18) scrapped Class 10 and 12 board examinations. Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu informed that the results of Class 10 and 12 board exams will be declared by July 31, PTI reported. Two committees will be formed for deciding the formula on which students will be evaluated. "The matric and higher secondary examinations for 2021 have been cancelled as the positivity rate due to the prevailing COVID situation is yet to be brought under control," Pegu told reporters. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by the minister and attended by officials of the Health and Education departments, SEBA, AHSEC, All Assam Students' Union, All Bodo Students' Union, Asam Sahitya Sabha, Bodo Sahitya Sabha and other stakeholders. "The results will be record-based and not subjective. They will be based on records available with the schools and the boards," Pegu said. One committee each for Class 10 and 12 will be constituted to decide the evaluation criteria. The reports of both the committees will be submitted within a week and the results of both matric and higher secondary exams will be declared by July 31, the Education Minister said. The Board of Secondary Education, Assam, (SEBA) is responsible for Class 10 examination, while the Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC) conducts Class 12 examination. On June 10, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said that Class 10 and 12 state board examinations will be held only if COVID-19 positivity rate drops below two per cent. After the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) scrapped Class 12 exams, several states including Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra followed suit in view of the deadly infection. (With agency inputs) Live TV New Delhi: The Centre on Saturday asked state governments to register cases and invoke the stringent Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Act, 2020 against those who indulge in assault on doctors and healthcare professionals. Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla's letter to States and Union Territories came following several incidents of attack on doctors and healthcare professionals in different parts of the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "You will agree that any incident of threat or assault on doctors or healthcare professionals may dampen their morale and create a sense of insecurity amongst them. This may adversely affect the healthcare response system," Bhalla wrote. The home secretary said in the present circumstances, it has become imperative that strict action be taken against those who assault healthcare professionals. "Institutional FIRs should be registered against assaulters and such cases should be fast-tracked. You may also like to invoke provisions of the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Act, 2020, where applicable," he said. According to this law, anyone involved in the assault on doctors and healthcare professionals are liable to be punished with imprisonment up to five years, and a fine up to Rs two lakh. This offence may be compounded by the victim with the permission of the court. Further, if an act of violence against a healthcare service personnel causes grievous harm, the person committing the offence will be punishable with imprisonment up to seven years and a fine up to Rs five lakh. These offences will be cognisable and non-bailable. "I would also like to reiterate that a close watch be kept on any objectionable content in social media which may exacerbate such situations. Concerted efforts should be made through posters in hospitals, social media, etc. To emphasise the valuable contribution being made by doctors and other healthcare personnel in the fight against COVID-19," Bhalla said. The home secretary said he has written the letter due to the security concerns relating to healthcare establishments and professionals. Bhalla also highlighted the central government's earlier advisories sent in this regard on April 27, 2021 and June 9, 2021. He said that in the earlier advisories, various remedial measures were suggested to check recurrence of such incidents, including adequate security at healthcare facilities, especially at COVID-19 designated hospitals along with controlled and restricted access to the premises. The other suggestions include facilitation centers at the entry point to provide information as well as sharing of authenticated information regarding medical resources with public through website, helpline, etc., deployment of quick response police teams at vulnerable locations with effective communication and security gadgets and effective local level medical intervention along with well equipped centralized control room for monitoring and quick response, etc. "Further, I would request that States and Union Territories may take these measures on priority and proactively engage with members of medical fraternity to assuage their concerns," he said. New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Friday (June 18, 2021) announced that an IT system is being developed by the board to assist schools in the preparation of Class 12 results. This announcement comes few days after a 'Policy for Tabulation of Marks for Class-XII Board Examinations 2021' was issued by the board. The board officials say that the new system aims to ease calculation work, reduce time and address other hassles. "This system will also pre-populate marks of Class X of the students passed from CBSE. Efforts will also be made to take other Boards` class X results data," an official statement said. The board also said that it will continuously communicate with all the schools to ensure that results are prepared by schools without problems, adding that it will establish a help desk to assist schools. It further noted that schools will have to provide Class X theory marks for only those students who passed class X from other Boards and Class XI final theory marks should also be kept ready in soft form. CBSE writes to all affiliated schools, informing that it's developing an 'IT system for calculation of results for Class 12th'; says it will set up a help desk to assist schools in preparation of result of Class 10 and Class 12 from next week pic.twitter.com/a93QhcIUPE ANI (@ANI) June 18, 2021 "Similarly, Class XII proposed final theory marks based on Unit tests, Mid Terms and Pre-Boards should also be kept ready by the schools," it said, adding that a portal would soon be made available for updating of information about class X roll no, board and year. Earlier, on June 1, the CBSE Board Class XII examinations were cancelled in the view of 'uncertain conditions due to COVID', following which CBSE on Thursday said it will evaluate class 12 students for theory based on 30 percent marks from class 10 board, 30 percent from class 11 and 40 percent from marks based on the performance in the unit, the midterm, and pre-board tests. Marks obtained by class 12 students in practical and internal assessment on an actual basis as uploaded by schools on CBSE Portal will be also considered in deciding final results. (With Agency inputs) Live TV New Delhi: The Centre is likely to hold a meeting with all regional parties in Jammu and Kashmir on June 24 as part of its initiatives to bolster political processes, including holding assembly elections, in the union territory, officials said here on Friday. The meeting is likely to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other central leaders. The central leadership has begun the process of inviting National Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah, PDP chairperson Mehbooba Mufti, Altaf Bukhari of the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP), and People's Conference head Sajjad Lone for discussions, the officials said. Both Abdullah and Mehbooba had served as chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. Mehbooba told PTI Friday night that she had received a call from the Centre for a meeting on June 24. "I am yet to take a decision. I will discuss with my party members and take a final call," she said. It will be the first such meeting since the Centre announced the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status and its bifurcation into union territories in August 2019. Asked about the prospect of talks with the Centre, CPI(M) leader and spokesperson of the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) M Y Tarigami said there has been no word from New Delhi, but added that if it happens, it would be welcomed. "We have never closed our doors for meaningful engagement with the Centre. Though I have no information about any dialogue, if it happens, it will be welcomed," Tarigami told PTI from Srinagar. The PAGD is an alliance of some parties in Jammu and Kashmir, including the NC and the PDP, that was formed in the aftermath of the Centre's August 2019 decisions. JKAP president Bukhari said, "I welcome, if and when, the talks take place. This vindicates our position of March 2020 when we had made it clear that dialogue is the only mechanism to restore democracy and statehood for Jammu and Kashmir." "Better late than never as the solution to all our problems lies with New Delhi and nowhere else," he added. The Jammu and Kashmir units of the BJP and the Congress are also likely to be part of these discussions, which are being seen as part of efforts to strengthen normal political processes in the union territory. The officials said the delimitation commission under the leadership of Justice (retd) Ranjana Desai, which was set up immediately after the passage of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill in Parliament, is likely to expedite its work and submit its report. The commission was set up in February 2020 and has been given an extension of one year in March this year. Barring Bukhari, other leaders have served a spell of detention following the August 2019 decision of the Centre to abrogate the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcate the erstwhile state into union territories -- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. In the District development Council election last year, the PAGD surged way ahead of the BJP and its allies, including the JKAP, by bagging 110 seats out of 280 with the National Conference emerging stronger with 67 seats within the alliance. The BJP was the single largest party with 75 seats. The political mainstream of the union territory, especially those having a strong base in Kashmir Valley, have been critical of successive administrations of the union territory for neglecting the demands of the people and raising questions on the development slogan raised post-August 2019. Aizwal: The Delta variant of coronavirus has been found for the first time in two northeastern states -- Manipur and Mizoram -- following which the authorities have asked the people to be more cautious and follow Covid appropriate behaviour, officials said on Saturday. Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh has confirmed that the Delta variant of Covid-19 has been detected in the state. "After initial testing of 20 samples from Manipur at a laboratory in Hyderabad, 18 were found to be of Delta variant," the Chief Minister said while addressing an official function in Imphal. He said that the major cause of concern of the rapid spread of positive cases in Manipur is due to the Delta variant. The Chief Minister urged the people to be more cautious and follow the Covid appropriate behaviour and standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the state government to prevent infection from the new variant. Officials in Aizawl said that Mizoram has also reported four cases of the highly infectious Delta variant (B.1.617.2) of Covid-19. "The Delta variant has been detected in four men, all from Aizawl district, whose samples were sent along with others to the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG) at Kalyani in West Bengal," Mizoram government`s spokesperson on Covid-19, Pachuau Lalmalsawma, told IANS over the phone. He said that three of the four patients, aged 18-45 years, had a travel history, while one had locally contracted the infection. Lalmalsawma, who is also the state`s nodal officer for the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), said that around 100 more samples would be sent for whole genome sequencing very soon to the NIBMG. The Delta variant was observed in Europe in March and it was notified and brought into public domain on June 13. Earlier this week, scientists in New Delhi said the highly transmissible Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 has mutated further to form the `Delta plus` or `AY.1` variant, but there is no immediate cause for concern in India as its incidence in the country is still low. The new Delta plus variant formed due to a mutation in the Delta or B.1.617.2 variant, first identified in India, and one of the drivers of the deadly second wave, they had said. (Inputs from agency) Live TV New Delhi: India has gifted a statue of Buddha to Bhutan on the birth anniversary of Guru Rinpoche, considered as the second Buddha. Born in 8th century India, Guru Rinpoche also known as Guru Padmasambhava was responsible for spreading Buddhism to Tibet, Bhutan and other parts of Asia. The statue as part of the cultural connection is being given by the Indian council of cultural relations of ICCR to Bhutan. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, President of ICCR at the virtual occasion organised by ICCR and the Indian embassy in Bhutan said that the statue," symbolises not just our age-old cultural ties, but also our shared commitment to the values that Buddha taught us" and the "relationship between Bharat and Bhutan is laced with cultural bondage since time immemorial...what was destroyed in Nalanda and other similar places are the assets saved by your monasteries, stupas..we owe a lot to our friends in Bhutan" The statue of Lord Buddha in a lotus pose is 3.3 feet made of bronze and weighs approximately 200 kgs. It has been designed by renowned sculptor Naresh Kumar Kumawat. At the virtual handover, Bhutan's Foreign minister Dr Tandi Dorji was present, who said, "this is a fitting tribute to our special relationship as the close bonds of friendship we enjoy today, have roots in our deep religious and spiritual connection". He highlighted, that "Buddhism spread from its cradle in India and since its arrival in Bhutan, many great masters from India, most notable Guru Padmasambhava travelled to our country and blessed the land and its people." Bhutan has many important places of pilgrimage associated with him including the Tiger's Nest monastery where he is said to have meditated. The Birth Anniversary of Guru Rinpoche is a national holiday in Bhutan and will be observed on Sunday, 20th June this year. The birth anniversary comes on the 10th day of the 6th lunar month which is usually June or July under the Gregorian calendar. At the virtual event explaining how "Guru Rinpoche's philosophy lies at the heart of Bhutan" India's envoy to Bhutan, Ruchira Kamboj said,"Our embassy feels great honour to hand over the statue of Buddha from India to Bhutan especially on this auspicious occasion". Pointing out the importance of teachings of Guru Padmasambhava ICCR like faithfulness, contentment, Director General, Dinesh Paitnaik on the occasion said, "when we look at India, Bhutan relationship, we see faithfulness is actually the best relationship". Adding, "India is seen as the land of Buddhism...it is proud and honour for us but with it comes to a sense of responsibility to promote Buddhism and propagate its values" On Sunday, the statue will be physically placed at the tashichhodzongon. The development comes a day after India, Bhutan signed a pact on the environment under which both sides will share best practices in areas like prevention of air pollution, waste management, and climate change. Both sides will also work on joint projects under the pact. Live TV New Delhi: While the Supreme Court upheld the Delhi High Court verdict of granting bail to activists Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita and Asif Iqbal Tanha in the northeast Delhi riots cases, the apex court had also said that the HC judgement will not be used as a precedent in any court in the country. The fact that the Delhi High Court discussed the entire anti-terror law, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), in this bail matter was something that the top court said that they found troubling. "It is surprising that in a bail application, there is 100-page judgement discussing the entire law. That is what is troubling us. There are many questions which arise as legality of the UAPA was not challenged before the high court. These were bail applications," it observed. The issue of reading down of UAPA is "important" and can have "pan-India ramifications", said a vacation bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and V Ramasubramanian, adding this law will require interpretation by the apex court. The apex court agreed to hear the appeals filed by the Delhi Police challenging the verdicts of the high court and issued notices to JNU students Natasha and Devangana and Jamia student Asif seeking their responses. While refusing to stay the high court verdicts granting bail to the three accused, the bench said these judgements will not be treated as a precedent by any party before any court. "In the meantime, the impugned judgment shall not be treated as a precedent and may not be relied upon by any of the parties in any of the proceedings. It is clarified that the release of the respondents (Narwal, Kalita and Tanha) on bail is not being interfered at this stage," the bench said in its order. "Issue notice," it said, adding, "Let the counter affidavits be filed within four weeks." Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had urged the apex court to stay the high court verdicts, saying the findings arrived at in these judgements "virtually record acquittal for these accused" and other accused would also seek bail relying on them. "The way the Act has been interpreted, probably it will require interpretation by the Supreme Court. That is why we are issuing notice," the bench said. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the student activists, said there is no doubt that the apex court should consider the ramifications and interpretation of the UAPA so that there is a judgement on the issue from the top court. At the outset, Mehta referred to the judgements of the high court and said, "the entire UAPA has been turned upside down on its head". Mehta said that 53 persons died and over 700 were injured during the riots which took place at a time when the then US president and other dignitaries were here. "The high court has made wide ranging observations," he said, adding, "They are out on bail, let them remain out but please stay the judgements". "Stay by the Supreme Court has its own meaning," he said. These three student activists were released from jail on June 17. The case relates to the last year's communal violence in north-east Delhi during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The high court had said although the definition of 'terrorist act' in Section 15 of the UAPA is wide and somewhat vague, it must partake the essential character of terrorism and the phrase 'terrorist act' cannot be permitted to be applied in a cavalier manner to criminal acts that squarely fall under the IPC. The Delhi police had assailed the verdict, saying the interpretation of the high court would weaken the prosecution in terror cases. (With PTI inputs) Live TV New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday (June 18, 2021) convened a meeting in view of the preparation of the plausible third wave of COVID-19 with Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal. CM Kejriwal discussed the full action plan and roadmap of the Delhi government with the LG in view of the possible emergence of a third wave of coronavirus in Delhi. A presentation inclusive of all the extensive preparedness measures was made, highlighting the enhanced healthcare infrastructure that the Delhi government has been persistently building since the pandemic. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal discussed in detail about the State Level Task Force constituted by the Delhi Government, to increase the number of health workers and the Pediatric Task Force to streamline effective treatment of children from Corona. He apprised the LG about PSA Oxygen Plant, Cryogenic Plant, LMO Storage Plant, Oxygen and bed management in hospitals, arrangement of medicines and vaccination. Delhi government is making its preparations based on the possibility of likely 37000 and a maximum of 45000 COVID-19 cases per day during the possible third wave. Through the presentation in the meeting, the full blueprint of the preparations being made by the Delhi government was presented to the LG. In the meeting, CM Kejriwal discussed with the LG about the State Level Task Force, increasing the number of healthcare workers and the Pediatric Task Force for effective treatment of children. If the third wave comes and oxygen demand increases, the Delhi government has worked on a war footing to maintain rigorous supply of oxygen. Regarding this, the Chief Minister informed the Lieutenant Governor in detail about the cryogenic bottling plant, LMO storage plant along with the PSA oxygen plant which has been established in different areas of Delhi and will be set up in the coming few days. The CMO office tweeted, "Regarding the preparations for the possible third wave of COVID-19, today Hon'ble Chief Minister Shri @ArvindKejriwal ji had a meeting with the Lieutenant Governor, in which the action plan and roadmap for future challenges was discussed. In order to prepare for the future wave, State Level Task Force of the Delhi Government, increase in the number of health workers, Special Pediatric Task Force for effective treatment of children have been included in the action plan. Oxygen and bed management, along with arrangement of medicines and vaccination were also discussed in the meeting." Arvind Kejriwal also apprised the LG that in a worst-case scenario of the possible third wave and the general situation, other preparations including augmentation of beds is being done. Experts estimate that if the third wave of the pandemic arrives, then during the normal situation in Delhi, about 37000 coronavirus cases can emerge per day, whereas if the outbreak is very high, then about 45000 cases can emerge daily. Therefore, the Delhi government is preparing for the management of beds etc, keeping in mind the normal and worst-case scenario. If there is a possible third wave of corona and the situation in Delhi becomes extremely distressing, the government is working continuously for how many oxygen beds and ICU beds will be required during that time. In view of this, the Delhi Government has formed a committee to enhance and strengthen the health infrastructure. This committee is doing the work pertaining to it. *In a Nutshell: Measures Discussed in Detail* 1) Preparedness for the third wave: - Three committees constituted with the following mandate - State Level Expert Committee for mitigation and management of the third wave of Covid-19 cases in Delhi - Third wave action plan for augmenting the health infrastructure component - Paediatric task force for management of Covid-19 and treatment of children 2) PSA Plants - Total 64 PSA plants with total capacity of 64.69 MT capacity - Total of 32 PSA plants with capacity of 29.77 MT have already been commissioned - 7 PSA Plants with capacity of 5.7 MT will be commissioned by June 30,2021 - 15 PSA PLANTS with capacity of 18.8 MT will be commissioned by July 31 - 10 PSA Plants with capacity of 10.42 MT will be commissioned by September 30 3) Cryogenic Bottling Plants with capacity of 12 MT Will be installed and commissioned by July 31 4) LMO Storage Tanks - 3 LMO Storage Tanks with capacity of 171 MT installed - Another 2 LMO storage tanks with capacity of 100 MT are likely to reach by June 30 5) A committee has been constituted to assess the oxygen supply infrastructure in Delhi government Hospitals having 100 or more beds and also examine adequacy of provisions made in the expansion plan and suggest the way forward. Two task forces are working for the preparations of the possible third wave of Corona in Delhi. CM Kejriwal told the LG that the Delhi government is making preparations on a war footing to deal with the possible third wave. New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday said that Delhi is expected to receive light to moderate rainfall and thunder during the weekend. The head of IMDs regional weather forecasting centre, Kuldeep Srivastava, revealed this prediction as the national capital awaits the arrival of the monsoon. Pre-monsoon showers are likely over the weekend, with rain and thunder likely to cover the entire city. Light rains will start from Saturday, and will intensify by Sunday, said Kuldeep Srivastava. He also added that the Delhiites will have to wait a little longer for the official arrival of the South-west monsoon. The maximum temperature in the national capital is likely to be around 36 degrees Celsius on Saturday, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The relative humidity in the morning in Delhi was recorded at 69 percent. The minimum temperature settled at 30 degrees Celsius, while it was 25.1 degrees Celsius on Friday, the IMD said. Additionally, last week the Met department had said that monsoon is expected to arrive in the national capital by June 15, however, now the IMD officials have retracted the forecast and said that the onset of monsoon had slowed down and is likely to take at least another week before it covers the Capital. Live TV New Delhi: As Maharashtra follows the 5-level unlock process, a state COVID-19 task force member has advised against unlocking Mumbai unless 70 per cent of the people are vaccinated. In an interview with India Today TV, Dr Shashank Joshi, a COVID-19 task force member in the state, stressed not reopening the commercial capital of India till at least 70 per cent of the population receive the jab. "Unless 70 per cent of the people are vaccinated, it will not be right to do open up the city," he said. When asked whether the local train services should resume, Joshi stated, We can't think of starting local train services because we are not out of danger yet. We should not repeat the mistake we have made in the first and second waves. Meanwhile, Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope warned of a possible third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic if people do not follow norms like maintaining hygiene and wearing masks. "Nobody can exactly predict a third wave. But by wearing masks and maintaining appropriate behavior, we can postpone its arrival and keep the impact to a minimum," Tope was quoted as saying by PTI. Meanwhile, Aseem Gupta, principal secretary, state relief and rehabilitation department told The Times of India, if the COVID-19 caseload rises during the third wave, the possibility of reintroducing lockdown cannot be denied. It must be realised that these levels are not cast in stone- if the government feels that the cases are rising in an alarming manner, it will react immediately and impose stricter measures, he told the leading daily. Live TV New Delhi: Department of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Secretary Guruprasad Mohapatra passed away from COVID-related complications on Saturday (June 19). Recalling his association with Mohapatra since his days as the chief minister of Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the official had a great understanding of administrative issues and was known for his innovative zeal. In a tweet, the Prime Minister said, "Saddened by the demise of Dr. Guruprasad Mohapatra, DPIIT Secretary. I had worked with him extensively in Gujarat and at the Centre. He had a great understanding of administrative issues and was known for his innovative zeal. Condolences to his family and friends. Om Shanti." Mohapatra was a Gujarat cadre 1986-batch IAS officer and had earlier served as a joint secretary in the Department of Commerce. He was admitted to AIIMS in mid-April. Union Minister Piyush Goyal also expressed his condolences over the demise of Mohapatra through Twitter, saying "extremely saddened to hear about the loss of Dr Guruprasad Mohapatra, Secretary DPIIT. His long-standing service and dedication to the Nation have left a lasting impact. I convey my deepest sympathies to his family and friends". Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also took to the social media platform to express his deep condolence. "A pioneer, he made unparalleled contributions in reforming the urban development landscape in Gujarat, led many public enterprises with distinction and also steered the commerce & aviation sector," Pradhan tweeted. (With agency inputs) Live TV New Delhi: Merchant vessel JSW Mihirgad, a 122-meter long vessel safely entered the New Mangalore harbour during the wee hours of Saturday, thanks to timely assistance by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). The merchant ship suffered a total power failure on its maiden voyage from Kochi, Kerala to Jaigarh, Maharashtra, leaving it dead in the water. Manned by 14 crew, on Thursday, the ship suffered the failure of all three Diesel Alternators, bedsides its backup generator. This necessitated the ship to drop anchor about 4.5 nautical miles off Kasargod, Kerala and raise a distress call. In the absence of propulsion, lighting, ventilation, caused by total power failure, the crew was also unable to prepare food or water through its onboard systems. Based on this information, ICG District Headquarters at New Mangalore conducted a situational assessment for the safe embarkation of the technical team from M/s Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL), which built the ship. However, due to adverse sea conditions with the high swell, usage of boats was ruled out and helicopters were considered a safe option. #SafetyofSeafarers @IndiaCoastGuard prompt action averted potential disaster. Defect onboard MV JSW Mihirgad rectified by CSL engineers transferred per #ICG helicopter. Vessel safely entered #NewMangalore harbour today morning under own propulsion @shipmin_india @DefenceMinIndia pic.twitter.com/Qt1wpOkmjF Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) June 19, 2021 On Friday, ICG Helicopter CG 817 airlifted the deputed technical staff(cochin shipyard limited) from New Mangalore for rendering assistance, performing repairs to the ship. ICGS Varaha, which was in the area was also deployed immediately on Friday to monitor the situation and provide towing assistance, in case the vessel starts drifting towards the coast, due to rough weather. Besides continuously tracking the vessel through its Coastal Security Network, the ICG facilitated the rectification of technical issue, thus saving 14 lives and averting a potential environmental disaster. Live TV New Delhi: India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Pakistani NSA Moeed Yusuf will participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meet next week in Dushanbe (Tajikistan). The in-person meeting along with the NSAs of other countries is slated for June 23 and 24. However, there is no confirmation of Indian and Pakistani NSAs having a bilateral meeting, or pull aside. The development comes at a time when both New Delhi and Islamabad have been cautious in ties in the last few months. This year in February, the Indian and Pakistan army had agreed to observe the 2003 ceasefire pact at the Line of Control (LOC) in Kashmir. Since then, the pact has stood and the area hasn't seen any firing. Earlier in March and April, India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishakar and Pakistan FM SM Qureshi were in the same location, but no meeting had taken place between the two. In March, both were in Dushanbe for the 'Heart of Asia' meet, while in April, they were in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for their bilateral visits. The SCO, notably, has eight member states -- Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. 2017 saw India and Pakistan officially joining the grouping as full-fledged members and in November 2020, India hosted the Shanghai Cooperation Organization heads of government meeting virtually. That was the first time India was hosting such a meet of the group with Indian Vice President Venkaiah Naidu chairing it. This year, Tajikistan is the chair of the grouping and took the chairmanship of the SCO at a meeting of the SCO Heads of State Council in November of 2020. Ahead of the meet, early June had seen a protocol meeting to decide the nitty-gritty of the meet. The next week's SCO NSAs meet is also expected to see the participation of Russian NSA Nikolai Patrushev and his Chinese counterpart. Afghanistan is an observer member of SCO with Afghan NSA Hamdullah Mohib going to the city as part of his larger central Asia visit. The Afghan NSA could also hold a bilateral meeting with Ajit Doval in Dushanbe which comes in the backdrop of the United States withdrawal from Afghanistan and increased violence by the Taliban. Afghan NSA will also attend the SCO meeting in presence of the Pak NSA. This comes even as Pakistan foreign minister SM Qureshi was seen defending the Taliban in an interview to an Afghan channel TOLO News's Lotfullah Najafizada. The Pakistan FM had said, "If you try and create this impression that the violence is high because of Taliban, that would be an exaggeration." New Delhi: India on Friday (June 18, 2021) abstained from a United Nations General Assembly resolution on Arms Embargo on Myanmar, calling the resolution a "haste course of action". India was among the 36 countries, including Russia and China who abstained. In South Asia--Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan abstained. India's envoy to UN, TS Tirumurti speaking at UNGA said, "The fact that there is lack of support from all neighboring countries, as well as several countries in the region itself, should, hopefully, serve as an eye-opener to those who choose to pursue a hasty course of action". The resolution was floated by Liechtenstein and was backed by US, France, UK, Germany with a majority of countries being european. It got the support of 119 countries with Belarus being the only country that voted against the resolution. The Indian envoy to UN pointed out, that "we find that our views have not been reflected in the draft being considered for the adoption" and reiterated the "consultative and constructive approach involving the neighbouring countries and the region remains important as the international community strives for the peaceful resolution of the issue." Since the coup in Myanmar on 1st February, the country has seen an increased level of violence internally even as the issue has been discussed several times at the United Nations Security Council and the General Assembly. During the address by Envoy Tirumurti, he highlighted India's support to ASEAN initiative on Myanmar and called on "upholding the rule of law and release of detained leaders". The ASEAN proposal calls cessation of violence, special envoy of ASEAN chair for mediation of dialogue process, humanitarian assistance Expressing "deep concern", he "strongly condemned the use of violence and urged maximum restraint". Explaining further he said, "we are firm that the path to democracy in Myanmar should continue to move forward through the process of democratic transition, which India has steadfastly supported" and "there can be no turning back on this." The country's charismatic leader Aung San Suu Kyi remains under house arrest and is facing a court case, seen as a farce created by the military leadership. Importantly, India also mentioned its views on repatriation of Rohingya refugees with the envoy saying, "India has the highest stakes in resolving this issue at the earliest" and commended Bangladesh "for hosting a million displaced persons in its territory. India called for "safe, speedy and sustainable repatriation of the displaced persons" in Bangladesh to the Rakhine state of Myanmar. Live TV New Delhi: An indigenously designed oxygen concentrator, which ensures high-purity oxygen supply and has been designed and developed by an Indian startup, is now out in the market. Amid oxygen saturation levels of patients being a major challenge in the treatment of COVID-19, especially during the second wave, the Indian medical devices manufacturers and indigenous automation companies took this challenge up and came up with innovative designs of ventilators, portable respiratory aids, and related devices. The Ministry of Science & Technology informed that Mohali-based Walnut Medical developed 5L and 10L portable medical grade oxygen concentrators based on Pressure swing adsorption (PSA) technology in India with an oxygen purity of above 96% at a pressure of 55-75 kpa. Pressure swing adsorption technology separates single gases from a gas mixture and is a non-cryogenic air separation (near ambient temperature separation processes) process that is commonly used in commercial practice. These two parameters are most critical for patients suffering from COVID or other respiratory problems. The company was supported by CAWACH 2020 grant of the National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB) under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), and they developed the world-class Oxygen Concentrator within a short time to reduce dependence on imports. "There have been three important things DST focused on while planning and supporting the development of products and technologies for COVID-19 - defining the future needs with clarity, encouraging better than the world-class quality through innovation, and speed. Thus, the development of Oxygen concentrators was already envisaged during the first wave, which became critical during the second wave and several more companies are now being shortlisted and supported under the CAWACH 2021," said Prof Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, DST. Walnut Medical Oxygen Concentrator is tested for patient safety, electrical safety, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), and as per International Safety Standards for Oxygen Concentrators. The complete mould design, development of all electronics, moulding, control system, sieve tower, and all related parts and accessories has been done in India. It is currently being supplied to various government, defense, military hospitals in India and is also making them available for the general public through its distribution network across India. The Ministry of Science & Technology stated that DST's support helped them push their endeavor forward with 5Ltr and 10Ltr models and invest in quality moulds to compete against products from Japan, the USA, and China. IIT Delhi incubation team worked with them to help the technology see the light of the day. New Delhi: India's envoy to Japan Sanjay Verma has said that Indo Pacific vision is the "new currency" even as he listed out how Quad as a grouping of "convergence of principles". Japan, along with India, the US and Australia are members of the Quad grouping and back the Indo Pacific vision that geographically sees Indian and Pacific oceans as one unit. In response to a question, Sanjay Verma speaking at the foreign correspondents club of Japan said, "No conflict between the concept of Indo Pacific and the Asia Pacific, which is an old concept. In Fact, Indo Pacific has become the new currency, as compared to the old currency which used to be Asia pacific. Indo pacific replaces the Asia Pacific" He explained that the Indo pacific vision is shared by "many countries" and groupings like ASEAN and "many countries beyond Asia which also share" the vision like the US and Australia. Indo Pacific is a region seen from the eastern shores of Africa to the western coast of the US and a region driving the world's economy and hosting a large portion of the world's population. Asked about Quad, and India aligning itself to specific groups, Verma highlighted that "Quad doesn't force us to leave or give up our Independent foreign policy. It is autonomous and complete Independence. It doesn't preclude the convergence of principles." Adding, "Quad has certain principles which have convergence and reverberance with the Indian foreign policy ethos and that is very much there" Earlier this year saw the first-ever Quad leadership summit virtually in which leaders of all 4 member countries participated. Later this year could see, first-ever in-person summit. While the Quad's history goes back to the aftermath of the 2004 Indian ocean tsunami when these 4 countries worked together, but it is only in the last few years that has seen an increased pace of regular engagement. "In Quad, the countries which have come together follow these principles" like democracy, envoy pointed out, saying "there is dialogue and deliverables coming out of quad" and "I don't see quad going against the philosophy and principle of having an independent foreign policy by a country" The emergence of groupings like Quad and Indo pacific vision comes at a time when the world and Asia have seen an increase in Chinese aggressiveness. China has been aggressive with all 4 quad countries--with India, it has been creating trouble at LAC in Eastern Ladakh, with Japan over Senkaku islands, with Australia there have been trade issues and with the US, from trade to Taiwan. The Indian envoy also spoke on Tokyo Olympics which Japan will be hosting next month, saying "our athletes are early waiting to come and join the event and try to do the best they can in the sporting event." The Olympics were to take place last year but got postponed due to the covid crisis. This year, the Olympics are taking place amid heightened protocols to deal with the covid virus. Verma said, "The Olympics should generally be held on time so that athletes who would participate in it, they do not get disappointed", elaborating that "It is a global event, its an event for which the world waits for 4 years and therefore our view is that, with safety as the paramount so that health issues are not compromised, neither for the athletes nor for other visitors nor for Japanese resident" So far 140 Indian athletes are confirmed to go to Japan for the Olympics. The number can increase as many qualifying events remain. Expressing confidence in smooth Olympics, the envoy said, "Olympics should go ahead with and I am sure given the precautions with the Japanese govt and Japanese Olympic committee...we do not foresee any difficulty in going ahead with Olympics" Live TV New Delhi: Amid a possibility of a third COVID-19 wave hitting the country, the Jharkhand government is on high alert and has started preparations at the suggestion of the experts. The state government released a detailed document to deal with the possibility of the third wave, which is likely to lead to an increased number of infections among children, PTI reported. "Experts suggest that the Coronavirus is mutating at a fast pace and any kind of lethargy may lead to serious complications. With the inputs received from the experts, the state government of Jharkhand is on high alert regarding this matter. Efforts are being undertaken to enhance and up-grade the existing medical infrastructure," an official statement read. Among its various measures to stem the effects of the third coronavirus wave, the government is also working on spreading awareness among people, particularly parents. "Experts anticipate that in the third wave children are at greater risk whereas, this does not give any guarantee of adults being unaffected. The government is also working on generating awareness among people. Along with the preparedness of the government to deal with this potential threat, parents are also expected to discharge their responsibilities," the official release added. In the book titled 'Manuals for Preparation, Prevention and Planning for Covid-19, Third Wave in Jharkhand, the Way Forward', detailed protective measures are also mentioned to avoid infection in children, including paying close attention to their hygiene. Apprising of the common symptoms to be expected in children which includes fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, body aches, running nose, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell, the statement said that as kids might not be able to explain their symptoms, the parents need to be on alert. Meanwhile, as per Reuters poll of medical experts, the third wave of coronavirus infections is likely to hit India by October. On Friday, 146 people tested positive for the coronavirus infection in Jharkhand, while three fresh fatalities pushed the coronavirus death toll to 5,095. The total tally reached 3,44,129, while the active cases stand at 1,946 active cases, a health bulletin said. (With agency input) Live TV New Delhi: Meghalaya Chief Secretary M S Rao on Friday (June 18, 2021) announced that the COVID-induced lockdown in the state has been extended till further orders. The Chief Secretary revealed that the decision has been taken in view of high number of COVID-19 cases in the state. Earlier the lockdown was supposed to end on June 21 but it will continue till further orders, he said. "It is observed that the number of COVID-19 cases is still very high and there is a significant spread in rural areas of the state," Rao said. "In order to safeguard the state from an uncontrollable surge in COVID-19 cases, the containment measures issued will continue to be enforced in the state w.E.F. June 21 until further orders," he said in an order. The decision came after a high-level review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma in which the health department officials briefed him on the present status of COVID-19 cases in the state. Health Minister A L Hek later informed that deputy commissioners of each of the 11 districts have been empowered to take decisions with regards to imposing/extending lockdown in their respective districts. "The deputy commissioners are empowered to take necessary action and issue directives as per requirements in their districts to prevent spread of COVID-19," he said. Meghalaya now has 4,819 active COVID-19 cases and 771 COVID-19 related deaths while 38,792 infected persons have recovered, Health Services director Aman War said. East Khasi Hills which includes the state capital Shillong has recorded 24,931 COVID-19 cases and 589 deaths so far. The district now has 1,674 active COVID-19 cases, he added. East Khasi Hills district which has been under lockdown since the state government announced lockdown from May 5 has relaxed its containment measures and now the non- essential shops are allowed to open three times a week Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Live TV New Delhi: Four persons have been arrested for allegedly duping a plush housing society in suburban Kandivali by organizing a COVID-19 vaccination camp fraudulently in the name of a private hospital, an official release by the Mumbai police read. Police have arrested four persons, who were involved in organising the COVID-19 vaccination camp at the housing society. Besides them, one more person, who had procured vaccines for the camp has been detained at a railway station in Madhya Pradesh and a team of Mumbai police bringing him to the city, Additional Commissioner of Police (North) Dilip Sawant was quoted as saying by PTI. Among the arrested, one is a male organizer of the vaccination camp, and other persons are those who issued fake vaccination certificates after obtaining personal data of the inoculated members. The incident came to light after Hiranandani Heritage Residents Welfare Association (HHRWA) registered a complaint with the police. The RWA mentioned that a COVID-19 vaccination camp was arranged by the residential complex on May 30. However, later they discovered that the Co-WIN portal did not have any record of the people who participated in the drive and the certificates received after getting the jab were in the name of different hospitals. The residents were issued vaccination certificates in the name of Nanavati Hospital, Lifeline Hospital and NESCO Covid Camp, among others. Around 390 members were administered the COVID jab at the camp at Rs 1,260 per person. The members also expressed concern that the vaccine administered could be spurious. As per Sawant, the members of the racket had organized vaccination camps at nine other places. He added that the investigation is still underway. Meanwhile, it was also found that Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had not given permission to organise such a camp, as well as no medical officer, was present during the drive, the official told the news agency. (With agency input) Live TV New Delhi: Ten days after a video of the owner of an Agra hospital went viral in which he is purportedly talking of 'mock drill' that reportedly claimed 22 lives, the Uttar Pradesh's Death Audit Committee has said that there is 'no proof' that the oxygen supply was cut off. However, the Committee in its report on Friday (June 18, 2021), stated that the administration of the 'Paras Hospital' had misled patients on grounds of lack of oxygen and discharged them. The report added that Police will take necessary action against the said hospital for violation of Epidemic Diseases Act protocols. "It is not at all true that 22 patients died after oxygen supply was cut off for a mock drill. No one's oxygen was cut off for a drill nor is there any proof of it. It's misleading information, or else 22 people would have died on April 26," the Death Audit Committee said. They highlighted that the Paras Hospital was provided with 149 cylinders with 20 in reserve on April 25 and 121 cylinders with 15 in reserve on April 26, which was sufficient for the patients. "Besides, attendants of some patients had also arranged oxygen from their end...On the basis of symptoms of hypoxia and oxygen saturation levels, a bedside analysis was conducted on every patient. It was found that out of the admitted critical patients, 22 were severely critical. Out of 16 dead, 14 had comorbidities and two didn't," the report stated. "It has been proved that hospital administration misled patients on grounds of lack of oxygen and discharged them. This is against the Epidemic Diseases Act protocols. Police to take necessary action in this regard," the Committee said. Earlier, the Agra administration had sealed the hospital and the Uttar Pradesh health department had initiated a probe into the tragedy after a video of the hospital's owner, Dr Arinjay Jain, had gone viral. In the clip, he was heard saying, "During an acute shortage of oxygen... the hospital conducted a mock drill. We stopped the oxygen supply for five minutes around 7 am on April 26. Twenty-two patients started gasping for breath and their bodies began turning blue. Then there were remaining 74 patients and we asked their family members to bring their own oxygen cylinders." Dr Jain, however, refuted the news reports of 22 deaths and said that they are baseless. Jain said that he is ready to cooperate with any investigation. "By mistake or innocence, I mentioned the word 'mock drill' in the video but there was no mock drill as such," Jain added. (With inputs from ANI) Live TV Srinagar: The Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have welcomed the Prime Minister's Initiative of calling an All-Party meet. The meeting is to be held on the 24th of June 2021. All the regional and national parties of Jammu and Kashmir have welcomed this step and said dialogue is the only way forward. This is the first time New Delhi has initiated a political process in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of article 370. The UT has been under President's rule since. People's Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti received a call from the centre to attend the meeting. However, no official invite has been sent to any party yet. PDP has decided to hold a meeting tomorrow to deliberate on the meeting. ''We have not received any formal written invitation but PDP president Mehbooba Mufti received a call and was informed about this meeting. We have now called for a party meeting on Sunday which will be chaired by Mehbooba Mufti and everything will be discussed in the meeting. We will take a decision on whether the party will attend the meet or not. '' said Suhail Bukhari, Chief Spokesperson PDP. None of the Political parties including BJP's state wing has received any formal invitation from the centre yet. But every Political party has appreciated the step. We are learning it from you only, we have not received any formal invitation for it, but I think it will be a good opportunity for political parties and people of Jammu and Kashmir. As there have been hiccups in the political process and this opportunity should be used by everyone. Everyone should go and speak. Every party must go. said Rafi Mir, Senior Leader, APNI Party. While the amalgam of Kashmir's Political parties called 'People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) has not taken any decision so far. But parties affiliated say whatever the amalgam decides that will be their course of action. This is what we are hearing, on this we had a discussion. When we met under the chairmanship of NC leader Dr Farooq Abdullah, our spokesperson said that dialogue is fine, its ok and we are here for that. We have been saying that we should sit down and talk. If the initiative is coming from the Prime Minister, I welcome it. But the final decision would be taken by the party president and by PAGD leadership. And we hope for the best. '' said Muzaffar Shah, Leader ANC and PAGD Member. However, Kashmir regional Party National Conference has said that they will attend the meeting if Invited. If we get the invitation, we will go and we will put across the points we have. We will ask for a pre position on 5 august 2019. Its going to be the first of its kind. We are ready for elections. '' Akbar Lone, Parliamentarian, NC. While this whole process is going on, the Government has released Mehbooba Mufti's Uncle Sartaj Madni from detention. Live TV New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday turned 51 with party leaders and workers wishing him on his birthday, which he has decided not to celebrate in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rahul Gandhi was born to Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi on June 19, 1970, in Delhi. The Delhi Congress has decided to observe the day as "Sewa Diwas" and is distributing face masks, medicine kits and cooked meals free of cost to the poor in the national capital. The National Students' Union of India (NSUI), the Congress' students' wing, is organising a free vaccination camp to mark the occasion, while the Youth Congress is distributing free ration to the needy in Delhi. Some state Congress committees are observing the day by distributing ration and other essentials at no cost to the poor and the needy. Wishing their leader, the Congress said on Twitter, "We wish Shri Rahul Gandhi health and happiness on his birthday." "In view of the second Covid wave and the incredible difficulties people are facing, Mr Gandhi has chosen not to celebrate his birthday. Instead, he has urged Congress workers to continue their relief work around India," the party said. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Twitter wished the Wayanad MP on his birthday and for good health and happiness. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari tweeted, "Birthday greetings to Shri @RahulGandhi ji. May you be blessed with good health and long life." Chief ministers M K Stalin (Tamil Nadu), Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi), Hemant Soren (Jharkhand), Conrad Sangma (Meghalaya), Amarinder Singh (Punjab), Ashok Gehlot (Rajasthan) and Bhupesh Baghel (Chhattisgarh) and Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh) wished Rahul Gandhi on Twitter. "Wishing my beloved brother Rahul Gandhi on his birthday and I join others in praising his selfless, untiring work to establish an egalitarian India in every aspect. His commitment to the ethos of the Congress party has been exemplary," Stalin said on Twitter. The Punjab chief minister said that he was proud of the Congress leader's hard work and his abiding commitment to serve the people of the country. "Rahul ji is genuinely concerned about the welfare of the poor and downtrodden. I wish he succeeds in his endeavours," said Gehlot. Baghel said that it is not easy to stand before the opposing tide and Rahul Gandhi is doing so and setting an example by standing above politics of compromise. Rahul Gandhi responded to some of the wishes on Twitter. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted, "To a true leader, who battles the challenges with truth, honesty, compassion and courage. To a leader for whom righteous means are as important as the goal. Wishing Rahul Gandhi ji more power to keep fighting the good fight." All India Congress Committee general secretary KC Venugopal also wished Gandhi, saying, "It's been a difficult year and you've continued to lead our people with love and sincerity." National Conference leader Omar Abdullah wished Rahul Gandhi for his birthday, good health and many years ahead in the service of the nation, while former prime minister and JD(S) president H D Devegowda on Twitter said, "I wish him well, and sincerely pray that his view of the world and his compassion defeats the narrowness that surrounds us." New Delhi: A Delhi court on Saturday (June 19) took cognisance of the supplementary charge sheet filed against actor-activist Deep Sidhu and others in the Republic Day violence case. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Gajendra Singh Nagar has summoned all the accused through video conferencing on June 29. Production warrants have been issued against Maninder Singh and Khempreet Singh, who are still in judicial custody. Except for the duo, all the other accused are out on bail. The judge said the court is taking cognisance of the charge sheet relating to various sections of the Indian Penal Code, except those sections for which prosecution sanction is still awaited. Sanction under the Epidemic Diseases Act, the Disaster Management Act and Arms Act is still awaited from concerned authorities. On January 26, protesting farmers clashed with police during the tractor rally against three farm laws and stormed into the Red Fort injuring scores of policemen. The police had filed a supplementary charge sheet on June 17. The investigating officer pointed out names of the witnesses who were severely injured or from whom the weapon was snatched, in the final report. The Delhi Police Crime Branch, which is tasked with the investigation, had filed a 3,224 page-long first charge sheet against Sidhu and 15 others on May 17, nearly four months after the violence. Deep Sidhu, who was accused of being the key conspirator of the violence, was arrested on February 9. The police had also accused him of fuelling the chaos at the Red fort. He is facing charges of rioting, attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy, dacoity, culpable homicide among various other sections of the Indian Penal Code. He was in jail for over two months and released on bail on April 17. Besides Sidhu, the police have also mentioned the name of Iqbal Singh, who was doing a Facebook Live session in which he allegedly instigated the protesters. (Inputs from agency) Live TV New Delhi: As COVID-19 cases decline, the Telangana government on Saturday (June 19) will take a call on extending the lockdown. The Telangana cabinet will take a key decision on several issues ranging from lockdown to agriculture during the emergency meeting. "An emergency State Cabinet meeting will be held here at Pragati Bhavan on Saturday at 2 pm under the chairmanship of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao," a state government`s release said. It added that the cabinet is expected to discuss lockdown in the state, rainfall, cultivation in the Monsoon season, agriculture-related seasonal issues, lifting of Godavari waters, Hydel power generation and other issues would be discussed, ANI reported. The present lockdown is ending today and hence, the decision is expected soon. Under current lockdown relaxations, people can move between 6 AM to 5 PM with a grace period of one hour (up to 6 PM). On June 8, the Cabinet had extended the lockdown for 10 days. Meanwhile, in view of the prevailing coronavirus pandemic, the state government scrapped Class 12 board exam for the academic year 2020-21. The KCR government asked the authorities to submit the evaluation criteria for Class 12 evaluation to the government for approval, the official notice read. Telangana reported 1,417 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, taking the caseload to 6,10,834. With 12 more fatalities in the last 24 hours, the death toll rose to 3,546. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) reported the most number of cases with 149, followed by Rangareddy (104) and Khammam (93) districts, a state government bulletin said. (With agency inputs) Live TV New Delhi: The Tripura government on Friday (June 18, 2021) extended the COVID-induced curfew in Agartala and 11 other urban local bodies (ULBs) from 2 pm to 5 am till June 25. However, the night curfew from 6 pm to 5 am has been lifted from the villages. The state authorities had first imposed the restrictions on May 16 and then repeatedly extended it further while reviewing the COVID-19 situation in the state. The last set of restrictions were scheduled to end on June 18. "The Covid curfew will remain in force in the jurisdiction of Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) and 11 other ULBs from June 19 to 25," the notification issued by Chief Secretary Kumar Alok said. The notification revealed that the restrictions have also been imposed in the municipal councils of Mohanpur, Ranirbazar, Udaipur, Bishalgarh, Kumarghat, Kailashahar, Panisagar, Khowai, Belonia and Santirbazar, besides Jirania Nagar Panchayat. Check guidelines here: - All standalone shops and commercial establishments shall remain open only between 6 am and 2 pm with strict adherence to COVID-19 guidelines. - Shopping malls and market complexes will remain closed at all times and bazaar committees shall deploy volunteers to ensure strict adherence to social distancing. - Vehicles can only ply between 5 am and 2 pm for essential purposes. However, vehicles ferrying medical supplies will be allowed to ply even after 2 pm. - There shall be a total ban on the movement of individuals between 2 pm and 5 am except for prescribed exemptions. - All government and private offices shall remain open till 4 pm with 50 per cent attendance. - Social, political, religious, academic or other gatherings shall be prohibited. - Only essential government meetings with a maximum of 20 participants will be allowed. - Movie theatres, multiplexes, gymnasiums, swimming pools, salons and bars shall remain closed at all times. - Restaurants will remain open only till 2 pm. (With Agency inputs) Live TV New Delhi: West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, who is on a four-day visit to New Delhi, postponed departure to Kolkata and is likely to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah for a second time to discuss the law and order situation in the state. While talking to reporters in the national capital, Dhankhar called the post-poll violence in Bengal the worst one ever seen since Independence. This is an occasion for us to believe in democracy, constitution, rule of law. I appeal to bureaucracy & police to confine to their code of conduct & regulations. Such kind of post-poll violence is worst seen since independence: West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar in Delhi pic.twitter.com/y5lGhvD9eu ANI (@ANI) June 19, 2021 "This is an occasion for us to believe in democracy, constitution, rule of law. I appeal to bureaucracy & police to confine to their code of conduct & regulations. Such kind of post-poll violence is worst seen since independence," he told ANI. Dhankhar was to leave for Kolkata on Friday afternoon but he postponed his departure for another round of meeting with the Home Minister. Earlier, Dhankhar had a meeting with Shah on Thursday during which he reportedly briefed the home minister about the law and order situation in the state post-polls. Dhankhar had arrived in the national capital on Tuesday. Before arriving at Delhi, the WB governor had sent a report to the Centre on the violence that allegedly took place soon after the Assembly polls in Bengal. He had slammed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her handling of the situation. Meanwhile, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has accused Dhankhar of violating constitutional norms and asked him not to return. Dhankhar shares a strained relationship with the state government. TMC spokesperson Sougata Ray criticised Dhankhar for not taking the state government into confidence over various decisions and statements he has made in the recent past accusing him of allegedly violating constitutional norms. New Delhi: The chief investigator of the AstraZeneca vaccine trials on Friday (June 18, 2021) said that the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine significantly increases in the second and third months after taking the dose. AstraZeneca, being sold under the name 'Covishield' in the country, is the pharmaceutical company behind the AZD1222 COVID-19 vaccine. Amid the ongoing debate over the efficacy and duration of various COVID-19 vaccines and the Centres directives, AstraZeneca on Friday backed the idea of keeping a 12-16 week gap between the two doses of its vaccine. Professor Andrew Pollard, who is also the Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, said the immunization policy in Britain and India should not be compared because of the different circumstances in the two countries. An immunization policy that aims to vaccinate the largest number of people in the quickest possible time with at least one dose makes sense in the present circumstances in India, Pollard said. The researchers and scientists stated that India, being a vast country with a huge population, most of which is unvaccinated when the deadly Delta variant is present, is a widely spreading and increasing threat. India has administered a cumulative number of 26,89,60,399 (26.89crore) COVID-19 vaccine doses so far. Pollard, who is also a professor of Paediatric Infection and Immunity at Oxford University in the UK noted that AstraZeneca is not working on a single-dose vaccine. Two doses are needed. One may be good but the second is needed to boost protection, said the scientist. Pollard said that in a situation of COVID-19 vaccine shortage it makes sense to ensure a measure of protection for the widest number of people rather than provide a better level of protection for a smaller number of people. AstraZeneca chief investigator explained his point by stating that one dose of Covishield provides above 70 percent protection against serious illness and hospitalisation which has to be the main concern. One should not be deterred or deflected by the fact that one dose provides only 30 percent protection against symptomatic illness, the scientist said, adding symptomatic illness usually means nothing more than a cold, cough, and fever, which most people can easily handle. What we need to focus on is a high level of continuing protection against serious illness and hospitalisation, Pollard said. Meanwhile, India has increased the gap between the COVID-19 vaccine twice. In the beginning it the gap between two Covishield doses was set at four to six weeks, then increased to six to eight, and is now 12-16. While answering the question on how the United Kingdom reduced the gap between two doses just as India increased its, Pollard said that UK government had decided to reduce the gap at a time when a substantial proportion of its population was already vaccinated. In India, the converse is the case. The vast majority of people are unvaccinated and unprotected. Therefore, you need to ensure that as many as possible are protected against serious illness and hospitalisation, even if that means a large number will have lower levels of protection against symptomatic infection, the scientist explained. Pollard said another sensible reason for extending the gap in circumstances where the supply of vaccine is short is that the level of the protection provided by one dose of AstraZeneca significantly increases in the second and third months after the jab. Meanwhile, India on Saturday (June 19, 2021) reported 60,753 new COVID-19 infections, 1,647 coronavirus-related deaths and 97,743 discharges in the last 24 hours. The country's total COVID-19 tally has now increased to 2,98,23,546, of which, 2,86,78,390 people have recovered, while 3,85,137 have died of the virus. (With PTI inputs) Live TV New Delhi: Bollywood star Akshay Kumar's iconic action film 'Khiladiyo Ka Khiladi' completed 25 years on June 14. A day ahead of the special day, the actor had celebrated 25 years of the film by taking to Twitter and sharing a fun meme related to the iconic fight the actor had with 'The Undertaker' in the 90s film. The meme read, "Raise your hand if you have defeated The Undertaker" that featured Akshay Kumar along with renowned WWE wrestlers Brock Lesnar, Triple H, and Roman Reigns. He wrote in the tweet, "A hilarious note to mark 25 years to the release of #KhiladiyonKaKhiladi tomorrow! A fun fact though: it was wrestler Brian Lee who played The Undertaker in the film." Check out this tweet that left netizens in splits: A hilarious note to mark 25 years to the release of #KhiladiyonKaKhiladi tomorrow! A fun fact though: it was wrestler Brian Lee who played The Undertaker in the film pic.twitter.com/w7J5z3QGBQ Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) June 13, 2021 Netizens found his tweet hilarious and it spread like wildfire soon after it was posted. For the unversed, in the film, Akshay had a fight sequence against The Undertaker that he ended up winning. However, the 53-year-old actor later clarified that he had never fought against The Undertaker, adding that the Phenoms character in the film was played by pro-wrestler Brian Lee. You'll be glad to know that the fun didn't end there! WWE icon The Undertaker replied to Akshay's post and jokingly asked him if he would be willing to compete with him in a real match. He wrote, "Ha! Tell me when you're ready for a REAL rematch". To this, the 'Kesari' actor cheekily replied saying, "Let me check on my insurance and get back, bro!" with smiling and sunglasses emojis at the end. Check out their banter on social media: Notably, the Undertaker was one of the biggest WWE attractions in the mid-90s when Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi was released. The movie grabbed the attention of pro-wrestling fans from the Indian subcontinent due to "The Undertaker" making an appearance and locking horns with Kumar. The 1996 film, starring Rekha, Akshay Kumar, Raveena Tandon and renowed wrestler Brian Lee as 'The Undertaker', was the 6th highest-grossing movie of the year. It was the fourth part in the Khiladi series. On the work front, Akshay will next be seen in Abhishek Sharma's 'Ram Setu' alongside Jacqueline Fernandez and Nushrratt Bharuccha. He will also be seen in 'Housefull 5', 'Atrangi Re', 'Bell Bottom' and 'Sooryavanshi'. New Delhi: On Friday, global sensation Priyanka Chopra was named as one of the brand representatives of the American lingerie brand Victoria's Secret. This move was done to replace the conventional models or 'Angels' as they were called and focus on diversification. Soon after, Priyanka took to her Instagram to share the news and penned down a strong note on 'representation' and women empowerment. She wrote, "Representation matters. Its crucial for us to show everyone ALL over the world that they matter and are seen! As a founding partner of #TheVSCollective and advisor to the business this is exactly what I intend to do." "Its been so incredible to see your reactions to yesterdays announcement. Its fuelled me further and I am excited to bring about meaningful change at one of the worlds most iconic brands. Im so proud to be in the company of the Collective of incredible women that will helm this change #VSAmbassador@victoriassecret. PS: Thank you to my dream team for always thinking big with me. For going on the wild rides I want to embark upon. And for fighting the big fights! Love you and am especially proud of you on this one!," she continued. Check out her latest post: On the work front, the actress will next be seen in the romantic film Text For You which stars Sam Heughan, Celine Dion, Russell Tovey and Omid Djalili. Priyanka will also make her digital debut in a web series with Citadel. It is produced by the Russo Brothers of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame and will be released on Amazon Prime Videos. New Delhi: TV actor Shoaib Ibrahim of 'Sasural Simar Ka' fame recently shut down a troll who insulted his wife Dipika Kakar during an 'Ask Me Anything' session and called her 'irritating'. On Saturday (June 19), the actor had decided to interact with his fans and asked them to throw questions at him on Instagram. Things got a little awkward when one user wrote, "Why dipika shouts so much?? Isnt that irritating??". To this, Ibrahim replied saying, "Irritating shayad aapke liye hoga but not for me not for my family and not for the people who know what we are. Its ok sabki apni apni pasand hai. Mere Liye, Meri family ke liye aur unke liye jo use chahte hai (her fans and well wisher) unke liye anmol hai wo. Baaki ke log kya sochte I don't care. (Maybe it's irritating for you but not for me. It's ok, everyone has their preferences. For me, for my family and for her well wishers, she's special. I don't care what other people think). Check out their interaction: Dipika Kakar and her husband Shoaib Ibrahim are popular TV stars, who fell in love on the sets of 'Sasural Simar Ka'. They both headlined the show. However, Shoaib quit the show soon while Dipika played the lead for several years. They continued to remain friends and eventually developed feelings for each other. The couple dated for several years before getting married in February 2018. Dipika and Shoaib look perfect together and are currently living in Mumbai. They have a massive fan-following and are quite popular on social media too. Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan, on Saturday, received the first dose of his COVID-19 vaccine. The actor, who had contracted the deadly disease in December last year, also urged his fans to get vaccinated. The 34-year-old star shared the update on his Instagram account with two new pictures of himself clicked at the vaccination centre. The actor also thanked the doctors for their help and assistance. In the caption, Varun wrote, "#VACCINATED Thank u to the wonderful doctors. Don't be a prick go get the prick." Varun donned a baby pink polo t-shirt and beige coloured trousers. In the first picture, he can be seen sitting as a medical officer vaccinates him, while the second picture features him posing at the vaccination centre. Apart from Varun, several Bollywood actors like Radhika Madan, Sonakshi Sinha, Pulkit Samrat, Alaya F, Radhika Apte have received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine. On the work front, Varun was last seen in comedy-drama 'Coolie No. 1', co-starring Sara Ali Khan. He will next be seen in horror-drama 'Bhediya', co-starring Kriti Sanon. The actor will also feature in Raj Mehta's 'Jugg Jugg Jeeyo'. The family entertainer also stars Neetu Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Kiara Advani and Prajata Koli. On the personal front, Varun tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend Natasha Dalal in a Hindu-Punjabi ceremony on January 24. The wedding function, which took place in Alibaug, was attended by the couple's family members and friends. New Delhi: The Delhi government on Friday (June 18) increased the dearness allowance (DA) for daily wagers working in the capital city in a bid to hike their overall minimum wages. The move will benefit unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled and other workers in all scheduled employments under the aegis of the Delhi government. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that the order shall be applicable from April 1. This means that eligible workers will get arrears for the past months. "These steps have been taken in the interest of the poor and working-class, who have suffered disproportionately due to the current (COVID-19) pandemic. This order shall also benefit those in clerical and supervisory jobs," Sisodia added. The Deputy Chief Minister noted that people employed on minimum wages in the unorganised sector should also get the benefits of the dearness allowances, which are usually offered to state and central government employees. With the latest revision in the dearness allowance, the monthly wages for unskilled labourers have been hiked from Rs 15,492 to Rs 15,908. Similarly, semi-skilled labourers will now earn Rs 17,537, a hike of around Rs 500. Also Read: Indians' black money increased in Swiss banks? Check what Centre has to say Meanwhile, skilled labourers minimum salary has been increased from Rs 18,797 to Rs 19,291 a month. "Additionally, the minimum wage rates for the supervisor and the clerical cadre of employees have also been increased. The monthly wages for non-matriculated employees have been increased from Rs 17,069 to Rs 17,537 and for matriculate employees, from Rs 18,797 to Rs 19,291," Sisodia said. Workers with graduation or other higher education qualifications will now earn Rs 20,976, instead of Rs 20,430 a month. Sisodia claimed that with the revision of minimum wages, the compensation in Delhi is the highest in comparison to any other state. "Every section of the society has been adversely affected due to the pandemic. Adding to the woes of the masses is the soaring prices of daily essentials such as oil and pulses. I hope that this increase in wages will provide some relief to our labour brethren," he said. Also Read: SBI alert! Internet banking, YONO, UPI to remain unavailable on June 20, check timings - With PTI inputs New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has rolled a national helpline 155260, along with a reporting platform to create a safer digital payments ecosystem in the country. The aim is to prevent Indians from losing their life savings to rising financial frauds in India. Using the platform, one can report cheating incidents or cyber frauds so that law enforcement agencies can take swift action. The Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System has been developed in house by I4C to integrate Law Enforcement Agencies and Banks and Financial Intermediaries, the Home Ministry had said in a statement. The ministry had launched the pilot of the platform on April 1, 2021. Both the helpline number and the fraud reporting platform have come into action by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the MHA. Also Read: All-new BMW S 1000 R hits Indian roads Check price, features and other details in pics The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), major banks, Payment Banks, digital wallets and online merchants are offering their active support to make digital transactions safer in India. Banks such as SBI, PNB, BOB, BOI, Union Bank, HDFC, IndusInd, among others and digital merchants like PayTM, PhonePe, Mobikwik, Flipkart and Amazon are offering their support to the platform. Currently, the helpline is rolled out in seven states and union territories - Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. MHA is soon going to roll out the platform in other states as well. The ministry noted that the platform has so far saved Rs 1.85 crore of defrauded money. Also Read: IRCTC Latest Update: Indian Railways to operate 660 more trains in June Heres how the digital fraud helpline works 1. Using the helpline, law enforcement agencies prevent online cheating cases by chasing the money trail before the fraudsters convert it into hard cash. 2. Cyber fraud victims can simply call on 155260 to raise a complaint. 3. The telephone operator notes down information such as fraud transaction details along with a few basic personal information before generating a ticket on the Citizen Financial Cyber Frauds Reporting and Management System. 4. Youll get an SMS with an acknowledgement number of the complaint within 24 hours of registering it. 5. Once a ticket is raised, banks, wallets, and online merchants, among other involved parties, are alerted to take action. 6. With the details in place, the concerned bank will now start going through the details shared by the victim. 7. The bank will put defrauded money on hold if it hasnt taken out of the bank. 8. In case, the fraudsters have transferred the money to another bank, then your bank will escalate a ticket to the bank handling the defrauded money. 9. Banks will repeat the process so that you can get your money back. New Delhi: A woman fed up of her cat's thieving ways decided to put up a sign of the pet's misdeeds so that her neighbors could retrieve their stolen belongings. The whole thing has gone far beyond the local neighbourhood and has made the kleptomaniac cat a minor celebrity. The homemade sign hilariously reads: MY CAT IS A THIEF" next to it is a small clothesline with numerous gloves and a face mask all allegedly stolen by Esme, her black cat. CHECK TWEET: Sign of the day. pic.twitter.com/fgr0vC4Z0O Dick King-Smith HQ (@DickKingSmith) June 10, 2021 Kate Felmet of Beaverton, Oregon, told local news station KOIN that she put up a sign drawn with Esme biting into a glove - as she was flustered by her pet's theiving ways and wanted to let her neighbours know that her cat was a kleptomaniac. The sign has gone viral on social media, and it has sort of worked a little bit. People come by and mostly take pictures, but we had the school bus drive by and take a few pairs of gloves, Felmet told KOIN. Experts belive that cats may simply be acting on an instinct called prey-retrieval. In some cases it may just include inanimate objects which they take to a safe place. But its also possible that these cats are intentionally bringing home gifts for their human family as a compliment. Kolkata: Trinamool Congress MLA Jayanta Naskar died at a hospital in the state capital on Saturday. He had tested positive for COVID-19 in May, however, the legislator had tested negative for the disease on Friday. The 73-year-old three-time MLA from Gosaba breathed his last at 8.20 pm. The Gosaba MLA was initially treated at the state-run MR Bangur Hospital and shifted to the private medical facility a few days back, the official said, adding that he had comorbidities. "Naskar tested negative for COVID-19 on Friday. But prolonged illness caused damage to his lung," the senior doctor of the private hospital told PTI. West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee condoled the demise of Naskar. "Heartfelt condolences to the family & supporters of Jayanta Naskar. Deeply pained at this colossal loss. As a 3- time MLA from Gosaba, he had dedicated his life towards serving people and was always with us through our many struggles. He will be remembered dearly," Banerjee said in a statement. Naskar had tested positive for COVID-19 soon after the announcement of the assembly election results on May 2. Tehran: Irans ultraconservative cleric and judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi appears to have won the presidential elections held with other candidates conceding defeat. Three out of four candidates in Iran's presidential election have conceded defeat hours before the interior ministry is expected to announce the official results, Al Jazeera reported. Raisi will be the first serving Iranian president sanctioned by the US government. Early reports said the conservative head of the judiciary, Ebrahim Raisi, won by a wide margin. He was seen as the frontrunner in yesterday's votes marred by low turnout and the disqualification of many candidates.Raisi, who has Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneis support, will succeed moderate President Hassan Rouhani, Kyodo News reported. Rouhani couldnt contest elections as he was term-limited from seeking office again. Moderate and former Central Bank chief Abdolnasser Hemmati conceded his defeat by Raisi and congratulated him, making it certain the conservative hardliners will regain power for the first time in eight years. "I hope your government, under the leadership of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, will bring comfort and prosperity to our nation," Hemmati said in a letter, state media reported on Saturday. Raisi did not immediately acknowledge Hemmati`s concession, nor that of former Revolutionary Guard commander Mohsen Rezaei, who also conceded a loss. The other conservative candidate, Amir Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, explicitly congratulated Raisi."I congratulate ... Raisi, elected by the nation," Hashemi said, quoted by Iranian media.Raisi has promised to fight corruption and poverty. He has indicated that he would continue indirect talks with the United States on reviving a 2015 nuclear deal while making it clear he will call for sanctions against Iran to be lifted. Live TV United Nations: India has abstained on a UN General Assembly resolution on Myanmar, saying its views have not been reflected in the draft and New Delhi does not believe the resolution, tabled hastily, is conducive to "aiding our joint efforts towards strengthening democratic process in the country. The UN General Assembly adopted the draft resolution The situation in Myanmar' on Friday (June 18, 2021) with 119 Member States voting in favour, including Myanmar while 36 nations abstained, including Myanmar's neighbours - India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Laos, Nepal and Thailand. Russia also abstained. Belarus was the sole country voting against it. This resolution was tabled in the UN General Assembly in a hasty manner without adequate consultations with neighbours and regional countries. This is not only unhelpful but may also prove counter-productive to the efforts of the ASEAN to find a solution to the current situation in Myanmar, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti told PTI. In the explanation of the vote in the General Assembly hall, Tirumurti said as Myanmar's immediate neighbour and close friend of its people, India is cognizant of the serious impact of political instability and the potential of its spillover beyond Myanmar's borders. India has been calling for greater engagement with the objective of peacefully resolving all issues. We already have such an ongoing initiative under the aegis of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations). It is important that we extend support to the ASEAN efforts," Tirumurti said. "During the discussions on this resolution, we had engaged in a spirit of finding a constructive and pragmatic way forward and had accordingly shared our suggestions to those who piloted this resolution, he said. However, we find that our views have not been reflected in the draft being considered for adoption today. We would like to reiterate that a consultative and constructive approach involving the neighbouring countries and the region, remains important as the international community strives for the peaceful resolution of the issue, Tirumurti said. He emphasised that the fact that there is a lack of support from all neighbouring countries as well as several countries in the region itself should, hopefully, serve as an eye-opener to those who chose to pursue a hasty course of action. We, therefore, do not believe that the tabling of this resolution for adoption at this juncture, is conducive to aiding our joint efforts towards strengthening the democratic process in Myanmar. We are therefore constrained to abstain, Tirumurti said. The resolution expressed grave concern at the February 1 coup and called upon Myanmar's military junta to immediately and unconditionally release President Win Myint, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and other government officials, politicians and those arbitrarily detained or arrested. It also called upon all Member States to prevent the flow of arms into Myanmar. The resolution called on the Myanmar armed forces to end the state of emergency and respect all human rights of all the people of the country. It also called on Myanmar to allow the sustained democratic transition, including the opening of the democratically elected parliament and by working towards bringing all national institutions, including the armed forces, under a fully inclusive civilian government that is representative of the will of the people. It voiced concern at the human rights situation of persons belonging to ethnic, religious and other minorities in Myanmar, "including the Rohingya Muslim minority, in particular with respect to the violations committed against them and their rights related to citizenship status." Tirumurti said as Myanmar's neighbour, India has direct stakes in the maintenance of peace and stability in the country and welcomes the ASEAN initiative on Myanmar and the Five-Point Consensus'. Our diplomatic engagements will be aimed at strengthening these efforts. We also call for upholding the rule of law and release of detained leaders, he said. Tirumurti also noted that Security Council has expressed strong support for ASEAN's positive and constructive role in facilitating a peaceful solution in support of the people of Myanmar. The ASEAN Five-point consensus states that there shall be an immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar and all parties shall exercise utmost restraint and constructive dialogue among all parties concerned shall commence to seek a peaceful solution in the interests of the people. It also states that a special envoy of the ASEAN Chair shall facilitate mediation of the dialogue process, with the assistance of the Secretary-General of ASEAN. ASEAN shall provide humanitarian assistance through the AHA Centre (ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management) and the special envoy and delegation shall visit Myanmar to meet with all parties concerned, it states. Stressing that India's position on the situation in Myanmar has been clear and consistent, Tirumurti said New Delhi has expressed its deep concern on the developments in Myanmar and strongly condemned the use of violence and urge maximum restraint. We are firm that the path to democracy in Myanmar should continue to move forward through the process of democratic transition, which India has steadfastly supported," Tirumurti said. "There can be no turning back on this. India will continue to engage with measures to accelerate and support the democratic transition in Myanmar so that the hopes and aspirations of the people of Myanmar are fully respected and met, he said. On the issue of repatriation of displaced persons from Rakhine state, he said India has the highest stakes in resolving this issue at the earliest since it is the only country that shares a long border with both Bangladesh and Myanmar. We have continued to counsel our partners on the need for a balanced and constructive approach to this issue. Our support has been for people on the ground, at both Cox's Bazar and in the Rakhine State, he said. He said that it was important to ensure efforts towards safe, speedy and sustainable repatriation of the displaced persons currently in Bangladesh to the Rakhine State of Myanmar, be expedited. We call on both sides to engage actively on this," Tirumurti said. India also commended Bangladesh for hosting a million displaced persons in its territory. Live TV